Saturday, October 08, 2016
Friday, March 18, 2011
Eating with Diabetes: Exposing the Common Myths
The following article was kindly contributed by Emma B. Wood, a dental assistant who has a blog for diabetics at www.diabeticdietrecipes.org
Maintaining a healthy diet is vital to our all-around health and wellbeing. Eating the right foods help us control illness, reduce stress, and provide assistance to prevent serious disease. However, for all those with type 2 diabetes, making appropriate food choices can be both frustrating and confusing. Because diabetes type 2 is a serious disease, debunking the following myths may actually help save the lives of countless.
Myth 1: Diabetes is due to consuming too much sugar.
The cause is not totally understood, diabetes is thought to be the result of genetics and lifestyle factors. With diabetes, your body is unable to properly convert food into glucose, which uses insulin to provide the cells with energy. Carrying excess fat can make type II diabetes more likely to occur.
Myth 2: Diabetics cannot eat sweets.
Consuming a piece of cake will not cause a medical emergency. Although sugars could be empty calories and result in weight gain if eaten in large amounts, when eaten in moderation, sweets can be part of a healthy diet, especially when combined with exercise.
Myth 3: Diabetics must consume special diabetic foods.
A healthy diet plan for those with type II diabetes is quite similar to a healthy diet for everyone - limit the fats, use salt and sugar moderately, and consume whole grain foods. Lean protein, vegetable, and fruit also help to complete a balanced diet. Many foods marketed as "diabetic" foods still usually raise glucose levels inside the blood.
Myth 4: Carbohydrates are dangerous for diabetics.
Starches are an essential part of a balanced diet. Carbs could have a significant effect on blood glucose levels, so they must be consumed in moderation. Carbs contain important nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and fiber, so eradicating them from the diet is not a healthy idea.
Myth 5: Fruit can be consumed freely because it is healthy and natural.
Although fruit is chocked filled with nutrients, consuming too much of it, especially immediately can prove problematic. Also, dried fruits like dates could possibly be high in fat and rich in calories. Fruits such as these should only be eaten without excess.
Myth 6: Dairy milk consumption, as part of a balanced diet, is healthy for diabetics because milk is very low in carbohydrates.
Dairy milk is rich in galactose, casein, and harmful hormones, all of which can significantly promote diabetes in a regular milk consumer. The milk protein casein is similar in shape to the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Because the body may perceive casein as a foreign invader and attack it, it may also start to attack the pancreas cells having confused them for casein, leading to diabetes. (Cavallo, M.G., et al, Cell-mediated immune response to beta casein in recent-onset insulin-dependent diabetes: implications for disease pathogenesisk, 1996, The Lancet. 348, 9032- 926-8). Milk is rich in galactose and it “reaches high levels in human plasma following milk ingestion. Galactose increases atheromatous plaque formation in Baboons and other experimental animals, causes cataracts in rats (and possibly in humans), and is related to the onset of diabetes in humans” (Gordon, D.B. 1999. Milk and mortality: the connection between milk drinking and coronary heart disease. Livermore CA, Gordon Books, USA). Apart from the fact that milk is fattening and promotes obesity and diabetes, dairy milk is high in harmful hormones. These hormones create an imbalance of estrogen and progesterone in the human body – this in turn leads to so-called “estrogen dominance”. Several studies show that estrogen dominance can significantly increase the risk of diabetes. “Whereas estrogen impairs homeostatic control of glucose levels, natural progesterone stabilizes them. Thus, natural progesterone can be beneficial to both those with diabetes and those with reactive hypoglycemia. Estrogen should be contraindicated in patients with diabetes” (diagnose-me.com).
Now that the myths in regards to the diet for those with type II diabetes have been exposed, diabetics and non-diabetics alike will make wise decisions regarding food. Coupled with proper medical care and workout, food can continue to be considered a necessary tool to maintain our bodies healthy.
About me: Emma B. Wood blogs for diabetes recipes , her personal site she uses to help diabetics to eat healthy.
Saturday, January 01, 2011
Why Fruit Juice Is So Bad For Health
Scientists have proved for the first time that fructose, a cheap form of sugar used in thousands of food products and soft drinks, can damage human metabolism and is fuelling the obesity crisis.
Fructose, a sweetener usually derived from corn, can cause dangerous growths of fat cells around vital organs and is able to trigger the early stages of diabetes and heart disease. It is known to raise blood pressure, thus increasing the risk of a heart attack. Unlike sugar, fructose promotes triglycerides in your body which in turn promote obesity and illness.
Also fructose interferes with your brain’s communication with leptin. This results in overeating since leptin is a hormone that suppresses appetite and stops you overeating.
Several studies carried out in 2009/10 show increasingly that fructose is metabolised (used) by the body in a different way compared to sucrose (table sugar). Over 10 weeks, 16 volunteers on a controlled diet including high levels of fructose produced new fat cells around their heart, liver and other digestive organs. They also showed signs of food-processing abnormalities linked to diabetes and heart disease. Another group of volunteers on the same diet, but with glucose sugar replacing fructose, did not have these problems.
Fructose contains no enzymes, vitamins or minerals, and it leeches micronutrients from your body. A mountain of evidence has accumulated demonstrating that it is absolutely terrible for your health. When you eat fruit you eat fructose, so how can fructose be so bad for health?
It is true that fructose is found in fruit. However, eating small amounts of whole fruit does NOT provide concentrated amounts of fructose. When fruit is intact and whole, its fibre will somewhat moderate the release of fructose into your bloodstream, as well as somewhat moderate insulin release. Furthermore, the act of chewing the fruit in the mouth allows the fructose to be released into the body much more slowly than gulping it down as juice.
Fruit juice contains little to no fibre -- but it does contain about eight full teaspoons of fructose sugar per eight-ounce glass. This fructose is brought rapidly into your body, promoting obesity and other health problems. Drinking a glass a freshly squeezed orange juice, even if diluted with a little water, may give you some nutrients, but is super-bad for health because of the concentrated fructose. Humans were not meant to drink their fructose and for this reason you should always avoid any kind of fruit juice.
You should avoid all flavoured fizzy drinks, all kinds of fruit juice and all kinds of artificial sweeteners. Stick to water or club soda instead of fruit juice, and avoid dairy milk which is bad for health for a multitude of other reasons. Also, avoid agave syrup/nectar which is almost pure fructose! Honey is also best avoided because it is high in sugar and has negligible nutritional value.
