Friday, April 29, 2005

Stevia 100% Natural Herbal Sweetener

Artificial sweeteners are developed in organic chemistrylabs. Stevia grows wild in the rain forests.

Finally, a sweetener that I think has yet to show any real toxicity. It has been used for centuries by the Guarani Indians both as a sweetener and a medicinal. It does not have any calories, is suitable for diabetics and does not cause cavities. It is obtained from the leaves of the stevia shrub which grows wild in the Amambay Mountain region of Paraquay.

Introduced in Japan in 1970.

Stevia was first introduced to Japan in 1970 and by 1988 it represented 41% of the sweetener market in Japan. To date, there have been no ill effects or health related problems. It is also used in Japan, to sweeten other foods such as ice cream, bread, candy, pickles, seafood, vegetables and softdrinks. The safety of stevia is accepted in Japan. Besides being grown in Japan, it is now grown in China, Germany,Malaysia, Israel and South Korea.

1991 Stevia Banned by the FDA

Sometime in the late 1980's an anonymous interest filed a trade complaint against stevia when it began to show up in theUS. One of the companies using stevia at that time was Celestial Seasonings Herbal Tea Company. The FDA ordered them to stop producing their teas, which they said were "adulterated." Another tea company, Traditional Medicinals, had their entire inventory of teas containing stevia confiscated by theFDA in an unexpected raid. The FDA even ordered a "book burning" in Texas, of stevia related books. Fortunately, the ACLU and the public heard of this and the FDA backed down.

1995 The FDA reverses its decision (halfway)

Stevia can now be sold as a nutritional supplement, but not as a food additive / sweetener. It is available in health food and vitamin stores usually in the vitamin department. It can also be bought online. So far there do not seem to be any real problems with stevia. There were some poorly conducted studies done with enormous quantities of stevia administered to some lab animals with resultant ?mutagens and problems with carbohydrate metabolism. Generally, studies that are done to find something wrong with a product, will either find something wrong by utilizing poorly designed experiments or invent some questionable findings. Besides, what study done in a laboratory is more significant than hundreds of years of use in South America and well over thirty years of use in Japan, with no known ill effects on human health.

Stevia is even known to have good medicinal properties.

In fact, stevia has been shown to have good medicinal properties in well designed studies, such as lowering blood pressure and improving glucose tolerance in diabetics.

Today's Health Tip

If you like to have added sweetness in your teas, coffee and other foods, definitely consider stevia. It appears to be a whole lot safer than any of the other sweeteners both sugar based and artificial, that we have recently reviewed.

Reference

Stryer Biochemistry Fourth Edition

The Practical Hippiehttp://www.practicalhippie.com/stevia.htm
The url above contains a lot of good information on stevia and has a lot of good links.

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The MericleDiet

The MericleDiet makes it easy to go without any added sugarsor sweeteners. To visit the MericleDiet follow the link below:

http://DrMericle.com

Thanks for your attention.

Tuesday, April 26, 2005

Fifteen Secrets of Safe and Permanent Weight Loss Revealed

Fifteen Secrets of Safe and Easy Permanent Weight Loss Revealed!

Nourish Your Body

Control Your Hunger

Take Control of What You Eat and Its Nutritional Density

Lower Your Insulin Levels

Stop All Forms of Sugar

Do Not Lose Weight Quickly

Do Not Rely on Exercise to Lose Weight

Do Not Take Pills or Drugs

Do Not Have Surgery

Avoid Complicated Weight Loss Schemes with Long and Involved Recipes

Avoid Weight Loss Schemes That Weigh Portions of Food

Avoid Weight Loss Programs with Required Pre-Packaged Foods

Forget Setting Goals, Visualizing Success and Your Own Weaknesses

Forget Personalized Diet Plans

And Last But Not Least -Forget Worrying About Your Weight.

Discussion

Nourish Your Body

You must nourish your body. Certainly one can starve themselves and lose weight, but this is not the weight that you want to lose. When you don't eat, human biochemistry will keep the blood glucose levels high because glucose is the only molecule the brain can metabolize. It does this however, after just two or three days of starvation, by converting muscle protein to glucose via the biochemical pathway called "gluconeogenesis." This is not how you want to lose weight.

Control Your Hunger

You have to control your hunger. Hunger is one of the strongest urges the body has, right up there with survival and sex. Hunger is just like a river, you can "dam it up" but at some point it will spill over the dam or break right through it and the resultant downstream "feeding frenzies" will more than put back on the weight you lost by starving yourself.

Eat Organic

Take control of what you eat and its nutritional density. This is extremely important and it is your only chance of ever gaining control over your hunger. Here in America that means eating only organic whole foods that meet or are close to the body's requirement of 75% Complex Carbohydrate, 15% Protein and 10% Fat. Meat does not fit in this category since it contains no carbohydrate. Don't become a victim of the "Incomplete Food Cycle."

Lower Your Insulin Levels

Lower your insulin levels not by eating only meat or fructose but by reducing the number of feedings. The human body evolved with the elegant insulin / glucagon system for keeping the human alive and the brain well supplied with glucose. Like it or not, eating three meals a day plus snacks abuses this system and turns it into an "insulin only" system. That hyperinsulinism is implicated in most of today's lifestyle illnesses no one will debate.

Stop Sugar

Stop or cut back all forms of sugar. People are fat today, not because of ingested fat -they are fat because of ingested simple sugars like high fructose corn syrup. Sucrose or any combination of glucose and fructose is one of the most atherogenic (fat storing) substances known. The body has no way to utilize all these "hollow" calories other than convert them into fat (energy storage) with insulin. Starving yourself is not a good way to lose weight. Why not try to do something that your body can do, not something that it really can't do without disastrous consequences. Stop sugar, meat and dairy. That is something that is easily within what you can do and it will make your body better, not worse.

Don't lose weight quickly.

Do not try to lose weight quickly. The only weight you lose this way is the weight you do not want to lose. You can lose water quickly and become very dehydrated or if you starve yourself enough you will begin to lose lean body mass / muscle. This is not real weight loss and as soon as you begin to eat and drink anything at all, the weight will come back, just as quickly.

