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Health Articles

Researchers Identify Protein Linking Sugar to Cancer

Brian Bartholomew - Monday, February 18, 2013

Researchers Identify Protein Linking Sugar to Cancer

Close-up of sugar wiith black background
Image courtesy of Hemera / thinkstock

A Madrid-based research team has determined that prolonged levels of high blood sugar "increase the activity of a gene widely implicated in cancer progression."

What They Found

While it is well accepted that sugar plays a dangerous role in the development of obesity and type 2 diabetes, sugar's relationship to cancer has been far less clear up to this point.

The team of scientists, led by Dr. Custodia Garcia Jimenez at Madrid's University Rey Juan Carlos, was analyzing the relationship between sugar in the intestine and the release of insulin by the pancreas. They found that, when excess sugar causes the intestine to release the hormone GIP, it simultaneously increases the activity of a protein that can transform normal, healthy cells into immortal, cancerous cells. This protein is known as beta-catenin.

How it Happens

Excess sugar triggers a harmful, three-part chain reaction:

  1. First, excess sugar (table sugar, high fructose corn syrup, etc.) works its way into the intestine.
  2. To regulate the level of sugar in the blood, the intestine releases the hormone GIP to instruct the pancreas to produce insulin.
  3. Beta-catenin, which "strictly" relies on sugar levels, regulates the intestine's production of GIP. As sugar levels increase, so does the activity of beta-catenin.

Simply, a sustained high blood sugar level increases the activity of a mechanism that  helps cancer progress.

"We were surprised to realize that changes in our metabolism caused by dietary sugar impact on our cancer risk," Dr. Garcia Jimenez told the Science Daily. "We are now investigating what other dietary components may influence our cancer risk. Changing diet is one of easiest prevention strategies that can potentially save a lot of suffering and money."

What We Already Knew

For more than a decade, beta-catenin mutations have been linked to the progression of several types of cancer, including ovarian, prostate and colon cancer. Similarly, sugar has been shown to suppress immune function, increase inflammation and actually fuel viruses, bacteria and cancers. Cancerous cells actually have eight times more sugar receptors than oxygen receptors (healthy cells, conversely, thrive on oxygen).

Excess sugar levels greatly increase beta-catenin activity. To fight inflammation and the development of disease, dietary sugar consumption should actively be controlled.

Going Sugar-Free


To help you achieve lasting health, Maximized Living has created two meal plans that control and eliminate dietary sugar intake.

  • Using the Advanced Plan, patients eliminate all sugars to reestablish proper hormone function and halt the development of disease.
  • The Core Plan, the second option, drastically reduces sugar consumption and enables patients to avoid hidden sources of sugar like ketchup and mayonnaise.

To learn more, contact your nearest Maximized Living Doctor to pick up a copy of the"Maximized Living Nutrition Plans."

Killing Cancer


Diet plays an immensely important role in the development of this terrible disease. Whether you're trying to avoid a diagnosis or are actively battling cancer, "The Cancer Killers" can provide you with a series of all-natural defenses. Start taking advantage of your body's cancer-killing ability today.   

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7 Foods To Naturally Cleanse Your Liver

Brian Bartholomew - Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Our livers work extremely hard everyday to protect us from adverse affects from toxins and often it is easy for our livers to become overworked compromising our health significantly. 


Here are 7 common foods you can include daily to help cleanse your liver naturally. 


By: Jonathan Benson, NaturalNews.com

The primary way in which your body expels toxins is via the liver, which detoxifies and cleanses your body by continuously filtering the blood of poisons that enter it through the digestive tract, the skin, and the respiratory system. But when your liver becomes overworked as a result of stress or excessive exposure to toxins, your entire system can be thrown off balance, and your health severely compromised.

Since the liver is also responsible for producing bile, another form of detoxification that is metabolically necessary for the breakdown and assimilation of fats and proteins from your food, it is exceedingly important that your liver be properly maintained. Without a well-functioning liver, your body will be unable to cleanse itself and absorb nutrients, which is a recipe for a health disaster.

"The thousands of enzyme systems that are responsible for virtually every body activity are constructed in the liver," writes Dr. Karl Maret, M.D., about the importance of vibrant liver function. "The proper functioning of the eyes, the heart, the brain, the gonads, the joints, and the kidneys, are all dependent on good liver activity."

"If the liver is impaired from constructing even one of the thousands of enzyme systems the body requires, there is an impairment in overall body function and a resultant greater metabolic stress on the individual."

So here are seven important foods you may want to begin incorporating into your diet in order to maintain a healthy liver.

1. Garlic




Garlic contains numerous sulfur-containing compounds that activate the liver enzymes responsible for flushing out toxins from the body. This bulbous relative of the onion also contains allicin and selenium, two powerful nutrients proven to help protect the liver from toxic damage, and aid it in the detoxification process.