If you must add a sweetener to your drinks or cooking use just one of the following: stevia or xylitol. Stevia is a natural low calorie sweetener that can be purchased in granular form just like table sugar. Xylitol is also a good natural sugar substitute and has the added benefit that it helps protect the teeth. Xylitol has been used safely since the 1960’s. Every household should have a stock of these two sugar substitutes.
If you need to lose weight don’t forget to check www.the-foolproof-diet.com.
I wish you a really great year in your life for 2011.
Russell Eaton
Thursday, September 09, 2010
Is Soy Milk Bad for You?
BY AHEWCN, ON SEPTEMBER 3RD, 2010
(The article below is reproduced from the following website: www.whatyourbabyneeds.com/is-soy-milk-bad-for-you/)
Over the past decade, more and more health-conscious people are starting to ask “Is soy milk bad for you?” This question comes as more and more former vegetarians work hard to repair damaged health that seems to have resulted from years of relying on this bean to replace high quality protein in their diet. Here is how soy became so popular in the west.
Since the time of Hitler and Mussolini, the soybean has been increasingly recognized as a protein replacement that could feed large numbers of people on the cheap — it made up a substantial portion of their soldiers’ rations. Today, soy is said to be powerful enough to lower breast cancer, slow or reverse bone loss, lower cholesterol, reduce excess weight and stave off hot flashes.
However, if soy is potent enough to keep breast cancer rates so low in Asia, what then is responsible for their soaring rates of esophageal, stomach, thyroid, pancreatic and liver cancer? Why is it that both children and adults suffer from more broken bones in since the soy campaign began in the west 20 years ago? Clearly cholesterol levels and obesity are skyrocketing since soy was introduced to the west. And did you ever know a menopausal woman to have a sunny disposition simply by consuming this bean?
Here are just a few of the soy facts I shared with my What Your Baby Needs Before Conception class. Bear in mind that I am only keeping to the facts here. So, is soy milk bad for you? You be the judge:
Claims that soy has been around since “time immemorial” are false. Soy was first consumed only about 2,500 years ago. It was called chiang, a fermented product and ancestor of today’s miso. It was used to preserve meat and was consumed in very small quantities — basically whatever clung to the meat.
In ancient Chinese literature, soy was considered the only legume that should not be eaten. Later it was discovered that fermentation neutralized or at least weakened many of soy’s harmful anti-nutrients and the warning was (somewhat) lifted.
Tofu, a.k.a. meat without a bone, was introduced a few hundred years after the benefits of fermenting soy were discovered. It was eaten only by monks as an aid to spiritual development and sexual abstinence. Although it was probably not recognized at the time soy lowers testosterone levels — a good way to keep the monks focusing on spiritual development instead of women.
The phytoestrogens in soy bind to estrogen receptors creating serious hormonal imbalances resulting in infertility, miscarriage, lowered libido, precocious puberty in girls and breasts, hypospadias* and testicular cancer in boys.
Over 80% of all soy grown in the US is genetically engineered — another reason why soy is linked to infertility and miscarriage. Genetically engineered foods also cause infertility in offspring.
Talk to any farmer and they will tell you that soy (along with corn and skim milk) is the fastest and surest way to fatten up an animal. Goitrogens in soy are particularly hardy and block iodine uptake to the thyroid gland, which stokes the body’s metabolic fire. In a few people it speeds up the thyroid resulting in the opposite problem (extreme weight loss) and premature aging. For these people it often ends up exhausting the thyroid over time and eventually leading to sudden unexplained weight gain.
Soy bio-accumulates aluminum, a toxic heavy metal associated with cognitive decline.
Soy contains fluoride, which is associated with cretinism, learning disabilities, violence and ADD in children.
Soy contains toxic levels of manganese an otherwise helpful nutrient in trace amounts. High levels of manganese are considered by many to be the true cause of mad cow and related diseases of the brain including learning disabilities, violence and ADD.
Soy’s protease inhibitors impair protein digestion. Protease is the enzyme that breaks down protein.
Soy is not a complete protein. It is missing four essential amino acids — amino acids the body must get from food. Combining it with grains does not improve it’s profile much. Your body will not wait around to for you to get the missing aminos from other foods at a subsequent meal. Therefore, the aminos in soy are essentially useless. Traditionally, Asians always consumed soy foods with animal foods such as fish or pork to help round out the protein content.
Soy is listed on the FDA’s poisonous plant database where it has confirmed over 250 known side effects.
Soy is one of the top seven allergens. It is steadily climbing to the #1 position.
If there are some benefits to soy, they would be revealed by consuming it similar to the traditional Asian way — about two teaspoons per day or less and fermented. In fact, after World War II small amounts of miso were given to Hiroshima victims to reduce the incidence of stomach cancer.
Japan and China are increasing their rates of soy consumption thanks to a US campaign led by soy producers to “reconnect Asians with their traditional diet.” Despite consuming soy in its fermented forms, the increases are resulting in the many problems listed above.
Read labels on soy milk and other products very carefully. Soy parades under many names: genistein, textured vegetable protein (TVP), vegetable oil, protein isolate, vitamin E, and lecithin. It also shows up in some of the least expected places: gravies and sauces, milk, meat (fresh and processed), supplements, medications, breads, mayonnaise and farm-raised fish. But no matter where it shows up, its effects are still the same.
The governments of New Zealand and Israel require a type of “Surgeon General’s” warnings on many soy-containing products, but especially infant formula. We would all do well to completely avoid these once-considered inedible forms of this highly toxic legume to protect our fertility and our babies’ health.
Note from Russell Eaton: for the world’s best collection of recipes for making non-soy, non-dairy milk see The Foolproof Diet (www.the-foolproof-diet.com).
(The article below is reproduced from the following website: www.whatyourbabyneeds.com/is-soy-milk-bad-for-you/)
Over the past decade, more and more health-conscious people are starting to ask “Is soy milk bad for you?” This question comes as more and more former vegetarians work hard to repair damaged health that seems to have resulted from years of relying on this bean to replace high quality protein in their diet. Here is how soy became so popular in the west.
