Food Quality and Why It Maters

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FOOD QUALITY and

WHY IT MATTERS

Chuck Benbrook

The Organic Center

Troy, OR

Farming for Food Quality Symposium

Tilth Producers of Washington and Washington State University

November 10, 2006

Vancouver, WA

Presentation available at: http://www.organic-center.org/science.nutr.php


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Americans are overfed and undernourished phrase coined in What We Eat in America major

USDA report released in September 2005. Epidemics of obesity and diabetes have displacedAIDS and lung cancer as the nations foremostpublic health problems

Why Food Quality Matters


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Why Food Quality MattersOnly 15% of Americans have a healthy diet based on

USDAs Healthy Eating Index


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Treating disease prolongs life but at high costs

Experts agree that changes in dietary choices andfood quality must play a role in health promotion anddisease prevention

Why Food Quality Matters

Changes in diet needed to supportgraceful aging


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What's Wrong with the

American Diet? Too many calories and too much added sugar,salt and fat

Inadequate intakes of fiber and on average2.5 essential nutrients/day

Intake of about one-half of the recommendedservings of fruit and vegetables per day

Intake of about one-third of the optimalintake of antioxidants per day (best estimate)


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What's Wrong with the

American Diet?


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What's Needed to Fix the

American Diet? Dietary choices driven by individual needsaccording to age and health status

Access to more whole and minimally processedfoods

Access to more nutrient and antioxidant densefoods


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Antioxidant Capacity of FoodsVaries greatly per serving and per calorie

Food

Group

Values Average

H-ORAC

Average

H-ORACH-ORAC unitsper serving

Units perServing

Units perCalorie

Very High 2,000-14,000 6,063 84.5

High 1,000 1,999 1,535 40.4

Moderate 500 999 724 31.6

Low 0-499 325 16


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Antioxidant Capacity of FoodsFoods High in H-ORAC Units per Calorie Deliver Thirty-FiveMore ORAC Units per Calorie Than Foods Low in ORAC UnitsAntioxidant Category

and Fresh FoodH-ORAC Units

per CalorieAntioxidantCategory andFresh Food

H-ORACUnits perCalorie

VERY HIGH LOWBlueberry, Wild 247 Cucumber, with peel 6

Artichoke, Cooked 186 Granola, Low-fat 6

Plums, Black 161 Toasted Oatmeal Cereal 5

Asparagus. Raw 150 Oats, Quick (Oatmeal) 5

Broccoli Raab, Raw 126 Corn, Canned 5

Blackberry 122 Oatmeal Raisin Cookie 4

Strawberry 111 Watermelon 4

Blueberry, Cultivated 108 Life Cereal 4

Cabbage, Red, Cooked 107 Low-fat Chewy Granola Bar 4

Lettuce, Red Leaf 102 Lima Bean, Canned 1

AVERAGE TOP 10 FOODS 142 AVERAGE BOTTOM 10 FOODS 4


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Meeting Antioxidant Needs Tufts researchers recommend a diet delivering3,000 5,000 ORAC units per day; also called Anti-

Aging Points Moderate foods = average 32 ORAC units/calorie

Only about 160 calories of Moderate ORAC levelfoods are needed to reach 5,000 ORAC units per

day (only about 8% of daily calorie intake based on a2000 kcal diet)


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Quality Food Delivers maximum nutrients per calorie consumed

Is free of chemical, drug, mycotoxin and microbial

contaminants

Tastes good and stores well


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Nutrient Density in 43

Garden Crops: 1950 to 1999Percent Decline

-10

0

10

20

30

40

Pro Ash Ca P Fe VitA Thi Rib Nia VitC

Median

(Davis, Epp & Riordan, J Am Coll Nutr, 2004; 23:669)

* P < 0.05** P < 0.01

**

**** **

**

Dryweightbasis


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Organic Farming Impacts on

Food Quality Often enhances nutrient density a few percent to30% or more

Avoids most chemicals and animal drug contaminants

Has potential to and may already reduceprevalence of mycotoxin and bacteria contaminants

Often improves taste and organoleptic quality,although many factors must be taken into account


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The Organic Centers

Food Quality Index An enormous task that will take years and muchinvestment

Many institutions, labs and companies will need tolend a hand in developing methods and essential data


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The r i enters

lit ndex

N trient densit incl ding pr tein levels ndq lit

Tasteand sens r attrib tes

Antibi tic s sceptibilit stat s f bacteria present

in f dCLA and mega-3 levels, and mega-3: mega-6 rati

inanimal pr ducts

Positive attributes:


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The rganicCenters

d ualit ndex

Presence f added fats, saltand sugar

Pesticide residues and risks

M cotoxin levels and risks

Microbiological contamination

Negative attributes:


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Biological Functions ofGlucose in Humans

Basic form of energy (fuel) in the form of CARBOHYDRATE

Precursor of a variety of substances including Vitamin C andglycogen (stored energy)

Glucose (sugar) metabolism is regulated by insulin


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Glycosylation in Humans Is the process or result of adding a sugarmolecule or molecules to proteins and peptides

