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FOOD QUALITY and
WHY IT MATTERS
Chuck Benbrook
The Organic Center
Troy, OR
Farming for Food Quality Symposium
Tilth Producers of Washington and Washington State University
November 10, 2006
Vancouver, WA
Presentation available at: http://www.organic-center.org/science.nutr.php
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Americans are overfed and undernourished phrase coined in What We Eat in America major
USDA report released in September 2005. Epidemics of obesity and diabetes have displacedAIDS and lung cancer as the nations foremostpublic health problems
Why Food Quality Matters
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Why Food Quality MattersOnly 15% of Americans have a healthy diet based on
USDAs Healthy Eating Index
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Treating disease prolongs life but at high costs
Experts agree that changes in dietary choices andfood quality must play a role in health promotion anddisease prevention
Why Food Quality Matters
Changes in diet needed to supportgraceful aging
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What's Wrong with the
American Diet? Too many calories and too much added sugar,salt and fat
Inadequate intakes of fiber and on average2.5 essential nutrients/day
Intake of about one-half of the recommendedservings of fruit and vegetables per day
Intake of about one-third of the optimalintake of antioxidants per day (best estimate)
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What's Wrong with the
American Diet?
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What's Needed to Fix the
American Diet? Dietary choices driven by individual needsaccording to age and health status
Access to more whole and minimally processedfoods
Access to more nutrient and antioxidant densefoods
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Antioxidant Capacity of FoodsVaries greatly per serving and per calorie
Food
Group
Values Average
H-ORAC
Average
H-ORACH-ORAC unitsper serving
Units perServing
Units perCalorie
Very High 2,000-14,000 6,063 84.5
High 1,000 1,999 1,535 40.4
Moderate 500 999 724 31.6
Low 0-499 325 16
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Antioxidant Capacity of FoodsFoods High in H-ORAC Units per Calorie Deliver Thirty-FiveMore ORAC Units per Calorie Than Foods Low in ORAC UnitsAntioxidant Category
and Fresh FoodH-ORAC Units
per CalorieAntioxidantCategory andFresh Food
H-ORACUnits perCalorie
VERY HIGH LOWBlueberry, Wild 247 Cucumber, with peel 6
Artichoke, Cooked 186 Granola, Low-fat 6
Plums, Black 161 Toasted Oatmeal Cereal 5
Asparagus. Raw 150 Oats, Quick (Oatmeal) 5
Broccoli Raab, Raw 126 Corn, Canned 5
Blackberry 122 Oatmeal Raisin Cookie 4
Strawberry 111 Watermelon 4
Blueberry, Cultivated 108 Life Cereal 4
Cabbage, Red, Cooked 107 Low-fat Chewy Granola Bar 4
Lettuce, Red Leaf 102 Lima Bean, Canned 1
AVERAGE TOP 10 FOODS 142 AVERAGE BOTTOM 10 FOODS 4
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Meeting Antioxidant Needs Tufts researchers recommend a diet delivering3,000 5,000 ORAC units per day; also called Anti-
Aging Points Moderate foods = average 32 ORAC units/calorie
Only about 160 calories of Moderate ORAC levelfoods are needed to reach 5,000 ORAC units per
day (only about 8% of daily calorie intake based on a2000 kcal diet)
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Quality Food Delivers maximum nutrients per calorie consumed
Is free of chemical, drug, mycotoxin and microbial
contaminants
Tastes good and stores well
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Nutrient Density in 43
Garden Crops: 1950 to 1999Percent Decline
-10
0
10
20
30
40
Pro Ash Ca P Fe VitA Thi Rib Nia VitC
Median
(Davis, Epp & Riordan, J Am Coll Nutr, 2004; 23:669)
* P < 0.05** P < 0.01
**
**** **
**
Dryweightbasis
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Organic Farming Impacts on
Food Quality Often enhances nutrient density a few percent to30% or more
Avoids most chemicals and animal drug contaminants
Has potential to and may already reduceprevalence of mycotoxin and bacteria contaminants
Often improves taste and organoleptic quality,although many factors must be taken into account
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The Organic Centers
Food Quality Index An enormous task that will take years and muchinvestment
Many institutions, labs and companies will need tolend a hand in developing methods and essential data
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The r i enters
lit ndex
N trient densit incl ding pr tein levels ndq lit
Tasteand sens r attrib tes
Antibi tic s sceptibilit stat s f bacteria present
in f dCLA and mega-3 levels, and mega-3: mega-6 rati
inanimal pr ducts
Positive attributes:
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The rganicCenters
d ualit ndex
Presence f added fats, saltand sugar
Pesticide residues and risks
M cotoxin levels and risks
Microbiological contamination
Negative attributes:
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Biological Functions ofGlucose in Humans
Basic form of energy (fuel) in the form of CARBOHYDRATE
Precursor of a variety of substances including Vitamin C andglycogen (stored energy)
Glucose (sugar) metabolism is regulated by insulin
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Glycosylation in Humans Is the process or result of adding a sugarmolecule or molecules to proteins and peptides
Usually an enzymatic reaction -- can help protectregulatory proteins and hormones from metabolicbreakdown
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Glycosylation in Humans Can also decrease bio-availability of vitamins,minerals, antioxidants and other substances
Excessive levels of glucose in the blood leads toabnormally high glycosylation of proteins, alteringtheir normal functions
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Diabetes MellitusType 1 IDDM, or Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus
Characterized by a lack of pancreatic production of insulin
