Vo No 10 20CC

llr JDJIIJJ iii

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3fr reaJL7 he1t1h öocJye noticed furny thing recently in my local benefits are tied to its rich array of tnese substances

_jI_

grocery store Suddenly soy products are every- particularly phytoestrogens like isoilavones

where Soy cieese soy milk and even soy lunch nieat h/hat eact1y are phytocherica1s Thcnc1y tby

hot dogs and burgersall readily available in chain are chemical substances produced by plants Commonlysupermarket and flOi hidden in the heaknfotxi aisie however tile term piivrochemicais refers to specthc piani

either The packaging proudly proclaims the ingredi- chemicals that are believed to have health benefits

entsusually with an extra hold banner touting Ihe Phytoestrogens are specillc type of phytochernical

product as good source of soi protein or iso known as plant estrogensand arc structurally similar

While cci tainly applaud the avaiLability and variety to human estrogen Isoflavones the estrogens found

of vegan foods am still skeptical this trend think in soy are what we re hearing about these days hat

many people have misconception that they should there are many other phytoestrogens including hg-

make soy huge part of their everyday diet and believe nans found in flaxseed cereals fruits vegetables

that eating as much soy as pOssible is good for them legumes and soy coumestrol found in red cloverYes soy products can he part of your diet les they and triterpenoid glycosides found in black cohosh

can be healthy alternative to unhealthy animal prod- Phytoestrogens occur naturally in plants and once

ucts But in peoples rush to jump on the soy handwag- ingested can act Simlarly to human estrogen iumanon many important facts about these foods are being estrogen is secreted by vat iety of organs and glands in

overtooked Pead on to learn the real scoop on soy the body and hinds with other cells and organs on

and what benefits and you can expect to gain

from eating it r-1Yoy 7flO _TLets start with the basics Soy foods are made from --

soybeans But soybeans are very different from kidney Desnite the lack of supportina endence manyheans Hac beans or banzo In act soybean orcn nfning to ohyioesrot .i -n ie nr

not real/i beans at all They are good source of pro- tive to traditional hormone-replacement therapytein and fiber as are most legumes hut they are also And even more troubling is tne fact that instead of

very high in tat Soybeans arc actually much closer gettIng these plant estrogens from foods manynutritionally to nuts Did you know that raw soybeans women are taking them in pill form it may seemare pecent and 3S xiccnt proiev1 In co imari th it niy oestmLens iould ic natui h.

so peannts ore nece at ond nei ccnt plotcln cnlenlbrr ht oh JLocsLr gc ryih Ii drugs ai

while real beans ike riovy beans are only percent fat made of clicnhicals Yes they ocur naturally hut

md 27 pe ccnt pioti So wliilc soy pod arc h1gh rL re rl cl iO in cnn iJI tIcri ol cd

ir libci md plotdin and conLar choli si.crol tjlev ubtance in man mc dL fleer floi- 111

stll make yom sin TIRI drjs Jtocstrjaenc flL b. 1\rwith care and with realistic outlook They arc no-it LJL..1 --

--

morn magic cure-all than synthetic Urugs Sec tIcl-/1 iO0i i5dL YJ cumcc l1scuss

The current popularity o-f soy seems tied to the Pki 1iRT alternatives

tociiemica/s ii contains Most of soy purported health

Tho Medical Letter 4217-18 2000 ontinzuil on tge

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---C-.- iIhi iin aophv niogthe Licely siidy ot 74

Japanese-American men in the honolulu Heart

Study researchers found that the men were more Thee arc many different type of soy to

lIkei/ to have cognitive impairment or lzheimers choose from including low-fat soymilk varieties

disease if they ate tofu more than twice week Dr of lofu iempeh and rmso and soy cheeses and

Lon Whit ol the Pacific Health Research Institute hurgeis But don he fooled by packagng when

theorizes that tofus phytoesirogens clog up the shopping fo1 soy Just because product comanis

hraiiis eslrogen eceptor sites preventing the brain soy does not mean that its good for you Tue

from utih7lng human estrogen properly Again this nutrient content can vary widely among different

is one isolated study and further research is needed types of soy foodsand even from one brand t.o

to clarify its results another For instance haif-c1ip of raw itrm

tofu contains only 2.9 grams ol dietary fiber as

--nm rc LL compared with the 10.3 grams ot tther in cup

Of all of Li claims about soy the foods posit1ve of boied mature soybeanseffects on cholesterol and cardiovascular health can isofiavone content also can vary widely from

pohably be supported by the most evidence For food to food One of my biggest oncerns is the

