This is an interesting anecdote that has been getting a lot of attention on my FaceBook page, but it makes a very valid point on how our priorities when it comes down to our health may be skewed some. Gaining and maintaining optimal health is within your reach.
Your car insurance doesn’t pay for oil changes, but you do them anyway because you know they’re what’s best for your car. Your health insurance doesn’t pay for a gym membership, supplements, bottled water or healthy foods, but many people do those things anyway because they know it’s what’s best for their bodies. The same is true with chiropractic care.
In order to have optimal health, you must have a clear neurological connection between your brain and all the parts of your body. And because the spine and nervous system are so intimately connected, the only way to have that clear brain-body connection, that allows optimal health, giving you the best possible chance at living an optimally happy and vital life, full of purpose…is to have an optimally aligned and functioning spine – and THAT is what chiropractors do!
We help you regain and maintain optimal spinal health, so that you can BE your best, and GIVE your best!
Dirty Dozen –> BUY ORGANIC!
Clean Fifteen –> CAN BUY CONVENTIONAL!
Background: Soybeans are legumes native to East Asia. Initially it was considered unfit for human consumption, but it was used for crop rotation as a method of fixing nitrogen to regenerate the soil. In the East Asian cuisines, the soybeans are fermented prior to moderate consumption into products, such as tempeh, miso, natto, and soy sauce. The reason for fermentation is that the process removes the toxins present in the plant and makes the nutrients in the beans available to the body. To simplify the process of preparation for soy consumption, after lengthy soaking and cooking, the beans were treated with nigari, a substance found in seawater, which resulted in tofu. When fermented soy foods are used in small amounts they help build the inner ecosystem, providing a wealth of friendly microflora to the intestinal tract that can help with digestion and assimilation of nutrients, and boost immunity.
With the industrialized processing, the food manufacturers were left with a lot of soy protein that they started adding to processed foods after they split the beans into two different food products: soybean oil and soy protein (i.e. soy protein isolate, soy protein concentrate, textured vegetable protein or hydrolyzed vegetable protein). These substances are included in majority of processed and fast foods (read the labels!).
Anti-Nutrients: Soy contains phytochemicals (phytates, enzyme inhibitors and goitrogens) that are toxic to the human body.They function as the immune system of the plant, offering protection from the radiation of the sun, and from invasion by bacteria, viruses, fungi, or foragers. All plants have some anti-nutrient properties, but the soybean plant is especially rich in these chemicals. That is why extensive preparation prior to consumption is essential.
Unfermented soy (whole soybeans, soy milk, soy chips, soy protein isolates, soy flour and other industrially processed products) has been linked to digestive distress, immune system breakdown, PMS, endometriosis, reproductive problems for men and women, allergies, ADD and ADHD, higher risk of heart disease and cancer, malnutrition, and loss of libido. Populations most at risk of experiencing the negative effects of unfermented soy are infants through soy baby formula, vegetarians with high soy protein intake, and pre- and menopausal women in search of symptom relief.
Phytates: Bind tightly to minerals in our digestive tract and can block absorption of zinc, copper, iron, magnesium and calcium. It has a particularly strong affinity for zinc, a mineral that supports wound healing, protein synthesis, reproductive health, nerve function, and brain development. Miso and tempeh have the lowest levels of phytates.
The enzyme inhibitors: Interfere with the process of digestive enzymes (amylase, lipase, and protease) and make the carbohydrates and proteins near impossible to digest completely. Incomplete digestion moves into the large intestine, causing discomfort and bloating, and can be even more difficult for people who have naturally low levels of digestive enzymes such as infants and elderly.
Goitorgens: Block the production of thyroid hormone and cause goiter formation. These are compounds known to make it more difficult for the thyroid gland to create its hormones. Low thyroid hormone levels will cause a reduced thyroid function with slow metabolism, low energy level, reduced heart rate, lack of oxygen in cells.
Also blocking thyroid production is genistein, an isoflavone found in soybeans. However, genistein also inhibits tyrosine kinases that is involved in the transfer of energy from one molecule to another, driving cell division, memory consolidation, tissue repair, and blood vessel maintenance and regeneration.
Aluminum: The highly industrialized processing of soy requires acid washing in aluminum tanks. The aluminum leaches into the final soy products that are sold for human consumption. Aluminum is toxic to our nervous system and kidneys, so avoiding all processed soy products is a good rule to follow.