Exercise for improved immune function, not to lose weight.

Exercise is touted as one way to lose weight. Unfortunately, you may lose a little weight by starting an exercise program, but as soon as your body adapts to the increased work load, the weight usually comes right back, despite exercise. Exercise, not to lose weight, but to improve your immune system function.

Don't use pills or drugs.

Don't utilize pills or drugs to lose weight. The problem with pills and drugs is that instead of "nourishing" your body with the foods that will control your hunger and turn off your appetite, you just mask the hunger. Your body remains malnourished and as soon as you stop the pills your hunger will still be out of control and the weight will reappear.

Don't have surgery.

Don't have surgery, is really a no-brainer. Surgery has definite associated morbidity and mortality, especially in someone who is really overweight. The other real problem with surgery, is that once again you end up malnourished. Most of the human's required nutrients are absorbed in the small bowel, that typically is bypassed in these operations. Or, in gastric stapling procedures your stomach may be made much smaller, but, you still end up malnourished. In addition to becoming dangerously malnourished, once the bypass is corrected you will become just as overweight again because your body is still starving for the essential nutrients it needs to survive. Far better just to learn how to eat than go through the risk and trauma of surgery.

Avoid Complicated Recipes

Many diet plans today have you spending more time preparing your meals than anything else in your already busy and complicated life. While you may be able to tolerate this for some time, usually you wear out quickly and then its just one more diet plan that didn't work.

Avoid Measured Portions

Spending time measuring out portions is a real nuisance. Not only do you have to get adequate scales to accomplish this, but it is a real impediment to any spontaneous or creative cooking you may want to do. Again, this will not be tolerated long by most of us and soon the current diet fad will go out the window with the rest.

Avoid required foods.

Any program that requires you to buy its specialized foods should be avoided. The problem with this concept is that you lose control over what you are eating and the old rule of eating out applies, "unless you cook it yourself in your clean kitchen -you don't really know what is in it." If you are going to eat diet foods like this, make sure they are organic and whole.

Forget goal setting and visualizing success schemes or tips.

As nice as these sound on paper, they are really a large waste of time and rendered completely ineffective when they get "steamrollered" by an appetite out of control. If you have not gained control of your appetite by feeding your body what it needs, no amount of positive visualization, hypnosis or goal setting is going to get and keep you thin. If your diet plan relies on willpower, monthly meetings or such, I would get a new diet plan as you are doomed to fail.

Forget Personalized Diet Plans

How can you personalize a diet plan before you know how to personalize it? First, you need to walk before you try to run. First you need to feed your body what it needs for some time and then, your body will begin to tell you what it really needs and wants. You will create your own personalized diet plan just as much as I eat very differently than my ex-wife but we both are on the MericleDiet.

What to forget ... Worrying about your weight!

Finally, if you follow the fourteen steps outlined above you will arrive at a point where you are no longer concerned about your weight. If you feel you need or want help along the way the MericleDiet can get you started and keep you going.

Effective Weight Loss Begins with Effective Nourishment of the Body.

No diet plan that includes simple sugars and / or does not adequately nourish the body -will not be an effective diet plan for anyone. There is no diet plan today that accomplishes both of these goals as well or as easily as the MericleDiet. To visit the MericleDiet follow the link below:

http://www.DrMericle.com

Copyright John Mericle M.D. 2005 All Rights Reserved

Friday, April 22, 2005

The Dangers of Honey

Before we get to honey we have a question from one of our readers.

Pam asks:

What is your opinion of Splenda?

Answer:

Splenda is made by chlorinating sugar (sucrose). Three of the hydroxyl groups on the sucrose molecule are replaced bychlorine. DDT, an extremely toxic pesticide, is another compound made by chlorinating positions on a hydrocarbon ring structure. The data so far would indicate that Splenda (Sucralose) is not as dangerous as Aspartame but the following have been observed in laboratory animals.

Shrunken thymus glands (up to 40% shrinkage)
Enlarged liver and kidneys.
Atrophy of lymph follicles in the spleen and thymus
Increased cecal weight
Reduced growth rate
Decreased red blood cell count
Hyperplasia of the pelvis
Extension of the pregnancy period
Aborted pregnancy
Decreased fetal body weights and placental weights
Diarrhea

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A list of products where it is found:

Baked goods and baking mixes
Chewing gum
Confections and frostings
Fats and oils (salad dressings)
Fruit and water ices
Jams and jellies
Processed fruits and fruit juices
Sweet sauces, toppings and syrups
Beverages and beverage bases
Coffee and tea
Dairy product analogs
Frozen dairy desserts and mixes
Gelatins, puddings and fillings
Milk products
Sugar substitutes

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My Opinion: I would not use it.

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Honey and Meli Maenomenon.

Pediatric Warning: Honey and Children Under Two

Children under the age of one (to be really safe probably two years old) should not ingest honey. Honey contains clostridium botulinum spores. In the human with a mature immune system, the spores will not germinate in the gastrointestinal tract. However, in the immature immune system of the infant, the spores can germinate and cause botulism, a descending flaccid paralysis caused by the neurotoxin of clostridia botulinum. It also does not matter if the honey is pasteurized, since the typical pasteurization temperature is not high to kill the spores.

Composition of Honey

Honey is a highly processed (by bees in this case) substance that is usually around 40% by weight fructose. The typical composition in 100 grams of honey is:

Water 17.1 g (12.2-22.9 g)

Monosaccharides:

Fructose 38.5 g (25.2-44.4 g)

Glucose 31.0 g (24.6-36.9 g)

Disaccharides:

Maltose 7.20 g (1.70-11.8 g)

Sucrose 1.50 g (0.50-2.90 g)

Back to our familiar "fructose short-circuits glycolysis."