2. Grapefruit




Grapefruit is rich in natural vitamin C and antioxidants, two powerful liver cleansers. Like garlic, grapefruit contains compounds that boost the production of liver detoxification enzymes. It also contains a flavonoid compound known as naringenin that causes the liver to burn fat rather than store it.

3. Green Tea




Green tea is loaded with catechins, a type of plant antioxidant that has been shown in studies to eliminate liver fat accumulation and promote proper liver function. This powerful herbal beverage also protects the liver against toxins that would otherwise accumulate and cause serious damage.

4. Green Vegetables




Leafy green vegetables such as bitter gourd, arugula, dandelion greens, spinach, mustard greens, and chicory also contain numerous cleansing compounds that neutralize heavy metals, which can bear heavily on the liver. Leafy greens also eliminate pesticides and herbicides from the body, and spur the creation and flow of cleansing bile.

5. Avocado




Rich in glutathione-producing compounds, avocados actively promote liver health by protecting it against toxic overload, and boosting its cleansing power. Some research has shown that eating one or two avocados a week for as little as 30 days can repair a damaged liver.

6. Walnuts




Walnuts, which contain high levels of l-arginine, an amino acid, glutathione, and omega-3 fatty acids, also help detoxify the liver of disease-causing ammonia. Walnuts also help oxygenate the blood, and extracts from their hulls are often used in liver-cleansing formulas.

7. Turmeric




Turmeric, one of the most powerful foods for maintaining a healthy liver, has been shown to actively protect the liver against toxic damage, and even regenerate damaged liver cells. Turmeric also boosts the natural production of bile, shrinks engorged hepatic ducts, and improves overall function of the gallbladder, another body-purifying organ.

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Dangers of Soda

Brian Bartholomew - Friday, June 10, 2011

The health effects of drinking soda - quotes from the experts

by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor 

This is a compilation of quotes about the destructive health effects of soft drinks from some of the leading authors on health, nutrition and junk food. This full list, and much more information, is included in The Five Soft Drink Monsters downloadable ebook.

Michael Murray ND and Joseph Pizzorno ND
Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, Revised Second Edition

"The allergenicity of penicillin in the general population is thought to be at least ten percent. Nearly 25 percent of these individuals will display hives, angioedema, or anaphylaxis upon ingestion of penicillin…. hives and anaphylactic symptoms have been traced to penicillin in milk, soft drinks, and frozen dinners."

"Many general dietary factors have been suggested as a cause of osteoporosis, including: low calcium-high phosphorus intake, high-protein diet, high-acid-ash diet, high salt intake, and trace mineral deficiencies. It appears that increased soft drink consumption is a major factor that contributes to osteoporosis. A deficiencyof vitamin K leads to impaired mineralization of bone. Boron deficiency may contribute greatly to osteoporosis as well as to menopausal symptoms."

"Soft drinks have long been suspected of leading to lower calcium levels and higher phosphate levels in theblood. When phosphate levels are high and calcium levels are low, calcium is pulled out of the bones. The phosphate content of soft drinks like Coca -Cola and Pepsi is very high, and they contain virtually no calcium."

"The United States ranks first among countries in soft drink consumption. The per-capita consumption of soft drinks is in excess of 150 quarts per year, or about three quarts per week."

"Soft drink consumption in children poses a significant risk factor for impaired calcification of growing bones."

"Of the fifty-seven children who had low blood calcium levels, thirty-eight (66.7 percent) drank more than four bottles (12 to 16 ounces per bottle) of soft drinks per week, but only forty-eight (28 percent) of the 171 children with normal serum calcium levels consumed as much soft drink … These results more than support the contention that soft drink consumption leads to lower calcium levels in children. This situation that ultimately leads to poor bone mineralization, which explains the greater risk of broken bones in children who consume soft drinks."

"Soft drink consumption may be a major factor for osteoporosis as they are high in phosphates but contain virtually no calcium. This leads to lower calcium levels and higher phosphate levels in the blood. The United States ranks first among countries for soft drink consumption with a per capita consumption of approximately 15 ounces a day."

James A Howenstine M.D.
A Physician's Guide to Natural Health Products That Work

"In an interesting experiment the sugar from one soft drink was able to damage the white blood cells' ability to ingest and kill gonococcal bacteria for seven hours."

"Soft drinks also contain large quantities of phosphorus, which when excreted pulls calcium out of the bones. Heavy users of soft drinks will have osteoporosis along with their damaged arteries."

James Duke PhD
The Green Pharmacy : The Ultimate Compendium Of Natural Remedies From The World's Foremost Authority On Healing Herbs

"And watch out for cola soft drinks, which are very high in bone-dissolving phosphorus."

Marion Nestle
Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health (California Studies in Food and Culture)

"Soft drinks are the single greatest source of caffeine in children's diets; a 12-ounce can of cola contains about 45 milligrams but the amounts in more potent soft drinks can exceed 100 milligrams— a level approaching that found in coffee."

