Are You Gluten Intolerant or Have Celiac Disease?

If you're gluten intolerant or have celiac disease what is your body doing when gluten is present?

Dr. Tom O'Bryan in this video describes what your body and immune system does when gluten is consumed.

Dr. O'Bryan also discusses whether or not people with gluten sensitivities may introduce gluten after a period of time, have it in moderation or stay completely away from it.

The Dr. goes on to explain about a 34 year old woman with celiac disease who had osteoporosis (malabsorption of Vit. D and calcium), recurrent anemias (malabsorption of iron), chronic fatigue, hairloss, and a number of other symptoms.

After going completely gluten free her osteoporosis was gone, her hairloss was gone, she had her energy back and her blood work was normal.

This video is approx. 10 minutes in length and worth watching.

Is Meat or Soy the Real Cause of Bone Loss?

The soy industry has done its best to fan women’s fears about bone loss, blame meat for the osteoporosis epidemic and promote soy milk and other products as the solution.

Consumers who bone up on the issue, however, will find that soy has only a rickety leg to stand on.

And the soy industry itself knows this!

Between 2001 and 2005, I attended three symposia sponsored by the soy industry entitled “The Role of Soy in the Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Disease,” where I had the pleasure of watching embarrassed researchers squirm as they apologized for their failure to find a consistent bone-sparing effect and try to explain that the dose must have been either “suboptimal” or “excessive.”

In other words, they all know soy “works” . . . now if they could only find the perfect dose, correct formula or right age to initiate preventive treatment!

In 2006, very bad news came for the soy industry when Yale researchers writing for the Journal of Nutrition concluded:

“These data indicate that when soy protein is substituted for meat protein, there is an acute decline in dietary calcium bioavailability.”

This finding, of course, should have exploded once and for all the myth that eating meat and eggs results in a loss of calcium, leading the body to strip calcium from storage in the bones, ultimately causing osteopenia or osteoporosis.

But no such luck.

To this day the myth gets repeated, and if any science is cited at all, it’s most likely from an article that ran in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism back in 1988. Let’s talk about that one:

The study involved 15 healthy young people, divided into three groups. All three groups ate foods that contained identical amounts of sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium and protein, but differing amounts of sulfur.

The first group (least sulfur) consumed soy products; the second (moderate sulfur) consumed soy milk, texturized soy protein, cheese and eggs; and the third (most sulfur) consumed animal protein from meat and cheese. Those who got their protein from the animal products lost 50 percent more calcium from their bodies than did those who had only soy protein.

The soy, egg and dairy people were in the middle. The researchers concluded, “The inability to compensate for the animal protein-induced calciuric response (calcium in the urine) may be a risk factor for the development of osteoporosis.”

When this study comes up — which it often does in the pro plant-based diet literature – the authors never mention that the 15 subjects spent a grand total of 12 days testing each type of food. This was just enough time for their bodies to react to unexpectedly high levels of sulfur proteins, but not enough time for the body to normalize and handle the sulfur load.

Calcium homeostasis is normally well regulated so that increased calcium loss through the urine results in increased calcium absorption from the gut. This adaptive process may fail to occur during short-term studies, though the human body is more than capable of adjusting to the sulfur load of real foods when given a proper time frame.

The fallacy of most other studies linking sulfur-rich animals foods to high calcium excretion is equally easy to find. The majority of the experiments feature overdoses of the isolated amino acids methionine, cysteine and cystine without providing adequate levels of vitamin B6 and the extra hydrochloric acid needed to process this high amino acid load.

Notably, people and animals fed Real Food have not experienced the same problems.

The B6 issue is critical because the active form of B6 (pyridoxal-5-phosphate) is the coenzyme for the enzyme needed for proper conversion of sulfur-containing amino acids (cystathionine synthetase). The best and most available sources of vitamin B6 are raw animal foods, such as raw meat, raw milk and raw cheese. As it happens, these foods are also good sources of usable sulfur.

