Selecting Supplements

Because vitamins and supplements can be pricey, it's easy to get excited when you compare the cost a natural, food-sourced product with an easy-to-take, all-in-one and much cheaper synthetic, but you really aren't saving any money. In fact, several respected studies indicate that if you opt for the synthetic product, you may even be causing yourself harm.

While some physicians actually argue in favor of synthetic vitamins by stating that it's technically a chemically purer product, they fail to add that they are also nutritionally inferior, in addition to being toxic (Consider that heroin, cocaine and sugar are also examples of chemically pure substances.)

There is a classic experiment where scientists take two groups of rats. They feed one group a diet of "synthetic" vitamin-fortified cereal, and the other rats are fed the cardboard box the cereal came in. The box eating rats live far longer.

The following excerpt from the book, "The Vitamin Myth," illustrates this issue.

Generally speaking, evaluating the proper milligrams of a synthetic vitamin supplement, as related to the potency of a vitamin, is a confusing and misleading proposition. This is because synthetic vitamins are refined, high potency chemicals, and therefore can be accurately measured in milligrams, just like drugs. Measuring synthetic vitamin compounds in milligrams has nothing to do with real vitamin activity or nutrition. The vitamin activity and real potency of the vitamin is dependent upon its authenticity as a whole, naturally-occurring vitamin, not its synthetic chemical fractionated potency or weight.

For example, it is often suggested to digest, or take intravenously, 1000’s of milligrams of vitamin C, E or A. This action is not only alarming to your immune system, but sends your body into a state of confusion.

A noxious bio-chemical chain reaction may begin with the body working to eliminate these toxins with none of the false nutrients entering the system as a natural food. When someone experiences dangerous side effects from synthetic vitamin consumption it is usually because synthetics cannot be utilized or metabolized, so they build up in the body as toxins and are eliminated as best as possible.

On the contrary, complete, food sources of vitamin C, E or A have normally lower milligram levels than those offered in “high potency” synthetic vitamin ingredients, yet the body can easily absorb and use them as real, whole complexed vitamins from food. When someone is concerned about the safety of vitamins, they are generally concerned about the dangers of overdosing on synthetic vitamins. Many people have experienced the dangers of toxic “vitaminosis” when indulging in mega doses of synthetic vitamins.

Some synthetic vitamins are made from coal tar. This base material, typically a crystalline yellow coal tar derived from fossil fuel sources, is not only used as a base to make some synthetic vitamins, but also as a host for other synthetic compounds including colorings, paints and many other chemical materials used as ingredients such as toxic preservatives or harmful food excipients. Coal tar is widely used in both the food and cosmetic industries and is a known carcinogen.

Taking synthetic vitamins in milligram quantities is related to the RDA’s (Recommended Daily Allowance) or the more modern RDI’s (Recommended Daily Intake), but this still does not actually relate to potency because potency of a vitamin has to do with its effectiveness and assimilation not its weight. Weight and potency, in this case, are two different things. Naturally occurring whole complexed vitamins from foods created by nature are more “potent” per milligram than synthetic fractions of those vitamins because it is the whole, real vitamin that the body requires not a synthetic chemical substitute of a fraction of a vitamin that has been chemically synthesized a laboratory.

So, the quantity of vitamin milligrams is not as important as the quality of the vitamin milligrams. Many vitamins supplement brands play the “milligram game” which is often confusing to the consumer. The idea of “more is better” works fine for some things, but not for toxic synthetics. We have to be aware of what is really going on here. The important first question should be whether or not the vitamin is natural (NOS) and not how many milligrams are available. If the vitamin product is synthetic then, I believe, it does not matter how many milligrams are offered since every synthetic vitamin milligram offered should be avoided. You get more nutrition from a lower number of milligrams when the vitamin is a whole naturally occurring complex from real food.

Let’s try to avoid the milligram game and play the naturally occurring game instead. We can’t win the synthetic milligram game, but we can definitely win and benefit our health while playing the NOS game.

So if your supplement does say "all natural" or "organically synthesized," what does it really mean? Consider this next article from Dr. Schulze:

In my many years as a Nutritional Consultant I have seen many philosophies and products come and go. I have seen the fads, the cure-alls, and the laziness in all of us that wants a pill to replace a sound nutritional program. Nutritional fads can even be dangerous by consuming large amounts of trace elements that we only need in microscopic amounts, or maybe none at all such as the latest toxic fads of silver and chrome.