Once again we visit the near equal amounts of fructose and glucose entering the bloodstream at the same time. Also, each gram of maltose will yield two molecules of glucose for each molecule of maltose. Each gram of sucrose will yield one molecule of fructose and one molecule of glucose for each molecule of sucrose. As mentioned previously, (now almost ad nauseum) the fructose enters the metabolic pathway for glucose below where glucose enters. This short circuits the glycolytic path for glucose and temporarily blocks the metabolism of the glucose. Excess insulin is secreted and in about two hours when both sugars are metabolized, there will be too much insulin in the bloodstream and voila ...hypoglycemia. Or, if you in the middle of the Ironman or a training run or ride -the Bonk! I hate this bicycle and why am I doing this stupid triathlon?

Honey may be naturally processed by bees but it is still a large dose of fructose and glucose.

Even though honey is a more natural substance, it really is no safer than sucrose. All the problems associated with sucrose are also associated with honey. Lowered immune system function that can lead to cancer. Damage to the vascular system leading to heart disease and adult onset diabetes mellitus with gangrenous toes and all -are at the end of the sugar freeway. There is also some discussion about additional nutrients found in honey. However, the amounts are miniscule and really not worth the health risk of large doses of simple sugars. I think one of the best quotes I have found regarding this is:

"Added sugar contributes nothing but calories and is known as a dead food. All you have to do to improve your nutrition is consume products without any added sugar. Anyone interested in improving their nutrition and personal health should avoid added sugar in their diet."
This is from the following website:

http://naturalhealthperspective.com/food/sugar.html

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Shameless Plug

The MericleDiet is one of the few diets that really makes itas easy as it can be to get off of "added sugars."

http://www.DrMericle.com

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Meli Maenomenom and Some Ancient History

The nature of honey depends on from which flowers the honey bees get their nectar. Clover honey is very popular and does not constitute a significant toxic health threat on an acute basis. However, honey gathered from Rhododendron in the Black Sea area is very toxic. Xenophon, the author of TheAnabasis, who was also a very brilliant military leader and a follower of Socrates, found out the hard way. In 401 B.C., following a less than optimal campaign in Persia, he elected to lead 10,000 Greek soldiers through the mountains of Kurdistan, Georgia and finally Armenia. They noticed a large number of bee hives when they made camp in Colchis. They raided the hives and devoured the honey. Soon they were all acting like intoxicated madmen, had fits of vomiting and collapsed by the thousands.

Toxic Honey -A Weapon

Pompey, a few years later, in 67 B.C. did not fare as well. While campaigning against Mithridates king of Pontus, he camped in the same area. Some allies of Mithridates(the Heptakometes) had placed toxic honeycombs all along the way. Pompey's army feasted on the honeycombs and soon they were easily slaughtered. Similar tactics were used against Russian foes of Olga of Kieve in 946 A.D. and Tartar soldiers were massacred by the Russians in 1489 after ingesting toxic honey in the same area.

Meli Maenomenon (Mad Honey)

This honey soon became known as mad honey. While there has been some debate on this subject it apparently is significant enough, even here in the US, that poison control data bases all make mention of toxic honey poisoning. Early symptoms include tingling, numbness, dizziness, impaired speech, and even hallucinations. Larger amounts of ingested "meli maenomenon" result in vertigo, delirium, nausea and vomiting, impaired breathing, bradycardia, hypotension, cyanosis, muscle paralysis and unconsciousness. Extreme ingestions can cause ventricular tachycardia and other serious cardiac arrhythmias.

Differential Diagnosis:

Acute Myocardial Infarction vs Toxic Honey Ingestion

In most emergency rooms in northern California, one of the differential considerations for acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) is mad (toxic) honey ingestion.

Today's Health Tip:

Honey is really no safer than sucrose. I would try to limit the ingestion of honey just as you would any other simple sugar.

Reference:

Stryer Biochemistry Fourth Edition

Dan McFeeley (The Ancient History)
His only address is:www.keynet.net
This however, at least for me, wasa broken link.

Thanks for your attention.

Copyright 2005 John Mericle M.D. All Rights Reserved

Monday, April 18, 2005

Aspartame -More Dangerous Than High Fructose Corn Syrup

It's really hard to believe that something could be worse than the intense sugar loads from high fructose corn syrup and sucrose. But, Aspartame ( Equal, Nutrasweet, Equal Measure, Spoonful, Canderal) is even more dangerous to your health.

Aspartame, was first discovered in 1965 when Searle chemist Jim Schlatter, who was developing this drug for another purpose, accidentally licked some from his finger and found itto be sweet tasting. The ingredients in aspartame are phenylalanine(50%), aspartic acid (40%) and methyl alcohol(10%).

Aspartame Approved by the FDA in January 1981

Even after about eight years of steadfast refusal by the FDA to approve this dangerous drug for human consumption, Searle tried one more time, the day after the inauguration of the Presidentin 1981. The previous commissioner of the FDA had been "removed" and a new one installed. Despite an FDA agency investigation into this "approval by political triage,"the drug has not been removed from the market andthe investigation was, in essence, abandoned.

Why get embalmed before it is absolutely necessary?

Methyl alcohol, also known as "wood" alcohol breaks down in the body to formaldehyde and DKP(diketopiperazine). Formaldehyde, as many of you probably already know, is embalming solution and highly toxic to the central nervous system. Why get embalmed before it is absolutely necessary? Methyl alcohol causes blindness and if the dose is large enough, it can cause liver and kidney failure. DKP is a known carcinogen and causes brain tumors. According to the National Cancer Institute there has been a 10% increase in primary brain tumors since 1985. There has also been an increase in brain tumors in children whose mothers consumed aspartame throughout pregnancy.

Phenylalanine and Aspartic Acid

These are both amino acids that are normally supplied by the foods that we eat. However, when they are isolated and supplied in very high concentrations, they are toxic to the central nervous system causing headache, mental confusion and memory loss, balance problems and seizures. These ingredients have been classified as excitotoxins.

