Total Health Breakthroughs: Free Natural Health Newsletter and Alternative Health Articles

In This Issue:

The Living Link Missing From Our Diets

By Al Sears, MD

For millions of years, our ancestors hunted for meat and gathered fruits, nuts and other plant foods. They followed the food supply, so there was no kitchen sink to wash it in. Instead, they brushed the dirt off the foods they gathered. Or rinsed it in a nearby stream.

Today, factory farms add thousands of tons of pesticides and herbicides to our food. Even if we wash our fruits and vegetables thoroughly, we run the risk of slowly poisoning ourselves.

This modern dilemma means that our ancestors received a benefit from their food that we don’t. I think of that benefit as “living foods” — the good bacteria that inhabit our guts.

Living foods aid digestion. They hold dangerous bacteria in check. And recent research has revealed an amazing variety of other benefits. Here are just a few of the health benefits connected to these living foods:

• They support normal growth in infants¹
• They help protect against early childhood infections²
• They improve your body’s defenses against food-borne toxins³
• They may be useful in the treatment of ulcers⁴
• They can reduce the discomfort of diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome⁵
• They can reduce the damaging effects of alcoholism⁶

We have these healthy bacteria growing in our guts, too. But many of us have far fewer than we need.

I’ll show you why you need living foods. How an entire industry has misled consumers about them. And how you can enjoy the healthy benefits living foods offer.

Protection from Disease-Causing Bacteria
There wasn’t much interest in the good bacteria in our guts until the early 20th century. Then a Russian scientist named Metchnikoff had an idea. He believed that replacing the “bad” bacteria in our systems with “good” bacteria could slow aging.

Mechnikoff’s early theories were a little off. But his work led to many discoveries about the bacteria living in our digestive systems. In the 1970s, these living foods were named “probiotics.”

I like that term. It directly counters modern medicine’s dependency on “anti” biotics, which focuses on killing biological organisms rather than on supplying them.

The word “bacteria” makes most people think of germs and infection. But trillions of good bacteria live in our digestive systems. These good bacteria promote better health in several ways.

Your intestinal wall is like a parking lot with billions and billions of individual “parking spaces.” Many disease-causing bacteria can only make you sick if they find an open space on the intestinal lining.

If good bacteria have taken up all the available parking spots, the bad bacteria can’t adhere to the intestinal lining. Instead they pass through the gut. And you don’t get sick.

If bad bacteria take over, the bacteria can migrate throughout your body and cause a host of diseases that you would never associate with your gut.

There’s a good reason bacteria thrive in our intestines. There’s plenty of food. Probiotic bacteria compete against bad bacteria for this food supply.

Your digestion works a lot like natural decomposition. And that’s a perfect environment for bacteria. Bacteria don’t have complex digestive systems. So they take advantage of the free meals available in our intestines.

But probiotics give us plenty in return. Because they’re more efficient feeders than many harmful bacteria, they can crowd bad bacteria out.⁷ And a UK study found that probiotics lower the toxin levels of a bacteria that causes a form of colitis.⁸

Add these to the benefits I mentioned earlier, and you can see how probiotics promote good health.

But don’t run out and fill your fridge with cultured yogurt products. That’s because most of the so-called probiotic foods on your grocer’s shelf aren’t that useful. In fact, neither are most of the probiotic supplements I’ve seen.

And a pair of product tests help explain why.

Make Sure Your Probiotic Gets Past These Two Obstacles to be Effective
In 2003, ConsumerLab.com tested 25 probiotic products. Some were supplements. Others were foods with bacteria added. Nine products failed their tests. Almost a third contained “too few live bacteria to be effective.”

ConsumerLab.com’s second round of tests didn’t do much better. In their 2006 study, five of the 13 products they tested flunked.

But there’s still a problem. Even if a product contains “enough” bacteria, those bacteria still have to survive two attacks in your body.

First, they have to survive your stomach acid. Then, they have to face the bile salts in your upper intestine. Up until now, survival rates have been less than exciting.

The food industry has spent a fortune on special coatings to protect probiotics from stomach acid. But a research paper presented at the Israel Institute of Technology found they’re not having great success.

They tested three of the most common coating processes and found the coating process itself killed up to 60% of the bacteria.⁹ So, even if the bacteria make it through your stomach, most of them could already be dead.

