HEALTH FOOD

Angelica, dong quai

2008-11-12T03:04:00.000-08:00

Angelica occurs wild in the colder parts of Europe, from Iceland, through Scandinavia, to central Russia; also in mountain ranges from the Pyrenees to Syria. It is found as an escapee from cultivation in many countries, including the UK. A. atropurpurea is utilized in the USA. Dong quai (A. sinensis) provides a popular drug in traditional Chinese medicine.

P L A N T D E S C R I P T I O N
Angelica is a biennial growing to a height of 2 m (6 ft) (when in flower). The green stems bear large bit to tripinnate leaves that are 30–70 cm (28 in) long, and if the plant is allowed to grow into the second year, the flowering stems carry umbels of greenish white or green flowers, giving rise to ‘seeds’ (botanically speaking, these are fruits), 5–7 mm in length. Dong quai is a similar plant, with white flowers.
C U L I N A R Y A N D N U T R I T I O N A L VA L U E
Pieces of the young stem and leaf stalk of archangelica are candied (crystallized with sugar) and used in confectionery, their bright green colour being attractive. The roots may be used in making gin, and the ‘seeds’ vermouth
and chartreuse...

C L A I M S A N D F O L K L O R E
Angelica (A. archangelica): parts used are ‘seed’, leaf, rhizome, and root. It first became popular in Europe during the fifteenth century; it has been used internally for digestive disorders (e.g. gastric ulcers, anorexia), bronchitis, catarrh, flu, chronic fatigue, and menstrual and abstetric problems, and externally for rheumatic pain, neuralgia, and pleurisy.

Dong quai (A. sinensis): the part used is the root. It is an important Chinese medical herb, its use dating back to about AD 200. It has been recommended for all kinds of gynaecological problems, and as an antispasmodic, a ‘blood purifier’, and for hypertension, rheumatism, and constipation.

E V I D E N C E
Among the chemical substances present are coumarins and furancoumarins, and also a pleasant essential (volatile) oil. It is known that some coumarins can act as vasodilators and stimulate the central nervous system. However, the relatively few animal experiments carried out do not as yet justify all the claims for the efficacy of the herb.

The coumarins and furancoumarins, on contact with the skin, may lead to photosensitivity, which could result in a type of dermatitis that might become cancerous. This has given rise to a limit being recommended for root oil in
cosmetic and suntan preparations.

Angelica products should not be used during pregnancy and lactation because of possible abortifacient effects. The root is recommended in Germany, for treatment of
loss of appetite and flatulence, but not the ‘seed’ and overground parts.

Algae part 2

2008-11-12T02:24:00.000-08:00

Seaweeds
The term ‘kelp’ is applied to a number of seaweed species. In many parts of the world seaweeds, often dried, are used directly in food as vegetables, and in salads and soups.They are sometimes sold in health food shops, supermarkets,and similar establishments. The greatest usage is in the Orient; e.g. in Japan some 50 species are utilized.

Phycocolloids (carbohydrates) such as agars, alginates, and carrageenans are extracted from seaweeds and used as thickeners and stabilizers in a vast array of foods,including canned commodities, confectionery, ice-cream,jellies, soups, and sauces.
Generally speaking, seaweeds contain protein (aminoacid profile similar to that of legumes), little fat, and some vitamins and minerals. Among the vitamins, B12has been recorded but, as in Spirulina, its biological activity is open to debate. Of the minerals present, the relatively high concentration (0.07–0.76% dry weight) of iodine is of interest.

Seaweeds in the diet provide fibre.Below is information on some of the utilized seaweeds:
● Laver (Porphyra umbilicalis): a red seaweed, found on the rocky shores of the UK and other temperate North Atlantic countries. Its product is ‘laver bread’, particularly popular in south Wales but also eaten elsewhere....

● Porphyra is popular in China, Korea, and Japan (where it is known as nori). The Japanese cultivate Porphyra by sinking bundles of bamboo canes, brushwood, or nets offshore, to which will become attached a crop of the seaweed.
● Dulse (Palmaria palmata syn. Rhodymenia palmata): a red seaweed, consumed in the
ways already described.
● Carrageen or Irish Moss (Chondrus crispus): a red seaweed collected commercially in Canada for carrageenan extraction. Small quantities are harvested in Ireland and
France, and utilized.
● Knotted wrack (Ascophyllum nodosum): a brown seaweed common in temperate Atlantic countries. It is harvested in Ireland, Scotland, and Norway for alginate extraction.
● Some other seaweed species utilized belong to Laminaria (in Japan known as kombu), Macrocystis, Nereocystis, Fucus, Gelidium (one source of agar), and Undaria (Jap.wakame).
Taking Laminaria (kelp) as an example of a seaweed, the nutrient analysis of fresh material is: water 81.6%; protein 1.7%; total fibre 1.33%; fat 0.6%; energy 43 kcal; 233 mg sodium; 168 mg calcium; 89 mg potassium; 2.9 mg iron; vitamin B10.15 mg; vitamin B2 0.47 mg; vitamin C 0.1 mg.

Spirulina, Chlorella, and kelp tablets are readily available. Kelp refers to a number of species, but usually to brown seaweeds. A considerable number of claims
for the therapeutic value of Spirulina and Chlorella have been made, particularly on the Internet; one claim concerns the presence of vitamin B12, normally found in animal tissues.

Similarly, kelp products have been used to treat a large array of complaints, including obesity, rheumatism, arthritis, indigestion, constipation, and other problems. These treatments have often been related to the high concentration of
iodine in seaweeds.The phycocolloids (gels) present have a bulking effect in laxative preparations, and a demulcent action.

E V I D E N C E
As stated earlier, the vitamin B12reported for Spirulina, Chlorella, and seaweeds is not considered biologically active. The value of iodine as regards therapeutic claims for seaweed should be treated cautiously. Iodine is required by
the thyroid gland to form the hormone thyroxine, which controls body metabolism. Deficiency leads to goitre, but in many countries this has been eliminated by fortification, such as by the use of iodized salt.
However, deficiency of iodine can occur and kelp could provide the necessary iodine, but professional advice is required because touch iodine (above 150 µg per day) can lead to hyperthy roidism (weight loss, sweating, fatigue, and other symptoms). Iodine in kelp has somehow been related to the use of the product as a slimming aid in dealing with obesity. There seems little scientific support for this claim.

Seaweeds may absorb and concentrate unacceptable heavy metals, such as cadmium and lead, from contaminated sea water. Ingestion of kelp has been associated with
the development of human acne.Considering all the evidence, careful thought should go
into the use of algal products. The therapeutic employment of kelp is not supported in Germany, and it should not be given during pregnancy and lactation.

Algae part 1

2008-11-12T01:51:00.000-08:00

The algae constitute a large group of‘primitive’ plants – they do not reproduce by seeds as in most medicinal and food plants but rather by spores, and the plant body is not divided into root, stem, and leaf, but is in the form of a relatively undifferentiated ‘thallus’. They are mainly aquatic, being found in freshwater ponds,rivers, and lakes, and are the seaweeds found on shores all over the world.Total seaweed usage alone amounts to about 3.5 million tons per year. In Western countries seaweeds are harvested from their natural habitats, but in Asia there is quite a good deal of planned cultivation (e.g. see Porphyra below). Although microscopic algae (Chlorella and Spirulina)may be harvested naturally, today they are usually cultivated commercially....

Algae are classified according to their pigments. All algae contain the green
pigment chlorophyll; the group known as the green algae contains only chlorophyll,but other groups have pigments in addition to chlorophyll. In the brown algae(seaweeds) the additional pigment is fucoxanthin.

In the red algae (seaweeds) it is phycoerythrin (red) and phycocyanin (blue)the relative quantities vary, so different species vary in colour from red to bluish green; in the blue-green algae the only extra pigment is phycocyanin. There is also great variation in size between species of the algae. Some are microscopic (unicellular and filamentous), whereas some seaweeds attain a length of 50 m (165 ft).

A microscopic, fresh-water alga found as corkscrew-like filaments. In the sixteenth century Spanish explorers found Aztecs harvesting a ‘blue mud’, probably consisting
of Spirulina, from Lake Texaco (Mexico). This was dried and turned into chips and loaves. Similarly, the alga has been collected by local people from Lake Chad (Africa).

Spirulina is still harvested from freshwater sources, but it is also cultured commercially in California, Thailand, India, and China. Presumably, it should be easier to produce a purer harvest from cultured material, rather than a natural source where other algae might be present.

The commercial product (the alga has been dried) contains:
(a) 60–70% protein with a good amino acid profile;
(b) 16–20% carbohydrate;
(c) 2–3% fat;
(d) 7–9% water;
(e) 5–8% minerals, including iron, calcium, and many others;
(f) vitamins: beta-carotene (provitamin A) and some of the B complex, including, as reported, B12, E, and K.

The ironpresent is easily absorbed by humans, which is not always the case with iron from other plant sources. Vitamin B12is not normally found in plant foods, only animal sources – a possible problem for vegetarians and vegans. However, as with
Chlorella and seaweeds, there is considerable doubt about the nutritional significance of B12recorded for Spirulina. Spirulina presents a good nutritional profile, but it is far more expensive than some animal foods (e.g. meat, milk),
which may not worry vegetarians.
Chlorella (a green alga)A microscopic unicellular alga, up to about 10 µm (1 µm = 0.001 mm) in diameter. In many other respects it is similarto Spirulina. Commercial cultivation takes place, and its nutritional profile is roughly the same. Both Spirulina and Chlorella are available as tablets in health food shops.

Alfalfa, lucerne Medicago sativa

2008-10-14T06:18:00.000-07:00

Alfalfa does not exist in the truly wild state. It is said to have originated in the area around the Caspian Sea, possibly from the local Medicago coerulea. The cultivation and spread of alfalfa seems linked with the spread of the horse. The plant was taken to China from central Asia over 2000 years ago. Introduced to Greece from Persia in the fifth century BC, and then throughout Europe, it is now cultivated all over the world, mainly as an animal forage.

Plant Description

Alfalfa is a perennial herb with a deep taproot and clover-like leaves (trifoliate), and grows to a height of 1 m (3 ft). The flowers are usually bluish purple but, because of hybridization with other species, maybe variegated, with some yellow colour. Its coiled fruits are the typical leguminous pods, containing numerous greenish brown seeds,each about 2 mm in diameter...

Nutritional Value

Alfalfa is very important as a livestock forage. In some parts of the world the leaves are eaten raw or cooked as a vegetable in human diets. Seed sprouts are a favourite salad ingredient. Alfalfa extract is used as a flavouring agent in many food commodities,its leaf protein is used as a protein substitute in vegan diets, and its chlorophyll is employed as a colouring agent.

The plant has been subjected to numerous chemical analyses and has been shown
to be rich in a variety of chemical substances; e.g. protein (14–15% in dried
plant), minerals and trace elements, vitamins, saponins, flavonoids, coumarins, and numerous others. Sprouts contain a large amount of water (>90%), a small amount of protein (4%), and a range of minerals and vitamins (carotene, B, and C).

Alfalfa is available in the form of herbal teas, tablets, tinctures, and other preparations. Apart from its nutritional value, there are numerous anecdotal claims concerning its therapeutic usefulness. These relate to treatment of various arthritic conditions, skin ailments, and diabetes, to stimulating the appetite, to it being a general tonic, and to numerous other conditions.

There is really no scientific evidence to support the vast majority of therapeutic claims. Animal experiments and a very few human experiments indicate that ingestion of alfalfa seeds may lower blood cholesterol, but more investigations are required.

Those with a predisposition to systemic lupus erythematosus, and those who are photosensitive, should avoid alfalfa. Similarly, it is best avoided during pregnancy and lactation.

Introduction Herbal medicine part 2

2008-10-14T05:48:00.000-07:00

In health food stores, pharmacies, and supermarkets herbal products are usually available as extracts (e.g. tablets, capsules, teas, tinctures, lotions, ointments, lozenges, syrups). Many of these are sold without prescription as over-the-counter products. The legal situation regarding these products varies according to the country.
In the USA most herbal extracts are sold as dietary supplements, which are a food category. Labelling may only refer to the effects on the structure or function of the body therapeutic claims are not allowed. Herbal medicines in the UK fall into two categories:

a. licensed products that are required to meet safety, quality, and efficacy criteria, in a similar manner to any other licensed medicine...

b.the majority of herbal products, which are not licensed and are therefore sold as dietary supplements with no therapeutic claims on the label.

However, somewhat devious methods of advertising have been employed. In Germany and some other European Union countries, herbal medicinal products are treated in the same way as any other medicinal products and must satisfy, as a pre-condition for marketing, the same criteria of safety, quality, and efficacy as any other medicine. Efforts are being made to harmonize the situation within the European Union but this will probably take a long time.

The development of a new medical drug by a pharma ceutical company is a long and expensive process, taking between 10 and 12 years and costing about £350 million
(US$600 million). It involves a survey of a large number of potentially useful chemicals, and animal and human (clinical) trials, before a licence can be granted by bodies such as the US Food and Drug Administration, or the UK Medicines Control Agency. Similar bodies exist in other countries. The development of a herbal product does not usually seem to appeal to major pharmaceutical companies, because of the cost involved, the complexity of the chemical make-up of the product, and the difficulty of patenting. Nevertheless, the marketing of herbal medicines is now attracting the attention of some large pharmaceutical companies.

In those countries where herbal medicines may be licensed, proof of efficacy (ability to achieve claimed actions) can be obtained from experiments and clinical studies (animal and human), and if these are not fully available then consideration is given to traditional experience of the product.

Germany has a long history of using herbal medicines.In the late 1970s an expert committee of physicians, pharmacists, and others was established to report on the safety and efficacy of a number of herbal medicines. The results were published as the Commission E monographs, later translated into English in the USA. These monographs were comprehensive, covering uses, contraindications (interference with existing conditions), side-effects, interactions with other drugs, chemical constituents, and dosage. The information was taken from clinical studies and other sources.

Monographs were produced on about 400 herbal medicines, about a third of which were not approved. Another similar project is the European Scientific Cooperative on Phytotherapy (ESCOP) which, in addition to other activities, has produced a number of herbal monographs. Even if herbal products are sold as dietary supplements,i.e, without therapeutic claims, there is usually information on dosage, often with a statement of standardization to the presumed active principles. Clearly, dosage is important for all medicines, and for herbals it is one area that could warrant further research. A number of the German Commission E monographs refer to different ginkgo extracts, but only one is supported. Some herbal products are mixtures of species, and it is difficult in these cases to be clear about the active principles involved. When presumed active principles have been isolated from herbal material, they do not necessarily have the same therapeutic effect as the complete material which suggests that either the presumption is wrong or that the therapeutic effect is the result of an interaction between the chemical substances in a herb. In Western countries, physicians vary in their interest in herbal medicine.

Some 70% of physicians in Germany prescribe herbal products; in the UK there is an increasing but still limited interest. Whatever the situation, a patient should tell his or her doctor if herbal medicines are being used, because they may interact with the synthetic medicine being prescribed. This, of course, assumes that the physician has a knowledge of herbal medicines. It must be realized that a patient may feel that a herbal medicine is producing good results. This could well be a psychological (a placebo) rather than a physiological effect; nevertheless, in some situations this might be a satisfactory state of affairs.

The published literature reveals a vast number of scientific and clinical investigations into herbal products, although these may be restricted with certain species. There seems to be a place for herbal medicine in our culture, but more research is required into certain aspects, such as active principles, purification, dosage, and control.

It should be pointed out that self-diagnosis and self-medication can be dangerous a number of fatalities have occurred through the ingestion of herbal products, and
many herbal medicines should not be taken during pregnancy and lact(breastfeeding). Expert advice should always be sought. In some countries, e.g. Germany, a physician may have had training in herbal medicine; in others this may not be the case, and in those situations an approach should be made to an experienced and professional herbalist. For example, in the UK there is the
National Institute of Medical Herbalists, whose members observe a strict code of ethics.

Introduction Of Herbal Medicine Part 1

2008-10-07T19:15:00.000-07:00

As with food, the earliest human beings collected plants to be used as medicine. Although it is not clear why certain species were chosen, no doubt trial and error played an important part. At the beginning, and still today, plants for herbal medicine were and may be collected locally; however, the development of trade and migrations between countries and continents has led to a utilization of foreign material.

Some of the earliest writings on medicinal plants were produced in China, Egypt, and India hundreds of years BC. In the first century AD, the Greek physician Dioscorides wrote the first European herbal, listing about 600 herbs.

This work influenced Western medicine for a very long time. In the nineteenth century conventional medicine started to outstrip herbalism, at least in Western culture.

Nevertheless, in Europe, North America, and some other countries there is still a strong interest in plant medicines indeed, there is an increasing appreciation, because of a desire on the part of consumers to return to a more natural life-style and because, rightly or wrongly, modern synthetic medicines are often considered too expensive,and give rise to unwanted side-effects. In some parts of the world (e.g. India, China, Africa) herbalism still over shadows conventional medicine; about 80% of the population of developing countries depend on herbal medicine....

The laws concerning the practice of herbal medicine vary according to the country in some the practice must be carried out by qualified physicians. World-wide, the trade in herbal medicines runs into billions of dollars. The herbal medicine practitioner will start with the plant or parts of the plant (seeds, roots, etc.) and then prepare the herbal medicine. For this activity to be successful certain precautions are necessary. Exact identification of the material is required.

The vast majority of medicinal plants are angiosperms (flowering plants), and are classified into family/genus/ species. A well-known herb is Roman chamomile. This belongs to the family Compositae (term normally used in Europe)/Asteraceae (term normally used in North America). Some other families, too, have alternative names, which, if they exist, are also used in this book.

The genus of Roman chamomile is Chamaemelum, the species is nobile. This is the so-called ‘binomial nomenclature’. Latin, rather than common names are given to enable communication at an international level. In some cases alternative Latin names called synonyms have been used commonly for herbs. Botanists recognize a preferred or correct name for a plant, on the basis of first publication and other criteria.

Medicinal herbs were used for centuries without people knowing the reasons for their activity. It was at about the beginning of the nineteenth century that chemical investigations led to the identification of constituents, some of which were supposed to be ‘active principles’ chemical constituents that have a healing or therapeutic effect.

Plants contain thousands of chemical substances, and the claims that some are active principles have not always been supported by scientific investigation. Because of improving methods of analysis, many types of substances have been identified in plants. As stated earlier, the present book is meant for the general reader, and therefore a simplified list of presumed active principles is presented below.

1. Alkaloids. These include some of the first active principles isolated from plants, e.g. morphine from opium(about 1800). They contain nitrogen. Plants that pos-
sess alkaloids tend to be toxic but, nevertheless, some are used in herbal medicine and are available, e.g. lobelia, comfrey, and borage. Some alkaloids can affect
the liver; consequently, herbal products containing these substances should be treated with great caution, and indeed are by professional herbalists.

2. Phenols. A number of different types of phenolic substances are regarded as active principles:
(a) Simple phenols: e.g. salicylic acid in willow the forerunner of aspirin.
(b) Tannins: very widespread in herbal plants and used commercially to convert hides into leather. Tannins are ‘astringent’, i.e. they harden and tighten skin and internal delicate (mucous) membranes. They are claimed to be antiseptic, to reduce bleeding, and to control diarrhoea. Tannins are said to function as antioxidants. The ‘French paradox’ refers to the lower than expected rate of heart disease in France, despite a relatively high-fat diet. This has been correlated with the high consumption of red wine, which is rich in tannins. Grapeseed products, also
rich in tannins, have been developed in France as a health food.
(c) Coumarins: responsible for the smell of new mown hay. Scopoletin, found in cramp bark and black haw, shows antispasmodic (controls spasms and cramps) activity; it has also been claimed,from animal studies, that this particular coumarin exhibits anti-inflammatory and analgesic (pain reducing) properties. Dicoumarol, formed from
coumarin in spoiled sweet clover hay, is a potent blood anti-clotting drug and its discovery led to the development of modern anticoagulants.
(d) Anthraquinones: active principles in well known laxative drugs, e.g. cascara, senna, and aloe.
(e) Flavonoids: very widely distributed in plants, and some constitute the white, yellow, red, purple, and blue flower and fruit pigments. Numerous
properties have been attributed to flavonoids, such as being antibacterial, anticancer, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and that they bring about a reduction in blood capillary fragility, thus improving microcirculation. Flavonoids are claimed to be antioxidants.

3. Essential (volatile) oils and resins.
(a) Essential oils contain terpenoids (monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes). In food, they are well known flavourings, e.g. cinnamon, clove, and mint. As regards herbal medicine: some (e.g. fennel and peppermint) are used as carminatives (they relieve digestive gas or wind and indigestion); some stimulate the gastric
juices (e.g. sweet flag); and others (e.g. chamomile) are said to be antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory.

The essential oil produced by mustard is used as a rubefacient (it brings blood to the skin and causes reddening and warming) and a counter-irritant (irritant to the skin, supposed to relieve deep-seated problem). Garlic essential oil has many herbal uses.Steam distillation is employed to isolate essential oils from the plant, and consequently great care must be taken with some ‘neat’ oils: e.g. thus jone in wormwood and sage oil (notorious in the liqueur absinthe), while safrole in sassafras oil is carcinogenic.
(b) Resins: sticky, solid substances, and a mixture of chemicals. A well known example is propolis (bee glue).

4.Saponins and cardioactive chemicals.
(a) Saponins produce frothing in water. Steroidal saponins (e.g. in yam) can be used to make sex and other hormones.
(b) Cardioactive drugs are steroids that strengthen a weakened heart. Digoxin is extracted from a fox glove species (Digitalis lanata) but, because of the powerful action and legal restrictions, herbalists are very cautious about using Digitalis. Hawthorn is a cardioactive herbal.

