Many people are always asking about what is the “big fuss” over “grass fed” when it comes to meat (beef), eggs and dairy. The big fuss is about choosing a better quality of meat that is more in line with what our bodies were designed to use. Little do many really know there is a big difference between a nice bison (grass fed) burger and a Big Mac.

So rather than bore you with a lengthy article about all the advantages, how about just some simple pictures and bullet points to drive it home. If a picture is worth a 1000 words…well here are 10,000 words that may surprise you:

The Pictures

Images and references reproduced below are originally sourced from Eatwild.com

The Bullet Points

So here’s what we have seen about the advantages of grass fed beef and dairy…..and it sounds pretty good:

• More antioxidant Vitamin E
• More antioxidant Beta Carotene
• More CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid – cancer prevention)
• Less Fat/Saturated Fat (this is more natural levels for wild meats)
• Less Omega 6s, More Omega 3s (more natural balance)
• Less chance of that animal getting sick or producing sick meat!

References

1. Rule, D. C., K. S. Brought on, S. M. Shellito, and G. Maiorano. “Comparison of Muscle Fatty Acid Profiles and Cholesterol Concentrations of Bison, Beef Cattle, Elk, and Chicken.” J Anim Sci 80, no. 5 (2002): 1202-11.

2. Davidson, M. H., D. Hunninghake, et al. (1999). “Comparison of the effects of lean red meat vs lean white meat on serum lipid levels among free-living persons with hypercholesterolemia: a long-term, randomized clinical trial.” Arch Intern Med 159(12): 1331-8. The conclusion of this study: “… diets containing primarily lean red meat or lean white meat produced similar reductions in LDL cholesterol and elevations in HDL cholesterol, which were maintained throughout the 36 weeks of treatment.”

3. Siscovick, D. S., T. E. Raghunathan, et al. (1995). “Dietary Intake and Cell Membrane Levels of Long-Chain n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and the Risk of Primary Cardiac Arrest.” JAMA 274(17): 1363-1367.

4. Simopolous, A. P. and Jo Robinson (1999). The Omega Diet. New York, HarperCollins. My previous book, a collaboration with Dr. Artemis P. Simopoulos, devotes an entire chapter to the vital role that omega-3s play in brain function.

5. Rose, D. P., J. M. Connolly, et al. (1995). “Influence of Diets Containing Eicosapentaenoic or Docasahexaenoic Acid on Growth and Metastasis of Breast Cancer Cells in Nude Mice.” Journal of the National Cancer Institute 87(8): 587-92.

6. Tisdale, M. J. (1999). “Wasting in cancer.” J Nutr 129(1S Suppl): 243S-246S.

7. Tashiro, T., H. Yamamori, et al. (1998). “n-3 versus n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids in critical illness.” Nutrition 14(6): 551-3.

8. Duckett, S. K., D. G. Wagner, et al. (1993). “Effects of time on feed on beef nutrient composition.” J Anim Sci 71(8): 2079-88.

9. Lopez-Bote, C. J., R.Sanz Arias, A.I. Rey, A. Castano, B. Isabel, J. Thos (1998). “Effect of free-range feeding on omega-3 fatty acids and alpha-tocopherol content and oxidative stability of eggs.” Animal Feed Science and Technology 72: 33-40.

10. Dolecek, T. A. and G. Grandits (1991). “Dietary Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Mortality in the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial (MRFIT).” World Rev Nutr Diet 66: 205-16.

11. Dhiman, T. R., G. R. Anand, et al. (1999). “Conjugated linoleic acid content of milk from cows fed different diets.” J Dairy Sci 82(10): 2146-56. Interestingly, when the pasture was machine-harvested and then fed to the animals as hay, the cows produced far less CLA than when they were grazing on that pasture, even though the hay was made from the very same grass. The fat that the animals use to produce CLA is oxidized during the wilting, drying process. For maximum CLA, animals need to be grazing living pasture.

12. Ip, C, J.A. Scimeca, et al. (1994) “Conjugated linoleic acid. A powerful anti-carcinogen from animal fat sources.” p. 1053. Cancer 74(3 suppl):1050-4.

13. Aro, A., S. Mannisto, I. Salminen, M. L. Ovaskainen, V. Kataja, and M. Uusitupa. “Inverse Association between Dietary and Serum Conjugated Linoleic Acid and Risk of Breast Cancer in Postmenopausal Women.” Nutr Cancer 38, no. 2 (2000): 151-7.

14. Smith, G.C. “Dietary supplementation of vitamin E to cattle to improve shelf life and case life of beef for domestic and international markets.” Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-1171

Gastric Reflux

This is probably the most common of all of them in this post. I mean, you can’t turn on a TV (or so I recall when I owned one) without seeing an advertisement for some drug meant to “cure” your reflux. Of course, their idea of “cure” is “manage by taking our little pill daily.” The other unfortunate piece of the puzzle is that those pills rarely fix the real problem (poor digestion), aiming instead at the suppressing acid production, which only makes digestion worse. Check this out from Dr. Briffa:

This week’s British Medical Journal carried an interesting editorial which suggests that proton pump inhibitors are massively over-prescribed. According to this editorial, between 25 and 70 per cent of individuals on these medications have no appropriate indication to be taking them.
….
My experience in practice is that many of these individuals are suffering from what might be described as ‘poor digestion.

So first of all, fix your digestion. Eat slower. Chew better. Add use some probiotics to reset the bacteria in your intestines.

And second, avoid these dietary factors that are known to make reflux worse.

• Our old friend, gluten
• Sugar
• Refined carbohydrates

Asthma

This one is a bit squishier, in that there’s less known about whether nutrition directly impacts asthma or not.

There’s no special asthma diet. We don’t know of any foods that reduce the airway inflammation of asthma. …However, a good diet is an important part of your overall asthma treatment plan. …What’s more, many doctors suspect that the specific foods you eat might have a direct impact on your asthma. But further research needs to be done before we understand the exact connection between asthma and diet.

What is known is that people that eat healthier diets have a lower incidence of asthma, so something somewhere is affecting the way the body works.

There’s evidence that people who eat diets higher in vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, flavonoids, magnesium, selenium, and omega-3 fatty acids have lower rates of asthma. Many of these substances are antioxidants, which protect cells from damage.

One recent study of asthma and diet showed that teens with poor nutrition were more likely to have asthma symptoms. Those who didn’t get enough fruits and foods with vitamins C and E and omega-3 fatty acids were the most likely to have poor lung function. A 2007 study showed that children who grew up eating a Mediterranean diet — high in nuts and fruits like grapes, apples, and tomatoes — were less likely to have asthma-like symptoms.

So foods may not trigger an asthma attack, but it definitely looks like eating Real Food is a good way to help prevent them.

Canker Sores

Ever had one of these suckers, more technically known as aphthous ulcers, in your mouth? I haven’t in ages, but I sure do remember gargling with salt water and the burn. Oh the burn! I have known people that get these pretty religiously and they certainly don’t enjoy it. Unfortunately, they also shrug it off as part of life instead of taking steps to fix it.

