SPECIAL LEAVES and FUNGI
Aloe leaf juice or gel
The aloe vera
plant is a desert member of the lily plant family, with a hard outer rind
(containing emodin, a powerful stimulant of intestinal motility) surrounding a bitter
sap and then the bulky green gel which is full of nutritious juice. High doses of Aloe vera juice can cause
diarrhea, abdominal pain and electrolyte imbalance, because often bits of the
outer leaf are included in the juice.
Most of the
more than 240 species of aloe vera are nutritious and effective. Easy to grow, it makes an ideal houseplant,
and then its gel will always be present.
Aloe Vera gel is useful for treating athlete’s foot, any forms of burns,
muscular pains, herpes, eczema, pimples, bruises, diaper rash, wounds and cuts,
hair loss, allergies, varicose veins, insect bites, furuncles, psoriasis,
scleroderma and acne. The bitter outer sap
is used to accelerate wound healing and reduce inflammation.
Taken
internally, aloe vera gel has reduced the blood sugar levels in patients suffering
from high fasting blood sugar. Add it to
your morning shake. Sulfur-rich aloe
juice possesses soothing properties that help in colitis, peptic ulcers and
digestive tract irritations. Aloe vera
juice contains anti-inflammatory fatty acids that alkalize digestive juices and
prevent over acidity.
Acemannan,
found in aloe vera is being studied for its beneficial effects in boosting
T-lymphocyte cells that aid the immune system.
It contains Vitamins B1, B2, B6, C and many amino acids. An analysis of aloe shows that it comes closer
than any other known plant to the duplication of essential amino acids. All of this is supplied with just 2-4 ounces,
twice a day. As a food supplement, freeze-dried aloe vera capsules aid blood
and lymphatic circulation and facilitate digestion.
Amaranths Common names: Chinese spinach, edible
amaranth, bayan (Malaysia and Indonesia), Calaloo (Caribbean), klaroen
(Surinam),Xian cai (Mandarin) Yin choi/in tsoi (Cantonese) Hi-yu-na, Jave
hohrensoh (Japanese).
Origin American,
Asian and African tropics but now spread all over the world. They are
exceptionally nutritious and from ancient times seed and leaves of cultivated
and wild forms have been used by man for food, medicine and animal fodder. Many exhibit striking colors in leaves and
flowers and have been grown as ornamental plants in the west.
For
practical purposes the Amaranth species can be divided into the following
groups according to their main use today: leafy Amaranths, grain Amaranths,
decorative Amaranths and weeds.
The leaves
of all Amaranths are edible and are vegetable. Leafy Amaranths are the best for cultivating. They are erect branching, short lived annuals
with an average height of about 35cm-150cm when flowering. Leaves are soft textured and go limp quickly
after being picked. Both the leaves and stems are edible and delicious. The flavor can be described as ‘like
artichokes’ and ’spinach with a bit of a twang’. The flavor is strong and slightly hot in older
plants. Indians prefer green leaved and
Chinese the red leaved. Leaves are very
nutritious, rich in protein, iron, calcium and Vitamins A & C.
Very young
leaves can be used in salads, eat the young stems as they are, cut the bottom
inch off thicker stems and the older stems can be peeled. The Taiwanese rub the leaves to make them
softer. Use like spinach, but it does
cook faster. Simply steam or stir-fry. In China it is used in soup, leaves eaten
separately after being cooked in the soup first. In SE Asia it is flavored with mint.
Leafy Amaranths
grow well at higher spring and summer temperatures and tolerate fairly dry
conditions. Ideal soil is light, sandy,
fertile and well drained. The more
fertile the soil the better they will crop. It can be intercropped with things like beans
and gourds. If seedlings are not enough,
cuttings can be taken from non-flowering side shoots. It is a cut and come again crop and for a
continuous supply regular sowings can be made at two week intervals. They are often marketed with the roots
attached and pulled when about 8-10 inches high. Any flowers that have developed are removed
and leaves and side shoots are harvested. Plants grown this way have strong reserves,
and will continue producing into late autumn.
Cabbage is a vegetable
consisting of layers of thick leaves that grow around each other from the stem.
The leaves of some varieties form dense,
solid heads and others have leaves that grow more loosely around each other. Some varieties have smooth leaves and some
have crinkled leaves. Their outer leaves are generally darker green than the
inner leaves. Some varieties are dark purplish red and some are white. Among the varieties, savoy with green leaves,
Napa, which has pale green to white leaves, red cabbage, and bok choy (Chinese
cabbage) with white stems and dark green leaves. Cabbage is a good source of nutrients and
contains a fair amount of soluble and insoluble fiber. When cooked, cabbage gives off a very pungent
odor.
