Re: Vitamins May Avert Breakage Of Bones From Osteoporosis

[Guest guest]

Francesca Skelton said:

> The findings underscore doctors' long-standing recommendation that

> people take multivitamins. They could also further support the

> government's decision to require bread and cereal makers to fortify

> their products with folate, also known as folic acid.

OK. So we all know from Bt200YD that getting nutrients from a balanced

variety of foods is better than relying on suppliments. I have a vague

recollection that wheat germ and other grain germs are some of the most

concentrated food sources of B vitamins (is this correct?).

Perhaps we could humbly suggest that the bread and cereal makers " fortify "

their product by just including a higher percentage of whole grains?

[Guest guest]

Steve and all: Please be patient if your post doesn't immediately reach the board. DO NOT SEND A SECOND POST WHICH REPEATS THE FIRST. For example it took over 24 hours for a post of mine to reach the board recently. But it did get there. If I had been impatient, I would have sent the same post several times over in the 24 hours, thinking it was lost in cyberspace.

I doubt that any of us who eats CRONIE-like is deficient in the B's. Veggies are a rich source and we all eat lots of that. As are whole wheat products as you mention below. I have often disagreed with those who advocate completely eliminating whole grains. IMHO a whole food group should never be eliminated since we have no idea what protective nutrients they may discover in that food group.

Variety and Moderation.

on 5/13/2004 3:39 PM, Steve Sergeant at SteveSgt@... wrote:

> Francesca Skelton said:

>> The findings underscore doctors' long-standing recommendation that

>> people take multivitamins. They could also further support the

>> government's decision to require bread and cereal makers to fortify

>> their products with folate, also known as folic acid.

>

> OK. So we all know from Bt200YD that getting nutrients from a balanced

> variety of foods is better than relying on suppliments. I have a vague

> recollection that wheat germ and other grain germs are some of the most

> concentrated food sources of B vitamins (is this correct?).

>

> Perhaps we could humbly suggest that the bread and cereal makers " fortify "

> their product by just including a higher percentage of whole grains?

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Steve:

Or perhaps it could humbly be suggested that consumers buy whole

grain products.

The bread companies produce the stuff that people buy in the stores.

The supermarkets would be very dumb to stock anything else. They

would be left with shelves full of unsold product.

Indeed any bread (or any other for that matter) company that produces

anything different from what people demonstrate by their actions they

want to buy, would quickly go broke.

(Just attributing responsibility for the products that are available

in the stores where it really ought to be attributed - to consumers.

Like you and me.)

Rodney.

> Perhaps we could humbly suggest that the bread and cereal

makers " fortify "

> their product by just including a higher percentage of whole grains?

[Guest guest]

Rodney typed:

> Or perhaps it could humbly be suggested that consumers buy whole

> grain products.

If they're available at all! It does no good to suggest to consumers that

they buy something that isn't even available to them.

At any of my three nearest supermarkets, in the metropolis of Silicon

Valley, I can't find a single loaf of " Whole Wheat " bread that doesn't

have " unbleached wheat flour " (IOW, white flour) as the first ingredient,

and " high-fructose corn syrup " as the third or fourth ingredient.

To buy " real " bread, I drive 16 miles to a Whole Foods store in a

neighboring suburb. Several small-bakery breads available there actually

are made with only the basic four or five necessary ingredients. (Even

there, about half of the breads on their shelves are still " white " bread.)

Otherwise, when I get time, I make my own in a bread machine.

> The bread companies produce the stuff that people buy in the stores.

People buy what's available. Almost half of the bread on the shelves on my

local Safeway is labeled " wheat " or " 100% Wheat " or " Whole Wheat " . None of

it fits my definition of a whole grain bread.

> The supermarkets would be very dumb to stock anything else. They would

> be left with shelves full of unsold product.

I think there's a more sinister thing going on. On anecdote to my point:

When I worked as the assistant manager of a college cafeteria in the late

1970's, the food service supply salesmen would push products to us based

on shelf-life, price, consistency of manufacturing, convenient packaging,

and perhaps taste if it was an " upscale " or " gourmet " product. They had a

whole line of breads that were designed to stack with maximum density on a

certain wheeled cart they sold! Never was there any discussion about

nutrition. We had to buy large quantities of the stuff to even see it

closely enough to read the ingredients label or the nutritional

information.

Could it be that buyers for supermarket chains are selecting products

based on similar criteria?

> Indeed any bread (or any other for that matter) company that produces

> anything different from what people demonstrate by their actions they

> want to buy, would quickly go broke.

>

> (Just attributing responsibility for the products that are available in

> the stores where it really ought to be attributed - to consumers. Like

> you and me.)

Though there is certainly a element of consumer ignorance or education

here, a thoughtful well-meaning consumer might not bother to buy the

health-promoting items simply because, unlike me, they don't want to drive

a dozen or more miles to a neighboring community to shop at a specialty

store that sells all of those weird health-foods. Or they don't have or

know of such a store in their area.

[Guest guest]

Steve: with the publicity of the obesity epidemic, perhaps now is the time

to complain to your regular, nearby supermarket about the dearth of healthy

whole grain breads on the shelf.

Often, putting in a request to the manager of a store has produced results

for me. You might add that there are probably many others like you that

would like to have this choice but elect to just (reluctantly) buy what's

there and not complain. Certainly those of us near health food stores have

seen the regular markets improve their stock, lest they lose our dollars

because we're buying more and more at Whole Foods or stores similar to it.

on 5/13/2004 5:15 PM, Steve Sergeant at SteveSgt@... wrote:

> Though there is certainly a element of consumer ignorance or education

> here, a thoughtful well-meaning consumer might not bother to buy the

> health-promoting items simply because, unlike me, they don't want to drive

> a dozen or more miles to a neighboring community to shop at a specialty

> store that sells all of those weird health-foods. Or they don't have or

> know of such a store in their area.