To date, only one study convincingly suggests that soy might prevent osteoporosis.

Published in the May 2006 issue of Journal of Nutrition, it pertains to natto, a fermented Japanese soybean product rarely sold in the U.S. In the case of natto, the bone building doesn’t come from the miracle bean itself, but from the Vitamin K2 manufactured by the bacteria involved in the fermentation process.

Vitamin K2 is crucial for bone health and conspicuously absent from soy milk or any other modern soybean products. But don’t expect to find natto in the stores anytime soon as few Americans appreciate its sticky coat, cheesy texture, musty taste, sliminess, stringiness and pungent odor.

Butter and lacto-fermented foods like sauerkraut are the best sources of vitamin K2 in western diets.

As for soy milk and other modern soy products, more than 70 years of studies link soy to thyroid problems, particularly hypothyroidism with its familiar symptoms of weight gain, fatigue, malaise and lethargy. Hypothyroidism itself is a known risk factor for osteoporosis.

Soy proponents, of course, believe the phytoestrogens in soy promote bone health.

While it’s true that estrogen receptors are found in bone, soy phytoestrogens are not true estrogens and don’t reliably activate them. In any case, the key hormone for bone health is not estrogen but progesterone. In that American women most often suffer from estrogen dominance and progesterone deficiency, soy phytoestrogens aren’t likely to help. And there aren’t any soy phytoprogesterones.

Last summer, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) put the kibosh on proposed health claims that soy stops osteoporosis. Of the fourteen studies submitted by the soy industry, EFSA found only two that showed a possible benefit.

Those two reported an effect of soy isoflavones at doses of 54 mg per day at the lumbar spine and femoral neck, which was accompanied by a significant increase in markers of bone formation and a significant decrease in markers of bone resorption. However, the panel noted that such changes in BMD at the lumbar spine seen in short term studies (six to nine months) could have “resulted from a change in the remodeling balance which may not be retained in subsequent remodeling cycles” and that “the evidence for a mechanism by which soy isoflavones may exert an effect on bone mass and turnover in post-menopausal women is weak.”

As for the other 12 studies, they did not support bone health despite dosages of soy isoflavones as high as 200 mg per day. The soy industry declared it was “surprised” and “disappointed.”

Disappointed?  Of course.  Surprised?  Hardly.

EFSA had earlier rejected three petitions for a soy/heart disease health for similar reasons.

The takeaway?  Other than the vitamin K2 found abundantly in natto, soybean products have little to offer our bones and much to harm them.
About the Author

Kaayla T. Daniel, PhD, is the author of The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America’s Favorite Health Food endorsed by leading health experts, including Drs Joseph Mercola, Larry Dossey, Kilmer S. McCully, Russell Blaylock and Doris J. Rapp.

She is Vice President of the Weston A. Price Foundation, on the Board of Directors of the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund, and received the Weston A. Price Foundation’s Integrity in Science Award in 2005.  Kaayla has been a guest on The Dr.Oz Show, PBS Healing Quest, NPR’s People’s Pharmacy, and many other shows.

 

Kaayla  is known as The Naughty Nutritionist™ because of her ability to outrageously and humorously debunk nutritional myths.

 

You can find her on Facebook at facebook.com/DrKaaylaDaniel and subscribe to her edu-taining blog at drkaayladaniel.com.

SOURCES

Daniel, Kaayla. The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America’s Favorite Health Food. (New Trends, 2005)

Daniel, Kaayla. EFSA rejects soy health claims for bone health and menopause.

Daniel, Kaayla. Nothing natty about natto, but the strings of slime are good for you.

 

Fujita Y, Iki M, Tamaki J et al. Association between vitamin K intake from fermented soybeans, natto, and bone mineral density in elderly Japanese men: The Fujiwara-kyo Osteoporosis Risk in Men (FORMEN) study. Osteoporos Int. 2012 Feb;23(2):705-14.