Environmental Impact: The industrialization of soy production has led to genetic modification of the crops, which is unhealthy for human, animals, or the environment, deforestation and a need for large amounts of pesticides. GM-produced soy also increases the risk of soy allergies and intolerance. Large amounts of it have also been used as animal feed, increasing the need for antibiotics.
Remember: Reading the labels if buying packaged or processed foods is VITAL! Committing to prepare food at home in order to control the quality of the ingredients can be very helpful. If using soy, choosing organic, fermented soy products, such as miso, tempeh, and natto are the wisest options. Make sure when using these products to combine them with other whole foods!
What Is It With Gluten?
Gluten is a composite formed from several different proteins. It is found most commonly in wheat, barley, rye, spelt, kamut, oats, durum, einkorn, farro, graham, and semolina. Adding texture and a characteristic chewiness to baked goods, gluten is used in a wide variety of other foods as a thickener and binder, flavor enhancer, and protein supplement.
Within gluten, there are actually four main proteins: albumins, glutelins, globulins, and prolamins. Glutelins and prolamins are found in higher concentrations in wheat, while albumins and globulins are more plentiful in corn and rice. Glutelins in wheat, in particular, are dangerous for those susceptible to gluten intolerance and sensitivity because of the way that acids in the body break them down, leading to an abnormal immune response.
The cells of the immune system produce antibodies and other cellular products that begin to react against normal, healthy tissue, causing inflammation and damage. Gluten sensitivity is an autoimmune disease that creates inflammation throughout the body, with wide-ranging effects across all organ systems. Gluten can inflame the brain by causing an autoimmune response.
A review paper in The New England Journal of Medicine listed 55 “diseases” that can be caused by eating gluten, including celiac disease, osteoporosis, irritable bowel disease, inflammatory bowel disease, anemia, cancer, fatigue, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, and almost all other autoimmune diseases. Gluten is also linked to many psychiatric and neurological diseases, including anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, dementia, migraines, epilepsy, and neuropathy (nerve damage). It has also been linked to autism.
The autoimmune reaction, where the body’s immune system starts attacking normal tissue in response to eating gluten will continue as long as these food products are in the diet. Gluten intolerance may lead to a varying degree of intestinal damage that increases the risk for malabsorption of food, which cause nutritional deficiencies and may also result in conditions, such as iron deficiency anemia, osteopenia, and osteoporosis.
During the digestion process, gluten can be broken down into individual proteins that are a lot like psychedelic drugs. These are opium-like proteins called gluteomorophins, which can drastically change brain function and behavior.
The gluten can affect the brain is due to its high content of glutamate (similar to MSG), a molecule that accelerates, activates, irritates and damages brain cells through a special “docking station” called the NMDA receptor. Excessive activity in this receptor due to glutamate has been linked to many psychiatric disorders. Glutamate is an excitotoxin, a substance that agitates and kills or damages brain cells.
Have we adapted to gluten?
Grains contain poisons, i.e. gluten, in their husks to fight back against predators. Some creatures, like birds, have adapted to overcome the defenses of gluten-containing cereal grains. However, most mammals are not adapted to grains and do not eat them in substantial quantities. This includes the humans. Even though, our bodies have not adapted, our diet have significantly changed to include industrialized, processed grains.
It eats away at your gut lining. If the gut is damaged, you do not absorb nutrients.
It messes with the gall bladder and bile production. If you do not absorb fats and fat soluble nutrients such as vitamins A, D, K, and other nutrients, you will have problems utilizing any minerals you do absorb, to say nothing of the nutrient deficiencies from inadequate essential fats.
Phytates tightly bind to metal ions and make them unavailable for absorption.
All of which can lead to autoimmune disease and cancer. Once the gut lining is damaged, we are at exceptionally high risk of autoimmune disease, such as Hashimoto’s, and several types of cancer, including non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The pancreas is assailed by grain-induced inflammation due to CCK problems and elevated insulin levels. This inflammation is a potential cause of pancreatic cancer and pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas).
The molecular structure of gliadin, the protein portion of gluten, closely resembles that of the thyroid gland. When gliadin breaches the protective barrier of the gut, and enters the bloodstream, the immune system tags it for destruction. These antibodies to gliadin also cause the body to attack thyroid tissue.
Is moderation a possible choice?
Gluten is one of those cases where moderation is not possible. Even the smallest amount of gluten can trigger an autoimmune response, from a drop of soy sauce or a whole loaf of wheat bread. The immune response to gluten is delayed, which means that it may not manifest until up to 4 days later and may last in the body for up to 6 months each time.
Remember to read all your ingredient labels! Choose whole foods and gluten-free foods that don’t have a label!