I'd like to start a discussion about the effect of nutrient antagonists on health status.

A nutrient antagonist is any chemical or combination of chemicals that depletes cellular stores of biochemicals needed to support the immune system, rebuild tissue, repair injury, remove toxins, etc. Examples of nutrient antagonists would be alcohol, pure sugar, pure fat, drugs, toxins, and foods manufactured from refined sugars, seed oils, and/or refined grains. Rancid, polyunsaturated seed oils are especially bad because they contain free radicals that use up antioxidants such as vitamin e and selenium. Sugars use up B vitamins needed to complete chemical reactions involved in amino acid metabolism. This can lead to inflammation of blood vessels and eventually clogged arteries.

Realize that fats and sugars become nutrient antagonists only when they are in concentrated form, either when eaten alone or incombination with each other. In dilute (whole food) form they supply energy that supports all the biochemical reactions necessary to sustain life. Of course every manufacturer of a beverage or food claims his product can be part of a wholesome diet. Widespread availability of such foods coupled with ignorance as to their metabolic effects is what does most people in.

The other thing that ruins our health is the fact that our bodies are designed for survival. Our bodies will do everything possible to keep us reasonably comfortable while our biochemistries erode and our arteries clog. When the pain starts, significant damage has already been sustained.

So think about these things next time you are tempted to consume a lot of something you know is not nourishing. Think nutrient antagonist and just eat or drink a little bit of whatever it is that tempts you.

David Brown

I think that this is very true. I have been on SPII since November or so and have had no sugar (a little sometimes in sauces at restaurants), no white flour, mostly organic and hormone free foods. I feel better. Not great but better. I was surprised this last week when visiting my daughter and her fiance that when not eating right I did not get sick like I used to. And that when I did eat a little out of wack I was not tempted to eat the old way at all.

I know this is a way of life and am learning to be more prepared most of the time. I am not really interested in the specifics because I am not a scientific type minded person. Chemistry and all the facts drive me crazy. But I could relate to this because I have been there.

Thanks for bringing this up. SPII is the right place.

Marianne

Hi Marianne,

My kids are not interested in specifics either, yet they can tell the difference between food that nourishes and food that destroys health.

Your comment about feeling better but not great interests me. It takes time to heal from years of poor nutrition. Sometimes it takes some experimenting to figure out what makes ones body work at its metabolic best.

It's obvious how different we are on the outside. Internal differences are just as real but not so obvious. Stomach capacity, for example, can vary by a factor of ten. This is genetically determined to some extent but stomach size can also change in response to timing, quality, and quantity of food intake.

Eating a low-cal (starvation) diet can cause the stomach to eventually double its capacity. The small intestine tends to change also, developing more surface area so that a higher percentage of total calories gets absorbed into the bloodstream. You might have a look my comments regarding calorie excretion.

Thanks for your comments.

Dave