Raw Milk

I've decided to write another post about milk, this time it's raw milk. I've previously wrote about pasteurized milk and some background on how this 'commercial' type of milk could impair our health and body. In this post, I will write mainly about raw milk, and how it would benefit our health, as well as the conspiracy about milk and dairy products, which has been on going for years and years now. 

Whenever a random individual walks along the alley of a supermarket, or deciding which type of milk to buy, he or she will most likely purchase a non organic pasteurized/homogenized milk. In this case, a cheaper milk product, non organic or non raw high quality milk. Why? Simple, lower cost of the milk product and having the mindset of thinking pasteurized or any commercial milk is good for health. 

In United States, FDA is being sued for banning raw milk products in certain states. FDA claimed that raw milk is a dangerous product. That is an outright pathetic claim. FDA can allow highly dangerous drugs such as Lipitor and other statins drugs to be in the market but not raw milk? FDA even allow excitotoxin such as aspartame to be used in food products even their chief senior scientists disapproved. There are long list of harmful food and drug substances allowed to be sold and used in the market which were approved by FDA. Worst still, FDA think that there is no significant difference between genetically modified cow's milk and those that aren't.  Shockingly unbelievable! 

There is indeed a war going on, and it's threatening one of your most basic freedoms, the right to eat whole natural, healthful food. It's essential to understand the reasons why most dairy is pasteurized in the first place. Factory farming conditions are the reason why the milk has to be pasteurized in the first place. If it wasn't, it simply would not be safe to drink. This fact is also what prevents the conventional dairy industry from competing with smaller organic farms.

In terms of quality and nutritional content of the milk, you simply cannot compare the milk produced by factory farms to that of organic farm that raise their cattle on grasses and let them out to pasture. These cows are healthy, and produce high quality, uncontaminated milk that does not require pasteurization to kill off dangerous pathogens.

Still, despite the fact that grass fed organically raised cows are at a distinct advantage, from the get-go when it comes to the quality of their milk, organic dairy farms in most countries still must meet or exceed pasteurized milk standards, without pasteurizing. Hence, organic or raw milk safety standard is higher then ones which are pasteurized. 

So, if it's not really about food safety, what's all the fuss about? In a word, money. The conventional dairy industry, realizing that consumers are flocking toward raw milk because of its health benefits, has redoubled their efforts to quench raw milk sales. You might think that if raw dairy became attractive enough, the dairy industry would simply follow suit and begin producing raw products to meet the demand. But, this is virtually impossible because of the way their overcrowded farms are run.

You simply CANNOT drink factory farmed milk raw. It would be extremely unsafe. Their business depends on pasteurization, and that is why their powerful lobbyists will stop at nothing to persuade government agencies to keep raw milk bans in full force, especially several states in US. 

Public health officials warn that raw milk poses the risk of transmitting bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella, but pasteurizing the milk kills these bacteria while extending the milk's shelf life, which also happens to be more profitable for the dairy industry. While it is certainly possible to become sick from drinking contaminated raw milk, it is also possible to become sick from almost any food source. But it seems that raw milk has been unfairly singled out as a risk, when only a very small risk exists. 

Raw milk is an outstanding source of nutrients including beneficial bacteria such as lactobacillus acidolphilus, vitamins and enzmes, and it is, in my estimation, the finest source of calcium available. The pasteurization process, which entails heating the milk to a temperature of up to 150 degrees and keeping it there for at least half an hour and then reducing the temperature to about 55 degrees. completely changes the structure of the milk proteins into something far less than healthy. While the process certainly destroys germs and bad bacteria, it also destroys the milk's beneficial bacteria along with many of its nutritious components.

Pasteurizing milk destroys enzymes, diminishes vitamin, denatures fragile milk proteins,destroys vitamin B12, and vitamin B6, kills beneficial bacteria and promotes pathogens.You may notice that raw milk left out will sour naturally but pasteurized milk will rot. This is because the beneficial bacteria in the raw milk helps to keep putrefactive bacteria under control. Pasteurized milk, however, does not have any of the beneficial bacteria left to keep it from rotting.

Then, of course there is the issue of the antibiotics, pesticides and growth hormones and the fact that nearly all commercial dairy cows are raised on grains, not grass, like they were designed to. This will change the composition of the fats in the milk as well.