Since the time of Hitler and Mussolini, the soybean has been increasingly recognized as a protein replacement that could feed large numbers of people on the cheap — it made up a substantial portion of their soldiers’ rations. Today, soy is said to be powerful enough to lower breast cancer, slow or reverse bone loss, lower cholesterol, reduce excess weight and stave off hot flashes.
However, if soy is potent enough to keep breast cancer rates so low in Asia, what then is responsible for their soaring rates of esophageal, stomach, thyroid, pancreatic and liver cancer? Why is it that both children and adults suffer from more broken bones in since the soy campaign began in the west 20 years ago? Clearly cholesterol levels and obesity are skyrocketing since soy was introduced to the west. And did you ever know a menopausal woman to have a sunny disposition simply by consuming this bean?
Here are just a few of the soy facts I shared with my What Your Baby Needs Before Conception class. Bear in mind that I am only keeping to the facts here. So, is soy milk bad for you? You be the judge:
Claims that soy has been around since “time immemorial” are false. Soy was first consumed only about 2,500 years ago. It was called chiang, a fermented product and ancestor of today’s miso. It was used to preserve meat and was consumed in very small quantities — basically whatever clung to the meat.
In ancient Chinese literature, soy was considered the only legume that should not be eaten. Later it was discovered that fermentation neutralized or at least weakened many of soy’s harmful anti-nutrients and the warning was (somewhat) lifted.
Tofu, a.k.a. meat without a bone, was introduced a few hundred years after the benefits of fermenting soy were discovered. It was eaten only by monks as an aid to spiritual development and sexual abstinence. Although it was probably not recognized at the time soy lowers testosterone levels — a good way to keep the monks focusing on spiritual development instead of women.
The phytoestrogens in soy bind to estrogen receptors creating serious hormonal imbalances resulting in infertility, miscarriage, lowered libido, precocious puberty in girls and breasts, hypospadias* and testicular cancer in boys.
Over 80% of all soy grown in the US is genetically engineered — another reason why soy is linked to infertility and miscarriage. Genetically engineered foods also cause infertility in offspring.
Talk to any farmer and they will tell you that soy (along with corn and skim milk) is the fastest and surest way to fatten up an animal. Goitrogens in soy are particularly hardy and block iodine uptake to the thyroid gland, which stokes the body’s metabolic fire. In a few people it speeds up the thyroid resulting in the opposite problem (extreme weight loss) and premature aging. For these people it often ends up exhausting the thyroid over time and eventually leading to sudden unexplained weight gain.
Soy bio-accumulates aluminum, a toxic heavy metal associated with cognitive decline.
Soy contains fluoride, which is associated with cretinism, learning disabilities, violence and ADD in children.
Soy contains toxic levels of manganese an otherwise helpful nutrient in trace amounts. High levels of manganese are considered by many to be the true cause of mad cow and related diseases of the brain including learning disabilities, violence and ADD.
Soy’s protease inhibitors impair protein digestion. Protease is the enzyme that breaks down protein.
Soy is not a complete protein. It is missing four essential amino acids — amino acids the body must get from food. Combining it with grains does not improve it’s profile much. Your body will not wait around to for you to get the missing aminos from other foods at a subsequent meal. Therefore, the aminos in soy are essentially useless. Traditionally, Asians always consumed soy foods with animal foods such as fish or pork to help round out the protein content.
Soy is listed on the FDA’s poisonous plant database where it has confirmed over 250 known side effects.
Soy is one of the top seven allergens. It is steadily climbing to the #1 position.
If there are some benefits to soy, they would be revealed by consuming it similar to the traditional Asian way — about two teaspoons per day or less and fermented. In fact, after World War II small amounts of miso were given to Hiroshima victims to reduce the incidence of stomach cancer.
Japan and China are increasing their rates of soy consumption thanks to a US campaign led by soy producers to “reconnect Asians with their traditional diet.” Despite consuming soy in its fermented forms, the increases are resulting in the many problems listed above.
Read labels on soy milk and other products very carefully. Soy parades under many names: genistein, textured vegetable protein (TVP), vegetable oil, protein isolate, vitamin E, and lecithin. It also shows up in some of the least expected places: gravies and sauces, milk, meat (fresh and processed), supplements, medications, breads, mayonnaise and farm-raised fish. But no matter where it shows up, its effects are still the same.
The governments of New Zealand and Israel require a type of “Surgeon General’s” warnings on many soy-containing products, but especially infant formula. We would all do well to completely avoid these once-considered inedible forms of this highly toxic legume to protect our fertility and our babies’ health.
Note from Russell Eaton: for the world’s best collection of recipes for making non-soy, non-dairy milk see The Foolproof Diet (www.the-foolproof-diet.com).
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Why raw milk is bad food
Many people argue that raw milk (unpasteurized dairy milk) is good for you and much better than pasteurized milk. The raw vs. Pasteurized debate is a long standing one and is intensifying. According to Wikipedia the debate can be summarized as follows:
"The raw vs. pasteurized debate places the alleged health benefits of consuming raw milk against the disease threat of unpasteurized milk. Although agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and other worldwide regulatory agencies say that pathogens from raw milk make it unsafe to consume,[4] other organizations such as the Weston A. Price Foundation in its "Real Milk" campaign say that raw milk has health benefits that are destroyed in the pasteurization process and that it can be produced hygienically. Dr. Joseph Mercola, another promoter of raw milk, says the health benefiting ingredients destroyed during pasteurization include: valuable enzymes, unprocessed natural butterfat, healthy unoxidized cholesterol, conjugated linoleic acid, and its high omega-3 and low omega-6 ratios."
In fact, both sides of the debate are wrong. Raw milk is bad for health and so is pasteurized milk. Why? For a variety of reasons: both types of milk are rich in saturated fat, indigestible protein, mucus forming casein, harmful bovine hormones, and a host of other harmful substances.
But leaving all this aside, there is one undeniable fact: IGF-1 is present in both raw milk and in pasteurized milk in equal quantities. IGF-1 is truly bad news. Any advocate of raw milk cannot escape the fact that however organic, “nutritious”, clean, and pure the milk, it will be rich in IGF-1 hormones. Countless scientific studies published in peer-reviewed journals show that IGF-1 increases the risk of cancer and other illneses in humans.
Here is just a small selection of these studies:
• IGF-1 is critically involved in the aberrant growth of human breast cancer cells. (Journal of the National Institute of Health, 1991-3).