5. Cyanogenetic glycosides, iridoids, and bitter principles.
(a) A cyanogenetic glycoside yields toxic prussic acid on hydrolysis. Cassava is a well known food plant that contains a cyanogenetic glycoside, but processing
removes the prussic acid. Apricot seed kernels possess amygdalin, a cyanogenetic glycoside, once claimed as a treatment for cancer but now disproved.
(b) Iridoids are said to be the active principles of valerian and devil’s claw, and possess sedative properties.
(c) Bitter principles are a range of chemical compounds. Plants containing (e.g. bitter quassia) are used for their appetite-stimulating properties,
which may lead to better health.

6. Mucilage. Mucilage contains carbohydrates, and in herbal medicine is used for its demulcent (soothing) action on inflamed conditions of the digestive tract. It can also function as a laxative. Marshmallow and ispaghula are examples of mucilage-containing plants.

7. Phytoestrogens. These affect reproductive and sex hormone activity. Examples are the isoflavonoids found in soya and red clover, which may have potential as
cancer-treating chemicals.

8. Inorganic elements. Plants possess a very wide range of inorganic elements, some of which are claimed to play an important part in herbal medicine; e.g. iodine in
seaweeds.

Functional of Food

2008-10-07T18:41:00.000-07:00

These are foods that appear to have health benefits beyond the provision of nutrients and energy. A recent symposium on the topic gave the following definition ‘a food can be said to be functional if it contains a compound, which may or may not be a nutrient, that affects one or a limited number of functions in the body in a targeted way so as to have positive effects on health.

The health benefits may be physiological or may take the form of a positive psychological effect.Functional foods may be foods that contain the beneficial substance naturally, e.g. fruits and vegetables contain a variety of antioxidant substances that are not strictly nutrients but have beneficial effects: wholegrain cereals contain dietary fibre that may have beneficial effects on gut function and help prevent heart disease; soya beans contain phytoestrogens that may have beneficial effects as described above. However, increasingly food manufacturers are producing foodstuffs with ‘functional’ added ingredients that may be of benefit to health....

For example, spreads with plant sterols or plant stanols added may help lower cholesterol levels; addition of specific bacteria, called probiotics, to yoghurts and yoghurt drinks, may have beneficial effects within the gut and beyond; and chewing gum containing phosphatidylcholine is claimed to improve memory.

Legislative bodies in most countries are currently struggling to define the health claims that may be made for such foods, and to describe the evidence that is needed before such claims can be made.

In the UK a voluntary code, ‘The Joint Health Claims Initiative’, has been developed by manufacturers working with the scientific community and consumer groups, which describes the types of claims, that can be made. In the USA the Food and Drugs Administration adjudicates on claims, and in other countries specific bodies have also been set up to advise on the subject.

In this book functional foods are discussed where appropriate – whether as foods such as cholesterol-lowering spreads, fish oils, cereals, probiotic yoghurts, and many others, or as products containing herbal materials, such as drinks containing ginkgo or echinacea, which may also put them into the category of functional food.

Non- Nutrient Substances In Foods

2008-09-20T11:13:00.001-07:00

There are a whole range of biologically active substances in food, especially plant food and herbal remedies, apart from those accepted as nutrients. Some of these are harmful or affect the availability of nutrients in the diet, but others may have beneficial effects on health.

Many of the active substances have been isolated and are now available as dietary supplements; however, their presence, previously unrecognized, is probably the best advertisement there is for eating a varied diet, including plenty of vegetables,
pulses, and fruits, as it is quite possible that there are still other substances that remain to be discovered.

Much of the evidence for the benefit of such substances has come from epidemiological studies, where the prevalence of certain types of disease is related to the consumption of specific foods or food groups within the community. Further scientific study is then needed to identify the particular active component and demonstrate an effect in the body.

The following paragraphs outline the importance of some of the compounds that have been studied more extensively:

Antioxidants

Oxidation is an essential process whereby the nutrients we obtain from foods are oxidized in a controlled manner involving the consumption of oxygen. Carried out at a cellular level, oxidation releases energy for metabolism and transformation of nutrients into body tissue and generation of heat. The oxygen is ultimately converted into water and excreted. However, during this process so called free radicals or reactive oxygen species are formed that,unless mopped up by the body’s antioxidant defences, can damage the tissues, increasing the rate at which they age and potentially contributing to a range of degenerative diseases such as arthritis, immune disorders, cancer, stroke, coronary heart disease, and many others.

Antioxidants are substances produced by the body, or consumed in foods, that significantly delay or prevent the oxidation of a particular substrate. Some vitamins and trace elements in the diet contribute to the body’s antioxidant arsenal. Vitamin A (as beta carotene), C, and E are known as the antioxidant vitamin, and selenium, copper, manganese, and zinc are components of antioxidant enzymes.

In fact the carotenoids, the red–orange pigments in plants, comprise about 600 different substances, of which about 60 are precursers of vitamin A. Many of the non-provitamin carotenoids,including substances such as lycopene, zeaxanthin, and lutein act as antioxidants. Lycopene is the most interesting of these. It is present in tomatoes and, therefore, in food products such as ketchup and sauces.

Cooking releases the lycopene and makes it more available, especially in the presence of a small amount of oil or fat. Recent epidemiological studies have suggested that consumption of tomatoes and products containing them is associated with a lower incidence of prostate cancer. Consumption of 10 or more servings per week of foods containing tomatoes, including soup, pizza, and pasta sauces afforded the greatest protection.

In addition, non-nutrients such as phytoestrogens,flavonoids, phenolic acids, and polyphenols such as tannins are present in foods and drinks, and may help to prevent oxidation in the plant as well as in human tissues.

Flavonoids

Flavonoids are phenolic compounds that are water soluble and occur widely in nature. There are hundreds of different flavonoids found in fruits, vegetables, and beverages such as tea and wine. The particular flavonoids in tea and wine have strong antioxidant effects.

Epidemiological studies have suggested that the risk of coronary heart disease is substantially lower in people within populations with the highest flavonoid intake, possibly due to the prevention of oxidation of low-density lipoproteins and reducing blood clotting.

The most widely distributed flavonoid in foods is quercitin, followed by kaempferol, but others include myrecitin, catechin, apeginin, and luteolin. In a Dutch study investigating flavonoid intakes, black tea was found to supply more than half the intake, followed by onions and appples.

Phytoestrogens

Phytoestrogens are steroid substances derived from plants,that,it has been suggested, have several potentially beneficial actions in the body. Epidemiological studies suggest that in populations where there is a high intake of phytoestrogens the incidence of certain cancers, especially hormone-sensitive types such as some forms of breast cancer and ovarian cancer in women and prostate cancer in men, is lower.

One group, known as lignans, are derived from the bacterial digestion of polyphenols, and many oilseeds such as soya bean, rapeseed, and flax are rich sources of the lignans or their precursors. Women in countries with high consumption of soya beans and soya products have been shown to have a lower incidence of breast cancer. This may be related to the phytoestrogen content of the foods as well as to the presence of flavonoids and other phenolic compounds.

Soya is also a rich source of another class of phytoestrogens - the isoflavonoids – especially diadzein and genistein. Phytoestrogens appear to increase the binding of sex hormones to the protein on which they are carried in the blood, thus resulting in lower levels of biologically active free hormone, but they also have other potentially beneficial effects.

Some have antioxidant effects that are cancer-preventing, while others appear to reduce the proliferation of cells that respond to oestrogens (such as in the breast and uterus) either by inhibiting enzymes involved in cell proliferation or by competing with oestrogens for binding sites.

Food manufacturers are taking the opportunity to make products in which the above potentially beneficial components of foods are concentrated naturally, or are adding them to other foods. For example, soya, flax, and linseed may be added to breads to increase the phytoestrogen content, with the breads then being advertised as functional foods. Phytoestrogens are also regarded as active principles in herbal remedies.

V I TA M I N S

2008-09-20T10:40:00.000-07:00

The Vitamin are substances that are needed in very small amounts each day to maintain normal metabolism. The term ‘vitamin’ comes from ‘vital amines’, coined by Dr Casimir Funk in 1913 when these essential nutrients were first discovered. Nutritionists at the beginning of the twentieth century had identified the major nutrients, i.e. carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, and recognized that several mineral elements were also essential for health. However, when animals were fed on diets containing purified mixtures of the known nutrients they failed to grow.

This was remedied by adding small amounts of milk to the diets, and further studies identified two factors in the milk. One, called A, was found in the cream and the second, called B, in the watery part of the milk. Factor B was identified as an amine hence the name.

As other different essential substances were identified it became apparent that these were not all amines, and the final ‘e’ was removed from the name.The naming of the vitamins was originally alphabetical, i.e. A, B, C, D, and E, but as chemical techniques became more sophisticated it was discovered that vitamin B was a mixture of substances with different functions, and the B vitamins were also given numbers, i.e. B1, B2, B6, and B12.

Gaps in the letter sequence relate to substances that were given numbers but later found not to be essential, or substances such as nicotinic acid (niacin) that had already been identified by a specific name and later discovered to be chemically the same as one of the B vitamins. Vitamin F turned out not to be a vitamin, vitamin G was the same as vitamin B2and vitamin H is known as biotin – another B vitamin....

The alphabetical sequence ends with H; vitamin K is not named in order of discovery but from the Danish term ‘koagulation’, relating to the function in the blood. The vitamins are by definition essential, and it was originally thought that they could not be made in the body. This is true for all but two of the vitamins, vitamin D and niacin, originally described as one of the B vitamins.

Vitamin D is made in the skin when it is exposed to sunlight and is therefore now considered to be a hormone, but it is essential if sunlight exposure is inadequate, e.g. in housebound people or for those who cover their skin for cultural reasons. Niacin is made in the body from the essential amino acid tryptophan, and deficiency is unlikely to occur except in very particular circumstances.

Vitamins are classified as fat soluble (A, D, E, and K) or water soluble (B vitamins and C). They have a wide range of functions in the body according to their structure and chemistry. Obvious deficiency diseases are rare in developed countries but subclinical deficiencies can occur under certain circumstances.

As the sciences of biochemistry and genetics have become more advanced, the case for supplementation to ‘optimum’ level has been put forward more strongly for certain vitamins such as vitamin C, folic acid, B6, and possibly B12. Vitamins A, C, and E have become known as the ‘antioxidant’ vitamins. These will be discussed in detail elsewhere in the book.

In high doses some vitamins can be toxic. This is most likely with fat-soluble vitamins, especially vitamin A, where high doses in early pregnancy can cause malformations in the fetus. Women are therefore advised not to eat liver in early pregnancy due to its high content of vitamin A.

Cases of vitamin D toxicity are rare, but in the post-war years when the vitamin was added to baby foods and given as a supplement, cases of hypercalcaemia (due to the vitamin’s effects on calcium absorption) were seen. Water soluble vitamins are less likely to cause problems because they are not generally stored in the body, but very high doses of vitamin C (over 2 g per day) will cause gastroin testinal upsets, and it has been suggested that vitamin B6 taken in very high doses to prevent menstrual symptoms in women may have ill-effects on the nervous system.

Iron : An Introduction

2008-09-19T09:40:00.002-07:00

The most important role of iron in the body is as an oxygen carrier, in haemoglobin in the red blood cells and myoglobin in muscles. Oxygen is needed for many processes in the body, and is picked up in the lungs by the haemoglobin in the blood flowing through them and carried to the tissues where it is needed.

However, iron also has many other functions in the body as part of enzyme systems involved in the transfer of energy between cells and in amino acid metabolism. Too much free iron in the body could be dangerous, and the absorption, transport, and storage of iron in the body are closely regulated. Surplus iron is stored in the liver, spleen, and bone

marrow as ferritin (which is readily available when needed) and haemosiderin (an insoluble form).

Iron deficiency is more common than iron overload and is usually due to loss of blood at a rate greater than that at which it can be absorbed from the diet. In developed countries deficiency is most common in women due to heavy menstrual losses, but in developing countries it may be due to infection with intestinal parasites, and affects both men and women. In the UK there is evidence to suggest that low iron intakes are common in women, with most reporting intakes lower than the recommended nutrient intakes.

There is a clear association between these low intakes and low haemoglobin and ferritin levels. Iron is present in the diet in two forms: haem iron in meat and non-haem iron (inorganic salts) in plants. Haem iron is absorbed most efficiently, but if animal products are present in the diet they also seem to enhance non-haem iron absorption, possibly due to the presence of specific amino acids.

The absorption of non-haem iron is also facilitated by having a source of vitamin C at the same meal orange juice with the cereal at breakfast, for example and by some organic acids. Dietary fibre and phytates associated with this hinder absorption of iron, as do concurrent high calcium intakes and tea. People in groups with a high risk of iron deficiency could possibly maximize absorption of iron by not drinking tea or milk at mealtimes.

Calcium And Everything About It

2008-09-19T09:40:00.001-07:00

Calcium is important not only as the main mineral in bones and teeth but also because it has many other metabolic functions in the body. In developed countries we obtain most of our calcium from milk, and dairy products such as yoghurt. In the UK calcium is added to white flour

to replace that taken out by milling. Cereals and green vegetables, as well as small fish bones, also supply useful amounts of calcium, and water supplies sometimes contain significant amounts.

Absorption of calcium is dependent on adequate supplies of vitamin D, which is made in the body in response to exposure to sunshine, but it is also affected by the availability of the calcium in the foods. Calcium in foods forms complexes with other constituents, from which it must be released prior to absorption. These include proteins, oxalates, and possibly the most important, phytic acid phosphorus (usually known as phytate). Phytates in cereal brans and some pulses and nuts bind with the calcium and make it unavailable. When yeast is used in bread-making anenzyme present in the yeast (a phytase) releases the calcium for absorption, but in countries where unleavened wholegrain breads are the staple diet absorption of calcium and other minerals such as iron and zinc is reduced. Dietary intakes in the UK and USA vary between about 500 and 1200 mg per day, but the proportion of calcium absorbed varies at different stages of the lifecycle according to individual needs.

Absorption is highest in infants, during the growth spurt at adolescence, and in pregnancy. Adequate calcium intake is particularly important in the period of growth between onset of adolescence and 18 years of age, as it will affect peak bone mass. This is the maximum amount of bone achieved (mostly laid down by age 18, although small amounts may accumulate up till age 30) and will therefore influence the amount of calcium available to be lost when the process is reversed in later life. A high peak bone mass reduces the likelihood of developing osteoporosis in later life, so calcium intake and weight-bearing exercise in adolescence are very important.

There does not seem to be a need for an increase in calcium intake in pregnancy or lactation.In pregnancy more efficient absorption covers the fetus requirement. However, during breast-feeding there does not seem to be an increase in absorption, and much of the calcium excreted in the milk comes from the skeleton and by reductions in the amount of calcium excreted in the urine.

When the baby is weaned hormonal changes in the woman result in increased absorption, low excretion, and restoration of bone calcium, and there does not seem to be a relationship between lactation and later osteoporosis. The calcium content of breast milk does not seem to be affected by calcium intake. Rickets in children (and osteomalacia in adults) and osteoporosis are disorders related to bone metabolism.

Although low calcium intakes in childhood may result in poor growth, calcium deficiency does not cause rickets or osteomalacia, which are related more to lack of vitamin D. Osteoporosis, which results from the progressive reduction in bone density from middle age onwards, also does not appear to be related to calcium deficiency at this point in life.

Inactivity and the hormonal changes (low levels of oestrogen in women and testosterone in men) accelerate loss of calcium from bone from middle age and a high peak bone mass protects the individual from these effects. Adequate calcium and vitamin D, plus exercise during the years from adolescence to 30, are therefore the most important factors in preventing osteoporosis.

High calcium intakes, whether as food or as supplements, taken at the same meal as foods containing iron will inhibit the absorption of iron from both animal and vegetable sources. This is important, as calcium supplements may be taken by women of child-bearing age, to enable them to achieve peak bone mass, who may have difficulties achieving their necessary level of iron intake and absorption anyway. It may be sensible to monitor iron status in such women.

There does not seem to be the same inhibitory effect if calcium and iron are taken together without food. Except in a few people with ‘idiopathic hypercalciuria’ who absorb excessive amounts of calcium, high intakes do not appear to contribute to the formation of kidney stones because there is a reduction in the amount of calcium absorbed. Intakes above 2500 mg per day as supplements, however, have resulted in cases of milk-alkali syndrome, with high levels of blood calcium, kidney problems, and severe alterations in metabolism.

P R O T E I N S: All We Need To Know

2008-09-19T09:40:00.000-07:00

Proteins are the main nitrogen-containing constituents of animal and plant tissues. They are essential for the synthesis of body tissues and regulatory proteins such as enzymes and hormones. Dietary protein usually accounts for about 10–20% of the energy in human diets. The

majority of people in developed populations eat far more protein than is required for the essential functions such as replacing body tissues, and much of the protein is broken down to produce energy.

Proteins are made of selected amino acids from the 20 different amino acids present in nature, and joined together through peptide links (amino group of one protein to acid group of the next) to form an almost infinite number of proteins with different structures and functions. Different combinations and sequences of the polypeptide chains allow them to take up different shapes

and carry out particular functions within the organism. Unlike the constituents of carbohydrates and fats, amino acids contain nitrogen as well as hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen, and some also contain phosphorus or sulphur.

Eight of the amino acids are essential in adults, i.e. they cannot be made in human tissues and must be obtained from the diet. These are phenylalanine, tryptophan, leucine, isoleucine, valine, threonine, methionine, and lysine. In addition, arginine and histidine are regarded as essential in infants as they cannot make enough for their requirements. The remaining amino acids are non essential as they can be made in the body.

When proteins in foods are ingested they are digested in the stomach and small intestine, and the constituent amino aids or short peptide chains are then absorbed into the blood, to be carried to tissues where they will be used to manufacture body proteins or non-protein products (e.g. nucleic acids), hormones (e.g. thyroxine), neuro transmitters (e.g. serotonin), or oxidized to provide energy.

Protein quality and intakes

Food proteins do not all have the same capacity to provide nitrogen and essential amino acids to the body. The use fulness or quality of a protein depends on the balance of amino acids and the digestibility of the protein. The body requires particular amounts of each essential amino acid,

and an ideal food protein would have an amino acid pattern as close to this as possible. Amino acids that are not part of the required pattern will be used for energy.

Animal proteins, especially egg and milk proteins, have amino acid patterns similar to the body’s requirements and are used as reference proteins. Plant proteins are relatively low in certain amino acids, and that which is present in the lowest amount relative to requirements is

called the limiting amino acid. Methionine and cysteine are the limiting amino acids in legumes, and lysine is the limiting amino acid in cereals. As most populations eat a mixture of proteins this is not usually important a meal such as beans on toast would correct the deficiencies of both the above food groups. However, if total food intake is too low to satisfy energy requirements, or consists largely of a particular food with a low protein content, protein deficiency may occur.

People in developed countries eating a range of foods that supply sufficient energy are unlikely to be short of protein. Most people eat more than enough, and any protein that is not used to build tissues is used to provide energy. There is therefore no advantage to eating a very high-protein diet. Some athletes take high-protein supplements or specific amino acid supplements.

Fats and Health

2008-09-18T08:55:00.003-07:00

Fats are a concentrated source of energy in the diet, supplying 9 kcal per gram no matter what the composition of the constituent fatty acids. Thus for many developed populations where food is plentiful and activity levels not as great as they might be, high-fat, energy-dense, palatable

foods may contribute to weight gain. However, at the opposite end of the scale low-fat diets (less than 10% energy from fat) may result in malnutrition if given to young children, as such diets are bulky and the child may simply not be able to eat enough to satisfy energy requirements.

A certain amount of fat is needed to supply the essential fatty acids and also to allow absorption of fat soluble vitamins A, D, and E – it has therefore been suggested that the levels of fat in the adult diet should not fall below 20% of the total energy intake. Epidemiological evidence has suggested that high fat intakes, especially saturated fatty acids, are associated with a higher incidence of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and coronary heart disease. In population

studies there is an association between serum cholesterol levels and coronary heart disease death rates. Cholesterol in the blood exists in several forms, the most important being carried in the blood on low-density lipoproteins and high-density lipoproteins....

These are therefore usually referred to as low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, respectively. Total cholesterol is the sum of these two types (plus a little very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol). High saturated fat intakes correlate with higher serum cholesterol levels, especially the low-density lipoprotein type. In general saturated fatty acids raise serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, polyunsaturated fatty acids lower it, and

monounsaturated fatty acids have little effect.

However, consumption of monounsaturated fatty acids appears to maintain levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, which removes cholesterol from the arteries and helps protect against coronary heart disease.

It is thought that the process of atherosclerosis begins with the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol by free radicals; this is then taken into the lining of the arteries by scavenger cells which form lipid-loaded cells called ‘foam cells’ that accumulate cholesterol and form fatty streaks, narrowing the arteries. The role of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids in the formation of these streaks is still controversial.

However, recent research suggests that if polyunsaturated fatty acids form part of the cell membranes this may render the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol more susceptible to oxidation, whereas monounsaturated fatty acids appear to convey a protective effect. Fats containing monounsaturated fatty acids may also have beneficial effects by reducing platelet aggregation, which is important in the production of the blood clots that block the arteries in coronary heart disease.

