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Research
There are many studies that
demonstrate the benefits of good nutrition for various segments of the
population. By applying individuality instead of generalities to any research study we
start to see human science differently. Each research study
usually represents a cross section of the population. Within that
cross section are subgroups of individuals. Each subgroup is
comprised of individuals who have similar
reactions to certain nutrients, or whatever is being tested. Some
subgroups react positive, others negative and others have no response.
Scientific Individuality research looks at studies to determine to which subgroup
you are a member. Are you in the subgroup that was affected
positively by the tested nutrient, or are you in a subgroup that had
a negative reaction, did you have side effects? With each test
result a clearer picture emerges, as the data on you starts to
shape the understanding of your unique biochemical profile. Your
biochemistry becomes defined through a series of subgroups that
you fall within - you are eventually able to determine a list of the substances
tested that are supportive or
negative in their benefit to your health and well being. We choose
food according to taste already - now we can choose it according
to our individual health needs.
We at Individual Health Solutions,
llc have developed a series of tests to help you define what
nutrients you need and which ones you need to avoid. Eventually we will provide you with a
gene test which will look at multi gene expression to determine your unique
bio-chemical needs.
Over-Methylation
Many persons who suffer from
anxiety and depression are over-methylated which results in
excessive levels of dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin.
Typical symptoms include chemical and food sensitivities,
underachievement, upper body pain, and an adverse reaction to enhancing substances such as Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft,
St. John's Wort, and SAMe. They have a genetic tendency to be
very depressed in folates, niacin, and Vitamin B-12, and
biochemical treatment focuses on supplementation of these
nutrients. These persons are also overloaded in copper and
methionine and supplements of these nutrients must be strictly
avoided.
Under-Methylation
Many patients with
obsessive-compulsive tendencies, oppositional-defiant disorder,
or seasonal depression are under-methylated which is associated
with low serotonin levels. They generally exhibit seasonal
allergies, perfectionism, competitiveness, and other distinctive
symptoms and traits. They have a genetic tendency to be very
depressed in calcium, magnesium, methionine, and Vitamin B-6
with excessive levels of folic acid. These under-methylated
persons may benefit nicely from Paxil, Zoloft, and other enhancing medications, although nasty side effects are
common. A more natural approach is to directly correct the
underlying problem using methionine, calcium, magnesium, and
B-6. SAMe, St. John's Wort, Kava Kava, and inositol are also
very useful in treating these individuals.
Metal-Metabolism
A common problem in ADHD,
behavior disorders, and hormonal depression is a genetic
inability to control copper, zinc, manganese, and other trace
metals in the body due to improper functioning of the
metallothionine protein. These patients are often deficient in
zinc, manganese, cysteine, serine, and vitamin B-6 and
overloaded in copper, lead, and cadmium. They must avoid
supplements and "enriched" foods containing copper. In
addition we recommend they drink bottled water and limit use of
swimming pools and jacuzzis treated with copper sulfate
anti-algae agents. Foods to be limited due to high copper
content include shellfish, chocolate, and carob. Elevated copper
levels are associated with hormonal imbalances and a classic
symptom is intolerance to estrogen. Biochemical treatment
focuses on stimulation of metallothionein using zinc, manganese,
cysteine, serine, and Vitamin B-6.
Pyrrole Disorder
A common feature of many
behavior and emotional disorders is pyroluria, an inborn error
of pyrrole chemistry which results in a dramatic deficiency of
zinc, Vitamin B-6, and arachidonic acid. Common symptoms include
explosive temper, emotional mood swings, poor short-term memory,
and frequent infections. These patients are easily identified by
their inability to tan, poor dream recall, abnormal fat
distribution, and sensitivity to light and sound. The decisive
laboratory test is analysis for kryptopyrroles in urine.
Treatment centers on zinc and B-6 supplements together with
omega-6 essential fatty acids.
Glucose Dyscontrol
Our database indicates a
significant number of our patients have chronic low blood
glucose levels. This problem doesn't appear to be the cause
of behavior disorders, depression, etc., but instead is an
aggravating factor which can trigger striking symptoms. Typical
symptoms include drowsiness after meals, irritability, craving
for sweets, trembling, anxiety, and intermittent poor
concentration and focus. Treatment includes chromium, manganese,
and other glucose-stabilizing nutrients, but the primary focus
of treatment is on diet. These patients benefit from six or more
small meals daily with emphasis on complex carbohydrates and
protein. In essence, they cannot tolerate large meals or quick
sugars. Complex carbohydrates provide the necessary glucose in a
slow, gradual manner and may be thought of as
"time-release" sugar.
