What does Certified Organic mean?
Certified Organic agricultural products are produced according to a set of registered standards that are monitored by an accredited certifying body. The standards are to ensure that the organic products are grown:
- without the use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, fumigants or pesticides
- without hormones, artificial colorants or preservatives
- without Genetically Modified Organism inputs (seed, feed or raw materials)
- using sustainable, earth friendly farming practices.
(In certified organic farming crops have to be rotated to keep the soil from becoming depleted of nutrients. One type of plant will return nutrients to the soil which is needed by another crop).
Certification is the public's guarantee that products have been grown and handled according to strict procedures without toxic inputs.
HEARTofGOLD Formula™ is made from certified organic and wild crafted plants to provide the full spectrum of nutrients, hense to provide the best health benefits.
It is interesting to see how the nutritional component of the plant changes when it is cultivated under different conditions and in different environments.
We have chosen to look at one food component, selenium, which is very important in our nutrition. Garlic is an excellent source of biologically active selenium, and it is believed that garlic's anti-atherosclerotic property is due to its high selenium content.
What is Selenium?
- It is an essential mineral in human nutrition
- It is a component of a number of enzymes in the body
- It is part of the enzyme glutathione peroxidase, one of the protective mechanisms against oxidative damage
- It is an antioxidant which slows down aging and hardening of tissues through oxidation
- It is essential for the production of prostoglandins, compounds that affect blood pressure
Selenium enters plants from the soil. Levels of selenium in plants may vary considerably, depending on soil content. Selenium content in foods can, therefore, vary by region and by country, depending on the local geochemical environment and agricultural practices.
Recent research estimates that the average dietary intake of selenium in the British diet has decreased almost 50% since 1978. This is primarily because of depleted selenium levels in the soil and this results in lowered selenium levels in the foods we eat.
According to a study conducted by the Journal of American Nutrition, organic food contains up to 250% of the essential minerals and vitamins of regular non-organic foods. Studies also prove that micronutrients from organic fruits and vegetables are more easily absorbed than those of conventional produce.
If selenium-rich plants are grown in selenium-depleted soil, and they are part of your diet, you are not getting enough of this mineral.
How important is selenium in maintaining our health?
The supply of oxygen to the heart is also regulated by this mineral. Premature aging, blurred vision, and nerve disorders are signs of a deficiency of selenium.
Research suggests that supplementation with selenium is helpful in:
- Cancer prevention
- Cardiac arrhythmia
- Immune function
- Asthma
- Depression
- Diabetic retinopathy (in combination with vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin E)
- Hypothyroidism (if deficient)
- Macular degeneration
- and many other conditions
A study was conducted in order to ascertain that the efficacy of the high-selenium garlic in cancer protection is primarily dependent on the action of selenium. The results of the study suggests that the anti-cancer activity of the high-selenium garlic was likely to be accounted for by the effect of selenium, rather than the effect of garlic itself. A continuous feeding of the high-selenium garlic produced a modest increase in total selenium in various tissues.
Based on the results of several biological responses, it appears that the ability of the high-selenium garlic to protect against tumor is primarily dependent on increased intake of selenium provided by the vegetable.
The research also suggests that selenium helps protect against the build-up of artery clogging fats that damage blood vessel walls.
We are trying to include certified organic plants in our formula; if we can not provide this quality, then our next best choice is wild crafted plants from clean environments. This ensures all possible nutritious value is in the fruit of the herbs.
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