• Estrogen regulation of IGF-1 in breast cancer cells would support the hypothesis that IGF-1 has a regulatory function in breast cancer. (Molecular Cell Endocrinology, March, 99-2).
• IGF-1 is a potent growth factor for cellular proliferation in the human breast carcinoma cell line. (Journal of Cellular Physiology, January, 1994, 158-1).
• IGF-1 plays a major role in breast cancer cell growth. (European Journal of Cancer, 29A - 16, 1993).
• IGF-1 produces a 10-fold increase in RNA levels of cancer cells. IGF-1 appears to be a critical component in cellular proliferation. (Experimental Cell Research, March, 1994, 211-1).
• IGF-1 accelerates the growth of breast cancer cells. (Science, Vol. 259, January 29, 1993).
• A strong positive association was observed between IGF-1 levels and prostate cancer risk. (Science, vol. 279, January 23, 1998).
• IGF-1 can affect the proliferation of breast epithelial cells, and is thought to have a role in breast cancer. (The Lancet, vol. 351, May 9, 1998).
• IGF-1 strongly stimulates the proliferation of a variety of cancer cells, including those from lung cancer. (Journal of the National Cancer Institute, vol. 91, no. 2, January 20, 1999).
• IGF-1 is widely involved in human carcinogenesis. A significant association between IGF-1 and an increased risk of lung, colon, prostate, and pre-menopausal breast cancer has recently been reported. (International Journal of Cancer, 2000 Aug. 87:4).
• A raised level of IGF-1 has been associated with breast cancer for women and prostate cancer for men. (Rosemary Hoskins, Food Fact no. 2, A Safe Alliance Publication, 1998).
• By continuing to drink [dairy] milk, one delivers the most powerful growth hormone in nature to his or her body (IGF-I). That hormone has been called the key factor in the growth of breast, prostate, and lung cancer. At the very best, or worst, this powerful growth hormone instructs all cells to grow. This might be the reason that Americans are so overweight. At the very worst, this hormone does not discriminate. When it finds an existing cancer, usually controlled by our immune systems, the message it delivers is: GROW! (Robert Cohen, Milk – The Deadly Poison, Argus Publishing, January 1, 1998, ISBN: 0965919609).
• Several studies have shown powerful associations between IGF-1 and the risk of colon cancer, prostate cancer, and pre-menopausal breast cancer. As a matter of fact, recent evidence indicates that high IGF-1 levels may be more important than other previously reported risk factors for cancer. The pharmaceutical industry is well aware of the increasingly clear association between IGF-1 and cancer. Chemotherapeutic drugs are being developed to block the activity of IGF-1 or enhance the activity of IGF binding protein-3. (Smith, George Davey, et al. Cancer and insulin-like growth factor-I. British Medical Journal, Vol. 321, October 7, 2000, pp. 847-48).
• IGF-1 has been called ‘plug and play cancer fuel’ by many. Here is what Dr. Sarfaraz K. Niazi (PhD pharmaceutical sciences, University of Illinois, USA) has to say regarding hormones in milk:
‘Some dairy milk samples also show noticeable concentration of a growth hormone given to cows to promote their growth and increase milk production. Being fat-soluble, hormones are more concentrated in the cream. Hormones in milk are a serious threat to health because even at very low concentrations, they can cause severe imbalance of our physiologic system. They have also been implicated in many types of cancers and decreased resistance to infections and diseases. Though prohibited in some parts of the world, unscrupulous farmers continue to use hormones. Whatever a cow eats shows up in her udders. The grass, silage, straw, cereals, roots, tubers, legumes, oilseeds, oilcakes, and milk by-products, which contain a variety of chemical additives, make the diet of modern cow. The diet of cows is rife with pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides and traces of heavy metals along with chemicals from spoilage. With each glass of milk shoved down little Jane's or Johnny's throat, comes the increased chance of their developing atherosclerosis, cancer, autoimmune diseases, infections and a host of other diseases still unidentified, when they reach adulthood.’
• Levels of IGF-1 ….have been associated with prostate cancer risk in at least three prospective studies. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments have provided abundant evidence that IGF-1 can promote prostate carcinogens, including the observations that IGF-1 administration induces prostate growth in the rat, and that prostate tumor development in transgenic mouse models is accompanied by elevations in IGF-1 expression. Sources: (i) Gann, Peter H., MD, ScD, Risk Factors for Prostate Cancer, Rev Urol. 2002; 4(Suppl 5): S3–S10. PMCID: PMC1476014. (ii) Pollak M. Insulin-like growth factors and prostate cancer. Epidemiol Rev. 2001;23:59–66.
• ‘We showed that IGF-1 can completely take the place of growth hormone” in breast tissue. In other words, IGF-1 can trigger cell growth without an outside cue. Estrogen can amplify the cell-proliferating effects seen with IGF-1, both in the breast and prostate. Excess of IGF-1 or estrogen occurs in the presence of the other which can cause breast hyperplasia (cell division on overdrive) putting one at risk for breast cancer.’ (Kleinberg, David L., et al, Growth Hormone and Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I in the Transition from Normal Mammary Development to Preneoplastic Mammary Lesions, Endocr. Rev., Feb 2009; 30: 51 – 74).
For more information on this subject see The Foolproof Diet (http://www.the-foolproof-diet.com/).
"The raw vs. pasteurized debate places the alleged health benefits of consuming raw milk against the disease threat of unpasteurized milk. Although agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and other worldwide regulatory agencies say that pathogens from raw milk make it unsafe to consume,[4] other organizations such as the Weston A. Price Foundation in its "Real Milk" campaign say that raw milk has health benefits that are destroyed in the pasteurization process and that it can be produced hygienically. Dr. Joseph Mercola, another promoter of raw milk, says the health benefiting ingredients destroyed during pasteurization include: valuable enzymes, unprocessed natural butterfat, healthy unoxidized cholesterol, conjugated linoleic acid, and its high omega-3 and low omega-6 ratios."
In fact, both sides of the debate are wrong. Raw milk is bad for health and so is pasteurized milk. Why? For a variety of reasons: both types of milk are rich in saturated fat, indigestible protein, mucus forming casein, harmful bovine hormones, and a host of other harmful substances.
