Nutrition and Why it is so Important

Nutrition, nourishment, or aliment, is the supply of materials - food - required by organisms and cells to stay alive. In science and human medicine, nutrition is the science or practice of consuming and utiliz-ing foods.

Naturopathic Nutri-tion stresses the use of whole and organic foods as medicine – an integral concept of healing in many indigenous socie-ties. Today, we see that a return to chemical-free foods, along with other dietary measures, is an effective answer to many health com-plaints and common con-ditions.

The human body requires seven major types of nutri-ents

A nutrient is a source of nourishment, an ingredi-ent in a food, e.g. pro-tein, carbohydrate, fat, vitamin, mineral, fiber and water. Macronutri-ents are nutrients we need in relatively large quantities. Micronutri-ents are nutrients we need in relatively small quantities.

Micronutrients -

nutrients required in small quantities throughout a person's

life

Minerals

Dietary minerals are the other chemical elements our bodies need, apart from carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen. The term "minerals" is mis-leading, and would be more relevant if called "ions" or "dietary ions" (it is a pity they are not called so). People whose intake of foods is varied and well thought out - those with a well balanced diet - will in most cases obtain all their minerals from what they eat.

Minerals are often artifi-cially added to some foods

to make up for potential dietary shortages and subsequent health prob-lems. The best example of this is iodized salt - iodine is added to pre-vent iodine deficiency, which even today af-fects about two billion people and causes men-tal retardation and thy-roid gland problems. Io-dine deficiency remains a serious public health problem in over half the planet.

Included in this Newsletter:

Required Minerals

Required Vitamins

An article showing studies that state that organic foods have higher concentrations of Antioxidants and lower levels of Cadmium

McQuinn Naturopathic

June Newsletter

June 1st, 2015

Experts at the University of Florida5 say that 16 key minerals are essential for human bio-chemical processes by serving structural and functional roles, as well as electrolytes:

Potassium What it does - a systemic (affects entire body) electrolyte, essential in co-regulating ATP (an important carrier of energy in cells in the body, also key in making RNA) with sodium. Deficiency - hypokalemia (can profoundly affect the nervous system and heart). Excess - hyperkalemia (can also profoundly affect the nervous system and heart).

Chloride What it does - key for hydrochloric acid produc-tion in the stomach, also important for cellular pump functions. Deficiency - hypochleremia (low salt levels, which if severe can be very dangerous for health). Excess - hyperchloremia (usually no symptoms, linked to excessive fluid loss).

Sodium What it does - a systemic electrolyte, and es-sential in regulating ATP with potassium. Deficiency - hyponatremia (cause cells to mal-function; extremely low sodium can be fatal). Excess - hypernatremia (can also cause cells to malfunction, extremely high levels can be fatal). The American Heart Association (AHA) an-nounced on November 5, 20126 that sodium

consumption should be limited to 1,500 milli-grams per day, and that includes everybody, even healthy people without high blood pressure, diabetes or cardiovascular diseases. Calcium What it does - important for muscle, heart and digestive health. Builds bone, assists in the synthesis and function of blood cells. Deficiency - hypocalcaemia (muscle cramps, abdominal cramps, spasms, and hyperactive deep tendon reflexes). Excess - hypercalcaemia (muscle weak-ness, constipation, undermined conduction of electrical impulses in the heart, calcium stones in urinary tract, impaired kidney function, and impaired absorption of iron leading to iron defi-ciency).

Phosphorus What it does - component of bones and energy processing. Deficiency - hypophosphatemia, an example is rickets. Excess - hyperphosphatemia, often a result of kidney failure.

Magnesium What it does - processes ATP and required for good bones. Deficiency - hypomagnesemia (irritability of the nervous system with spasms of the hands and feet, muscular twitching and cramps, and larynx spasms). Excess - hypermagnesemia (nausea, vomiting,

impaired breathing, low blood pressure). Very rare, and may occur if patient has renal prob-lems.

Zinc What it does - required by several enzymes. Deficiency - short stature, anemia, increased pigmentation of skin, enlarged liver and spleen, impaired gonadal function, impaired wound heal-ing, and immune deficiency. Excess - suppresses copper and iron absorption.

can form in organs, particularly the heart.

