The National Health Association has launched the Nutritional Research Project. The mission of the Nutritional Research Project is to fund clinical research to evaluate the impact of a high nutrient density diet on chronic disease.
What’s so great about the Nutritional Research project IS the mission, which is to conduct clinical research to study diet styles designed for their disease-preventing and disease-reversing properties.
Within, 20 minutes of announcing this project at the Getaway over $50,000 was raised and this is just the start. It will take almost $1m per protocol awaiting funding and here at nutrientrich.com we are going to do everything we can to help raise the money. Will you do your part and contribute?
Here are the details direct from NutritionalResearch.org.
Why is this so important?
Diabetes, obesity, heart disease, stroke and dementia are ravaging our health in the 21st century. The statistics are staggering: 72% of Americans are either overweight (38%) or obese (34%). 90 million Americans have either diabetes or pre-diabetes. More than 1 in 3 U.S. adults (81million) currently live with one or more types of cardiovascular disease. Cancer is also a preventable cause of death significantly linked to diet and environmental factors.
What is the answer to these epidemics?
Interventional cardiology and cardiovascular surgery have not been found to extend the lifespan of patients with atherosclerotic heart disease. Drugs offer only mild benefit in some diseases but do not alter significantly the trajectory of chronic degenerative disease. Furthermore, prescription medicines have been shown to be a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
The Nutritional Research Project proposes to study diet styles ideally designed to maximize the potential for disease prevention and disease reversal. Dr. Fuhrman has elaborated, tested and described the features of a diet-style and supplemental requirements designed for maximizing disease reversal and longevity. The salient features of this program have already been investigated in small preliminary scientific studies with dramatic results. Such a diet has the following specific features:
- High nutrient density
A micro nutrient-dense diet provides not just adequate vitamins and minerals but also thousands of phytochemicals that impact profoundly cell signaling and function, enabling the body to heal and repair. The attention to consumption of adequate raw green and cooked green vegetables(the most nutrient dense food) in conjuction with beans, seeds, onions, mushrooms and fresh fruit form at least 90 percent of calorie intake. - Plant based, but without processed foods.
A plant-based diet rich in colorful vegetables, greens, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds and a small amount of whole grains provides critical nutrients that reduce cellular toxicity, DNA damage and immune system dysfunction. The design of meal plans and food choices restrict or prohibit processed foods such as refined sweets, oils, flours, white rice and white potato. Animal products are restricted to less than 8oz per week (one or two servings) used as condiments to the vegetable based meals. - Reduced calorie intake – Consumption of plant foods with low caloric density enables satiation with less calories.
Animal studies have demonstrated that caloric restriction is associated with increased longevity. A diet with high micronutrient content and reduced calories affords powerful protection against disease.
When this type of diet is applied clinically, remarkable results occur. It remains to evaluate and document the efficacy of this diet style in controlled scientific studies. Our goal is to initiate and support research that will investigate the impact of an optimally healing diet in the treatment of chronic disease states. Research on the the therapeutic implications of juice fasting and water fasting are also of interest to the mission of the Nutritional Research Project.
- Flegal KM et al. Prevalence and trends in obesity among US adults, 1999-2008. JAMA 2010; 303(3)
- Van Cleave J, Gortmaker SL, Perrin JM. Dynamics of obesity and chronic health conditions among children and youth. JAMA 2010; 303(7): 623-630.
- http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/pdf/ndfs_2007.pdf
- de la Monte SM et al. Review of insulin, insulin-like growth factor expression, signaling and malfunction in the CNS: Relevance to Alzheimer’s disease. J Alzheimer’s Dis 2005 Feb 7(1): 45-61.
- Ogden CL, Carroll MD, McDowell MA, Flegal KM. Obesity among adults in the United States-no change since 2003-2004. NCHS data brief no 1. National Center for Health Statistic; 2007