Nutrient Density
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Nutrient Density by Joel Fuhrman M.D. Nutrient Density is a critical concept in devising and recommending dietary and nutritional advice to patients and to the public. Not merely vitamins and minerals, but adequate consumption of phytochemicals are essential for a normal immune system and to enable our body’s detoxification and cellular repair mechanisms that protect us from cancer and other diseases. Nutritional science in the last twenty years has demonstrated that colorful plant foods contain a huge assortment of protective compounds, mostly unnamed at this point. Only by eating an assortment of natural foods that are nutrient-rich, can we access these compounds and protect ourselves from the common diseases that afflict Americans. Our modern, low-nutrient eating style leads to an overweight population with common diseases of nutritional ignorance and medical costs spiraling out of control. My rankings of foods below can supplement the high nutrient hierarchy explained in my book, Eat To Live. I encourage people to read Eat To Live to further understand the science, logic and application and also to understand the benefits that will be gleaned from eating higher on the nutrient density line. Because phytochemicals are largely unnamed and unmeasured, these rankings underestimate the healthful properties of colorful natural plant foods compared to processed foods and animal products. One thing we do know is that the foods that contain the highest amount of known nutrients are the same foods that contain the most unknown nutrients too. So even though these rankings may not consider the phytochemical number sufficiently they are still a reasonable measurement of their content. A Sample of Dr. Fuhrman's Nutrient Density Scores Kale 1000 Tofu 86 Bananas 30 Collards 1000 Sweet Potatoes 83 Chicken Breast 27 Bok Choy 824 Apples 76 Eggs 27 Spinach 739 Peaches 73 Low Fat Yogurt, plain 26 Cabbage 481 Kidney Beans 71 Corn 25 Red Pepper 420 Green Peas 70 Almonds 25 Romaine Lettuce 389 Lentils 68 Whole Wheat Bread 25 Broccoli 342 Pineapple 64 Feta Cheese 21 Cauliflower 295 Avocado 64 Whole Milk 20 Green Peppers 258 Oatmeal 53 Ground Beef 20 Artichoke 244 Mangoes 51 White Pasta 18 Carrots 240 Cucumbers 50 White Bread 18 Asparagus 234 Soybeans 48 Peanut Butter 18 Strawberries 212 Sunflower Seeds 45 Apple Juice 16 Tomatoes 164 Brown Rice 41 Swiss Cheese 15 Plums 157 Salmon 39 Potato Chips 11 Blueberries 130 Shrimp 38 American Cheese 10 Iceberg Lettuce 110 Skim Milk 36 Vanilla Ice Cream 9 Orange 109 White Potatoes 31 French Fries 7 Cantaloupe 100 Grapes 31 Olive Oil 2 Flax Seeds 44 Walnuts 29 Cola 1 Coming Soon to Dr. Fuhrman's Online Members Center! - A more comprehensive overview of Dr. Fuhrman's Nutrient Density Scoring System, including an expanded list of foods and their density scores. Keep in mind that nutrient density scoring is not the only factor that determines good health. For example, if we only ate foods with a high nutrient density score our diet The Safest And Most Effective Way To Lower You... http://web.archive.org/web/20080604145502/http... 1 din 3 04.12.2014 09:49
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Nutrient Density
Transcript of Nutrient Density
Nutrient Density
by Joel Fuhrman M.D.
Nutrient Density is a critical concept in devisingand recommending dietary and nutritionaladvice to patients and to the public. Not merelyvitamins and minerals, but adequateconsumption of phytochemicals are essential fora normal immune system and to enable ourbody’s detoxification and cellular repairmechanisms that protect us from cancer andother diseases.
Nutritional science in the last twenty years hasdemonstrated that colorful plant foods contain ahuge assortment of protective compounds, mostly unnamed at this point. Only byeating an assortment of natural foods that are nutrient-rich, can we access thesecompounds and protect ourselves from the common diseases that afflict Americans.Our modern, low-nutrient eating style leads to an overweight population withcommon diseases of nutritional ignorance and medical costs spiraling out of control.
