Sifting Through Sugar

Do you find yourself confused by the different options for sweetening your food? Wondering if unrefined sugar is truly better than refined white sugar? Is honey better than agave? How about xylitol or stevia?

One of the key considerations is the amount of fructose, which gives food its sweet taste. Fructose makes up 50% of table sugar, and occurs naturally in fruits and even some vegetables.

Fructose, like alcohol places a burden in the liver. Unlike alcohol, fructose kicks the liver into fat storage mode, which can lead to insulin resistance and obesity.
 The resulting metabolic syndrome is perceived as a lack of discipline or willpower, when in fact the problem is biochemical.

The key it seems is keeping sugar in its place. . Historically, sugar has been considered a special treat rather than an entitlement. Dr. Robert Lustig, author of Fat Chance, Beating the Odds Against Sugar, Processed Food, Obesity, and Disease says it's best to stick with fructose in its natural form.

"Naturally occurring fructose comes from sugarcane, fruits, some vegetables, and honey. The first three have way more fiber than fructose, and the last is protected by bees. Nature made sugar hard to get. Man made it easy to get."

We made it very easy to get when we invented high fructose corn syrup in the 1970s. HFCS is processed with chemicals such as caustic soda (which may or may not contain mercury), alpha-amylase, hydrochloric acid, and isomerase, using corn (likely to be genetically modified) as its substrate. The corn starts out with no fructose, but after the enzymatic process yields a substance that is 55% fructose and 45% glucose. Clearly, HFCS comes with a set of risks.

However, the fructose content is virtually the same as table sugar. Therefore, avoiding HFCS may be a good step, but not the solution.

Some of the highest concentrations of fructose occur in unexpected places. Fruit juice concentrate can go as high as 90%, depending on sugars added or the type of fruit used. Apple juice concentrate is about 70% fructose, while orange juice concentrate comes in at 50%.

Agave nectar is derived from the yucca family of plants and requires high amounts of processing to convert the root bulb into syrup. The process is not unlike the one used to convert cornstarch into HFCS. Depending on the process used, the fructose content can range from 55% to 90%.

The similarities between naturally occurring and manufactured sweeteners can be seen in the following graph:

What about artificial sweeteners?
Sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose (Splenda) are 100% chemically derived and thus present a challenge to our already overburdened cells. These chemical compounds easily cross the blood-brain barrier, carrying with them the potential to do neurological damage.

Unrefined sugars include sucanat, rapadura, and turbinado. Rapadura and sucanat are similar dehydrated sugarcane juice products. Both retain the molasses. Turbinado adds the extra step of removing impurities and surface molasses with a centrifuge.

Sugar alcohols such as mannitol, sorbitol, and xylitol are neither sugar nor alcohol, but do add sweetness. All three occur naturally in various fruits and vegetables; however, sorbitol is most often produced from corn syrup. These substances are not fully digested by the body and can  lead to abdominal pain, cramping, or gas.

Other options worth considering are stevia and lo han. Lo han is derived from the Chinese monk fruit, while stevia is an herb native to South America. Both can be found with varying degrees of processing, but do not carry the fructose burden common to other sweeteners.Keeping sugar in its place, unrefined or otherwise, can go a long way toward protecting our health.

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Diet and Mental Health - Part 2

Four years ago our youngest son, Brandon, had a piece of cake at a neighbor's home. Within minutes he was hyperactive and uncontrollable.

It was the first time I noticed what I suspected. Refined sugar impacts Brandon's behavior.

Since that time I have continued to study the relationship between diet and mental health. (See this previous post.) I wrote an article recently for HandPicked Nation speculating about the link between incidences of violence and our modern diet. The article is excerpted below.

Mental illness is clearly an issue of our day. A World Health Organization fact sheet estimates that more than 350 million people suffer from depression, making it the number one cause of disability worldwide. Drugs used to treat depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders have therefore entered the spotlight. These drugs, while offering hope for some, offer serious side effects for others—including a propensity toward self-inflicted and/or homicidal violence. According to Dr. David Healy, psychiatrist, author, and founder of the website RxISK:

"Violence and other potentially criminal behavior caused by prescription drugs are medicine's best-kept secret."