Good news…you can avoid these too. Food intolerance seems to be the biggie with these sores, as celiacs tend to have higher canker sore incidence, and gluten removal has shown some promise for people that get these commonly.

Supposedly, citrus fruits are thought to be a cause, but I’m inclined to think it’s something more like nutrient deficiencies which allow the acidity of the citrus fruits to damage the cells of the mouth. Deficiencies of the B-vitamins, along with some others like zinc and selenium have been positively correlated with canker sore incidence.

Of course, there’s also a known genetic correlation as well, so this one might not be completely preventable, but I’m inclined to think that a good diet is a great start. I know I haven’t had one in years and I used to get a couple per year when I didn’t eat quite so well.

Migraine Headaches

Oh boy, I used to get migraines a lot during puberty. About once a month, I’d get a crusher that would send me to a dark room because light and sound were like knives in my eyes and ears. Sometimes they made me vomit. The only cure was sleeping. Luckily, those subsided as I got older.

I still occasionally get one, but it’s rare and they aren’t as bad as when I was in a growth spurt. Now, the thing about migraines that’s different than the other ailments we looked at is that it’s not always unhealthy foods that trigger these. It can just be certain amino acids in foods and there are actually some very healthy foods that can trigger migraines. For instance, avocados, oranges, and bananas are trigger foods for some people. I can vouch for avocados…normally, I can eat avocados with no concerns. But if I have a minor headache, eating an avocado is a sure-fire way to take it up several notches.

Apparently, these can also exacerbate the issue (not that these are all “healthy”):

• Alcohol, particularly red wine and beer (another one I can vouch for)
• Chocolate
• Fermented foods, due to high tyrosine content
• Nuts
• Dairy
• MSG

And of course, there’s a good bit of evidence linking our favorite culprit in…well, dang near everything, to migraines: gluten. Food intolerance, in general, is thought to be a culprit and gluten is one substance that is poorly tolerated by many people.

You Don’t Have To Be Sick

So while these ailments might not get the exposure that the less “glamorous” diseases, for people that deal with them, they definitely range from irritating to downright debilitating. Rest assured, none of this stuff is the way the body should work and you don’t have to just shrug your shoulders and say “I guess that’s the way it is for me.”

Of course, diet alone isn’t the only culprit for these, especially for things like migraines, which can also be triggered by long periods of time staring at a TV or computer screen or any number of other things. But just as in other areas of health, it’s a huge piece of the puzzle and always a good place to look for initial steps to resolve the issue.

Just to review, omega-3 and omega-6 are known as “essential” fatty acids because the body can’t produce them itself. So, it’s up to us to incorporate them into our diet. The typical Western diet is rich in omega-6. (Think corn, soy, peanut, safflower, and other oils.) As for the prevalence of omega-3? Not so much. (Think fish, flax, algae, walnuts, and animal products from grass fed livestock.)

We talked about the importance of ratio last time. Experts estimate that the typical American diet has as much as 30 parts omega-6 to 1 part omega-3 (30:1). Uff da.

As we said last time, there’s some squabbling to be certain about the proper ratio. Some nutritionists go as high as 4:1. Others suggest 2:1. But since we’re all about the primal here, we’re taken in by the ratio most experts agree characterized hunter gatherer diets. And that would be an elegant 1:1 ratio. You gotta love simple.

So, what’s with the bickering about ratios anyway? The fact is, omega-3 keeps omega-6 in check. Omega-6, when left to its own devices, wreaks havoc, inciting and oxidizing LDL in the body (a real cholesterol threat). Lower ratios have been associated with higher bone density and decreased risk for diabetes, arrhythmia and heart disease.

Among other cultures, the ratio is much more favorable, and death from heart disease is much lower. Greenland Eskimos, because of high fish consumption, are estimated to have a 1:1 ratio. According to one study, their rate of death due to heart disease is approximately 15% of what it is for those in the U.S. and Europe who eat a typical Western diet.

Furthermore, the traditional diets of the Mediterranean and Okinawa, Japan, are characterized by high levels of omega-3 fatty acids and a low 6 to 3 ratio of 4:1 or less.

Ratios have also been assessed in the context of particular diseases and physiological conditions. A 2:1 ratio was found to reduce inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis, while even a 5:1 ratio relieved symptoms in those with asthma.

With all the fervor over omega-3 fatty acids, there’s a lot of questions out there regarding recommended amounts. The World Health Organization recommends two servings of fish (particularly fatty fish like salmon, herring, sardines and mackerel) as well as the use of oils containing omega-3. Other experts recommend three to four servings of low toxin fish each week.

And how much is too much, especially if you choose to take an omega-3 supplement? Or is there such a thing? Although there isn’t an official RDA for omega-3 fatty acids, you can consider anywhere between 1-3 grams daily to be optimal. There is some concern about the fatty acid’s ability to thin the blood too much with higher doses. We’d advise talking with your doctor about beginning a supplement. If you’re taking a blood thinner or a daily aspirin regimen, that conversation and perhaps some monitoring will be essential. There has been some indication that larger doses of omega-3 fatty acids can be (in very rare cases) associated with an increased risk of stroke. Many doctors will also suggest that you stop taking the supplement within a week or more of surgery. With all that said, supplementing your diet with a high-quality omega-3 fatty acid supplement is, in our estimation, one of the best things you can do for your body.

Understanding fats, with a special emphasis on omega-3 and omega-6

Fat is probably one of the most controversial topics in the nutritional field, and for good reason. Consuming the correct amount of fat can be like walking a tight rope. Fats provide energy and are vital for building and maintaining cell membranes and producing important hormones. They slow down the body’s absorption of nutrients so that we can go longer without feeling hungry. They are also carriers for the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. We need to eat fat to be healthy. But too much fat can lead to a variety of well-known health complications such as heart disease and diabetes, and can make you, well, fat. The problem of fat consumption is complicated by the food industry, which continually promotes “low-fat” and “fat-free” versions of foods that naturally contain fats, such as dairy products and snack foods. In our entertainment industry, we are bombarded by images of emaciated models, portraying to us that thinner is better. Finally, in our own reality, there are more overweight and obese people than ever.

It’s no wonder that we can’t make sense of fat. In this article, I will provide a summary of different kinds of fatty acids, paying particular attention to the subject of omega-3 fatty acids, to help answer Stuart’s question, and hopefully provide some insight for the rest of us who may share similar concerns.

Before we discuss omega-3 fatty acids, we need to take a step back and review our basic knowledge of fat in general. Sally Fallon, author of “Nourishing Traditions,” notes all fats and oils are combinations of saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. We can classify fats by the amount of each acid they contain and the length of their chain.

Below are descriptions of each type of fatty acid:

Saturated fatty acids: These fats are generally solid at room temperature and include animal fats, dairy products, and tropical oils. Although they have a bad reputation for elevating bad cholesterol and causing heart disease and other cancers, other studies have proven that saturated fats can protect us from viruses, yeasts and harmful bacteria. Some studies also show that these fats are less likely to cause weight gain than olive oil or other commercially produced oils.