Toxic Substances
Occasionally we encounter a
patient whose condition has resulted from a heavy-metal overload
(lead, cadmium, mercury, etc.) or toxic levels of pesticides or
other organic chemicals. Our database indicates that persons
with a metallothionein disorder are especially sensitive to
toxic metals, and that over-methylation is associated with
severe chemical sensitivities. Effective treatment requires a
three-part approach: (1) avoidance of additional exposures, (2)
biochemical treatment to hasten the exit of the toxic from the
body, and (3) correction of underlying chemical imbalances to
minimize future vulnerability to the toxic.
Malabsorption
Although only 10% of our
database case histories involve serious malabsorption, more than
90% of autistics exhibit this problem. There are three primary
classes of absorption problems: (1) stomach problems, including
excessive or insufficient HCl levels, (2) incomplete digestion
in the small intestine, and (3) problems at the brush-border of
the intestine where most nutrients are absorbed into the portal
blood stream. The consequences can include nutrient
deficiencies, irritation of the intestinal tract, candida, and
mental health problems. Incomplete breakdown of protein and fats
can adversely affect brain neurotransmission, and is associated
with impulsivity and academic underachievement. Treatment
depends on the type of malabsorption present and may involve
adjustment of stomach HCl levels, digestive enzymes which
survive stomach acid, nutrients to enhance digestion, and
special diets.
Essential Fatty Acids
The brain is 20% fat (by dry
weight) and these fatty substances fulfill very important
functions. The myelin sheaths which surround our brain cells
contain essential fatty acids which are directly involved in
receptor formation and nerve transmission. A 1998 Symposium at
the National Institute of Mental Health presented strong
evidence of the important roles for omega-3 oils (especially EPA
and DHA) and omega-6 oils (especially AA and DGLA) in ADHD,
depression, and schizophrenia. A recent Harvard study showed EPA
and DHA supplements to be more effective than psychiatric
medications in combating bipolar depression. Typical American
diets usually result in insufficient omega-3 and excessive
omega-6, and some nutritionists routinely recommend supplements
of omega-3 oils. However, biochemical individuality also exists
with oils and certain persons are innately low in omega-6 oils.
A review of symptoms and specialized plasma and
red-cell-membrane lab tests can identify individual needs.
What do we test for at Individual Health Solutions, llc?
Our tests are based on a data base of over 20,000 subjects
who took a similar test to the test available for you on this
site, plus they also had over 100 individual blood,
urine and tissue analysis performed. We are looking for expressions
in your mental, emotional and physical being which are connected
to inherent biochemical imbalances within certain specific biochemical
reactions. Each of us is born with some inherent "flaw"
that affects a biochemical reaction in our body and causing the
efficient and effectiveness of that reaction to diminish - this
can create a domino effect on other processes in our body and create
a whole host of symptoms. Specifically we test for:
1. Ability to absorb nutrients - you can eat the best diet and take
the best supplements but if they are not absorbed properly they
are useless. Specific enzymes and nutrients are necessary for good
digestion and absorption of essential nutrients.
2. Histamine levels - when histamine levels are either too high or too low they
affect the production of neurotransmitters such as serotonin in your brain - these
neurotransmitters affect your moods, memory, thought patterns, learning
ability, and a host of other functions.
3. Glucose control - the use of glucose and the regulation of incoming
starches, carbohydrates and sugars affects our body's energy and
our mental acuity and moods. This complex process of balancing body
sugar (glucose levels) with insulin can lead to more serious conditions
and low energy and mood swings, irritability and temper outbursts
when out of balance.
4. Oxidative stress and heavy metal metabolism - Usually high copper
and low zinc can affect taste sensation and impede the production
of essential bio-chemical reactions in the body. With
today's stressful lifestyle and toxic environment, this is a critical
function for a healthy system.
What we do not test
We do not test for blood typing. According to our
research the diverse, the rich heritage
from several cultures of most Americans makes predictions from genes too complex
to fall within blood type generality. We observed no correlation
between blood type and foods. If you live
in Europe, Asia or another part of the world where you have a family tree that has lived in the same area
for thousands of years the blood typing program might pertain to
you.
We do not test for the food you eat - even though
what you eat affects your health there is no test today that can
predict the affects of a particular food on your system. Generalized
myths abound regarding amounts of cholesterol, fats, proteins, sugars
and carbohydrates that are not necessarily true for everyone.