RxISK offers The Violence Zone, a page devoted to the issue of prescription drugs and violent thoughts and behavior. The Violence Zone also helps individuals identify these thoughts before acting on them.

With the established epidemic of mental illness, coupled with the link between psychotropic drugs and acts of violence, the question must be asked: Why are we seeing this trend? Why are so many suffering from depression and anxiety?

There are a myriad of possibilities: Isolation due to technology. Urbanization. Sedentary lifestyle. Heightened social pressures.

What about the role of food? Is it possible our modern diet of processed and chemically modified food is contributing to the prevalence of mental illness? Drugs, taken orally, clearly impact the body and brain through the digestive tract. Why not consider the potential for artificial dyes, GMOs, trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, and other alterations to impact our emotional well-being?

Ascribing a connection between digestive health and mood is not a new idea. In the late 18th century, Philippe Pinel, the father of modern psychiatry, concluded:

"The primary seat of insanity generally is in the region of the stomach and intestines."

In the 1860s, German physician Hermann Senator suggested a link between melancholia and intestinal self-infective processes.

In the early 1930s, Cleveland dentist Dr. Weston Price traveled the globe asking why primitive people groups subsisting on traditional, whole-food diets were maintaining their good health while those introduced to a highly refined diet were experiencing physical and mental degeneration. Price noted the reduced incidence of crime among these primitive groups.

In more recent years, researchers discovered that 90-95% of the "happy" neurotransmitter, serotonin, is located in the gut—a finding with significant implications.

No doubt the issues surrounding the mass shootings, suicides, and other acts of violence are complex. There are no simple answers. However, let's consider all possibilities as we seek to make sense out of these senseless crimes—including the impact of our modern diet.

To read the article in its entirety, check out From Gun Control to Gut Control at the HandPicked Nation website.

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Kefir and Yogurt: Good for the Brain

Probiotic milk is not only good for your digestion, research suggests it's also good for your brain! The following article, written for HandPicked Nation, reviews University of Southern California's research showing marked changes in the brain activity of women who consumed a fermented milk product.

Researchers at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine divided 36 healthy women into three groups. One group was given the fermented milk product with probiotic (FMPP) twice daily for four weeks. Another group was given a non-fermented milk product, and the third group was given nothing. The study included MRI testing before and after the four-week period.

The study's conclusion?

"Four weeks' intake of an FMPP by healthy women affected activity of brain regions that control central processing of emotion and sensation."

While further study is needed to show a definitive connection between fermented milk and elevated mood, the study validates the vital connection between the gut and the brain.

Sour milk products have been used for centuries to improve vitality and health. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, used liquid whey—or serum, as he called it—to strengthen immune resistance.

Kefir, a fermented milk product derived from globules of bacteria and yeast known as "grains," has a long history in Eastern Europe, Russia, and the Middle East. The word "kefir" is derived from the Turkish word "keif," which means "good feeling." An apt description for what fermented milk does for your entire body.

In the early 20th century, Nobel Prize recipient Eli Metchnikoff suggested that yogurt contributed to the longevity of Bulgarians, noting their average lifespan of 87 years. His "theory of longevity by yogurt" hypothesized that the consumption of live lactic acid bacteria in yogurt suppressed the multiplication of putrefactive bacteria in the large intestine.

"The dependence of the intestinal microbes on the food makes it possible to adopt measures to modify the flora in our bodies and to replace the harmful microbes by useful microbes." (Metchnikoff, 1907)

Why not consider adding some useful microbes to your diet? Be sure to look for the term "live cultures" when purchasing. The yellowish liquid on the top of the yogurt is the liquid whey. You might even try your hand at making your own fermented milk products. Yogurt strains like Viili and Matsoni are cultured at room temperature, eliminating the need for a yogurt maker. Cultures for Health offers an abundance of yogurt starters.

