March 2008
When was the last time you read the ingredient labels on your food products? You might be shocked to discover that there is a derivative of soy hidden in just about every one of them.
And you’ll be outraged to learn why. Far from being the great health hope its supporting marketing blitzkrieg presents, soy has all the potential of being one of the greatest modern threats to your health.
The truth is, some of the derivatives of this mega-cash crop are no more than waste products from other industries, similar to the fluoride story. Some marketing genius figured out how to turn this industry by-product into a cash cow (cleverly disguised as a soy burger), and it’s a dietary experiment unprecedented in human history.
And because it’s hidden in so many foods you wouldn’t suspect— you’re an unwitting participant in this web of health misinformation.
Soybeans are backed by a powerful, well-organized industry. And trust me when I tell you that its eye is not on your good health—it’s on its own healthy bottom line.
An over $20 billion-per-year bottom line, in case you’re curious.
The cost to your health? Inestimable. That’s because no one is paying any attention to the dark underbelly of the world’s “Great-Health-Hope” crop. And if it’s such a miracle food, why is it hidden in so many products?
The anti-health food
Here’s my State of Your Health address:
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You’re depressed, tired and suffer from an irritable bowel.
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Your body is riddled with rampant inflammation, the welcome mat to all the worst possible chronic diseases.
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Your sex life is in the toilet.
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You are probably related to, or know, a baby who’s on birth control.
That’s one sorry state of affairs, in my opinion. And the cause could be some of the products sitting in your kitchen cupboard.
You probably wouldn’t suspect soy, around which spin doctors have spun a web of illusion. The smoke and mirrors passing as health claims are now infiltrating a wide array of products—many of which may surprise you. (See the sidebar for a sampling.) The biggest story we’ve been sold is the amount of soy allegedly consumed by people in Asian countries. If you believed everything the mainstream press reports, you’d expect Asians to have tofu coming out of their ears. But the two teaspoons to two tablespoons of soy consumed per day in China and Japan hardly constitutes sitting at soy-filled troughs every meal.
And when Asians do consume soy, they’re doing it the smart way: ingesting it in its fermented form. You may have heard of miso, tempeh and natto, all of which have been dietary staples for hundreds of years in Asian countries. Soy is treated as a condiment or side dish—not as a main course.
Folks in Asian countries aren’t drowning their breakfast cereal with over-processed soy milk or substituting tofu and soy isolates for a wider variety of healthy protein sources.
But the colossal food industry has created a gold mine out of the humble soybean. They divide it up into fat and cheap protein, and then subject it to a regimen of high heat and pressure. The protein and fat are added into thousands of packaged, processed, nutrient-dead products these corporations dare to call food.
The fat is used for salad dressings, cooking oils, margarines, and packaged baked goods. Much of it is no more than hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated trans fat. That’s hardly healthy for you. (More like lethal!)
Even the nonhydrogenated forms are still made up mainly of pro-inflammatory omega-6 fats. When you consume these in high quantities (and in this country, it’s a challenge not to), they throw off your balance of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids. This leaves you wide open to disease. And American consumption of soybean oil has increased a thousand-fold over the last hundred years. As a heat-processed oil, it’s stripped of its vital antioxidant nutrients—including free-radical-neutralizing vitamin E. Is it any wonder you’re feeling a little shredded at the seams?
Ironically, this denatured oil becomes an inflammation-promoting free-radical factory when you ingest it. But that’s not the only soy derivative that’s harming your health—don’t forget about that cheap protein.
From waste product to human feed
What a bonanza of a protein source the food companies have found soy isolates to be! They’ve been thrown into thousands of foods, and no one is immune from exposure. These proteins have found their way into baby formula, some soy milk, powders, protein bars, and a variety of snack foods —and that barely scratches the surface. How about school lunch programs, where they’re used as a cheap meat substitute? Numerous additives like MSG and artificial flavors are added to mask the otherwise unappealing flavor of soy.
The protein left over after soybean-oil production was originally used for farm-animal feed. But, so as not to miss out on an opportunity for an extra nickel (or billions of dollars), the food industry has taken what was formerly not much more than industrial waste and found a way to turn it into lucrative human feed.
It’s yet another example of not knowing what the long-term impact of an overly manufactured food product will have on your health. The only thing we know about long-term ingestion of soy is based on whole soy foods—not these extracted forms.
