Our species is tough, resilient and durable. Human expected average lifespan is now over 80 years in most developed countries, with more centenarians every year. Expanding scientific, biological and medical knowledge is now showing us that there are more factors than the more obvious short term effects of diet and stress. There are also important (and sometimes subtle) long term effects that should be considered

For example, there is a generally accepted minimum daily Vitamin C intake necessary to prevent scurvy. Once we thought that this minimum amount was all that anyone needed. Subsequent scientific studies showed us that increased Vitamin C intake had significant health and well-being benefits.

If you don’t get any Vitamin C, you will contract scurvy in a few months. But the goal in nutrition is not just to avoid obvious short-term vitamin-deficiancy diseases. It is to promote optimum health, energy levels and well being. For that we need many times the scurvy-prevention level of Vitamin C intake.

There are still longer cycles of nutrient deprivation and lifestyles involving many different nutrients, phytochemicals, antioxidants, etc. Long-term deprivations of these seem to lead to problems usually associated with aging, like diabetes, heart disease, senile dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

We also know now that numerous pollutants (like lead) and certain substances found in processed foods (like trans fats, nitrates and certain preservatives) have long-term life-shortening effects on everyone.

Knowing this encourages us to avoid commercial drugs in favor of natural cures whenever these are available.

Understanding this now allows us to successfully avoid fibroid surgery, find the best psoriasis diet and effect ovarian cyst removal effectively..

Our biochemistry is very complex. There seem to be genetic links to more diseases and conditions than we ever suspected just a few years ago. As we continue to decode the complex interrelations of genetics, DNA, biochemistry and causes and effects of what we ingest, we are finding new solutions to old problems in often surprising places.

Disclaimer: Nothing in the above explanations is intended to be or represented to be or should be construed to be any form of medical advice. The information herein has been gleaned from medical journals, news articles in the popular press and other freely-available public sources. It is presented here for informational purposes only. For any medical advice the reader is urged to consult with his or her licensed physician or other medical specialist.

Contributed by Jackson P. Johnson