Coronary heart disease is a complex multifactorial disease, and other factors besides dietary fat intake will be important. The presence of antioxidants in the diet and adequate intakes of certain B vitamins (folate and B12) may also be important, but at present most authorities advise reduction of total fat to less than 30% of energy,with 10% or less from saturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids, and the remainder made up from foods supplying monounsaturated fatty acids. Fish oils containing very long chain n-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid appear to have a protective effect against coronary heart disease.

Recommendations to consume two portions per week of oily fish such as mackerel, salmon, and herring are therefore included in government guidelines to prevent coronary heart disease.

These fatty acids are also available as dietary supplements and will be discussed later. High dietary fat intakes have also been associated with some cancers, e.g. post-menopausal breast cancer, prostate cancer, and bowel cancer, but it is difficult to dissociate the effects of fat from the effects of obesity.

However, the guidelines for the prevention of heart disease are probably also applicable to the prevention of cancer. Dietary cholesterol intake is much less important in raising cholesterol levels than saturated fat cholesterol is an essential part of cell membranes and is also important in the production of hormones and emulsifying agents in the body. Dietary intake represents about 10% of the amount produced daily in the body. However, when low saturated fat diets are recommended, these will result in lower consumption of cholesterol as the high-fat animal foods containing it will be restricted.

Everything About Fat

2008-09-18T08:55:00.001-07:00

Fats and oils are the most energy dense component of foods, supplying 9 kcal per gram of the pure substance. Because of this high energy density fat supplies 40% or more of the energy in the diet in many developed countries,although in some developing countries, mainly reliant on plant sources for their energy, the proportion may be as low as 10%. Chemically, fats and oils are lipids,defined as substances that are insoluble in water, but soluble in organic solvents such as alcohol. Fats are usually solid at room temperature, e.g. butter or lard, while oils are liquid but very similar chemically. As well as triglycerides, which make up the main part of dietary fat, lipid materials include such things as sterols and phospholipids. Lipids are very important in the body as well as providing an energy store (triglycerides), they are important in maintaining the structure of cell membranes, and sterols such as cholesterol also provide the basis for a wide range of hormones, including the reproductive hormones....

Phospholipids are important because they are miscible in both lipids and water and act to stabilize emulsions. For example, in the body they help to maintain cell membrane structure, and in foods lecithins,found naturally in egg yolk, peanuts, and soya, are used to stabilize foods such as chocolate and mayonnaise.

Although fats and oils have generally similar structures, there are differences that are important to health.

In the diet the most important fats and oils are triglycerides, whose chemical structure consists of three fatty acid molecules attached to a molecule of glycerol. Fatty acids are composed of chains of carbon atoms of varying length, with hydrogen atoms attached at the bonding sites. Depending on how many hidrogen atoms are attached at each carbon bond, the fatty acids may be termed saturated or unsaturated. If sites are saturated there is a single bond between the carbon atoms, and where sites are unsaturated a double bond occurs. Fatty acids are therefore classified according to the length of the carbon chain and the number of double bonds.

* Short chain fatty acids have 4–6 carbon atoms, medium chain 8–12, long chain 14–18, and very long chain 20 or more.

* Saturated fatty acids have no double bond, monounsaturated fatty acids have one, and

polyunsaturated fatty acids have several double bonds.

The longer the chain length of the constituent fatty acids and the more saturated these are, the harder the fat.Thus lard contains a high proportion of saturated fatty acids, corn oil contains a high proportion of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, and fish oils contain very long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Unsaturated fatty acids may exist in two distinct forms,cis or trans.

The trans form is less common in natural fats but is produced during processing, e.g. in the manufacture of margarines. High intakes of trans polyunsaturated fatty acids, it has been suggested, act in a similar way to saturated fatty acids in their effects on blood cholesterol levels.

A further complication in the chemistry of unsaturated fatty acids is that they exist in three different ‘families’, according to the position of the first double bond in the molecule. Thus fatty acids may belong to the n-3, n-6, or n-9 family. Humans can insert a double bond at position 9 but not at positions 3 or 6. The diet must therefore include some n-3 and n-6 fatty acids, and these are termed the essential fatty acids and sometimes also called omega-3 and omega-6

fatty acids. Recommendations from organizations such as theFood and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization are that linoleic acid (n-6) should supply 4–10% and linolenic acid (n-3) 0.5–4% of dietary energy, with a ratio of 0.1:0.4 for n-3:n-6.

Fats and oils in foods contain mixtures of fatty acids

Plant foods contain fats with mainly polyunsaturated fatty acids (40–60%)and monounsaturated fatty acids (30–40%), with up to about 20% of saturated fats. In animal fats the greatest proportion are saturated fatty acids (40–60%), with some monounsaturated fatty acids(30–50%) and less polyunsaturated fatty acids (approximately 10%). There are exceptions to all rules, and some plant fats such as palm oil and coconut oil contain large amounts of saturated fats, while poultry and game tend to have higher proportions of polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Moreover about Dietary Fibre

2008-09-18T08:55:00.000-07:00

Dietary fibre has been defined as the plant materials that are resistant to the human digestive enzymes. Dietary fibre includes non-starch polysaccharides, as described above, but the early methods for measuring the dietary fibre content of foods also resulted in the inclusion of non-car

bohydrate materials such as lignin (the woody part of plants), cutins, and waxes as well as some resistant starch Although the term dietary fibre is now well understood by the public, scientists investigating the potential beneficial effects of the complex prefer to be more precise and refer only to the specific non-starch poly saccharides, ignoring the resistant starch, lignins, and other materials....

This has resulted in some confusion over the dietary fibre content of food stuffs, as some countries (and even sometimes within countries) use total dietary fibre, and others non- starch polysaccharides, as the measurement on food labels and in food composition tables. The use of non-starch poly saccharides results in apparently lower levels of ‘unavailable’ material in the foods, as can be seen from the British food composition tables where both values are recorded.

Different foods contain different types of non-starch polysaccharides and this may have different effects on health. For example, cellulose and other non-starch poly-saccharides from cereals are less fermentable by gut bacteria than the so-called soluble non-starch polysaccharides found in foods such as oats and some fruits and vegetables. The former may be beneficial in terms of preventing constipation and some bowel diseases, whereas the latter, such as the beta-glucans in oats or guar gum from the cluster bean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba), may help lower blood cholesterol levels and modulate blood glucose levels. Foods containing fibre supplements of various types are now being marketed as ‘health foods’ or ‘functional foods’.

Resistant starch

It used to be thought that all starch in foods was digested and absorbed, but it is now recognized that a certain proportion of the starch in foods is not digested in the small intestine and therefore enters the large intestine, alongwith the non-starch polysaccharides in the diet, where fermentation by gut bacteria breaks the materials down. Starch is resistant to digestion for various reasons. It may be enclosed within grains, which if not broken down by chewing survive the upper intestine intact the structure of the starch grains within the food may resist digestion reheating and subsequent cooling of the food may have resulted in the formation of retrograded starch whose structure again resists the action of amylase or the processing method itself may affect the structure of the starch. Whatever the reason, starch is probably the most

important substrate for fermentation, greater even than the non-starch polysaccharides simply because it is present in larger amounts.

Fermentation by bacteria results in the production of a variety of gaseous materials as well as water. Some of these materials are thought to help maintain the health of the large intestine (butyrate), others are absorbed and enter the energy systems of the body (acetate, propionate), while yet others are excreted as wind.

Carbohydrates: Digestion and its Absorption

2008-09-17T12:16:00.001-07:00

A small amount of digestion of cooked starch commences in the mouth where there is a salivary amylase,but carbohydrates are mainly digested in the small intestine by enzymes (alphamylase) secreted by the pancreas and also present in the wall of the intestine.

The resultant monosaccharides are absorbed into the bloodstream and carbohydrate absorption can be tracked by measuring blood glucose levels at intervals after a meal.The blood glucose level rises rapidly for the first 30 minutes or so after a meal and returns to baseline in about 2 hours as it is taken into tissues under the influence of insulin and other hormones. It is now recognized that the rate of rise in blood glucose and subsequent fall to baseline levels (glycaemic response) is not the same for different sources of carbohydrates.Many factors influence this; these include:

(a) whether the carbohydrate is given as a simple solution such as glucose,or in a more complex food form.

(b) the relative proportions of amylose and amylopectin in a starchy food...

(c) the presence of non-starch polysaccha rides in the food.
(d) the form of the food, e.g. finely ground versus large particles of grain.
(e) the cooking method.
(f) the presence of other nutrients in the food, e.g. fat.

Extensive trials have compared the glycaemic response to different carbohydrate sources, and the concept of the glycaemic index has been developed. The glycaemic index predicts the rate at which blood glucose will rise after a particular food compared with the rate at which it would rise after an equivalent amount of white bread. If the glycaemic index of white bread is taken as 100, then wholemeal bread is 52, white spaghetti 32, sucrose 58,baked beans 48, and soya beans 18.

These indices are especially useful if incorporated into the diet of people with diabetes mellitus, where it is important to control the levels of blood glucose between defined limits in order to prevent complications.

Low glycaemic index diets can help to achieve this.Non-starch polysaccharides are generally not digested by the human amylases because the enzymes cannot break the beta linkages between the molecules, and are part of what has more commonly been known as dietary fibre.

C A R B O H Y D R AT E S: Things We Should Know

2008-09-17T09:35:00.000-07:00

Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for most populations throughout the world. Plant foods supply most of the carbohydrates eaten by adults since most foods of animal origin contain negligible amounts. The exception to this is lactose, or milk sugar, an important energy source for babies but less important in the adult diet. Dietary carbohydrates range from simple sugars to complex molecules

such as starches or non-starch polysaccharides, and are classified according to the number and configuration of the single sugar units (monosaccharides) joined together.

Simple sugars the monosaccharides and disaccharides are sweet, and foods containing these are often seen as particularly palatable because of this.

Monosaccharides

All carbohydrates are made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, and depending on the number of carbon atoms in the backbone may be trioses (3C), tetroses (4C), pentoses (5C), hexoses (6C), or heptoses (7C). The most important dietary carbohydrates are the 5 and 6 carbon sugars the pentoses and hexoses. Some of these exist as monosaccharides...

But more commonly are found joined as chains of various lengths. Glucose is a hexose, and the main form in which carbohydrate is absorbed into the bloodstream. It is rarely found free in natural foods (small amounts in some fruits and vegetables), although some occurs in honey. Fructose is found in honey, fruits, and some vegetables. Another hexose, galactose, is a characteristic component of lactose or milk sugar, and also a common component of some of the complex storage carbohydrates in plants such as legumes. Pentose sugars such as ribose and deoxyribose are components of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA), and so are present in minute amounts in all foods.

Disaccharides

These are combinations of two simple sugars. Sucrose, a combination of glucose and fructose, is the most common disaccharide; extracted from sugar cane and sugar beet, it is present naturally in some fruits and vegetables. Other common disaccharides are lactose the sugar found in milk (glucose and galactose) and maltose (glucose plus glucose), which is formed when barley sprouts during the brewing process. Malt extracts and malted milk drinks will contain maltose.

Oligosaccharides

Oligosaccharides are short chains of sugars with three to nine sugar molecules. The most common of these (raffi nose, stachyose, and verbascose) are found in legumes and

are not digested by human digestive enzymes they are digested by bacteria in the large intestine, producing gas.Fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), especially inulin, found in Jerusalem artichokes, and others found in onions, garlic

and some cereals, have recently drawn interest as they appear to function as prebiotics (see later), encouraging the growth of particular, supposedly beneficial bacteria the so-called probiotics – in the large intestine.

Polysaccharides

This group of carbohydrates covers a wide range of compounds all containing long chains of sugar molecules joined together. They may contain only one type of sugar e.g. starch. Starches are the major polysaccharide and carbohydrate in the human diet, and contain only glucose.Others the non-starch polysaccharides usually contain at least two different sugars and may contain several different types. For example, there might be a backbone of one type of sugar such as galactose, with side chains ofanother, e.g. mannose such a compound would be called a galactomanna.

There are many different types of non starch polysaccharides, depending on the plant source

and the function within the plant. Cellulose is a common non-starch polysaccharide, and non-cellulosic polysaccharides such as pectins, and plant gums such as gum arabic and guar gum, are other examples.The way in which the molecules are joined together affects their structure and properties. There are different types of linkages between the sugar molecules that may result in the compound being a straight chain or having branches. The types of linkages also affect their availability to human digestive enzymes. Starch is made up of two types of chains of glucose molecules: amylose is an unbranched form while amylopectin is highly branched.

Starches from different plant sources differ in the proportions of amylose and amylopectin, and this also affects the availability of the glucose from the starch in the food, especially after cooking and cooling. Raw starch is indigestible,and must be cooked with some water in order to gelatinize it and make it available to the amylase enzymes in the gut.

ENERGY: an Introduction

2008-09-17T09:19:00.000-07:00

In order to live and carry out all daily activities we need energy. Most of the energy supplied by our food and drink is used to maintain basic body functions, i.e. it keeps theheart beating, the blood circulating, and the lungs and other major organs, including the brain, constantly working. A variable amount of energy is needed in addition to the basal metabolism to account for activity for mostpeople this adds up to half as much as the basal requirement to the day’s needs. Energy is measured in kilocalories(kcal) or kilojoules (kJ) (1 kcal is 4.18 kJ). Although scientists use the precise term kcal, most people simply call this unit a ‘calorie’, and adults generally require between 1500 and 3000 kcal or calories per day to maintain body weight, depending on gender, body size, and activity level.
Taking in more energy than required (or not compensating for a high energy intake by increasing activity) resultsin weight gain; insufficient energy intake for the level of activity you do results in weight loss...

Energy is supplied by the major components of our food, i.e. carbohydrate, fats, and protein (sometimes called macronutrients), as well as by alcohol. One gram of pure
carbohydrate or protein provides approximately 4 kcal,while fat supplies 9 kcal per gram and alcohol 7 kcal pergram; however, as few foods are composed of just one
nutrient, the energy content of the food depends largely on the amount of water in the food and the proportions of protein, fat, and carbohydrate (including dietary fibre)making up the dry weight. For example, foods such as fruits and vegetables generally contain large amounts of water, no fat, little protein, and varying amounts of carbohydrate, but because of the high water content may have energy values as low as 1 kcal per gram, whereas foods with a high fat and low water content, such as nuts, will have energy values in excess of 6 kcal per gram.Dietary fibre, or non-starch polysaccharides (see below),are considered to be part of the carbohydrate component of foods but supply about 2 kcal per gram. A high dietary fibre
content therefore acts to dilute the energy content of a food.

The Advantage of Coconut Oil

2008-09-06T12:41:00.000-07:00

More recent studies, including those by Dr. George Blackburn and Vigen Babyan at Harvard Medical School, show that coconut oil benefits, when consumed as part of a varied diet, has little effect on blood cholesterol.
Such findings also shed light on the previously unexplained low incidence of high blood cholesterol and heart disease in populations where coconut oil is the main source of calories. This research also has demonstrated that the particular fats in coconut oil have unique qualities....

Called medium-chain triglycerides, these fats are easier to digest and metabolize than other fats. Although they are saturated fats, the medium-chain triglycerides in coconut oil tend to be burned as a fuel rather than loaded into low-density lipoproteins (which are associated with "bad" cholesterol) and dumped into the bloodstream. The scientific community was rethinking its opinions about the negative effects of coconut oil a couple of years ago when a national advertising campaign took on coconut oil. Self-appointed health crusader Phil Sokolof took out full-page ads in large metropolitan newspapers attacking the presence of "tropical oils" such as coconut oil in the American food supply.

Sokolof, a wealthy, recovered heart-attack victim, said that saturated fats and cholesterol were "poisoning" America. The negative publicity led many major food processors to replace coconut oil in existing products, and decreased the likelihood that the oil would be used in new product lines. To make their products more attractive to health-conscious consumers, food companies started putting statements such as "Contains No Tropical Oils" on product labels. It is ironic that the coconut oil replacements are, very often, polyunsaturated vegetable oils such as soy, corn and cottonseed, which must be partially or fully hydrogenated (solidified) to be effective. These hydrogenated replacements contain as much saturated fat as coconut oil, but they are not made from the easily digested medium-chain triglycerides.

In addition, the replacement fats include byproducts of the hydrogenation process called trans-fatty acids, which themselves have been found to raise blood cholesterol. Are these alternatives to coconut oil actually healthier choices?

Not likely. In upcoming months, it's likely we'll be seeing a change in the statements about the effects of the different saturated fats in the diet. Meanwhile, a good first step would be to stop thinking of saturated fats as one homogeneous group.

While it's doubtful any new information will recommend that you increase the level of fat in your diet, it's possible that coconut oil will again be considered a reasonable part of a healthy, balanced diet. Blonz is a nutritional scientist based in Berkeley.

Preview: Coconut and Its Development

2008-09-06T12:36:00.000-07:00

The price of coconut oil, which often behaves like a yo-yo, is surging upward again despite the end of the recent drought in the Philippines. Barely six months ago, the versatile oil, rich in C[8]-C[16] fatty-acid fractions, but predominately C[12] (lauric acid), was moving for 21 cents/lb at Pacific Coast ports, the lowest price in seven years. Since then the tab has skyrocketed to 32 cents/lb and "indications are that the price could reach 35 cents/lb next year," says a major West Coast vegetable oil processor.

Despite the advent over the past two decades of synthetic fatty alcohols produced by Conoco, Shell and Ethyl, coconut oil has remained an important feedstock for chemical specialty manufacturers, especially for coconut cures. That is especially so where lauric acid, rather than lauryl alcohol, is required, since synthetic fatty acids are not commercially viable.

Until the 2003-04 crop year, chemical industry consumption of coconut oil had hovered about the 200-million-lb/year level. But last year, inedible uses, almost exclusively chemical, exceeded 410 million lb while edible uses totaled 338 million lb. The soap industry takes about 22% of total demand while fatty acid production requires 13%. Another 19% is consumed in the production of fatty alcohols, plastics and miscellaneous chemicals.

The momentum in coconut-oil price increases, despite last month's heavy rains, reflects several factors. The drought, which began in October, will cut oil production by 20%, to 1.7 million tons3. The United Coconut Assn. of the Philippines (UCAP), a federation of private businessmen, estimates the shortfall will range between 5.5% and 19%. In any event, there is little danger of a default on export commitments, since only half of the normal 150,000 tons of oil inventories have been drawn down.

In the U.S., oil importers see longer-lasting effects from the drought. This is so because copra processors on Mindanao rely on hydroelectric power and raising reservoir water levels will take at least 2-3 months. Moreover, copra output through February is expected to have less oil content. No permanent damage, however, has been done and production is expected to be normal by late spring.

To assure future supplies for coconut cures, the Philippine Coconut Authority is replacing old, low-yield trees with new hybrids that improve coconut harvests three-to-four fold. The effect of the new plantings, however, will not be felt before the late 2008.

Tempeh the Best Soy Food

2008-09-06T12:12:00.000-07:00

When most people hear soy, they usually think of tofu and soymilk. Soon tempeh (pronounced tem-PAY) will be one of the first soy products to come to mind. It is fast becoming the most popular soy food on the market because it is highly nutritious, easy to digest, and deliciously simple to prepare. In the past five years tempeh has grown so much in popularity that it is now available in the refrigerated section of many supermarkets. Ten years ago it could only be found at health food stores and Asian food markets. While tempeh may be considered new for many, it actually has a long and extensive history dating back more than 2,000 years. Originally developed in Indonesia, it is a traditional fermented soybean product made from cracked, cooked soybeans inoculated with beneficial bacteria to give it a chewy and meaty consistency. It comes in several varieties, either 100 percent soybeans or soybeans combined with one or more grains like rice, millet, or barley...

1. Tempeh is a nutritional super hero. It is high in protein, dietary fiber, iron, potassium, calcium, and phytochemicals like isoflavones. It has been shown to lower cholesterol, high blood pressure and the risk of heart attack and stroke; reduce the risk of some cancers, like colon, breast, ovarian and prostate; ease certain menopausal symptoms; prevent and possibly even reverse the effects of osteoporosis and diabetes. To obtain these protective properties, researchers recommend consuming a minimum of 25 grams soy protein and 30-50 milligrams isoflavones daily. This works out to about 1-2 servings a day. One serving of tempeh, which is 1/2 cup (4 ounces), provides on average 19 grams soy protein, 60 milligrams isoflavones and 7 grams dietary fiber (28% RDA). Tempeh made with only soybeans has more soy protein and isoflavones than those with added grain. Whatever variety you choose, tempeh is the best source and easiest way to get lots of high quality protein, isoflavones and fiber in a minimally processed soy food. Each serving also supplies about 100 milligrams calcium (10% RDA), 550 milligrams potassium (16% RDA), and 5 milligrams iron (30% RDA).
2. Tempeh is a great choice for people who have difficulty digesting plant-based high-protein foods like beans and legumes or soy foods such as tofu. Because tempeh is a fermented soy product, its enzymes are partially broken down, making it easier to metabolize. It does not produce the unpleasant gastrointestinal discomfort and gas that some other plant-based proteins do. This fermentation process actually allows your body to more easily assimilate and absorb tempeh's nutrients. Besides being a terrific cholesterol-free easy-to-digest meat alternative, it is also ideal for people on low sodium diets. Unlike other fermented soy products, like miso which is very salty, tempeh is extremely low in sodium.
3. Tempeh has a pleasant, wonderfully unique nutty/mushroom flavor. It's rich and savory taste and firm texture makes it easy to create fantastic meals without a lot of fuss. It does not need much preparation or cooking time, making it a marvelously healthy fast food. Just add a little soy sauce or liquid hickory smoke seasoning to enhance its flavor. Then stir-fry, saute, microwave, stew or bake it to make a variety of delightful dishes and sandwiches. To make a hearty entree in a short amount of time, all you need is tempeh, onions, mushrooms, peppers, olive oil, liquid seasoning, and some cooked brown rice or pasta. Thinly slice the tempeh. Sprinkle some soy sauce or liquid hickory (or mesquite) smoke seasoning on both sides of the slices. Slice the onions, mushrooms and peppers, and saute in a little olive oil for a few minutes. Add the seasoned tempeh slices and saute until lightly browned. Salt and pepper to taste. Then place everything on a bed of brown rice or pasta, and enjoy!.So give tempeh a try. Your body and taste buds will thank you for choosing this delicious and nutritious soy food.

