Whole food

The propriety of using the moisture content of the whole food substance as the critical variable is, however, open to question because the moisture within a given food is not distributed uniformly. The total moisture content is a sum of the moisture contents of the various components, such as starch, pectin, protein, sugar, and cellulose. 

Chen, L. et al.. Oxidative DNA damage in prostate cancer patients consuming tomato sauce-based entrees as a whole-food intervention, J. Natl. Cancer Inst., 93, 1872, 2001. 

Liu, C.S., Glahn, R.P., and Liu R.H., Assessment of carotenoid bioavailability of whole foods using a Caco-2 cell culture model coupled with an in vitro digestion, J. Agric. Food Chem., 52, 4330, 2004. 

Diet plays an important role in most of the chronic diseases that are the largest causes of morbidity and mortality in the developed world. In a reductionist approach, scientists have often made the role of individual nutrients in the maintenance of health the focus of their research. This approach, and in particular the discovery of essential nutrients and their roles in disease prevention, has been instrumental in the elimination of deficiency diseases in large parts of the world. However, nutrients are not consumed in isolation, but as components of whole foods and in an infinite number of combinations. In addition, foods contain a myriad of chemicals (or non-nutrients) which either serve no role in human metabolism or for which the role has not yet been elucidated. This introduces a significant level of complexity, which may be difficult to unravel. 

Phytochemicals have been the subject of many studies evaluating their effects in relation to common chronic human illnesses such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases. These studies encounter difficulties in using this information to influence the dietary patterns of consumers because in the past they have used models or experiments with animals. However, in the last decade, researchers have moved away from animal studies in favour of human cell models or human intervention studies. Scientists still need to determine the likely incidence of illness from exposure to known amounts of a given natural compound in the diet and specifically in relation to the complex matrices of whole foods. Therefore, it is inevitable that some animal studies have to be continued for toxicological studies. 

Antioxidant capacity of fruits and vegetables depends on the total concentrations of phytochemicals, mainly ascorbic acid, phenolic compounds (including flavonoids), and carotenoids. However, as previously stated, the individual contribution of each compound to the total antioxidant capacity varies widely and is difficult to quantify in a whole food product. 

Acidosis induced by salt feeding to humans influenced urinary calcium loss as effectively as feeding whole foods. Martin and Jones (25), for example, fed adult subjects a diet supplemented with ammonium chloride which resulted in marked hypercalciuria and an acidified urine. In a follow-up trial, feeding alkali as sodium bicarbonate, they also demonstrated that human hypercalciuria could be prevented by adding an alkaline supplement to the diet. 

From organic livestock production to organic animal food production the whole food chain... 

It needs to be a partnership through the whole agriculture system, with wholesalers and consumers paying fair prices that then assure that farm workers are adequately compensated in an equitable way. The equation of greater social responsibility needs to be integrated though the whole food system (Kupfer 2004). 

This research involves the testing of human response to odors they detect sniffing whole foods (cola beverages and cheeses), synthetic models of foods or extracts of foods. Standardized sets of odorants designed to stimulate all odor receptors in the subjects will be used in a device called a GC/O to test for sensory acuity. You will be asked to sit in front of a gas chromatograph combined with an olfactometer and sniff purified humidified air in an isolated environment. The experiment will consist of four sniffing sessions conducted on different days. The maximum number of samples you will be asked to sniff in any one day is six. Each session will take 30 to 45... 

The emphasis on the negative effects of saturated fat represents a focus of research that has a long history and substantial research investment. It may also imply that any saturated fat in the diet is problematic. Like calories, however, some saturated fat is desirable, but keeping the level down with the current food supply in Western societies is the challenge. It should also be remembered that there may be other food components of equal interest where the effects may be positive, and indeed the focus on whole food may take the issue further to focus on the best foods to deliver saturated fat in the diet. 

Pitchford, P., Healing With Whole Foods, Oriental Traditions and Modem Nutrition (revised ed.), North Atlantic Books, CA, 1993. 

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