Fortified Foods Complicate Healthy EatingFortified foods have had nutrients added in a greater amount than what was originally there. Many communities add fluoride to their drinking water. A practice intended to decrease dental cavities. In this example, the water is fortified with fluoride. SIDEBAR You can get too much fluoride. While I was living in a nearby small city, the PUC sent out a public warning enclosed with the monthly bill. They wanted to report that our drinking water had no fluoride added to it. Even so it had a very high level of natural fluoride that was not being filtered out. We were being cautioned that children under 6 years old should not drink much tap water. They would be at risk of toxicity and their teeth could go yellow. An example of too much of a good thing. Fortunately, we had a water filter hooked up to our kitchen tap. This practice of fortifying foods began as a public health method of handling widespread health issues. Today, the practice is growing out of proportion to both need and value. You can even buy fortified water with Vitamin C. I noticed that when a manufacturer has a fortified product it is promoted as healthy eating. But are fortified foods healthy eating? This question is worth a closer look... Every food item has its own inherent nutrients. We have come to know that the average orange provides 70 mg of Vitamin C. These natural vitamins also come prepackaged in perfect balance with other nutrients needed for ease of absorption. Granted, oranges are not fortified foods. But, orange juice is available fortified with calcium and Vitamin D. Two nutrients that may just be the most deficient in the North American diet. But, before you run out to buy fortified foods, consider this... What is the source of these added nutrients? Natural source is ideal. These would be nutrients from nature and would be unaltered. Yet, natural source nutrients would be too costly to add to large batches of food items. Instead, synthetic vitamins are used. These are chemical copies of the natural, but are made by man. Now, these chemical copies appear to be exactly the same as the real vitamins. Since, they appear to be the same, they are deemed the same and are permitted to be used. The important thing is not whether they look the same chemically. No. The important thing is whether they are the same. Let me explain... Even though you and I and the scientists can't tell the difference doesn't mean there isn't one. The nutrients you consume are used by your body's cells. Tiny little microscopic living cells. It is their business to know their stuff. What is good for survival and what is not. Do you think that your body could be so easily fooled at the cellular level? Well no, it can't. An example is ferrous sulfate used to fortify foods with iron. Too much of this artificial supplement and you would get liver toxicity occurring. Recall how I said foods were in balance naturally to provide what is needed for absorption. Ok, this brings up another problem with fortified foods. If you were eating a range of enhanced foods each with the same few nutrients added, wouldn't you risk toxicity? Yes, you would. Those excess nutrients that are water soluble could be just excreted, like Vitamin C. But, those that are fat soluble could be built up and eventually reach a toxic level. Boxed cereals are fortified. Consuming high amounts of sugar as in the frosted cereals is not good. Nor is eating high amounts of fat as in the granola cereals. Just because these boxed cereals provide some added nutrients does not elevate them to healthy eating. They didn't get the nutrients naturally. Before buying boxed cereals ask yourself this "Would there be any nutritional food value without these added nutrients?" If the answer is no, then don't buy them. In choosing cereals for your kids look for...
Know what you are eating. Control your own vitamin supplementation using natural source vitamins and by avoiding most of the fortified foods. Choose healthy eating of wholesome foods as the best way to avoid the fortified foods bandwagon.
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