Getting through your stomach is a challenge. But even the latest double-coating process is no match for bile salts. The new process worked well with stomach acid. But researchers found the double-coated capsules didn’t provide any extra protection against bile salts.¹⁰

What this all boils down to is that most probiotic products simply don’t deliver on their promises. And even those promises are being called into question.

Yogurt giant, Dannon Corp., recently agreed to settle a $300 million class-action lawsuit out of court. The reason for the suit? Evidence that health claims for Dannon’s probiotic yogurt products may not be true.

Dannon says it stands behind its claims. But the fact they’re settling the suit seems to say something else. And this isn’t the first time they’ve been called out on probiotic claims.

The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) asked Danone, Dannon’s parent company, to pull “misleading” ads in both 2006 and 2008. Danone also ran afoul of the ASA in 2003. Then it was for ads for its “Shape” yogurt product.

Danone isn’t alone. The U.S. National Advertising Division claimed General Mills was running misleading ads for its Yoplait “Yo-Plus” product. General Mills pulled the ads in December 2008.

So you’re faced with a dilemma. Probiotics are good for you. But getting enough of them can be a challenge. And you may not be getting what you think you are anyway.

What do you do?

Getting Probiotics’ Benefits
There are several ways to get more of these healthy living foods into your diet.

The first is to grow your own organic fruits and vegetables. Fresh, organic produce from your own garden doesn’t require the scrubbing that factory-farmed veggies do. And you’ll have the bonus of tastier meals.

I’ve been growing my own organic garden for years, and I rarely get sick. In fact, I’ve been known to just pluck a tomato off the vine, dust if off, slice it up and eat it. No washing required.

If you don’t have room or time for your own organic garden, buy organic when you shop. Your local farmer’s market is a great place to find organic fruits and veggies. You should still wash this produce. But, like homegrown, it doesn’t need the kind of thorough cleaning commercial produce does.

Plus you can give the healthy bacteria in your gut a better chance of surviving. Simply cut out the foods that bad bacteria thrive on.

Sugar and refined carbohydrates are bad bacteria’s favorite meal. These “foods” aren’t natural to your body anyway. So giving them up — or even cutting down — offers a whole range of health benefits, including weight loss.

Finally, stay tuned… Because my staff and I here at the Wellness Research Foundation have uncovered a promising new twist in probiotics.

A lab in Europe has been quietly breeding new strains of good bacteria. These bacteria are highly resistant to both stomach acid and bile salts. But they’re not genetically engineered, and there’s no coating involved.

So far, the research has been very promising. But I’m not going to jump on board until I know that these living foods live up to their promise. If they do, you can be sure I’ll let you know.

To Your Good Health,

Al Sears, MD

[Ed. Note: Dr. Sears is Chairman of the Board of Total Health Breakthroughs. He has written over 500 articles and 7 books in the fields of alternative medicine, anti-aging, and nutritional supplementation.]

References

1. Scalabrin DM, et. al. Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2009 Mar 4.
2. Rautava S, et. al. Br J Nutr. 2008 Nov 6:1-5. [Epub ahead of print].
3. Gratz S, et. al. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2007 Jun;73(12):3958-64.
4. Lam EK, et. al. Probiotic Eur J Pharmacol. 2007 Jun 22;565(1-3):171-9.
5. Gawronska A, et. al. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2007 Jan 15;25(2):177-84.
6. Forsyth CB, et. al. Alcohol. 2009 Mar;43(2):163-72.
7. Wilson KH, Perini F. Infect Immun. 1988 Oct;56(10):2610-4.
8. Plummer S, et. al. Int Microbiol. 2004 Mar;7(1):59-62.
9. Semyonov D. Dry Microencapsulation and Enteric Coating of Probiotic Bacteria. M.Sc Thesis, Department of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Israel Institute of Technology.
10. Ding WK, Shah NP. J Food Sci. 2009 Mar;74(2):M53-61.

Green Living:

Tips for the City Gardener

By Barbara Peterson

By eating healthy foods and building up a strong immune system, we can live healthier, morerobust lives. Sprouting is a way to give your body a shot in the arm of high-density nutrition that both city dwellers and homesteaders alike can do with minimal space and equipment.