It can be
used cooked or raw in dishes from corned beef and cabbage, soups & stews,
to cold dishes such as coleslaw. Another
popular use of cabbage is to allow it to ferment to produce sauerkraut. Cabbage leaves are also used as a wrap for
other foods. Store cabbage uncut to
prevent vitamin C loss. Place the uncut
head in a perforated plastic bag and store up to two weeks in the refrigerator
crisper drawer. If cabbage is cut, wrap
the remainder of the head tightly in plastic wrap but use within a couple of
days.
Preparing
cabbage basically consist of cleaning and cutting the cabbage to the desired
size. When cutting cabbage, a stainless steel knife should be used because if
the knife is carbon steel, the cut edges of the cabbage will turn black. The
head should not be cut open until it is going to be used because once the
cabbage is cut it starts to lose its vitamin C content rapidly.
If it is
necessary to cut a portion from the head and the remainder will be stored, be
sure to wrap the remaining sections tightly in plastic wrap and store in the
refrigerator. If there are signs of worms or insects after the head is cut
open, rid the cabbage of them by soaking it in salt water brine for 20 minutes.
Cabbage can
be eaten raw or cooked. It can be juiced, boiled, steamed, braised, sautéed and
stir-fried. It should be cooked until just tender. Overcooking will result in limp, pasty
cabbage and produce a very unpleasant smell. The unpleasant smell is caused by the sulfur
compounds that are released when the cabbage is cooked to long.
Also, older
cabbage or those that have been stored for a long time will have a tendency to
have even a stronger smell than freshly picked cabbage. Keep the odor to a minimum by cooking
uncovered with as little water as possible and cook quickly, do not overcook.
The color in
red cabbage will have a tendency to run when it is cooked. The cabbage turns a purplish blue and turns
other foods that it is cooked with to a reddish color. To prevent the red cabbage from discoloring,
add lemon juice or vinegar to the cooking water. (Approximately 1/2 tbsp. per
cup of cooking water will be sufficient.)
Red cabbage
contains 36 different varieties of anthocyanins, a class of flavonoids associated
with cancer protection. Anthocyanins are
naturally occurring pigments that give fruits and berries their red, blue and
purple coloration. In addition to
protecting against cancer, anthocyanins can improve heart health and brain
function. Some varieties of anthocyanin
have more than twice the antioxidant effect of vitamin C.
People absorb
most anthocyanins when eating the largest servings of red-purple cabbage. Anthocyanins modify the functioning of fat
cells and may help fight the symptoms of metabolic syndrome e. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of symptoms
linked to premature aging, cardiovascular disease and diabetes, including
hyperglycemia, high blood pressure, central obesity, lowered HDL
("good") cholesterol and elevated triglyceride levels.
Cabbage's
role as a staple vegetable in Polish cuisine may be why the breast cancer risk
of Polish women triples after they immigrate to the U.S., rising to match that
of U.S.-born women. In Poland, women typically eat an average of 30 pounds of
cabbage and sauerkraut per year, while American women consume just 10 pounds
per year.
Polish women
also traditionally eat more raw cabbage and sauerkraut in salads or as a side
dish. Although the lowest rate of breast
cancer was found among women who consumed high amounts of raw- or short-cooked
cabbage during adolescence, high consumption during adulthood also provided
significant protection even among women who had eaten little cabbage during
adolescence.
Cabbage
provides anti-carcinogenic glucosinolates, which are formed by the activity of
myrosinase enzymes released when cabbage is sliced or chopped. Cooking denatures the myrosinase enzyme, thus
stopping the production of glucosinolates. In the body, the breakdown products of
glucosinolates called indoles and sulfurophanes are thought to affect both the
initiation phase of carcinogenesis-by decreasing the amount of DNA damage and
cell mutation-and the promotion phase, by blocking the processes that inhibit
programmed cell death and stimulate unregulated cell growth.
Cabbage juice contains easy-digestible carbohydrates,
vitamins С, folacin and amino acids. It also contains potassium, sodium,
calcium, magnesium and iron salts. Cabbage
juice contains a special anti-ulcerous vitamin U. It is used warm as a remedy against peptic
ulcer and duodenum disease acute conditions. It is recommended to use warm
fresh cabbage juice for gargling while stomatitis and colitis.
Cabbage juice impedes conversion of carbohydrates to fats,
that’s why it is useful for obesity, even though it has iodine-binding
anti-thyroid effects. Cabbage, Brussels sprouts, legumes, cassava may interfere with iodine absorption
and increase the risk of iodine deficiency when eaten juiced or eaten in large
amounts, particularly in low-iodine regions.
Besides
fasting, or chronic protein deficiency, common causes of hypothyroidism are
excessive stress or “aerobic” (really anaerobic) exercise, and diets containing
beans, lentils, nuts, unsaturated fats (including carotenes) and undercooked
broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, or mustard greens. Many health conscious people become
hypothyroid with a synergistic program of raw juicing, undercooked vegetables,
legumes instead of animal protein, oils instead of butter, carotene instead of
vitamin A, and breathless exercise instead of a stimulating life.