I used to prescribe only the best vitamins and minerals to my patients. I knew that these products were in a base of natural ingredients and herbs, but wondered what the actual vitamins and minerals were made out of, I had assumed food.

All vitamin and mineral supplements currently made are NOT blended foods. In fact most are made from very undesirable, even horrifying substances. If you look on your current bottle of nutrients, it will state it contains many vitamins, minerals, and a long list of no's like starch, wheat, cellulose, soy, lactose etc. It will even be in a base of herbs but you will notice that it doesn't state what the actual vitamins and minerals are made from. I can tell you right now no one is grinding up fresh raw vegetables and organic grains to make these pills.

Commercial grade vitamin and mineral concentrates are synthesized by the big pharmaceutical and chemical industries from the same starting material that drugs are made from, (coal tar, petroleum products, animal by-products / waste and fecal matter, ground rocks, stones, shells and metal. They are then wholesaled out to the various nutrient manufacturers. The manufacturers are just mixing middlemen. Most of them don't even know how these various vitamins and minerals are made, or from what, nobody asks. Everybody just assumes a vitamin is a vitamin.

After all The United States Pharmacopoeia (U.S.P.) states that if a product looks similar under a microscope, or in analysis, that it is the same regardless of what it is made out of. For instance salicylic acid u.s.p. is considered identical whether it comes from wintergreen leaves or by boiling coal in carbolic and sulfuric acids. It also considers glycerin u.s.p. identical whether it is made from fresh vegetables, toxic minerals or boiled down animal carcasses, cartilage and feet. Does it make a difference to you?

The Vitamins: Many so-called natural vitamins are made from horrible substances.

All the vitamin B-12, cyanocobalamin, on the market is made from either ground up toxic cow livers or activated sewage sludge. These cow livers are overloaded with steroids and antibiotics, and the pesticides the cow assimilates while eating. The sewage sludge is just that, fecal matter. In today's environment of depressed immune diseases I can think of hundreds of reasons that these materials would be a health risk, not benefit. Just because a so-called natural substance, (fecal matter is natural), is high in a particular vitamin, does that also mean it is a good food?

Vitamin A from fish liver juices loaded with toxic PCB's and mercury, B vitamins from coal tar and petro-chemicals known central nervous system depressants, respiratory irritants and carcinogens, Vitamin C from acid blends irritating to the lining of the digestive tract, Vitamin D from radiated oil, Vitamin E from Eastman Kodak, need I say anymore?

The Minerals: All minerals used in nutrient manufacture are basically dirt. The iron, calcium, zinc etc. are just mined ore, pulverized and powdered to a fine dust. This doesn't make it any easier to assimilate. Some calcium is made from ground up oyster shells. This reminds me of when I was a kid watching the Three Stooges fix dinner, they would throw the oysters away and try and chew the shells. We all laughed at them and now we are doing the same thing. Modern research shows us that minerals of this type are 99% inassimilable. The manufacturers response to this is to add pig digestive enzymes, which supposedly pre-digests it or chelates it, in their attempts to force our body to accept this toxic material. Is this practice of chelating minerals really to our benefit or a dangerous act of ignorance?

We are currently entering a new era of nutrition. It is no longer a matter of how many milligrams you take of a particular nutrient but how much of what you are taking is actually getting into your bloodstream, and the organs that need it. And even more important, what are these vitamins and minerals made from and do they have toxic side effects.

When evaluating a supplement, look at the ingredients. If they aren't clearly listed on the label, call the company. If they are not forthcoming with real answers that involve actual botanical components, put it back on the shelf. It pays to spend a little extra on a supplement that is actually good for you.

The Ploy of Soy

This is a (slightly) edited article from the Weston A. Price Foundation....
Check out their site for more on soy and other nutritional info.