 

Ikeda Y, Iki M, Morita A, Kajita E, Kagamimori S, Kagawa Y, Yoneshima H. Intake of fermented soybeans, natto, is associated with reduced bone loss in postmenopausal women: Japanese Population-Based Osteoporosis (JPOS) Study. J Nutr. 2006 May;136(5):1323-8.

Reinwald S, Weaver CM. Soy components vs. whole soy: are we betting our bones on a long shot? J Nutr. 2010 Dec;140(12):2312S-2317S.

 

Dr. Fuhrman Speaks on Calcium, Vit. D, and Osteoporosis

Dr. Fuhrman writes: 

About 10 million Americans already have osteoporosis, and 34 million are at risk.¹ Contrary to popular belief however, low intake of calcium is not the primary cause of osteoporosis. While Americans have the highest calcium intake in the world, we also have one of the highest hip fracture rates in the world.² The standard American diet causes much of the consumed calcium to be lost in the urine. Excess salt, caffeine, sugar, and animal products leach calcium out of bones and promote urinary calcium loss.³ The Nurses’ Health Study followed 72,337 women for over 18 years and found that dairy intake did not reduce the risk of osteoporosis-related hip fractures.⁴

In contrast, vegetables, beans, fruits, nuts, and seeds are rich sources of calcium and other important minerals, and do not promote the urinary excretion of calcium. A three cup serving of raw, chopped greens – like kale, bok choy, or collards – provides the same amount of calcium (or more) as one cup of whole milk. Only 32% of the calcium in the cup of cow’s milk can be absorbed by the human body compared to about 50% for many green vegetables.⁵

Calcium isn’t the only important nutrient for bone health

It's also important to keep in mind that the effect of nutrition on bone health is more complex than just getting adequate calcium. For example, vitamin K also supports bone health, and vitamin K is abundant in leafy greens.⁶ Of course, vitamin D also plays a critical role in regulating bone health. Vitamin D promotes the absorption of calcium in the intestine as well as the activity of bone building cells. Medical studies show vitamin D is more effective than calcium for treating osteoporosis.⁷ The most natural way to obtain vitamin D is through sun exposure, but because of indoor jobs, northern climates, and skin cancer risk it is virtually impossible for most to safely achieve optimal levels of Vitamin D from suns hine alone. Vitamin D supplementation is necessary for most people.

How much calcium and Vitamin D are necessary to protect against osteoporosis?

Most Americans take inadequate amounts of Vitamin D and excessive amounts of calcium. Approximately 50% of Americans are deficient in Vitamin D.⁸ For optimal bone protection, I advise having a blood 25(OH)D test, and then supplementing accordingly to keep Vitamin D levels in the range of 35-50 ng/ml.^9,10 If you have not had yet your blood tested, 2000 IU is a reasonable daily dose to start.

Too much calcium may interfere with Vitamin D's effects on bone health.

Calcium should not be taken in excess, and I recommend limiting supplemental calcium to 400-600 mg. Most of your calcium should be derived from plant foods, not supplements. A recent meta-analysis of many studies has shown that low dose (500 mg) calcium supplementation combined with vitamin D was effective at preventing osteoporosis-related fractures whereas high dose (1000 mg) calcium supplementation was not.^11,12,13 Overdosing on calcium actually deactivates the Vitamin D and can weaken bones. My Osteo-Sun formula is an excellent source of Vitamin D that provides the body with just the right dose of calcium and magnesium and all three in the proper ratio for optimal osteoporosis protection.