"Soft drinks have replaced milk in the diets of many American children as well as adults. School purchases reflect such trends. From 1985 to 1997, school districts decreased the amounts of milk they bought by nearly 30% and increased their purchases of carbonated sodas."

"The relationship between soft drink consumption and body weight is so strong that researchers calculate that for each additional soda consumed, the risk of obesity increases 1.6 times."

"Adolescents who consume soft drinks display a risk of bone fractures three to four-fold higher than those who do not."

"Sugar and acid in soft drinks so easily dissolve tooth enamel."

"Americans drink 13.15 billion gallons of carbonated drinks every year."

William Duffy
The doctor speaking in these dialogs is, Dr. McCay, the nutritionist at the Naval Medical Research Institute.

"I was amazed to learn," he testified, "that the beverage contained substantial amounts of phosphoric acid. . . . At the Naval Medical Research Institute, we put human teeth in a cola beverage and found they softened and started to dissolve within a short period… The acidity of cola beverages ... is about the same as vinegar. The sugar content masks the acidity, and children little realize they are drinking this strange mixture of phosphoric acid, sugar, caffeine, coloring, and flavoring matter."

Carol Simontacchi
The Crazy Makers: How the Food Industry Is Destroying Our Brains and Harming Our Children

"One liter of an aspartame-sweetened beverage can produce about fifty-six milligrams of methanol. When several of these beverages are consumed in a short period of time (one day, perhaps), as much as two hundred fifty milligrams of methanol are dumped into the bloodstream, or thirty-two times the EPA limit."

"What may happen, in the face of day-to-day, continuously high levels of sodium in the diet and the bloodstream, is that we experience a type of acute hypernatremia—not enough to kill us or cause the myelin sheath to lose its integrity, but enough to keep our sodium potassium pump slightly dysregulated and throw off the electrical system of the brain…. Americans drink soft drinks that are often loaded with more sodium and which further unbalance the mineral stores."

Greg Critser
Fat Land : How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World

"A joint study by Harvard University and Boston Children's Hospital researchers in February 2001 concluded that such excess liquid calories inhibited the ability of older children to compensate at mealtime, leading to caloric imbalance and, in time, obesity."

"One extra soft drink a day gave a child a 60 percent greater chance of becoming obese. One could even link specific amounts of soda to specific amounts of weight gain. Each daily drink added .18 points to a child'sbody mass index (BMI). This, the researchers noted, was regardless of what else they ate or how much they exercised. "Consumption of sugar [high fructose corn syrup]-sweetened drinks," they concluded, "is associated with obesity in children."

Samuel S. Epstein MD
The Safe Shopper's Bible : A Consumer's Guide to Nontoxic Household Products

"Saccharin is a 100-year-old non-nutritive, non-caloric sweetening agent… its use has exploded over the last twenty years as a staple of the diet food and drink craze. Its major current consumption is in diet pop by teenagers, and not by diabetics and the obese. The public now firmly believes that foods containing saccharinare effective in weight control, and has been persuaded by the soft drink industry (through the Calorie Control Council) that these benefits outweigh any possible health risks."

"More than a dozen animal tests over the last thirty years have demonstrated the carcinogenic effects of saccharin in the bladder and other sites, particularly female reproductive organs, and in some instances at doses as low as the equivalent of one to two bottles of diet pop daily."

"The public board of inquiry concluded that experimental data "’…do not rule out an oncogenic effect ofaspartame, and that, to the contrary, they appear to suggest the possibility that aspartame, at least when administered in the 'huge' quantities employed in the studies, may contribute to the development of braintumors.’" Until these controversial findings on brain cancer in experimental animals have been resolved, use this product sparingly, if at all."

"PET bottling and packaging: Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is used extensively in soft drink containers. PET bottles can release small amounts of dimethyl terephthalate into foods and beverages. Although the National Cancer Institute claims that dimethyl terephthalate is noncarcinogenic, these results have been questioned. Some experts believe this compound to be carcinogenic."

Neal Barnard MD
Foods That Cause You to Lose Weight: : The Negative Calorie Effect

"Another advantage of avoiding sodas is that you will avoid the caffeine that is in many of them. Caffeine is a weak diuretic that causes calcium loss via the kidneys."

Dr. Earl Mindell
Earl Mindell's New Vitamin Bible

"Recent research has linked soft drinks with childhood obesity— and an estimated 200 school districts nationwide have contracts with soft drink companies that give them exclusive rights to sell their products in schools."

"Saccharin is a noncaloric petroleum derivative estimated to be three hundred to five hundred times sweeter than sugar… It's used in diet soft drinks… Studies done in the 1970s linked saccharin ingestion to bladdercancer in laboratory animals"

"Children who drink large quantities of diet sodas containing aspartame are particularly vulnerable to its dangerous side effects."

"Aspartame contains methyl or wood alcohol, which can affect fetal brain development."