Prevent Cancer with Soy Antioxidants

2008-09-06T12:04:00.000-07:00

Antioxidants are compounds that prevent or repair damage to cells caused by pollution, sunlight, and normal body processes. These elements cause oxidation in our body, which produce dangerous chemical compounds called free radicals. These compounds are highly reactive and have the potential to damage DNA, causing mutations that can result in the malignant transformation of cells. Free radicals can easily cause harm to the immune system, whose cells divide often. They may also be responsible for some of the changes of aging.

We can help the body in its ability to scavenge and destroy free radicals, before they cause harm, by supplying it with natural substances that act as antioxidants. These substances block the chemical reactions that generate free radicals in the first place, and destroy the ones that have already been formed.
Many laboratory studies have documented the strong antioxidant properties of soy isoflavones in the fight against heart disease. Oxidation, the same process that leads to rust on metal, causes fats to harden and form the blockages that damage arteries. Isoflavones incorporate into lipoprotein particles, such as LDL, and protect them from oxidation. This antioxidant effect can reduce the onset of atherosclerosis by decreasing LDL accumulation in blood vessel walls.
A reduced level of oxidative damage is also associated with a decreased risk of cancer. Research has found that the antioxidants in soy foods efficiently and effectively protects cells from free radical damage while boosting the immune system. This, in turn, helps to prevent cancer and premature aging.

Improve Your Vitality with Fiber

2008-09-06T11:39:00.000-07:00

Want to increase your vitality and improve your overall well-being? Then try eating more fiber every day. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), fiber is important for the health of our digestive system as well as for lowering cholesterol. Dietary fiber is a transparent solid carbohydrate that is the main part of the cell walls of plants. It has two forms: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber may help lower blood cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. Insoluble fiber provides the bulk needed for proper functioning of the stomach and intestines. It promotes healthy intestinal action and prevents constipation by moving bodily waste through the digestive tract faster, so harmful substances don't have as much contact with the intestinal walls. Both the AHA and the National Cancer Institute recommend that we consume 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day...

Unfortunately, many people are not eating this much fiber. The reason is the conventional animal-based Western diet, which is high in saturated fat and low in fiber. This type of diet is causing serious concerns. Heart disease and stroke have become major health problems in most developed countries, and are rapidly increasing in prevalence in many lesser developed countries. This is mainly due to the global influence of the typical Western diet.
Recently the AHA and the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) confirmed that coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, killing more people than any other disease. It causes heart attack and angina (chest pain). A blood clot that goes to the heart is considered a heart attack, but if it goes to the brain it is a stroke. The AHA ranks stoke as the third most fatal disease in America, causing paralysis and brain damage.
Eating a high-fiber diet can significantly lower our risk of heart attack, stroke and colon cancer. A 19-year follow-up study reported in the November 2001 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine indicated that increasing bean and legume intakes may be an important part of a dietary approach to preventing coronary heart disease. Soybeans and legumes are high in protein and soluble fiber. Another study reported in the January 2002 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology also suggests that increasing our consumption of fiber-rich foods like whole grains, fruits and vegetables, can significantly lower the risk of heart disease. Additionally, results from recent studies at the American Institute of Cancer Research indicate high-fiber protein-rich soy-based products, such as textured soy protein and tempeh, help in preventing and treating colon cancer.
Soybeans and other legumes are excellent sources of fiber. An average serving of cooked dry beans contains about 10 grams of fiber. Whole soybeans and foods made from them, such as soy flour, textured soy protein (also known as TVP) and tempeh, are extremely rich in fiber. However, some soy foods, like tofu and soymilk, contain very little fiber due to the way they are processed. Tofu, for example, leaves most of its fiber behind in processing when the milk is squeezed from the soybean. Reading the Nutrition Facts label to find out the amount of, and the type of, fiber contained in any particular food is always wise.

The Advantage of Soy Isoflavones

2008-09-06T11:29:00.000-07:00

Numerous reports indicate that, because soy is high in isoflavones, it can prevent illness and promote good health. Isoflavones are a class of phytochemicals, which are compounds found only in plants (phyto means plant). They are also a type of phytoestrogen, or plant hormone, that resembles human estrogen in chemical structure yet are weaker. By mimicking human estrogen at certain sites in the body, isoflavones provide many health benefits that help you to avoid disease. Isoflavones are found in soybeans, chick peas and other legumes. However, soybeans are unique because they have the highest concentration of these powerful compounds. Soy contains many individual isoflavones, but the most beneficial are genistein and daidzein.

Isoflavones show tremendous potential to fight disease on several fronts. They have been shown to help prevent the buildup of arterial plaque, which reduces the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke. Isoflavones may help reduce breast cancer by blocking the cancer-causing effects of human estrogen. They may also prevent prostate cancer by hindering cell growth. Isoflavones can fight osteoporosis by stimulating bone formation and inhibiting bone resorption. They may even relieve some menopausal symptoms as well.
All these findings suggest eating soy foods, natural sources of isoflavones, can protect and enhance your overall health. Isoflavones work together with soy protein in fighting disease. Studies show that isoflavones account for approximately three-fourths of soy's protection, while its protein is responsible for about one-fourth. The best way to consume isoflavones is in food form, so that you can benefit from all of soy's nutrients and beneficial compounds. The highest amounts of isoflavones and soy protein are found in tempeh, whole soybeans (like edamame), textured soy protein, soynuts, tofu and soymilk. Researchers recommend consuming at least one to two servings a day. A serving is equal to 1 ounce of soynuts; 4 ounces of tempeh, textured soy protein (cooked), or edamame; or 8 ounces of soymilk.
For those new to soy, I recommend slowly adding it to your diet, until you develop a taste for it. In spaghetti sauces, replace ground beef with textured soy protein. Use tofu instead ricotta cheese in lasagna, or make herb dips with it in a food processor. Use soymilk to cream soups or make smoothies. People on the run can always eat soynuts. Tempeh is one of the easiest soy foods prepare. To make a grilled tempeh sandwich, just cut it into slices, sprinkle on some soy sauce, saute with sliced onions and pile it on some bread. Remember, you will only continue to eat healthy foods if they taste good. So, experiment and have fun trying out new ways to enjoy soy.

Herbal Health Food Development

2008-09-06T11:05:00.000-07:00

The practice of using herbs for medicine and to prevent disease has existed since healing began. Herbology thrived until the early 20th century, when modern medicine made its mark. Now, near the year 2000, herb medicine or the use of nutraceuticals is again becoming a common practice by a large portion of the population. Anyone who has visited a drug or general store lately has probably noticed the rows upon rows of herbs and herbal mixtures available for a whole gamut of conditions.

Herbs have obviously gained an acceptance by a great many people, including pharmacists, physicians, nurses, as well as holistic practitioners. Although not free from adverse effects, herbal medicines quite often offer a wholesome alternative to more toxic pharmaceutical treatments.

As the name suggests, herbs are plants, pure and simple. Plant leaves, flowers, roots, seeds, barks - depending on the herb, any part of the plant could be medicinally useful and effective.

So, if you know nothing about herbs, how on earth do you choose from the dozens of different names on the shelf? You can start right where you are. Some wonderful resources are available on the Web that can help you with just such a task (we'll help point you in the right direction, of course).

Cholesterol : Another sight of it

2008-09-04T00:14:00.003-07:00

We have heard many times from dieticians and doctors that lowering cholesterol is extremely important. Cholesterol is a substance that is waxy and fatty like. This is produced by the liver. The interesting fact is that cholesterol has a purpose and is central to your overall body function and health. Every cell in the body has cholesterol forming in it; at appropriate levels it plays a life support role in many functions of the body.

When at the correct levels it actually repairs cells and is involved in the production of hormones such as estrogen and testosterone. Cholesterol also produces bile acids which aid in the digestion of fat. The problem arises when there is too much cholesterol in the

When there is too much cholesterol in the body it can lead to clogged arteries. The consequence of this is heart disease and stroke. How does this affect you? Bottom line cholesterol clogged arteries lead to heart attacks and stroke.

So what foods lead to high cholesterol? The common foods are dairy products such as eggs, and along with that is meat. The foods that do not contain cholesterol are fruits vegetables and grains. With this kind of a diet you can maintain good health resulting in low cholesterol. Cholesterol needs to be managed.

Like anything else, introduce balance in your diet. Learn about foods. Find out what you like and develop a menu from this. Do this in consultation with a dietician or physician. Visit your physician regularly. Remember you cannot turn the clock back. Live and learn to be healthy otherwise the consequences could be deadly.

Against cancer with Chlorella

2008-08-31T14:40:00.000-07:00

Amazing things truly do come in small packages. One of your most powerful weapons against cancer is chlorella -- a unicellular, green algae. This tiny algae packs a powerful punch. In Prescription for Dietary Wellness, Phyllis A. Balch explains, "Chlorella…contains the highest chlorophyll level per ounce of any plant, as well as protein (nearly 58 percent), carbohydrates, all of the B vitamins, vitamins C and E, amino acids (including all nine essential ones), enzymes and rare trace minerals." Due to its dense and nutrient-rich nature, chlorella offers your body a two-fold attack against cancer. You can access these benefits by taking only one or two teaspoons of chlorella once or twice daily, according to Michael Tierra's Treating Cancer with Herbs.

To grasp chlorella's benefits in fighting cancer, you must first understand cancer's connection to immune system dysfunction. Cancer cells develop in all of our bodies, even in those of us who have never "had cancer." When these cancer cells develop, our immune systems naturally and efficiently destroy them before cancer symptoms appear. On the other hand, when cancer symptoms do appear, these symptoms are an indication of the immune system's sudden inability to effectively fight cancer cells that had been appearing all along. In this sense, cancer is an immune system malfunction more than anything else. You can find in-depth information about the cancer/immune system link on News Target's Cancer page.

With that in mind, one of your best defenses against cancer is to strengthen your immune system. This is where chlorella comes in. Although Western medicine has largely ignored chlorella, Japanese scientists have been widely researching chlorella's benefits since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. As Dr. Ralph W. Moss describes in Cancer Therapy, "Japanese scientists studied Chlorella pyrenoidosa as a biological response modifier … Since chlorella does not directly kill cancer cells, the scientists concluded that its effects were caused by boosting the immune response."

In one Japanese study, scientists placed lab mice on a chlorella regimen for ten days, then injected the mice with three types of cancer. According to Dr. Moss, over 70 percent of the chlorella-strengthened mice did not develop cancer, while all of the untreated mice died within 20 days.

Research regarding chlorella's immune-boosting effect is not limited to animal studies. According to Herbal Medicine, Healing Cancer by Dr. Donald R. Yance, Jr., a Virginia-based study treated 15 glioblastoma patients with powdered and liquid chlorella combined at times with standard chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. Although glioblastoma patients normally display a two-year survival rate of 10 percent, the 15 chlorella-treated patients exhibited a survival rate of 40 percent.

This is only one of the many successful studies linking chlorella to strengthened immune response, thus making chlorella a necessary component of effective and well-rounded cancer treatment. In Treating Cancer with Herbs, Michael Tierra, ND, writes, "I recommend chlorella to all cancer patients regardless of any other green drink they might use … It is virtually a complete food in itself. It acts as both a powerful nutrient and a detoxifying food."

In addition to strengthening the immune system's response to cancer cells, the mighty chlorella acts as a preventative measure against cancer by raising blood levels of the protein albumin. According to Earl Mindell's Supplement Bible, by Earl Mindell, RPh, PhD, "Numerous studies have documented that a low albumin level is a marker for serious illnesses such as cancer and heart disease. They point to test-tube studies confirming that raising albumin levels can both prevent cancerous changes and extend the life span of human cells."

If you have already developed cancer, we urge you to talk with your heath care provider, preferably a naturopath, about adding chlorella to your diet. If you are cancer-free, chlorella can potentially help prevent you from developing cancer. According to natural healers everywhere, chlorella can also reduce fatigue, making you feel both stronger and healthier. This single-celled algae is a small, but mighty, weapon against disease.

The experts speak on chlorella and cancer

Chlorella is green algae, which, in a study by Fukada, was observed to have immune-stimulating qualities. It's another herb whose healing properties have not been of much interest to Western medicine.
Aids A Second Opinion by Gary Null PhD with James Feast, page 528
Most research has been done on a one-celled alga known as chlorella. This has been shown to have powerful anti-tumor effects. An oral administration of chlorella protected between 73 and 80 percent of mice against several kinds of cancer. However, all the mice that received chlorella that had been deprived of its protein, died.
Cancer Therapy by Ralph W Moss PhD, page 203

Chlorella can neutralize and eliminate some of the contaminating heavy metals and strengthen the immune system, and GLA, which enhances prostaglandin production and possesses anti-inflammatory abilities.
Complete Encyclopedia Of Natural Healing by Gary Null PhD, page 135

Japanese scientists studied chlorella (pyrenoidosa) as a biological response modifier. First, experimental mice were given chlorella every other day for ten days. Then one of three kinds of cancer—breast, leukemia or Ehrlich ascites—were injected into them. All of the untreated mice died within 20 days. But over 70 percent of the treated ani-
Cancer Therapy by Ralph W Moss PhD, page 203

Natural healers recommend chlorella for nonspecific complaints such as fatigue and for anyone who generally wants to feel stronger or healthier. It is also used by alternative physicians as part of an overall cancer treatment program.
Earl Mindell's Supplement Bible by Earl Mindell RPh PhD, page 24

Since chlorella does not directly kill cancer cells, the scientists concluded that its effects were caused by boosting the immune response.
Cancer Therapy by Ralph W Moss PhD, page 204

Chlorella does not contain the biliprotein phycocyanin found in blue-green algae such as spirulina and wild blue-green; therefore it does not have this anti-cancer dimension. Those who benefit from the immune-strengthening value of CGF and also want phycocyanin can simply add a blue-green alga. Any two or more micro-algae combine well, especially if both are needed.
Healing With Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford, page 194

In another experiment, a group of scientists took a hot water extract of chlorella and injected it into the body cavities of mice that had first been inoculated with tumor cells. They found that "survival times were strikingly prolonged." Furthermore, when they gave mice injections of chlorella, their cells still exhibited "an anti-tumor effect" 24 hours later. This effect remained intact even after 'T' type white blood cells and macrophage (scavenger) cells were destroyed, but it was effectively wiped out by irradiation. Chlorella's anticancer effect was thus dependent on the portion of the immune system most sensitive to x-rays.
Cancer Therapy by Ralph W Moss PhD, page 204

Many reports have come from Japanese research studies that followed the nuclear catastrophe resulting from atomic bombs that were dropped on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. In a report to the General Meeting of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan on an early study in animals, Ichimura (1973) reported that chlorella (8 grams daily) increased elimination of cadmium: threefold in feces and sevenfold in urine. Other researchers from Japan showed that chlorella helped detoxify uranium and lead (Horikoshi et al. 1979). chlorella has detoxification potential for similar compounds, such as dioxin and polychlorinated biphenyls. (PCBs are chemical compounds used in plastics, insulation, and flame retardants, with potential to cause cancer and liver damage.) Other research indicates that chlorella is useful in detoxification of high levels of mercury in the body caused by removal of mercury amalgam. Some dentists recommend chlorella to patients who are having mercury amalgams replaced (as well as to themselves and staff who can incur accidental exposure from day-to-day exposure to amalgam filling procedures) (O'Brien 2001).
Disease Prevention And Treatment by Life Extension Foundation, page 859

Japanese researchers recently discovered that chlorella could raise blood levels of the protein albumin. Albumin is one of the body's most powerful antioxidants as well as its main transport system, carrying vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, hormones, and other essential substances throughout the body. Albumin is also instrumental in carrying toxins away from cells and into the liver, where they are broken down and later excreted from the body. Without adequate levels of albumin, the kidneys, liver, and other vital organs cannot do their jobs as well, and the immune system cannot function as efficiently. Numerous studies have documented that a low albumin level is a marker for serious illnesses such as cancer and heart disease. They point to test-tube studies confirming that raising albumin levels can both prevent cancerous changes and extend the life span of human cells. Although no such studies have been done on humans, it makes sense that raising albumin levels would help to restore health.
Earl Mindell's Supplement Bible by Earl Mindell RPh PhD, page 24

The law of similars ("like cures like") offers another approach to understanding the immune-strengthening quality of chlorella: an organism with a tough outer cell wall may well possess the basic properties which strengthen our own cellular structure against invading organisms and toxins.
Healing With Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford, page 193

Since chlorella has a true nucleus, it is a more evolved organism than the other common green micro-algae and therefore may offer superior-quality RNA/DNA. This particular aspect of its RNA/DNA, measured by the CGF, strengthens immunity by improving the activity of T- and B-cells, which defend against viruses and other invading microorganisms, and macrophages, which destroy cancer and cellular debris in general.
Healing With Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford, page 194

For cancer, AIDS, Epstein-Barr syndrome, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, tumors, Candida overgrowth, excessive mucus, edema, and other conditions associated with dampness, wild blue-green is generally the most useful. Individuals who are not particularly excessive will benefit from a moderate dosage of 1.5-2 grams. The upper dosage ranges of cereal grass, chlorella (excellent for disorders with immune malfunction), spirulina, and dunaliella are also beneficial additions (often spirulina and dunaliella are used together). One may choose the one or two most appropriate of these green foods based on their properties.
Healing With Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford, page 204

Chlorella helps protect the body in its fight against both viruses and cancer. A series of studies during the 1980s showed that tumor growth in mice could be reduced or stopped by injecting a water solution of chlorella…
Herbal Medicine Healing Cancer by Donald R Yance Jr, page 231

This research, says Tim Sara, president of Nature's Balance, a major U.S. supplier of chlorella, "has confirmed that serum levels of albumin are extremely accurate indicators of overall health status and that low albumin levels exist at the onset and progression of virtually every nonhereditary, degenerative disease process, including cancers and cardiovascular heart disease." A series of studies with rats demonstrated that chlorella supplementation increases albumin levels by 16% to 21%.
Heart Disease by Burton Goldberg, page 131

Some micro-algae have very favorable nutritional profiles for cancer and immune therapies. Spirulina, chlorella, and wild blue-green (Aphanizomenon flos-aquae) provide cellular protection with exceptional amounts of beta carotene (provitamin A) and chlorophyll; dunaliella is the highest known natural source of beta carotene. chlorella, the alga to emphasize in those with the greatest deficiency, stimulates immunity in the treatment of all degenerative diseases by means of the "chlorella Growth Factor" (CGF). These bitter micro-algae often work well with chlorella or spirulina.
Healing With Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford, page 378

Chlorella is a one-cell blue-green alga that is highly nutritive as a food and also stimulates the immune system. It increases macrophage activity and has shown antitumor effects. Chorellan is a substance found in chlorella that stimulates interferon production. There are several papers on the prevention and/or inhibition of cancer using chlorella as well as documentation of its DNA repair mechanism.24 one of the many benefits of chlorella is its ability to increase serum albumin levels. A drop in albumin level has many negative effects on the body. Of all the super green foods, chlorella is the one that impresses me the most.
Herbal Medicine Healing Cancer by Donald R Yance Jr, page 71

A study on chlorella published in Japan in 1992 showed that chlorella has impressive effects on blood chemistry. It increased red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and albumin. The ability of chlorella to increase albumin is vitally important because so many people with cancer have a decreased level of albumin. This decreased level correlates with a poor prognosis; chlorella is a truly important supplement for anyone whose albumin level is low.
Herbal Medicine Healing Cancer by Donald R Yance Jr, page 232

Chlorella is useful in a wide variety of maladies and conditions, including chronic gastritis, high blood pressure, some forms of cancer, diabetes, constipation, anemia, and high cholesterol. It helps clear toxic metals from the body. Chlorella has antitumor and anti-inflammatory properties and strengthens the immune system. The microalgae support normal growth and help maintain health in old age. They reduce pitta and kapha and, in moderation, are healing for vata.
New Whole Foods Encyclopedia by Rebecca Wood, page 81

There have been dozens of animal studies on chlorella and chlorella extracts involving immune response to cancer. One such study involved mice given chlorella prior to transplantation of mammary carcinoma. The results were a 70 percent sixty-day survival of the chlorella group versus no survival in the control group. Mice in the control group were also transplanted with tumors but did not receive chlorella.
Herbal Medicine Healing Cancer by Donald R Yance Jr, page 232

Green foods refers to chlorophyll-rich supplements from sources such as microalgae (including spirulina, blue-green algae, and chlorella) and the young grasses of cereal plants (particularly barley, wheat, and alfalfa). Chlorophyll acts as an antioxidant and may have medicinal benefits against cancer and immune problems. Many people also take green-food concentrates to boost energy levels and physical and mental performance.
Off The Shelf Natural Health How To Use Herbs And Nutrients To Stay Well By Mark Mayell, page 291

