|
A little bit of history: In 1773, Captain Cook fed sauerkraut
to his sailors to prevent scurvy, the disease caused by
vitamin C deficiency. Was this the beginning of the health food movement? No one knows for
sure. What we do know, however, is ever since then there has been a growing awareness of the
relationship between diet and health.
Another historical figure, the Reverend Sylvester Graham, was so convinced of the benefits
of whole grains he toured the country giving lectures
on their merits. He also promoted the idea of cutting fats and
meats from the diet. He is immortalized by the popular graham cracker, which he invented in 1829.
Another early health food advocate was Sister Ellen White, a leader in the Seventh-Day
Adventist Church and a founder of the Health Reform Institute in the late 1800s. A strong
advocacy for vegetarianism emerged from this group.
It may have been this movement that created the need for the first health food stores. The
Adventists created the first meat analogs (meat
substitutes with meat-like texture) in the United States.
Later, in the 1920s and 1930s, health food stores sprouted around the country. Some of the
first foods sold were blackstrap molasses, brewer’s
yeast, powdered skim milk, yogurt and wheat germ. These foods were considered
“powerfoods” and were particularly popular with the Hollywood crowd, who were
searching for perpetual youth and vitality.
The industry was given a boost in 1950, when Jerome Rodale founded Prevention
Magazine. This magazine, along with Rodale’s popular book on organic gardening, popularized the term
“health food.”
It was during the 1960s and 1970s that the health food movement was truly launched with
help from the ecology movement. At this time many people, from all walks of life, began to
patronize health food stores. Since then, increasing awareness of the connection between
health and lifestyle has moved health foods into the mainstream. Scientific studies now back
up many of the tenets that were previously based only on anecdotal evidence. With the
“baby boomers” moving into their elder years, there is more interest in remaining
young and vital as long as possible.
Today, you cannot pick up a popular magazine without finding another story about new
research demonstrating the benefits of certain phytochemicals, dietary
supplements, or foods.
What foods are generally considered to be health foods? There
is no true definition of the term health food, but most people who work in the
industry would agree that health foods are foods that provide optimum nutrition or enhance the
health of those who consume them. They would also say they are foods without significant
amounts of substances known to be harmful to health.
There are other terms that may describe the types of foods you will
find in the health food section of a store:
- Whole foods are foods found in as close to their whole and natural state as
possible. Generally, they have been minimally processed and have not had nutrients and fiber removed.
- Natural foods are foods obtained from nature and do not have synthetic
ingredients.
- Organic foods are
foods that qualify to meet the organic growing standards of the state where they are
produced.
What qualifies a food to be placed in the health food section?
These types of food vary from store to store.
Generally the foods in this section will have these
characteristics:
- Be less processed
- Have fewer chemical additives, preservatives, and colorings
- Contain less white flour and sugar
- Have more organic ingredients
- More than likely be grown locally
- Be functional
foods that will have specific effects on the structure or function of the body
- Be specialty foods, such as sugar-free,
wheat-free, milk-free, salt-free, additive-free and lactose-free
- Be less likely to contain hydrogenated
fats
Copyright © 2004 Healthnotes, Inc. All rights reserved.
www.healthnotes.com
Learn more about Healthnotes, the company.
Learn more about the authors of
Foodnotes.
The information presented in Foodnotes is for informational
purposes only and was created by a team of U.S. registered dietitians and food experts.
Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using
any supplements, making dietary changes, or before making any changes in prescribed
medications. Information expires March 2005.
| 