My rankings of foods below can supplement the high nutrient hierarchy explained inmy book, Eat To Live. I encourage people to read Eat To Live to further understandthe science, logic and application and also to understand the benefits that will begleaned from eating higher on the nutrient density line.
Because phytochemicals are largely unnamed and unmeasured, these rankingsunderestimate the healthful properties of colorful natural plant foods compared toprocessed foods and animal products. One thing we do know is that the foods thatcontain the highest amount of known nutrients are the same foods that contain themost unknown nutrients too. So even though these rankings may not consider thephytochemical number sufficiently they are still a reasonable measurement of theircontent.
A Sample of Dr. Fuhrman'sNutrient Density Scores
Kale 1000 Tofu 86 Bananas 30
Collards 1000 Sweet Potatoes 83 Chicken Breast 27
Bok Choy 824 Apples 76 Eggs 27
Spinach 739 Peaches 73Low Fat Yogurt,plain
26
Cabbage 481 Kidney Beans 71 Corn 25
Red Pepper 420 Green Peas 70 Almonds 25
Romaine Lettuce 389 Lentils 68Whole WheatBread
25
Broccoli 342 Pineapple 64 Feta Cheese 21
Cauliflower 295 Avocado 64 Whole Milk 20
Green Peppers 258 Oatmeal 53 Ground Beef 20
Artichoke 244 Mangoes 51 White Pasta 18
Carrots 240 Cucumbers 50 White Bread 18
Asparagus 234 Soybeans 48 Peanut Butter 18
Strawberries 212 Sunflower Seeds 45 Apple Juice 16
Tomatoes 164 Brown Rice 41 Swiss Cheese 15
Plums 157 Salmon 39 Potato Chips 11
Blueberries 130 Shrimp 38 American Cheese 10
Iceberg Lettuce 110 Skim Milk 36 Vanilla Ice Cream 9
Orange 109 White Potatoes 31 French Fries 7
Cantaloupe 100 Grapes 31 Olive Oil 2
Flax Seeds 44 Walnuts 29 Cola 1
Coming Soon to Dr. Fuhrman's Online Members Center! - A morecomprehensive overview of Dr. Fuhrman's Nutrient Density Scoring System,including an expanded list of foods and their density scores.
Keep in mind that nutrient density scoring is not the only factor that determines goodhealth. For example, if we only ate foods with a high nutrient density score our diet
The Safest And Most Effective Way To Lower You... http://web.archive.org/web/20080604145502/http...
1 din 3 04.12.2014 09:49
Cantaloupe Grapes
Flax Seeds 44 Walnuts 29 Cola 1
Coming Soon to Dr. Fuhrman's Online Members Center! - A morecomprehensive overview of Dr. Fuhrman's Nutrient Density Scoring System,including an expanded list of foods and their density scores.
Keep in mind that nutrient density scoring is not the only factor that determines goodhealth. For example, if we only ate foods with a high nutrient density score our dietwould be too low in fat. So we have to pick some foods with lower nutrient densityscores (but preferably the ones with the healthier fats) to include in our high nutrientdiet. Additionally, if a thin person or highly physically active individual ate only thehighest nutrient foods they would become so full from all of the fiber and nutrientsthat would keep them from meeting their caloric needs and they would eventuallybecome too thin. This of course gives you a hint at the secret to permanent weightcontrol. For further details read, Eat To Live. But, shhh don't tell anybody about this.
