Why are foods rich in calories simultaneously poor in nutrients?

Foods today are less nutritious. Thus, the whole diet of the average man in our days does not attribute to the body the nutrients needed to achieve optimal health but also the loss of persistent unnecessary pounds. That’s because our body needs the necessary vitamins for the right burning of calories.

Indeed, high-fructose corn syrup, refined flours and refined vegetable oils, trans fats and generally all processed food dominate the western diet. These foods have entered our diet over the past 100 years. But the human species has managed to survive and evolve, eating foods that were rich in vitamins, minerals and essential fat acids.

Just think that our ancient ancestors ate fresh fish caught in crystal clear waters and meat from animals grazing in virgin forests. Today, meats are impregnated with antibiotics, pesticides, preservatives such as nitrates and high levels of inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids. Industrial farming practices, with extensive use of pesticides, damage the soil by destroying important nutrients. So the vegetables and other foods deriving from vegetables that we consume nowadays, have fewer nutrients than the ones people used to eat just two generations ago. And all the above, has finally caused serious damage to our metabolism and overall health. We should also add the bad advice from all sorts of self-identified “health experts” who have led to a reduction in healthy fats in our diet.

Scientific research has shown that, compared to the 1970s, we currently eat an average of 500 extra calories a day, mostly from high fructose corn syrup and other carbohydrates. That is, they are foods high in calories and high in carbohydrates, but they create nutritional deficiencies in omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, zinc and vitamin D, negatively affecting our metabolism and overall health. Low-fiber diet and processed foods, combined with other factors such as environmental toxins, result in bowel leak syndrome and many other gastrointestinal problems that inhibit further absorption of nutrients.

These deficiencies are the underlying cause of resistance to weight loss. However, I believe that proper treatment with the necessary vitamins and appropriate micro- and macromolecules can help to regulate the metabolism of the patient and balance the body’s chemistry, ie getting the body the right amount of nutrients needed to burn fat, balance sugar in the blood, stabilize hormones and build and maintain the right muscle mass. Because what is worth remembering in the end is that only the appropriate personalized treatment is the one that yields the greatest benefit.

Dr. Nikoleta Koini, M.D.

Doctor of Functional, Preventive, Anti-ageing and Restorative Medicine.
Diplomate and Board Certified in Anti-aging, Preventive, Functional and Regenerative Medicine from A4M (American Academy in Antiaging Medicine).