Individuality truly makes one
person's dessert another's poison! For some individuals a heavy
animal protein laden diet is the best food for their system. For
others a rich vegetarian diet works wonders. Still others should not
eat green leafy vegetables. An individual needs to test their
biochemistry before determining their nutritional needs.
We do not test for generalities and apply them to you. We test you
to see what science applies to you. Many nutritional myths abound
that apply to only certain biochemical groups of individuals. Vegan
diets are good for a percentage of individuals - so are meat based
protein diets as well as carbohydrate dominant diets. Just as our
fingerprints and irises are unique, so are our individual nutritional
needs. Be aware that customized, personalized, or designer nutrients
do not necessarily mean they are individualized for your needs. We
have to test you first to determine your biochemistry and the cause
associated to any anomalies or biochemical imbalances that may
be inherent to your biochemical metabolic systems.
By evaluating your tests we can determine what functions
are in balance and those that need specific nutrients removed or
added to your daily multi vitamin, mineral, and amino acid formula.
Based on your results you will also become aware of the foods that
support your particular chemistry and what foods to avoid. Finally
you will also know the ratio of Protein to Carbohydrates - an important
ratio when you choose a diet for yourself.
Vegetables Without Vitamins - LE Magazine March 2001
Imagine the surprise of going online and discovering that the vitamin and mineral content of vegetables has drastically dropped.
That's what happened to nutritionist, Alex Jack, when he went to check out the latest US Department of Agriculture food tables. The stunning revelation came after Jack compared recently published nutrient values with an old USDA handbook he had lying around. Some of the differences in vitamin and mineral content were enormous-a 50% drop in the amount of calcium in broccoli, for example. Watercress down 88% in iron content; cauliflower down 40% in vitamin C content-all since 1975.
Jack took his findings to the USDA, hoping for a reasonable explanation. That was two years ago. He's still waiting. So is Organic Gardening magazine, which published an open letter, seeking an explanation from Dan Glickman, Secretary of Agriculture. Glickman didn't respond, but USDA employee, Phyllis E. Johnson did. Johnson (who is head of the Beltsville area office), suggested to Organic Gardening that the nutrient drain should be put in context. According to her, the 78% decrease in calcium content of corn is not significant because no one eats corn for
calcium. She further explains that the problem may not even exist at all; that the apparent nutrient dips could be due to the testing procedures. For example, "changes in the public's perception of what the edible portion is may determine what parts have been analyzed over time." In other words, back when the old food tables were made up, people may have been eating the cobb too, so they got more nutrients.
The vitamin drain
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We decided to look into this further. Jack had used a 1975 version of the food tables for his research. We dredged up a 1963 version. After comparing the nutrient values for over a dozen fruits and vegetables, it was clear that the nutrient value of many foods has dropped, in some cases drastically. For example, the amount of vitamin C in sweet peppers has plummeted from 128 mg to 89 mg.= The vitamin A in apples has dropped from 90 mg to 53 mg. The fall-offs seem to be limited mostly to vegetables, and some fruits.
Some vegetables appear to be gaining vitamins-at least vitamin A. Carrots, for example, have more of the vitamin now than they did in 1963. Why is a mystery. But the phenomenon has apparently occurred just in the nick of time. The National Academy of Sciences has issued an alert that it takes twice as many vegetables to get the daily requirement of vitamin A as previously thought. Carrots and pumpkin are exempt from the caveat.
Despite the apparent increase of vitamin A in carrots, most vegetables are losing their vitamins and minerals. Nearly half the calcium and vitamin A in broccoli, for example, have disappeared. Collards are not the greens they used to be. If you're eating them for minerals and vitamin A, be aware that the vitamin A content has fallen from 6500 IUs to 3800 IUs. Their potassium has dropped from from 400 mg to 170 mg. Magnesium has fallen sharply-57 mg to 9. Cauliflower has lost almost half its vitamin C, along with its thiamin and riboflavin. Most of the calcium in pineapple is gone-from 17 mg (per 100 grams raw) to 7. And the list goes on and on.
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The USDA refuses to act
What's the deal on this nutrient drain? We decided to ask USDA ourselves, so we contacted the head of the USDA Agricultural Research Service, whose job it is to track the vitamins in food, among other things. Mr. Edward B. Knipling responded to our inquiry with a restatement of Ms. Johnson's letter to Organic Gardening magazine. So we pressed for a better answer. Isn't the agency concerned that Americans may not be
getting the vitamins they think they are? What about the food pyramid? Won't a nutrient drain upset the pyramid? Already the National Academy of Sciences is telling us our vegetables don't have as many vitamins as they're supposed to. Will the USDA double the required servings of vegetables to make up for the vitamin loss? So far, no answer from the agency.
