Our Paleolithic ancestors had access to 500 different plants. Their food was often stored in the ground with access to abundant bacteria. Today, 80% of human nutrients come from 17 plants, while 50% of our calories come from only 8 grains. Our food undergoes excessive processing and heating. Important chemicals in plants start to disappear […]
View PostMost colon cancers are believed to be due to diet. The authors of this study speculate that products of the metabolism of food by the colon microbiome determine the risk of colon cancer. Dietary patterns can change cancer risk, and diets rich in fresh fruit, vegetables, fiber, antioxidants, calcium, and vitamin D reduce the risk […]
View PostCertain nutrients are beneficial when taken in doses above the accepted daily doses. They can reduce inflammation, improve immune functioning, and improve the barrier at the inner lining of the intestine. People who have surgery, cancer, and severe burns as well as immunosuppressed patients can benefit by immune nutrients. Included in this paper are glutamine, […]
View PostGood diets are important for preventing and curing diseases, and included in such diets are probiotic organisms. Beneficial probiotics belonging to the Lactobacillus (L.)* and Bifidobacterium (B.)* classes are being used more often in food preparation today. Prebiotics, on the other hand, are becoming more important since they stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria. Prebiotics […]
View PostMycotoxins (such as aflatoxins and ochratoxin) are toxic products of fungi and contaminate 25% of all crops worldwide. Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus produce aflatoxins, and Aspergillus ochraceus produces ochratoxin A. Both aflatoxins and ochratoxin A are human carcinogens. One authority has called mycotoxins greater risk factors for cancer than “synthetic contaminants, plant toxins, food […]
View PostHippocrates said “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food,” 2,500 years ago. Today, “functional foods” are foods which have been shown by science to be highly nutritious and improve human health. Awareness grew in 1997 that increased intake of fruits and vegetables reduced cardiovascular risk. Increasing numbers of plant and animal chemicals […]
View PostThe gastrointestinal (GI) tract of the fetus is sterile and bacteria are introduced from the mother as the baby passes out of the birth canal. The baby has a regular supply of bacteria within a few months, which are termed microflora, and live in a complex relationship with the cells that line the gastrointestinal tract. […]
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