In 1990, a study on chlorella was performed at the Medical College of Virginia. Fifteen glioblastoma patients were administered 20 grams of powdered chlorella and 150 ml of liquid chlorella, in some cases combined with standard chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. There was a significant increase in health and immune status immediately, and a striking 40 percent two-year survival rate was reflected in follow-up studies. This is extremely rare for this type of tumor, which normally might yield a 10 percent survival rate after two years.
Herbal Medicine Healing Cancer by Donald R Yance Jr, page 232

There are other beneficial algaes, such as spirulina, a blue-green alga, and other super green foods, but I believe chlorella is the best, particularly for people with cancer and/or a weak constitution.
Herbal Medicine Healing Cancer by Donald R Yance Jr, page 232

Lactoferrin, lipoic acid, and chlorella are the three best supplements I have found for enhancing the nutritional status and raising the albumin level of those with cancer or any chronic illness. Lactoferrin, an iron-binding protein, is a vital element to the human body. It retrieves iron from the foods we eat and delivers it to areas of the body where it is needed. Many people, particularly those with cancer, become anemic because their body is not assimilating iron properly.
Herbal Medicine Healing Cancer by Donald R Yance Jr, page 238

Green-food concentrates are chlorophyll-rich supplements. Most are derived from microalgae (such as spirulina, blue-green algae, or chlorella) or from the young grasses of cereal plants (such as barley, wheat, and alfalfa). Chlorophyll acts as an antioxidant and may have medicinal benefits against cancer and immune problems
Off The Shelf Natural Health How To Use Herbs And Nutrients To Stay Well By Mark Mayell, page 229

A chlorella extract has demonstrated antitumor and antime-tastatic effects in animal experiments. Chlorella has shown some experimental antiatherogenic activity and some radio-protective and chemo-detoxifying effects. It has shown some preliminary benefit in immune function and in some with fibromyalgia.
PDR For Nutritional Supplements by Sheldon Saul Hendle and David Rorvik, page 89

Chlorella. A freshwater single-celled green algae consisting of 60 percent protein, high levels of chlorophyll and vitamin A, and dozens of other nutrients. It's being researched as both an antiaging supplement and a cancer preventive.
Power Aging by Gary Null, page 149

Additional beneficial foods are chlorella and pearl barley. These foods contain germanium, a trace element beneficial for the immune system. It is also a good idea to include kelp in your diet in the form of giant red kelp…
Prescription For Dietary Wellness by Phyllis A Balch, page 10

I also recommend the use of chlorella and/or Green Magma as a twice-daily green drink. Chlorella is a highly nutritive one-celled blue-green algae that is a powerful immune system stimulant that has also demonstrated anti-tumor effects. Research has shown that chlorella is able to repair the DNA system and increase serum albumin levels.
Treating Cancer With Herbs by Michael Tierra ND, page 304

Chlorella is a tiny single-celled water-grown green alga that contains the highest chlorophyll level per ounce of any plant, as well as protein (nearly 58 percent), carbohydrates, all of the B vitamins, vitamins C and E, amino acids (including all nine essential ones), enzymes, and rare trace minerals. Chlorella strengthens the immune system.
Prescription For Dietary Wellness by Phyllis A Balch, page 33 72

I also recommend the use of chlorella, which is a highly nutritive one-cell blue-green algae that is a powerful immune system stimulant that also has demonstrated anti-tumor effects. Research has shown that chlorella is able to repair DNA and increase serum albumin levels.
The Way Of Herbs by Michael Tierra, page 309

Green chlorophyll is the main coloring matter in all green plants, and it relates most closely to Qi, the life force. Green plants and algae are high in chlorophyll, include spirulina and chlorella. Foods and herbs that contain high levels of chlorophyll show pharmacological evidence of cancer prevention, perhaps because pigments in green vegetables such as spinach, kale, broccoli, and lettuce bind with and thus stimulate excretion of cancer-causing chemicals. Even more interesting is a report from one researcher that "Given their exclusive dietary origin, . . . chlorophyll metabolites may represent essential nutrients that coordinate cellular metabolism (through nuclear receptors)."
The One Earth Herbal Sourcebook by Alan Keith Tillotson, page 84

Chlorella: 1 to 2 teaspoons two or more times daily. Dense and nutrient rich in vitamins, minerals and easily assimilable protein, it supports the immune system of patients undergoing chemo and radiation therapy, increases phagocytes, T-cells and cancer killing B cells.
Treating Cancer With Herbs by Michael Tierra ND, page 268

In all anticancer diets, one should incorporate chlorophyll-rich foods derived from the juice of wheat grass, barley grass or a special green algae known in the trade as chlorella. Chlorella, has been found to have greater anticancer properties than any other anticancer supplement. Of course, these 'green foods' are very rich in a wide variety of vitamins, minerals and other health-giving constituents as well.
Treating Cancer With Herbs by Michael Tierra ND, page 309

I recommend chlorella to all cancer patients regardless of any other green drink they might use. Chlorella is a small, one-celled algae containing a nucleus and a large amount of chlorophyll. Its protein content is approximately 58% with the balance made up of carbohydrates, all the B Vitamins, Vitamin C and E, amino acids and valuable trace minerals. It has more B12 than liver and a substantial amount of beta-carotene. Because it has a strong cell wall, it requires processing in order to make all of its nutrients available. It is virtually a complete food in itself. It acts as both a powerful nutrient and a detoxifying food.
Treating Cancer With Herbs by Michael Tierra ND, page 361

The Chia 'Cheat Sheet' and Ten Raw Chia Recipes

2008-08-26T10:15:00.000-07:00

The Chia 'Cheat Sheet' and Ten Raw Chia Recipes
by: Angela Stokes

Chia seed is an ancient superfood that is currently experiencing a glorious renaissance. It is a member of the sage family (Salvia Hispanica). The little black and white seeds were once a staple of the Incan, Mayan and Aztec cultures, along with the Native Americans of the southwest.

"Chia" is actually the Mayan word for strength. The seeds were used by these ancient cultures as mega-energy food, especially for their running messengers, who would carry a small pouch of it with them. Chia has been called ‘Indian Running Food’ and gives an incredibly 'sustaining' surge of energy. I‘ve definitely noticed for myself the 'running energy' that chia seems to impart. If I eat chia, then run later that day, my endurance and ability to run further is greatly enhanced - pretty impressive stuff.

The chia we sell in our online store is imported from Mexico and is certified organic. In Mexico they say that one tablespoon of chia seeds can sustain a person for 24 hours. Chia also happens to taste great, looks cute (like tiny dinosaur eggs) and is ready to eat really quickly, besides which it has an off-the-scale nutritional profile.

Why would you want to eat Chia?

Chia seeds are said to have:

*2 times the protein of any other seed or grain,

*5 times the calcium of milk, plus boron which is a trace mineral that helps transfer calcium into your bones,

*2 times the amount of potassium as bananas,

*3 times the reported antioxidant strength of blueberries

*3 times more iron than spinach

*copious amounts of omega-3 and omega-6, which are essential fatty acids

They are a complete source of protein, providing all the essential amino acids in an easily digestible form. They are also a fabulous source of soluble fibre. Like flax, chia is highly hydrophilic: the seeds absorb water and create a mucilaginous gel. They can hold 9-12 times their weight in water and they absorb it very rapidly - in under 10 minutes.

One advantage of chia is that because it has such a high antioxidant content, the seeds stay stable for much longer, whereas flax, for example, may turn rancid. Chia seeds can easily be stored dry for 4-5 years without deterioration in flavour, odour or nutritional value. You can substitute chia in any recipe that calls for flax.

The taste of chia is very mild and pleasant. That means you can easily combine it with other foods without changing the taste dramatically. People add chia to their sauces, bread batters, puddings, smoothies and more. The flavour is retained, plus a lot more nutrition is added.

The "Dieter’s Dream Food"

Chia has been called a dieter’s dream food because when added to foods, it bulks them up, displacing calories and fat without diluting the flavour. Thus, someone can eat a typical serving, yet only consume about half the calories they might have eaten, because the food has been bulked up with chia. PLUS, the eater gets a bellyful of nutrient-rich superfood goodness, which hydrates and sustains them -
it's magic.

What are some other benefits of eating Chia?

* Provides energy

* Boosts strength

* Bolsters endurance

* Levels blood sugar

* Induces weight loss

* Aids intestinal regularity

Chia slows the impact of sugars on the system, if eaten together. Chia gel creates a physical barrier between carbohydrates and the digestive enzymes that break them down, which slows the conversion of carbs into sugar. That means the energy from the food is released steadily, resulting in more endurance. This is clearly of great benefit to diabetics in particular. It also means that I can combine chia with super-sweet tastes like apple juice and not get super-spiked.

Due to the exceptional water-absorption quality of chia, it can help you prolong hydration and retain electrolytes, especially during exertion.

Whole, water-soaked chia seeds are easily digested and absorbed. Their tiny dinosaur-egg-like shells break down quickly. They feel light in the body, yet energising. Their nutrients can be quickly assimilated into the body.

Chia seeds bulk up, then work like an incredible digestive broom, sweeping through your intestinal tract, helping to dislodge and eliminate old accumulated waste in the intestines. Many people find their stools also become more regular once they eat chia.

Chia is a very reasonably priced, concentrated food. Our 1 lb. bags cost $8. 1/3 cup of dry chia seeds (2 ounces) makes about 17 ounces of chia gel. This costs about $1. Depending on how much gel you use, those 17oz will likely last, on average, about four days. That is about 25cents a day.

Chia can be used in so many kinds of recipes - savoury, sweet, it works with anything. You might want to try them in salad dressings, cookie mixtures, smoothies, crackers, ice creams, juices and so on.

Chia seed protein contains no gluten. This makes it ideal for anyone with a gluten sensitivity or simply wanting to find a replacement for gluten-containing grains like wheat, barley, rye and oats.

Which medical conditions can Chia help relieve or support?

Chia is reported to be beneficial for a vast range of issues, for example:

*weight loss/balance

*thyroid conditions

*hypoglycemia

*diabetes

*IBS

*celiac disease

*acid reflux

*lowering cholesterol

In the traditional cultures that consumed chia, like the Aztecs, chia was also regarded as a medicine. It was used in myriad ways – from cleaning the eyes to helping heal wounds, topically, to relieving joint pain and so on. It was considered extremely valuable for healing.

One woman we know uses chia therapeutically to manage her acid reflux. Because of the highly absorbent properties of chia, she can swallow a Tbsp of dry seeds with just a little water and they go into her stomach and absorb the excess acid. She makes sure to drink a glass of water a few minutes later, as the seeds are so hydrophilic that if they do not find enough to absorb in the stomach, they will draw from the tissues instead. By allowing the seeds to first absorb the acid, then drinking some more water, our friend is able to very simply, effectively and cheaply handle her condition.

Chia aids rapid development of tissue, due to its incredible nutrient profile and easy assimilation. It can be very beneficial for those healing from injuries, people like bodybuilders who are always re-forming tissues and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

How do you use Chia?

The most common way to eat chia is to first soak the seeds. They can very rapidly absorb a large amount of liquid, between 9-12 times their volume, in under 10 minutes.

The Basic Gel

To make a basic chia gel, simply add 1/3 cup of seeds (2oz) to 2 cups of water. Stir the mixture well, to avoid clumping, then leave it in your fridge, in a sealed jar. This will yield around 17oz of chia gel. You can begin to eat the gel almost immediately if you like. Just 10 minutes is enough time for the gel to be formed. More of the nutrients will be easily accessible after a few hours however, so many people like to make up a batch like this and leave it in the fridge. It will stay good for about three weeks. Then you can just reach into the fridge and take out some of the ready-made gel whenever you need it. You might add it to smoothies, mix it with salad dressings, puddings or granola, or simply take it by the spoonful.

As mentioned above, chia will absorb anything, it doesn’t have to soak in water. We like soaking it in things like apple juice for example. That way, the intense sweetness of the apple juice is also offset by the chia and it tastes yummy. We also often blend fruits; for example bananas and persimmons, then stir the chia into that mixture. Again, the longer the seeds are left to soak, the more their nutrients will be readily available to you, yet you could easily eat a meal like this 10 minutes or less after preparing it.

Whole Seeds

You can also sprinkle the dry seeds onto salads or add them to granola mixes. You may also want to experiment with grinding them first in a coffee grinder, to make a ‘chia flour’ you can then add to smoothies, soups and so on.

Ten Raw Chia Recipes

WARNING – these are 'hardcore' raw foodist recipes, developed and used by long-term raw food eaters. Some may seem quite peculiar or unfamiliar to those who are not accustomed to eating raw. We encourage you to try them out though and to perhaps use them as a 'spring-board' for creating and enjoying your own chia recipes. All of these recipes are based on one person eating.

Basic Chia Gel

Chia
Water

Mix 1/3-cup chia seeds to 2 cups water. Stir. This is the 'basic gel' recipe that can be stored in your fridge and used as required.

Sweet Shortbread Chia

4-5 tbsps chia seeds
2 cups fresh apple juice
2 tbsp lucuma powder
1/4 cup dried mulberries
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

Soak the chia seeds in the apple juice. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Leave to soak for at least 10 minutes before consuming.

'Chia Fresca'

2 tsp chia seeds
10oz pure water
juice of one lemon or lime
agave syrup or raw honey to taste

This is still a popular drink in modern-day Mexico. Simply stir the ingredients together and enjoy.

Fruity Chia

3 small or 2 big apples
8 dates, pits removed
4-5 tbsp chia seeds
1/4 cup dried mulberries

Blend the apples and six of the dates together. Transfer that mixture into a bowl and stir in the chia seeds and mulberries. Chop down the remaining 2 dates into pieces and stir those in too. Leave to soak for at least 10 minutes before consuming.

Bana-paya Chia

1 banana
3/4 cup papaya flesh
6 dried Turkish figs
4-5 tbsp chia, ground

Blend the banana and papaya flesh together. Put the figs in this mixture and leave it to soak overnight. Blend the whole mixture, including the figs, the next day. Stir in the ground chia seed. Serve.

Chia Gel 'Muesli'

1 cup of basic chia gel
2 bananas, mashed with a fork
1 tbsp lucuma powder
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

Mix together the ingredients in a bowl with a fork and eat.

Green Chia

8 dried prunes, soaked in 1 pint pure water
1 tbsp spirulina powder
1/3 cup chia seeds

Drain off most of the prune soak water and put the chia seeds to soak in the prune soak water. Blend together the prunes with the spirulina and a small amount of the soak water. Stir the spirulina/prune mixture into the soaked chia seeds. Leave the chia to soak for at least 10 minutes before consuming.

Persi-nana Chia

4-5 tbsp chia seeds
1-2 bananas
1-2 persimmons
1tsp maca
1 tsp cinnamon
handful of goji berries
handful of pumpkin seeds

Blend together the bananas and persimmons. Pour out the mixture into a bowl. Stir in the chia seeds, maca, cinnamon, gojis and pumpkin seeds. Leave the chia to soak for at least 10 minutes before consuming.

Raw ‘Rice Pudding’

4-5 tbsp chia seed
2 cups almond milk
raw honey or agave syrup to taste

Combine the ingredients to your taste. Leave the chia to soak for at least 10 minutes before consuming. You can also add other flavours like vanilla, cinnamon or cardamom.

Banana-nut Bread

2 cups vegetable juice pulp (preferably at least half carrot)
8 tbsp ground chia
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup raisins
5 bananas

Mix together the veggie juice pulp and bananas in a food processor. Add in the ground chia and let the food processor run until the seeds are completely mixed in. Transfer the mixture to a bowl with the walnuts and raisins and mix them in thoroughly by hand. Shape into a loaf. For major yumminess, top with 'Cream Cheese' (see below).

Cream Cheese

Flesh of three avocadoes
9 dates
juice of 1 or 2 lemons
big handful of dulse seaweed

Blend.

---------------

Organic chia seeds can be purchased from the RawReform Online Store here: ((http://store.rawreform.com/product_info...) . We sell them in 1 lb., 5 lb., 25 lb. and 55 lb. bags.

We also stock many of the other foods mentioned here, such as dried mulberries, dulse seaweed, lucuma powder, agave syrup, raw honey, goji berries, spirulina and maca.

Our range further includes juicers, blenders and dehydrators, to make your raw chia recipes, plus the fabulous book The Magic of Chia by James Scheer, in which you can learn much more about this 'ancient wonder food'

(www.rawreform.com/store)
angela@rawreform.com

Spirulina: A Budget Friendly Super Food and Answer to Food Scarcity

2008-08-26T10:10:00.000-07:00

Spirulina: A Budget Friendly Super Food and Answer to Food Scarcity
by: Barbara L. Minton

Spirulina just may be nature’s most perfect food. These tiny blue green spiral coils harvest the energy of the sun and turn it into a treasure chest of bio-available nutrients. Designed by nature 3.6 billion years ago, these blue green algae were the generators of the oxygen found in our atmosphere which allowed all higher life forms to evolve. The single cells contained everything needed by life to evolve into the rich diversity we find on earth today.

Spirulina is a great wholefood, budget friendly alternative to isolated vitamins and minerals. It contains the most remarkable concentration of nutrients known in any food, plant, grain, or herb. It is 60% highly digestible vegetable protein, and contains the highest concentration of beta carotene, vitamin B-12, iron and trace minerals, and the rare essential fatty acid GLA so missing in people who weren’t breast fed. It also contains popular glyconutrients in the form of polysaccharides. It has a balanced spectrum of amino acids, cleansing chlorophyll, and the blue pigment, phycocyanin.

Spirulina has a long history of safe usage. The Aztecs consumed spirulina in Mexico over five centuries ago. Indigenous people consume spirulina today. For the past 20 years, millions of people around the world have used spirulina as a food supplement to their diets. The United Nations and the World Health Organization recommend spirulina as safe and nutritious for children. Spirulina can be cultivated in a pure culture, away from contaminants.

Spirulina offers incredible potential for a world in the midst of a food crisis. It offers more nutrition per acre than any other food, and delivers 20 times more protein per acre than soybeans, and 200 times more protein per acre than beef. If we make the decision to incorporate spirulina into our diets, we may view ourselves as part of the food crisis solution.

Health benefits of spirulina

Spirulina works in many ways to balance and strengthen our health. Its rich array of nutrients provides a strong foundation so we are less vulnerable to invading bacteria and viruses. It supplies essential minerals that may be missing from conventional foods grown in depleted soils. Spirulina grows in water containing ionic trace minerals that are absorbed and chelated by the organism, creating a colloidal form easily absorbed by our bodies.

The prime directive of our bodies is to support our immune system. When our immune system is stressed it draws down metabolic energy. People with immune system imbalances may feel chronic fatigue and low energy. Spirulina can help balance and stabilize the immune system, freeing up metabolic energy for vitality, healing and assimilation of nutrients. Its polysaccharides enhance cellular communication processes and the ability to read and repair DNA. People taking spirulina usually feel greatly energized.

Spirulina also stimulates the immune system by enhancing the production of antibodies and cytokines. Under the influence of spirulina, macrophages, T and B cells, are activated. Spirulina sulfolipids have been proven effective against HIV, herpes virus, cytomegalovirus, and influenza virus. Spirulina contributes to the growth and preservation of the resident intestinal microflora, especially lactic acid bacilli and bifidobacteria, and to a decreased level of Candida albicans.

Spirulina and the immune system

Several recent studies have demonstrated the immune enhancing and cancer preventative properties of spirulina. The February, 2008 Food and Chemical Toxicity journal reports a study investigating the antimutagenic effects of Spirulina on rat genes. Loss of genetic integrity was greatly reduced in the spirulina fed groups, and semen quality was improved.

Phytotherapy Research, 2007, reports a study in which spirulina was shown to decrease the number of massed cells induced by lead in the ovaries of rats.

International Immunopharmacology, reports researchers finding that a polysaccharide fraction called Immulina, from spirulina, enhanced immune response in mice through enhanced production of IgA, interleukin-6, and interferon-gamma.

The 2005 Current Pharmacological Biotechnology journal reports a study finding that spirulina increases immunity through increased phagocytic activity of macrophages, stimulates production of antibodies and cytokines, increases accumulation of NK cells into tissue, and activates and mobilizes T and B cells. Carcinogenesis was inhibited due to the antioxidant properties that protect and reduce toxicity of the liver, kidney and testes.

Biochemical Biophysical Research Community Journal, 2003, reports a finding that phycocyanin, one of the major biliproteins of spirulina with antioxidant and scavenging properties, inhibits inflammation and cancer through Cox-2 inhibition, resulting in apoptosis in cancer cells.

Spirulina’s increased antioxidant protection reduces cancer risks

The free radical molecules generated by pollution, poor diet choices, stress and injury damage the cells of our bodies. Antioxidant nutrients fight these free radicals and stimulate our immune system to guard against cancer and other diseases. They also modulate the aging process. Spirulina contains a wealth of antioxidant vitamins C and E, and beta carotene, as well as the antioxidant minerals selenium, manganese, zinc, copper, iron and chromium. Research has shown spirulina to protect vitamin C from potency loss.

The Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety Journal, April, 2008 reports a study finding that spirulina plays a role in reducing the toxic effect of cadmium, through its antioxidant properties that seem to mediate a protective effect.

The April, 2008 Phytotherapy Research finds that spirulina preparations were useful for reducing oxidative stress and the generation of free radicals in the course of inflammatory processes.

Food Chemical Toxicology, December, 2007, reports a study finding that spirulina provides protection against mercuric chloride induced oxidative stress.

Spirulina enhances the cardiovascular system

Scientists around the world have been confirming spirulina’s cholesterol lowering benefits and its ability to lower blood pressure. Studies with men in Japan and India showed that several grams of spirulina daily can reduce serum LDL and raise HDL. Human studies in Germany and India found a weight reduction effect along with cholesterol reduction.