You can drink cabbage juice 30 minutes before meal and
during intervals between meals several times a day. Regardless of the fact that cabbage juice has
a healing effect on gastric mucosa, it is undesirable to drink it during acute
gastritis and peptic ulcer conditions.
Cabbage
foods were categorized as raw (raw sauerkraut and fresh cabbage), short-cooked
(steamed sauerkraut and cabbage), and long-cooked (hunter's stew, cabbage
rolls, and pierogi). Cabbage's protective effect was seen only for raw and
short-cooked cabbage, not long-cooked. To promote the production of the most
glucosinolates, slice or chop the cabbage and let sit for 5-10 minutes before
cooking, and then cook lightly, steaming or sautéing for 5 minutes or less. Then juice the cabbage even if you are low
thyroid.
To get the
most benefit from your cruciferous vegetables, be sure to choose organically
grown vegetables (their phytonutrient levels are higher than conventionally
grown), and steam lightly (this method of cooking has been shown to not only
retain the most phytonutrients but to maximize their availability). Steamed Cabbage:
Raw cabbage juice is well documented as being remarkably effective in treating peptic ulcers. In one study, 1 liter of the fresh juice per day, taken in divided doses, resulted in total ulcer healing in an average of 10 days. The likely reason for cabbage juice's efficacy in healing ulcers is its high content of glutamine, an amino acid that is the preferred fuel for the cells that line the stomach and small intestine.
Cabbage
contains goitrogens, naturally-occurring substances in certain foods that can
interfere with the functioning of the thyroid gland. Individuals with already
existing and untreated thyroid problems may want to avoid large amounts of
cabbage juice for this reason.
Cabbage
leaves are a great way to inspire leftovers. Spoon some leftovers such as rice
salad or a vegetable mixture onto the center of a cabbage leaf and roll into a
neat little package. Bake in medium heat oven until hot. Enjoy your easy and
healthy version of stuffed cabbage, a traditional eastern European dish.
Braise red
cabbage with a chopped apple and red wine. This is a child-friendly dish, since
the alcohol (but not the flavor or the flavonoids) will evaporate. Sauté cabbage and onions and serve over cooked
buckwheat for a hardy side dish.
Combine
shredded red and white cabbage with fresh lemon juice, olive oil, and
seasonings such as turmeric, cumin, coriander and black pepper to make coleslaw
with an Indian twist.
Coleslaw 12 Servings
1 head cabbage
2 medium carrots
Dressing:
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon Himalayan salt
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons finely chopped onions
2/3 cup vegetable oil
½ teaspoon celery seeds, (optional)
Finely grate cabbage and carrots and place in a large bowl. Place the sugar, mustard, salt, vinegar and
onion in a blender container and process on high until well mixed. Add the oil slowly with the motor running
until thickened and the sugar is dissolved.
Stir in celery seed if using.
Pour over the cabbage mixture and stir.
Let sit at least one hour or up to overnight.
Sauerkraut making at home, with or without
special equipment, is quite simple. Pasteurization
of store-bought sauerkraut will destroy all of the beneficial digestive enzymes
and lactic acid bacteria, as well as the valuable vitamin C content, so it
greatly diminishes the nutritional value without any significant benefit. Start with fresh cabbage from the
garden, shred it and mix it in a bowl with salt," at a ratio of roughly 3
tablespoons of salt for every five pounds of cabbage. Load it into the crocks and really pack it
down with your fist. Then place a pair of half-circle-shaped ceramic
weights (which are sold with the crock; a water-filled bottle set atop a plate
will also work) on top of the cabbage and puts on the lid.
A unique feature of a sauerkraut crock is that the lid's
edge sits in a circular trough that is filled with water. This forms a one-way seal: carbon dioxide
given off by fermentation can bubble out, but air cannot get back in. Sauerkraut can be made in a glass or ceramic
vessel without such a seal, but tends to form a mold on the brine's surface
which requires regular skimming or the batch will spoil.
The salt draws water from the cabbage. With garden-fresh cabbage, brine usually forms
in a few hours. But if, after 24 hours,
enough brine has not formed to cover the cabbage, which can happen with older,
drier vegetables, you can just add salted water, at a concentration of roughly
one teaspoon of salt per cup.
Let the batch sit at room temperature for three days. It will begin weird bubbling. Then move it back to a cooler location for
about six weeks. Sauerkraut can be
sampled just a week or so after fermentation starts, but the flavor improves
over time. Once it tastes just right,
the finished product can go into the refrigerator, packed in its own juice, for
several weeks more. The transformation of bland cabbage
and plain salt into tangy sour food poetry is the work of lactic acid, produced
when Lactobacillus bacteria, which is already present in the cabbage, digests
sugars in the vegetable.