Monounsaturated fatty acids: These fats are generally liquid at room temperature and solid or semi-solid under refrigeration. Sources include olives, olive oil, canola oil, avocados, most nuts (except walnuts), sunflower oil, and safflower oil. They can protect against heart disease, reduce blood pressure, and enhance blood flow, can help regulate blood pressure, and may slightly increase HDL “good cholesterol.”

Polyunsaturated fatty acids: are liquid at room temperature and under refrigeration. Sources include most vegetable oils, seeds, nuts, grains, legumes, other plant foods, and many commercially processed oils. Studies regarding the health benefits of polyunsaturated fatty acids are somewhat inconsistent. Some studies show these fatty acids protect our health, while others reveal they can lead to increased risk for types of cancer, heart disease, immune system dysfunctions, high blood pressure, digestive disorders, learning disabilities, impaired bodily growth, weight gain and damage to the liver, reproductive organs and lungs,.

Essential fatty acids: are polyunsaturated fatty acids that include omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. Both are essential for maintaining good health; however, maintaining a healthy ratio of omega-6 acids to omega-3 acids is also extremely important. Omega-3 fatty acids are necessary for cell oxidation, metabolizing certain amino acids, producing important nervous system hormones. Good sources of omega-3 fatty acids include flaxseeds, flaxseed oil, olive oil, seaweed, algae, eggs, and fish.

You may have heard of the omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids before and have wondered why they are so important, and so confusing. Before the food industry started making refined vegetable oils, people consumed these fatty acids in roughly equal amounts. However, most commercial vegetable oils that we find now in the grocery store are comprised of up to 75 percent omega-6 acids and very often 0 or 1 percent omega-3 acids. Although omega-3 acids can be found in eggs and fish, the commercial food industry has upset this balance as well: Eggs from grain-fed chickens contain little to no omega-3 fatty acids.

There’s one more complication: some polyunsaturated fats that contain omega-3 fatty acids can become oxidized or rancid when heated and can cause more harm than good. This can cause damage to cell membranes and red blood cells, which can ultimately cause free radical damage that can range from wrinkles and premature aging to plaque buildup in arteries to tumors and autoimmune diseases.

So what to do? From my research on omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, I’ve gained two main insights: we need to be mindful of our consumption of these fatty acids (in general limiting omega-6 and boosting omega-3 intake), and we need to be aware of which oils can be harmfully denatured when subject to high temperatures.

How can we consume more omega-3 fatty acids? Omega-3 fatty acids can be divided into three different categories:

LNA (Alpha-linolenic acid): can be found in flaxseed (and flaxseed oil), hempseed, walnuts (and walnut oil), soy (and soybean oil), and olive oil.

EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid): can be found in fish, seaweed, and microalgae (such as seaweed).

DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid): can be found in fish, eggs, and microalgae.

Getting enough EPA and DHA has long been a concern for vegetarians, and especially vegans because of their presence largely in fish and eggs. For vegans, it’s important to note that fish get their EPA and DHA content from eating microalgae, so vegans can take a microalgae supplement to obtain these fatty acids. EPA can also be obtained by eating seaweed, an important staple in Asian diets. For all of us, eating more of the foods above that contain omega-3s is probably a good idea. This probably means buying wild caught fish instead of farmed and organic eggs instead of conventional, as the food industry’s cultivation methods have largely decreased if not eliminated omega-3 content in these foods.

How can you ingest LNAs without oxidizing them or letting them become rancid? One easy way to get LNAs is to sneak ground flaxseed into your meals. I sprinkle ground flaxseeds on my oatmeal in the morning, mix it into peanut butter, or add it to baked goods. This also gives you an extra dose of fiber. Always use ground flaxseeds instead of whole, because this is the only way your body can digest and absorb the nutrients found in flaxseeds. Keep ground flaxseeds in an opaque, airtight container in the refrigerator to prevent them from becoming rancid.

If you prefer to use the oil, consume LNA-containing oils in salad dressings and dips or add them into sauces or soups late in the cooking process. Olive oil can be used for cooking at very low or moderate heats; flaxseed oil should never be used for cooking.

There is so much more information about omega-3 and omega-6 acids, but for the sake of simplicity and ease of reading, I’ll stop here and recommend some good resources I’ve found in the process of researching this topic.

Books:
Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon
Becoming Vegan by Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina
The Omnivore’s Dilemma and In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan
Eat More, Weigh Less by Dr. Dean Ornish

Websites:
The Vegetarian Society
Women to Women
Mayo Clinic

I’d love to hear your thoughts, comments, and concerns about this issue. Please feel free to share, as I am by no means an expert nutritionist or dietitian

Emily Weingarten is a new contributor to AnnArbor.com’s Food and Drink section. You can follow Emily’s blog at http://a2create.blogspot.com and contact Emily at emilyweingarten@gmail.com.

Choking down a bottomless plate of  broccoli isn’t the only way to load up on important nutrients.  You can get wide-ranging health benefits from just a small serving of these flavorful foods.

SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS

Recent studies have found that beta-glucan, a sugar molecule in the edile fungus, helps boost the immune system and prevents the growth of cancer cells.

EAT:  3 to 4 ounces, cooked.

BRAZIL NUTS

Their high level of selenium, which may warm off colon, lung, and prostate cancer, comes from the soil the tree grows in.

EAT:  2 TO 3

HORSERADISH

This plant contains glucosinate, a compound that has been shown to increase the liver’s ability to fight carcinogens and suppress the growth of cancerous tumors.

Horseradish also has antiacterial properties that may help treat urinary tract infections.

EAT:  1 teaspoon spread on a sandwich

WALNUTS

Studies show that alpha linolenic acid, a plant-based source of omega-3 fatty acids found in the nuts, can help reduce cholestorol levels and the inflamation that may lead to high blood pressure and heart disease.

EAT:  12 to 14 halves

BLACK RASPERRIES

Anthocyanins, the antioxidants that give these berries their bold coloring, may retard the growth of precancerous cells, especially those associated with oral and esophageal cancers.

EAT: 10 to 12

 

Health Dangers of Bread, Pasta, and Rice

 

We have all been programmed to believe that grains are a health food. From whole wheat bread to pasta to the rice in sushi, we think we’re staying healthy by eating grains—in particular, large amounts of them.

Grains include wheat, oats, rice, and corn (yes, corn), which we eat in the form of bread, pasta, bagels, and Captain Crunch. They provide 56% of the calories consumed on earth. Yet if you were to go out in a field and chew on a stalk of wheat, you would find it tough and indigestible. So why do we eat them? The answer, from an evolutionary perspective, is that humans don’t eat grains—or didn’t, as the case is.

The first human species sprung up around 2.5 million years ago, starting with Homo habilis. Our ancestors were hunter-gatherers. Roaming from place to place, they ate fish, vegetables, meat, and occasionally nuts or berries. They consumed no grains, dairy, legumes, and certainly no refined sugars (okay, so honey was a hard-to-come-by treat).