A 2007 study from Lipids Health Digest reports a study involving 36 human subjects ingesting 4.5 grams of spirulina daily for 6 weeks. With no other modifications in their diets or lifestyles during the duration of the experiment, a hypolipidemic effect was shown. Triacylglycerols and LDL cholesterol concentrations were directly lowered. Total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol were indirectly lowered. Reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure was also reported.

Spirulina improves digestive and gastrointestinal health

Adding spirulina to your diet results in almost immediate change in regularity and elimination. Research has confirmed that spirulina promotes bowel and digestion function. It suppresses bacteria like e-coli, and stimulates beneficial flora which is a foundation of good health. Healthy flora increase absorption of nutrients from the foods we eat, and protect against infection.

Studies with malnourished children in Mexico, India, Rwanda and Zaire have shown spirulina to be beneficial when intestines are unable to absorb nutrients effectively. Spirulina has been shown to benefit AIDS patients in whom malabsorption associated with opportunistic infections is problematic.

Cleansing and detoxifying with spirulina

Researchers in Japan have found spirulina to significantly reduce kidney toxicity caused by heavy metals including mercury, and pharmaceutical drugs. Other researchers found that rats consuming spirulina eliminated the dangerous chemical dioxin.

In l994, a Russian patent was awarded for spirulina as a medical food to reduce allergic reactions from radiation sickness.

A 2008 study from European Archives of Otorhinolaryngology found that spirulina consumption significantly improved the symptoms and physical findings of patients with allergic rhinitis compared to a placebo, including nasal discharge, sneezing, nasal congestion and itching. Researchers also concluded that spirulina is clinically effective on allergic rhinitis when compared to placebo.

Using spirulina

Spirulina comes in tablets or powdered form. It’s a very cost efficient way to add a huge nutrient boost to your day, running about $25 to $30 for a pound of powder ordered online. It is reported to be highly effective at doses from 5 to 10 grams per day, although health guru Mike Adams says you are not taking enough until what comes out your other end is green.

Spirulina has a very mild taste that blends well with almost everything. In a smoothie, it adds richness and thickness.

Super Smoothie Recipes:

Morning Smoothie

In your blender, blend 1 tablespoon or more of spirulina with 2 cups of fresh fruit. For extra nuttiness add almonds or sunflower seeds. For more flavors, add vanilla or lime.

Power Lunch Smoothie

In your blender, blend 1 tablespoon or more of spirulina with 1 cup of coconut milk, 2 tablespoons of coconut oil, and ½ cup of raspberries. Add raw cacao until you reach the level of taste that pleases.

Veggie Cocktail

Juice enough mixed veggies to create 12 to 16 ounces of juice. In a shaker add 1 tablespoon or more of spirulina. Shake well. Or you can use your blender.

Don’t forget to wash off your mouth before you go out!

Additional sources:

Balch, Phyllis A. and James F., Prescription for Nutritional Healing, Avery, 2002.

Spirulina Health Library (www.spirulina.com)

"Spirulina" by Ray Sahelian M.D.(www.raysahelian.com)

Marine Phytoplankton is Next Revolutionary Superfood for Disease Prevention and Extraordinary Health

2008-08-26T10:05:00.000-07:00

Marine Phytoplankton is Next Revolutionary Superfood for Disease Prevention and Extraordinary Health
by: Mike Adams
(NaturalNews) In previous articles and product reviews here on NaturalNews, we've covered some astonishing superfoods. The most impressive of those have been derived from microalgae: Astaxanthin, Chlorella, Spirulina and Blue-Green Algae.

Now, a new microalgae product has emerged in the natural products market that joins the ranks of these high-potency superfoods: Marine Phytoplankton. And unlike most of the other microalgae products on the market that are freeze dried into powders, tablets or capsules, the Marine Phytoplankton product I'm reviewing here is raw, unprocessed, in liquid form and full of life!

But beware! In researching related products for this story, I've discovered at least two products in the marketplace today that sound like they deliver marine phytoplankton, but they actually deliver only miniscule portions of the phytoplankton along with lots and lots of filler. I'll reveal the names of those products that I don't recommend later in this article. You'll also get to view a video review where I compare these products right in front of your eyes so you can actually see the nutrient density in glasses of water (see below).

I'll also reveal my No. 1 recommended "Editor's Choice" marine phytoplankton product and tell you where to get it at 22% off the retail price. I don't earn anything on the sale of this product, nor have I been paid anything to review it. This is a 100% independent, unbiased review of a product so impressive that I actually brought two bottles with me to Ecuador!

Read this product review if you're interested in learning about the latest, most nutritionally-potent superfood product that can provide you with astonishing health benefits. This is a superfood that contains potent anti-cancer nutrients, elements that help reverse heart disease, nutrients for protecting brain function and even specific minerals and phytochemicals that can help normalize body weight.

I'll describe more about these benefits later. You may also want to watch my YouTube video review of this product here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZZ-QFPnfL0

Legal note: All benefit statements in this article are my own opinion and do not necessarily represent the "official" position of the manufacturers or resellers of this product, all of which have been heavily censored by the FDA from telling you the truth about what superfoods or nutritional supplements can really do for your health. Nothing in this article is FDA approved. (And that's why it actually tells you the truth!) In my view, the FDA is run by white-collar criminals who hope to prevent you from learning the kind of information presented in this non-commercial, independent product review.

What is marine phytoplankton

Much like chlorella and spirulina, marine phytoplankton is a single-celled organism that's been on planet Earth for literally billions of years. It is the life form responsible for creating an oxygen-rich environment on our planet. Without it, the atmosphere would have remains inhospitable to humans and other mammals that depend on oxygen, so it is no exaggeration to say that marine phytoplankton created the opportunity for human life on Earth. (That's worth noting because it turns out that marine phytoplankton can also protect human life on Earth right now!)

Like all microalgae that grow in the ocean, this particular strain of marine phytoplankton (there are more than 40,000 strains of microalgae, but this one was chosen for its potent health benefits) is rich in chlorophyll, trace minerals (from the ocean water) and carotenoids. It is the carotenoids that give it color, and as anyone who has been paying attention to nutrition already knows, the pigmentation nutrients are the medicines!

Just like with fresh vegetables, it is the color itself that provides the most potent medicine. The purple anthocyanins in purple cabbage, for example, are anti-cancer nutrients. The phycocyanin in spirulina is also a super potent anti-cancer nutrient. The carotenoids in carrots protect the nervous system, and the red pigments in astaxanthin are miraculous fat-soluble antioxidants that give your muscles and tissues superhuman-like protection against aging and oxidation. (See my detailed article on astaxanthin here: http://www.naturalnews.com/023177.html )

Marine Phytoplankton contains hundreds of different carotenoids, minerals, amino acids and nutrients. And compared to land-based plants (which are usually mineral deficient), ocean-based plants are naturally rich in ocean water minerals, including all the trace minerals that can prevent and reverse serious disease.

For example, selenium halts cancer tumors. Zinc accelerates tissue repair in the body. Magnesium helps reverse heart disease and neurological disorders. Strontium is the "secret" mineral for building strong bones. Chromium helps boost insulin sensitivity which helps regulate blood sugar. Iodine prevents breast cancer and regulates thyroid function, which ends out-of-control appetite cravings... And the list goes on! These minerals are the foundational secrets to lasting health, and they're all found in ocean-based marine phytoplankton.

They're also found in seaweed, of course, which is why eating lots of seaweed, dulse, kelp, nori and other sea vegetables is such a smart health strategy. Unfortunately, the American palette doesn't include seaweed, and virtually all Americans (and Canadians, Brits, and Aussies) remain dangerously deficient in key trace minerals. This is especially true in the Midwest or regions where people are mostly living on beef, potatoes, junk food and soda pop... (I know, 'cuz I grew up there...)

Marine phytoplankton is a medicinal powerhouse created by Mother Nature

Beyond the trace minerals, marine phytoplankton contains literally hundreds of potent phytochemicals that work in synergy to protect your body's tissues, detoxify your blood and remove toxins, enhance oxygenation and circulation and reverse abnormal cell division that can lead to cancer.

Ocean-based plants are the future of nutritional medicine. And if society ever gets rid of the quackery of Big Pharma and the criminal actions of the FDA, it will inevitably turn to medicines from the ocean to treat (and cure!) numerous health conditions.

I have no doubt that if every American were given just 10 drops of Ocean's Alive Marine Phytoplankton each day, we'd see a huge drop in degenerative disease. I think we'd see cancer rates plummet by up to 90 percent; diabetes would be drastically reduced, heart disease numbers would drop sharply. Alzheimer's cases would be way down and behavioral disorders in children would virtually disappear. That's from just 10 drops a day of just one microalgae product.

Imagine if we added astaxanthin, chlorella, goji berries and other superfoods to the diets of everyone! We'd see cancer virtually disappear. (Which is exactly why the cancer industry doesn't want you to know about these solutions... they would all be put out of business!)

What health conditions can marine phytoplankton help treat or cure?

Based on my considerable nutritional research, I believe marine phytoplankton provides nutritional elements and phytochemicals that can help prevent, treat and cure all of the following health conditions*:

• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Type-2 diabetes
• Autoimmune disorders such as lupus
• Eczema and skin disorders
• Breast cancer, prostate cancer and other cancers
• Heart disease and atherosclerosis
• Dementia and Alzheimer's disease
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Parkinson's disease and other neuromuscular disorders
• Liver disease and hepatitis
• Depression, mood swings and behavioral disorders
• Eye disease
• Infertility and reproductive system disorders
• Infections and common colds
• Asthma and respiratory disorders
• Kidney and bladder disorders
• Osteoporosis and skeletal disorders
• Chronic pain and joint pain

* Please do not self-treat or self-diagnose. Always work with a qualified naturopathic physician to treat or cure a disease or health condition. Please also note that curing most degenerative diseases requires that you stop poisoning yourself with processed foods, pharmaceuticals, toxic personal care products and other chemicals. No superfood will save you from a highly-toxic lifestyle, or smoking cigarettes, or taking poisonous pharmaceuticals. Do not use marine phytoplankton allopathically, as a way to mask your symptoms. Use it as part of a lifestyle transformation program that gets you OFF the dangerous chemicals and ON to natural medicine and fresh, living foods.

Safety note: Since marine phytoplankton contains vitamin K, it can theoretically interfere with blood thinning medications. So check with your naturopath about the safest way to get off your meds and get onto nutrition so that you no longer need blood thinning meds! (Which are based on rat poison, by the way... no kidding!)

Why nutrient-rich microalgae is advanced medicine

Why do I believe marine phytoplankton can help prevent, treat or cure all of these diseases? Because I recognize that marine phytoplankton is a whole food medicine containing hundreds of different nutritional elements that work synergistically throughout the body. Modern medicine doesn't recognize that. Conventional physicians and medical authorities are stuck in the "one drug, one symptom" mode of thinking, which is very limited. It's hopelessly outdated, in fact, as it's based on the discovery of penicillin and the idea that every disease has a single countering chemical that can kill it.

But modern diseases aren't infections! You can't "kill" cancer (they try, of course, with surgery and chemotherapy, and usually they just end up killing the patient rather than the cancer). You can't "wipe out" diabetes with a chemical. You can't "eradicate" heart disease with vaccines or antibiotics. The body is not a war zone to be carpet-bombed with expensive pharmaceutical chemicals. Modern degenerative diseases cannot be treated with isolated, synthetic chemicals.

That's why modern health care is a miserable failure. It's why cancer rates, heart disease rates, diabetes rates and Alzheimer's rates have skyrocketed over the last several generations, even as modern medicine has poured billions of dollars into researching and marketing new monopoly-priced drugs.

The bottom line is that modern medicine doesn't work. And the reason it doesn't work is because it fails to recognize the nutritional causes behind most modern diseases and disorders. Virtually all modern-day consumers, it turns out, are dangerously deficient in sunlight, Vitamin D, macro minerals, trace minerals and plant-based nutrients (phytonutrients). Once you introduce those into the body -- and eliminate exposure to toxic chemicals -- healing takes place automatically, and serious diseases simply vanish in a matter of days, weeks or months, much to the astonishment of conventional doctors who continue to ridiculously insist there's no such thing as an herb, vitamin or superfood that has any positive effect whatsoever on the human body.

Editor's Choice: Oceans Alive from Sunfood

This all brings me to my No. 1 choice for marine phytoplankton products: Oceans Alive from Sunfood Nutrition. Here are the two sources where you can get this right now:

From Vitacost, at 22% off:
http://www.vitacost.com/SunFood-Nutriti...

From Sunfood Nutrition:
www.SunFood.com (search for "marine phytoplankton" to find it)

Ocean's Alive Marine Phytoplankton is a super-potent liquid formula based on combining 100% pure marine phytoplankton with a liquid base of ionic ocean minerals. It is a 100% raw, live product that has never been dried or heat processed. This makes it unique in the industry for a marine phytoplankton product, in much the same way that E3Live is unique for a land-based algae product. (E3Live also earns my enthusiastic support, and I'll review it in a later article.)

Raw products always have more nutritional potency than cooked or dried products because heat quickly destroys delicate phytochemicals. So raw spirulina is better than dried spirulina. Raw chlorella is better than dried chlorella. And raw marine phytoplankton is better than dried or pasteurized marine phytoplankton.

Based on the research I've done, Oceans Alive from Sunfood is the only source currently offering raw, unprocessed, liquid marine phytoplankton that's truly nutrient dense. That's one of the reasons why it has earned my enthusiastic recommendation.

Where Oceans Alive comes from

Oceans Alive isn't actually harvested from the ocean. It's grown in a controlled ocean water environment called a "bioreactor." The name sounds ominous but is simply means the algae are reproducing in a large container of water that's exposed to sunlight. Cyanotech uses the same process to grow their spirulina starter cultures, which are then transferred to outdoor ponds to continue multiplying.

Oceans Alive Marine Phytoplankton is grown in a controlled, chemical-free environment, which makes the product highly consistent and free from environmental contaminants. It takes an enormous amount of space, ocean water and sunlight to make just a single ounce of marine phytoplankton, which is why the product seems so expensive at first, but when you consider the amount of nutrition you're getting in each ounce, it's actually quite a bargain.

Once the phytoplankton have reached the desired density in the bioreactor, they are then harvested by straining the ocean water through a large fine mesh strainer that collects the phytoplankton. These are washed and transferred to a larger container where they're mixed with desalinated ocean water that's rich in ionic trace minerals. This resulting liquid is then transferred into Oceans Alive bottles and shipped to Sunfood.

Note that during this entire process, the product is never heated, cooked, pasteurized or dried. So virtually 100% of the original nutrition (the phytonutrients) in the marine phytoplankton stays intact. It's almost as good as eating the phytoplankton right out of the ocean, which is of course what whales do, and they're mammals too!

Oceans Alive from Sunfood has earned my Editor's Choice award for "Best Superfood Product." Here's where to get it:

From Vitacost, at 22% off:
http://www.vitacost.com/SunFood-Nutriti...

From Sunfood Nutrition:
www.SunFood.com (search for "marine phytoplankton" to find it)

Note: Neither myself nor NaturalNews earns anything at all from these product sales. We have not been paid to promote this product. This is a 100% independent, objective, non-commcerial review offered to you under the Free Speech protections of the United States Constitution. If you want to help NaturalNews financially, you may choose to offer a small donation to us, below, which is the only way we financially benefit from this product review.

Watch out for cheaper "filler" phytoplankton products

While researching this story, I came across several other marine phytoplankton products. I list three of them here, along with comments:

• UMAC-CORE marine phytoplankton

As far as I can tell, this product is a complete joke. Some might call it a fraud, because the amount of marine phytoplankton in the bottle seems to be virtually nothing. This is true both for the liquid UMAC-CORE product (which seems to have absolutely no color at all) and the capsules, which contain 475mg of filler and only 25mg of actual phytoplankton. (Do the math: That's 95% filler!) You actually have to take more than an entire bottle of capsules just to get 3 grams of total marine phytoplankton.

Bottom line? Avoid UMAC-CORE. I call it a consumer rip-off.

Watch my video to see the difference yourself between UMAC-CORE, FrequenSea and Oceans Alive: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZZ-QFPnfL0

• FrequenSea with marine phytoplankton

This is a product sold under a network marketing structure. While it has nice promotional materials, it contains only a miniscule amount of actual phytoplankton. In fact, by weight it is 99.75% something else and only 0.25% phytoplankton. What are the other ingredients? Purified water, white grape juice, aloe vera juice and other "filler" juices.

Bottom line? Avoid FrequenSea. It's not a rip-off like UMAC-CORE, but neither is it very potent in terms of marine phytoplankton. While it has some other nice ingredients (like astaxanthin and ginger), it's still an overpriced liquid, in my opinion.

• Poseidon Health Marine Phytoplankton Capsules

I like this company. Poseidon Health seems to have an honest product made with 100% dried marine phytoplankton. Although I've never met or interviewed these folks, their product looks legit. In fact, it's probably very similar to the microalgae used in Oceans Alive, except it's dried into a powder rather than being used in its raw, liquid state.

Their website needs a whole lot of work, but their product looks solid. I plan to interview this company at a later date, if they're willing, and learn more about them.

Bottom line? Cautiously Recommended. This looks like an honest marine phytoplankton product, although it's not raw. I don't yet know what drying process they use, or how hot the phytoplankton get during drying, but I intend to find out and report that to you later.

• Oceans Alive remains my No. 1 choice due to the reputation of Sunfood (and David Wolfe), the integrity of their product line, the raw, liquid state of the product and the phenomenal health benefits of raw microalgae vs. processed microalgae.

I put this on my list of the top superfoods in the world, joining the ranks of astaxanthin, spirulina, chlorella, brown seaweed extract (Modifilan), blue-green algae and others.

Here's where you can get it:

From Vitacost, at 22% off:
http://www.vitacost.com/SunFood-Nutriti...

From Sunfood Nutrition:
www.SunFood.com (search for "marine phytoplankton" to find it)

As of this writing, Sunfood Nutrition is out of stock but is expecting a shipment in just a few days. Vitacost has just 200 units in stock right now. This product is difficult to get and supplies are very small. If you really want some of this, place your order right now, or you'll probably have to wait several weeks to get in on the next shipment.

This is an extremely valuable, yet difficult-to-manufacture product. It's like liquid nutritional gold. I have already decided to carry a bottle with me on every trip, no matter where I go, and I've made taking this part of my morning superfood ritual (I put a dropper-full into every superfood drink!)

One note about marine phytoplankton is that since it contains vitamin K, it can theoretically interfere with blood thinning medications. So check with your naturopath about the safest way to get off your meds and get onto nutrition so that you no longer need blood thinning meds! (Which are based on rat poison, by the way...)

FDA Unleashes Mass Irradiation of Spinach, Lettuce and Other Vegetables

2008-08-26T10:00:00.001-07:00

FDA Unleashes Mass Irradiation of Spinach, Lettuce and Other Vegetables
by: Mike Adams
(NaturalNews) The FDA has announced that beginning today, spinach and lettuce sold across the United States may now be secretly irradiated before it reaches grocery store shelves. What's "secret" about it? The FDA previously decided that irradiation warning stickers would not be required on any food items because it would be "too confusing to consumers." (The word IRRADIATION apparently has too many letters to be understood to food buyers.) Thus, irradiated foods will not be labeled as such, and consumers are going to be left in the dark about all this (except for those who actually eat the irradiated food, in which case they will glow in the dark).

The FDA, of course, insists that the levels of irradiation used to kill e.coli will have no effect whatsoever on the nutritional value of the food. This astonishing statement comes from an agency that doesn't believe food has any nutritional value in the first place, so lowering the value to zero by destroying all the phytonutrients does not, in the opinion of the FDA, alter its nutritional value at all. Thus, destroying all the anti-cancer nutrients in a head of broccoli merely brings that broccoli into "compliance" as a non-functional food, according to the FDA.

Radiation, of course, destroys delicate phytochemicals in plants -- the very phytochemicals protecting consumers against cancer, heart disease, high cholesterol, inflammation and other diseases. Microwaving broccoli, for example, destroys up to 98% of its anti-cancer nutrients. (The FDA has not yet acknowledged this scientific fact, either.) In a similar way, irradiating food destroys much of its nutritional content, including vitamins, carotenoids, anthocyanins and other delicate protective nutrients that are right now providing the last, desperate nutritional defense against the American diet of meat, milk, fried foods and processed junk.

Irradiating fresh produce will leave the U.S. population is a state of extreme deficiency in protective plant-based nutrients.

Does the FDA plan to destroy the health of the U.S. population?

Many people suspect that's what the FDA really wants. A nutritionally-deficient, disease-ridden population would mean a windfall of profits for the FDA's buddies in Big Pharma -- the folks who sell patented medications at monopoly prices. With the food supply destroyed by radiation, ordinary people would have virtually no remaining sources of protective phytonutrients!

In promoting this food radiation policy, the FDA has accomplished what all the terrorists in the world could not: The mass irradiation of the U.S. food supply -- much like setting off a dirty bomb over the nation's farms (but with less radiation). This destruction of the nutritional value of the food supply is a far greater threat to the health of the U.S. population than any terrorist event, including 9/11. And yet it is being done by our own people, TO our own people, by a lawless agency that answers to no one. FDA officials are not voted into office by the People; they are appointed by politicians. They answer to no one, they refuse to follow federal law, and they operate as tyrants over a quarter of the U.S. economy.

And now they have taken it upon themselves to destroy the national food supply.