---

¹NOF. "Bone Health Basics." National Osteoporosis Foundation. 2010. http://www.nof.org/aboutosteoporosis/bonebasics/whybonehealth (accessed February 2011).
²Tsukahara N, Ezawa I. [Calcium intake and osteoporosis in many countries]. Clin Calcium. 2001 Feb;11(2):173-7.
³Vondracek SF, Hansen LB, McDermott MT. Osteoporosis risk in premenopausal women. Pharmacotherapy. 2009 Mar;29(3):305-17.
Massey LK, Whiting SJ. Caffeine, urinary calcium, calcium metabolism and bone. J. Nutr. 1992 3 Sep;123 (9): 1611-14
Sellmeyer DE, Stone KL, Sebastian A, Cummings SR. A high ratio of dietary animal to vegetable protein increases the rate of bone loss and the risk of fracture in postmenopausal women. Study of Osteoporotic Fracture s Research Group. Am J Clin Nutr. 2001 Jan;73(1):118-22.
Teucher B, Fairweather-Tait S. Dietary sodium as a risk factor for osteoporosis: where is the evidence? Proc Nutr Soc. 2003;62(4):859-866.
Wynn E, Krieg MA, Lanham-New SA, et al. Postgraduate Symposium: Positive influence of nutritional alkalinity on bone health. Proc Nutr Soc. 2010 Feb;69(1):166-73.
⁴Feskanich D, Willett WC, Colditz GA. Calcium, vitamin D, milk consumption and hip fractures: a prospective study among postmenopausal women. Am J Clin Nutr 2003;77(2): 504-11.
⁵Weaver CM, Plawecki KL. Dietary calcium: adequacy of a vegetarian diet. Am J Clin Nutr 1994;59(suppl):1238S-1241S.
⁶Shea, MK, Booth SL, Update on the role of vitamin K in skeletal health. Nutrition Reviews, 2008. 66(10): p.549-57.
Iwamoto J, Sato Y,Takeda T, Matsumoto H. High-dose vitamin K supplementation reduces fracture incidence in postmenopausal women: a review of the lit erature. Nutr Res, 2009. 29(4): p. 221-8.
⁷Tilyard MW, Spears GF, Thomson J, Dovey S. Treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis with calcitriol or calcium. N Engl J Med. 1992 Feb 6;326(6):357-62.
⁸University of California - Riverside (2010, July 19). More than half the world's population gets insufficient vitamin D, says biochemist. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 17, 2011, from http://www.sciencedaily.com¬ /releases/2010/07/100715172042.htm
⁹Bischoff-Ferrari, H.A., Optimal serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels for multiple health outcomes. Adv Exp Med Biol, 2008. 624: p. 55-71.
¹⁰Bischoff-Ferrari HA, Giovannucci E, Willett WC, et al., Estimation of optimal serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D for multiple health outcomes. Am J Clin Nutr, 2006. 84(1): p. 18-28.
¹¹Bischoff-Ferrari HA, Willett WC. Comment on the IOM Vitamin D and Calcium Recommendations. Harvard School of Public Heal th: The Nutrition Source, 2010.
¹²Zoler ML. High Vitamin D Intake Linked to Reduced Fractures. Family Practice News, 2010(November 16, 2010).
¹³Bischoff-Ferrari HA, Orav EJ, Willett, WC, et al., A Higher Dose of Vitamin D is Required for Hip and Non-vertebral Fracture Prevention: A Pooled Participant-based Meta-analysis of 11 Double-blind RCTs, in The American Society for Bone and Mineral Research 2010 Annual Meeting2010: Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Osteoporosis - Increase Muscle Strength

The National Osteoporosis Foundation estimates that 50% of women and 25% of men over the age of 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture during their lifetime and 20% of seniors who suffer from an osteoporosis related fracture die within one year.

The best protection against osteoporosis is incorporating physical activity in your daily routine.  If you increase the stress on your bones through exercise, they will respond by growing bigger and stronger.  Don't use your bones and they will weaken from lack of use.

The most effective way to strengthen bone and protect against osteoporosis-related fractures is by increasing muscle strength.  Swimming and biking are excellent for cardiovascular conditioning, but weight-bearing exercises like walking, running, lifting weights or even stretch bands will help protect against osteoporosis while strengthening your bones.  If you do have osteoporosis, start off slowly, do exercises using the stretch bands first while incorporating the use of lighter weights.