Yet around 10,000 years ago something happened. Somewhere in the Middle East, people found a way to make wild wheat and barley digestible–grind it then cook it.

 

The addition of grains in the human diet both was good and bad. The good news is that the Agricultural Revolution allowed for the sustainability of large populations. We moved out of the hunter-gatherer niche and into the realm of big cities, which paved the way for further monumental advancements like the Industrial Revolution, modern science & medicine, and the iPod.

But grains have a dark side. Our genetic makeup, and the subsequent process of gene expression, is stuck in the past. Genetically speaking, we’re identical to our ancestors of at least 40,000 years ago. We’re hunter-gatherers, and our bodies don’t take kindly to the newfangled grains that were nonexistent in our primal diet.

It took about 5,000 years for grain cultivation to move from the Middle East to the outskirts of Europe. By looking at the archeological record, scientists have found that when a culture switched to eating grains, it was accompanied by a reduction in stature, an increase in bone abnormalities, an increase in infectious diseases, and a shorter life span.

Interestingly, if your close relatives are from Scandinavia—a late adopter to the grain diet—you’re at higher risk of being sensitive or outright allergic to wheat. In other words, it looks like as wheat cultivation spread across Europe it accidentally wiped out a good portion of the gene pool in its wake. Oops.

Why Grains are Unhealthy

So why are bread, pasta, rice and other grain-based foods bad?

(Skip this section if you don’t like nitty-gritty science).

Well, the health dangers of grains depend on your dietary context, lifestyle context, and your genetics, but for now let’s just explore their evil side.

1. Grains contain gobs of carbohydrates. I don’t care where you stand on the pro-Atkins-anti-Atkins scale. For more than 99.5% of human history, humans got ALL their carbs from veggies and fruits. That should raise a red flag, no?
2. Grain foods spike blood sugar. Carbohydrates from refined grains get broken down into glucose so fast that there’s little difference between eating 10g of sugar and eating 10g of refined grains. Lots of glucose in the blood generates free radicals and damages proteins (via Advanced Glycation End-Products) — translation: white bread makes your tissues age faster.
3. Grain foods also spike insulin levels. To counteract the excess glucose in the blood, your pancreas secretes large amounts of insulin, which is designed to allow glucose to enter cells. Too much insulin, however, and those cells become insulin resistant — to say this is a bad thing is an understatement. High insulin levels and insulin resistance are associated with obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, dementia, Alzheimer’s, and several cancers. Your brain, for example, loves to use glucose for fuel, but some neurons involved with complex thinking and memory can become insulin resistant. Brain fog, anyone?
4. Grains contain poor amounts of nutrients and fiber per calorie. Refined grains contain only trace amounts of nutrients and are quite barren in terms of fiber. Whole grains contain some vitamins/minerals, but also antinutrients (what the hell are those?! — see 6 and 7).
5. Wheat contains gluten. Gluten = allergic reaction = bad. More on this little bugger later.
6. Whole grains contain phytates. To put it simply: phytates block the absorption of certain nutrients like zinc and magnesium, which by the way are important for sleep quality.
7. Whole grains contain lectins. Lectins increase gut-permeability, which allow various junk into the blood. Your immune system gets confused, since some of that junk looks like body proteins, and starts attacking both the junk and the body proteins it resembles. The result ranges from acne to multiple sclerosis. Lectins are bad, mmkay?

OK… whew. Let’s summarize the above 7 points:

• Points 1-4 implicate that the grains put a huge sugar load on the body while providing little nutrients — something our genes weren’t designed to handle well. This is thought to be primarily responsible for the slew of modern diseases absent in pre-agriculture times. In other words, Grok the caveman never had diabetes.
• Points 5-7 simply state that grains contain crap our bodies don’t know how to handle. It’s no surprise that lectins, phytates, and gluten aren’t handled well by our bodies — for 99.5% of human history, those chemicals didn’t enter the gastrointestinal tract. By contrast, cows can metabolize phytates, but their ancestors fed on grains.

Myth: Whole Wheat is Healthy

Points 1-7 above help dispel the myth that whole wheat is a healthy alternative to refined grains (healthier, yes, but not necessarily healthy in its own right). Let’s drill in a few more points (Sorry, I can’t stop… I’m on a roll.)

1. The idea is that whole grains contain more “complex carbohydrates” than refined grains. Whole wheat flour (as found in whole wheat bread) will affect the blood sugar just as much as refined flour. True whole grains (like brown rice or oats) do affect blood sugar levels less so than refined grains, but their glycemic load is still very high.
2. In other words: Regardless of how “complex” a carbohydrate is, it still becomes glucose and it will still raise insulin levels, even if over a longer time scale. Large amounts of whole wheat can put a strain on a body that has adapted to vegetables and fruit as carbohydrate sources.
3. Whole grains are a good source of fiber. They are a source of fiber, but so are bananas. One banana has twice as much fiber as a slice of whole wheat bread.
4. Whole grains contain vital nutrients. But they also contain antinutrients (like phytates) which block the absorption of those nutrients. Pick the right veggies or fruit and not only get those same nutrients, but also flavenoids, phytonutrients, and anti-inflammatories.

Whole grains are still grains. There’s no nutrient in a whole grain that can’t be better delivered by any nonstarchy vegetable. Nonstarchy vegetables simply deliver a stronger nutrient punch than whole grains, but without the insulin roller coaster.

Grains are Drug-Like

Okay, this is just getting ridiculous. Grains are like drugs?

Studies have revealed that cereal grains, especially wheat, maize, and barley, and dairy products contain opioid substances called exorphins. Opioid substances have a very similar sequence of amino acids to thsoe in our natural endorphins and apparently can bind to endorphin receptors in the brain… In simple terms, exorphnis produce narcotic-like and mood-altering affects and can be addictive.

While I wouldn’t compare grains to cocaine, think of how most hunger cravings are for grain-based foods. Ever had tuna fish or broccoli for a midnight snack? Probably not.

It is believed that the exorphins in grains play a large part in addictive eating behavior, particularly in those people who (ironically) are more allergic to grains.

Since the majority of people have some level of wheat (gluten) or dairy allergy, this becomes a very interesting point. When you eat allergenic foods, your body releases “feel good” endorphins to alleviate the allergy symptoms. The endorphins give you a “high,” which can turn to constant food cravings and an addiction to the very foods you’re allergic to.

Since the allergic response to gluten in wheat grains is so much more prevalent than people realize, let’s now give it a closer look…

Gluten

What if I told you there was a little protein that could cause…

• fatigue
• depression
• joint aches
• bone pain
• abdominal pain
• bloating
• diarrhea
• low nutrient absorption
• short stature
• infertility
• premature balding
• cancer

Well… let me introduce my friend gluten. Everyone say “hi gluten!”

