As the science of nutrition has evolved, the relationship between diet, optimal health and performance is now widely accepted and understood. It has become very clear that what we eat and what we feed our animals provides information to the cells & genes; diet and nutrition play an essential role in health risk prevention and recovery.
However, the science behind how nutrition influences health becomes even more vital as health issues become more common and prominent, such as obesity, diabetes, joint problems, Cushings syndrome, and insulin resistance.
In its infancy, nutritional science focused on identifying nutrients and the disorders caused by the lack of specific nutrients. Once a nutritional link was identified, methods to prevent future health problems based on that deficiency were put in place.
Examples of early nutritional strategies that improved public health and welfare include:
• the addition of iodine to salt to prevent the thyroid problem, goiter.
• the fortification of grain products with Vitamin B-1 and Niacin to prevent the nerve and heart problems of Beriberi and the tissue breakdown issues of Pellegra.
• the addition of iron to prepared foods to aid in the reduction of iron-based anemias.
The next major step in nutritional biochemistry occurred with the practice of mega-vitamin therapy; administering large, non-toxic doses of vitamins to overcome individual nutritional imbalances and needs based on individual biochemical make-ups. This practice developed from the recognition that people are bio-chemically different and unique, and so are their animals; this set the tone for more rigorous nutritional research that applied further, more precise measurement of individual biochemistry and physiology.
Dr. Linus Pauling later coined the phrase "Orthomolecular Nutrition," the idea of the right molecules in the right amount for optimal function and performance, which further supported biochemical individuality and the use of high-dose nutritional supplementation. Contrary to the "one size fits all" idea of nutrition intake, the Orthomolecular concept requires that nutritional needs be considered for each person's unique, individual factors.
The new science of Nutrigenomics takes biochemical individuality to the next level. The central idea is that nutrients, and the foods and supplements they come from, function as information ‘bits' that interact with each unique genetic makeup. We can now identify some of the ways that individuals utilize nutrients, how much they require, their particular rate of detoxification and their genetic risk for specific health issues or problems.
Incorporating this new knowledge of individual biochemical variation and how each metabolism interacts with its ‘molecular environment' is the next huge step in the evolution of nutritional science. Nutritional status can contribute strongly to health-promoting or health-damaging expression of the individual's genetic blueprint.
Making the best choices for food intake and supplementation based on individual genetic components is now a major step closer. Great tools are available to make informed decisions about specific health risks and dietary needs that include hair mineral analysis, blood chemistry, hormone analysis, gene testing, detoxification and metabolic profiling.
The benefits of high quality nutritional supplementation to balance, replenish and support optimal physiology is well established. With decades of nutritional knowledge and experience, Uckele develops, formulates and manufactures a vast array of high potency, balanced nutritional supplements to support optimal health and performance at the highest level, for you and your animals. |