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The 16 Key Minerals Essential for ALL Human Biochemical Processes

Molybdenum What it does - vital part of three important enzyme systems, xanthine oxidase, aldehyde oxidase, and sulfite oxidase. It has a vital role in uric acid formation and iron utilization, in carbo-hydrate metabolism, and sulfite detoxification. Deficiency - may affect metabolism and blood counts, but as this deficiency is often alongside other mineral deficiencies, such as copper, it is hard to say which one was the cause of the health problem. Excess - there is very little data on toxicity, therefore excess is probably not an issue.

DID YOU KNOW: There are seven common deficiencies that peo-ple suffer from. They are :

1. Calcium

2. Vitamin D

3. Potassium

4. Iron

5. Vitamin B12

6. Folate

7. Magnesium

http://www.everydayhealth.com/health-report/guide-to-essential-nutrients/common-nutrient-deficiencies.aspx

Blood tests can help determine if you are deficient! Or check out the link to read the article!

Minerals... Continued

Iron What it does - required for proteins and en-zymes, especially hemoglobin. Deficiency - anemia. Excess - iron overload disorder; iron deposits can form in organs, particularly the heart.

Manganese What it does - a cofactor in enzyme functions. Deficiency - wobbliness, fainting, hearing loss, weak tendons and ligaments. Less commonly, can be cause of diabetes. Excess - interferes with the absorption of dietary iron.

Copper What it does - component of many redox (reduction and oxidation) enzymes. Deficiency - anemia or pancytopenia (reduction in the number of red and white blood cells, as well as platelets) and a neurodegeneration. Excess - can interfere with body's formation of blood cellular components; in severe cases con-vulsions, palsy, and insensibility and eventually death (similar to arsenic poisoning).

Iodine What it does - required for the biosynthesis of thyroxine (a form of thyroid hormone). Deficiency - developmental delays, among other problems. Excess - can affect functioning of thyroid gland.

Selenium What it does - cofactor essential to activity of antioxidant enzymes. Deficiency - Keshan disease (myocardial necrosis leading to weakening of the heart), Kashing-Beck disease (atrophy degeneration and necrosis of cartilage tissue). Excess - garlic-smelling breath, gastrointestinal disorders, hair loss, sloughing of nails, fatigue, irritability, and neurological damage.

“Poor nutrition can cause health problems, overweight, and obesity. “

McQuinn Naturopathic June Newsletter

These are organic compounds we require in tiny amounts. An organic compound is any molecule that contains carbon. It is called a vitamin when our bodies cannot synthesize (produce) enough or any of it. So we have to obtain it from our food. Vitamins are classified by what they do biologically - their biological and chemical activi-ty - and not their structure.

Vitamins are classified as water soluble (they can dissolve in water) or fat soluble (they can dissolve in fat). For humans there are 4 fat-

soluble (A, D, E, and K) and 9 water-soluble (8 B vitamins and vitamin C) vitamins - a total of 13.

Water soluble vitamins need to be consumed more regularly because they are eliminated faster and are not readily stored. Urinary out-put is a good predictor of water soluble vitamin consumption. Several water-soluble vitamins are manufactured by bacteria.

We know that most vitamins have many differ-ent reactions, which means they have several different functions. Below is a list of vitamins, and some details we know about them:

Vitamin A retinol, retinoids and carotenoids. Deficiency disease - Night-blindness. Overdose disease - Keratomalacia (degeneration of the cornea).

Vitamin B1 thiamine. Deficiency disease - beriberi, Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. Overdose disease - rare hypersensitive reac-tions resembling anaphylactic shock when over-dose is due to injection. Drowsiness.

Vitamin B2 riboflavin Deficiency disease - ariboflanisosis (mouth

lesions, seborrhea, and vascularization of the cornea). Overdose disease - no known complications. Excess is excreted in urine.

Vitamin B3 niacin. Deficiency disease - pellagra. Overdose disease - liver damage, skin problems, and gastrointestinal complaints, plus other prob-lems.

Vitamin B5 pantothenic acid. Deficiency disease - paresthesia (tingling, prick-ing, or numbness of the skin with no apparent long-term physical effect). Overdose disease - none reported.

Vitamin B6 pyridoxamine, pyridoxal. Deficiency disease - anemia, peripher-al neuropathy. Overdose disease - nerve damage, propriocep-tion is impaired (ability to sense stimuli within your own body is undermined).

Vitamin B7 biotin. Deficiency disease - dermatitis, enteritis.