The Ploy of Soy

Commercial milk products have been linked to a number of disease conditions including allergies, asthma, arthritis, diabetes, auto immune diseases, childhood anemia, heart disease and cancer. Many have turned to soy products as substitutes for dairy products. A popular booklet describes soy foods as " . . . uniformly high in protein but low in calories, carbohydrates and fats, entirely devoid of cholesterol, high in vitamins, easy to digest, tasty and wonderfully versatile in the kitchen, [which] positions them as irresistible new food staples for the evolving American diet. . . . with each mouth watering soy food dish," says the author, "comes a balanced, adequate and sustainable nutritional package."

Leaving aside the question of whether products like tofu and soy milk are really "mouthwatering" and "irresistible," those charged with providing nutritious meals for their families should carefully examine claims that newly introduced soybean products provide an easily digested and complete nutritional package, one that adequately replaces dairy products like milk, butter and cheese, which have, after all, provided nourishment for generations of Americans.

History of the Bean

Soybeans come to us from the Orient. During the Chou Dynasty (1134 - 246 BC) the soybean was designated one of the five sacred grains, along with barley, wheat, millet and rice. However, the pictograph for the soybean, which dates from earlier times, indicates that it was not first used as a food; for whereas the pictographs for the other four grains show the seed and stem structure of the plant, the pictograph for the soybean emphasizes the root structure. Agricultural literature of the period speaks frequently of the soybean and its use in crop rotation. Apparently the soy plant was initially used as a method of fixing nitrogen. soybean did not serve as a food until the discovery of fermentation techniques, sometime during the Chou Dynasty. Thus the first soy foods were fermented products like tempeh, natto, miso and shoyu (soy or tamari sauce). At a later date, possibly in the 2nd century B.C., Chinese scientists discovered that a puree of cooked soybeans could be precipitated with calcium sulfate or magnesium sulfate (plaster of Paris or Epsom salts) to make a smooth pale curd - tofu or bean curd. The use of fermented and precipitated soy products soon spread to other parts of the Orient, notably Japan and Indonesia. Although the highly flavored fermented products have elicited greater interest among scientists and epicures, it is the bland precipitated products that are most frequently used, accounting for approximately 90% of the processed soybeans consumed in Asia today. The increased reliance on bean curd as a source of protein, which occurred between 700 A.D. and the present time, has not necessarily been a beneficial change for the populations of the Orient and Southeast Asia.

Fit for Human Consumption?

The Chinese did not eat the soybean as they did other pulses (legumes) such as the lentil because the soybean contains large quantities of a number of harmful substances. First among them are potent enzyme inhibitors which block the action of trypsin and other enzymes needed for protein digestion. These "antinutrients" are not completely deactivated during ordinary cooking and can produce serious gastric distress, reduced protein digestion and chronic deficiencies in amino acid uptake. In test animals, diets high in trypsin inhibitors cause enlargement and pathological conditions of the pancreas, including cancer. The soybean also contains hemaglutinin, a clot promoting substance that causes red blood cells to clump together. Trypsin inhibitors and hemaglutinin have been rightly labeled "growth depressant substances." They are deactivated during the process of fermentation. In precipitated products, enzyme inhibitors concentrate in the soaking liquid rather than in the curd. Thus in tofu and bean curd, these enzyme inhibitors are reduced in quantity, but not completely eliminated.

Soybeans are also high in phytic acid or phytates. This is an organic acid, present in the bran or hulls of all seeds, which blocks the uptake of essential minerals-calcium, magnesium, iron and especially zinc-in the intestinal tract. Although not a household word, phytates have been extensively studied. Scientists are in general agreement that grain and legume based diets high in phytates contribute to widespread mineral deficiencies in third world countries. Analysis shows that calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc are present in the plant foods eaten in these areas, but the high phytate content of soy and rice based diets prevents their absorption. The soybean has a higher phytate content than any other grain or legume that has been studied. Furthermore, it seems to be highly resistant to many phytate reducing techniques such as long, slow cooking. Only a long period of fermentation will significantly reduce the phytate content of soybeans. Thus fermented products such as tempeh and miso provide nourishment that is easily assimilated, but the nutritional value of tofu and bean curd, both high in phytates, is questionable.

