One is it increases the proportion of the nutrients in the food that can be digested, and it does that basically by opening them up to be accessible to enzymes, it denatures proteins for instances, unraveling them and exposing them to the action of snipping enzymes.

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The researchers said that increasing the amount of beta-carotene, and other carotenoids, in foods was generally though to be more effective than taking supplements in the form of pills, as other nutrients in the food act alongside the carotenoids.

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"With regard to the traffic light scheme which presents the amount of nutrients in a food product, we consider its rejection last year a real blow for consumers, " she added.

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That means more nutrients in the soil, where it feeds food crops, and less in lakes and streams, where it feeds algae that sucks up oxygen and kills fish.

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But all of that activity is focused on extracting energy and nutrients from food, so along with the hydrogen gas, the microbes are also packing in more calories for the host, which can lead to weight gain.

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The Mayo Clinic said that type of surgery is increasingly common in the United States and can change how the body absorbs food, vitamins, nutrients and medications.

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The cave environment is a tough place in which to make a living, limited in food and essential nutrients, forcing microorganisms to fight over limited resources.

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