Meanwhile, people could get sick and promote illness by regular consumption of pasteurized milk. Pasteurized cow's milk is the number one allergic food in US, and one of the top 5 in most countries. It has been associated with a number of symptoms and illnesses as below: 

• Diarrhea
• Cramps
• Bloating
• Gas
• Skin rashes
• Allergies
• Colic in infants
• Osteoporosis
• Increased tooth decay
• Arthritis
• Growth problems in children
• Cancer
• Atherosclerosis
• Infertility
• Leukemia

Raw milk, on the other hand, is not associated with any of these problems, and even people who have been allergic to pasteurized milk for many years can typically tolerate and even thrive on raw milk. Raw milk is truly one of the most profoundly healthy foods you can consume, and you'll feel the difference once you start to drink it. 

I got friends and colleagues asking me if milk from 'kampung' cows are considered raw milk. Well, if you can confirmed that the cow's are raised organically and free from pesticides, herbicides, growth hormones and antibiotics and free range, then I would say yes. The idea is milk obtained from healthy cows. People, you have to ask yourself before you purchase any food product including milk. Why do you want to drink milk? Simple as that. If you want to drink milk because you think that it will benefit your health, then drinking pasteurized or homogenized milk is a big mistake. You are basically drinking white liquid filled with pesticides, growth hormones, antibiotics, pathogens, dead enzymes with no or extremely little nutrients. Go for organic or raw good quality milk. 

Bisphenol A: Toxic chemical

Couple weeks back, as I still recall, i walked into my office, first thing i noticed, one of my co-workers, a guy, was waiting for his food to be ready. Guess what? He was heating up his food in a typical plastic tupperware inside the microwave. Obviously he doesn't know what will happen to his food once he eats it. 

Now, let me tell you what will happen when you microwave your food in a plastic tupperwave, especially the 'normal' bisphenol A grade. Imagine, your meal consists of vegetables filled with pesticides,  chicken meat injected with growth hormones, antibiotics and fed with grains which are grown on pesticides contaminated soil. When you mixed these food sources together in bisphenol A grade plastic container, and when you heat them up with microwave, you are creating a new breed of pesticides unknown to mankind! Congratulation, you are creating your own pesticides factory in a single meal. With varieties of pesticides and loads of estrogen hormones from the bisphenol A container, you are assaulting your endocrine system with that single serving. 

Well, most people either don't bother, or not aware of this chemical reaction. Now, let me tell you a couple of things about this toxic chemical, named Bisphenol A. It is a common chemical substance found in most plastic containers including tupperwares, baby bottles, microwavable plates, pacifiers, baby toys, water bottles, etc. Some of you might have heard of it, but most people are not aware of this toxic chemical. 

BPA is an endocrine disruptor, which means it mimics your body‘s natural hormones and can trigger major changes in your body. This toxic chemical first caught researchers’ attention after normal mice began to display uncommon genetic abnormalities. The defects were linked to plastic cages and water bottles that had been cleaned with a harsh detergent, causing BPA to leach out of the plastic. After determining how much BPA the mice had been exposed to, the researchers realized even an extremely small dose of 20 parts per billion daily, for just five to seven days, was enough to produce effects.

This can lead to chromosomal errors in the developing fetus, which can cause spontaneous miscarriages and genetic damage. And being exposed to a super tiny amount of BPA is enough to disrupt the effect of estrogen in a baby's developing brain. For this reason, women of childbearing age and those who are pregnant should be especially diligent at avoiding BPA, but practically no one is immune. 

Research has linked this chemical with various health conditions as below: 

•  Structural damage to your brain
•  Hyperactivity, increased aggressiveness, and impaired learning
•  Increased fat formation and risk of obesity
•  Altered immune function
•  Early puberty, stimulation of mammary gland development, disrupted reproductive cycles, and ovarian dysfunction
•  Changes in gender specific behavior, and abnormal sexual behavior
•  Increased prostate size, and decreased sperm production
•  Diabetes
•  Heart disease
•  Liver damage 

The problem with BPA is that it doesn’t stay put in the plastic. It leeches into whatever food or beverage you put in a plastic container, plastic-lined can, or plastic baby bottle. And if you microwave the containers or bottles, or put hot liquids or foods into them, the BPA leaches into your food or drink 55 times faster than when used cold! Even putting plastic containers in the dishwasher or washing them with harsh detergents increases the amount of BPA that leaches into your food, as does using scratched or worn out plastic containers or letting your food or beverage sit in the container for too long.