Excitotoxin Damage

Excitotoxin damage usually takes weeks to months to years to become clinically apparent. Excitotoxins are also strong generators of free radicals thus accelerating aging of most organ systems, significantly the vascular system, immune system compromise inducing cancer and the musculo-skeletal system resulting in arthritis. Joint pain is one of the chief complaints of those with aspartame poisoning.

The Blood-Brain Barrier

Aspartame is especially dangerous to those who already have disease, the unborn and those less than one year old. Diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking and aging compromise the blood-brain barrier. This barrier in the fetus and neonate is not well developed. These groups are especially sensitive to the damaging effects of aspartame since the barrier that would keep the excitotoxins out of the brain is either compromised or not developed yet. No wonder birth defects are also associated with Aspartame.

Formaldehyde (besides embalming)

It is known that formaldehyde accumulates in the areas of the brain that correspond to the neurodegenerative symptoms of Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis(ALS) or Lou Gehrig's disease. Aspartame has also been shown to cause seizures in susceptible people, even with no priorhistory.

Aspartame and Pilots

When I was a Flight Surgeon in the Air Force we were always concerned about any alcohol ingestion 24 hours before flying. Now, pilots have to be concerned about aspartame ingestion before flying, since it can induce vertigo / disorientation and seizures. If you are flying commercial, hope that your pilot isn't drinking diet soda.

Visual Impairment

During the years of prohibition there were many cases of blindness due to consumption of methyl alcohol, since ethanol(the typical alcohol of most drinks, beers etc) was banned. Today we have an ophthalmologist in West Palm Beach, FloridaDr. H.J. Roberts, who has treated hundreds of aspartame victims. One quarter of his patients have experienced blindness. According to Dr. Roberts "optic nerve swelling, retinal degeneration and visual impairment, that is associated with heavy aspartame use, is identical to the pathology observed in recorded cases of methanol toxicity from drinking wood alcohol throughout the days of prohibition." This gets especially problematic since the American Diabetic Association still recommends aspartame. What is frequently misdiagnosed as diabetic retinopathy is often aspartame retinopathy.

Below is a partial list of other diseases that aspartame toxicity can mimic or worsen. The list currently totals about 92 symptoms and diseases.

Multiple Sclerosis
Parkinson's Disease
Lou Gehrig's disease
Diabetes
Hypertension
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Obesity ... yes, aspartame can actually cause weight gain.

Phenylketonuria (PKU)

Phenylketonuria is a rare inherited (genetically recessive) metabolic disease that can result in mental retardation and other neurological problems if treatment is not started in the first few weeks of life. The defect is either complete or partial absence of the enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase that metabolizes phenylalanine to tyrosine. In view of the fact that aspartame is 50% phenylalanine, it is an absolute contra-indication for anyone with PKU. Carriers for the trait are also at risk for problems with aspartame. There are over 100 different genetic mutations with enzyme activities from zero to normal. For more information on aspartame and phenylketonuria follow the link below:

http://www.sweetpoison.com/phenylketonuria.html

Michael J. Fox, Aspartame and Parkinson's Disease (or)
"Diet Pepsi Rots Your Brain"

Michael J. Fox developed Parkinson's at age 30. He was at onetime a spokesman for Diet Pepsi and was known to be addictedto Diet Pepsi. Follow the link below for more on this:

http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=684893

To see a very interesting movie about "political triage"and the eventual "approval" of aspartame by the FDA follow the link below:

http://www.soundandfuryproductions.com/Pages/Rumsfeld.html

For more on the dangers of aspartame follow the links below:

http://aspartamekills.com/
http://dorway.com/

Today's Health Tip

Avoid aspartame completely. If you must drink sodas, you arebetter off to drink the non-diet variety. It is much easierto lose a few pounds of fat, than be treated for a brain tumor,Parkinson's disease or blindness.

Once again read labels very carefully.

Aspartame is in, at last count, over 7000 foods, beverages (beer), sports nutrition drinks and bars and even vitamins.

If you are going to drink diet sodas, make sure to keep them cool, as the breakdown of aspartame (which proceeds unchecked even still in the can) is temperature and age dependant. The higher the ambient (storage) temperature, the more methyl alcohol and formaldehyde will be present in your soda. Also, the older the can of aspartame laden diet soda, the more methyl alcohol and formaldehyde will be present in the can.

Reference:

Stryer Biochemistry Fourth Edition

Could There Be Evils Lurking In Aspartame Consumption?By Christine Lydon, MDhttp://www.aspartame.com/lydon.htm

The New Revised Complete MericleDiet

The MericleDiet makes it easy to get off of all sweeteners, sodas, candy and sports nutrition. It also makes it easyto get off of any packaged or processed foods that may contain or hide aspartame. To visit the MericleDiet use the link below:

http://www.DrMericle.com


Comments, Questions, Critique and Suggestions

Please either reply to this email or use the link belowfor any comments, questions, critique or suggestions. If youuse the link below please leave your email address so thatI can respond to you.
http://www.DrMericle.com/survey1.php
Thanks for your attention.

Monday, April 11, 2005

High Fructose Corn Syrup

Before we get to high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), we will take a look at two other frequently used sweeteners, dextrose and maltodextrin.

Dextrose

Dextrose is more or less an industry term for glucose. Glucose isthe most prevalent sugar in the human and the only molecule that the brain can metabolize. Dextrose is refined from corn starch. It has a very high glycemic index (no surprise since it is glucose) and while it contains no fructose, it is still a simple sugar that is very readily absorbed. It is not as dangerous as sucrose but it still is a highly processed product that should be avoided.

Maltodextrin

Maltodextrin is also a refined product usually made from either corn or potatoes. It is multiple glucose units somewhat loosely hooked together (a polymer). Because the bonds between the glucose units are very weak, it is also very readily absorbed and has a very high glycemic index. Like dextrose it should be avoided as much as possible. It has been called a "sugar substitute"but that is based on a rather strict definition of sugar as "sucrose." It is a very common additive and I have found it in many packaged foods, including potato chips.