When precipitated soy products are consumed with meat, the mineral blocking effects of the phytates are reduced. The Japanese traditionally eat tofu as part of a mineral-rich fish broth. Vegetarians who consume tofu and bean curd as a substitute for meat and dairy products risk severe mineral deficiencies. The results of calcium, magnesium and iron deficiency are well known, those of zinc are less so. Zinc is called the intelligence mineral because it is needed for optimal development and functioning of the brain and nervous system. It plays a role in protein synthesis and collagen formation; it is involved in the blood sugar control mechanism and thus protects against diabetes; it is needed for a healthy reproductive system. Zinc is a key component in numerous vital enzymes and plays a role in the immune system. Phytates found in soy products interfere with zinc absorption more completely than with other minerals. Literature extolling soy products tends to minimize the role of zinc in human physiology, and to gloss over the deleterious effect of diets high in phytic acid.

Milk drinking is given as the reason second generation Japanese in America grow taller than their native ancestors. Some investigators postulate that the reduced phytate content of the American diet—whatever may be its other deficiencies-is the true explanation, pointing out that Asian and Oriental children who do not get enough meat and fish products to counteract the effects of a high phytate diet, frequently suffer rickets, stunting and other growth problems. The current climate of medical opinion in America has cast a cloud of disapproval on tallness. Parents would do well to ask their six-year-old boys whether they would prefer to be six-foot-one or five-foot-seven when they grow up, before substituting tofu for eggs, meat and dairy products.

Marketing the Soybean

The truth is, however, that most Americans are unlikely to adopt traditional soy products as their principal food. Tofu, bean curd and tempeh have a disagreeable texture and are too bland for the Western palate; pungent and musty miso and natto lose out in taste tests; only soy sauce enjoys widespread popularity as a condiment. The soy industry has therefore looked for other ways to market the superabundance of soybeans now grown in the United States.

Large scale cultivation of the soybean in the United States began only after the Second World War, and quickly rose to 140 billion pounds per year. Most of the crop is made into animal feed and soy oil for hydrogenated fats- margarine and shortening. During the past 20 years, the industry has concentrated on finding markets for the byproducts of soy oil manufacture, including soy "lecithin", made from the oil sludge, and soy protein products, made from defatted soy flakes, a challenge that has involved overcoming consumer resistance to soy products, generally considered tasteless "poverty foods". "The quickest way to gain product acceptability in the less affluent society," said a soy industry spokesman, " ... is to have the product consumed on its own merit in a more affluent society." Hence the proliferation of soy products resembling traditional American foods-soy milk for cows milk, soy baby formula, soy yogurt, soy ice cream, soy cheese, soy flour for baking and textured soy protein as meat substitutes, usually promoted as high protein, low-fat, no cholesterol "healthfoods" to the upscale consumer increasingly concerned about his health. The growth of vegetarianism among the more affluent classes has greatly accelerated the acceptability and use of these ersatz products. Unfortunately they pose numerous dangers.

Processing Denatures and Dangers Remain

he production of soy milk is relatively simple. In order to remove as much of the trypsin inhibitor content as possible, the beans are first soaked in an alkaline solution. The pureed solution is then heated to about 115 degrees C in a pressure cooker. This method destroys most (but not all) of the anti-nutrients but has the unhappy side effect of so denaturing the proteins that they become very difficult to digest and much reduced in effectiveness. The phytate content remains in soy milk to block the uptake of essential minerals. In addition, the alkaline soaking solution produces a carcinogen, lysinealine, and reduces the cystine content, which is already low in the soybean. Lacking cystine, the entire protein complex of the soybean becomes useless unless the diet is fortified with cystine-rich meat, eggs, or dairy products, an unlikely occurrence as the typical soy milk consumer drinks the awful stuff because he wants to avoid meat, eggs and dairy products.

Most soy products that imitate traditional American food items, including baby formulas and some brands of soy milk, are made with soy protein isolate, that is the soy protein isolated from the carbohydrate and fatty acid components that naturally occur in the bean. Soy beans are first ground and subjected to high-temperature and solvent extraction processes to remove the oils. The resultant defatted meal is then mixed with an alkaline solution and sugars in a separation process to remove fiber. Then it is precipitated and separated using an acid wash. Finally the resultant curds are neutralized in an alkaline solution and spray dried at high temperatures to produce high protein powder. This is a highly refined product in which both vitamin and protein quality are compromised-but some trypsin inhibitors remain, even after such extreme refining! Trypsin inhibitor content of soy protein isolate can vary as much as 5-fold. In rats, even low level trypsin inhibitor soy protein isolate feeding results in reduced weight gain compared to controls. Soy product producers are not required to state trypsin inhibitor content on labels, nor even to meet minimum standards, and the public, trained to avoid dietary cholesterol, a substance vital for normal growth and metabolism, has never heard of the potent anti-nutrients found in cholesterol-free soy products.