To read the article in its entirety, see Fermented Milk for the Gut and the Brain.

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Overcoming My Fermentation Fears

I wrote an article recently for the organization HandPicked Nation about my former fear of fermentation. I am no longer afraid of letting food sit on a counter or in a pantry, because I understand the power of probiotic foods. This method of food preparation has been around for centuries, and for good reason. Here is an excerpt from the article:

In ancient Egypt apple cider vinegar was used as an internal and external antiseptic. In the 1500s sailors discovered that sauerkraut, loaded with vitamin C, could prevent scurvy during their long expeditions. Asian countries have relied on fermented soy for years in the form of natto and miso.

These cultures intuitively understood the health benefits without fully understanding the microbiology behind fermentation. Modern science has shown that bacterial cells in the body outnumber human cells by a factor of 10 to 1 (see this Scientific American article for more information). These cells comprise our microbiome and offer a rich source of protection for the human body. The bacterial physiology goes something like this: Beneficial microbes produce numerous metabolites. Lactic acid found in sauerkraut, fermented milk, and other food is one of these metabolites. The metabolites help crowd out harmful bacteria, essentially offering a self-regulating, safe antibiotic. Introducing lacto-fermented food is like sending in military reinforcements.

Since more than 70 percent of our immune system lies in the digestive tract, it makes sense to build up our microbial army.

Once convinced of the value of fermented food, I faced my fear of preparation. I can chop vegetables for a salad, but can I pound cabbage, add salt, and trust that it will turn into something edible? Can I handle sour milk?

I began with dairy kefir. Drawing on our local farmer’s goat milk, I purchased kefir grains online. I combined the two, and voilà! Goat kefir. The sour taste was a bit of a shock, but I slowly adjusted and (to my surprise) so did my taste buds.

Gradually I built up the courage to try sauerkraut. After a couple of botched jobs, I quickly learned there are no shortcuts when it comes to fermentation. It’s far better to use the proper equipment and follow directions. Creativity comes later.

Soon I mastered yogurt. Twelve months later I tried fermented fruit leather. In time I tried water kefir. Most recently I dazzled my family with lacto-fermented ketchup.

It’s been more than two years since I embarked upon my fermentation journey. I see the difference in my family’s health as well as my own. I find great reward in my at-home pharmacy and love the feeling of satisfaction every time I place a freshly-made ferment on my pantry shelf.

To read the entire article, visit the HandPicked Nation website.

Below is a tutorial from our momsAWARE Natural Year Challenge showing the steps involved in preparing sauerkraut. For the recipe and printed step-by-step instructions, see our Natural Year Challenge: Food Edition - Make a Vegetable Ferment.

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Organic Food Still Better

Stanford University released a controversial study last week suggesting that organic food is no more nutritious than conventional food. New York Times columnist Roger Cohen expressed sheer delight at this news in his editorial titled The Organic Fable, saying:

Organic has long since become an ideology, the romantic back-to-nature obsession of an upper middle class able to afford it and oblivious, in their affluent narcissism, to the challenge of feeding a planet whose population will surge to 9 billion before the middle of the century.

With all the uproar and questions raised about the sanity of those of us who try to cut back on our exposure to chemicals, I decided to draw my own conclusions about this study. In an article written for the organization HandPicked Nation, I outline five facts I believe the mainstream media missed about this study.