High Fructose Corn Syrup

High fructose corn syrup is made by treating corn (which is usually genetically modified corn) with a variety of enzymes, some of which are also genetically modified, to first extract the sugar glucose and then convert some of it into fructose, since fructose tastes sweeter than glucose. The end result is a mixture of 55% fructose and 45% glucose, that is called "high fructose corn syrup." Improvements in production occurred in the 1980's making it cheaper than most other sweeteners. I remember in the 1980's when the price of Pepsi dropped from about $3 for a sixpack to about $1.50. In 1966 refined sugar such as sucrose was the was the leading sweetener / additive. In 2001 corn sweeteners accounted for 55% of the sweetener market. Consumption of high fructose corn syrup went from zero in 1966 to 62.6 pounds per person in 2001. A 12 ounce soda can contain as much as 13 teaspoons of sugar in the form of high fructose corn syrup.

Once again, the dangerous combination: fructose and glucose.

When high fructose corn syrup breaks down in the intestine, we once again find near equal amounts of glucose and fructose entering the bloodstream. As covered in recent newsletters, the fructose short-circuits the glycolytic pathway for glucose. This leads to all the problems associated with sucrose. In addition, HFCS seems to be generating a few of its own problems, epidemic obesity being one of them. Fructose does not stimulate insulin production and also fails to increase "leptin" production, a hormone produced by the body's fat cells. Both of these act to turn off the appetite and control body weight. Also, fructose does not suppress ghrelin, a hormone that works to increase hunger. This interesting work is being done by Peter Havel at UC Davis.

Some of the problems associated with high fructose corn syrup:

Increased LDL's (the bad lipoprotein) leading to increasedrisk of heart disease.

Altered Magnesium balance leading to increased osteoporosis.

Increased risk of Adult Onset Diabetes Mellitus.

Fructose has no enzymes or vitamins thus robbing the body ofprecious micro-nutrients.

Fructose interacts with birth control pills and can elevateinsulin levels in women on the pill.

Accelerated aging.

Fructose inhibits copper metabolism leading to a deficiencyof copper, which can cause increased bone fragility, anemia, ischemic heart disease and defective connective tissue formation among others.

The list below is from The San Francisco Chronicle February 18, 2004

"How much is too much?

The list below shows how much sugar, mostly in the form of high fructose corn syrup, is in each of these single servings.

Sunkist soda: 10 1/2 teaspoons of sugar

Berkeley Farms low-fat yogurt with fruit: 10 teaspoons of sugar

Mott's applesauce: 5 teaspoons of sugar

Slim-Fast chocolate cookie dough meal bar: 5 teaspoons of sugar

1 tablespoon ketchup: 1 teaspoon of sugar

Hansen's Super Vita orange-carrot Smoothie: 10 teaspoons of sugar"

Today's health tip:

Cut down or stop any food or drink with high fructose corn syrup.

High fructose corn syrup is made from genetically modified corn treated with genetically modified enzymes.

Stop or limit all foods with either dextrose or maltodextrin.

Once again, read all your food labels carefully.

Consumption of the limited amounts of fructose that occur in fresh whole organic fruit is not a problem.

Reference:

Stryer Biochemistry Fourth Edition

"Sugar coated
We're drowning in high fructose corn syrup.
Do the risks go beyond our waistline?"Kim Severson, San Francisco Chronicle Staff
WriterWednesday, February 18, 2004

Kick the "sugar habit" with the only diet that is 100% Sugar-Free, the MericleDiet.
Make the transition away from dangerous sugar additives to healty "organic" complex
carbhydrates easy. To visit the MericleDiet follow the link below:

http://www.DrMericle.com

Thanks for your attention.

Sunday, April 10, 2005

Dr. McDougall on the Difference Between Real Complex Carbohydrates and Sugars

The following article by Dr. John McDougall is a must read.

High Carb Diet Linked to Breast Cancer – More Deceit John McDougall M.D.

Friday’s (August 6, 2004) newspapers worldwide scared some people into believing there is further reason to follow the low-carb diet craze, with headlines like, “High carb diet linked to breast cancer – Study finds Mexican women who ate lots of carbohydrates twice as likely to get disease” (San Francisco Chronicle). According to this newspaper article, these women from Mexico City were getting their main carbohydrates from tortillas, soft drinks, and bread. You might think it is time to change your diet – as far away from what McDougall recommends as possible. Now is not the time for people to make the switch to Atkins or South Beach to save their breasts, but rather now is the time to sort out the undeniable truth.

Confusion has been created – and I believe willfully so by reporters and researchers – by lumping highly processed foods, like sugars and refined flours, and natural carbohydrates, like starches (corn tortillas), vegetables and fruits, together. The only excuse for such obviously irresponsible reporting is that sensational headlines justifying people’s bad habits sell newspapers and flatter the egos of researchers by providing them a moment in the spotlight.
The truth, as mentioned much later in the article, is that the cancer-producing diet is one high in sodas and desserts, and lacking in insoluble fiber from whole grains, fruits and vegetables.

What the Study Actually Says

The study published in the August 2004 issue of the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention clearly reported more breast cancer in women who ate more calories, protein, total carbohydrates, sucrose, and fructose.1 Sucrose is table sugar and fructose is the primary sugar found in soft drinks (sodas); usually reported as high fructose corn syrup. Eating more fiber and starch (often referred to as complex carbohydrates), both only found in plant foods, meant less breast cancer according to the study.

The explanation for carbohydrates increasing breast cancer rates was that an increase in dietary carbohydrate raises blood sugar and insulin levels. This results in an elevation of Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1), which raises the risk of cancer. IGF-1 does play an important role in cancer, however, research shows this growth-stimulating hormone is increased in our diets primarily by animal proteins,2 and especially those derived from dairy products.3 My guess is these important facts were overlooked because this information did not fit into the authors’ pet theory.