The question is, what is the nature and extent of the problem? Vegetables are a major source of nutrition. Without them, humans miss out on important vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. Many nutrients (such as folate) weren't measured in the past. If they are also disappearing, the extent is unknown. What about more exotic nutrients such as flavonoids, or compounds like I3C? These aren't tracked by the USDA. Are they disappearing also?
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What's for dinner
The USDA advises that we should be eating 3 to 5 servings of vegetables plus 2 to 4 servings of fruit a day to maintain health. (A serving is one cup of something raw and leafy or one-half a cup of something either not leafy or cooked-or 3/4 cup of vegetable juice). That is potentially 9 cups of vegetables and fruit a day. That's a lot of lettuce. Are people doing this?
Harry Balzer is vice president of NPD Group, a firm that gathers information on the eating habits of Americans. His data says no way. According to him, the preferred American meal is one-dish, already prepared. Unless a vegetable can be squirted out of a bottle, it's a nonentity. Why? We're in a hurry. Vegetables are considered side dishes, and Americans don't have time for such frivolity. The decline is relentless. Within the last 15 years, the percentage of all dinners including a vegetable (other than salad or potatoes) dropped 10%. It's now 41%.
This raises a big question. If people are not eating their vegetables, how are they getting their vitamins? The answer is they're not. Study-after-study show that Americans don't meet the RDAs for many nutrients. That's not good considering that RDAs are probably too low to keep most people in optimal health to begin with.
Americans know what they should be eating. They're just not doing it. And they're not likely to. According to Balzer, for example, pizza is one of America's favorite meals. It fulfills, he says, the American ideal of being easy and fast, liked by old and young, and easy to clean up. If you blot it with a paper towel, throw on some pineapple, and use your imagination, it even seems to fit with the food pyramid. What else are people eating? Bread, doughnuts, pasta, cheese, beef and milk. Without fortified cereal, Americans would not come close to meeting RDAs.
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"90% of women and 71% of men get less than the RDA for vitamin B6. " Dietary vitamin B-6 intake and food sources in the US population: NHANES II, 1976-1980. Kant AK, et al. 1990.
"Men with the lowest amount of vitamin C have a 62% increased risk of cancer and a 57% increased risk of dying from any cause." Vitamin C status and mortality in US adults. Loria CM, et al. Am J Clin Nutr 72:139-45, 2000.
"Lutein and zeaxanthin reduce the incidence of cataract by 22%." A prospective study of carotenoid and vitamin A intakes and risk of cataract extraction in US women. Chasan-Taber L, et al. Am J Clin Nutr 70:509-16, 1999.
"People with low levels of retinol, beta-carotene, vitamin E and selenium are more likely to get cancer." Serum retinol, beta-carotene, vitamin E and selenium as related to subsequent cancer of specific sites. Comstock GW, et al. Am J Epidemiol 135:115-21, 1992.
"Supplemental vitamin D reduces the risk of colon cancer by half compared to dietary vitamin D which reduces it 12%." Calcium, vitamin D, and dairy foods and the occurrence of colon cancer in men. Kearney J, et al. Am J Epidemiol 143:907-17, 1996.
"The area of China with the lowest micronutrient intake has the highest rate of cancer. Supplementation with vitamin E, selenium and beta-carotene lowers the rate." Vitamin/mineral supplementation and cancer risk: internationaal chemoprevention trials. Blot WJ. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 216:291-6, 1997.
"American children have inadequate levels of vitamin E." Vitamin E status of US children. Bendich A. J Am Coll Nutr 11:441-4, 1992.
"Flavonoids protect against stroke." Dietary flavnoids, antioxidant vitamins, and incidence of stroke: the Zutphen study. Keli SO, et al. Arch Intern Med 156:637-42, 1996.
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Yes, but what about the produce section? Isn't it filled with resealable bags full of wholesome, scrubbed little carrots, prewashed salad greens and spinach? Somebody must be buying them, or they wouldn't be there, right? According to Balzer, those puppies are highly successful, raking in a billion dollars in sales ($100M is considered successful for a new food product). But the fact that people are buying them doesn't mean they're eating them. The reality is that onions are most-often served vegetable in America. Tomatoes (including ketchup) are second.