Gluten is a troublesome protein that appears to be doing more damage to our healths than we initially thought. This little guy is found in wheat, barley, and rye — pretty much any bread or pasta product has it. (But rice and corn are safe.)

A certain percentage of us contain genes that see gluten for the foreign substance that it truly is. Our immune system reacts to it, but that immune response itself can become toxic. As we load up on bagels over the years, the immune reaction to gluten can be toxic enough to cause a whole buffet of problems. (Depression thought to be the most common, along with other vague symptoms like fatigue.)

Those of us who have an immune response to gluten are labeled gluten sensitive.

So how many of us contain genes that see gluten as toxic? (How many of us are gluten sensitive?) According to some research it might be 50% or more. But there are other genes that determine whether a toxic immune response will occur and to what extent that response damages our tissue. It’s confusing, but it boils down to this:

It is believed that 30-50% or more of the population is gluten sensitive, thus are deteriorating their health by eating wheat.

You know what they say about not shooting the messenger, right?

So gluten’s bad. But how bad? It depends on where you fall in the gluten sensitivity spectrum.

Sensitivity Spectrum

Grains affect people differently. Gluten might be harmless to one person, while giving the next an autoimmune disease. The carb content of grains also affect have a varied effect.

So when it comes to eating grains, there are two sensitivities to think about: carbohydrate sensitivity and gluten sensitivity. You fall somewhere on both of these spectrums.

 

Carbohydrate Sensitivity Spectrum

 

The above graph chart shows the carbohydrate sensitivity spectrum. Being on the left end of the spectrum is ideal, but the modern diet places most of us somewhere in the middle.

Carbohydrate sensitivity is caused by excessive intake of carbohydrates, especially refined grains and sugar. How far to the right you fall on the spectrum partly depends on how many refined grains and sugars you’ve eaten in your lifetime. There are other factors, like genetics, but your diet history is a big one.

I’ve always thought brown rice was a superior health food, but it has always given me brain fog. When you experience brain fog after a “healthy” meal of brown rice, you refuse to make the connection (out of allegiance to the idea that rice is healthy).

Even brown rice is very high in carbohydrates, which are broken down into sugar faster than we’ve been led to believe. I now realize that my brain fog was probably due to some level of glucose intolerance.

 

Gluten Sensitivity Spectrum

 

The gluten sensitivity spectrum is also something to consider. It is believed that about 1% of the population has classic celiac disease, which puts them at the far right of the spectrum. (Note: only about 2.5% of those cases are currently diagnosed. Eeek!) Celiac disease, by the way, is when your immune response to gluten is so bad (or occurs over such a long time) that it destroys the small intestine walls to the point where all nutrients are insufficiently absorbed — that can lead to a whole range of health problems.

Silent celiac disease is the same as classic celiac disease, except there are little or no symptoms. This is a bad place to be if you still eat gluten.

But like I said, research suggests that 30-50% or more of us fall somewhere on the gluten sensitivity spectrum, even if it hasn’t resulted in full-blown celiac disease.

Where you fall on the spectrum depends largely on two factors:

1. Genetics
2. The amount of gluten you’ve eaten in your lifetime.

The way I understand it is this: A person with a mild genetic disposition to gluten sensitivity can push himself farther to the right by continuing to eat more and more gluten grains.

Most research indicates, however, that still some people simply don’t react to gluten, or don’t react badly enough for the mild reactions to cause health problems. This could be from 50% to 70% of the population. What’s interesting is that much more people are sensitive to gluten than most people think. And worse, this gluten sensitivity is essentially undiagnosed in the general population.

If you’re sensitive to gluten, eating wheat can lead to a gamut of health problems. The common ones are vague issues like depression or fatigue. The good news is there’s a cure: a gluten-free diet.

Finding out whether or not you’re gluten sensitive is difficult. Go to your doctor and he’ll perform a blood test which can give false negatives. For the most part you’re on your own. Do more research, and more importantly, do a grain-free experiment to see how you feel.

A gluten-free diet is essential for anyone with celiac disease. Those with gluten sensitivity, though, should certainly look into it.

Melissa’s Story

There are numerous inspirational stories of people overcoming life-long fatigue, depression, or more serious illnesses by removing grains.

Anecdotal evidence provides a good backdrop for all the scientific reasons why grains can be harmful. Let’s take a look at story of Melissa Diane Smith, author of Going Against the Grain.

Fifteen years ago, I worked at a world-famous health resort known for its ability to transform overweight guests into slimmer and presumably healthier people. … I wrote stories that educated and inspired guests and employees about the value of the low-fat, high carbohydrate, grain-rich diet. This was a health prescription I believed was beneficial for everyone…

In retrospect, I should have recognized the signs warning me I didn’t thrive on a high-grain diet. For one thing, I was just plain hungry much of the time. I didn’t want to lose my trim figure though, so I tried to ignore my hunger pangs and kept a tight rein on what I ate. Other warning signs appeared. Less than a year into my job at the spa, I came down with a series of viruses and strp throat infections…

It never occurred to me that my diet could be contributing to my health problems. I paid severely for this naivete. Labor Day weekend of 1987 I developed a very severe, mysterious, flulike illness (much later diagnosed as chronic fatigue syndrome) that I could not shake. I then began a five-year odyssey in which I desparately searched for answers and solutions for my health problems …

At first I tried eating what I thought were healthful foods, especially vegetarian, macrobiotic, and other meals centered around grains. But the more I ate light foods … the more my health worsened. I experienced an aggravation of my sore throats, increased digestive discomfort and bloating, depression, and greater difficulty getting out of bed each morning…

Frustrated beyond belief, I delved further into nutrition books and health magazines and decided to try a radical new strategy: a wheat-free, hypoallergenic diet rich in lean animal protein and lots of vegetables… A strange–and wonderul–thing happened during my experiment: I started to gradually, effortlessly lose fat. i didn’t understand why but was elated with this development and stuck with the diet, difficult as it seemed. After about six months, I lost all the weight I had gained and was back to 115 pounds.

…

The seriousness of chronic fatigue syndrome forced me to persist on a diet that went against the grain (at least the gluten grains), and this was a blessing in disguise. My diet not only allowed me to regain my health but to maintain it ever since.

The Bigger Picture

Like I said above, the health dangers of grains depend on your dietary context, lifestyle context, and your genetics. For some genetic profiles, grains aren’t terribly harmful. At best, however, grains are simply unnecessary. Never will a grain replace a good, nonstarchy vegetable.

As you can tell, I like picking on grains. Humans survived over 2 million years without them. They can be harmful if they contain gluten. They put you on an insulin roller coaster that sets you up for poor energy, poor sleep, and future health problems.

But it’s true — grains taste good. They’re everywhere. They’re convenient. And going grain-free puts you in that fine category of social freak.

But if being in the social norm sets me up for obesity, diabetes, heart-disease, stroke, dementia, cancer, depression, and fatigue… then go ahead and sign me up for freak

Nutrition can play a key role in one’s ability to lift and recover. In a perfect world, athletes would eat real food in balanced amounts of carbs, proteins, and fats about every 2–3 hours. We would also eat the proper foods before and after training to give fuel for the workout and fuel for the recovery after the strenuous exercise.