Regardless, what is clear is that the diet of Hispanics in Mexico and the USA has progressively deteriorated over the past 50 years, and as a result, their rates of obesity, type-2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer of the breast, colon, and prostate have increased as expected.4,5 If you have been to a major city anywhere in Mexico, or Central or South America, like Mexico City, then you know what I am talking about. There is a fast-food restaurant on every corner; the supermarket shelves are lined with greasy corn and potato chips, and other “junk” carbohydrates; and meat and dairy products are coveted by people wanting to share in the American dream.

Women Following the Traditional Mexican Diet Have Much Less Breast Cancer
The truth about the diet of women of Mexican ancestry and breast cancer is summed up in an article from the New York Academy of Science6, “…the age-adjusted rate of breast cancer in countries such as Mexico is among the lowest in the world. In addition, although one of the fastest-growing minority groups in the United States, Hispanic women living in this country have been shown to have the lowest incidence of the mortality rates from this disease across most geographic regions of the United States. Therefore, one might speculate that dietary factors, which have been shown to play a role in breast cancer prevention, may account for this difference. It is well recognized that the traditional Hispanic diet is rich in protective nutrients such as dietary fiber. It is known that through complex mechanisms, dietary fiber works to reduce the amount of estrogens in the body.”

The traditional Mexican diet has been one of corn (tortillas), beans, fruits and vegetables. This kind of eating is associated with very low rates of breast cancer and all other diseases common to people living in Western societies.7 There are many qualities of traditional plant-based foods that prevent diseases, qualities that include their dietary starch, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other phyto-nutrients. On the other hand, animal-based, and highly-processed, foods encourage cancer growth because they lack these plant-food ingredients and are high in cholesterol, fat, protein, and environmental chemicals.8

Breast cancer in Mexico is on the rise, affecting younger women with more frequency for one obvious reason. The younger generations are targeted by, and most easily fall prey to, the marketing efforts of the food industries. Articles like this one that appear in our press serve to confuse people and further compound our worldwide health problems. Newspaper reporters who write this nonsense, and researchers that allow this dishonesty to go on uncorrected, should be ashamed of themselves, and may someday be held accountable for the human suffering caused by twisting the truth.

References:

1) Isabelle Romieu, Eduardo Lazcano-Ponce, Luisa Maria Sanchez-Zamorano, Walter Willett, and Mauricio Hernandez-Avila Carbohydrates and the Risk of Breast Cancer among Mexican Women Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2004 13: 1283-1289.
2) Yu H. Role of the insulin-like growth factor family in cancer development and progression. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2000 Sep 20;92(18):1472-89.
3) Holmes MD. Dietary correlates of plasma insulin-like growth factor I and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 concentrations. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2002 Sep;11(9):852-61.
4) Jimenez-Cruz A, Bacardi-Gascon M, Turnbull WH, Rosales-Garay P, Severino-Lugo I. A flexible, low-glycemic index mexican-style diet in overweight and obese subjects with type 2 diabetes improves metabolic parameters during a 6-week treatment period. Diabetes Care. 2003 Jul;26(7):1967-70.
5) Rivera JA, Barquera S, Campirano F, Campos I, Safdie M, Tovar V. Epidemiological and nutritional transition in Mexico: rapid increase of non-communicable chronic diseases and obesity. Public Health Nutr. 2002 Feb;5(1A):113-22.
6) Jones LA, Gonzalez R, Pillow PC, Gomez-Garza SA, Foreman CJ, Chilton JA, Linares A, Yick J, Badrei M, Hajek RA.. Dietary fiber, Hispanics, and breast cancer risk? Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1997 Dec 26;837:524-36.
7) Malin AS, Qi D, Shu XO, Gao YT, Friedmann JM, Jin F, Zheng W. Intake of fruits, vegetables and selected micronutrients in relation to the risk of breast cancer. Int J Cancer. 2003 Jun 20;105(3):413-8.
8) Kushi L, Giovannucci E. Dietary fat and cancer. Am J Med. 2002 Dec 30;113 Suppl 9B:63S-70S. Review.
9) Romieu I, Hernandez-Avila M, Lazcano-Ponce E, Weber JP, Dewailly E. Breast cancer, lactation history, and serum organochlorines. Am J Epidemiol. 2000 Aug 15;152(4):363-70.

Please visit Dr. McDougall's site:
http://www.DrMcDougall.com

Below is Carbohydrate Confusion by this author.

Carbohydrate Confusion

Diets that are ostensibly "low carb" group together poisonous "sucrose" (table sugar) with real complex carbohydrate like glycogen from sources such as the potato and whole grains.

Sugar (sucrose) is not a carbohydrate ... it is a poison!

Now in the ongoing battle against any hope we have of maintaining our health we call heavily processed "sugar" from whatever source "carbohydrate."

Man has survived on potatoes for years.

Man has survived on potatoes, ask the Irish, and breads made from grains such as wheat and spelt for thousands of years. As pointed out in "Sugar Blues" by William F. Dufty, man cannot survive on sucrose at all. When sucrose was first discovered it was considered as poisonous and dangerous as cocaine (also from Sugar Blues). But soon the King discovered the "addicting" qualities of sugar and it was not long before all of his subjects were ingesting large quantities of this dangerous substance.

Sugar is big business -then and now.

The following excerpted from "Sugar Blues" by William F. Dufty.

The king's subjects as well as the king himself were not faring well on this toxic substance. Enter the famous Dr. Willus (of the Circle of Willus). Dr. Willus soon discovered that the problem was the sugar and recommended that it be restricted. (This is still going on today with the sugar "business" trying to stop the WHO from recommending that people limit there "sugar" intake.) This however did not meet any approval from the king so Dr. Willus was faced with a decision: Incriminate sugar and probably be beheaded -or label sugar toxicity some obscure name like "diabetes mellitus" and keep his head and probably also his job as the king's physician. The rest is history. For more on this very interesting and timely subject read Sugar Blues.

There is some type of sugar in almost all commercially prepared food today!