Raw
sauerkraut dressed with oil and onions is served as a salad, while warmed sauerkraut with bacon is commonly served. Spices may be added;
apple, bay leaves, caraway seeds and juniper berries are
traditional. In some variations, wine may be added. Sauerkraut is similar to many ancient
Northeastern Asian dishes, including Korean kimchi and other fermented
vegetables.
Napa cabbage is generally the main ingredient in kimchi, and the dish is usually fermented in brine with garlic, scallions and ground pepper. However, there are many variations emphasizing chilies, other vegetables and spices. Other forms of kimchi offer different kinds of flavors. As vegetables are a seasonal food, the many forms of kimchi were developed based on what was in season and on hand.
Kimchi has
been so important in Korean cuisine that there is an entire museum dedicated to
it. Historians at the museum have documented nearly 200 distinct forms of
kimchi. In fact, there are some forms of kimchi that include seafood and
resemble the Latin American dish ceviche.
Veggie
Kraut
has no cabbage at all! Use whatever seasonal root vegetables are available. It
is difficult to make a sauerkraut combination come out not tasting sensational,
so be creative. Place 6 large carrots, with 4 beets, turnip, parsnip or
rutabaga, to equal half the amount of carrots used. Run 1 small onion and
garlic to taste through a Juicer with blank or grate them all together. Layer
the mixture in a crock with apple and seaweed, following the directions above.
Crinum
Lily,
Seashore Crinum, Spider Lily, Leaves and root (fresh bulb), juice of the fresh
bulb: The leaf is potent folk medicine
in topical treatment of injury and inflamed joints and richly present as an ornamental throughout south
Florida. Extracts may be proven useful
for autoimmune disease or various cancers.
The root extract is an emetic, diaphoretic and creates nausea when
fresh. Seeds are purgative and induce
vomiting.
Typical dose
is ¼ to ½ teaspoonful of three to one syrup; ¼ teaspoonful as an emetic for
children. In case of dried roots double
dose is required. Poultice of leaves and
powder of root are commonly used topically for injury or joint inflammation.
Mushrooms white
button mushrooms, most commonly consumed kind in U.S., have about 12 times more
antioxidant ergothioneine than wheat germ and 4 times more than chicken liver,
the previous top-rated. White button
mushrooms have more antioxidant potential than green peppers, pumpkins,
tomatoes, zucchini, green beans or carrots. Portabellas
and criminis have the most ergothioneine, followed closely by the white
buttons. A standard 3-ounce USDA serving of these mushrooms, about the amount
you'd put on a cheese steak or mushroom-topped burger, supplies up to 5mg.
Exotic
mushrooms contain even more ergothioneine. A similar 3 ounces of shiitake,
oyster, king oyster or maitake (hen of the woods) can contain up to 13mg or about 40 times as much as wheat germ. Levels of ergothioneine do not decrease when
mushrooms are cooked.
Ergothioneine is a product of plant origin
that accumulates in animal tissues. Ergothioneine is a powerful scavenger of
hydroxyl radicals (.OH) and an inhibitor of iron or copper ion-dependent
generation of .OH from hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). It is also an inhibitor of
copper ion-dependent oxidation of oxyhemoglobin, and of arachidonic acid
peroxidation promoted by mixtures of myoglobin (or hemoglobin) and H2O2. Ergothioneine is a powerful scavenger of
hypochlorous acid, being able to protect alpha 1-antiproteinase against
inactivation by this molecule. By contrast, it does not react rapidly with
superoxide (O2-) or hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and it does not inhibit microsomal
lipid peroxidation in the presence of iron ions.
Edible mushrooms are used extensively
in cooking, in many cuisines (notably Chinese, European, and Japanese). Many species are
high in fiber and provide vitamins such as thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, biotin, cobalamins and ascorbic acid. Fungi are the best
non-animal source of provitamin D Some mushrooms become significant sources of
vitamin D after exposure to ultraviolet light, though this also
darkens their skin.
Mushrooms
are also a source of some minerals, including iron, selenium, potassium and phosphorous. Maitake, shiitake, chaga and reishi all exhibit anti-cancer, anti-viral along with immune
balancing properties. Regular ingestion of
mushrooms over long periods of time decreases the number of cancerous defective
cells in the body. Mushrooms not only
fight to reduce cancerous cells and tumors, but they help prevent more inappropriate
cells from forming in the body.
Mushrooms
are adaptogens for the immune system. Their
complex polysaccharides and other components have the capacity to regulate and
equilibrate disordered immune function, as well as to act as an invigorating
tonic. Lion's Mane mushrooms (Hericium erinaceus) may stimulate
regrowth and healing of neurons in the brain. Its delightful seafood flavor
makes it a useful, unusual ingredient in raw dishes. Native Americans used the
dried powdered mushroom for wound healing. It also stimulates the immune system
and is used to help digestion. Use of 1–3 teaspoons (2–6 grams) a day is recommended.