"Twenty-one percent of the sugar in the American diet comes from soft drinks! That's more than just an unhealthy consumption of empty calories. It is a dangerous overload of caffeine and potentially hazardous, nutrient-depleting additives."

"Soft drinks contain large amounts of phosphorus, which can throw off the body's calcium/phosphorus ratio (twice as much calcium as phosphorus), decreasing calcium as well as reducing your body's ability to use it."

"For anyone over age 40, soft drinks can be especially hazardous because the kidneys are less able to excrete excess phosphorus, causing depletion of vital calcium."

"Heavy soft drink consumption can interfere with your body's metabolization of iron and diminish nerve impulse transmission."

"Cola drinks can interact adversely with antacids, possibly causing constipation, calcium loss, hypertension, nausea, vomiting, headaches, and kidney damage."

"Soft drinks can decrease the antibacterial action of penicillin and ampicillin."

"Diet sodas that are low in calories are high in sodium. Too much salt in the diet may cause more calcium to be excreted in the urine and increase the risk of osteoporosis."

"Excessive consumption of soft drinks, which are high in phosphorus, can also deplete you of calcium and increase your chances of osteoporosis."

Jean Carper
Food: Your Miracle Medicine : How Food Can Prevent and Cure over 100 Symptoms and Problems

"Tests at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine by Roland R. Griffiths, MD, show caffeine withdrawal can strike people who drink a single cup of strongly brewed coffee or drink caffeinated soft drinks everyday. Further, Dr. Griffiths discovered that caffeine-withdrawal symptoms include not only headache, but also fatigue, mild depression, muscle pain and stiffness, flu-like feelings, nausea and vomiting."

"Those consuming at least one cup of a caffeine-containing beverage per day, such as coffee, tea or soft drinks, were more prone to PMS. And the more caffeine they consumed, the more severe their PMS symptoms."

Elson M Haas MD
The Detox Diet: A How-To & When-To Guide for Cleansing the Body

"Phosphorus is found in most foods but soda pops, diet pops… contain especially high amounts. The ideal dietary phosphorus-calcium ratio is about 1:1. The ratio in the average American diet is often greater than 2:1 and sometimes even 4:1 or 5:1. At those levels, excess calcium is removed from bone and eliminated, blood levels are reduced, and there is bone demineralization. A diet high in phosphorus and low in calcium has been shown to cause bone loss and increase tissue calcification."

"Tooth loss, periodontal disease, and gingivitis can be problems, especially with a high phosphorus intake, particularly from soft drinks. All kinds of bone problems can occur with prolonged calcium deficiency, which causes a decrease in bone mass. Rickets in children, osteomalacia (decreased bone calcium) in adults, and osteoporosis (porous and fragile bones) can occur when calcium is withdrawn from bones faster than it is deposited. Fractures are more common with osteoporosis—almost eight million yearly in the United States are related to this prevalent nutritional deficiency disease"

"High dietary phosphorus, as is found in a diet with meats, soft drinks, and other convenience foods, can readily affect calcium metabolism. Potential calcium deficiency symptoms may be more likely when the phosphorus intake is very high. A low calcium-to-phosphorus ratio in the diet increases the incidence of hypertension and the risk of colon-rectal cancer."

Barnet Meltzer MD
Food Swings: Make the Life-Changing Connection Between the Foods You Eat and Your Emotional Health and Well-Being

"But soft drinks are far from soft. High in phosphorous and phosphoric acid, they infiltrate bodily fluids and corrode stomach linings, upset the alkaline-acid balance of the kidneys, and eat away at your liver like Hannibal Lecter. Soft drinks also contain hidden caffeine, refined sugar, and artificial chemicals."

Ralph T Golan ND
Optimal Wellness

"Avoid processed foods and cola soft drinks; their phosphates can also cause calcium loss and excretion."

Dr. Gary Null
"Natural Living" radio show 
Gary Null's Power Aging

"A study on the relationship between caffeine and fertility found that… just one caffeinated soft drink per day was associated with a reduced monthly chance of conception of 50 percent."

"It should be noted here that soft drinks are the number one source of phosphorus in the American diet today… According to Dr. Steenblock, excess phosphorus is one of the major contributing factors to the development of osteoarthritis."

James A May
United American Industries Inc.

"Absorption in primates is hastened considerably if the methanol is ingested as free methanol as it occurs in soft drinks after the decomposition of aspartame during storage or in other foods after being heated. Regardless of whether the aspartame-derived methanol exists in food in its free form or still esterified to phenylalanine, 10 percent of the weight of aspartame intake of an individual will be absorbed by the bloodstream as methanol within hours after consumption."

