Processed Soy Products Are Bad for You
January 06, 2010
Naural News
By Mike Adams
One of the strangest behaviors I’ve ever seen in the natural health crowd is something I call “Soy Rage.” It’s an angry reaction that wells up in some people every time they hear me recommend natural, non-GMO, home-made soy milk.
People get angry about it. Downright nasty at times. They insist all soy is bad for you and there’s no such thing as “healthy soy.” To that, I say stop blaming the plant.
Blame the processing. (And the slash-and-burn farming…)
Processed soy is atrociously bad for you
Based on everything I’ve learned over the last decades or soy, I believe that processed soy products are atrociously bad for you. I wouldn’t touch a carton of Silk with a ten-foot straw. Processed tofu is a nutritious joke, and when it comes to soy protein, I’ve already published numerous articles exposing the toxins found in conventional processed soy protein.
Processed soy, like lots of processed things, is quite bad for your health.
But natural soy, grown organically (and locally, where possible), can actually be quite good for you. Natural soy milk, made right at home, has been part of the healthy traditional Chinese diet for thousands of years. Some of its plant-based nutrients have very powerful anti-cancer elements that can help prevent both prostate and breast cancers. Natural, non-GMO soy has some very positive properties and can play an important role in a healthy disease-preventing diet.
But the Soy Rage people don’t see it that way. To them, all soy is bad for you, end of discussion.
It’s an ignorant belief. It’s like saying “all sugar is bad for you.”
Well, not really. When I take a machete and cut some living sugar cane stalks here in Ecuador, and I take them to a sugar cane juicing machine and squeeze out all the green juice, with all its minerals and phytonutrients, and then I enjoy that amazing beverage, it’s very good for me! Drinking raw sugar cane juice is a lot like drinking wheat grass juice (sugar cane is actually a grass) except it tastes way better.
Sugar is a lot like soy: When it’s unprocessed and natural, it’s quite good for you. When it’s processed and modified, it’s bad!
Lots of things are good for you BEFORE they’re processed
Many people in the natural health arena need a better understanding of this: There are lots of things that are quite good for you in their unprocessed form. It’s the processing that makes them bad for you.
For example:
Processed sugar cane is bad. Raw sugar cane is good.
Processed salt is bad. Unprocessed, full-spectrum sea salt is good.
Processed cow’s milk is bad. Fresh, raw cow’s milk is good.
Processed chocolate can be a junk food. Raw, natural cacao is a superfood!
Processed wheat is bad for you. Stone-ground whole wheat can be good for you.
Processed soy milk is bad. Natural, home-made soy milk is good.
Processed cheese is bad. Natural, home-made cheese is far less so.
Processed (canned) fruits are bad. Raw, fresh fruits are good for you.
You see, it’s not the food itself that’s good or bad — it’s the processing! And sadly, virtually all the foods consumed by most consumers today are highly processed.
What happens when you “process” food
So what’s the problem with processing food anyway? When you process food, five very bad things happen:
#1 – Minerals are stripped out, such as 98% of the magnesium being stripped out of wheat when it’s milled and bleached into white flour.
#2 – Phytonutrients are destroyed. As much as 90% of the phytonutrient content is lost during processing. (And remember, phytonutrients are the disease-fighting medicines found in foods.)
#3 – The physical properties of foods are artificially altered in a way that makes them dangerous. The homogenization of milk, for example, alters the fat molecules in milk, giving them properties that contribute to heart disease and clogged arteries. Partially-hydrogenated oils are also the result of a physical alteration that makes food dangerous for your health.
Color My World – Phytochemicals in Fruits Good for You
November 06, 2009
Natural News
By S. L. Baker
Phenolics. Flavonoids. Carotenoids. Quercetin. Phloridzin. What do these scientific names have in common? They are all types of phytonutrients, also called phytochemicals, found in fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and teas. And they may decrease the risk of not only minor illnesses like colds but also many of the major killers on the planet — including cancer and heart disease. Scientists have only identified a few of the suspected vast number of these natural compounds in foods that protect and build health. But two facts are clear. First, most Americans don’t get enough phytonutrients in their daily diet for optimum health and, second, there’s an easy strategy to boost your phytonutrient intake — simply eat a mix of more naturally colorful foods.