We should be more than just alarmed -- we should be outraged! The FDA has committed an act of war against the People. With this decision, the FDA has firmly positioned itself as an enemy of the People, and a bringer of death and disease to the nation. Why are our elected representatives in Washington allowing this madness?

Think about this: If the FDA has its way:

• All your food will be irradiated, pasteurized or killed
• All your children will be vaccinated
• All your medicine will be based on pharmaceuticals
• All your free speech about health will be suppressed
• All informative labeling on food and supplements will be outlawed
• Growing and selling non-irradiated garden vegetables will become a crime!

Today it's spinach and lettuce; tomorrow it's all fresh produce

Don't think the FDA will stop with spinach and lettuce, either. They're already talking about irradiating tomatoes, peppers and onions. Before long, radiation could become mandatory for ALL fresh produce, and all the fresh fruits and vegetables that are supposed to contain health-protecting nutrients will be transformed into sterile, inert plant mass with no health benefits at all. (Brilliant scam, huh?)

This is by design. I believe the FDA wants the American public to be sickened and diseased. Why else would they ban Free Speech about healing foods like cherries, broccoli and garlic? Why would they outlaw the selling of herbs and nutritional supplements that claim to treat and prevent disease? The FDA wants you to be sick, enslaved and medicated, and irradiating the food supply is the quickest way to accomplish that.

He who controls the food controls the People.

He who destroys the food can profit from the People's sickness.

The FDA's crimes against humanity

In pushing this radiation agenda, the FDA is committing a crime against humanity -- a nutritional atrocity that violates fundamental human rights. And yet the FDA's top decision makers continue to operate with zero oversight and zero accountability. They make decisions in a corporate-sponsored vacuum, absent any input from reasonable, health-conscious consumers or scientists. And because they have been granted tyrannical powers by Congress, the FDA operates above the law.

It is not subject to any laws whatsoever; not even the U.S. Constitution which is supposed to protect the People's right to "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness" (as stated in the Declaration of Independence).

The mass irradiation of the food supply is a violation of the "Life" part of that phrase, wouldn't you agree? If we can no longer buy nourishing foods with their nutrients intact, then we are all doomed to degenerative disease and death... but not before paying out our life savings to doctors, drug companies and hospitals. That's the evil genius of the food irradiation plot: It kills you slowly, at just the right pace to drain your bank account before you expire from malnutrition.

I truly believe this irradiation of the food supply is the beginning of the end of America. No nation can survive the destruction of its food supply. The FDA is dooming America to a slow, painful, medicated death. In a generation, this nation will be lost, destroyed from within by short-sighted tyrants who violated nature and left the People to rot.

What you can do right now to fight this latest transgression by the FDA

For starters, you can:

1) Grow your own food. A little gardening is good. Grow whatever you can, even if it's just a few kitchen herbs.

2) Buy your food at farmer's markets, coops and CSAs. See http://www.localharvest.org/csa

3) Ask your grocery store if they are buying irradiated spinach. If they don't know, demand they find out!

4) Raise hell with your Senators and Congresspeople, demanding they pass new laws protecting consumers from the FDA and its plot to destroy the nutritional value of the food supply.

Also, listen to two podcasts I've posted on this topic. The first was recorded several months ago, where I publicly predicted the FDA would do exactly what we're seeing right now. Listen to that podcast here: http://www.naturalnews.com/Index-Podcas...

The second podcast was just posted today. I recorded it right before writing this article. It goes into much greater detail about the FDA's plot to destroy the health of the U.S. population. You can listen to that here: http://www.naturalnews.com/Index-Podcas...

Finally, don't stand for this food supply madness! Raise your voice. Write your local paper, call your representatives in Washington and tell them you strongly oppose the irradiation of the food supply. Teach people about phytonutrients. And stay tuned to NaturalNews as we continue to cover this important story.

The FDA has gone mad. Criminally mad. It is an agency that will literally kill you if given the chance, and it is up to all of us to stop this madness before we lose our health, our children and our very nation.

Bear Fruit Bar, FruitFast Bar and Organic Food Bar

2008-08-26T09:48:00.000-07:00

Bear Fruit Bar, FruitFast Bar and Organic Food Bar
by: Mike Adams

(NaturalNews) Welcome to the Health Ranger Show. It is a great day to talk about some new health food bar products. I am going to review them here on this show independently, and objectively. I do not have any financial stake in any of the products that I am going to comment on here. (This document is a transcription of Health Ranger Report #20. The original audio is available here: http://www.naturalnews.com/Index-Podcas... )

These are nutritional products, most of them. Some are superfoods. Occasionally I will review a green living product -- like a natural body care or natural soap or a natural shampoo -- something along those lines. But today I have some foods -- some superfoods, some health foods for you. We are going to start this segment with a fruit bar that I found about a year ago at a trade show. I talked to this company and they are doing some incredible things.

It is called the "Bear Fruit Bar" -- bear like the animal B-E-A-R -- Bear Fruit Bar. This is an organic fruit bar and you might say, well. what is interesting about a fruit bar? Check this out. You know how many fruit bars have many chemical-sounding ingredients, different additives, preservatives to give them shelf life.

Well, this fruit bar -- check this out -- here are the ingredients: organic apples, organic apple concentrate, and organic cherry concentrate. That is it. Three ingredients -- apples, apple concentrate, and cherry concentrate. That is a simple bar. Now, you might ask how it works. How can it stay on the shelf without the chemical additives and preservatives that are usually found in other bars? How does this bar have any kind of shelf life and not spoil? The answer is it is manufactured using a new technology licensed from the USDA, unbelievably.

I know it sounds strange but the USDA has a division that is involved in some interesting research about manufacturing low-moisture-content fruit concentrates and this company has used this technology to make this bar without any chemicals whatsoever. Unlike typical fruit bars that are really just candy bars mostly made with apple juice, often with artificial flavors and artificial colors. I mean, that is what you find in many of the other fruit bars on the market these days.

This bar, the Bear Fruit Bar, is made with only three ingredients, no additives, no preservatives, no junk. Now, the problem is you cannot find this bar in retail stores yet but you can find it online. Let me give you the website address here. It is www.MorFoods.com . Again, I do not have any financial stake in this company. I do not earn anything from recommending this product, but I love this bar. I have taken this traveling with me.

You can take them on an airplane or on a road trip. There are a number of different flavors, which have different kinds of fruits in them. Let me grab one here. It is organic apple blueberry, the first one was organic apple cherry, and they have a third one that is just organic apple.

Why this is interesting is because these fruits are medicinal. Blueberries and cherries in particular are medicinal. What do I mean by that? Well, they contain their own natural plant-based medicines. Blueberries for example have the effect of lowering high cholesterol. Did you know that? They do it, in fact, better than statin drugs.

Now I am not saying this bar replaces your statin drug but if you eat enough blueberries, it does have the effect of balancing your cholesterol, which under the supervision of a qualified healthcare practitioner may allow you to safely transition off those dangerous pharmaceuticals that you might be using right now to control your cholesterol. Would it not be nice to just control your cholesterol with food instead of dangerous, expensive pharmaceuticals with negative side effects?

I mean, some of those pharmaceuticals have side-effects that include death. That is a common side effect and kind of a drastic one too, I think you might agree. No one has ever been killed by blueberries. You have never looked in the newspaper obituary column and seen death by blueberries -- it does not happen. You can eat all the blueberries you want and the only thing you are going to do is get full and increase your anti-oxidants. You cannot die by eating too many blueberries -- believe me, I have tried it. It does not work, you just get full.

Now cherries are also medicine. Cherries contain a natural anti-inflammatory medicine, which works better than arthritis drugs at relieving arthritis pain and inflammation. Cherries also, by the way, eliminate gout. Did you know that? Yes, they do. They are real medicine. There are many cherry products on the market and I actually recommend lots of them.

The FruitFast bar

There are many companies that I recommend -- another cherry bar is made by a company called "Fruit Fast," which you can find online at www.FruitFast.com. That is another good choice for a cherry bar.

The Bear Fruit Bar organic apple cherry can be found at www.MorFoods.com. This is something that is worth knowing about. if you want to give healthy food to your children and you do not want to buy the junk food bars that they have at the grocery store, or even some of the junk that is sold at the health food store -- because not everything there is healthy in case you did not know that. Some of it is still junk even though here is a lot of good stuff there, too.

If you really want something that is honest, healthy, that contains just pure natural organic simple ingredients and you do not have to be chemistry major to decode the chemicals listed in the ingredients, then this is a good food bar to go with. We are going to review a lot of food bars on this show because there are many on the market and a lot of them are just junk.

Avoid cheap "energy" bars

One thing I want to mention to you right now is that when you are shopping for food bars in a grocery store or health food store watch out for the word "energy." Many bars are positioned as "energy bars." In the health industry, do you know what the word energy means? It means sugar. That is it.

When they say it is an energy bar what they mean is that it is made with refined sugars -- usually corn syrup or high fructose corn syrup -- both of which are, in my opinion, slow- acting dietary poison that promote diabetes, that promote nutritional deficiencies, that promote obesity and osteoporosis and even depression. They are dangerous ingredients that I think should never be used in foods -- not for humans, not for animals, and certainly not for children, but you will find that in many bars that say they are energy bars.

The other thing to watch out for are "sugar-free" or even "low carb." Do you know why? Because on many of the so-called sugar-free bars or low-carb bars you are going to find contain artificial synthetic chemical sweeteners? Yes, chemical sweeteners like aspartame or saccharin or the big favorite now, sucralose, which is claimed to be made from sugar but actually contains a chlorine atom.

Yes, the same type of molecule that they use to disinfect the pool in your backyard -- chlorine. The same molecule they drip into the water supply to kill anything that might be living in the water -- chlorine. There is a chlorine atom on sucralose. You have to watch out for that. Those are two tips right there. Watch out for the word energy on food bars as well as low-carb or low-sugar.

You have to really read the ingredients and find out what is in them. If you are not reading the ingredients, then you trust the front label of that food bar and the label is usually a place where the food companies deceive consumers. They are not telling you the truth on the label unless you get to the ingredients. Even there they try to play games and hide things from you and we will talk about that even more in this segment. How they distort their ingredients and deceive consumers.

Living, Raw Foods

Now in this segment I am going to tell you about another company that you probably never heard of. It is called Everything Raw, that is www.EverythingRaw.com. This company is actually pretty well-known in the raw foods industry. You may not be familiar with it but there is a specialty segment of the health industry that is all focused on raw foods.

By that, I mean living foods -- foods that have not been overly processed, cooked, or heated above a certain temperature, usually 110° or 115°. The reason they do this, and we are going to do an entire show on this topic later, is because raw foods have more nutritional value than cooked foods in almost every case. If you take green leafy vegetables, for example, and you cook them, you destroy about half of the nutritional content. In some cases you destroy 80% or 90% of certain nutrients.

Many of those nutrients are the very medicines that help those plants prevent heart disease, prevent cancer and protect your eyes, for example, and protect your cardiovascular system from heart disease. You want those nutrients. When you cook many of these foods, you destroy those nutrients.

Many people are pursuing what is called a raw foods diet or a living foods diet. I call it just a living-plant-based diet and I pursue it to a very great degree. I do not eat everything raw for sure. I do not eat raw meat in case you are curious about that although I have been known to blend up some raw eggs from time to time in my own smoothies because I do not like to cook egg yolks. I think they are healthier raw.

EverythingRaw chocolate bars

Anyway, let us get back to this company -- www.EverythingRaw.com. They have some fantastic food bars. I want to read you the ingredients of this food bar called "Raw Decadence." It is an organic dark chocolate flavored bar. You might wonder why it is called "flavored?" Well, let me read you the ingredients and it will all make sense.

The ingredients are very simple -- organic dates, organic agave syrup -- that is the sweetener. It is a very low glycemic sweetener. Organic raw cacao nibs -- that is the natural unprocessed chocolate, organic raw cacao powder, organic raw pistachios, organic pecans, organic raw cashews, organic vanilla beans. Um, that sounds good. Organic coconut oil -- that is the wonderful fat in the bar -- and organic cinnamon.

That is it. Now, what would a cheap chocolate bar look like? Instead of organic coconut oil, which is an expensive form of plant-based fats that are very, very healthy for you, a cheap bar would use milk fat. They would use dairy fats or they might even use hydrogenated soybean oil. They would use a cheap plant-based fat, and instead of organic raw cacao nibs, which are the actual pieces of cacao that are not processed and not cooked, they would just use chocolate flavoring or chocolate extract.

They would use a sweetened form of chocolate that has all the bitter alkaloids removed. You see, alkaloids are just a fancy name for a certain class of plant-based medicines found in the chocolate plant. Alkaloids are responsible for many of the health benefits of eating chocolate.

You have probably seen a lot of the research out there where they talk about chocolate being good for your heart. Chocolate is good for your liver. It actually protects the liver -- helps to detoxify your liver. Chocolate may even help prevent cancer. There are many, many natural medicines found in chocolate. Chocolate even enhances your mood. It makes you feel good. That is why we love chocolate so much, because it actually alters our mood. It makes us feel better.

In fact, chocolate was, for many, many years in previous civilizations -- the Incan civilization, the Mayan civilization and pre-Incan South American civilizations -- considered the food of the gods. Food of the gods, actually the name for the phytonutrients. The so-called active chemical constituent in chocolate is theobromine. Theo is spelled T-H-E-O and it is the same Latin root for the word theology, which means, of course, the study of religion or the study of God.

Thus, theobromine means the bromine of the gods or the chemical of the gods found in the chocolate plant. That is an interesting bit of history about how chocolate has long since been considered food of the gods and I think many people alive today would agree. When you get good chocolate, you feel like you are in heaven, right -- cannot argue with that.

Heavenly Yoga Bars

Well, this company, www.EverythingRaw.com has some great chocolate bars. Really some of the best that I have tasted and the one I love the most is called "Yoga Bar." It is a weird name, I agree and it does not make you do yoga any better. There is nothing yoga about it. It is just called Yoga Bar for some reason that I cannot explain but the owner, Paul, may have a better explanation for you. Maybe we will have him on the show some day to answer that question.

Anyway, it is a white chocolate bar and it is made with cacao fat or cacao oil. It is a natural fatty acid from the cacao plant and it tastes unbelievable. You have never had a white chocolate bar like that and of course, it is all organic. There are no chemical additives in it whatsoever. It is all organic. It is all natural. It is all sourced from plants and the health benefits are just outstanding on that bar.

Check them out at www.EverythingRaw.com and remember too, by the way, that I do not have any financial ties with these companies. This is not a paid infomercial. They have not paid me to talk about their product. This is just what I do. I go around and I find great products. I go to the trade shows. I interview these people. I have done hundreds of interviews with the top health companies in the industry. I have reviewed hundreds of different products over the last four or five years now.

Occasionally, I will bring you a product on this show that I am not too thrilled about and in fact, we may do that here in the next segment. I am going to talk to you about a product that I think is just hype. Yes, I am going to do that. I am holding a bottle of this over-hyped product in my hand right now. We are going to do that in the next segment, but for the most part, I want to bring you products that I like to recommend. I would rather let you know what I think you should pursue -- what products would be good to have in your life and in your diet rather than focusing on products that are bad.

Occasionally, I will review a "bad product" because I want to warn you about those products and I do not want you to waste your money on a bunch of hype -- and there is a lot of hype in this industry. There are a lot of companies claiming to have health benefits in their products and they do not even have enough ingredients in the product to create any kind of health benefit -- there are all kinds of things like that you want to avoid.

Organic Food Bar -- Our Editor's Choice My company, www.NaturalNews.com has given an award to this company that I am about to tell you about. The award is the Best Raw Food Bar Award Editor's Choice and I do not give that away lightly, believe me. A company has to earn it.

Well, what company is this? It is called the Organic Food Bar Company. It is a very simple name, very simple ingredients, and outstanding product. I interviewed the founder and president of this company and you are going to hear that interview, by the way, in another show here.

His name is Jack Singh and he is a naturopath. He created these bars because he wanted to be able to give his clients, his family, his friends and his children, healthy food that was also convenient and portable because sometimes you are traveling and you want healthy food, right. It also has to taste good and it has to be made with pure organic ingredients so he founded this company called Organic Food Bar. You can find them online at www.OrganicFoodBar.com.

When I talked to him, I said, "You know what. Our listeners need a special offer if they are going to go buy your food bar. I think they should get a discount just for being our listeners and our readers over at www.NaturalNews.com."

I negotiated with this company for a discount on your behalf -- for you. I earn nothing on this. I have not been paid to do this. It is the best price you can find on these bars and it includes free shipping anywhere in the United States. You can find that discount because there is a special code for that discount. They have not sent it to me yet but when they do, I am going to post it up on www.NaturalNews.com.

Go to www.NaturalNews.com, search for Organic Food Bar and look for the coupon code where you will find a special coupon code and a special link where you can order these bars at the best price anywhere. You will not find a better price. They assured me of that and you will get free delivery.

Now, what is so great about these food bars -- oh, and by the way, remember I do not earn any money on this so I do not have any financial involvement. I have to keep repeating that because people always assume it. There are so few actual honest people in an industry that people always assume you are on the take. I have to keep reminding people that I am not.

All right, let us look at the ingredients. Organic almond butter made from ground organic almonds -- very delicious, highly nutritious and has an anti-cancer effect.

Raw organic almonds are anti-cancer. They also help prevent heart disease. They protect the nervous system have many other benefits. Organic dates, organic agave nectar -- that is the sweetener, organic brown rice protein… this sounds good already. By the way, I am reading the ingredients from one of their flavors called Active Greens.

They have many different flavors. They even have a high-protein bar made with a brown rice protein powder that I really like. That is my favorite bar of theirs but let me continue with the ingredients on this Active Greens bar.

Here we go -- organic biodynamic raisins, organic bio-sprouts -- that means sprouted flax. Sprouted flax is much better than non-sprouted flax because once it is sprouted it activates the enzymes and the flax seed actually begins to synthesize its own vitamins. When you sprout the flax and then you eat it raw, you get huge nutritional benefits.

The nutritional density is just off the charts versus dead dormant flax seeds. Most everybody out there that is making cereal and products with Omega-3 in them, using dead or dormant flax seeds, and that does not give you near the benefits of this sprouted flax. That is one good reason why this product is so powerful; the Omega-3's really prevent disease. They prevent heart disease. They prevent depression. They even help stabilize blood sugar and prevent diabetes. I mean, real nutrition in this bar is why I get so excited when I see products like this in the marketplace.

All right, next we have organic bio-sprouted quinoa. Quinoa is a wonderful South American grain that is a complete form of protein. It has all eight essential amino acids in other words. It is not an imbalanced protein like you might get from beans and rice for example. It is a complete protein. It is naturally high in fiber. It is naturally high in magnesium. This was a food consumed for thousands of years by the South Americans before the Conquistadors came over and outlawed the growing of spirulina, but that is a different story.

All right, next we have the greens. We have organic wheat grass juice powder, barley grass juice powder -- all of these are organic by the way -- sesame seeds, spirulina and then blueberry, raspberry, broccoli sprouts, beet juice, carrot juice -- these are all organic ingredients and these are loaded with natural plant-based medicines. I mean there are literally thousands of phytonutrients or what we call plant-based nutrients in this bar.

Modern science has not even begun to catalog all of the nutritional benefits of these thousands of different phytonutrients. The technology in this bar -- the technology that is synthesized by Mother Nature and grown naturally by the plants and then harvested and put together by this company into this one bar -- exceeds all medical technology known by man.

Far exceeds it because nature's wisdom greatly exceeds man's wisdom. Man has just barely begun to understand biology and physiology and it cannot even grasp concepts like holistic healing, holistic health, mind-body interactions, and so on. I mean, in fact, modern medical science is so far behind in the times that it does not even understand the difference between dead foods and living foods -- thinks they are exactly the same.

It is an absurd idea, but all the nutrition books out there that are conventional do not even distinguish between living and dead. We know living foods have far more nutritional energy and potency and they deliver far more disease-fighting nutrients -- and that is what is in this bar. This is all in one bar called the Organic Food Bar.

Again, you can learn about them online at www.OrganicFoodBar.com. You can also get a discount that we have negotiated on your behalf at www.NaturalNews.com so check that out. Take part in that. They have bars for kids. There are different flavors such as blueberry. They have a protein bar. I recommend this company openly, without any compensation whatsoever. I love what this company is doing and I recommend them strongly to anyone who wants to be healthy.

Ormes - Spiritual and Medicinal Gold With Incredible Healing Potential

2008-08-26T09:04:00.000-07:00

Ormes - Spiritual and Medicinal Gold With Incredible Healing Potential
by: Mike Donkers

Ormus, also known as ORMEs, m-state elements, white powder gold, or the Philosopher’s Stone, was discovered in 1975 by an Arizona farmer named David Hudson. He discovered some material in his soil that he had never seen before. He laid it out to dry in the hot Arizona sun so he could have it analyzed. What happened next was absolutely remarkable: the stuff exploded in a big flash of light and disappeared! But when he dried it without the use of sunlight it didn’t disappear.

Hudson was a very successful farmer and businessman so he could afford to have an expensive assay of the material done by a professor at New York’s Cornell University. The stuff turned out to contain gold, silver, iron and aluminum, among other things. However, the gold and silver did not dissolve in fluid, as is usually the case. The iron and aluminum also did not dissolve in various acids and in their isolated form, they formed a strange black matter.

One by one the elements were isolated. Until the standard tests revealed there should be nothing left. But there was something left - a lot of it, in fact. The scientist told Hudson there was nothing, although after removal of the individual elements a staggering 98% of the material was still left! Hudson had spent a lot of money on the analyses and left the university completely disappointed in academic science.