Exogenous insulin is essential
Type 2 NIDDM, or Noninsulin-DependentDiabetes Mellitus
Pancreatic production of insulin continues, but there isa lack of action or resistance to insulin action
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Diabetes MellitusGestational Diabetes
Occurs during pregnancy as a resultof hormonal influences causing insulin
resistance
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Diabetes MellitusDiabetes is rapidly increasing in the U.S. and hasserious consequences including blindness, loss of limbs,
kidney disease, and premature death
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Management of DiabetesDiet Prescribed to promote health
the reduction of excessive weight
the normalization of circulating glucose levels
Exercise - Improves the natural control of bloodglucose levels
Blood Glucose Measurement
average glucose levels are measured by evaluatingglycosylated hemoglobin values
Medication (if necessary)
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Biological Functions of
Glucose in Plants
Glucose is the major product of
photosynthesis
Glucose is the plants major energysource and is the structuralcarbohydrate for plant cell walls
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Plant ugars
The form of sugar in plants varies:
glucose 0.74 times as sweet as sucrose
galactose found in fruits, vegetables anddairy products
fructose primarily found in fruits, vegetablesand honey
sucrose a disaccharide (breaks down intoglucose and fructose) found in sugar cane, sugarbeet and maple sugar
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Plant ugars
Foundation of cellulose (cell walls)
Stored in the plant as cellulose and starch
Are moved by the plant to where they are needed Excesses are moved out of the plant via rootexudates and leaf tissues
sugar exudates play a role in rhizosphere
microbial ecology and food safety
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Glycosylation in Plants Plant proteins, peptides, and phytochemicals areroutinely glycosylated
Impacts the movement and stability ofphyochemicals within plants
Alters the bio-availability and activity ofphytochemicals including vitamins and antioxidantsin the mammalian (human) digestive system
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Impacts of High NitrogenExcess N in farming systems leads to extraproduction of sugars and nitrates both tend to be
higher in conventional crops
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More High N Impacts . Higher yields
Larger fruits and vegetables Larger average cell size
Decreases in nutrient density
Greater yield variability when plants are stressed
Less intense flavor
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Impacts of Larger Average
Cell Size in Plants Dilution of nutrients
Stretched cell walls that may be more easilypenetrated by viruses, bacteria and fungi
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More acts of arger CellsHeightened vulnerability tocertain athogens
thinner cell walls lus.ore readily availablefuelfor athogens
that invadecells
lower density of hytochemicals needed for
lant immune res onse
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Diabetes in Plants?Excess sugar in plants triggers changes in plantphysiology, regulation and the ability to combatpathogens that have some similarities to diabetes in
humans
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Diabetes in Plants and Humans Fundamentally rooted in sugar metabolism
Complications arise as a consequence of how plantsand people deal (or are unable to deal) with excess
circulating sugar
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Is There a ConnectionBetween Plants with a
Diabetes-Like Syndrome andthe Risk of Human Diabetes?
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Diabetes Connections? Extra sugars in plants/human blood may alter theintegrity of cells and mute responses to stress and
pathogens Nutrient dilution in food crops clearly impactsadequacy of human nutrient intake
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Diabetes Connections? More sugars and less antioxidants in human dietsare risk factors for inflammation, proliferation and
free-radical and oxidative cell damage Glycosylation patterns and biochemistry play keyroles in plant and human nutrition and health
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Organic Center Research
2007 Priority Areas Healthy children and human reproduction
Nutrient content and antioxidant capacity of food
Physiological factors and mechanisms leading to changesin nutrient density and food quality
Development of a "Food Quality Index" to measure and
compare the nutritional quality and safety Enhancing environmental quality and biodiversitythrough organic management
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Ongoing Organic Center
Research Activities
Pesticides
Antioxidants
E. coli O157 prevention
Wine quality
Nutrient content
Soil quality Cow health and milk quality
Impacts of organic milkreaching 10% market share
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Organic Center
Research PrioritiesPlease share your thoughts and suggestionsregarding:
The Organic Centers areas of focus
Individuals who can help advance our ongoingresearch
Companies or organizations with an interest andcommitment to promote food quality that may bewilling to work with the Organic Center
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Sources of InformationAntioxidant State of Science Review (SSR)
January 2004
Obesity and Diabetes Critical Issue Report (CIR)To be released early December
Do Organic Fruits and Vegetables Taste Better thanConventional Fruits and Vegetables?
SSR to be released late November
www.organic-center.org
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Sources of InformationE. coli FAQ Critical Issue Report (CIR)
Successes and Lost Opportunities to ReduceChildrens Exposure to Pesticides Since themid-1990s, CIR, August 2006
Mycotoxin SSR
www.organic-center.org