Fungi and
animals are more closely related to one another than either is to plants,
diverging from plants more than 460 million years ago. Diseases of plants typically do not afflict
humans, whereas diseases of fungi do.
Since humans (animals) and fungi share common microbial antagonists such
as Escherichia coli,
Staphylococcus aureus
and Pseudomonas aeruginosa,
humans can benefit from the natural defensive strategies of fungi that produce
antibiotics to fight infection from microorganisms.
Mushrooms are rich sources of
natural antibiotics and their cell wall glucans are well-known for
immunomodulatory effects, but few therapists are aware that many mushroom
externalized secondary metabolites (extracellular secretions by the mycelium)
combat bacteria and viruses. Additionally, exudates from mushroom mycelia are
active against protozoa such as the parasite that causes malaria, Plasmodium falciparum, as
well as other microorganisms.
Some
mushrooms and their components are target-specific in their antibiotic
properties. Others have broader effects.
With an increasing number of bacteria developing resistance to commercial
antibiotics, such as MSRA (methicillin-resistant S. aureus) and Pseudomonas, extracts and derivatives from
mushrooms provide promise for new approaches.
Mushrooms can have both anti-viral and
anti-bacterial properties, with low cytotoxicity to animalian hosts,
underscoring their usefulness as natural sources of medicines.
If you like
cooking with dried mushrooms than you will love various mushroom powders. We prefer a grind with tiny pieces of
mushroom as well as fine powder. When
you sprinkle it on a salad you can see as well taste the mushrooms. Use it in gravies and sauces for a taste and
nutrition boost. Sprinkle mushroom
powder on scrambled eggs or on an omelet.
Most
mushrooms sold in supermarkets are commercially grown on mushroom farms. The most popular of
these, Agaricus bisporus, is safe for most
people to eat because it is grown in controlled, sterilized environments,
though some individuals react to it. Several varieties of A. bisporus
are grown commercially, including whites, crimini and portabello.
The mushroom
doubles in size every 24 hours, so over a period of a week, the tiny button
mushroom will develop into a closed cup mushroom, then to a larger open cup
mushroom with gills visible, and finally increase even more to become a large
open or flat mushroom. As the size
increases, the full mature flavor develops.
Other cultivated species often now available include shiitake, maitake (hen-of-the-woods), oyster and enoki.
Agaricus Blazei Murrill (ABM) mushroom from
Brazil contains Beta-(1-3)-D-glucan, Beta-(1-4)-a-D-glucan &
Beta-(1-6)-D-glucan. These long-chain polysaccharides are most potent immuno-potentiating (immune
enhancing) substances, with very powerful anti-tumor properties. When people add AMB to their diet, a tripling
of NK (natural-killer) cells occurs.
Increases in this clone of specialized anti-tumor white blood cells can
be seen in the bloodstream within 2-4 days.
In addition to beta glucans, agaricus also contains derivatives of ergosterol, a
potent anti-tumor agent; double stranded RNA, an anti-viral agent; proteoglycans
and protein bound polysaccharides of low molecular weight, which are immune
enhancers; and, protein bound polysaccharides of high molecular weight,
vitamins B1 and B2, proteins in the form of amino acids, niacin, iron and calcium. This mushroom
being used successfully in ‘hopeless’ late stage cancers and some clinics in Europe base entire
treatment protocols on agaricus blazei murrill mushroom extracts along with
other complimentary botanicals.
Cordyceps
is a mushroom panacea: strongly antioxidant, antiviral and bacterial,
anticancer, moderates blood pressure and blood sugar, reduces cholesterol,
protects and tonifies the liver, kidney, heart and nervous system. Studies
confirm its ability to improve sexual "performance." During the 1993
Olympics, the Chinese women’s track team broke the world record by an
astounding time; investigations revealed they were using Cordyceps.
It has traditional use curing opium addiction. It is an
energizing cognitive stimulant, producing an altered, enhanced state. Harvested
in spring time, the most potent part of the mushroom is the mycelium and in
this form it can be used raw. Benefits are
enhanced when grown on purple corn, 1–2
teaspoons of powder a day is recommended mixed in food or tea.
Coriolus Versicolor -Asian "Turkey
Tail" mushroom contains
polysaccharides [PSK] and polysaccharopeptides [PSP] is effective for acute
leukemia and stomach, esophagus, colorectal, lung
cancer; PS is effective with many types of cancer (at least early and mid-stage
cancer), including lung cancer and particularly stomach and colon cancer. PSK has been used versus breast cancer,
gastrointestinal cancers, such as those of the esophagus, stomach and colon;
lung and brain tumors. PSP has anti-tumor activities, inhibiting
Ehrlich ascites tumors, leukemia and sarcoma as well as gastric tumor,
lymphatic and monocytic leukemia. It is
helpful to take PSP during chemotherapy & radiation. PSK from turkey tail also inhibits the growth
of candida albicans.