Soy Formula Is Not the Answer

Soy protein isolate is the main ingredient of soy-based infant formulas. Along with trypsin inhibitors, these formulas have a high phytate content. Use of soy formula has caused zinc deficiency in infants. Aluminum content of soy formula is 10 times greater than milk based formula, and 100 times greater than unprocessed milk. Aluminum has a toxic effect on the kidneys of infants, and has been implicated as causing Alzheimer's in adults. Soy milk formulas are often given to babies with milk allergy; but allergies to soy are almost as common as those to milk. Use of soy formula to treat infant diarrhea has had mixed results, some studies showing improvement with soy formula while others show none at all. Soy formulas lack cholesterol which is absolutely essential for the development of the brain and nervous system; they also lack lactose and galactose, which play an equally important role in the development of the nervous system. A number of other substances, which are unnecessary and of questionable safety, are added to soy formulas including carrageenan, guar gum, sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), potassium citrate monohydrate, tricalcium phosphate, dibasic magnesium phosphate trihydrate, BHA and BHT. Nitrosamines, which are potent carcinogens, are often found in soy protein foods, and are greatly increased during the high temperature drying process. Not surprisingly, animal feeding studies show a lower weight gain for rats on soy formula than those on whole milk, high-lactose formula. Similar results have been observed in children on macrobiotic diets which include the use of soy milk and large amounts of whole grains. Children brought up on high-phytate diets tend to be thin and scrawny.

Fabricated Soy Foods

A final indignity to the original soy bean is high-temperature, high-pressure extrusion processing of soy protein isolate to produce textured vegetable protein. Numerous artificial flavorings, particularly MSG, are added to TVP products to mask their strong "beany" taste, and impart the flavor of meat. Soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein are used extensively in school lunch programs, commercial baked goods, diet beverages and fast food products. They are heavily promoted in third world countries and form the basis of many food give-away programs. These soy products greatly inhibit zinc and iron absorption; in test animals they cause enlarged organs, particularly the pancreas and thyroid gland, and increased deposition of fatty acids in the liver. Human feeding tests to determine the cholesterol lowering properties of soy protein isolate have not shown them to be effective. Nevertheless, they are often promoted as having beneficial effects on cholesterol levels.

Cancer Preventing or Cancer Causing?

The food industry also touts soy products for their cancer preventing properties. Isoflavone aglycones are anticarcinogenic substances found in traditionally fermented soybean products. However, in non-fermented soy products such as tofu and soy milk, these isoflavones are present in an altered form, as beta-glycoside conjugates, which have no anti-carcinogenic effect. Some researchers believe the rapid increase in liver and pancreatic cancer in Africa is due to the introduction of soy products there.

The fatty acid profile of the soybean includes large amounts of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids compared to other pulses (legumes); but these omega-3 fatty acids are particularly susceptible to rancidity when subjected to high pressures and temperatures. This is exactly what is required to remove oil from the bean, as soybean oil is particularly difficult to extract. Hexane or other solvents are always used to extract oil from soybeans, and traces remain in the commercial product.

Soy Protein Is Not Complete

While fermented soy products contain protein, vitamins, anti-carcinogenic substances and important fatty acids, they can under no circumstances be called nutritionally complete. Like all pulses, the soybean lacks vital sulfur-containing amino acids cystine and methionine. These are usually supplied by rice and other grains in areas where the soybean is traditionally consumed. Soy should never be considered as a substitute for animal products like meat or milk. Claims that fermented soy products like tempeh can be relied on as a source of vitamin B12, necessary for healthy blood and nervous system, have not been supported by scientific research. Finally, soybeans do not supply all-important fat soluble vitamins D and preformed A (retinol) which act as catalysts for the proper absorption and utilization of all minerals and water soluble vitamins in the diet. These "fat soluble activators" are found only in certain animal foods such as organ meats, butter, eggs, fish and shellfish. Carotenes from plant foods and exposure to sunlight are not sufficient to supply the body's requirements for vitamins A and D. Soy products often replace animal products in third world countries where intake of B12and fat soluble A and D are already low. Soy products actually increase requirements for vitamins B12 and D.