But this is the real world. The real world barely leaves us enough time to train let alone eat properly. This is where supplements come into play. Supplements allow us as training athletes to achieve the proper amount of calories from the proper types of nutrients in an efficient and time sparing way. They also make sure that our immune system, recovery, and general health stay in top shape.

We can start by analyzing protein—what it’s for and how much is needed. Most people think about this nutrient the most. Athletes often think about protein with a “more is better” attitude, but this is simply not true. It has been proven in literature that the body can only utilize 2 grams per kilogram of body weight by nitrogen balance analysis. This means that a 200-lb man only needs and can only utilize 200 or so grams of protein per day. However, the real key is timing.

Protein doesn’t get utilized well in large quantities. It must be evenly dispersed throughout the day in about 30-gram intervals. More protein than that in one sitting and it’s wasted. Why is it wasted you ask? Well most of the protein is ingested in the small intestine. The small intestine only has so many protein binder sites available at one time. If those sites are already being used, the extra protein is carried off to the large intestine and expelled. So this is where your protein intake must be constant throughout the day in small quantities. It has been shown that higher levels of protein don’t create more muscle mass or help in keeping a positive nitrogen balance when compared to normal protein intake. Therefore, don’t waste your money on more protein—just an optimal amount.

Next up is carbohydrates. Carbs may be the most important nutrient and include PCr and glycogen. Glycogen controls insulin and is actually called the protein saving nutrient. The body will always go to carbohydrates before fats and proteins for energy after the PCr system has been depleted. Not enough carbs in the diet before, after, and sometimes during activity and the body will go to protein for alternative fuels. This means no gains in the present and muscle breakdown long term. That’s also why you don’t see any high level strength athletes on the Adkins diet. No carbs means no strength and no speed. If you want to be a skinny fat man, then by all means get rid of carbs in your diet. If you want muscle, then keep reading.

Carbs must also be taken throughout the day. Did you know that your brain runs on 70 percent carbs? Did you also know that your brain and spinal cord are primarily responsible for fast twitch muscle action? Carbs are very similar to protein in that they are best utilized throughout the day rather than in large quantities. But remember—there are many types of carbs. This is why the glycemic index and timing of carbohydrates is so important.

High glycemic carbs are best utilized both pre- and post-workout while low glycemic carbs are best taken throughout the day for steady insulin levels. That is why recovery and pre-workout supplements have so many simple sugars. This brings blood sugar levels back to normal after a workout has drained them. But the real key is steady blood sugar throughout the day through your low glycemic carbs. Read up on the glycemic index for more information.

Last but certainly not least is fats. Fats are essential for muscle protection, proper cell function, and recovery. Fats come in all forms from omega fatty acids to plant fats and animal fats. All are important. Ninety-nine percent of Americans get plenty of the worst kind of fat in their diet, but most don’t get enough omega 3 or omega 6 fatty acids or plant fats. The way our food is prepared in restaurants and even at home usually allows us to get plenty of saturated or bad fats. This means that meal replacement powders or bars should have the right kind of fats in their makeup for a full spectrum of nutrients. Fish oil tablets are also a great way to achieve these omega fatty acids.

Remember that nutrient timing is a crucial part of absorption as well as utilization. Taking multivitamins, fish oil, and other vitamins at the same time every day helps to utilize the supplement much better. This way a certain mineral isn’t overloaded and discarded. These macronutrients protect cell membranes and protect against protein degradation. That’s why vitamin and mineral supplementation is important. Many of us not only train hard but work demanding jobs that don’t always allow us to eat properly without supplementation. These proper nutrients as well as their timing allow the body to repair, grow, and maintain muscle and stabilize energy for demanding workouts. If you want to reach the top, training isn’t enough. You must make an effort both in and out of the gym.