Overdose disease - none reported.

Vitamin B9 folinic acid

Deficiency disease - birth defects during preg-nancy, such as neural tube. Overdose disease - seizure threshold possibly diminished.

Vitamin B12 cyanocobalamin, hydroxycobalamin, methylcobalamin. Deficiency disease - megaloblastic anemia (red blood cells without nucleus). Overdose disease - none reported.

Vitamin C Deficiency disease - scurvy, which can lead to a large number of complications.

Overdose disease - vitamin C megadosage - diarrhea, nausea, skin irritation, burning upon urination, depletion of the mineral copper, and higher risk of kidney stones.

Vitamin D Deficiency disease - rickets, osteomalacia (softening of bone), recent studies indicate higher risk of some cancers. Overdose disease - hypervitaminosis D (headache, weakness, disturbed digestion, in-creased blood pressure, and tissue calcification).

Vitamin E Deficiency disease - very rare, may include hemolytic anemia in newborn babies. Overdose disease - one study reported higher risk of congestive heart failure.

Vitamin K Deficiency disease - greater tendency to bleed. Overdose disease - may undermine effects of warfarin.

Most foods contain a combination of some, or all of the seven nutrient classes. We require some nutrients regularly, and others less frequently. Poor health may be the result of either not enough or too much of a nutrient, or some nutri-ents - an imbalance.

The Inside Scoop on Vitamins. What do They DO?

“The Best Doctor gives the LEAST Medicines. “

-Benjamin Franklin

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Fat soluble vitamins are absorbed through the intestines with the help of fats (lipids). They are more likely to accumulate in the body be-cause they are harder to eliminate quickly. Ex-cess levels of fat soluble vitamins are more likely than with water-soluble vitamins - this condition is called hypervitaminosis. Patients with cystic fibrosis need to have their levels of fat-soluble vitamins closely monitored.

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McQuinn Naturopathic

plants produce more antioxidants and natural toxins to defend themselves against insects and other environmental threats.

The findings about antioxidants and pesti-cide residues were not as surprising as the finding that organic foods were 48% less likely to contain cadmium.

Study authors said it remained unclear why, and what the specific health conse-quences could be. More research was nec-essary, they wrote.

Cadmium, which also is present in cigarette smoke, can cause damage to the liver and kidneys at certain levels.

For that reason, the study authors said, people should try to minimize their cadmi-um intake. However, they wrote, "the ex-act health benefits associated with reduc-ing cadmium intake levels via a switch to organic food consumption are difficult to estimate."

After reviewing 343 studies on the topic, researchers in Europe and the United States concluded that organic crops and organic-crop-based foods contained higher concentrations of antioxidants on average than conventionally grown foods.

At the same time, the researchers found that conventional foods contained greater concentrations of residual pesticides and the toxic metal cadmium.

"This shows clearly that organically grown fruits, vegetables and grains deliver tangi-ble nutrition and food safety benefits," said study coauthor Charles Benbrook, a research professor at Washington State University's Center for Sustaining Agricul-ture and Natural Resources.

To carry an organic label in the U.S., foods must be grown without synthetic pesti-cides, growth hormones, antibiotics, genet-ic engineering or chemical fertilizers.

Scientists have hypothesized that organic

The LA Times

By MONTE MORIN

Phone: 425-293-0107 Fax: 425-293-0329

E-mail: DrMcquinn@gmail.com

“We don’t just treat our patients, we TEACH our

patients.”

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How salty foods may increase sugar intake Researchers from Deakin University, Burwood, Australia, found that children who eat salty foods tend to seek out an accompanying sugary drink. They reported their findings in the journal Pediatrics (December 2012 issue).11 This combination - salty foods and sugar-sweetened beverages - has the potential of making a child be overweight or obese. If salt consumption were curbed, the authors explained, perhaps their cravings for sugary drinks would go down, re-sulting in easier body weight control. The scientists also found that fluid intake was associated with salt consumption - the more salt children ate, the more fluids they drank. Sweetened drinks also tend to increase overall fluid intake. Children in the USA consume as much salt as adults do, the CDC reported in September 2012.12 The CDC added that high salt consumption raises the risk of childhood hypertension. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/160774.php#everyone_in_medicine_is_involved_in_nutrition

We would like to thank Dr. Erica Schultz and wish her the best on her new ventures!