Marcia Zimmerman CN
The A.D.D. Nutrition Solution : A Drug-Free 30 Day Plan

"Sodium benzoate Sodium benzoate is used as a preservative (microbial control) in foods, including soft drinks, fruit juices, margarine, confections, pickles, and jams. Sodium preservatives add sodium to the diet and reduce the availability of potassium. Some reported reactions to sodium benzoate include recurring urticaria (rash), asthma, and eczema."
This is a compilation of quotes about the destructive health effects of soft drinks from some of the leading authors on health, nutrition and junk food. This full list, and much more information, is included in The Five Soft Drink Monsters downloadable ebook.
Michael Murray ND and Joseph Pizzorno ND
Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, Revised Second Edition

"The allergenicity of penicillin in the general population is thought to be at least ten percent. Nearly 25 percent of these individuals will display hives, angioedema, or anaphylaxis upon ingestion of penicillin…. hives and anaphylactic symptoms have been traced to penicillin in milk, soft drinks, and frozen dinners."

"Many general dietary factors have been suggested as a cause of osteoporosis, including: low calcium-high phosphorus intake, high-protein diet, high-acid-ash diet, high salt intake, and trace mineral deficiencies. It appears that increased soft drink consumption is a major factor that contributes to osteoporosis. A deficiency of vitamin K leads to impaired mineralization of bone. Boron deficiency may contribute greatly to osteoporosis as well as to menopausal symptoms."

"Soft drinks have long been suspected of leading to lower calcium levels and higher phosphate levels in the blood. When phosphate levels are high and calcium levels are low, calcium is pulled out of the bones. The phosphate content of soft drinks like Coca -Cola and Pepsi is very high, and they contain virtually no calcium."

"The United States ranks first among countries in soft drink consumption. The per-capita consumption of soft drinks is in excess of 150 quarts per year, or about three quarts per week."

"Soft drink consumption in children poses a significant risk factor for impaired calcification of growing bones."

"Of the fifty-seven children who had low blood calcium levels, thirty-eight (66.7 percent) drank more than four bottles (12 to 16 ounces per bottle) of soft drinks per week, but only forty-eight (28 percent) of the 171 children with normal serum calcium levels consumed as much soft drink … These results more than support the contention that soft drink consumption leads to lower calcium levels in children. This situation that ultimately leads to poor bone mineralization, which explains the greater risk of broken bones in children who consume soft drinks."

"Soft drink consumption may be a major factor for osteoporosis as they are high in phosphates but contain virtually no calcium. This leads to lower calcium levels and higher phosphate levels in the blood. The United States ranks first among countries for soft drink consumption with a per capita consumption of approximately 15 ounces a day."

James A Howenstine M.D.
A Physician's Guide to Natural Health Products That Work

"In an interesting experiment the sugar from one soft drink was able to damage the white blood cells' ability to ingest and kill gonococcal bacteria for seven hours."

"Soft drinks also contain large quantities of phosphorus, which when excreted pulls calcium out of the bones. Heavy users of soft drinks will have osteoporosis along with their damaged arteries."

James Duke PhD
The Green Pharmacy : The Ultimate Compendium Of Natural Remedies From The World's Foremost Authority On Healing Herbs

"And watch out for cola soft drinks, which are very high in bone-dissolving phosphorus."

Marion Nestle
Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health (California Studies in Food and Culture)

"Soft drinks are the single greatest source of caffeine in children's diets; a 12-ounce can of cola contains about 45 milligrams but the amounts in more potent soft drinks can exceed 100 milligrams— a level approaching that found in coffee."

"Soft drinks have replaced milk in the diets of many American children as well as adults. School purchases reflect such trends. From 1985 to 1997, school districts decreased the amounts of milk they bought by nearly 30% and increased their purchases of carbonated sodas."

"The relationship between soft drink consumption and body weight is so strong that researchers calculate that for each additional soda consumed, the risk of obesity increases 1.6 times."

"Adolescents who consume soft drinks display a risk of bone fractures three to four-fold higher than those who do not."

"Sugar and acid in soft drinks so easily dissolve tooth enamel."

"Americans drink 13.15 billion gallons of carbonated drinks every year."

William Duffy
The doctor speaking in these dialogs is, Dr. McCay, the nutritionist at the Naval Medical Research Institute.

"I was amazed to learn," he testified, "that the beverage contained substantial amounts of phosphoric acid. . . . At the Naval Medical Research Institute, we put human teeth in a cola beverage and found they softened and started to dissolve within a short period… The acidity of cola beverages ... is about the same as vinegar. The sugar content masks the acidity, and children little realize they are drinking this strange mixture of phosphoric acid, sugar, caffeine, coloring, and flavoring matter."

Carol Simontacchi
The Crazy Makers: How the Food Industry Is Destroying Our Brains and Harming Our Children

"One liter of an aspartame-sweetened beverage can produce about fifty-six milligrams of methanol. When several of these beverages are consumed in a short period of time (one day, perhaps), as much as two hundred fifty milligrams of methanol are dumped into the bloodstream, or thirty-two times the EPA limit."