L\iflOL 1110 liar staa cs PaVL toni that soy ovcr.orisun-p III of DuigLi mt clogs nd idfoods help to ower cholesterol While sonic of soys meats foal can contain as much as 70 percent of

cholesterol-lowering effects can be attributed to itsthe calories as isolated soy protein in addition to

high fiber content some studies nave found that evenproclucin some undesired ntiytochemical effects

isolatcd so mocem wrhout thL nhcr sti1i 1owers much ceniraic1 pio ci cam cusc honcolesierol evek Jr me1a anaysis oi clinical lTd siorc torrna

als 89 percent of the participants realized net

decrease in cholesterol levels when they consumedJournal of the American College of Nutrition 191-14 2000

an average of 47 grams of soy protein per day The ibid

Nutr 25624S-630S 1995D/ has ecognized soy cholesterol-lowering nerie- JNutr 1281051 1053 1998

fits and has allowed soy-food manufacturers to Am Clin Nutr 69267-271 1999

inckcic cliese claims ifl their packaging

Studies have snown that soy may have other heart- hca brJxthsen iouhealthy benefits as well Laboratory tests have shown COfltllIllCdf flCthat type of isoflavone called gdnistcin may inhibit the

--

development of atherosclerotic lesIons Also animal were herbivores Modern human nutritional require

studies have suggested that jsoflavone-nch soy foods ments sucri as he need for vitamin which only

may help coronary arteries diLate which similar to the found in plant foods and the long human intestine

effects of human estrogen designed to digest plant foods suggest that our daily

diet consisted of olant foods with nerhans an ooporVr i1iltunistic intake of animal foods

if youre following healthful plant-based diet The author of this editorial concludes with the fol

youre already getting all tile phytochemicais you lowing observation No hunter/gatherer socIety

needincluding isollavonestrom variety of regardless of the proportion of maci onutrients Consources So if you don want to eat soy dont do it sumeci suffered from diseases of civilization heartfor henlth reasons if on the other hand you disease diabetes cancer etc. Most wild foods lack

woulc like .o incorporate soy foods into your did high amounts of energy sugars and fats found in

go ahead Soy products caii add variety rid versatili refined foods and this feature in combination with

ty to jilant-hased diet always recommend using the slow transit of food particles through the human

soy foods as condiments not as main pails of digestive tract would have served as natul al check

meai Sprinkle some soy cheese on your baked pota- to obesity and certain other diseases of civilization

to ou soyrnilk on your cereal in the morning or Our modern diet of meats dairy products and

enjoy soy/veggie burger now and then But stick to processed foods is very high in energy and the only

vegetables fruits and whole grains as th founda-- practical way to avoid common degenerative diseases

lion of your diet That way youll have the best is to focus your diet on fresh fruits and vegetables that

strategy yet for staying healthy are lovv in energy and high in nutrients

---

In iay 2000 we ran the jirst 12-day McDougall

Program in Lakelond -ioila i4i imported our iii MO il--

Minnesota lVJcDougall-pograin chef Bet/i Ranwn for Ri iVlun i/cLouga1lthe food preparation ciid daily food democ 11cr efforts

won her standing oiation

SWEET POTATO LAD2-4 lbs fat-free Nayonnaisc tofu mayonnaise

tbs lemon juicervngs

isv Pc1iLCl Ycilow mustard

pounds sweet potatoes chunked1/2 tsp salt or to taste

1/4 clip fresh parsley 1/4 tsp black pepper or i.o taste

ths red wine or balsarnic vineYarOptio picides or pickle iclish to taste

tos maple syrup rea vnoic neat or ma1-2 tbs Dijon mustard

tso saltYege abks ettuce alfalfa sprouts tomatoes

cucumbers shredded carrotsi/4 tsp hIac pepper

lace sweet potatoes on dry baking sheet Roast chop the celery and onion finely using knife or

in 400-ceree oven undi tenderabout 20-30 mm- food processor Put them into mixing bowl Mash the

utes turn occasionally Combine the remaining garbanzo beans bit using potato masher or food

ingredients and toss with the sweet potatoes Serve processor and add them to the vegetables Add remain-

warm or at room temperature No nslead -of roast- ing ingredients and stir well Season to taste his spread

ii.g the sweet potatoes you can steam them keeps fot days refrigerated Variation Use steamed

shredded temneh instead of the garban7o beans

cOLORFLL QUJNOi AND

Srvngs 24 WSTA SALAD

Serhsclip rinsed uncooked qulnoa

cups water can or 1/2-2 cups ooked black red or pinto

1/2-1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels beans

small or 1/2 large red bell pepper diced cups fresh or frozeì and then thawed corn