And don’t get me started on soy milk—one of the most highly proces-sed soy foods there is. Unfortunately, you may have been bamboozled into thinking it’s a healthy substitute for dairy. (Milk has itself become an overly adulterated, unhealthy knock-off of the original, natural variety.) But just like other processed soy, it’s heated to high temperatures in order to reduce toxic anti-nutrients. Doing so, however, denatures many of its proteins, making them unavailable for use by the human body. In the case of farm animals fed on soy, they require the addition of extra amino-acid proteins, or else they won’t grow normally.
What does that say for us human animals?
The chemical-company connection
Soy has been touted as a heart-healthy alternative to the standard American diet. Well, that’s the same as having no competition at all and a choice between “bad” and “worse.” The health claim was based on a questionable study that was published in the New England Journal of Medicine by a group of chemical-company-sponsored scientists. The company is none other than DuPont. (You may be more familiar with its paint products.)
As a result, the FDA allowed a claim that 25 grams per day of soy protein may help prevent heart disease. (An 8-ounce glass of soy milk contains 6 to 7 grams of soy protein.) Just a year later, a panel formed by the American Heart Association questioned these findings and went on to state that the isoflavones failed to quell the hot flashes of menopause or prevent cancer of the breast, ovaries or prostate. That’s a direct contradiction of all of those purported health claims—certainly not a vote of confidence.
What are you supposed to make of all this conflicting information? How about a run for the door!
Otherwise, you could be at risk for a less than optimally functioning thyroid. If you’re sensitive to it, soy can depress your thyroid’s activity. This fact has been known for half a century—not that you’ve heard about it. Meanwhile, up to 45 percent of all women, by the time of menopause, are estimated to suffer some degree of thyroid dysfunction. It’s one of the most widely missed diagnoses in the doctor’s office, and diet could be to blame.
The phytoestrogens, or isoflavones, in soy have recently been discovered to be the specific causative agent behind this problem. There are enough isoflavones in a couple glasses of soy milk or two servings of tofu—about 40 mg—to depress thyroid function. And if you’re soy-sensitive, the amount required is even less. Mental confusion, a disturbed mood, fatigue, poor sleep and disruption of normal cholesterol metabolism can all result.
Beyond bringing on thyroid-related mental symptoms, soy can potentially age your brain. Recent research proposed a connection between tofu consumption and “accelerated brain aging.” Two or more servings per week were associated with increased frequency of Alzheimer’s disease. Soy can also block the absorption of zinc, a key mineral for healthy brain functioning and already in short supply in the American diet. Being without it can leave you feeling mighty poorly, because zinc is also required for blood-sugar control, the formation of collagen for connective tissue and immune system functioning.
Soy can also inhibit important digestive enzymes, such as trypsin required for the proper breakdown of protein. When proteins are not fully digested, they can irritate your immune system, provoking low levels of chronic, body-wide inflammation. When soy-protein isolates were fed to animals, higher than normal amounts of vitamins E, K, D, and B12 were required. The animals also developed apparent deficiencies of calcium, magnesium, and zinc. Soy is extremely high in phytates, which are known mineral blockers.
As to your sex life, women turning to soy supplements for natural-hormone-replacement therapy may experience a loss in libido in exchange. One study done with lab animals indicated that the isoflavones found in soy led to a counteracting of what are considered natural “encouraging” behaviors in those animals.
Babies and soy
Those isoflavones implicated in thyroid and sex-life disruption are also a potential problem for babies being fed soy formula. The average infant fed on soy formula alone receives the equivalent of five birth control pills per day and 13,000 to 22,000 times more isoflavones than are found in breast milk. This is now believed to contribute to premature sexual development in girls: By age eight, 15 percent of all Caucasian and fully 50 percent of all African-American girls show signs of puberty.
Other problems more loosely associated with soy feeding include depression, asthma, immune system and pituitary problems, and irritable bowel syndrome. For babies who have milk allergies, consider goat’s milk instead. It’s a lot closer to human milk in its makeup and is often tolerated just fine by babies who can’t handle cow’s milk. Goat milk products can be found in many health food and grocery stores.
As for adults, the best advice I can give you is to clean out your cupboards and fridge: Toss out your soy milk and tofu, protein bars and powders. All of those packaged and overprocessed foods shouldn’t have the honor of being in your home in the first place. Instead, enjoy small amounts of the traditional fermented soy foods, miso and tempeh, as part of a varied whole-food diet. And if you’re looking for a healthier milk substitute, try rice, hemp or almond milk.
Anyone with a sluggish thyroid, or hypothyroidism, should examine their diets for soy products—especially those hidden ones. Soy oil and protein isolate are in thousands of products, so read your food labels closely.