"What may happen, in the face of day-to-day, continuously high levels of sodium in the diet and the bloodstream, is that we experience a type of acute hypernatremia—not enough to kill us or cause the myelin sheath to lose its integrity, but enough to keep our sodium potassium pump slightly dysregulated and throw off the electrical system of the brain…. Americans drink soft drinks that are often loaded with more sodium and which further unbalance the mineral stores."

Greg Critser
Fat Land : How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World

"A joint study by Harvard University and Boston Children's Hospital researchers in February 2001 concluded that such excess liquid calories inhibited the ability of older children to compensate at mealtime, leading to caloric imbalance and, in time, obesity."

"One extra soft drink a day gave a child a 60 percent greater chance of becoming obese. One could even link specific amounts of soda to specific amounts of weight gain. Each daily drink added .18 points to a child's body mass index (BMI). This, the researchers noted, was regardless of what else they ate or how much they exercised. "Consumption of sugar [high fructose corn syrup]-sweetened drinks," they concluded, "is associated with obesity in children."

Samuel S. Epstein MD
The Safe Shopper's Bible : A Consumer's Guide to Nontoxic Household Products

"Saccharin is a 100-year-old non-nutritive, non-caloric sweetening agent… its use has exploded over the last twenty years as a staple of the diet food and drink craze. Its major current consumption is in diet pop by teenagers, and not by diabetics and the obese. The public now firmly believes that foods containing saccharin are effective in weight control, and has been persuaded by the soft drink industry (through the Calorie Control Council) that these benefits outweigh any possible health risks."

"More than a dozen animal tests over the last thirty years have demonstrated the carcinogenic effects of saccharin in the bladder and other sites, particularly female reproductive organs, and in some instances at doses as low as the equivalent of one to two bottles of diet pop daily."

"The public board of inquiry concluded that experimental data "’…do not rule out an oncogenic effect of aspartame, and that, to the contrary, they appear to suggest the possibility that aspartame, at least when administered in the 'huge' quantities employed in the studies, may contribute to the development of brain tumors.’" Until these controversial findings on brain cancer in experimental animals have been resolved, use this product sparingly, if at all."

"PET bottling and packaging: Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is used extensively in soft drink containers. PET bottles can release small amounts of dimethyl terephthalate into foodsand beverages. Although the National Cancer Institute claims that dimethyl terephthalate is noncarcinogenic, these results have been questioned. Some experts believe this compound to be carcinogenic."

Neal Barnard MD
Foods That Cause You to Lose Weight: : The Negative Calorie Effect

"Another advantage of avoiding sodas is that you will avoid the caffeine that is in many of them. Caffeine is a weak diuretic that causes calcium loss via the kidneys."

Dr. Earl Mindell
Earl Mindell's New Vitamin Bible

"Recent research has linked soft drinks with childhood obesity— and an estimated 200 school districts nationwide have contracts with soft drink companies that give them exclusive rights to sell their products in schools."

"Saccharin is a noncaloric petroleum derivative estimated to be three hundred to five hundred times sweeter than sugar… It's used in diet soft drinks… Studies done in the 1970s linked saccharin ingestion to bladder cancer in laboratory animals"

"Children who drink large quantities of diet sodas containing aspartame are particularly vulnerable to its dangerous side effects."

"Aspartame contains methyl or wood alcohol, which can affect fetal brain development."

"Twenty-one percent of the sugar in the American diet comes from soft drinks! That's more than just an unhealthy consumption of empty calories. It is a dangerous overload of caffeine and potentially hazardous, nutrient-depleting additives."

"Soft drinks contain large amounts of phosphorus, which can throw off the body's calcium/phosphorus ratio (twice as much calcium as phosphorus), decreasing calcium as well as reducing your body's ability to use it."

"For anyone over age 40, soft drinks can be especially hazardous because the kidneys are less able to excrete excess phosphorus, causing depletion of vital calcium."

"Heavy soft drink consumption can interfere with your body's metabolization of iron and diminish nerve impulse transmission."

"Cola drinks can interact adversely with antacids, possibly causing constipation, calcium loss, hypertension, nausea, vomiting, headaches, and kidney damage."

"Soft drinks can decrease the antibacterial action of penicillin and ampicillin."

"Diet sodas that are low in calories are high in sodium. Too much salt in the diet may cause more calcium to be excreted in the urine and increase the risk of osteoporosis."

"Excessive consumption of soft drinks, which are high in phosphorus, can also deplete you of calcium and increase your chances of osteoporosis."

Jean Carper
Food: Your Miracle Medicine : How Food Can Prevent and Cure over 100 Symptoms and Problems

"Tests at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine by Roland R. Griffiths, MD, show caffeine withdrawal can strike people who drink a single cup of strongly brewed coffee or drink caffeinated soft drinks everyday. Further, Dr. Griffiths discovered that caffeine-withdrawal symptoms include not only headache, but also fatigue, mild depression, muscle pain and stiffness, flu-like feelings, nausea and vomiting."