Nutrition In Milk And Milk Substitutes Posted: 24 Aug 2009 05:00 AM PDT About a year ago, Silk Soymilk ran an ad campaign featuring cows talking about the health benefits they get from drinking Silk instead of milk.   Is a product like Silk better than milk, whether that’s pasteurized/homogenized milk or raw milk? Today, let’s look at milk and compare it to all of the various other “milks” people use to replace real dairy in their diet. The Nutrition Facts Of Milk And Milk Substitutes There are any number of reasons why people choose not to include milk in their diets. For those of us that adhere to a Primal or Paleo lifestyle, milk doesn’t fit. Vegans and some vegetarians don’t include milk because it’s of animal origin. And then there are those that are lactose intolerant. Finally, there are the people that have been convinced by slick marketing that non-milks are better options than the real deal. So I suppose the starting point is to look at the nutrition facts of the main “milks” that people drink. I’m going to focus on plain ol’ “moo juice,” soy milk, almond milk, rice milk, and coconut milk. Note that there are other, lesser known, milk substitutes out there like oat milk, peanut milk, hemp milk, and milk made from other grains. Without further ado, the nutrition labels of the Big Five: Nutrition Facts: Milk And Milk Substitutes Grams Per 8oz Milk (Whole) Soy Almond Rice Coconut Calories 146 105 60 120 552 Total Fat 8 4 2.5 2 57 Sat. Fat 5 0 0 0.1 51 Chol. 24 0 0 0 0 Sodium 98 114 150 86 36 Total CHO 13 12 8 25 13 Dietary Fiber 0 0 <1 0 5 Sugars 13 9 7 10 8 Protein 8 6 1 0.5 5 Vitamin A 5% 9% 10% 0% 0% Vitamin C 0% 0% 0% 2% 11% Calcium 28% 30% 20% 2% 4% Iron 0% 6% 2% 1% 22%   You probably noticed that I have listed the fat content of whole milk. There are a couple big reasons for that. First, you all know my take on pasteurized milk vs. raw milk. But I can’t find a nutrition label for raw milk. As such, for comparison purposes, we need a standardized product and whole milk, at around 3.5%, fills the bill. Raw milk is typically 4-8%, depending on the time of year, so the calorie and fat information would be a bit different. I didn’t pick skim or low-fat milk for another very big reason. Milk is not naturally low in fat, nor should it be turned into that. Brand Names Of Milk Substitutes As a brief aside, I just want to touch on some of the various brand names for these milk substitutes. Brands Of Milk Substitutes Soy Milk Brands Silk Edensoy Soy Dream Almond Milk Brands Almond Breeze Almond Dream Pacific Rice Milk Brands Rice Dream The Bridge Ryza Coconut Milk Brands Chao Koh Thai Kitchen Goya   Protein Quality Of Milk Vs. Soy Milk, Etc The total amount of protein in a food is important, but how well that protein is absorbed (known as the biological value) is even more important. Soy protein comes in with a low biological value of 74/100, while cow’s milk is a 90/100. But here’s something I just found that everyone should take note of, especially vegetarians searching for quality protein sources: In other words the rats grew more rapidly than when given cheese, meat, eggs, milk or any other high-protein food. McCandish and Weaver have also found that the protein of coconuts is superior to that of other foods and claim that coconut meal is of greater value than soybean meal. As the soybean is equal in biological value to any of the animal proteins, this would mean that the coconut protein is in a class by itself and is perhaps the finest protein known. I don’t know how well coconut meal translates to the protein in coconut milk, but it seems promising to me. And no I don’t think you should give up your meat in favor of coconut. I didn’t come across any good information on almond or rice protein, but the link above regarding coconut protein noted that coconut was found to be better than any other seed. As for rice, we already know that vegetable proteins are on the whole are of lower value than animal proteins. Anti-Nutrient Content Soy Mike and I have touched several times on the very high levels of anti-nutrients in soy foods. Rather than recreating the wheel, I’ll just quote a couple of our other posts: Why Soy Is Not A Health Food High levels of phytic acid in soy reduce assimilation of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. Phytic acid in soy is not neutralized by ordinary preparation methods such as soaking, sprouting and long, slow cooking. High phytate diets have caused growth problems in children. Reasons Why Soy Isn’t Good For You So what’s so bad about soy? How about goitrogens, protease inhibitors, phytoestrogens (hooray for emasculation!), and too much aluminum and manganese? Note that all of these risks refer to unfermented soy products, of which soy milk is one, not traditional soy products like miso, natto, and tempeh. Almonds While almonds aren’t nearly as high on the anti-nutrient scale as soy beans, they do have a few risks in raw form, such as phytates. As far as I know, they just take a 24-hour soak to get them to “activate” and reduce their phytate and inhibitor levels. Cow’s Milk, Coconut Milk, and Rice Milk I can’t find any references to measurable anti-nutrient levels in these other three milk options. My Recommendation Looking at the nutrition information from the standpoint of the general “common wisdom” about nutrition, soymilk still wouldn’t be the winner. I’d guess almond milk would be the one that would make most nutritionists salivate. It’s the lowest in calories, very low in total fat, has no saturated fat or cholesterol, and is also lowest in carbohydrates and sugar, though also has little protein. It’s even competitive across the board in vitamins. But for those of us that don’t discount cow’s milk and coconut milk outright for the sins of being of animal origin and being high in saturated fat, respectively, what do I recommend? Here you go: Coconut Milk Raw Milk Almond Milk Whole (Organic, Unhomogenized) Milk Rice Milk And Why? Coconut milk is tolerated well by pretty much everyone and is loaded with healthy medium-chain saturated fats. It also has a nice vitamin and mineral profile, while being middle of the pack in protein and carbohydrates. As for milk, while some are pretty dogmatically opposed to milk of any type, including raw milk, I recognize that many cultures have thrived while including raw dairy. So I place it second on my list. You can also be positive that these two have no added sugar. Once you get into dealing with soy, almond, rice, and other fake milks, you often run into added sugars, along with other unknowns. Third, I guess would be almond milk, though placing the last three is really up for debate. Almond milk seems pretty harmless to me though if you get unsweetened varieties. Next up would be organic (non-rBGH/rBST), unhomogenized whole milk. I’m not a big fan of the pasteurization process, but if you can’t get raw milk in your area, whole milk is likely a pretty safe bet if you want to include dairy. I only placed rice milk at the bottom of the list because it’s a grain and I don’t know much about it. I’m rather ambivalent about where to place it in relation to pasteurized milk. Feel free to discuss. You probably noticed I left one off. Here’s a statement to ruffle some feathers: Do not drink soy milk. If you want to know why, go back to the anti-nutrient section. Add to that very high levels of omega-6 fatty acids in soy fat. It’s really not good for you. How To Make Your Own Almond Milk At Home Any of these milk substitutes can be made at home. Coconut milk is rather labor intensive though as cutting through coconuts and getting the meat out is work. So I’ll just be real…there’s no way I’m doing it myself when I can buy good stuff in a can. For those that want to go the almond milk route though, it looks rather easy to make at home. Here’s a quick recipe from Dr. Ben Kim: 1 1/2 cups of raw almonds, soaked in water overnight 4 cups of filtered or spring water 3-5 dates (optional) Blend 1 ½ cups of raw almonds that have been soaked overnight in 4 cups of water. Blend with dates if you like your milk with a hint of sweetness. Strain once to remove almond granules. Don’t forget to leave a comment and tell us which one you think is the best choice and why.

What Is High Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a lipid, a type of fat found in the body. Having high “bad” cholesterol means you have too much LDL in your blood. LDL is low-density lipoprotein, or “bad” cholesterol.

Too much cholesterol in the blood, or high cholesterol, can be serious. People with high cholesterol are at risk of getting heart disease. This can lead to a heart attack or stroke.

Only about 20% of cholesterol comes from the foods you eat. The other 80% is made by your body. Things such as age and family health history affect how much cholesterol your body makes.

Cholesterol levels tend to rise as you get older. Unfortunately, there are usually no signs that you have high cholesterol. But it can be detected with a blood test. These tests can also help your doctor predict what your risk for heart disease may be.

Total Cholesterol

Your blood test report will show your cholesterol levels in milligrams per deciliter of blood (mg/dL). The total number is based on:

• LDL (“bad” cholesterol)
• HDL (“good” cholesterol)
• Triglyceride (a type of fat found in your blood) levels

Total Cholesterol Levels	What It Means
Source: American Heart Association
Less than 200 mg/dL	Desirable
200-239 mg/dL	Borderline high risk for heart disease
240 mg/dL and above	High risk for heart disease

The 2 Types of Cholesterol: LDL and HDL

Bad cholesterol: Low-density lipoprotein (LDL)

Too much LDL in your blood can clog arteries. This can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.

LDL Cholesterol Levels	What It Means
Source: American Heart Association
Less than 100 mg/dL	Optimal
100-129 mg/dL	Near optimal
130-159 mg/dL	Borderline high
160-189 mg/dL	High
190 mg/dL and above	Very high

Good cholesterol: High-density lipoprotein (HDL)

High levels of HDL can help protect you from a heart attack or stroke. HDL carries cholesterol from the body’s tissues to the liver. So, low levels of HDL can increase the risk of heart disease.

HDL Cholesterol Levels	What It Means
Source: American Heart Association
Less than 40 mg/dL	High risk for heart disease
40-59 mg/dL	Less risk for heart disease
60 mg/dL	Desirable

If you’re worried about high cholesterol and heart disease, make an appointment to speak with your doctor.

Today is the part of the dairy issue that is probably most important to most of us here and is also the piece of the puzzle that throws most of what was put together for the last post into question. We’re going to look at some of the differences between real, fresh, raw, unpasteurized, unhomogenized milk and the conventional pasteurized, homogenized stuff.

Raw vs. Pasteurized/Homogenized

Conventional wisdom holds that milk is an inherently dangerous breeding ground for bacteria which must be rendered sterile before touching the lips of a human. We need look no further than MSNBC for a prime example of this thinking:

Despite potentially serious health risks, demand for unpasteurized, or raw, milk is growing among consumers concerned about chemicals, hormones and drugs.