Dr. Fuhrman's Nutrient Density Scoring System1
To determine the scores above all known vitamins and minerals were considered andadded in. Nutrient Data from Nutritionist Pro software for each food item wasobtained for the amount of that food that would provide a 1000 calorie serving. Weincluded the following nutrients in the evaluation: Calcium, Carotenoids: BetaCarotene, Alpha Carotene, Lutein & Zeaxanthin, Lycopene, Fiber, Folate,Glucosinolates, Iron, Magnesium, Niacin, Selenium, Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) Vitamin B2(Riboflavin), Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Zinc, plus ORAC score X2 (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity is a method of measuring the antioxidant orradical scavenging capacity of foods).
Nutrient quantities, which are normally in many different measurements (mg, mcg,IU) were converted to a percentage of their RDI so that a common value could beconsidered for each nutrient. Since there is currently no RDI for Carotenoids,Glucosinolates, or ORAC score, goals were established based on available researchand current understanding of the benefits of these factors. (limited referencesbelow). The % RDI or Goal for each nutrient which the USDA publishes a value forwas added together to give a total. All nutrients were weighted equally with a factorof one except for the foods ORAC score. The ORAC score was given a factor 2 (as if itwere two nutrients) due to the importance of antioxidant nutrients so thatmeasurement of unnamed anti-oxidant phytochemicals were represented in thescoring. The sum of the food’s total nutrient value was then multiplied by a fractionto make the highest number equal 1000 so that all foods could be considered on anumerical scale of 1 to 1000.1 Dr. Fuhrman's nutrient density food rankings, scoring system, and pointdeterminations of foods is patent pending.
References:
Nutritionist Pro [Nutrition Analysis Software] Versions 2.5, 3.1. Stafford TX . AxxyaSystems. 2005,2006.
Higdon, Jane. Isothiocyanates. The Linus Pauling Institute. Micronutrient ResearchCenter. 9/20/2005. http://oregonstate.edu/infocenter/phytochemicals/isothio.
Wu, Xianli; Beecher, Gary; Holden, Joanne; Haytowitz, David; Gebhardt, Susan; PriorRonald. 2004; Lipophilic and Hydrophilic Antioxidant Capacities of Common Foods inthe United States. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 52. 4026-4037.
Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium, and Caroteinoids,2000. Food and Nutrition Board. Institute of Medicine. National Academy Press.Washington D.C. pp. 343-344.
Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids,Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids. 2002. Food and Nutrition Board. Institute ofMedicine. National Academy Press. Washington D.C. p. 423.
Mc Bride, Judy. 1999. Can Foods Forestall Aging? Agricultural Research. 47(2):15-17.
Wu, Xianli; Beecher, Gary; Holden, Joanne; Haytowitz, David; Gebhardt, Susan; Prior,Ronald. 2004. Lipophilic and Hydrophilic Antioxidant Capacities of Common Foods inthe United States.Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 52. 4026-4037.
Prior, Ronald. Hoang, Ha. Gu, Liwei. Bacchiocca, Mara. Howard, Luke. Hanpsch-Woodill, Maureen. Huang, Dejuan.Ou, Boxin, Jacob, Robert. 2003. Assays forHydrophilic and Lipophilic Antioxidant Capacity of Plasma and Other Biological andFood Samples.Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 51. 3273-3279.
The Safest And Most Effective Way To Lower You... http://web.archive.org/web/20080604145502/http...
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the United States.Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 52. 4026-4037.
Prior, Ronald. Hoang, Ha. Gu, Liwei. Bacchiocca, Mara. Howard, Luke. Hanpsch-Woodill, Maureen. Huang, Dejuan.Ou, Boxin, Jacob, Robert. 2003. Assays forHydrophilic and Lipophilic Antioxidant Capacity of Plasma and Other Biological andFood Samples.Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 51. 3273-3279.
Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium and Caroteinoids.2000. Food and Nutrition Board. Institiute of Medicine. National Academy Press.Washington D.C. pp. 343-344. Prior, RL. 1999. Can Foods Forestall Aging?Agricultural Research. 47(2): 15-17.
The Safest And Most Effective Way To Lower You... http://web.archive.org/web/20080604145502/http...
3 din 3 04.12.2014 09:49