The recently released Phytonutrient Report, sponsored by the supplement company Nutrilite, used National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) and USDA data to analyze what people in the U.S. typically eat each day. Because the same compounds that give plant foods various colors are related to phytonutrient content, the report divided consumption into five categories of colors — green, red, blue/purple, yellow/orange and white.
For example, the phytonutrients, isothiocyanate, lutein and isoflavones are known to be abundant in green foods such as spinach and broccoli and lycopene and ellagic acid are found in red fruits and vegetables like watermelon and tomatoes. White plant foods like onions and garlic are rich in allicin and quercetin. Anthocyanidins and resveratrol are found in purple and blue foods like grapes and blueberries while alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, hesperitin and beta-cryptoxanthin are most often in yellow/orange foods such as carrots and oranges.
The Phytonutrient Report concludes there is a phytonutrient gap in every color classification. Specifically, 88% of Americans are eating too few foods in the blue/purple category, 79% are missing out on an adequate intake of yellow and orange foods, and 78% don’t have enough red veggies and fruits in their diets. In addition, 69% lack enough daily green plant foods and 86% lack enough white plant foods.
Artichokes Contain Amazing Power
September 12, 2009
Natural News
By Sheryl Walters
Artichokes, which can be eaten or taken as artichoke leaf extract, have been shown to improve various digestive health disorders. They significantly lower blood cholesterol levels, prevent heart disease and atherosclerosis, enhance detoxification reactions, as well as protect the liver from damage.
History
The artichoke is a thistle-like plant native to the regions of southern Europe, North Africa and the Canary Islands. The most powerful part of the plant medicinally is its leaves.
The artichoke is one of the oldest medicinal plants dating back to 4th century B.C. Ancient Greeks and Romans used the artichoke for digestive problems. In the 16th century, artichokes were documented as a treatment for liver problems and jaundice. It was not until the 20th century that it became widely popular as a delicious food and a useful medicine.
Health Benefits
Clinical and experimental trials have shown that eating artichokes may be useful in treating chronic digestive complaints including irritable stomach, nervous gastropathy, flatulence, and irritable bowel.
They are useful in treating specific liver/gallbladder conditions with elevated blood fat values by promoting bile flow in the body, increasing fat digestion and protecting the intestinal mucosa. Bile acids stimulate intestinal peristalsis resulting in better digestion. Bile moves toxins that are ingested through food, water and the air from the liver on to the intestine for further elimination, making it a powerful detoxer.
Artichokes have been proven through clinical studies to be a safe, non-toxic, natural way to prevent and treat high cholesterol. They increase the breakdown of cholesterol to bile salts, thus increasing bile production and flow, and regulate the internal production of cholesterol in the liver.
Artichokes have been shown to lower LDL (bad cholesterol) and increase HDL (good cholesterol). One study showed a decrease in total cholesterol of 18.5 and LDL cholesterol by 23. This amazing plant had actually gained widespread popularity in the 1950`s and 60`s before statin drugs came along. They contain high amounts of luteolin, which is known to play a role in it cholesterol lowering abilities.
Artichokes are packed with antioxidants, making them incredible defenders against cancer, aging, heart disease, and illness. They boost the immune system and lower cholesterol.
Artichokes are packed with vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients that increase health and wellbeing. These include:
Quercetin
An anti-carcinogen flavonoid that works as an antioxidant to protect against cancer and heart disease.
Rutin
A flavonoid which promotes cardiovascular health, helps prevent cell proliferation associated with cancer, and has anti-inflammatory and anti-allergenic properties.
Anthocyanins
Color pigments in Artichokes that are powerful antioxidants. They are associated with a lower risk of certain cancers, urinary tract health, memory function and healthy aging.
Gallic Acid
A potent antioxidant also found in red wine and black tea. It has been shown to inhibit cell proliferation in prostate cancer cells.
Luteolin and Cynarin
Very powerful polyphenol antioxidants that may lower cholesterol levels. Artichokes are very concentrated in cyanarin, which may also help in regeneration of liver tissue.
Caffeic Acid and Chlorogenic Acid
Contains anti-cancer, antimicrobial, anti-LDL (bad cholesterol) and antiviral properties.
Silymarin
A powerful antioxidant that may aid the liver in regenerative tissue growth.
One artichoke contains approximately one fourth of the average adult`s daily fiber requirements. It is also packed with vitamin C, potassium, folic acid and magnesium.
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