Did you know…
An astounding 89 percent of all soy is genetically modified.
Common foods with soy isolates
1) Coffee whiteners
2) Hot cereal mixes
3) Whipped cream
4) Lunch meat
5) Bologna and hot dogs
6) Gravies
7 Doughnuts
8 Sausages
9) Macaroni
10) Sports drinks
I’m no fan of prescription drugs as a first resort—but there are individual cases in which drugs simply have their place. However, what I find to be truly disturbing is the overuse of drugs in this country—where 5 percent of the world’s population consumes 50 percent of the world’s drugs. I say that qualifies us as a drug-dependent society. Some misguided doctors will tell you that this is proof we’re doing a better job of taking care of our nation’s health, but they couldn’t be more wrong.
And even though we’re paying for a shiny red Rolls-Royce, we’re getting a primer-gray used Chevy up on blocks. We rank first in dollars spent per person on health care, but on most measures of health-care outcomes, we’re embarrassingly far down on the list.
It’s widely acknowledged that the atrocious standard American diet plays a major role in the chronic degenerative diseases that plague our society. We’re riddled with heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, dementia and cancer. But chronic prescription-drug use also contributes to nutritional deficiencies. Unfortunately, most doctors don’t have a clue about the nutritional problems that prescribed drugs can cause or how to address them.
The first question you should ask your doctor is whether you need to be on any of these drugs. Understand that most commonly treated “medical problems” respond well to a good, balanced whole-food diet, adequate exercise and sleep, and stress management. If you’re convinced the drugs are necessary, improve your diet to cover the following at-risk nutrients. In addition, supplement these same relevant nutrients, either individually or with a high-potency twice-per-day (or more) multivitamin.
The following 10 prescribed drugs or classes of drugs are nutritional mischief-makers.
Tranquilizers are nutrient traumatizers
Stressed out? Well, you’re getting old and your sleep isn’t what it used to be—oh, sorry, time’s up! Here’s a prescription to help take the edge off. A tranquilizer from the benzodiazepine class such as Valium, Ativan and Xanax is often the doctor’s answer. They deplete melatonin, the brain hormone that triggers sleep and is also an important antioxidant. Reduced levels can lead to insomnia. Ironic, considering that’s the very problem these drugs are often used to treat.
Less melatonin is also associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. Loss of antioxidant defense can increase inflammation and accelerate the aging process. Used now and then, these drugs may help—when coupled with counseling and/or stress reduction. But daily use is bad news, period. In addition, their use by elderly patients is associated with increased risk of falls and fractures, motor vehicle accidents and cognitive impairment. Supplementing melatonin long term is uncharted territory, so your best bet is to avoid long-term regular use of these drugs.
Metformin manifests new health concerns
Also known as Glucophage, this is one of the older, better-tested, and better-known oral medications for treating type 2 diabetes. However, it does deplete vitamin B12, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and folic acid. One study showed that 30 percent of people on the drug developed an inability to absorb B12. Low B12 levels can result in high homocysteine levels, a risk factor for heart disease. Long-term deficiency can result in permanent nerve damage and dementia. CoQ10 is an important antioxidant that protects against LDL cholesterol’s oxidizing into its harmful form. It’s also a key player in producing energy, especially in the heart muscle. Low CoQ10 levels may contribute to heart failure. Folic-acid depletion can cause anemia, elevated homocysteine levels, headaches, fatigue, and depression—and that’s just a sampling of the problems. I see the perfect setup for a misdiagnosis, getting you on yet another prescription drug to “fix” a side effect. Beans and spinach provide folic acid. For B12, you can supplement up to 1,000 mcg daily. I recommend the sublingual form for best absorption. As to CoQ10, 100 mg daily —using the gel-cap formulation–– is usually enough.
Aspirin—not to be taken lightly
Good old over-the-counter aspirin used daily in high doses—325 mg or more—lays waste to your nutrient reserves. It’s the drug most likely to deplete your stores of immune-boosting vitamin C, weakening your immune system and increasing free-radical damage. Aspirin can also deplete calcium, folic acid, iron and potassium. Calcium-poor bones are more likely to fracture, and a deficiency can also cause high blood pressure, muscle cramps, tooth decay, and even back and leg pains. (That last one is particularly ironic, when you consider why most people pick up a bottle of these chalky pills in the first place.)