green onions sliced 1/2 green or red bell pepper -hopped

2-4 Lbs lemon or lime juice or fresh omatoes chopped

1/4 cup esh parsley or cilantro chopped green onions ivith tops chopped

1/2 cup diced jicama 1/4 cup parsley or cilantro chopped

can or 1/2 cups cooked hlac beans optionul or lbs lime or lemon jUicC

Sal.i and pepper to taste 2-4 garlic cloves minced

Boil water iTdd the quinoa and return to boil tsp or more whole cumin seeds

Red ice heat and simmer 0-15 minutes or until the 1/2 tsp salt or to taste

quinoa is tcndei and has absorbed the water Be care

ful not to overcook rvin eptions

ransfer the quinoa to large ho and cool to worn Combine everything and stif well Let the salad sit

temperatlire or immechately combine the quinoa with at room temperature for up to 30 minutes so the Ha-

the vegetables and seasonings Serve warm or cold vors will blend djust seasonmgs

Variaicn Use huclovheat or bulgur instead of Combine leftover salad with leftover cooked pasta

quinoaand serve your Fiesta Pasta salad warm or cold

ABArZ SALAD SAN LFJ Furn it into soup For each cup of salad add cup

2-of water and simme- in saucepan untji the vegetables

are the desired tenderness and the soup is hol Add salt

can or 1/2 cups cooked garban7o beans to taste Tot richer-tasting soup use prepared tomato

stalls cery soup insieacl of water or add some prepared salsa

ths onion Wrap it up in whole wheat tortilla

liter about 10 percent difference.4Why your morning Cuppajoe may be hazardous to

your heaFthOver the last decade theres been lot of talk

about substance called homocysteine Its been

linked with everything from early miscarriages1 to

osteoporosis and cognitive decline.2 Perhaps the most

compelling connection has been noted between

homocysteine levels and heart disease Now research

suggests that regular consumption of unfiltered coffee

can raise homocysteine to dangerous levels

Coffee drinking raises homocysteine levels

Dutch crossover study of 64 volunteers found

that daily consumption of one liter of unfiltered coffee

for two weeks raised homocysteine concentrations by

10 percent.3 The participants were randomly assigned

into two groups one that consumed coffee and one

that consumed variety of other beverages After an

eight-week washout period the two groups switched

testing the other groups response to coffee Resear

chers found that during the coffee period participants

homocysteine levels increased 10 percent as did their

cholesterol and triglyceride levels

This is not the only study to find link between

coffee and homocysteine The Vitamin Teachers and

Longevity Study found that the adjusted difference

between coffee drinkers and non-coffee drinkers

homocysteine concentrations was 1.3 micromoles per

Filtered and unfiltered coffee

affect homocysteine levels

Different types of coffee may have different effects

on homocysteine levels This study used unfiltered cof

fee and most commercially made and home-brewed

coffee available in the United States is filtered as

through paper filters used in coffee makers this elimi

nates some of the harmful diterpenes found in

stronger unfiltered types But some of the studies sup

porting the coffee-homocysteine link used regular fil

tered coffee so it is doubtful that the diterpenes are

entirely to blame

Another theory places the blame on caffeine which

is known to leach vitamin B6 from the body Since ele

vated homocysteine levels are often caused by vita

min deficiencies this may be an important connection

To better guard against elevated homocysteine and

promote healthy heart increase your intake of

foods that are rich in folic acid and vitamins like

fruits vegetables beans lentils and grain products

Spinach and other green leafy vegetables are particu

larly high in folates and bananas are high in B6 Andwhile an occasional cup of coffee may not negate an

otherwise healthy diet these studies confirm that cof

fee drinkers should cut back

Am C/in Nutr 71962-968 2000

Nutr 130365S-368S 2000

Am Cl/n Nutr 714880-484 2000

4AmJC//n Nutr 69467-475 1999

Walnuts help lower total and LDL cholesterolWalnuts may be the newest food cure for lower

ing your cholesterol levels particularly LDL choles

terol In new study conducted in Spain the con

sumption of walnuts helped participants lower total

cholesterol and LDL levels even further than the

control group following the supposedly heart-healthy

Mediterranean diet

The randomized crossover trial included 49 menand women with high cholesterol serum LDL cho

lesterol concentrations greater than 130 mg/dL whowere divided into two groups The control group fol

lowed typical Mediterranean diet rich in fish vegetables and olive oil Nuts were prohibited for the