But leaving all this aside, there is one undeniable fact: IGF-1 is present in both raw milk and in pasteurized milk in equal quantities. IGF-1 is truly bad news. Any advocate of raw milk cannot escape the fact that however organic, “nutritious”, clean, and pure the milk, it will be rich in IGF-1 hormones. Countless scientific studies published in peer-reviewed journals show that IGF-1 increases the risk of cancer and other illneses in humans.
Here is just a small selection of these studies:
• IGF-1 is critically involved in the aberrant growth of human breast cancer cells. (Journal of the National Institute of Health, 1991-3).
• Estrogen regulation of IGF-1 in breast cancer cells would support the hypothesis that IGF-1 has a regulatory function in breast cancer. (Molecular Cell Endocrinology, March, 99-2).
• IGF-1 is a potent growth factor for cellular proliferation in the human breast carcinoma cell line. (Journal of Cellular Physiology, January, 1994, 158-1).
• IGF-1 plays a major role in breast cancer cell growth. (European Journal of Cancer, 29A - 16, 1993).
• IGF-1 produces a 10-fold increase in RNA levels of cancer cells. IGF-1 appears to be a critical component in cellular proliferation. (Experimental Cell Research, March, 1994, 211-1).
• IGF-1 accelerates the growth of breast cancer cells. (Science, Vol. 259, January 29, 1993).
• A strong positive association was observed between IGF-1 levels and prostate cancer risk. (Science, vol. 279, January 23, 1998).
• IGF-1 can affect the proliferation of breast epithelial cells, and is thought to have a role in breast cancer. (The Lancet, vol. 351, May 9, 1998).
• IGF-1 strongly stimulates the proliferation of a variety of cancer cells, including those from lung cancer. (Journal of the National Cancer Institute, vol. 91, no. 2, January 20, 1999).
• IGF-1 is widely involved in human carcinogenesis. A significant association between IGF-1 and an increased risk of lung, colon, prostate, and pre-menopausal breast cancer has recently been reported. (International Journal of Cancer, 2000 Aug. 87:4).
• A raised level of IGF-1 has been associated with breast cancer for women and prostate cancer for men. (Rosemary Hoskins, Food Fact no. 2, A Safe Alliance Publication, 1998).
• By continuing to drink [dairy] milk, one delivers the most powerful growth hormone in nature to his or her body (IGF-I). That hormone has been called the key factor in the growth of breast, prostate, and lung cancer. At the very best, or worst, this powerful growth hormone instructs all cells to grow. This might be the reason that Americans are so overweight. At the very worst, this hormone does not discriminate. When it finds an existing cancer, usually controlled by our immune systems, the message it delivers is: GROW! (Robert Cohen, Milk – The Deadly Poison, Argus Publishing, January 1, 1998, ISBN: 0965919609).
• Several studies have shown powerful associations between IGF-1 and the risk of colon cancer, prostate cancer, and pre-menopausal breast cancer. As a matter of fact, recent evidence indicates that high IGF-1 levels may be more important than other previously reported risk factors for cancer. The pharmaceutical industry is well aware of the increasingly clear association between IGF-1 and cancer. Chemotherapeutic drugs are being developed to block the activity of IGF-1 or enhance the activity of IGF binding protein-3. (Smith, George Davey, et al. Cancer and insulin-like growth factor-I. British Medical Journal, Vol. 321, October 7, 2000, pp. 847-48).
• IGF-1 has been called ‘plug and play cancer fuel’ by many. Here is what Dr. Sarfaraz K. Niazi (PhD pharmaceutical sciences, University of Illinois, USA) has to say regarding hormones in milk:
‘Some dairy milk samples also show noticeable concentration of a growth hormone given to cows to promote their growth and increase milk production. Being fat-soluble, hormones are more concentrated in the cream. Hormones in milk are a serious threat to health because even at very low concentrations, they can cause severe imbalance of our physiologic system. They have also been implicated in many types of cancers and decreased resistance to infections and diseases. Though prohibited in some parts of the world, unscrupulous farmers continue to use hormones. Whatever a cow eats shows up in her udders. The grass, silage, straw, cereals, roots, tubers, legumes, oilseeds, oilcakes, and milk by-products, which contain a variety of chemical additives, make the diet of modern cow. The diet of cows is rife with pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides and traces of heavy metals along with chemicals from spoilage. With each glass of milk shoved down little Jane's or Johnny's throat, comes the increased chance of their developing atherosclerosis, cancer, autoimmune diseases, infections and a host of other diseases still unidentified, when they reach adulthood.’
• Levels of IGF-1 ….have been associated with prostate cancer risk in at least three prospective studies. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments have provided abundant evidence that IGF-1 can promote prostate carcinogens, including the observations that IGF-1 administration induces prostate growth in the rat, and that prostate tumor development in transgenic mouse models is accompanied by elevations in IGF-1 expression. Sources: (i) Gann, Peter H., MD, ScD, Risk Factors for Prostate Cancer, Rev Urol. 2002; 4(Suppl 5): S3–S10. PMCID: PMC1476014. (ii) Pollak M. Insulin-like growth factors and prostate cancer. Epidemiol Rev. 2001;23:59–66.
• ‘We showed that IGF-1 can completely take the place of growth hormone” in breast tissue. In other words, IGF-1 can trigger cell growth without an outside cue. Estrogen can amplify the cell-proliferating effects seen with IGF-1, both in the breast and prostate. Excess of IGF-1 or estrogen occurs in the presence of the other which can cause breast hyperplasia (cell division on overdrive) putting one at risk for breast cancer.’ (Kleinberg, David L., et al, Growth Hormone and Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I in the Transition from Normal Mammary Development to Preneoplastic Mammary Lesions, Endocr. Rev., Feb 2009; 30: 51 – 74).
For more information on this subject see The Foolproof Diet (http://www.the-foolproof-diet.com/).
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Why India Has The Highest Rate of Heart Attacks In The World
"Heart disease is the single largest cause of death in India with heart attacks being accountable for one third of all deaths caused by heart diseases." Source: http://www.india.gov.in/
Following my previous post “What Causes Heart Attacks? It’s not what you think!” one or two people have asked me why India has the biggest incidence of heart disease. The evidence suggests there are three reasons for this:
1. India has the highest number of vegetarians per capita (per thousand of population). But unlike most vegetarians in other countries, the millions of poor vegetarian rural Indians do not have the resources or knowledge to eat nutritionally or take nutritional supplements. As a result they suffer to a greater extent from a lack of B6, B12 and folic acid (B9). These vitamins are vital in keeping levels of harmful homocysteine low in the body (remember that homocysteine is at the root of heart attacks). Note: I am not anti-vegetarian. Indeed, a vegetarian or vegan diet is better for you in the sense that the avoidance of meat, fish and dairy products helps prevent disease.