Iron deficiency can cause anemia, weakness and fatigue, brittle nails, and hair loss. So you’ll feel awful—and look it too. With potassium depletion, your muscles and body can feel weak and fatigued, your legs and feet can swell, you’ll have difficulty having a bowel movement, and your heart may skip a beat. (Some deal!) I recommend you toss the aspirin and combat pain-causing inflammation by adding omega-3s to your diet. Choose fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines or a fish oil supplement for at least 1,000 mg total EPA plus DHA daily.
ACE inhibitors can inhibit your immunity
These are a class of drugs widely used to treat high blood pressure, heart disease and kidney problems, all of which are usually associated with diabetes. Lisinopril, captopril, and enalapril are common names. These drugs cause zinc deficiency, and low zinc levels are associated with a depressed immune system, poor wound healing, low testosterone, and increased insulin resistance—the defining feature of type 2 diabetes. It can also lead to a loss of smell and also a loss of hearing. To keep your zinc level up, include plenty of whole grains, eggs and lean meats from healthy, organic sources, and nuts in your diet.
Beta-blockers: Heart help and hurt
Can you imagine a heart drug that may actually contribute to heart failure? It’s true. This class of drugs includes widely used prescriptions for both heart disease and blood pressure, such as Atenolol, Propranolol, and Lopressor. They all deplete coenzyme Q10, a key player in energy production. Deficiency first affects the cardiovascular system and the heart, because it’s the most energy-gobbling muscle in the body.
Anyone with heart disease generally already has CoQ10 in short supply. It’s manufactured in the body via a 17-step process that requires most of the B vitamins, vitamin C, and many trace minerals. Deficiencies can lead to high blood pressure, chest-pain syndromes, heart failure, or a stroke and can even hasten the onset of diabetes. These drugs can also cause weight gain (which adds additional strain to your heart) and depression. I recommend you take the gel-cap or “Q-gel” formulation of a CoQ10 supplement, 100 mg or more daily. The use of beta-blockers in heart disease is supported by many studies, so adding coenzyme Q10 rather than stopping the drug may be the wisest course of action.
Calcium channel blockers can undermine
They’re the fourth largest class of drugs worldwide. Two commonly prescribed drugs in this class, nifed- ipine and verapamil, both cause potassium depletion. As with many other drugs, some of the side effects seem to indicate a potassium deficiency—muscular weakness and spasms and postural hypotension, which is feeling dizzy when standing up due to lowered blood pressure. Other symptoms include fatigue, an irregular heartbeat, confusion and anxiety. Potassium depletion is also common in a diet that’s low in fruits and vegetables, so you may be getting a double whammy if you take one of these meds plus eat poorly. To replenish, add some dried apricots and bananas to your diet.
Statins—lowers more than cholesterol
The cholesterol-lowering “statin” drugs include Lipitor, Zocor and Crestor. As they lower cholesterol production in the liver, they also lower production of coenzyme Q10. The heart has a high requirement for CoQ10—due to its high-energy demands. The most common side effect of these “blockbuster” drugs is muscle weakness, which can be either prevented or treated by supplementing with CoQ10 (100 to 300 mg daily of a gel-cap formulation). Lowered cholesterol can itself play out as a nutritional deficiency. Cholesterol is the building block for your sex and stress hormones. It’s also a key structural component of cell membranes. Low cholesterol can cause memory and mood problems. People most at risk may be those with starting LDL cholesterol levels in the mid- to upper 100s that get knocked down to 70 or below, based on new, aggressive guidelines. (Aggressive guidelines =more patient$.)
Water pill liquidates vital nutrients
Also known as hydrocholothiazide (HCTZ), this drug is celebrated by many a thoughtful doctor as a safe, thrifty solution to a high-blood-pressure problem. But it can deplete magnesium, potassium, sodium, zinc and CoQ10. It also interferes with normal glucose metabolism and is known to speed the onset of diabetes.
Working in our small, local hospital, I often encounter elderly nursing-home patients with obvious depletion of sodium and potassium. Both show up on standard blood work, which doctors routinely order to check for these very same deficiencies. Potassium- and magnesium-rich foods help normalize blood pressure. Sodium depletion is how this drug lowers blood pressure, so adding more salt to your diet is not the answer. Excessive depletion, known as hyponatremia, can cause muscle weakness, dehydration, loss of appetite and poor concentration. Extreme cases can cause severe confusion, seizures, and even death. I now honestly believe this drug is a very poor choice–and it doesn’t work that well, anyway!