Meanwhile, there are also ways you can protect yourself and your families by following below tips: 

• Only use glass baby bottles and dishes for your baby.
• Get rid of your plastic dishes and cups, and replace them with glass alternatives.
• Give your baby natural fabric toys instead of plastic ones, and only BPA-free pacifiers and teethers.
• Store your food and beverages in glass and NOT plastic containers. Glass is the safest and most inert way to store your water and food, and is far better than any plastic. 
• If you choose to use a microwave, don't microwave food in a plastic container.
• Use glass, ceramic, or stainless steel travel coffee mugs rather than plastic or styrofoam coffee cups.
• Avoid using plastic wrap, and never microwave anything covered in it.
• If you opt to use plastic kitchenware, at least get rid of the older, scratched up varieties, avoid putting them in the dishwasher, and don't wash them with harsh detergents, as these things can cause more BPA to leach into your food.
• Avoid using bottled water, especially when exposed to sunlight. Filter your own using a high quality filter instead.
• Avoid using canned foods, including soda cans as the linings often contain BPA. If you do eat canned foods, choose only those that come in BPA-free cans.

Energy Drinks: Red Bull effect

I've seen people gulping down those energy drinks whenever they feel tired or sleepy. The question is, what will it do to our body? Apart from stimulating our nervous system, does it has any adverse affect to our body? Let's check it out. 

What's your favorite energy drink? Red Bull? Livita? Let me tell you this. Just one serving of Red Bull, can increase your risk of heart attack and stroke. The effect was seen in young people. The caffeine-loaded beverage causes blood to become sticky, a pre-cursor to cardiovascular problems such as stroke. One hour after drinking Red Bull, your blood system becomes abnormal, as might be expected from a patient with cardiovascular disease. Red Bull is banned in various countries such as Norway, Uruguay and Denmark because of health risks.

Energy drinks have been popping up all over supermarket and convenience store shelves in recent years, and have overtaken bottled water as the fastest growing category in the beverage business.When you break down the contents of one of those 8 ounce cans, the primary ingredients are caffeine and sugar (in the form of sucrose and glucose). So, the answer is yes, energy drinks will provide you with a quick burst of energy. However, this is not a lasting effect, and drinking several in a row will not turn you into a flying superhero, no matter how hard their  sinister marketing geniuses try to convince you otherwise.

According to most energy drinks manufacturers' claims, benefits include improve performance, increase concentration, endurance and metabolism. However, the effects of this energy drink will be similar to that of drinking a cup of coffee or a can of soda, in that when the effect wears off you'll start feeling lethargic and will likely crave another can  to boost your energy once again. As many of you likely know, it can become a vicious cycle. 

Meanwhile, let's find out the 'health' benefits of energy drinks. Nutritionally speaking, energy drinks are comparable to carbonated beverages like soda in that they offer little of value to your body. Yes, there are traces of B vitamins in energy drinks such as Red Bull, and it contains the amino acid taurine, but this cannot make up for the detrimental effects of caffeine and sugar. Although caffeine can certainly increase short term reaction speed, one major problem is that no one really knows how the combination of ingredients in Red Bull will affect your body. This is especially concerning since energy drinks are marketed toward people under the age of 30, and are especially popular among students and night clubbers who often times drink several cans at a time. 

Who should avoid energy drinks? I would say everyone, especially children. It would be wise to avoid energy drinks if you are lactating or pregnant, sensitive to caffeine, suffer from anxiety, suffer from high stress and chronic fatigue syndrome, have high blood pressure, etc. 

Red Bull can be deadly when combined with stress or high blood pressure, as it can impair proper blood vessel function and raise your risk of blood clots. Mixing energy drinks with alcohol, which is combining a stimulant with a depressant, has become an increasingly popular occurrence at bars. When mixed with alcohol, drinks like Red Bull are instantly morphed into popular club drinks like "Vodka Bulls". The combined effect of these substances is unknown, but overloading your body with heavy stimulants and heavy depressants could lead to heart failure. Countries like France and Denmark banned sales of Red Bull following several reported deaths of people who mixed it with alcohol.

As for alcohol, I don’t recommend drinking it at all. It is well established that alcohol is a neurotoxin, which means it can poison your brain. You also need to be aware that consuming large amounts of alcohol, even wine, will increase your insulin levels, thereby accelerating your risk of diabetes and other chronic diseases.

People ask me, how to increase energy levels without involving stimulants such as caffeine and sugar? Humans are not born to be naturally sluggish or constantly tired. This lethargic state is something that many of us have brought on ourselves. Your lack of energy is likely due to a combination of factors including:

• Poor food choices 
• Low-quality food 
• Stressful lifestyle 
• Negative emotions 
• Lack of sleep 
• Lack of exercise 

And now, below is what you can do, to increase your energy levels.

• Eating right for your nutritional type 
• Increasing your intake of omega-3 fats 
• Eliminating grains and sugars from your diet 
• Releasing emotional stress 
• Sleeping when you’re tired 
• Exercising 

TMJD

I have a friend, who always complains of back pain and jaw muscle ache most of the time. Some of my friends and family members grind their teeth when they sleep at night. Some people I know often have neck and back ache and goes for massage sessions. Some people wakes up in the morning and often have headaches and migraines. There are also people who have decreased ability to open and close mouth and experienced chewing difficulty. Well, these are the symptoms of TMJD. 

What is TMJD? It stands for temporomandibular joint disorder. Generally, the temporomandibular joint experienced inflammation and causes pain and impairment. What causes TMJD? I list down a handful of possible causes which could have trigger TMJD. 

Causes of TMJ:

Trauma
Stress & Anxiety
Always chew food on one side of the jaw
Deficient in seratonin level
Chronic parasite infection
Poor sleeping pattern
Excessive talking or gum chewing
Poor head or neck posture (leaning forward)
Doing too many crunches or workout exercise incorrectly

Some people who often have back or neck ache do not know that TMJD could be the root cause of the underlying problem. Often, when one has migraine or headache and goes to see a doctor, he or she will be prescribed painkiller such as paracetamol, aspirin, etc. This is treating symptom and will not tackle the root cause. It is important to analyse the bigger picture of the body and the activities which are carried out by that person(daily or recently) , to correctly identify the root cause. 

So, whoever have the above symptoms, you might have TMJD and get yourself diagnosed by a good knowledgeable doctor. 

Sugar : (Part 13) What to eat and avoid?

Folks, this will be my last post on sugar, farewell to fructose discussion. One of the villain in food and beverage sources, I now present to you, what you could eat, and what to avoid, or you could call it low fructose diet. By now, surely you must be wondering, what should I eat? 

Remember guys, I will list down what type of foods and beverages to eat and avoid, but this is NOT a 'one size fits all' diet guide. This, primarily, is a recommendation for low sugar, particularly low fructose eating guide, a guide, which is effective for cutting down your waistline, shedding off that stubborn remaining pounds, etc.

Fruits

Let's start off with fruits. A favorite amongst many people, fruit juices in particular, poses a major threat, apart from soft drinks. Fruit poses a dilemma. On the other hand, biting into a crisp apple or a juicy orange slice makes us feel virtuous for a reason. Fruit is full of vitamins and minerals, as well as micronutrients called phytochemicals. Fruit is also an excellent source of fiber. Yet, the sweetness that makes apples and oranges so delicious has a bitter edge, because every bite of fruit provides a potent dose of fructose, between 5 to 10 grams per serving, in most cases. Do you still remember I did mention about the safe limit of daily fructose consumption? Yes, 15 grams daily, and try not to exceed the 20 grams limit if possible. 

This makes fruit a good yet bad news food group. The large amounts of fructose in fruit activate the unhealthy metabolic pathways which I described in earlier post. It ultimately causing cells to absorb too much fat and become insulin resistant. 

You probably never dreamed that a physician would tell you to stop eating fruit, but in this case, I would recommend to cut down the consumption of fruits, but not fully eliminating them. I would personally recommend a serving per day, and not exceeding two servings daily. Eat fruits which is low in sugar, and there are variety of fruits which has lower glycemic index and avocado is one of them. Again, consume organic fruits if possible. Avoid fruits such as watermelon, a high glycemic fruit, yet usually contaminated with pesticides. Meanwhile, I have NOT seen organic watermelon before. Avocado, grapefruit, lemon, are all lower in sugar/fructose content. Apples, grapes and watermelon are generally high in fructose. Banana is okay for consumption but do not overdose yourself with multiple servings per day. 

Well, generally if you would to eat any higher fructose fruit consumption, try to eat only one serving daily, because you have not add up the remainder of other food products such as beverages, vegetables, processed food, etc. 

Vegetables and Legumes

Diet plans often lump vegetables and fruits into one group, with the advise to eat at least 5 servings per day. Honestly, I think the food pyramid chart is stupid and absurd. Whoever created this food chart, knows nothing about nutrition and food. You have to know, fruits and vegetables are two very different foods. Vegetables contain far less fructose than fruits do. Think of vegetables as fruit with all the benefits, but little of the risk.

The benefits of eating vegetables are beyond dispute. But, do you know the problems we are facing in society? We are not getting enough vegetables in our daily consumption. Particularly, organic whole vegetables. There are people thinking that ketchup is vegetables! Thinking that ketchup is made of tomatoes doesn't mean you are eating fresh organic whole vegetables. What's wrong with these people? God! 

For starters, while few vegetables are overly sweet, a handful have modestly high levels of fructose. For instance, peas contain more fructose by weight then raspberries. Surprisingly, some vegetables, including asparagus, mushrooms, and cauliflower, contain moderately high levels of purines. The same goes to peas, beans, and other legumes. Many gout sufferers avoid these vegetables and legumes, assuming that their relatively elevated purine content will cause a rise in blood levels of uric acid, leading to a painful arthritic flare up. But, my point of view, there is no reason why you should avoid these healthy foods, if consumed in moderate or smaller portion. 

There are many vegetables you can choose to consume daily, such as brocolli, tomatoes, carrots, cucumber, spinach, etc. They are generally low in fructose, compare to fruits. Buy and eat them raw if possible, and avoid high temperature cooking, and ensure they are grown organically. 

Bread, Pasta, Rice & Grains

When it concerns low fructose diet, and again, this particular guide is not for 'one size fits all', consuming rice and grains products is acceptable at certain limit. Grains do not contain fructose, so they do not raise uric acid  levels. But food manufacturers often add sugar, honey, HFCS and other fructose-rich sweeteners to grain products. Bread, in particular, to enhance their flavor and appearance. To avoid hidden sources or sugar or fructose in your diet, read product labels before you buy. 

I have a colleague who asked me "Can I eat white rice at night for dinner?".  His BMI is slightly above 30, belongs to obese category. It is not that eating rice is not good, but I would always prefer organic brown rice for most people. Lower glycemic type of rice and should be grown organically. Avoid bagels, pretzels, muffins, as these bread products contain lots of sugar all the time. Basically we are talking about varieties of bakery products, high amount of sugar. A slice of raisin bread, could easily contain up to 6 grams of sugar. 

Pasta does not contain fructose, but tomato-based sauces often do, usually in form of HFCS. Likewise, the wheat, oats, and other grains used to make breakfast cereal are free of fructose, but these popular products are often coated with sugar. Don't be tricked into thinking that 'natural' breakfast foods are necessarily fructose free, and it is safe and healthy for consumption. 

Avoid food products such as peanut butter, as most of them contain HFCS. Read before you buy, the ingredient label is important for consumer like us. My advise, try to limit the consumption of grain products, and opt for brown instead of white rice, and buy only organic grown rice. Avoid bakery foods if possible, most breads and buns will just add more sugar intake to your daily consumption. 

Meat & Poultry

When comes to uric acid, consumption of meat should be on your radar. But, I'm not saying that you should avoid eating meat altogether. Forget about health authorities telling you saturated fat from meat is unhealthy, causing high cholesterol and heart disease, that's all one big piece of bullshit. My cholesterol post will be up soon, as I will take some time to write and explain to you guys why high cholesterol DOESN'T cause heart disease. 

Meat raises uric acid because it contains purines. Yes, that correct, but high concentration of purines usually obtained from organs of the meat such as liver and kidneys. If you enjoy eating organ meats, try limiting not more then twice a month. Consuming beef, pork and lamb generally have moderate amount of purines. Chicken and turkey have lower purine levels, so you can eat poultry more often. 

As for my advise, it is alright to eat meats with different combinations, as long as avoiding organ meats. The key here is to buy and eat organic free range animals. 

Fish & Seafood

Some fish and shellfish contain large amounts of purines as well, which means eating them can raise uric acid. But seafood offers tremendous health benefits, so it should be a regular feature in your weekly menu. We have known for decades that fish protects the heart, and Eskimos in Greenland have proved that for generations after generations. 

Fish oils are one of nature's richest sources of Omega 3 fatty acids, but I would recommend krill oil to everyone out there. Omega 3 fatty acids also appear to confer other benefits too, such as reducing inflammation. 

Eating good quality fish such as salmon and cod fish once a week would be a good weekly eating guide. Try to cut down on sardines, mackerel and herring, they have longer life span and tend to bioaccumulate more heavy metals in their fat cells and have high purine as well. Anyone who suffers gout or tend to have high uric acid levels, avoid shellfish, such as shrimp and lobster. 

Milk & Dairy Products

I wrote about milk earlier, pasteurized milk. For those who loves to drink milk, be sure to only buy either raw or organic milk and nothing else. You have to ask yourself, why do you drink milk? Is it because you think you are getting calcium or protein or other nutrients from it? If you are drinking pasteurized or homogenized milk, then too bad for you, almost entire nutrients in that processed milk, is gone. You are paying to drink white liquid contaminated with pesticides, growth hormones, antibiotics and other god knows what chemicals these commercial farmers had injected to the poor sick cows.

Study after study had revealed that people who drink plenty of of white beverage and eat other dairy products weigh less than people who avoided these nourishing foods. Dairy foods are an excellent source of calcium, and you can nourish yourself with vitamin D as well. Bottom line is, if you would to consume milk or dairy products such as cheese and butter, ensure they are organic, raw and minimally processed if possible. So guys, do not hesitate to drink raw organic milk. Go for it.

Fats & Oils


Let me ask you, what have you heard most doctors said about you diet? Eat less fat foods right? And why people are getting fatter and sicker while reducing food high in fat? Low fat yogurt, low fat milk, low fat cheese, everything low or non fat. But, what are we seeing here? An epidemic of obesity in this country and other nations as well. Does it make sense? You do the math here.

Healthy fats and oils, are extremely important to optimum health. I'm not talking about canola or corn oil here, or trans fat found in most junk foods and fast foods. We have been eating too much of the unhealthy fats and too little of good fats. People might say, 1 gram of fat has 9 calories. It will make you fatter. Wrong! Eating good quality fat will not make you fat. It's another nutrition myth spread by health authorities and some lack of knowledge people and those food manufacturers who are promoting grains, soy and corn products.

Enjoy your avocado, fish, krill oil, flax seed oil, coconut oils for regular consumption. Again, ensure your coconut oil is cold pressed and organic. You can gulp it down 2 tablespoon everyday just like that. Increase your Omega 3 fatty acids and try to reduce trans fat as much as possible. Avoid cookies, potato chips, crackers, fried chickens, or any food which involved high temperature heating with unhealthy cooking oils such as canola, corn, sunflower, safflower, soy bean, even olive oil as well. Vegetable oils are not stable oils, and they turn rancid very easily, although olive oil is a bit more stable then the rest of the oils. Olive oil is not meant for deep frying or high temperature cooking. Any hydrogenated oil involved, you can trans fat. Read my earlier post about trans fat for more details. 

Soft drinks, Candy and Desserts


Folks, I think you know what I'm going to write about these sweet foods. These are major sources of fructose in our diet. If you would to drink let's say 12 ounces of Coke or Pepsi, you basically consume 20 grams of fructose. This is already more than the safe limit of fructose consumption for the day itself. Fruit juice sold in supermarkets is another fructose powerhouse. Most sport drinks provide a modest dose of fructose.

While soft drinks are loaded with HFCS, candy and desserts also contains fructose too. One of the worst offenders may be cake icing. My take here, avoid all these sweet foods as much as possible. They have no benefits whatsoever at all. Meanwhile, artificial sweeteners are strictly not recommended especially EQUAL, which contains aspartame. Read my post about aspartame, to educate yourself further.


With that, I conclude my final post for sugar and I hope all of you enjoy reading this series. Till then, take care.

Sugar : (Part 12) Digestive System, Eyes, Cancer

Wassaup folks? How everyone doing? I just came back from overseas and now back to Malaysia. This will be another post about fructose, and this time, it's about how this simple sugar affects our digestive system, eyes and also cancer. Let's find out. 

Filling up on sweets often leads to an upset of stomach. Why? This is because many people have difficulty digesting the fructose in sugar, HFCS and other sweeteners. But it is not only candy munching treaters who are affected by this problem, known as fructose malabsorption or intolerance. 

As fructose travels through the digestive system, it eventually enters the small intestines. From there, it normally is absorbed into the bloodstream. But some people absorb fructose less efficiently than others do. In these cases, fructose enters the large intestine, where it is broken down by bacteria, producing large amounts of hydrogen gas. Fructose can also suck water into the colon. 

Fructose malabsorption causes a variety of gastrointestinal problems, including abdominal pain, bloating, cramps, flatulence, diarheaa and constipation. Recent research suggests that fructose may be one of the cause of irritable bowel syndrome, a condition which is seemingly becoming more common amongst the society. Previously, the foods and beverages most commonly linked to IBS were wheat and other grains, chocolate and dairy products, as well as alcohol. 

If you struggle with gastrointestinal problems, adopting a low fructose diet may help. A 2006 study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that 74% of IBS patients who cut back on their fructose consumption experienced a significant drop in gastrointestinal symptoms. 

Next, let's discuss about how consumption of fructose can affect eyes. Cataracts occur when protein in the eye undergo changes and form cloudy or opaque areas on the lens. A variety of visual disturbances may result, including muted colors, loss of night vision, and double vision. Diabetes is a leading cause of cataracts.

Controlling blood glucose levels is the key to preventing common diabetes complications such as vision problems. Meanwhile, eating and drinking too many sugary foods and beverages during pregnancy may increase the risk for a complication called preeclampsia, which causes high blood pressure and loss of large amounts of protein in the urine. Symptoms including swelling of the face and hands, severe and nonstop headaches, stomach pain, nausea and disturbed vision. Preeclampsia also poses a risk to the fetus, because it often forces early delivery, which can result in low birth weight. 

Women who develop preeclampsia tend to be overweight and have other conditions of metabolic syndrome, such as insulin resistance and elevated blood fats. The combination of overweight, metabolic syndrome and elevated uric acid suggest that high fructose diet may play a role in preeclampsia. 

Moving on, cancer. There are studies suggest that consuming too much fructose may be a risk factor for certain cancers. Researchers at Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that women who consumed sweet foods and beverages roughly 10 times per week were 32% more likely to develop early stage breast cancer than woman who avoided high sugar foods. 

Another study done by researchers at Harvard, found that males who consumed the most fructose or refined sugar, had 37% higher risk for colorectal cancer. Furthermore, we know that a high fructose diet can cause insulin resistance and elevated insulin. 

As I explained before, your immune system produces inflammation to healp heal wounds and destroy infectious germs. But an overreactive and dsyfunctional immune system can misfire, attacking healthy tissue and resulting in diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. Likewise, persistent inflammation appears to play a role in some cancers. Normally, the body regulates inflammation by turning down the immune system's activity once an injury has healed or an infection is under control. If this regulatory system fails, chronic inflammation may result, causing extensive harm to healthy tissue and organs. In response, the body is forced to continuously repair and rebuild the damaged tissue. With increased cell turnover, comes the heightened risk of producing cells with cancer-causing mutations, which could form malignant tumors. 

There are certain infections, which cause acute inflammation, can increase the risk  for some cancers. For example, HPV are a major cause of cervical cancer and have been implicated with other forms of disease. Moreover, chronic inflammation appears to increase the risk of cancers such as esophagus, lungs, colon, stomach, pancreas and liver.

Studies have shown us that exposing human cells to fructose causes them to become highly inflamed. Fructose also stimulates the production of free radicals, which are responsible for cellular damage of oxidative stress. And oxidative stress has itself been implicated as a contributor to cancer.

Guys, I will write the final post about sugar and fructose tomorrow. Thats it, my brain is stung with all this sugar craze info sharing stuff and exhaustion from my recent trip. For now, let's depart and have a good day. 

Sugar : (Part 11) Brain, Joints, Liver

Right now, away from Malaysia, today is the 2nd day of the month, a whole new year, hopefully, it will be a good year ahead. Did all of you celebrate New Year's eve? I hope you guys had a good one. Today, I'm writing about the adverse affects of sugar, particularly fructose, and how it could impair our brain, joints and liver.