The potato's complex carbohydrate is good for you, sucrose (sugar) is bad. High fructose corn syrup is even worse. There is no logical comparison between the complex carbohydrate of the potato and the simple sugar sucrose. The human body needs complex carbohydrates on the order of 75% of ingested foods. The human body gets very sick from the simple sugar sucrose. Any diet that attempts to restrict complex carbohydrates is dangerous since the body will not be able to fuel itself properly. This especially affects the brain since the only molecule that it can utilize for energy is glucose. Indeed major depression is one of the known complications of the "low-carb" diets. There is no question about "low-carb" diets, -they are "dangerous." To add insult to injury the recommendation of ingesting animal protein significantly increases the risk for the big three killers, coronary artery disease, cancer and stroke. The body does not need all that protein, especially animal protein which also causes osteoporosis.

Low carb means high protein -high animal protein.

That some people can lose some weight on the "low carb" diets I will not argue. But how long will the weight stay off and how long will it take before the dangers of all that animal protein manifest themselves? You may lose a few pounds but without eating enough complex carbohydrate you will not feel all that good and you will not be as healthy as you could be. An orthopedic surgeon I know of found out the hard way when he went on the "zone" diet. He was excited because the zone allowed him to eat meat. He lost a little weight which did not stay off and within one year he had cancer of the prostate. No thanks. There is just too much good whole food to risk for one minute cancer of anything.

Mother Nature's Balance

Mother Nature has been at this for some time and heartily recommends that we humans follow her whole food guidelines.
The breakdown of:

carbohydrate 75%
protein 15%
fat 10%.

This is the breakdown found in a large number of Mother Nature's foods including grains and potatoes -before they are processed by the ever so "intelligent" human to make them easier to work with, last longer on the shelf and who knows what else.

For more on the dangers of sucrose see the appendix or go to the "Dangers of Sports Nutrition" on this site.

John Mericle M.D. D.A.B.R.
http://www.DrMericle.com

Saturday, April 09, 2005

Brown Sugar Is Not Brown Rice

Question from Jack:

A question from Jack, one of the subscribers to this newsletter."Reference your tip regarding diabetes. The only sugar I use is brown and is this a concern in my case?"

Answer:

The word "brown" has gotten a lot of play lately regarding "healthy eating." Brown rice and brown bread are both "in"while white bread and white rice are known to be "unhealthy." It would be nice if brown sugar was as good for you as brown rice or some brown breads made from whole grains with no added sugar. Unfortunately, brown sugar is only white sugar that has been colored brown, usually with molasses. Sugar of some variety is the most common food additive today. Sugar is added to almost everything, even potato chips. I still can't figure out why they would add sugar to potato chips, as if the salt and fat were not enough.

Varieties of Sugar

White sugar is extracted from the juice of sugar cane or beets. Once is has been extracted it is processed extensively to form a granulated white substance. This is sucrose, also known astable sugar, cane sugar, beet sugar, grape sugar, refined sugar or granulated sugar.

Raw Sugar is produced in the initial stages of making white sugar. It is usually somewhat brown in color and may contain bacteria and molds.

Brown sugar is usually made by simply adding molasses (or some other food coloring) to white sugar.

Confectioner's sugar is made by crushing or grinding white sugar. Corn starch is added to prevent the formation of lumps.

Molasses is a thick dark syrup that is produced during sugar refinement.

A brief look at the molecular structure of the three common disaccharides, sucrose, lactose and maltose.

The molecule sucrose consists of one moiety of glucose connected to one moiety of fructose via an O-glycosidic linkage. This is a "disaccharide" ie two sugar molecules hooked together. Two other common disaccharides are lactose from milk and maltose commonly found in beer. Lactose is one moiety of galactose hooked to one moiety of glucose and maltose is two moieties of glucose hooked together. Sucrose is the most dangerous of these because human biochemistry has no way to deal with equal loads of fructose and glucose presented at the same time.

There has been much written about the dangers of sucrose but suffice it to say, adult onset diabetes mellitus is now epidemic. I feel that while both adult and juvenile diabetes may have to varying degrees the same common cause, ie confusion of the immature immune system by cow's milk with different degrees of expression, without the ongoing record levels of sucrose and high fructose corn syrup consumption in America, we would not be having this explosion of adult onset diabetes mellitus( a polite and confusing term for sugar toxicity).

Today's Health Tip:

Be very careful of sugar in any form. Read labels of all processed food carefully. If you have adult onset diabetes or any symptoms of it, like hypoglycemia, try to avoid sugar completely.

Shameless Plug

The MericleDiet is the only diet that makes it as easy as it can be to "kick" the sugar habit. Sugar is extremely addicting and only with an adequate intake of good organic complex carbohydrates like potatoes, rice and grains, does one have any chance of stopping sugar. Also, in appreciation of your time and being a subscriber to this newsletter, I am extending the $9.95 price for the basic MericleDiet including "Seven Days of Great Tasting Vegan Meals." The link belowwill take you to our secure server.

http://www.DrMericle.com/mdwes.php

Please stay tuned for more interesting facts about other sweeteners such as high fructose corn syrup, maltodextrin, artificial sweeteners like Nutrasweet and a little ancient history with "meli maenomenon."

Opinions please:

Any suggestions or comments please use the link below:

http://www.drmericle.com/survey1.php

Thanks for your time.

John Mericle M.D.
http://www.DrMericle.com

Friday, April 08, 2005

How To Prevent Hypoglycemia

Today's tip is on hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).

Hypoglycemia affects both non-diabetics as well as diabetics.It has been considered an early sign of adult onset diabetes,although I am not completely convinced that this is always true. If you have ever felt weak at the knees, sweaty and somewhat disoriented about two hours after eating something sweet, you probably have had an episode or two of hypoglycemia. It is a very unpleasant feeling and if your blood sugar gets low enough you can get into serious trouble.

Brief synopsis of the biochemistry.

Most hypoglycemia is a result of eating table sugar (sucrose). Human biochemistry can handle complex carbohydrates very well like the potato and rice. But it does not do so well when the sugar is "refined" / extracted and processed into a molecule like sucrose from sources such as sugar cane. The molecule sucrose is one glucose molecule hooked up to one fructose molecule.