Are soy products easy to digest, as claimed? Fermented soy products probably are; but unfermented products with their cargo of phytates, enzyme inhibitors, rancid fatty acids and altered proteins most certainly are not. Pet food manufacturers promote soy free dog and cat food as "highly digestible".

Only Fermented Soy Products Are Safe

To summarize, traditional fermented soy products such as miso, natto and tempeh-which are usually made with organically grown soybeans-have a long history of use that is generally beneficial when combined with other elements of the Oriental diet including rice, sea foods, fish broth, organ meats and fermented vegetables. The value of precipitated soybean products is problematical, especially when they form the major source of protein in the diet. Modern soy products including soy milks and ersatz meat and dairy products made from soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein are new to the diet and pose a number of serious problems.

Consumer Beware!

To summarize, there may be some beneficial factors in soy foods prepared according to traditional fermentation methods. In the Orient these are eaten in small amounts as condiments, and not as a replacement for animal foods. Highly processed soy protein isolates and textured vegetable protein have little in common with traditional soy products. They might be compared to plastic processed cheese slices, which have nothing in common with traditionally processed whole milk natural cheeses.

Promotion of modern, industrially processed soy products should be viewed with skepticism. This is a huge and powerful industry. Archer Daniel Midlands, the world's major soy processor, spends heavily on advertising, especially for news programs on major networks. The company spent $4.7 million for advertising on "Meet the Press" and $4.3 million on "Face the Nation" during the course of a year.

ADM also has holdings in major newspapers. Naturally, the press presents soy in a favorable light. ADM lobbies heavily in Washington, and supports university research programs. ADM president Dwayne Andreas is a fanatic about spreading soy-based food around the world. There's a lot in it for him-but not much in it for us. Consumer beware. There is no joy in soy--it's a ploy.

The Whole Story About Whole Foods Market

From Natural News and Mercola.com; reconsidering the Farmer's Market

The Whole Story About Whole Foods Market

Many organic food fans trust stores that sell largely organic produce. However, the merger of Whole Foods and Wild Oats may be a sign that it's time for the rose-colored glasses to come off.

It is growing harder to make the case that shopping at Whole Foods is socially commendable. Whole Foods has faced well-deserved criticism for its effects on the environment, and its employees.

Whole Foods is an "industrial organic" company that has done away with the local distribution that was the center of the 1960's back-to-nature movement. There is nothing environmentally friendly about Whole Food's practice of importing asparagus in from Argentina in January.

Whole Foods is also the second largest union-free food retailer, right behind Wal-Mart. Whole Foods has taken the position that unions are not valid.

Many of Whole Foods’ canned or boxed items contain MSG, even though it is on Whole Foods list of unacceptable food ingredients. Their dairy products may or may not contain rBGH.

Whole Foods is a Fortune 500 Company that owes its allegiance to its shareholders. It is exploiting a niche market, and has now cleared the field of major competitors, leaving it free to raise prices and reduce quality.

Whole Foods, the largest premium natural and organic supermarket chain in the United States, first entered into a merger plan with its chief rival Wild Oats in February 2007. Their plans were halted by the Federal Trace Commission (FTC) at the time, who contended that the merger violated federal antitrust laws by eliminating the substantial competition between the two close competitors. They also said it would give Whole Foods unilateral market power resulting in higher prices and reduced quality, service and choice for consumers.

Well, money spoke the loudest again, it would seem.

Certainly, Whole Foods Market has helped bring organic healthy and unprocessed foods to the mainstream market, but, like most large corporations, it will have to contend with its shareholders, even if that means cutting corners here and there in order to make a profit.

Are Large Corporations Friend or Foe in the Organic Market?

The creation of the organic market niche is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the involvement of large corporations has turned organic food into a $16-billion business, with sales growing by as much as 20 percent per year. What this means for many Americans is access to more organic foods, likely at lower prices.