2. India has one of the highest rates of milk consumption in the world. A dramatic increase in milk consumption in India in recent years has gone hand-in-hand with a dramatic rise in osteoporosis. In 2002, some 18,000 million liters of milk where produced by Operation Flood's cooperative unions each day. As a result, milk consumption in India has risen from a low of 107 grams per day in 1970 to over 220 grams per day in 2002 – people in all parts of India are now able to buy and consume dairy milk without scarcity of supply. Since 2002, the increase in milk production and consumption in India has risen enormously, growing at a rate of over 4% per year according to FAO. This makes India the fastest growth market in the world in milk production and consumption - source: Sangita Shah, India leads global milk output in 2005, report compiled from Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO) statistics, and published online January 30, 2006.
3. It has been reported that Indians are at greater risk of heart disease because of a genetic mutation that affects one in 25 people in India. The mutation almost guarantees the development of the disease and Indians suffer heart attacks at an earlier age, often without prior symptoms or warning. Now researchers say India, a country with more than one billion people, will likely account for 60 per cent of heart disease patients worldwide, by 2010. A study among Asian Indian men showed that half of all heart attacks in this population occur under the age of 50 years and 25 percent under the age of 40, according to the Indian organization, Medwin Heart Foundation. But although this genetic mutation increases the risk of heart disease, you don’t get a heart attack unless the arteries are clogged. Therefore, for Indians it is particularly important to avoid arterial plaque and the best way to do this is to keep levels of homocysteine low.
As explained in The Foolproof Diet, milk consumption greatly disturbs the delicate hormonal balance in the body which is vital to good health. This leads to a state of imbalance between estrogen and progesterone (known as “estrogens dominance”) which in turn leads to elevated levels of homocysteine.
Indian milk consumption in 2010 continues to rise at astonishing rates. “India is the key milk consumer, amounting to 13 percent of the world’s total and 31 percent of milk consumption in all developing countries!” Sources: (i) Delgado, C.L., 2003, A food revolution: rising consumption of meat and milk in developing countries. J. Nutr. 133, no. 11 Suppl 2, 3907S-3910S. (ii) Barry Popkin, et al, The nutrition transition in high and low-income countries: what are the policy lessons, Presentation at Int. Assoc. of Agric, Ec. Conf., Australia, Aug. 06.
So Indians get a triple whammy: 1. A lack of vitamins B6, B12 & B9 (as a result of a poor vegetarian diet). 2. A bombardment of harmful bovine hormones (as a result of high milk consumption). 3. A genetic predisposition to heart disease. These three factors combine and conspire to give Indians high levels of homocysteine which in turn greatly increases the risk of heart attacks.
By just giving up dairy milk and using easy-to-make milk substitutes you will go a long way to keeping levels of homocysteine low, thus greatly reducing the risk of a heart attack. For easy-to-make non-dairy milk recipes see The Foolproof Diet (www.the-foolproof-diet.com). This book truly makes vital reading for every indian worldwide.
Keep well,
Russell Eaton
Following my previous post “What Causes Heart Attacks? It’s not what you think!” one or two people have asked me why India has the biggest incidence of heart disease. The evidence suggests there are three reasons for this:
1. India has the highest number of vegetarians per capita (per thousand of population). But unlike most vegetarians in other countries, the millions of poor vegetarian rural Indians do not have the resources or knowledge to eat nutritionally or take nutritional supplements. As a result they suffer to a greater extent from a lack of B6, B12 and folic acid (B9). These vitamins are vital in keeping levels of harmful homocysteine low in the body (remember that homocysteine is at the root of heart attacks). Note: I am not anti-vegetarian. Indeed, a vegetarian or vegan diet is better for you in the sense that the avoidance of meat, fish and dairy products helps prevent disease.
2. India has one of the highest rates of milk consumption in the world. A dramatic increase in milk consumption in India in recent years has gone hand-in-hand with a dramatic rise in osteoporosis. In 2002, some 18,000 million liters of milk where produced by Operation Flood's cooperative unions each day. As a result, milk consumption in India has risen from a low of 107 grams per day in 1970 to over 220 grams per day in 2002 – people in all parts of India are now able to buy and consume dairy milk without scarcity of supply. Since 2002, the increase in milk production and consumption in India has risen enormously, growing at a rate of over 4% per year according to FAO. This makes India the fastest growth market in the world in milk production and consumption - source: Sangita Shah, India leads global milk output in 2005, report compiled from Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO) statistics, and published online January 30, 2006.
3. It has been reported that Indians are at greater risk of heart disease because of a genetic mutation that affects one in 25 people in India. The mutation almost guarantees the development of the disease and Indians suffer heart attacks at an earlier age, often without prior symptoms or warning. Now researchers say India, a country with more than one billion people, will likely account for 60 per cent of heart disease patients worldwide, by 2010. A study among Asian Indian men showed that half of all heart attacks in this population occur under the age of 50 years and 25 percent under the age of 40, according to the Indian organization, Medwin Heart Foundation. But although this genetic mutation increases the risk of heart disease, you don’t get a heart attack unless the arteries are clogged. Therefore, for Indians it is particularly important to avoid arterial plaque and the best way to do this is to keep levels of homocysteine low.
As explained in The Foolproof Diet, milk consumption greatly disturbs the delicate hormonal balance in the body which is vital to good health. This leads to a state of imbalance between estrogen and progesterone (known as “estrogens dominance”) which in turn leads to elevated levels of homocysteine.
Indian milk consumption in 2010 continues to rise at astonishing rates. “India is the key milk consumer, amounting to 13 percent of the world’s total and 31 percent of milk consumption in all developing countries!” Sources: (i) Delgado, C.L., 2003, A food revolution: rising consumption of meat and milk in developing countries. J. Nutr. 133, no. 11 Suppl 2, 3907S-3910S. (ii) Barry Popkin, et al, The nutrition transition in high and low-income countries: what are the policy lessons, Presentation at Int. Assoc. of Agric, Ec. Conf., Australia, Aug. 06.