Fructose short-circuits glycolysis.

When the body attempts to digest sucrose the fructose short circuits the glycolytic pathway for the glucose. Glucose is not metabolized as fast as it would be if there was no fructose in the bloodstream. Because of this, the body perceives more glucose than is really present and excretes more insulin than is necessary. Soon all the fructose is metabolized, followed rapidly by the metabolism of the glucose. Then, because of excessive insulin, the blood glucose is lowered more than it should be and you really begin to feel disoriented, clammy and weak at the knees.

What to do on the immediate basis.

Ingestion of some readily absorbable sugar such as found in orange juice, is standard therapy for hypoglycemia. This will raise your blood sugar and you will begin to feel better. Eating more sucrose will also raise your blood sugar but doing so only starts the whole cycle all over again. Best not to get low blood sugar / hypoglycemia in the first place.

What to do to keep from getting hypoglycemia.

The simple answer is to avoid sugar. I know this is easier said than done. When I quit meat and dairy it was easy and I have never missed it. When I quit Pepsi and candy such as Mike and Ikes, it was very difficult. Sugar is extremely addicting. I felt so much better without it however, that it has really been worth it. I don't miss the extra weight from the sucrose nor the episodes of hypoglycemia. Also, it is much easier to keep my running mileage high since I quit sugar.

One more thing I don't miss is the ongoing destruction of my vascular system caused by sugar. Adult onset diabetesmellitus is a "polite and very confusing" term for "sugartoxicity."

Today's Health Tip:

To avoid hypoglycemia stop eating any simple sugars.

Be sure to read the labels of any processed foods carefully. While whole grain brown rice is no problem, refined products like brown rice syrup can cause hypoglycemia.

Reference:

Biochemistry Fourth Edition Lubert Styrer

Shameless Plug

The MericleDiet is the Only 100% Sugar-Free Diet that I havefound. Also, it is the only one to make the transition awayfrom sugar as easy as it can be. To visit the MericleDietfollow the link below:
http://www.DrMericle.com

Our readers respond regarding last week's tip about the dangers of plastic containers and microwave ovens.

Cathy McGowan from Hamilton Strathclyde writes:

I always reuse glass containers from coffee or other suitable jarsthat can be sterilized. Thank you for your advice. Working on a budget I find that I have to consider other optionsto basic day to day problems as they arise.

Kiran from Dehli, India writes:

I am using ceramic containers for preservation of pickles. Using plastic container only for dry ingredients.After this information given by you we will not use plastic bottles for water.We are using oven toaster and grill not microwave.Thanks for the information.Since last 2 days after we got your mail regarding plastic and microwave, I spread this news in my friend's circle because these days microwave and tupperware both are popular, and people are crazy about that.

Thanks for your time.

Wednesday, April 06, 2005

Ocular Nutrition "Eating For Your Eyes"

I thought that this article on ocular nutrition was very interesting. Eating for your eyes is very important, especially as one gets older. My only comment would be to keep all sources vegetarian since there is just too much evidence today concerning animal protein and its
association with cancer, heart disease and stroke.

"Eating For Your Eyes" by Olinda Rolla

As early as in our 30's, our eyes and vision can begin to deteriorate. Wind, dust, chlorine fumes, automobile fumes, smoking, freezing temperatures and physical injury are examples of threats to healthy eyes and good vision. Long hours spent at a computer screen and the vibration from driving have a cumulative negative impact on eye health over time.

Healthy vision is related to the health of the individual parts of the eye – the cornea, iris, macula, lens, optic nerve, pupil, retina and the vitreous humor. And what we eat or ocular nutrition is one of the ways that eye health and good vision can be supported. Information provided by the U.S. National Eye Institute and the results of other ocular nutrition studies have shown that using nutrition to improve and support eye health definitely happens.

Here are foods that are known to improve eye health:

Collard greens, kale and spinach - studies show that eating foods rich in carotenoids is associated with reduced risk of developing age-related macular degeneration. Foods rich in carotenoids are leafy green vegetables such as spinach, collard greens and kale. Macular eye nutrition becomes increasingly important as we get older.

Green vegetables and corn - a study on ocular nutrition has shown a reduced risk of developing cataracts for persons having diets higher in lutein and zeaxanthin. Foods high in these two carotenoids include broccoli, collard greens, corn, green peas, kale, romaine lettuce, spinach, turnip greens and zucchini. Lutein is also found in egg yolks. Persons with diets high in lutein and zeaxanthin were also less likely to need cataract surgery. In another study done on persons ages 40-59, those with diets high in lutein and zeaxanthin experienced a reduced risk of developing adult macular degeneration.

Apricots, bilberries and blueberries - apricots are rich in beta carotene and lycopene that help promote good vision. Beta carotene is converted by the body to vitamin A as needed, an important antioxidant that resists oxidative stress damage to cells and tissues including the eye lenses. Continued oxidative stress may result in the development of cataracts or damage the blood supply to the eyes and lead to macular degeneration. Eating blueberries has been associated with the reduction of eye fatigue.

Blueberries are related to cranberries, and both also help the body resist urinary tract infections. Bilberries are a form of wild blueberry that grow on small bushes. Bilberries were used by British pilots to improve their night vision during World War 2. Fresh bilberries and bilberry jams would be sources of this ocular nutrition food. Bilberry seems to improve eye health by increasing the blood supply to the eyes.

By understanding which foods help support eye health and good vision, we can include more of these foods in our daily meal planning. For additional ways to obtain essential nutrients for eye health and vision, visit Ocular Nutrition to read more. Giving our eyes nutritional support can be one way to help maintain eye health as we age.

Copyright 2005 Olinda Rola.

Olinda Rola is the webmaster of http://www.safemenopausesolutions.com/, a website of natural solutions for a variety of health problems. Visit her website and learn more about ways for improving your health. She is the editor of the free newsletter ‘Women’s Health Newsletter’. Go to http://www.safemenopausesolutions.com/womenshealthnewsletter.html to subscribe.

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