“The foods we take should be fresh and less processed. The processing of food is well known to devitalize the food (destroying natural enzymes) and deplete important vitamins, minerals and trace nutrients (trace minerals, fiber, co-enzymes and much more). In recognition of this, the food industry sometimes replaces a token amount of the lost vitamins by adding synthetic versions. Not only are the minerals and trace nutrients not replaced in the processed food, the synthetic vitamins that are added back are poorly absorbed from the digestive system. This leaves the body deficient of many nutrients even though we feel full.
There is more damage done to the food than just the loss of nutrients. Through food processing, synthetic chemicals (food additives) are added to food to make it tastier, last longer and look prettier. These additives have no nutrient value. They are added to make foods thicker and creamier, more colorful, sweeter and so on. Some of these substances are already known to have deleterious effects. With many others, the long-term effect of consumption is not known. Every year, some chemical additives and processed ingredients (e.g. trans-fats) are banned from foods as their harmful effects become known. However, prior to their removal from store shelves, large amounts have been ingested by most people, often for decades.”
~ Excerpt from “Healing Your Life, Lessons on the Path of Ayurveda,” by Dr. Marc Halpern, Founder of the California College of Ayurveda. Available at Amazon: http://amzn.to/1GP7m28 and Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1PsYDUA