Tuesday, June 24, 2008

A Life Saver Called "Plumpynut"

Here is a news story that perfectly makes the case for nutrition's importance. This story involves starving children in Niger, Africa, but the principles can apply to anyone.

To my chagrin I've been told by some top medical doctors that nutrition has no effect on human health and function. Nutrition is the basis for health! Every cell in the body needs the building blocks of nutrients in order to rebuild cells, organs, and systems. Nutrients are to the body what construction materials are to a house, except that the human house is constantly being built throughout the course of a lifetime.

Disease is always present in the absence of nutrients!

When starving and malnourished children are given a simple formulation of proteins, fats, and carbs fortified with vitamins and minerals they quickly reverse course in their physical health status.

"Now we have something. It is like an essential medicine. In three weeks, we can cure a kid that is looked like they're half dead. We can cure them just like an antibiotic. It’s just, boom! It's a spectacular response," Dr. Tectonidis says.

Hippocrates himself is attributed to having said, "Let food by thy medicine and medicine thy food."

For those of us in Western countries where starvation is not usually a problem you may wonder how this applies to you and your children. If your diets are full of junk food this too is a form of malnourishment! Empty calories with no nutritive value eaten as a habit over time will lead to a form of starvation. There are no hunger pangs but every cell in the body is deprived of the nutrients it needs to build as it can. This will effect your brain chemistry, hormone and neurotransmitter levels, bones, organ functions, skin, hair, teeth, nails, reproductive abilities, mood, etc. We simply must provide the building blocks.

What's the miracle formula?

"Plumpynut is a remarkably simple concoction: it is basically made of peanut butter, powdered milk, powdered sugar, and enriched with vitamins and minerals. It tastes like a peanut butter paste. It is very sweet, and because of that kids cannot get enough of it".



No comments: