Introduction
As a holistic healthcare practitioner, I am constantly exposed to new products, research, and concepts. In order to provide the best advice and care for my clients, I must take a critical look at the scientific theory and proof behind each of these items. It is imperative that I stay current, not clinging to tradition or to what I have been taught as if they were “the gospel truth.” I must be a “devil's advocate,” if you will, and I challenge you to be the same:
Question what you hear being promoted as healthy. Go even beyond provoking debate, and become an advocate FOR your own health!
Science as well as the food industry are constantly coming out with new products and claims that seem right at the time, but are later proven to be false, and even detrimental to our health. For example, surveying medical history from the last 100 years, we see that:
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Starting in 1920, iodine was added to bread to combat a severe goiter problem in the U.S. In 1963 the World Health Organization decided that we were getting too much iodine and discouraged bread supplementation. By the mid 1970s, bread makers had stopped using iodine as a dough conditioner, and bromine (a known iodine receptor site blocker) was being added instead. Thyroid disorders have soared uncontrollably ever since. (1)
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In the 1950's medical doctors actually advocated cigarette smoking as being harmless, and even beneficial, to our health!
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Over the past two to three decades, the medical community has advocated a low-fat diet to combat high cholesterol and heart disease. A majority of foods were developed to be low in natural fats, but high in synthetic fat substitutes, carbohydrates, and sugars. Since then, the prevalence of these two issues as well as diabetes have sky-rocketed. (2, 3, 4)
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Soy products have been touted as beneficial to our health, and rather than being used as a condiment or garnish as in Asian cultures, soy has become a staple of the American diet, added to EVERYTHING, and wreaking havoc on our health! (5, 6, 7)
As Americans, we have this notion that if a little of a good thing is good, then a lot of a good thing is even better, and we are destroying our health by this lack of prudence and moderation!
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The antioxidant theory is no exception to this rule. I have recently been exposed to a radical new concept that antioxidants may actually be bad for our health, while free radicals may actually be beneficial. Yes, you read it correctly! However, this concept is not really new because it has been around since the 1940's, advocated by proponents such as Dr. Royal Lee of Standard Process.
I was shocked to learn this “new” information and more! Afterall, antioxidants are supposed to be good, right? I want to be clear that naturally occurring antioxidants in fruits, vegetables, and herbs are NOT bad for our health, but high dosages of antioxidants in the form of supplements, especially SYNTHETIC versions, are the real culprits.
Intrigued? Stay tuned for my next blog when I will share the laboratory results of antioxidant trials, explain the difference between human vs. laboratory trials and why the results are so contradictory. Then, you will be able to play the “devil's advocate” and make an informed decision that truly advocates for the health of you and your family.
L'chaim-- To Life!
Sources:
1 Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You Can't Live Without It, Dr. David Brownstein.
2 Am J Clin Nutr January 2010, Patty W Siri-Tarino, Qi Sun, Frank B Hu, and Ronald M Krauss, “Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies evaluating the association of saturated fat with cardiovascular disease,” ajcn.27725.
3 J Clin Epidemiol. 1998 Jun;51(6):443-60, “The questionable role of saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids in cardiovascular disease.” Ravnskov U.
4 Arch Intern Med. 2009 Apr 13;169(7):659-69. doi: 10.1001/archinternmed.2009.38, “A systematic review of the evidence supporting a causal link between dietary factors and coronary heart disease.” Mente A, de Koning L, Shannon HS, Anand SS.
5 Cancer Res. 2001 Jul 1;61(13):5045-50, “Soy diets containing varying amounts of genistein stimulate growth of estrogen-dependent (MCF-7) tumors in a dose-dependent manner.” Allred CD, Allred KF, Ju YH, Virant SM, Helferich WG.
6 Hum. Reprod. (2008) 23 (11): 2584-2590. “Soy food and isoflavone intake in relation to semen quality parameters among men from an infertility clinic; Jorge E. Chavarro, Thomas L. Toth, Sonita M. Sadio, Russ Hauser doi: 10.1093/humrep/den243.
7 Nihon Naibunpi Gakkai Zasshi. 1991 May 20;67(5):622-9. [The effects on the thyroid gland of soybeans administered experimentally in healthy subjects]. [Article in Japanese] Ishizuki Y, Hirooka Y, Murata Y, Togashi K