So what’s the real deal? Is raw milk the best thing since beer was paired with pizza or is it a ticking time-bomb waiting for the inevitable day when you will be hit with Listeria, Campylobacter, or some other nasty microscopic creature? Let’s jump in.

First, what exactly is that white stuff that comes in those plastic jugs at Kroger, Albertson’s, etc? I hear you saying, “Uhh…Scott, it’s milk.” Sure, but let’s dig a little deeper. What about all of those various jugs with different labels? Skim, 1%, 2%, whole, organic, and even milk for people that are lactose-intolerant. Yes, that’s right; some manufacturer actually developed a market for “milk for people that can’t drink milk”. Genius!

Quickly, skim milk is less than 0.5% milk fat by weight (5% of calories) and 1% milk is 1% milk fat by weight (23% of calories), while 2% is 35% of calories from fat. Whole milk is 3.5%+ milk fat, with about 50% of calories from fat.(1) Then there’s the organic milk, which means the cows were fed organic feed, typically grains, and also were administered no antibiotics or hormones. Your guess is as good as mine on what “Lactose Intolerant Milk” is. I assume either the lactose is removed or the lactase enzyme is added. Something else that’s in your 1% and 2% milk is powdered skim milk. Doesn’t sound like pure milk to me.

All of these various milks have gone through two methods of processing: pasteurization and homogenization. Pasteurization is a process of heating the milk to kill off bacteria – all bacteria. Homogenization breaks down the fats by forcing the milk through small orifices, which changes the size of the fat globules and keeps the fat in suspension rather than allowing it to separate as a cream layer.

And then there’s this fancy new milk that seems to be all the rage, “raw milk”. What exactly is that? It’s milk. Fresh from the cow. No pasteurization. No homogenization. Just milk, straight up, on the rocks, neat, however you want it, but it’s as Mother Nature intended. It’s a product of evolution, not a product of industrialization. As Mark McAfee of Organic Pastures Dairy says:(2)

“When mothers nurse their babies, do we make a point of saying that the babies are drinking ‘raw’ milk,”

The point is that “raw milk” is real milk and the stuff in the grocery case is something other than milk. Let’s contrast the two.

A Tale of Two Milks

When milk makes its entry into the world, it is a combination of water, fat, protein, carbohydrates, bacteria, vitamins, minerals, and immunoglobulins. There are probably a few other things in there too, but that’s the important stuff. All of these are present in raw milk. All of these are not present in pasteurized/homogenized milk.

As mentioned above, pasteurization kills off all bacteria, even the beneficial ones. You know that smell and taste that you get when you leave pasteurized milk in the fridge for a week too long that we call “sour milk”? That’s not really sour milk. That’s rancid milk. Raw milk, due to the good bacteria, actually sours properly and is a usable product. The good bacteria that remain in the milk are able to contain the bad bacteria that proliferate in pasteurized milk, producing a soured milk that is more easily digestible (and is used for nourishment of invalids). Eventually, you’ll get sour cream. You can actually leave raw milk on your counter and the worst that happens is it sours. Don’t try this with pasteurized milk unless you want the neighbors calling the cops due to the smell of a dead body emanating from your house.

What about other changes in the milk from heating it? Vitamin C content is reduced. Vitamins A, D, and E are reduced, though that’s irrelevant if you’re drinking fat-free milk as these fat-soluble vitamins won’t be assimilated anyway. The heat also reduces the effectiveness of the water soluble vitamins. B6 and B12 are destroyed. Lipase, an enzyme that helps break down fat, is gone as well.(3) Iodine is reduced by 20%.(4) And if we return to those bacteria that were killed off above, we see that some of them produce the lactase necessary to process the lactose in milk. That’s why many lactose-intolerant people can drink raw milk.

Another aspect of the debate is the use of rBGH, or recombinant bovine growth hormone, to increase milk production. This hormone, also known as rBST, or recombinant bovine somatotropin, was approved for use by the FDA in 1994. From an animal welfare standpoint, studies have shown that administration of rBGH has detrimental effects.(5) An 11% increase in milk production comes at the cost of “a nearly 25% increase in the risk of clinical mastitis, a 40% reduction in fertility and 55% increased risk of developing clinical signs of lameness.”(6) If you buy into the argument (and how can you not?) that the food product, be it meat, milk, or eggs, is only as good as the source, this is disturbing news.

But rBGH administration also increases the levels of insulin-like growth factor 1, or IGF-1, in the milk. This is a hormone that is identical in both the human and bovine species. So what does it do? IGF-1 is responsible for cell growth. And since studies have shown that increased signaling through the IGF-1 pathway increases the risk of certain cancers (cancers are just rogue cells of you, after all), this doesn’t look good for increasing IGF-1 levels in milk.(7)

Then there’s the simple fact that Monsanto, the only producer of rBGH, doesn’t want consumers to know what’s in the products they’re consuming, nor how the source of their food was treated. Monsanto has sued companies that declare that their cows are raised without artificial growth hormones on their milk labels, though the FDA allows such a claim with the caveat that “No significant difference has been shown between milk derived from rbST-treated and non-rbST-treated cows,” a caveat which is not required for labels like “No MSG” or “no preservatives”.(8) Recognize that this company is determined to keep you from knowing anything about your food. They also work hard to make sure there is never a mention of genetically modified anything on any food labels, but that’s a story for another time. Monsanto pressured Fox to not run a story that was less than glowing regarding this hormone.

Some countries have banned the use of rBGH outright: Canada, parts of the European Union, Australia, and New Zealand. And consumer pressures are forcing many companies to adopt rBGH-free milk as their standard. Kroger, Safeway, Chipotle, Publix, Starbucks, and others have all began selling rBGH-free milk, many pledging to get rid of milk from cows treated with synthetic hormones.

Here’s an amusing point: any nutritionist worth his or her salt knows that low-fat dairy is an essential food group. They typically prescribe lots of unprocessed foods like whole grains, lean meats, vegetables, fruits, and low-fat dairy. But let’s back the train up for a second…dairy isn’t naturally a low-fat substance, which makes “low-fat dairy” a processed product by default. Add in pasteurization and homogenization and you’re dealing with a super-processed product. And let’s not forget that there is a dried skim milk powder added to 1% and 2% milk, another obviously processed component. So why would someone that is touting unprocessed products also propose low-fat dairy? I think we all know the answer.

So why do I say that this discussion throws the data in my last milk post into question? Because you won’t find any studies conducted with raw milk. I searched PubMed and found none, but if you come across one, feel free to share it in the comments. Considering that raw milk and the stuff in most stores are two very different products, it is virtually impossible to extrapolate from studies on the “cooked and crushed” stuff to fresh, unmolested milk.

That wraps up the discussion of raw dairy vs. pasteurized dairy. One more installment to go in which I’m going to drop my thoughts on the proper role of dairy in the diet.