Foundations of Naturopathic Nutrition A comprehensive guide to essential nutrients and nutritional bioactives

Nutrition is a vital part of the complementary approach to health. This uniquely comprehensive and evidence-based text provides a detailed and systematic guide to the principles of clinical nutrition from a naturopathic perspective.

The text begins with an overview of basic physiological principles and the body's protective systems, such as the antioxidant, detoxification and immune systems. The focus then moves to an in-depth examination of food components, including essential nutrients, such as protein, lipids, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and trace elements, as well as nutritional bioactives, such as coenzyme Q10, alpha-lipoic acid, phytochemicals, digestive enzymes and probiotics. There is detailed information on how each food component is digested and metabolised in the body, and guidance on its impact on health, including an explanation of the effects of inadequate and excessive intake. The types of supplements available together with dietary sources are also explored.

Discussions of important nutritional topics are featured - for example, water as therapy, obesity, anorexia nervosa, high-protein diets, hypoglycaemia, diabetes, phytosterols, gamma-tocopherol, vitamin E and mortality, vitamin C and cancer, infantile scurvy, acid-forming and alkaline-forming diets, hair analysis, sodium and blood pressure, and coenzyme Q10 and cancer. Summary boxes, case studies and quizzes will help readers consolidate their knowledge.

Foundations of Naturopathic Nutrition is an essential reference for everyone studying nutrition from a complementary health perspective.

'I thoroughly recommend this book as a learning aid for students, and as an excellent reference guide for experienced practitioners.' - Jackie Day, President, Naturopathic Nutrition Association (UK)

'A fabulous resource, not only for practitioners but also all those with an interest in nutrition.' - Professor Alan Bensoussan, Director, National Institute of Complementary Medicine, University of Western Sydney

'The foundation nutrition text we've all been waiting for. Fay Paxton has drawn from her many years of clinical nutrition experience, combining it with relevant research-based evidence, to produce an exhaustive body of work that is unique in its specific relevance to naturopathic and complementary medicine students and practitioners.' - David Stelfox, Associate Program Leader, Naturopathy, Endeavour College of Natural Health

List of figures and tables

Acronyms and abbreviations

Preface

PART 1. ESSENTIALS OF NATUROPATHIC NUTRITION

1 Introduction to naturopathy, nutrition, naturopathic nutrition, basic physiology, digestion and the body's protective systems

PART 2. MACRONUTRIENTS

2 Water, energy and protein

3 Carbohydrates: available and unavailable

4 Lipids, cholesterol and lipotropic nutrients: choline and inositol

PART 3. VITAMINS

5 Introduction to vitamins and fat-soluble vitamins: vitamins A, D, E and K

6 Water-soluble vitamins: vitamins C, B1, B2 and B3

7 Water-soluble vitamins: vitamins B5, B6, B12, folic acid and biotin

PART 4. MACROMINERALS

8 Introduction to minerals and macrominerals: calcium, phosphorus and magnesium

9 Macrominerals: sodium, potassium, chloride and sulfur

PART 5. TRACE ELEMENTS

10 Introduction to microminerals and trace elements: iron and zinc

11 Trace elements: copper, manganese and iodine

12 Trace elements: selenium, chromium, molybdenum and fluorine, and ultratrace elements: boron and silicon

PART 6. NUTRITIONAL BIOACTIVES

13 Nutritional bioactives: coenzyme Q10, alpha-lipoic acid, phytochemicals and chlorophyll

14 Nutritional bioactives: digestive enzymes, probiotics, arthritis bioactives, fungi, algae and bee products

Appendix: Nutrient tables

Index