Usually an enzymatic reaction -- can help protectregulatory proteins and hormones from metabolicbreakdown


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Glycosylation in Humans Can also decrease bio-availability of vitamins,minerals, antioxidants and other substances

Excessive levels of glucose in the blood leads toabnormally high glycosylation of proteins, alteringtheir normal functions


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Diabetes MellitusType 1 IDDM, or Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus

Characterized by a lack of pancreatic production of insulin

Exogenous insulin is essential

Type 2 NIDDM, or Noninsulin-DependentDiabetes Mellitus

Pancreatic production of insulin continues, but there isa lack of action or resistance to insulin action


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Diabetes MellitusGestational Diabetes

Occurs during pregnancy as a resultof hormonal influences causing insulin

resistance


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Diabetes MellitusDiabetes is rapidly increasing in the U.S. and hasserious consequences including blindness, loss of limbs,

kidney disease, and premature death


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Management of DiabetesDiet Prescribed to promote health

the reduction of excessive weight

the normalization of circulating glucose levels

Exercise - Improves the natural control of bloodglucose levels

Blood Glucose Measurement

average glucose levels are measured by evaluatingglycosylated hemoglobin values

Medication (if necessary)


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Biological Functions of

Glucose in Plants

Glucose is the major product of

photosynthesis

Glucose is the plants major energysource and is the structuralcarbohydrate for plant cell walls


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Plant ugars

The form of sugar in plants varies:

glucose 0.74 times as sweet as sucrose

galactose found in fruits, vegetables anddairy products

fructose primarily found in fruits, vegetablesand honey

sucrose a disaccharide (breaks down intoglucose and fructose) found in sugar cane, sugarbeet and maple sugar


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Plant ugars

Foundation of cellulose (cell walls)

Stored in the plant as cellulose and starch

Are moved by the plant to where they are needed Excesses are moved out of the plant via rootexudates and leaf tissues

sugar exudates play a role in rhizosphere

microbial ecology and food safety


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Glycosylation in Plants Plant proteins, peptides, and phytochemicals areroutinely glycosylated

Impacts the movement and stability ofphyochemicals within plants

Alters the bio-availability and activity ofphytochemicals including vitamins and antioxidantsin the mammalian (human) digestive system


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Impacts of High NitrogenExcess N in farming systems leads to extraproduction of sugars and nitrates both tend to be

higher in conventional crops


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More High N Impacts . Higher yields

Larger fruits and vegetables Larger average cell size

Decreases in nutrient density

Greater yield variability when plants are stressed

Less intense flavor


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Impacts of Larger Average

Cell Size in Plants Dilution of nutrients

Stretched cell walls that may be more easilypenetrated by viruses, bacteria and fungi


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More acts of arger CellsHeightened vulnerability tocertain athogens

thinner cell walls lus.ore readily availablefuelfor athogens

that invadecells

lower density of hytochemicals needed for

lant immune res onse


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Diabetes in Plants?Excess sugar in plants triggers changes in plantphysiology, regulation and the ability to combatpathogens that have some similarities to diabetes in

humans


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Diabetes in Plants and Humans Fundamentally rooted in sugar metabolism

Complications arise as a consequence of how plantsand people deal (or are unable to deal) with excess

circulating sugar


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Is There a ConnectionBetween Plants with a

Diabetes-Like Syndrome andthe Risk of Human Diabetes?


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Diabetes Connections? Extra sugars in plants/human blood may alter theintegrity of cells and mute responses to stress and

pathogens Nutrient dilution in food crops clearly impactsadequacy of human nutrient intake


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Diabetes Connections? More sugars and less antioxidants in human dietsare risk factors for inflammation, proliferation and

free-radical and oxidative cell damage Glycosylation patterns and biochemistry play keyroles in plant and human nutrition and health


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Organic Center Research

2007 Priority Areas Healthy children and human reproduction

Nutrient content and antioxidant capacity of food

Physiological factors and mechanisms leading to changesin nutrient density and food quality

Development of a "Food Quality Index" to measure and

compare the nutritional quality and safety Enhancing environmental quality and biodiversitythrough organic management


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Ongoing Organic Center

Research Activities

Pesticides

Antioxidants

E. coli O157 prevention

Wine quality

Nutrient content

Soil quality Cow health and milk quality

Impacts of organic milkreaching 10% market share


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Organic Center

Research PrioritiesPlease share your thoughts and suggestionsregarding:

The Organic Centers areas of focus

Individuals who can help advance our ongoingresearch

Companies or organizations with an interest andcommitment to promote food quality that may bewilling to work with the Organic Center


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Sources of InformationAntioxidant State of Science Review (SSR)

January 2004

Obesity and Diabetes Critical Issue Report (CIR)To be released early December

Do Organic Fruits and Vegetables Taste Better thanConventional Fruits and Vegetables?

SSR to be released late November

www.organic-center.org


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Sources of InformationE. coli FAQ Critical Issue Report (CIR)

Successes and Lost Opportunities to ReduceChildrens Exposure to Pesticides Since themid-1990s, CIR, August 2006

Mycotoxin SSR

www.organic-center.org

Food Quality and Why It Maters

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