Replace one thing, deplete several others
Prescriptions for hormone replacement therapy (HRT) have dropped due to concern over breast cancer, heart disease and strokes. It depletes both vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) and magnesium. Approximately 40 percent of the population doesn’t get enough B6 in their diets, and HRT aggravates the effect. Vitamin B6 depletion can contribute to depression, insomnia and possibly a stroke. B6 is required for the conversion of trytophan to serotonin, low levels of which are associated with depression and a bad mood. Serotonin is converted into melatonin, required for sleep regulation. A lack of B6 can also cause elevated homocysteine levels, increasing your risk for heart disease. Magnesium is required in over 300 reactions in your body. Depletion can lead to heart palpitations and abnormal rhythms, anxiety, and poor sleep. Women on HRT usually take calcium, but the balance is critical. Too much calcium and too little magnesium can increase the risk of blood clots. Including brown rice, avocados, and bananas in your diet will help provide both magnesium and B6.
Acid blockers should be barred
I’ve left what is possibly the worst group of drugs—and nutrient-thieves—for last. The regular use of common OTC acid-blockers like Pepcid, Zantac, Tagamet, and Axid results in extensive nutrient depletion. The list of nutrients you lose leads to an exhaustively long list of symptoms. The nutrients include vitamin B12, calcium, folate, iron, vitamin D and zinc. In essence, whatever good you’re trying to do for your body—these acid blockers will come and wipe all of those efforts away. Instead, wipe those acid blockers away and take a closer look at your diet, which along with excess body weight and poor stress handling, is usually the acid-causing culprit.
Boost your immunity with fantastic fungi
Medicinal mushrooms are part of an emerging pattern in modern medicine. Researchers, tired of the money-mad drug companies and their side-effect-laden, lab-created offerings, are taking a closer look at traditional healing practices. Once banished almost into the same realm as sorcery, these practices are now being confirmed as safe and effective and are backed by science.
Mushrooms have been recognized for centuries as being among the most potent medicine supplied to us by nature. And they’re now showing increasingly great promise as supportive adjuvants (which means they enhance the effects of other treatments), preventives for common diseases (especially cancer), and for stand-alone treatments.
Unlike many drugs, medicinal mushrooms have remarkably low toxicity even at high doses. This lends itself to an extraordinary quality called “dose-dependent bidirectionality.” This is tuxedo-and-cocktail-dress language for saying that something can actually work in opposite ways depending on dose. For example, you can quiet the immune system with a low dose and stimulate it with a higher dose. There’s also the ability to normalize and balance function within the body—reeling in excess amounts or stimulating a depletion state, whichever is called for depending on the individual case.
Not surprisingly, the medical community in the United States is especially interested in the cancer-fighting powers of mushrooms. Researchers at major academic cancer-treatment centers have turned their attention to this potent, time-honored medical treatment, largely based on Japanese research from the 1970s and ‘80s. Something intriguing drew their attention: Cancer rates among mushroom growers were found to be 40 to 60 percent lower than the normal population.
Beta-glucans are responsible for the immune-enhancing and cancer-fighting power in mushrooms. These are simply a type of polysaccharide, or complex sugar. However, not only the beta-glucans provide benefits. Research has shown that multiple components from dozens of mushrooms can slow cancer by activating the immune system. Plus, substances combined from different mushrooms have been found to be more effective than individual agents acting alone.
AHCC (activated hexose correlated compound) is a well-known product that marries elements from several mushrooms, including shiitake. An immune-system booster, it is often used as a supporting treatment for cancer—in conjunction with conventional radiation and chemotherapy.
Shiitake also has broad antiviral and antibacterial properties, may lower cholesterol, and has been used to treat chronic fatigue. Its healing properties and its taste make it one of the most popular mushrooms in Asian cuisine.
Another tasty mushroom that boasts powerful healing properties is mistake (yes, an odd spelling, but trust me, it’s right), which is rich in d-fraction beta-glucans. An immune- system booster with well-researched antitumeric activity, mistake may also be an effective treatment for diabetes. It’s often combined with shiitake, reship, and others in synergistic blends that can be taken in capsule form or enjoyed as a tea, both for treatment of illness and for basic health support (especially in the winter-cold season).
Reishi, aka “the mushroom of immortality,” has been used for over 2,000 years for its calming and fortifying powers. Found around the world from the Amazon to North America, and into Asia, it’s known to be immune-enhancing, antiviral, anti-fatigue, cholesterol-reducing, liver-supporting, and anti-inflammatory. That should give you some idea as to how it earned such a grand nickname!