The first step on your sprouting journey is to choose the seeds you want to start with. Just about any seeds can be sprouted, except for seeds taken from plants grown from Terminator (GURT) genetically modified seeds.  These seeds are engineered to be sterile. So, when looking for seeds to sprout, experiment with some popular favorites such as alfalfa, beans, broccoli, clover, arugula, fenugreek, wheat, or peanuts.

The second step to successful sprouting is seed storage. Seeds must be stored in a cool, dry, dark area. A temperature between 55-70 degrees, with humidity of less than 70% is best. You can extend your seed life by freezing or refrigerating as long as you avoid condensation.

When you have selected which seeds you are going to sprout, cull and prep them. Look through the dry seeds for foreign matter and remove it. Rinse them thoroughly, and then soak for between 8-12 hours to end the seeds’ dormancy. You will need 2-3 times as much water as seeds for soaking. When you are done soaking them, remove any seeds that float, drain, and rinse thoroughly in cool water.

Now the sprouting process begins. Choose a sprouter that works best for you, and depending on the size of the sprouter, place a spoonful or so of seeds in it. Some people use a canning jar with a piece of non-aluminum screening or porous nylon netting in place of the lid, with the ring fastening it down. Small bags made out of burlap or hemp that can be hung are also very handy. The main thing to remember when choosing a sprouter is that the seeds need to breathe or they will rot.

After you’ve placed your seeds in the container, make sure to rinse them 2-3 times per day with cool water. Use lots of water, and turn your faucet on as high as you can without damaging the seeds. This will clean your seeds, as well as oxygenate and keep them loose. Drain thoroughly after each rinse, removing as much water as possible by shaking and bouncing the sprouter.

Keep your sprouter in an area with good air circulation. They can have indirect light at this point, so don’t worry about room lighting. When you see your sprouts starting to emerge and shed the hulls, it is time to give them plenty of light.

When your sprouts are as big as you would like them to be, give them a final rinse, drain thoroughly and let them sit for 8-12 hours. Make sure they are cool and dry, and then place them in a sealed container in your refrigerator.

Last but not least, make sure that you thoroughly clean your sprouter using food-grade hydrogen peroxide or grapefruit seed extract and you will be ready for the next round of sprouts.

So, even if you don’t have room outside to plant a garden, plant a mini-garden of sprouts right in your kitchen and reap the harvest of these nutritional powerhouses. Easy to store, easy to grow, and healthy to boot!

[Ed. Note: Barbara lives on a small ranch in Oregon with her husband, where they raise geese, chickens, horses, Oggie Dog, a variety of cats, and an opinionated Macaw named Rita. Barbara believes that self-sufficiency and localization of food sources is necessary to survive the coming depression. To this end, she hopes that sharing information with others of like mind will lead to a brighter future where people reach out to each other and form small communities in which food is grown locally, and trade is established between neighbors.  For more of Barbara’s tips on sustainable living, click here now.]

Healthy Recipes:

Coconut Lime Cooler

By Kelley Herring

Because coconut water is a natural source of electrolytes — including potassium, sodium andmagnesium — this tropical treat makes a delicious, low-glycemic post-workout refresher.

Time To Table: 2 minutes
Serves: 2

The Benefits
Good Source of: Fiber, Magnesium, Potassium, Vitamin C
Preferences: Low Carbohydrate, Gluten Free, Dairy Free

Ingredients
2 cups organic coconut water
2 tsps organic lime juice
2 lime wedges (optional)

Preparation
Add chilled coconut water and lime juice to a glass with ice. Garnish with a lime wedge. Serve.

Nutrition Information
46 Calories, 0 g Total Fat, 0 g Saturated fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 0 g Monounsaturated fat, 0 g Polyunsaturated fat, 0 mg Cholesterol, 252 mg Sodium, 9 g Carbohydrate, 3 g Fiber, 6 g Sugars, 2 g Protein

[Ed. Note: Kelley Herring is the founder of Healing Gourmet – the world's leading website on the power of foods to promote health and protect against disease. Her latest work is a revolutionary health transformation program called, Your Plate, Your Fate. In this 7-part program you'll learn how to protect your health and optimize your weight by maximizing the nutrients in your food. Learn more here.]