So Indians get a triple whammy: 1. A lack of vitamins B6, B12 & B9 (as a result of a poor vegetarian diet). 2. A bombardment of harmful bovine hormones (as a result of high milk consumption). 3. A genetic predisposition to heart disease. These three factors combine and conspire to give Indians high levels of homocysteine which in turn greatly increases the risk of heart attacks.
By just giving up dairy milk and using easy-to-make milk substitutes you will go a long way to keeping levels of homocysteine low, thus greatly reducing the risk of a heart attack. For easy-to-make non-dairy milk recipes see The Foolproof Diet (www.the-foolproof-diet.com). This book truly makes vital reading for every indian worldwide.
Keep well,
Russell Eaton
Thursday, June 24, 2010
What Causes Heart Attacks? It’s not what you think!
A heart attack occurs when blood flow to a section of heart muscle becomes blocked. If the flow of blood isn’t restored quickly, the section of heart muscle becomes damaged from lack of oxygen and begins to die.
Heart attacks are the leading cause of death for both men and women worldwide (source: Robert Beaglehole, et al, 2004, The World Health Report 2004 - Changing History. World Health Organization. pp. 120–4. ISBN 92-4-156265-X).
But what causes heart attacks? Conventional wisdom (e.g. Wikipedia) generally says the following: Heart attacks are caused by intense exertion, be it psychological stress or physical exertion. Also, heart attacks can be caused by a severe infection, such as pneumonia, which in turn stresses the body leading to a heart attack. Such stress causes atherosclerotic plaques (the fat in clogged arteries) to become dislodged and this in turn can block blood flow to the heart.
So we have the following sequence of events: clogged arteries and stress combine to block blood flow to a section of heart muscle, causing a heart attack. The question screaming to be answered is: what causes clogged arteries?
Again, conventional wisdom says that clogged arteries are caused by a poor diet and lack of exercise. But this answer is much too vague. Just about any illness can be attributed to a poor diet and lack of exercise.
So the question is: what specifically causes clogged arteries? Is it cholesterol, is it a high fat diet, is it a high sugar diet, is it junk food, is it just lack of exercise?
Speak to nutritionists, doctors, and health gurus and most (but not all) will say it’s a “combination of life-style factors such as poor diet, lack of exercise and obesity” that can lead to clogged arteries (what a cop out!). This is no answer.
When you study the research into this area one word keeps popping up: homocysteine. There is overwhelming scientific evidence showing that heart disease is mainly caused by homocysteine.
The link between homocysteine and heart disease/stroke is well known to medical scientists and many studies support this. “A high level of blood serum homocysteine is a powerful risk factor for cardiovascular disease.” (Wikipedia).
The body creates excess homocysteine as a toxic byproduct, i.e. as a result of chemical reactions in the body. Elevated levels of homocysteine in the bloodstream are caused by a shortage of vitamins B6, B12 and folic acid (also known as vitamin B9). These B vitamins act to break down homocysteine so that it can be safely eliminated. So when the body has enough B6, B12 and folic acid, the toxic production of homocysteine is minimized.
It has been postulated that Lp(a) is a risk factor in heart disease. But Lp(a), also known as Lipoprotein a, has been shown to become a risk factor only in the presence of homocysteine. The Mayo Clinic states: “Homocysteine is a substance your body uses to make protein [including Lp(a)] and to build and maintain tissue. But too much homocysteine may increase your risk of stroke, certain types of heart disease, and disease of the blood vessels of the arms, legs and feet (peripheral artery disease).”
So when some health professionals talk about Lp (a) being a risk factor in heart disease they would appear to be off the mark. It is more accurate to say that elevated levels of homocysteine are the root cause of heart disease.
India has the doubtful honor of having by far the largest number (per capita) of vegetarians and the largest number (per capita) of deaths from heart disease. This is no coincidence. High levels of homocysteine cause heart disease.
Several studies also show that vegetarians are at greater risk of stroke compared to non-vegetarians. For example, Dr. C.S. Yajnik points out that most Indians are vegetarian for religious and socio-economic reasons. Because of this, he says, “there is a deficiency of Vitamin B-12 among vegetarians that has led to a rise in the incidence of stroke and heart attacks. Deficiency of vitamin B 12 increases the concentration of a chemical called homocysteine in the blood which causes blocks in arteries and veins. These blocks in turn are responsible for heart attacks and strokes."
You would think that a vegetarian diet is going to provide the body with plenty of B6, B12 and folic acid. However, this is not the case. B6 and B12 are more plentiful in animal foodstuffs. Furthermore, folic acid although available from plant foods such as green leafy vegetables, is easily destroyed in cooking. As a consequence, vegetarians can often suffer from a shortage of B6, B12 and folic acid and consequent raised levels of homocysteine.
Furthermore, it is now known that estrogen dominance promotes homocysteine. What happens is that the B vitamins get used up trying to neutralize (break down) the excess estrogen in the liver. As a result, less B vitamins are available for breaking down homocysteine. Elevated levels of homocysteine then act to promote clogged arteries.
And what are the two main dietary causes of estrogen dominance? The answer is simple: dairy and soy products. By just eliminating dairy milk products and soy products from your diet you greatly reduce harmful estrogen dominance. This in turn greatly reduces elevated levels of homocysteine.
For the evidence that dairy and soy products are the two greatest dietary causes of estrogen dominance see The Foolproof Diet (www.the-foolproof-diet.com). Do a search on google for “estrogen dominance” and you will find lots of information explaining why estrogen dominance is so harmful to good health.
A 21 year study of statistics by the OECD shows that homocysteine is responsible for clogged arteries.
“Homocysteine does this by injuring the lining of the coronary arteries and by thickening of the wall of the arteries, regardless of the level of cholesterol in the blood. Homocysteine interferes with the way cells use oxygen, resulting in a build-up of damaging free radicals. These reactive chemical forms can oxidize low-density lipoproteins (LDL), producing oxycholesterols and oxidized fats and proteins within developing plaques. Also, homocysteine stimulates growth of smooth muscle cells, causing deposition of extracellular matrix and collagen, which causes a thickening and hardening of artery walls.” (source: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, O.E.C.D., Food Consumption Statistics 1955-1971. Paris, 1973).