control group The other group consumed between

41 and 56 grams of raw shelled walnuts each day

about eight to 11 whole walnuts in place of approx

imately 35 percent of the monounsaturated fats in

the control diet Each group followed its assigned

diet for six weeks and then switched to the other diet

for another six weeks Aside from the walnuts both

diets were similar with daily intake ranging between

1600 and 2200 calories

While participants followed the walnut diet their

mean total cholesterol levels fell by percent.1 In

comparison mean total cholesterol levels fell only

percent during the control phase Mean LDL choles

terol levels fell twice as much 11.2 percent during

the walnut-diet phase as during the control phase

5.6 percent

While this study shows significant results it is

important to realize that the walnuts ingested daily

in this study contain about 35 grams of fat amounting to 315 calories of fat that is very easy to wearYou may not want to consume that many walnuts

each day but you can enjoy them as crunchy after

noon snack add some crushed walnuts to breads and

cereals or sprinkle some on your salad Take look

at Marys recipe for Walnut Spirals featured in your

May issue

Ann Intern Mod 132538-546 2000

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ws briefs

Milk protein linked to autism

and schizophrerna

Tessuggestthatautisrn and schizo

phrenia may be caused by an allergy to dairy products

In two related animal studies researchers at the

University of Florida injected rats with the milk protein beta-casomorphin-7 in order to observe its effect

on the brain and behavior

In the first rat study researchers found that the

protein was taken up by 32 different parts of the brain

including areas responsible for vision hearing and

communication The study further noted that the same

areas of the brain have been found to be either func

tionally or anatomically altered in schizophrenics and

that many of the same areas have been found to be

functionally altered in autists

In the second study treated rats exhibited extreme

behavior as soon as one minute after administration

and their behavior swung radically for the next hour

Their behaviors similar to those typically seen in

autistic and schizophrenic people included restless

ness aggression isolation hyperdefensiveness and

lack of response to sound.2

Researchers hypothesize that autists and schizo

phrenics are unable to properly break down milk proteins possibly due to missing enzyme When the

proteins are not properly digested morphine-type

compounds called exorphins are produced The

exorphins are then taken up in the brain causing

variety of dysfunctionssuch as those seen in cases

of schizophrenia and autism

The same research team is now testing the theory on

humans and initial findings are promising Ninety-five

percent of the 81 autistic and schizophrenic children

being studied had twice the normal levels of the milk

protein in their blood and urine After the children

Issue wrap-up

adopted milk-free diet autistic and schizophrenic

symptoms faded or disappeared in 80 percent of them

Autism 367-841999zAutism 385-961999

Cogged arteries linked toower back pain

There are many causes of chronic back pain sciati

ca osteoarthritis poor posture injuries and accidents

osteoporosis and more Now new study from Finland

indicates that an insufficient blood supply due to ather

osclerosis may be cause of lower back pain

The trial compared two groups of participants

group of 29 people who regularly experienced lower

back pain and control group of 52 people who did

not have any back pain

Participants in both groups were examined for the

presence of atherosclerosis in the abdominal aorta

Fifty-five percent of the pain group had atherosclerot

ic calcification built-up plaque while only 11 percent

of the no-pain group experienced such calcification

When the researchers broke down the groups by age

they found an even more striking difference Forty-

eight percent of participants in the pain group under

the age of 50 already showed calcification while only

percent of the control participants under age 50 had

suffered damageThe researchers suggest that poor blood circulation

caused by atherosclerosis leads to disc degeneration

and rupture which causes painAtherosclerosis is caused primarily by high-fat

high-cholesterol diet If you experience lower back

pain adopting low-fat low-cholesterol diet mayprovide relief even if damage has already been

done The accompanying weight loss will further

reduce your back pain

Spine 242080-2084 1999

The articles in this issue confirm that food can be your best medicine .or your worst enemy The things weeat and drink can help usas walnuts do in lowering cholesterolor they can hurt us perhaps by causing psychiatric problems or raising homocysteine levels Its important to stay well-informed and make the right choices

about what you feed yourself and your family

Next month Ill reveal how the pharmaceutical industry can underhandedly affect our health care Ill also

dispel some of the recent negative news stories about the vegetarian diet

ri

4i

John McDougaH M.D graduated from Michigan State University Medical School and completed his residency trainingin internal medicine at the

University of Hawaii He is board-certified specialist in internal medicine and one of the worlds leading experts on health and nutrition As medical director

of revolutionary program at St Helena Hospital in Napa Valley California he has attracted national acclaim for helping people of virtually all ages to over

come chronic illnesses and reverse life-threatening conditions

Dr McDougall is the author of several nationally best-selling books including The McDougall Plan McDougalls MedicineChallenging

Second Opinion The

McDougall Program 12 Days to Dynamic Health and The McDougall Pragrarr for Maximum Weight Loss

Dr McDougalls face will be familiar to many from his television appearances on CNN The Phil Donahue Show and other programs He also hosts his own

nationally syndicated television program McDougall M.D shown throughout the country