"Those consuming at least one cup of a caffeine-containing beverage per day, such as coffee, tea or soft drinks, were more prone to PMS. And the more caffeine they consumed, the more severe their PMS symptoms."

Elson M Haas MD
The Detox Diet: A How-To & When-To Guide for Cleansing the Body

"Phosphorus is found in most foods but soda pops, diet pops… contain especially high amounts. The ideal dietary phosphorus-calcium ratio is about 1:1. The ratio in the average American diet is often greater than 2:1 and sometimes even 4:1 or 5:1. At those levels, excess calcium is removed from bone and eliminated, blood levels are reduced, and there is bone demineralization. A diet high in phosphorus and low in calcium has been shown to cause bone loss and increase tissue calcification."

"Tooth loss, periodontal disease, and gingivitis can be problems, especially with a high phosphorus intake, particularly from soft drinks. All kinds of bone problems can occur with prolonged calcium deficiency, which causes a decrease in bone mass. Rickets in children, osteomalacia (decreased bone calcium) in adults, and osteoporosis (porous and fragile bones) can occur when calcium is withdrawn from bones faster than it is deposited. Fractures are more common with osteoporosis—almost eight million yearly in the United States are related to this prevalent nutritional deficiency disease"

"High dietary phosphorus, as is found in a diet with meats, soft drinks, and other convenience foods, can readily affect calcium metabolism. Potential calcium deficiency symptoms may be more likely when the phosphorus intake is very high. A low calcium-to-phosphorus ratio in the diet increases the incidence of hypertension and the risk of colon-rectal cancer."

Barnet Meltzer MD
Food Swings: Make the Life-Changing Connection Between the Foods You Eat and Your Emotional Health and Well-Being

"But soft drinks are far from soft. High in phosphorous and phosphoric acid, they infiltrate bodily fluids and corrode stomach linings, upset the alkaline-acid balance of the kidneys, and eat away at your liver like Hannibal Lecter. Soft drinks also contain hidden caffeine, refined sugar, and artificial chemicals."

Ralph T Golan ND
Optimal Wellness

"Avoid processed foods and cola soft drinks; their phosphates can also cause calcium loss and excretion."

Dr. Gary Null
"Natural Living" radio show 
Gary Null's Power Aging

"A study on the relationship between caffeine and fertility found that… just one caffeinated soft drink per day was associated with a reduced monthly chance of conception of 50 percent."

"It should be noted here that soft drinks are the number one source of phosphorus in the American diet today… According to Dr. Steenblock, excess phosphorus is one of the major contributing factors to the development of osteoarthritis."

James A May
United American Industries Inc.

"Absorption in primates is hastened considerably if the methanol is ingested as free methanol as it occurs in soft drinks after the decomposition of aspartame during storage or in other foods after being heated. Regardless of whether the aspartame-derived methanol exists in food in its free form or still esterified to phenylalanine, 10 percent of the weight of aspartame intake of an individual will be absorbed by the bloodstream as methanol within hours after consumption."

Marcia Zimmerman CN
The A.D.D. Nutrition Solution : A Drug-Free 30 Day Plan

"Sodium benzoate Sodium benzoate is used as a preservative (microbial control) in foods, including soft drinks, fruit juices, margarine, confections, pickles, and jams. Sodium preservatives add sodium to the diet and reduce the availability of potassium. Some reported reactions to sodium benzoate include recurring urticaria (rash), asthma, and eczema."



Learn more:http://www.naturalnews.com/004416.html#ixzz1OvpTxcic
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Top 10 Superfoods

Brian Bartholomew - Thursday, March 24, 2011

Top 10 Superfoods: What’s in Your Diet?


Posted By Dr. Axe On March 24, 2011 @ 1:11 am In Nutrition | No Comments

[1]Eating healthy is one of the very best things you can do for your body and mind. The foods you choose to eat everyday determine on a daily basis how you’ll feel that day. If you put a lot of junk food in, don’t be surprised if you lack energy or get sick easily.

If you eat a variety of fresh, organic, raw foods you’ll notice you feel more energetic and even optimistic than when you ate poorly. When you eat a kaleidoscope of different whole, raw foods you’re giving your body the nutrients it needs to function and thrive.  This is key for feeling good not just daily but in the long run too.

Eating healthy foods regularly, engaging in regular exercise, and decreasing stress will keep your joints fluid and mobile, your blood pressure regulated, and your weight at a healthy level. While eating healthy can be considered by many to be a ‘no brainer’ there are certain foods bursting with loads of nutrition that the Western eaters are going without.

Discover the following ten superfoods and make them part of your weekly eating plan.

1. Almonds

These oval shaped little nuts just may hold the key, for many to get more calcium in their diets. In fact, this nut is the richest source of calcium out of all the nuts coming in at 23 milligrams (mg) of calcium in just one serving. What makes the almond even more desirable is its high level of vitamin E, with one serving providing fifteen percent of the RDA for vitamin E. But the goodness of almonds doesn’t stop there. This little nut is a valuable source of protein. So if you don’t eat meat, be sure to stock up on almonds and snack away.