Large corporations also have big advertising budgets, which means the idea of eating foods free from pesticides, genetically modified ingredients and raised in sustainable, humane ways is getting a lot of publicity, whereas just a couple of decades ago it was next to unheard of.

The downside, however, might outweigh the benefits.

Because as soon as big corporations dip their hands into a project, it automatically becomes about maximizing profits by churning out the largest amount of product for the least expense. If this means sacrificing some ethics and skimping on some quality, that’s a price they’re willing to pay.

As a result of organic going mainstream in national super-chains such as Wal-Mart and Whole Foods, the term “organic” has virtually lost its meaning, and it is no longer a guarantee that the food is any better for either you or the environment.

You can now buy organic versions of ice cream, potato chips, crackers, soda and just about anything else, but these foods are STILL not good for you; they’re still junk foods with little or no real nutritional value. And, from an environmental aspect, at least one study has found that the transportation of organic produce causes an environmental impact large enough to cancel out any environmental benefits.

So, when you take all these factors into account, buying local is often better than buying organic, because you get fresher foods that didn't use up excess fuel to be transported long distances. They’re also likely to be somewhat less expensive since the rising fuel costs inevitably get passed down the line to the end consumer...

Kombucha: An Ancient Beverage for Modern Times

by Conan Milner
5.12.2007

"Right now what really gets the most attention in the beverage industry is the energy drinks," laments G.T. Dave, founder of a beverage company. "They're loaded with stimulants, which can give you heart palpitations and jitters, and they affect your sleep patterns."

In this fast-paced world, we all crave a little pick-me-up. But perhaps an ancient beverage could offer a healthy alternative to our modern woes.

Dave makes kombucha: a fermented ancient Chinese drink with a history of thousands of years.

"I like to think of my product as the anti-energy drink," explains Dave. "That's not to say that it doesn't give you energy-it certainly does-but it's a good, clean form of non-stimulant energy that puts you back in touch with your body."

Many health enthusiasts have long championed fermented foods like sauerkraut, kefir, yogurt, and kombucha because of their enzyme-rich profile. Sadly, traditional fermentation has fallen out of favor with modern production, and overall health has been the worse for it.

It might be hard to imagine that such a healthful beverage could generate from what looks like a shiny pancake, but the kombucha culture, often referred to as a mushroom, is actually a symbiotic colony of beneficial yeast and bacteria. The resulting tea is made by combining this culture with a mixture of tea (black, green, or oolong) and sugar, and fermenting these ingredients for a week or two.

A healthy beverage made with sugar? While the sweet stuff is required to make the ferment, very little remains in the finished drink. During the brewing cycle, the culture consumes your ingredients, leaving behind life-giving nutrients, including a full range of B-vitamins, enzymes, probiotics, and special acids found to quickly move toxins out of the body.

"According to traditional Chinese medicine, kombucha tea was referred to as the Tea of Immortality and the elixir of life," writes Ed Kasper, a California licensed acupuncturist, medicinal herbalist, and a master kombucha brewer. Kasper has been selling the beverage, as well as kombucha cultures and brewing kits, online since 1997. "I started giving it to my patients and clients and found that it addressed some of their health concerns."

"It helps control my hunger at night," says Jennifer Zielinski, a mother of three from Chicago, who has been making kombucha for the past year and a half. "If I drink a big glass of kombucha in the evening, it keeps me from raiding the fridge."

People report many different health benefits from drinking kombucha, including better digestion, clearer skin, and reduction in joint and body pain.

G.T. Dave' s mom's regular kombucha consumption maybe even helped with her cancer. After she started doing better "she started to research kombucha to find out what made it so healthy," explains Dave. "She came across several articles and reports that talked about kombucha and its positive impact on suppressing cancer and any other kind of metabolic disease."

"It's not a miracle; it's just not understood," says Ed Kasper, a California licensed acupuncturist, medicinal herbalist, and a master kombucha brewer, who stated that, like much of traditional Chinese medicine, kombucha simply works to bring the body back into balance.

While Dave and Kasper both offer ready-made kombucha for purchase, with a little effort it can also be made at home.