Dissatisfied but determined, Hudson sought out a German expert who, together with him, was willing to analyze the stuff further and build special machinery to do this. The assays showed that it contained various precious elements such as platinum and variants thereof, like rhodium, iridium, ruthenium and osmium.

The tests also showed that this material reacted differently to various heat and cold treatments. The time period to which they exposed the stuff to hot or cold temperatures also produced different results. The turning point was at 70 seconds heat treatment. When Hudson stopped the process at 69 seconds the powder contained no precious elements, yet at 70 seconds or over it did.

Hudson then went to a specialist at the University of Iowa. They conducted several experiments and once again produced the most amazing results. The material expressions of the stuff magically changed depending on the degree of warming or cooling they subjected it to. Among these forms were a white powder but also glass. Elements such as iron spontaneously disappeared or morphed into other elements. The material also changed weight, particularly when exposed to air.

Hudson was advised to patent these elements to prevent others from using his findings and keep him from experimenting further. In March of 1988 Hudson patented these elements which he called Orbitally Rearranged Monoatomic Elements, or ORMEs. This has become known as Ormus and stands for what are twelve known elements which exist both in a material and an immaterial, energetic form.

Hudson found this out by getting in touch with one of the American pioneers of quantum physics, Hal Puthoff. Puthoff explained to him the strange phenomena associated with Ormus. Ormus elements are capable of losing their material form under the influence of warmth and sunlight, making them no longer subject to the laws of gravity and even capable of dissolving into sunlight. This is what Hudson had witnessed when he dried the material in the hot sun. The Ormus had literally become one with the light and transferred to another dimension in which there is no space-time. By cooling it down, he learned to bring back the stuff to the exact place where he had laid it to dry, back to the material world of space-time in which we live.

Ormus is a superconductor. These elements resonate with the primal energy, the zero point from which all life originates and which is a quantum potential of possibilities. Ormus is one with this endless source of energy, which can be found in the air, the soil, plants, stones and the sea. Hudson even showed by dissecting animal brains that they too contained Ormus. According to Hudson our brains contain at least 5% Ormus. This percentage can be raised considerably if we take in food and water with a high Ormus content.

It is exactly these foods that are so sadly lacking today. Hudson refers to Ormus as ‘the light of life’ and ‘the Spirit’. He claims it not only makes us more spiritual but that it’s capable of correcting DNA too. Now think of the experiments the alchemists carried out in which they tried to change metals into gold and made a white powder out of gold. The church persecuted, tortured and killed these people. What did they know that we’re not supposed to know? The ancient Egyptians also knew. Gold has always been the true money and has remained so to this day. But the true value of gold may well be medicinal and spiritual instead of material.

There are, unfortunately, dark and powerful forces at work which are trying to keep us from realizing our true potential, our true evolution to a higher consciousness. They are spreading death energy across the planet. They do so by controlling our food and money supply. They are the inventors of NPK agriculture, which is based on growing crops with a bare minimum of three elements: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). This technique came out of the successes they had had in World War One with nitrogen bombs. Plants grown with NPK cannot survive in nature because she sends a ‘clean-up crew’ of insects and fungi to dispose of these weak organisms. That’s why the crops are ‘treated’ with pesticides, which in turn are a variation of nerve gas.

Thus an unnatural product is kept artificially alive using war chemistry. As a result, we develop a structural mineral (and therefore Ormus) deficiency and ingest dangerous toxins which mess with our hormonal and nervous system. The diseases caused by this are then ‘treated’ with even more war-based chemicals. Like chemo therapy, for instance, which is nothing more than a variation of mustard gas.

Genetic engineering of crops such as corn, cotton, canola and soy is done to alter the natural genetic blueprint of these crops so they can be patented. This is done by making the plant sick using a cancer or virus to penetrate the plant’s DNA. Animals don’t fare much better. Millions of cows, pigs and chickens are kept in circumstances which would normally cause the animals to drop dead on their feet. Yet with medication, growth hormones and synthetic minerals they are kept alive long enough to be sent to the slaughter house. This process happens so quickly that many animals are skinned alive. The suffering of these animals defies description and you end up with sick plants and animals and death energy on your plate. Is this the kind of ‘food’ you’d like to eat? Is it any wonder only 5% of the world population are free thinkers?

Experiments show that Ormus is most abundant in the sea. Not so strange when you consider that sea water covers 70% of the earth’s surface and is the primal soup of all life on this planet. All known and unknown minerals on this planet are concentrated in sea water. Grow your own veggies and fruit with these building blocks of life using diluted ocean water or sea salt. If you want to find out more about this, check out these two pages I wrote for NaturalNews:

all about Nutrition Myths

2008-08-26T08:44:00.000-07:00

Here are some Myths which always we heard aout a nutrition:

Sugars

Avoid all sugars, including alternative sweeteners, such as raw cane sugar, glucose, dextrose, molasses, caramel, fructose, corn syrup, date syrup, rice syrup, wheat syrup, etc. Sugars will raise your blood sugar causing your pancreas to produce a hormone called insulin to bring it back down. Too much insulin is also sickening and your body will develop insulin resistance as a result. Although in this way, you’re creating a panic inside your body on a daily basis, a kind of balance is created and for the longest time you will hardly notice this internal battle taking place.

Only at middle age do you get presented the check for this exhaustion of your system. You will develop all sorts of prediabetic conditions, such as candida, hypoglycemia, poor circulation, excessive thirst, excessive hunger, excessive urination, constipation, windiness, allergies, skin problems, high blood pressure, irregular heart rhythm, bad cholesterol, obesity, etc. Most people will still not relate their symptoms to their foods and the doctor’s cures will only cause side effects which, in turn, will cause more problems and worsen the original ones.

Too much sugar intake causes your glucose and insulin levels to go up. To make matters worse, insulin resistance creates a vicious circle in which the insulin will increasingly be less effective. A pancreas which has to produce too much insulin for too long will eventually get used up and give out. Insulin will then have to be injected into the blood. This is called sugar diabetes. Sugar sickens much more so than you might think; viruses, yeast fungi and cancer cells love sugar and feed on it.

I often come across the 'sugar-is-good-for-your-muscles' myth popularized by the sugar industry. This is a clever half truth. Any food is basically foreign to the body. Your body has to convert food into glucose to use it as energy. Glucose is essential for muscle development. 'Thus sugar is good for you,' say the sugar manufacturers. They don’t distinguish between the indirect sugars made internally by your body, which are slowly released into the bloodstream, and the very harmful external, 'fast sugars' which directly drive up your blood glucose and actually attack your muscles. Our body does indeed need sugar, but only the kind the body makes itself based on whole foods.

In alternative circles, there’s the persistent myth that raw cane sugar and molasses are healthy because they contain minerals. Though this is not entirely untrue, the negative effects raw cane sugar and molasses have on your blood sugar far outweigh the benefits. Just look at the amount of people shopping and working at health food stores that are overweight. Do they look that healthy to you? They too fall prey to their sugar addiction, which largely undoes the effects of many of the useful products sold in those stores.

Bread, pasta, potatoes and rice

Sugar is not just the white stuff people put in their coffee or tea. It includes all refined products such as white bread, white pasta, white flour, white rice, in short any grain with the bran removed. The starch which is left is no longer slowed down by the fiber in the bran, making it a fast sugar which also causes a rise in blood sugar and a subsequent insulin response.

A good alternative is whole-grain products such as brown bread, brown pasta, brown flour, brown rice, etc. Eat sourdough bread particularly because the sugars in the starch have been eaten by the milk bacteria in the bread as a result of natural fermentation. All naturally fermented products are good: live yogurt, sauerkraut, natural vinegar, etc.

This doesn’t mean you can keep stuffing yourself with bread, however! We humans were not made to consume that many sugars. People on a low-fat diet who eat many carbohydrates in the form of bread, pasta, and other starchy products, even if they’re whole-grain and sourdough, will only gain weight. Thus you shouldn’t eat more than two slices of bread a day and have pasta, rice, or potatoes only twice a week. The best bread is sprouted grain bread, which can be bought in health food stores.

Caffeine and alcohol

Caffeine and alcohol are also part of the sugar family as they too will raise your glucose level. Don’t drink more than two cups of black coffee a day, if you know what’s good for you. You may want to put raw, unpasteurized milk in your coffee, but sugar is out. The sugars in raw milk are slow, the ones in pasteurized milk (known as beta glucose) are fast. A so-called milk allergy or lactose intolerance is really an intolerance or allergy to pasteurization.

Green tea also contains caffeine but this is released slowly into the blood, giving you all the advantages of caffeine and not the disadvantages. Caffeine is not the bad guy here. It is known to positively stimulate your immune system and can be good for the heart. Because of the speed with which it is released into the blood, the caffeine in coffee needs to be regarded as a fast sugar, however. This is of course the reason why we love that cup of coffee in the morning to kick-start the brain. It’s better to drink green tea, though. You may feel the effect a little later but you can drink it all day without any problems. Try doing that on coffee without shaking!

Alcohol works in a similar way as caffeine. There is, however, no product with alcohol which releases the alcohol slowly into the blood. Because of its direct influence on blood sugar, alcohol should therefore be seen as a fast sugar. Limit yourself to two glasses if you’re going to drink alcohol. In small quantities, alcohol can have an equally positive effect on the immune system as caffeine. Go over that limit, however, and it turns into poison. The sudden rise in blood sugar will bring about an irresistible feeling of hunger. Your body is in survival mode and needs food to replenish its energy. The food choices you make under the influence of alcohol are generally not very good.

Fruit juices

Fruit juices are often seen as healthy and certainly not a type of sugar. Yet fructose (fruit sugar) is also a sugar. As with grains, the problem is not the sugars themselves, but the refinement of the fruit. Commercial fruit juice does not come from the whole fruit, but from the fruit stripped of its skin and pulp. The skin and pulp once again slow down the release of sugars into the bloodstream because they're fibers. Your best bet is to buy a decent blender and make your own fruit juice fresh from the whole fruit, including the seeds, pulp and the skin in whole or in part.

It also goes without saying that sweet fruits contain more sugars than bitter and sour fruits. Go for lemon, lime, grapefruit, pomegranate, berries and sour apples. Healthy sweeter fruits are, among others, all other citrus fruits, cherries, papaya, coconut and pineapple.

Honey, agave nectar and maple syrup

Though honey, agave nectar and maple syrup are fast sugars, they nevertheless contain very healthy substances such as large amounts of vitamin C. Taken in moderation, they are not necessarily bad for you. Nature has provided her own limit by making the stuff really sweet so you don’t overdo it.

Artificial sweeteners

Chemical sweeteners are to be avoided at all cost! They cause cancer, damage your liver and nervous system, and are not easily removed from your body. They prefer to live in the back of your brain which they will literally eat away. Just like sugar, the damage is slow and cumulative. But if I had to make a choice between sugar and artificial sweeteners, I’d choose sugar in a heartbeat! Make sure the products you buy do not contain aspartame, sucralose, saccharine, cyclamate, acesulfame-k and other sweeteners. You’ll most likely find them in so-called 'light' or 'diet' products. That sugar-free gum you've been chewing on probably contains aspartame or some other sweetener.

Saturated fats

For many thousands of years, mankind has been using saturated fats. Since the early 1950's we were told that these fats are bad for us. The scientific backup for this came from only one single study carried out by Ancel Keys. Keys selectively used the data he collected in six countries to prove the foregone conclusion that saturated fats are unhealthy.

The saturated-fat myth was then picked up by the western food industry and governments and are adhered to to this day, despite many studies which demonstrate the opposite effect. Generations of doctors and dietitians have been taught this myth and unwittingly convey it to their clients. An entire industry has been based on the avoidance of saturated fats. Oddly enough, nobody seems to see the connection between the low-fat we have been eating and the many health problems which have arisen since the 1950's.

Which products contain saturated fats? All animal products, like meat and dairy. There are also some saturated vegetable fats, like coconut and palm oil. Once again, man has eaten saturated fats for ages. In fact, fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamins A, D, E, K, and B12 are best absorbed by the body in the form of saturated fats. Saturated fats are essential and your body screams for them if it doesn’t get them. Why are so many of us overweight? Because we’re literally fat from the sugars in carbohydrates through excessive grain consumption. Did you know your body actually has the intelligence to make its own saturated fats from all that dry food and store them as fat reserves? There’s no fooling your body and your bread belly is proof positive of this!

Feel free to consume saturated fats in the form of whole, unpasteurized dairy and you will lose weight. These saturated fats are converted by the body into energy almost straight away and are not stored as fat. You can consume these fats hot or cold, since an added benefit of saturated fats is that they’re able to withstand high temperatures and can be used for frying. They are also an excellent source of protein, so that nutrient area is covered too.

It seems like a contradiction, doesn't it? An egg fried in butter or a sandwich with a thick layer of raw-milk cheese or a large helping of full-fat yogurt actually causes you to lose weight. Try telling generations of heavily propagandized women and men that butter isn’t fattening and partially hydrogenated, unsaturated margarine is. But ask yourself why these diets don’t work. A low-fat diet makes you fat, so don’t fall for any of those low-fat gurus who will often promote the use of cancer-causing, aspartame-laden 'diet' products. Weighing calories and checking the labels for caloric information is a waste of time. Rather, check the label for such ingredients as sugar, salt, flavor enhancers, artificial colorants and sweeteners, GMO’s and other chemical junk.

Cholesterol

Being afraid of high cholesterol is totally unnecessary. In Japan, high cholesterol is seen as a sign of health! Have you seen the health of these people? Why is cholesterol okay in their book but not ours? Once again we need to turn to that single one-sided study done by Ancel Keys in the early 1950’s. We learned to measure cholesterol and divided it up into ‘good’ cholesterol (HDL) and ‘bad' cholesterol (LDL). Again an entire industry has been based on this, not just the food industry but also the pharmaceutical industry which tells us that their highly dangerous statins (cholesterol-lowering drugs) lower the ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol and up the ‘good’ HDL cholesterol.

Hogwash! Another myth based on outdated and selective research. There is no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ cholesterol. There’s only one type of cholesterol and that’s cholesterol. What makes cholesterol good or bad in the eyes of scientists? Due to bad food habits (sugars) our blood gets sticky and syrupy. Cholesterol is a part of blood and when blood starts sticking to the vascular walls so does the cholesterol in the blood (how come there’s no ‘LDL blood’ and ‘HDL blood’?). The cholesterol which sticks to the vascular walls is called LDL and is therefore ‘bad’. The cholesterol which keeps flowing through the veins is the ‘good’ HDL. As the cholesterol and the blood get stickier, the medical diagnosis will be an increase of LDL. Until you’re completely clogged up and need a bypass operation.

This faulty LDL/HDL diagnosis has doctors looking at blood cholesterol exclusively and offering a 'solution' in the form of statins. Since there’s really only one type of cholesterol these drugs do not lower the LDL but the overall cholesterol. This is very dangerous. Side effects of these drugs are rheumatoid complaints such as muscle cramps and impaired blood flow. This result is obvious as cholesterol acts like a vacuum cleaner. That’s right, it’s a blood cleanser. Did you know that your body needs cholesterol to synthesize sunlight into vitamin D? No wonder the Japanese see high cholesterol as a good thing.

Lower your cholesterol with these drugs and your blood will get polluted more and more along with decreased blood circulation. The painful side effects this has on your muscles and extremities (arms, legs, hands, feet, head) are nothing compared to the heart hazards. Herbal medicines which promote blood flow and have zero side effects, such as ginkgo biloba, hawthorn, green tea, pine extract, cayenne, ginger, and garlic are often dismissed as nonsense and are often contraindicated, i.e. they can’t be used in combination with drugs. I know what I’d choose.

Unsaturated fats

Since the 1950’s, plant-based unsaturated fats have become the answer of the food industry and government to our health problems. Why then have these problems only increased since that time? Let’s first look at the financial benefits to using unsaturated vegetable fats versus saturated fats like butter. Take a cookie, for example. Butter comes from cows and cows cost money. More money than having a field of sun flowers or corn from which you can press oil. Butter also has a shorter sell-by date. That’s why cookies are no longer made from butter. You will often find the very vague description 'vegetable fats' on the label, meaning they chose the cheapest unsaturated fat available at the time.

So there’s a clear commercial reason for using unsaturated vegetable fats. If this had a positive effect on our health this of course would be no problem. Trouble is, it doesn’t. Did you know that margarine is inferior butter which was originally used to fatten up animals for slaughter? Margarine has a grayish color and needs to be dyed to give it the color of butter. In fact, margarine is only one molecule removed from plastic! The powerful food industry is selling us this just to save a buck. They don’t give a hoot about your health and your government won’t protect you either.

There is some confusion about monounsaturated and polyunsaturated vegetable fats. Examples of monounsaturated fats are olive oil, sesame oil and peanut oil. Polyunsaturated fats include sunflower oil, corn oil and soy oil. You may recognize the polyunsaturated fats as ingredients in many commercial food products. That’s because they’re dead cheap and have many applications, not just for the food industry but also the cosmetics and pesticide industries, to name but a few. Polyunsaturated fats contain inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids. Monounsaturated fats contain anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids.

There’s a growing awareness about the health-giving effects of omega fatty acids. The food industry cleverly plays on this awareness by putting slogans like 'contains omega fats' on their labels. They’d rather not distinguish between omega-3 and omega-6, just like they talk about 'vegetable oil'. The omega-3 to omega-6 ratio we are supposed to consume should not exceed 1:4. Due to extensive use of the cheaper polyunsaturated fats our modern foods have a ratio of 1:20, sometimes even 1:50.

Something else is also going on. Most plant oils do not lend themselves to be heated. The burning point of virtually all vegetable oils is much lower than saturated fats, which makes these plant fats good for cold use only. But bear in mind that the balance should be in favor of omega-3. Omega-6 fats are not necessarily bad, though, it’s about balance. Healthy omega-3 rich oils are olive oil, walnut oil and flaxseed oil. Healthy omega-6 oils are sesame oil and wheat germ oil.

Besides sugars, grains also contain lots of omega-6 fats. For this reason, a salad (complex carbs) with green leafy vegetables and sprouts (omega-3) is infinitely healthier for you than all this bread (sugars, omega-6). Frying in vegetable oil results in carcinogenic substances due to burned oil. Only olive oil, sesame oil and peanut oil allow themselves to be heated, olive oil being the healthiest of the three because the other two contain omega-6. Saturated fats can all be heated very well.

Whatever you do, don’t go over 350 degrees Fahrenheit, preferably below that. Use a low to medium flame when you’re cooking. Low and slow is best. Even the most heat-resistant fats will burn if you go over 350 Fahrenheit. For that reason a microwave oven, which heats food ultra fast on a molecular level, is a definite no-no. Viewed under a microscope, microwaved food shows ruptured, broken and even exploded cells. This has been known since World War Two. Pity you have to hear it from me.

Trans fats

The missing link between saturated and unsaturated fats is trans fats. A trans fat is an unsaturated fat which is heated, causing the fluids to evaporate and the fat to solidify. A hydrogen molecule is then added to the fat. This hydrogenation process alters the chemical structure of the fat. What was originally an unsaturated fat has now become a saturated fat. These fats are man-made and do not exist in nature. What’s their advantage? Take that cookie. Vegetable fats are cheaper and are used in place of butter. They are liquid, however, and don’t have the same semi-solid structure as butter has naturally. By hydrogenating vegetable fats they can be used as a direct replacement for butter. They also keep well. So what if butter is a natural saturated fat and trans fats are unnatural saturated fats? The consumer won’t even know the difference, right?

Right? As it so happens, consumers are waking up to the dangers of trans fats. New York City was the first to completely ban trans fats and other cities will soon follow. Denmark is the most progressive European country by imposing a trans fat limit of 2%. Together with sugars, trans fats are the main cause of the dramatic increase of diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol problems, cardiovascular disease, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, candidiasis, allergies, ADHD, depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, etc. we have seen after the second World War. Trans fats are alien to the body and are dangerous free radicals capable of causing cellular (DNA) damage. As with sugar and artificial sweeteners the damage is cumulative: the longer you consume these fats, the greater the damage.

How do you recognize trans fatty acids when shopping for food items? Read the labels. Look for hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils or fats. You’ll be amazed to see how many products contain trans fats nowadays.

The soy myth

Finally the soy myth needs to be exposed. This is another persistent one among alternative circles. An often-used argument is that soy has been used in Asia for thousands of years. Another half truth. While it is true that soy products were consumed as far back as the Ming Dynasty, only fermented soy was used. Raw soy products such as tofu, soy milk, soy lecithin and soy oil are only 200 to 300 years old. Once again they have been popularized by a powerful industry which has been pulling the wool over our eyes by emphasizing a healthy tradition in fermented soy use and confusing it with unfermented soy. Health food stores sell this as a health food!

What’s so bad about soy? Well, it contains lots of phytic acid, an acid which can also be found in yeast bread but not in sourdough bread. Sourdough bread is a fermented bread which contains lactic acid bacteria and so does fermented soy. Besides eating the sugars in the starch these bacteria also eat the phytic acid. If left intact, phytic acid acts as a mineral blocker. It blocks the absorption of important minerals like iron, zinc, magnesium and calcium. Feeding babies with a so-called lactose allergy soy milk is an absolute disaster. Kids and adults would also do wise to avoid taking unfermented soy.

Fermented soy products are soy sauce (watch out for other harmful ingredients such as sugar, MSG, preservatives and colorants), miso and tempeh. Particularly, Japanese cuisine is very good with fermented soy. Bad news for vegetarians and vegans who often turn to tofu and associated soy products. They too fall victim to the propaganda of a very profitable industry.