2. Broccoli Rabe

This green leafy vegetable is a great example of a food that can have a huge impact on your nutrition and overall health. It is packed with potassium, iron and calcium, dietary fiber and as well as Vitamins A, C and K.  Broccoli rabe also contains lutein, which is an antioxidant that protects the retinas of your eyes from damage caused by free radicals. The health benefits are numerous and include:

  • Slows aging
  • Stronger bones
  • Decreased risk of hypertension
  • Lessens inflamation
  • Cancer Protection
  • Alzheimer’s protection
  • Stroke prevention
  • Protects against birth defects

3. Avocados

This delicious fruit native to South America and Mexico is loaded with the healthy fats essential for life. These healthy fats are the ones many Westerners’ bodies are seriously deprived of due to the low-fat, no-fat craze. Eating fresh avocados gives the body a healthy dose of these monounsaturated fats.

4. Raw Milk

While at first you may think that milk is a beverage it’s actually considered a food. Raw milk provides the body not only with a rich source of vitamins A, D, C, and B. It’s also loaded with calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, essential fatty acids, and trace minerals. For more on raw milk, read my 3 part series [2].

5. Wheatgrass

Wheatgrass is a must have in your daily diet. This is a young grass of the common wheat plant, triticum aestivum. It is loaded with the following nutrients:

  • Iron
  • Calcium
  • Magnesium
  • Amino Acids
  • Vitamin A
  • Vitamin C
  • Vitamin E

But what adds to wheatgrass’s value is the high amount of chlorophyll it contains. Chlorophyll is a much needed nutrient that the Westerner’s body often goes without. (More on Wheatgrass here [3])

6. Salmon

You probably already know all about Omega-3’s. The bottom line is that they are essential to your diet, meaning your body cannot produce them so they must be obtained from foods you eat. The other vital point to remember is that most Westerner’s diets are off with the essential Omega-3 and Omega-6 ratios in favor of being higher in Omega-6’s. This is just one more reason wild salmon is one of the best foods around.

7. Flax seeds

Flax is the seed of a flowering plant native to the “fertile crescent” of the eastern Mediterranean. It is often prepared as an oil (cold pressed), a meal (ground) or just plain seeds. Flaxseed oil has gained popularity recently for its ability to manage cholesterol levels, but that’s not all it can do.

Flaxseed’s high levels of Omega-3 fats are known to help manage diabetes, cancer, heart disease and inflammation. A diet that is high in Omega-3′s has been found to fight depression [4] and promote proper brain function. Additionally it has the following nutrients:

  • Vitamin B6
  • Copper
  • Phosphorus
  • Folate
  • Magnesium
  • Dietary fiber
  • Manganese

8. Blueberries

According to experts at the Mayo Clinic, recent research suggests that blueberries are rich in nutrients that help to fight chronic diseases. They are rich in the following:

  • Phytonutrients
  • Vitamin C
  • Fiber

9. Cinnamon

You should consider ways to get cinnamon into your daily diet for its life enhancing properties. Cinnamon was once the most valuable spice and was often traded at a more valuable rate than gold in days gone by. Today cinnamon is valued for the health benefits it brings. Recent research shows that cinnamon is good for the following:

  • Suppressing and fighting urinary tract infections
  • Soothing for the stomach
  • Improving brain function
  • Lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol
  • Promote healthy glucose metabolism

10. Sweet potatoes

This tasty potato is loaded with the following nutrients:

  • Beta Carotene
  • Vitamin B-6
  • Vitamin C
  • Fiber
  • Potassium

Beta carotene is converted to crucial vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A is said to help with slowing the aging process as well as fighting the risk of certain cancers, according to the Mayo Clinic.

The key to feeling and looking good today while protecting your health into tomorrow is eating a variety of fresh, raw, organic foods. Choosing on a regular basis from this list of ten superfoods and making them part of your weekly diet will improve your health and vitality beyond your dreams.

Sources:

Dr. Axe

Dr. Axe's Action Steps

  1. Eat more superfoods
  2. Take more time planning your meals so they include more nutrient dense foods

Article printed from DrAxe.com: http://www.draxe.com

URL to article: http://www.draxe.com/top-10-superfoods-what%e2%80%99s-in-your-diet%e2%80%a8/

URLs in this post:

[1] Image: http://www.draxe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/blueberrycinnamon.jpg

[2] 3 part series: http://www.draxe.com/raw-milk-myths-are-we-prisoners-of-pasteurization-part-1-of-3/

[3] More on Wheatgrass here: http://www.draxe.com/discover-amazing-wheat-grass/

[4] depression: http://www.draxe.com/the-depression-diet/

[5] http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/health-foods/MY01108&slide=9: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/health-foods/MY01108&slide=9

[6] http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/health-foods/MY01108: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/health-foods/MY01108

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