Reishi derived polysaccharide
is one of the most effective inducers of glutathione S-transferase activity in
liver cells, the enzyme most critical to clearance of environmental chemicals
from the body. Reishi polysaccharide showed potent ability in the
laboratory to protect DNA from attack by metal-catalyzed free radical (Fenton)
reactions and by ultraviolet light. It
was also protective against hydroxyl radical-induced DNA strand breaks.
Reishi
mushroom can increase the production of interleukin 1 and 2, resulting in inhibition
of tumor growth. Studies show that Reishi can have a number of other positive
effects on the body such as analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant,
anti-viral (through its interferon production), lowers blood pressure. It also acts as a cardiotonic by lowering
serum and increasing the production of interleukin 1 and 2, which results in
inhibition of tumor cholesterol, expectorant, anti-tissue, liver protecting and
detoxifying, protection against ionizing radiation, antibacterial, and anti-HIV
activity. This mushroom is available
fresh or as supplement.
Shiitake (Lentinus edodes)
has been revered in China and Japan as both a food and a medicinal herb for
thousands of years. Shiitake mushrooms lower cholesterol and improve immune system function, good for preventing high blood pressure and heart disease, for controlling
cholesterol level, building resistance against viruses, as well as fighting
diseases such as AIDS/HIV and cancers.
Often available fresh, Shiitake mushrooms are very flavorful when used
in cooking! It is high in soluble fiber,
vitamins and minerals.
Maitake (Grifola frondosa)
was used traditionally as a tonic and adaptogen, and along with shiitake and
reishi, was used as a food to help promote wellness and vitality. The
polysaccharides present in maitake have a unique structure (branched
beta-1,6-glucans) and are among the most powerful immune modulators, which
naturally stimulates the immune system and lowers blood pressure.
Beneficial
for obese and diabetic patients, the Maitake mushroom is best known for cancer
fighting ability. Tests in mice prove
that it blocks tumor formation and boosts the immune system. Symptoms of 12 of 13 women with chronic yeast
infections were substantially alleviated after daily consumption of maitake. Maitake is available fresh or as supplement.
Oyster is used to strengthen veins and relax tendons.
“Tendon-easing powder” is effective treatment for numbed limbs as well as
tendon and blood vessel discomfort. Dried oyster mushrooms are high in iron, making
them a good blood builder.
Portabella contains a wide variety of B complex
vitamins. They are also a great source of riboflavin, pantothenic acid, niacin
and a good source of thiamine, vitamin B6, folate, selenium, lysine, protein,
zinc, copper, manganese and iron.
Morels contain protein, vitamin D and B,
riboflavin, niacin and thiamine that help the body maintain healthy metabolism.
They also have copper, selenium, and potassium. They are low in carbohydrates,
very low in calories and are fat free and contain very little sodium.
Porcini mushrooms contain copper, selenium,
potassium and protein, similar to morels.
Botanical
variety, processing and cooking are all effective determinants of mushroom
proximate composition. Dried mushrooms (Boletus
group) after cooking show the highest nutritional value, essentially due to
insufficient rehydration. Dietary fiber,
chitin and beta glucans, all functional constituents of mushrooms, are present
in variable amounts. Chitin level ranges
from 0.3 to 3.9 g/100 g, while beta glucans, which are negligible in Agaricus,
range from 139 to 666 mg/100 g in Pleurotus ostreatus and Boletus
group. On average, a serving (100 g) of
mushrooms provides from 9-40% of one’s daily recommendation of dietary fiber.
Fungi have a
cell structure that is comprised primarily of chitin just as plant cells are
made primarily of cellulose. Chitin is better known as the material that
makes up the exoskeletons of insects and crustaceans; the chitinous structure
gives fungi their definitive texture, firmness and structure distinct from
vegetables, more reminiscent of meat. Chitin
consumption has reduced body fat by 8% and cholesterol by 32% over a month long
trial.
Chitin forms
an amino polysaccharide molecule that is highly polarized; its distribution of
atoms results in high concentrations of positive and negative charge at
separated points on the molecule. Chitin’s electromagnetically charged regions
bond with fats and bile to create large indigestible polymer compounds, which
are easily excreted (along with toxins) from the body. The liver makes up for
the loss of bile with new bile, reducing cholesterol in the process. Reduction
in toxins, fats and cholesterol contributes to heart health and to longevity. Chinese have consumed mushrooms as a matter
of health rather than nutrition for millennia.
Mushrooms
are relatively high in protein, averaging about 20-35% of their dried mass (or
2-3% of fresh). A cup of cooked and
drained mushrooms has about 3grams protein.