According to one study, less than one-third of Americans get the minimum five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, let alone the recommended nine. According to Balzer's data, the percentage of Americans who buy healthy groceries is about 10%. The other 90% relies on ketchup, onions, fat-free snacks, ice cream, cheese and Sweet TartsĒ as their source of nutrition. Now we find out that even if a person accidentally eats a vegetable, it may not contain the nutrients it's supposed to. What can a person do?
Vitamin supplements work
Supplements have proven their worth in scientific studies. Cancer, heart attacks, bone loss, stroke and macular degeneration-most any degenerative disease you can think of can either be prevented by, or ameliorated by, the right nutrients given in supplement form. Over the long term, the benefits can really add up. For example, nurses who took multi-vitamins containing folic acid for fifteen years slashed their risk of colon cancer by 75%. Folate from food didn't work as well. No one knows why, although bioavailability problems may be to blame. It's estimated that about 90% of the population gets less folate per day than necessary for health (400 micrograms).
In the same study, nurses who took multi-vitamins containing vitamin B6 reduced their risk of heart disease by 30%. The more B6 they took, the lower the risk. Could a high potency, high quality supplement reduce risk even more? We don't know, but a study from Norway shows that a combination of vitamin B6 and folate reduces homocysteine 32% within five weeks in healthy individuals. This has the potential to significantly lower the risk of heart attack and stroke. Other studies show that for every decade of life, plasma concentrations of B6 decrease, and that people who take supplements have a much greater chance of meeting RDAs than those who don't.
There are good reasons to take supplements. The bioavailability of the nutrients in supplements (assuming you buy high-quality) is 100% compared to food which is very unpredictible when it comes to bioavailability. Nutrient content also appears unpredictible. If the vitamin drain is confirmed, it will mean that people cannot count on vegetables and fruit to be the packages of concentrated nutrients they're supposed to be. In a time when most people aren't coming close to getting five, let alone nine, servings of fruits and vegetables, it seems pointless to ask them to eat more to get the same nutrients.
The USDA is apparently unconcerned and not interested in the vitamin drain, despite its mandate to ensure high quality safe foods. In her letter to Organic Gardening, Ms. Johnson said that the nutritional content of produce is not as important as things like appearance and big yield. In other words, Ms. Johnson espouses the view of commercial growers that food is a product in the same way that running shoes are a product. Looks are more important than substance. That view of vegetables and fruits reduces your spinach salad to pretty roughage, and your chances of meeting RDAs to slim.
The USDA can be accessed at http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2001/www.usda.gov. The food tables are available online.
The folks who do the food testing are in the Agricultural Research Service which can be accessed at http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2001/www.ars.usda.gov.
*1963 values have been set at 100%
References
Cleveland LE, et al. 2000. Dietary intake of whole grains. J Am Coll Nutr 19 (3 Suppl):331S-38S.
Composition of Foods (Raw, Processed, Prepared): Agriculture Handbook No. 8. USDA Agricultural Research Service. 1963.
Cuskelly GJ, et al. 1996. Effect of increasing dietary folate on red-cell folate: implications for prevention of neural tube defects. Lancet 347:657-9.
Giovannucci E, et al. 1998. Multivitamin use, folate and colon cancer in women in the nurses' health study. Ann Intern Med 129:517-24.
Manore MM, et al. 1989. Plasma pyridoxal 5'-phosphate concentration and dietary vitamin B-6 intake in free-living, low-income elderly people. Am J Clin Nutr 50:339-45.
Mansoor MA, et al. 1999. Plasma total homocysteine response to oral doses of folic acid and pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6) in healthy individuals. Oral doses of vitamin B6 reduce concentrations of serum folate. Scand J Clin Lab Invest 59:139-46.
NPD Group, Inc. has a website at www.npd.com. Highlights from the 15th Annual Report on Eating Patterns in America are available online.
Organic Gardening's letter to Dan Glickman, and the response of Phyllis E. Johnson of the USDA - see www.organicgardening.com.
Rimm EB, et al. 1998. Folate and Vitamin B6 from diet and supplements in relation to risk of coronary heart disease among women. JAMA 279:359-64.
Rose CS, et al. 1976. Age differences in vitamin B6 status of 617 men. Am J Clin Nutr 29:847-53.
Subar AF, et al. 1998. Dietary sources of nutrients among US adults, 1989 to 1991. J Am Diet Assoc 98:537-47.
Subar AF, et al. 1989. Folate intake and food sources in the US population. Am J Clin Nutr 50:508-16.
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