Excerpted
from a lecture by K. Steven Whiting Ph.D., Director, Institute
of Nutritional Science. Reproduced by permission.
In the old days of nutrition, we used to say something to the effect that "you are what you eat." Today, however, we know that there is much more to good heath than merely trying to eat well. Today, we know that you are, in fact, what you absorb. If you cannot properly and completely break down nutrients from food and food supplements, you can be starving for these essential factors even though you think you are eating reasonably well. After the age of 40, many people find themselves suffering from indigestion, heartburn, bloating and feelings of fullness after meals, especially evening meals. This is due to a breakdown in the production of natural hydrochloric acid production in the stomach. Without this acid, proteins cannot be properly digested. Further, in the absence of these stomach acids, many enzymes, necessary for the digestion of other foods, become deficient as well.
The over-consumption of anti-acids in an attempt to correct what many people erroneously think is excess acid, has contributed greatly to such conditions as osteoporosis, arthritis, heal spurs, kidney and gall stones and calcium deposits on artery walls, leading to atherosclerosis. All of these conditions occur when the body becomes too alkaline and calcium crystallizes and falls out of fluid solution.
These conditions can be prevented by ensuring that your body is properly breaking down the vital nutrients necessary to health, found in the foods you eat and the supplements you take. We use a broad spectrum approach to digestion, covering protein, fats as well as carbohydrates.
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