You guys must be thinking, how could source of energy such as sugar could impair or develop adverse effects on our brain? Yeah, same goes to how something which make our food taste so good kill and fry our brain cells, MSG. Today, hopefully it is a good day and I'm expecting a sunny cooling weather. I hope everyone is doing good and healthy. I hope you guys don't feel bored reading such a long series of post regarding sugar. I mean, you guys must be thinking, how much can a person write about sugar, right? Let's find out.

Consuming small amounts of fructose, may actually sharpen your wits and perk up your brain cells. But research suggests that steady high fructose foods and beverages could actually provide the opposite affect. As you know, consuming fructose causes the body to produce uric acid. Uric acid can act as an antioxidant, meaning that it protects body tissue from destructive oxidative stress, including your brain. Studies found that people with elevated uric acid tended to score poorly on tests of cognitive skills.

Having high uric acid levels in the blood may interfere with mental clarity and processing speed in several ways. A healthy brain requires steady and plentiful blood flow. Rising uric acid levels can disrupt circulation by making blood vessels constrict, raising blood pressure. Studies shown that people with hypertension, are more likely to develop dementia, or loss of intellectual ability caused by damage to brain cells. Studies also show that fructose and uric acid injure small blood vessels as well.

Now, let's focus on joints problems associated with fructose. Eating a high fructose diet increases the risk for gout by elevating uric acid levels. The prime victims are men over age of 40s. Some people develop gout by age of 20's and 30's. In fact, gout is the most common inflammatory arthritis among males. Women under age 50, rarely develop this condition, though their risk rises after menopause, and this suggests that hormones provide some protection. In addition to the big toe, gout may produce swelling and inflammation in the elbows, wrists, fingers, knees and ankles. 

For centuries, doctors suspected that consuming certain foods and beverages could trigger this agonizing form of arthritis, but they primarily blamed fatty meats and alcohol. It was known for more then half century ago, that fructose raises uric acid, which can form painful crystals in the joints.

In fact, studies found that by eating an apple or orange a day, is 60 percent more likely to develop gout then people who rarely eats fruits. I'm not telling all of you to give up eating fruits of course, but do aware of the 'safety limit' of daily fructose consumption. The statistic illustrates the powerful influence of fructose on the risk for gout. If any of you love eating fruits, try not to consume more then once a day, and choosing a low glycemic fruit such as avocado would be a better choice. Avocado has a much lower sugar content then most fruits and filled with rich healthy fats.

Next, let's move on to liver impact with fructose consumption. There is a common liver disease primarily affects people who drink too much of alcohol. There is a condition called non alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD). This disease is more common with people who are overweight or obese.

NAFLD is a general term for several conditions caused by the accumulation of fat in the liver cells. NAFLD is most common in middle aged people who are overweight and have other conditions of metabolic syndrome, such as elevated triglycerides and insulin resistance. In fact, developing metabolic syndrome results in a 30-fold increased risk for NAFLD.

Patients with NAFLD can develop scarring of the liver that worsens over time. It it worsens or prolongs, patients will develop cirrhosis, which can result in liver failure and death. How does liver transplant sounds to you? Scary? Then stop drinking alcohol folks.

One simple experiment, feed fructose to laboratory rats, and you notice their liver cells filled up with triglycerides. Before long, the rats develop fatty liver. Comparing people with other forms of liver disease, patients who have NAFLD tend to consume large amounts of fructose, especially from soft drinks. It is discovered that these patients' liver cells have high levels of fructose enzymes, not surprising since a high fructose diet stimulates these important enzymes.

There is also evidence that raising levels of fructose enzymes by consuming too much sugar and HFCS causes liver damage. As you recall, I did mentioned in earlier post that cells can become depleted of ATP, also means cell shock and they become sickly and weak.

If you watch documentary SuperSize Me, the filmmaker gained 25 pounds in a month period, 30 days of McDonalds. Blood tests showed that his liver enzymes had soared, a sure sign that the organ was undergoing extreme stress, nutritional stress that is, as if he was drinking excessive amount of alcohol. Failing his liver enzyme test suggest that this filmmaker was well on his way to a full blown fatty liver, which may progress over time to cirrhosis. Even though he was consuming massive amounts of trans fat, saturated fat and sodium every day, but it was most likely the extra large cups of fructose rich soda that were the cause of the liver problems and posed swiftest and most serious threat to this filmmaker well being.

So guys and girls, to all the fast food addicts out there, do take note, seriously, unless you don't mind having liver failure and probably death. I know you can't say NO to fast foods, but at least try?