So what causes heart attacks? To blame factors such as obesity or a poor lifestyle is a complete cop out and reflects the ignorance of the person saying this. Heart attacks are mainly caused by elevated levels of homocysteine in the body. And how can you best avoid harmful homocysteine? By simply avoiding dairy and soy products you will go a long way to reducing levels of homocysteine in the body and greatly reduce the risk of clogged arteries and heart attacks.
For foolproof evidence that levels of homocysteine can be greatly reduced by simply avoiding dairy milk and soy foods, see The Foolproof Diet (www.the-foolproof-diet.com).
Keep well,
Russell Eaton
Heart attacks are the leading cause of death for both men and women worldwide (source: Robert Beaglehole, et al, 2004, The World Health Report 2004 - Changing History. World Health Organization. pp. 120–4. ISBN 92-4-156265-X).
But what causes heart attacks? Conventional wisdom (e.g. Wikipedia) generally says the following: Heart attacks are caused by intense exertion, be it psychological stress or physical exertion. Also, heart attacks can be caused by a severe infection, such as pneumonia, which in turn stresses the body leading to a heart attack. Such stress causes atherosclerotic plaques (the fat in clogged arteries) to become dislodged and this in turn can block blood flow to the heart.
So we have the following sequence of events: clogged arteries and stress combine to block blood flow to a section of heart muscle, causing a heart attack. The question screaming to be answered is: what causes clogged arteries?
Again, conventional wisdom says that clogged arteries are caused by a poor diet and lack of exercise. But this answer is much too vague. Just about any illness can be attributed to a poor diet and lack of exercise.
So the question is: what specifically causes clogged arteries? Is it cholesterol, is it a high fat diet, is it a high sugar diet, is it junk food, is it just lack of exercise?
Speak to nutritionists, doctors, and health gurus and most (but not all) will say it’s a “combination of life-style factors such as poor diet, lack of exercise and obesity” that can lead to clogged arteries (what a cop out!). This is no answer.
When you study the research into this area one word keeps popping up: homocysteine. There is overwhelming scientific evidence showing that heart disease is mainly caused by homocysteine.
The link between homocysteine and heart disease/stroke is well known to medical scientists and many studies support this. “A high level of blood serum homocysteine is a powerful risk factor for cardiovascular disease.” (Wikipedia).
The body creates excess homocysteine as a toxic byproduct, i.e. as a result of chemical reactions in the body. Elevated levels of homocysteine in the bloodstream are caused by a shortage of vitamins B6, B12 and folic acid (also known as vitamin B9). These B vitamins act to break down homocysteine so that it can be safely eliminated. So when the body has enough B6, B12 and folic acid, the toxic production of homocysteine is minimized.
It has been postulated that Lp(a) is a risk factor in heart disease. But Lp(a), also known as Lipoprotein a, has been shown to become a risk factor only in the presence of homocysteine. The Mayo Clinic states: “Homocysteine is a substance your body uses to make protein [including Lp(a)] and to build and maintain tissue. But too much homocysteine may increase your risk of stroke, certain types of heart disease, and disease of the blood vessels of the arms, legs and feet (peripheral artery disease).”
So when some health professionals talk about Lp (a) being a risk factor in heart disease they would appear to be off the mark. It is more accurate to say that elevated levels of homocysteine are the root cause of heart disease.
India has the doubtful honor of having by far the largest number (per capita) of vegetarians and the largest number (per capita) of deaths from heart disease. This is no coincidence. High levels of homocysteine cause heart disease.
Several studies also show that vegetarians are at greater risk of stroke compared to non-vegetarians. For example, Dr. C.S. Yajnik points out that most Indians are vegetarian for religious and socio-economic reasons. Because of this, he says, “there is a deficiency of Vitamin B-12 among vegetarians that has led to a rise in the incidence of stroke and heart attacks. Deficiency of vitamin B 12 increases the concentration of a chemical called homocysteine in the blood which causes blocks in arteries and veins. These blocks in turn are responsible for heart attacks and strokes."
You would think that a vegetarian diet is going to provide the body with plenty of B6, B12 and folic acid. However, this is not the case. B6 and B12 are more plentiful in animal foodstuffs. Furthermore, folic acid although available from plant foods such as green leafy vegetables, is easily destroyed in cooking. As a consequence, vegetarians can often suffer from a shortage of B6, B12 and folic acid and consequent raised levels of homocysteine.
Furthermore, it is now known that estrogen dominance promotes homocysteine. What happens is that the B vitamins get used up trying to neutralize (break down) the excess estrogen in the liver. As a result, less B vitamins are available for breaking down homocysteine. Elevated levels of homocysteine then act to promote clogged arteries.
And what are the two main dietary causes of estrogen dominance? The answer is simple: dairy and soy products. By just eliminating dairy milk products and soy products from your diet you greatly reduce harmful estrogen dominance. This in turn greatly reduces elevated levels of homocysteine.
For the evidence that dairy and soy products are the two greatest dietary causes of estrogen dominance see The Foolproof Diet (www.the-foolproof-diet.com). Do a search on google for “estrogen dominance” and you will find lots of information explaining why estrogen dominance is so harmful to good health.
A 21 year study of statistics by the OECD shows that homocysteine is responsible for clogged arteries.
“Homocysteine does this by injuring the lining of the coronary arteries and by thickening of the wall of the arteries, regardless of the level of cholesterol in the blood. Homocysteine interferes with the way cells use oxygen, resulting in a build-up of damaging free radicals. These reactive chemical forms can oxidize low-density lipoproteins (LDL), producing oxycholesterols and oxidized fats and proteins within developing plaques. Also, homocysteine stimulates growth of smooth muscle cells, causing deposition of extracellular matrix and collagen, which causes a thickening and hardening of artery walls.” (source: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, O.E.C.D., Food Consumption Statistics 1955-1971. Paris, 1973).
So what causes heart attacks? To blame factors such as obesity or a poor lifestyle is a complete cop out and reflects the ignorance of the person saying this. Heart attacks are mainly caused by elevated levels of homocysteine in the body. And how can you best avoid harmful homocysteine? By simply avoiding dairy and soy products you will go a long way to reducing levels of homocysteine in the body and greatly reduce the risk of clogged arteries and heart attacks.
For foolproof evidence that levels of homocysteine can be greatly reduced by simply avoiding dairy milk and soy foods, see The Foolproof Diet (www.the-foolproof-diet.com).
Keep well,
Russell Eaton
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