In Dr. Fuhrman's DVD, Osteoporosis Protection For Life, he combines dietary advice, supplements and special bone-strengthening exercises, offering a significant improvement over drug treatment for osteopenia and osteoporosis.  Dr. Fuhrman gives people the information they need in this DVD to put an effective osteoporosis prevention plan into action.

For women, in addition to the usual weight-bearing exercises, Dr. Fuhrman recommends wearing a weighted vest to strengthen your bones.  Wearing a weighted vest not only helps strengthen the bones, but burns more calories, increases your core strength and stabilizes muscles which then improves your balance and helps to decrease the chances of falls.  Note: If you do suffer from compressed fractures of the spine as a result of your osteoporosis, seek the advice of your doctor before adding this weighted vest to your exercise routine.

Shared with: the healthy home economist

Mouse in Mountain Dew?

Sun-Times: Jan. 3, 2012

The maker of Mountain Dew soft drinks is defending itself against claims by an Illinois man that he found a mouse in his soda can.

The man, Ronald Ball, says he gave the mouse to Pepsico Inc., manufacturers of Mountain Dew, in a canning jar in 2009.  Ball said he bought the soda out of a vending machine and after discovering the mouse, he became violently ill.

According to a report in the Madison Record, Pepsi cited testimony of a scientist who said that if the mouse had been in the soda since its bottling, its body would have dissolved into a jelly-like substance, because of the acidity in Mountain Dew.

Veterinarian Lawrence McGill said, "If a mouse is submerged in Mountain Dew between four and seven days, the rodent 'will have no calcium in its bones and bony structures.'  After 30 days, 'all of the mouse's structures' will be disintegrated."

McGill concluded, "This mouse had not been born when the can of Mountain Dew was produced."

Conclusion:  Take note of what the scientist and veterinarian are saying, if Mountain Dew can do what they claim it can do to a mouse, imagine what it does to humans, no wonder we have so many cases of osteoporosis, cancer (cancer thrives in an acidic environment), and the list goes on.

Shared with: the healthy home economist

Health Benefits of Cashews

Did you know that a 1/4 cup of cashew nuts supplies you with:

• 37..4% of the daily recommended value of monounsaturated fat
• 38.0% of the daily recommended value of copper
• 22.3% of the daily recommended value for magnesium

Cashew nuts contain Heart-Protective Monounsaturated Fats:

• Cashews have a lower fat content than most other nuts
• Cashews contain primarily unsaturated fatty acids, 75% of which is oleic acid, the same heart-healthy monounsaturated fat found in olive oil
• Oleic acid found in cashews promotes good cardiovascular health
• Monounsaturated fats reduce high triglyceride levels which are associated with increased risk for heart disease

Eating cashews provides the body with a good source of Copper, Copper plays a role in a wide range of physiological processes including:

• Iron utilization
• Elimination of free radicals
• Development of bone and connective tissue
• Production of the skin and hair pigment called melanin
• Energy production
• Antioxidant defenses

Inadequate intake of copper can lead to health problems such as:

• Iron deficiency anemia
• Ruptured blood vessels
• Osteoporosis
• Joint problems such as rheumatoid arthritis
• Brain disturbances
• Elevated LDL (bad) cholesterol and reduced HDL (good) cholesterol levels
• Irregular heartbeat
• Increased susceptibility to infections

Cashews are a great source of Magnesium, adequate levels of Magnesium in the body:

• Ensures healthy bones
• Helps to lower blood pressure
• Helps to prevent heart attacks
• Promotes normal sleep patterns
• Reduces the severity of asthma

Insufficient Magnesium can contribute to:

• High blood pressure
• Muscle spasms
• Mirgraine headaches
• Muscle cramps
• Tension
• Soreness
• Fatigue

Cashews should always be stored in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dry place.
Moderation is key, because of their high fat content, over consumption of these delicious nuts can cause unwanted weight gain.
If you overindulge the oxalates in cashews can also become concentrated in your body fluids, crystallizing and causing health problems in people with preexisting kidney or gallbladder problems.  source:  www.organiccashewnuts.com/cashewbenefits.htm