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Official Recommendations

Official recommendations don't reflect human requirements.
Biologists know that nutrient requirements of any species can be determined by examining nutrient contents of its natural foods, but for some reason this is not applied to the human species. For example official calcium recommendations are much higher than calcium contents of our natural foods. To meet these recommendations, we need to consume milk, something we never did for over 99% of our existence. 'Apparently' humans are not submitted to nature's laws, but to political choices only.
The basic assumption applied to justify these political choices is:
Average mineral absorption rate is low, which we can compensate by consuming more mineral-rich foods.

However, consuming foods containing more minerals decreases mineral absorption rate by the body. And thus even more minerals are recommended to compensate this lower absorption rate. But of course this even further decreases the mineral absorption rate.
'Logically', mineral recommendations (and for calcium in particular) have only increased over the last decades.
The official assumption is that the body by mistake absorbs too little minerals from mineral-rich food. But there is a reason for absorbing fewer minerals from a mineral-rich diet: actual mineral requirements are much lower, and too much of any mineral or trace element is harmful.

Why are amounts of nutrients recommended anyway?

Because so many people consume unnatural foods, such as cow's milk, grains, vegetables and beans, all of which contain a variety of substances that inhibit nutrient absorption. Another reason is that the food preparation process destroys many vitamins. And lastly because almost everybody consumes far too much protein, requiring more vitamin B2, B6 and folic acid (that is why vitamin B6 and folic acid deficiencies are most common).

Absorption rate of vitamin B9 (folic acid) zinc, copper, iron, manganese and selenium from cow's milk is very low (1), due to the different 'chemical package'. Phytate and high quantities of fibers in grains and beans strongly inhibit absorption of calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, copper, phosphorus, manganese and vitamin B1, B2 and B3. (2) Phytate (and fibers) is not destroyed completely through the preparation process. (3) Flavonoids / phyto-estrogens in soy, rye and linseed easily bind to iodide, causing iodide deficiencies. (4) Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbages, radish, garden cress, barley and millet contain glycosinolates, which are transformed into thlocyanates, inhibiting absorption of iodide into the thyroid (like nitrate in vegetables), causing an iodide- and selenium 'deficiency'. (5) Beans contain a lot of lignin, binding easily to cholesterol (6) and minerals. (7) Vegetables contain a lot of nitrate, and even nitrite. To inhibit origination of mutagenic N-nitroso compounds from nitrate (8) / nitrite in vegetables, more vitamin C and β-carotene is required. (9) Nitrite in vegetables inhibits vitamin β-carotene (10), B1 and B6 absorption. (11) Nitrate increases the need for vitamin C (12). Prepared food contains oxidized fats, requiring more vitamin E (13), and vitamin C, to revitalize vitamin E. (14) Logically, attempts to improve iron, vitamin C and β-carotene absorption through consuming more vegetables, failed. (15)

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Abstracts of most sources can be found at the National Library of Medicine

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