Mushroom protein is also superior to many other vegetable proteins because
of its complete essential amino acid content. The white cap mushroom ranks
above all other vegetables, except beans and peas in this regard. Between 70-90%
of mushroom vegetable protein present can be easily digested.
New Zealand
spinach (Tetragonia
expansa) is a relatively new kind of market greens. This everlasting spinach is not native to
North America, but native to New Zealand, Australia, southern South America and
some Pacific Islands, including Japan. Its
special advantage is being heat tolerant. In the hot summer months when spinach and some
other green vegetables cannot be grown, New Zealand spinach, which is not a
variety of spinach, is easily grown as a truck crop and furnishes succulent
greens for months. It can be grown as a winter crop in eastern greenhouses.
The tender, rather fleshy leaves have a distinct flavor
more pleasing to some than that of common, mild spinach. New Zealand spinach, even when cooked in a
large volume of water and drained longer than is customary before serving, is
found to be as rich in mineral salts as raw spinach and to be richer in iron
and as high in calcium as lettuce or cabbage served raw. New Zealand spinach is
especially valuable in the diet because of its high salt content. It compares favorably with most green
vegetables in iron and calcium. Cooked
without addition of water, it retains most of its minerals.
If greens of milder flavor and brighter color are
preferred, it may be boiled in water with little loss of calcium but with much
loss of other minerals. However, it
still retains enough to compare favorably with raw cabbage or lettuce. New Zealand spinach is exceedingly rich in
vitamin A and is a good source of vitamin B complex.
Used like spinach in cooking and salads, this
frost-tender plant is ready for harvest when spinach is on the wane, and stays
productive throughout summer. Australian
Spinach has the advantage of being slow to "bolt", or go to seed,
during hot weather (as European spinach is inclined to do). It also makes an attractive foliage plant for
borders and beds. New Zealand spinach likes long warm
days. It grows best at 60-75 degrees Fahrenheit. In the north, it won't start growing until the
soil warms up. The plant has a short
season (55-65 days), so it can be grown successfully in most areas of the US.
This ever
bearing spinach tolerates a wide range of conditions, but prefers well-drained,
sandy soils, rich in organic matter, pH 6.8 -7.0. While somewhat drought-tolerant, flavor is
best with consistent moisture. Seeds are
slow to germinate. Soak the huge seed clusters overnight in warm
water, and then sow them individually.
Perpetual
spinach benefits from light shade in midsummer in warmer regions. New Zealand spinach can be picked from June
until frosts. Pick young shoots and leaves, discarding stems. Continually harvest top 3-4 inches of stems
and leaves of established plants as the shoots grow back to keep bushy. There are no serious pests or diseases
recorded.
The crunchy
and moist leaves can be eaten raw, in small quantities, but is best blanched
and served with melted butter, steamed or stir-fried. A wonderful use for the plant is in curries
mixed with Swiss chard. Combine New
Zealand spinach leaves with Swiss chard leaves (more Swiss chard though) and chopped up potatoes, with veggie
stock, enough water to just about cover the diced spuds, freshly diced ginger
and turmeric, cumin, black pepper, ground cardamom, cinnamon, mild curry powder
and garam masala.
Spices
included in garam masala will vary according to region, and personal
choice. A North West Indian garam
masala often comprises cloves, green and/or black/brown cardamom, cinnamon (or probably cassia), and mace and/or nutmeg. Black pepper can be added if the
mix is to be used immediately, but if kept, the fragrance will diminish, and
may change in character. Also typical is
use of black cumin (not white cumin,
nor caraway, which is not an
Indian spice). Components of the mix are
ground together, but not roasted. Garam
masala is not 'hot' in the sense that chilies are, but is fairly
pungent. Garam refers to the term
'hot' as applied to temperature.
Sauté spuds
and spices in a little olive oil in a frying pan first, and then add water,
stock and leaves. Pop on the lid and
cook for about 20-25 minutes. Serve with pappadoms and chapatis. Poppadom
is a delicious, wafer-thin fried Indian bread flavored with spices like cumin
and pepper. Chapati is a thin, unleavened flat bread of South India, East Africa, and Western India. Finished chapatis are often smeared with ghee (clarified butter).
Variations include replacing part of the wheat flour with pearl millet (bajra) or maize (makka) or sorghum (jowar) flour.
Nopales are a vegetable made from the young stem segments of prickly pear cactus, carefully peeled to remove the spines. Some species of prickly pear cactus don't have spines, but all have glochids.
If you get the fine spines stuck in your skin, don't bother with tweezers. Instead put a thin layer of Elmer's glue over the spines. Let the glue dry until there is a solid "skin" on your hand, and then peel it off. The spines will peel off painlessly with the glue. (This also works for removing splinters.) The glochids actually are barbed and will work into your skin if you are not careful! If you don't have Elmer's glue handy, and the glochids become very annoying, duct tape or strong tack masking tape can remove them.