1. Lower urinary pesticide levels. The study's abstract states, "Two studies reported significantly lower urinary pesticide levels among children consuming organic versus conventional diets." Since this study is an aggregate of more than 200 studies over a 40-year period, I can understand why two studies may not be enough to draw a conclusion. However, the study goes on to say that "studies of biomarker and nutrient levels in serum, urine, breast milk, and semen in adults did not identify clinically meaningful differences." From what I can gather, no study found significantly lower pesticide levels for those who ate conventional foods. My conclusion? Two studies supporting the premise that organic foods contain fewer pesticides is significant.
2. Higher levels of phosphorus. The study's abstract states, "All estimates of differences in nutrient and contaminant levels in foods were highly heterogeneous except for the estimate for phosphorus; phosphorus levels were significantly higher than in conventional produce, although this difference is not clinically significant." Phosphorus helps with bone formation, digestion, protein formation, hormone balance, cell repair, and much more. I find the elevated levels of phosphorus in organic food significant.
3. Higher levels of phenols. The study showed that organic produce contained more of the phytochemical phenol. Phenolic compounds such as flavonoids and tocopherols are known for their antioxidant properties. The phenol found in green tea is thought to help with cancer prevention. Other phenols provide flavor. Raspberry ketones, for instance, are responsible for the flavor of raspberries. Capsaicin gives hot peppers their warmth. If the natural phenol content is higher in organic produce, no wonder organic tastes better than conventional!
4. Lower levels of pesticide residue. The study's abstract states, "The risk for contamination with detectable pesticide residues was lower among organic than conventional produce." A reported 38 percent of conventional produce showed detectable levels of pesticides, compared to 7 percent of organic produce. The abstract plays down this finding, saying that "differences in risk for exceeding maximum allowed limits were small." I choose to buy organic because I want fewer pesticides in and on my food. I don't care about "safe limits." We're exposed to so many chemicals on a daily basis that I'm confident I'll do better with fewer of them in my food.
5. Lower levels of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The study's abstract states, "Bacterial contamination of retail chicken and pork was common but unrelated to farming method. However, the risk for isolating bacteria resistant to 3 or more antibiotics was higher in conventional than in organic chicken and pork." The study shows a 33 percent difference between organic and conventional meat. Most antibiotics in this country are used in animal feed and we know the drugs easily disrupt the animals' gut flora and immune systems. This makes them perfect hosts for antibiotic-resistant "superbugs." I find the 33 percent difference enough for me to continue supporting my local organic farmers.

To read the article in its entirety, see Organic Food is Still Better at the HandPicked Nation website.

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Plastics and Food: A Hazardous Combination

I am convinced that plastics and food are a combination worth avoiding. I turned the corner after watching this short video demonstrating Japanese entrepreneur Akinori Ito's invention of a machine that converts plastic waste back into petroleum. No wonder there is concern over harmful chemicals seeping into our food through plastics!

I recently wrote an article for Handpicked Nation detailing some of these health concerns and offered five suggestions for cutting back on our use of plastics.

1. Heat food in glass containers. Heat is one of the most significant ways harmful chemicals leach into your food. Even if your food has been frozen in plastic, transfer to a glass container before heating.
2. Pack food in parchment paper. It's hard to pass up the convenience of disposable plastic storage bags. Thankfully there are companies such as If You Care offering a parchment paper option. These may be a bit more costly in the short run, but they offer a much safer option. If you must use plastic bags, consider lining them with parchment paper before storing your food.
3. Use stainless steel or glass water bottles. It takes anywhere from 400–1,000 years for a plastic water bottle to decompose. You can help the environment as well as protect your health by switching to reusable water bottles.
4. Avoid receipts. Many sales receipts are coated with a layer of BPA. If you don't need the receipt, let the cashier know. If you do need it, keep it in the bag until you get home (unless the receipt is exposed to raw food). Keep your receipts in a closed container such as a paper envelope.
5. Think outside the box. Don't assume the status quo is the only way to live. Begin to think differently about the way you eat and live. Consider ways to bring fresh foods with you in non-plastic containers when you're on the go. Try your hand at food fermentation, or check out a local farmers market (don’t forget your reusable grocery bag!).

Never underestimate the value of small changes.

The following websites offer more suggestions for reducing your use of plastics:

• Plastic-Free Guide
• Life Without Plastic
• BuyGreen
• TakeOutWithOut

To view the article in its entirety, see Plastic & Food: Should You Care?

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