"It's fun, easy, and cheap. You could make it from white sugar and Lipton tea for 50 cents a gallon," says Kasper appealing to the thrifty, yet who, like Dave, brews his own kombucha with the finest ingredients. "You can make it so that it tastes good to you, not like medicine. You can make a [beverage] that is really pleasant to drink, and it's healthy for you."

Several factors (including time, temperature, and choice of ingredients) can affect the flavor of the batch, so the taste of kombucha can vary quite widely—from sparkling apple cider to effervescent vinegar. Manipulating these variables can yield a brew closer to your liking, but some people are still wary of trying it.

"My husband would like to drink it, but he can't get over the mushroom," says Zielinski, who mentions that her kombucha brews on a shelf in their basement.

"If people have to make it on their own it can be too much of a science project," says Dave who salutes those who do make it themselves but aims to offer a quality product to those who can't. A tactic Dave uses in converting consumers to the joys of kombucha is a taste of the familiar. "I noticed that if I just added a hint of fruit juice, it would give it a different color and a hint of a flavor that [consumers] were already familiar with, so they would be more inclined to embrace it," he explains. Zielinski, who bought some of the beverage and makes her own brew, employs this juice addition to make kombucha more palatable to her kids and friends. "You only need a teaspoon," she says.

Literature and testimonials on the benefits of kombucha are extensive, but Dave admits that nothing can replace experience. "When even the most skeptical people drink that first bottle, they can feel it," he says.

Spring Newsletter

Happy New Year! 3/2008

2008 (2/7/08- 1/25/09) is the year of the Rat in the Chinese Zodiac—a time of renewal, activity, and hard work. The Rat is the first sign in the cycle of the 12 animal signs of Chinese Astrology. It is a good time for new beginnings, opportunity and prosperity.

Spring is also a time for new beginnings and renewal. Spring is the time to cleanse the body, especially the liver and gallbladder. We are excited to offer a class on detoxing (see enclosed flyer). Most courses of this level are only open to health care professionals, but we are offering this course for everyone. This is important information we all need on how to prevent and treat chronic disease and stay healthy in today’s toxic environment. We’d like to encourage you to attend the class and bring anyone you know who would like to lead a healthier life.

We have a brand new website, but we’ve kept our same web address: www.whitemoonhealingcenter.com

It has lots of new photos and pages to check out. This is a great place to refer your family and friends for information on what our clinic has to offer.

In the past few years Mary Helen has taken the following continuing education classes:

Treating Emotional and Psychiatric Disorders with Oriental Medicine by Dr. Mary Rogel. Mary is one of the teachers of the Detox Class Mary Helen will be teaching. She has a PhD in Psychology and worked in that field for many years before becoming an acupuncturist.

Mary Helen attended a seminar by Giovanni Maciocia—one of the most internationally known acupuncturists and author of several Oriental Medicine textbooks. His seminar dealt with the Treatment of Male Disorders as well as Acupuncture Using the 8 Extraordinary Vessels. Mary Helen’s other seminars included: Cosmetic Acupuncture and Dermatology with Dr. Shu Yuan Hung, Tibetan Medicine I & II with Dr. Tenzig Dakpa and Acupuncture and Associated Reproductive Therapy—a class on treating infertility.

Conan joined Mary Helen in taking the following courses: Hormonal Imbalance and Psychosomatic Disorders Treatment with Physiological Regulating Medicine. Dr. Alessandro Perra from the Academy of Biological medicine in Italy taught this course. This is a type of homeopathy working with the principles of homotoxicology and Psycho Neuro Endocrine Immunology (PNEI). We attended a seminar on The Pros and Cons of Pharmaceutical Drugs and Chinese Medicine with Dr. John Chen— a PhD Pharmacist and Oriental Medical doctor. This seminar covered possible herb/drug interactions and herbal safety. We also took Herbal Applications for Female Hormone and Endocrine Disorders with Dr. Angela Hywood— a Naturopath from Australia . We are eager to share all of the new information that we have learned with you.

We are always happy to talk to people on the phone about health concerns. Feel free to call or email us for all you health needs.

Blessings for a Healthy New Year,

Mary Helen & Conan

773-743-5229

whitemoonacu@yahoo.com