Another mushroom I use with my patients is Cordyceps sinensis, used to support healthy lung functioning and to treat asthma. It reportedly improves the athletic performance of track-and-field endurance athletes. In fact, it made sports headlines in 1993 when nine Chinese runners shattered multiple world records. They gave credit for their success to intense training—coupled with Cordyceps.
A company in Vermont called New Chapter has teamed up with the leading medical mycologist, Paul Stamets. It offers carefully devised mycologic-medicine formulations. (See www.newchapter.com.) Mr. Stamets has a company that specializes in gourmet and medicinal mushrooms. You can learn more at www.fungi.com.
One caveat: This is one forgotten cure that I don’t recommend you go foraging for on your own. Stick to the formulations or the readily available cooking varieties.
A new appreciation for the fruit of the vine
Q.I hear that having one or two drinks of wine is good for you. But for personal reasons, I haven’t touched a drop in 12 years. What about grape juice? Would it have the same benefits, or are those benefits tied to the alcohol?
––Joan T., Sacramento, CA
A.Wine (especially red wine), grape juice, and grapes all share a common, healthy ingredient: polyphenols. These are antioxidants that can reduce inflammation and help protect against common degenerative diseases, including heart disease and cancer. They’re also active against common food-borne bacteria that can lead to disease.
Certain polyphenols can have a favorable effect on your cholesterol levels and help to reduce the formation of artery-blocking clots. They can also increase the production of nitric oxide, a chemical that relaxes blood-vessel walls and lowers blood pressure.
You may have heard more recently about the extraordinary benefits of a specific polyphenol called resveratrol. It was discovered in 1992 by a Cornell scientist.
Resveratrol is produced by certain plants in response to fungal attack. It’s found in its highest concentration in the skins of grapes. Darker-skinned grapes have significantly higher concentrations, specifically from the skins of muscadine grapes, whose resveratrol concentration is up to 20 times that of other grapes. You can also get it from peanuts and some dark berries.
Since its initial discovery, Harvard scientists have uncovered dramatic benefits in the laboratory. Resveratrol turns on genes that enhance survival. It also turns off genes that promote disease. It slows the onset of nearly all of the degenerative diseases of aging, such as heart disease, dementia, arthritis and cancer. Also, lab results have shown that resveratrol can slow bone loss, repair a damaged liver, boost endurance, and even help your hair and nails grow. Of special interest is its ability to lengthen lifespan. It does that by mimicking calorie restriction, a well-studied life extender. Resveratrol turns on genes that make sirtuin (aka SIRT2, which stands for silent information regulator 2), which helps promote healthier DNA. Sirtuin can also be turned on by quercetin, found in apples and onions, and that old stand-by, physical exercise.
But here’s the rub: These exciting results were all achieved in lab animals, including fruit flies, roundworms, fish and mice. Those results were based on amounts that were equivalent to dozens of bottles of wine per day, so I wouldn’t even begin to recommend you try to get it from wine. I’d also set you up for the impossible if I even hinted that you could get that same amount from food sources.
That’s why resveratrol is now available in supplement form. Dr. David Sinclair, the Harvard scientist who spearheaded recent research, reportedly takes it on a daily basis. And subsequent research with mice show that similar gene benefits are possible with about one-twelfth the dose used in the original research. This translates into 20 to 40 mg per day.
Keep in mind that any nutrient in its complex food form, as nature offers it to us, is more bioavailable than any isolated nutrient in supplement form. Resveratrol from food is utilized in the body along with a variety of nutrients that work in harmony with it. You just won’t find it to be as natural a process in a supplement. (Hence, the name. That’s why they aren’t called “substitutes.”) However, scientific research will continue to pursue a close-to-perfect offering in supplement form—and it should be interesting to see what happens.
If you really want therapeutic doses, a supplement may be your best bet. But, resveratrol gives us an easy excuse to enjoy a glass of wine or, as you suggested, grape juice or grapes. You’ll be happy to know that red wine and purple grape juice provide similar benefits at about 110 to 120 calories per 6 oz. glass, best drunk with meals in either case. Better yet, enjoy whole grapes as a healthy dessert or snack. Add a handful of walnuts, almonds, or pecans to balance the grapes with some healthy fat and protein. And organic grapes are your best choice—most other grapes get a heavy hit of pesticide.
A word of warning: Even small amounts of wine have been shown to slightly increase the risk of breast cancer. Research suggests this is mainly a problem for women who aren’t getting enough folate. You can eat your folate: It’s found in liver, peas, beans, nuts and leafy green vegetables. It’s also included in just about any multivitamin product.
Posted in Newsletter.