Nopales are
very rich in insoluble and especially soluble dietary fiber. A glutinous substance found in the cactus
fruit (prickly pear pectin) helps to decrease low-density lipoproteins. Prickly pear pectin also modulates the body’s
glucose response. They are also rich in vitamins (especially vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin K, but also riboflavin and vitamin B6) and minerals (especially magnesium, potassium, and manganese, but also iron and copper).
Most species
of Opuntia contain a wide range of alkaloids in high quantities,
notably mood-lifting substituted phenethylamines. Nopales have high calcium content, but the
nutrient is not biologically available because it is present as calcium oxalate, which is neither
highly soluble nor easily absorbed through the intestinal wall, but oxalates
are reduced by blanching in boiling water for 5-6 minutes.
Addition of
nopales also reduces the glycemic effect of a mixed meal. Nopales are low carbohydrate and may help in the
treatment of diabetes. Antiviral properties help treat herpes,
influenza and HIV, and it is used as well in treating obesity, gastrointestinal
disorders and skin ailments.
Pitaya
or pitahaya is the fruit of several cactus species, most importantly of
genus Hylocereus (sweet pitayas), commonly known as dragon fruit.
The flesh, which is eaten raw, is mildly sweet and low in calories. Few people find its taste offensive; some may
consider it bland. It is generally
recommended that dragon fruit be eaten chilled, for improved flavor; dragon
fruit should not be used to accompany strong-tasting food, except to
"clean the palate" between dishes.
The fruit is also converted into juice or wine, or used to flavor
other beverages. Flowers can be eaten or steeped as tea.
Sweet
pitayas have a creamy pulp and a delicate aroma. Eating the fruit is sometimes likened to that
of the kiwifruit due to a prevalence
of sesame seed-sized black
crunchy seeds found in the flesh of both fruits which make for a similar texture
upon consumption. Although the tiny
pitaya seeds are eaten with the flesh, have a nutty taste and are rich in
valuable lipids, they are
indigestible unless chewed. The skin is not eaten, and in farm-grown fruit it
may be polluted with pesticides.
Give your
fresh dragon fruit (or juice) a little bit of a zing of sour to offset its
sweet flavor. Try squeezing a little bit
of lemon on the pitahaya fruit flesh as you eat it (some prefer lime for the
same effect). This is a nice way to enjoy dragon fruit fresh or make the juice
more refreshing.
Sour pitayas
are of more local importance, being commonly eaten in arid regions of the
Americas. They are sourer and more
refreshing, with juicier flesh and stronger taste, and are especially relished
by hikers. The common Sour Pitaya in the Sonoran Desert has been an
important historic food source for Native American peoples.
Pitahayas
also contain significant quantities of phytoalbumin antioxidants, which prevent
formation of cancer-causing free radicals. In Taiwan, diabetics use the fruit as a
food substitute for rice and as a source of dietary fiber. Pitaya flesh is easy to digest, increases excretion of heavy metal toxins and lowers high cholesterol, high
blood pressure and reduces risk to colon cancer.
Eaten regularly, it helps relieve chronic respiratory tract ailments (asthma and
cough).
Pitaya (as
dried pitaya fruit) is easy to incorporate into a diabetic diet plan. Dried pitaya fruit is about 10x a dense as
fresh or frozen pitaya fruit, so a 1.5 oz nibble of
dried pitaya fruit is almost equivalent to a full 1 lb of fresh pitahaya fruit.
Many diabetic recipes can include
pitaya. Rather than eating dried pitaya
fruit alone, try mixing it in with other meals. Add it as a garnish to salads or use it with
other dried fruits and nuts in trail-mix.
While pitaya
is not a type 2 diabetes cure, it offers diabetics (even type 1) a substantial health benefit by
reducing blood glucose levels after meals.
Ingestion of significant amounts of red-fleshed dragon fruit (such as
Costa Rica Pitaya) might result in surprising, but harmless reddish
discoloration of urine and feces.
An African
cactus plant known as Hoodia Gordonii was widely used traditionally by the San
people of southern Africa as an appetite suppressant and thirst quencher. The San Bushmen of the Kalahari cut off a stem
of the Hoodia plant about the length of a medium size cucumber and would nibble
on it for a few hours. Some tribes in
Namibia boil the Hoodia to treat various ailments with the brew. They use it as a cure for severe abdominal
cramps, hemorrhoids, tuberculosis, indigestion, hypertension and diabetes.
Bushmen use
Hoodia to help them on long hunting expeditions. Chewing on Hoodia cactus relieves hunger pains
associated with not eating for days at a time.
Within the hypothalamus there are nerve cells that sense glucose. When eating, blood sugar goes up because of
the food, and these cells start firing and then you feel full. Hoodia seems to contain is a molecule that is
about 10,000 times as active as glucose.
It goes to the mid-brain and actually makes those nerve cells fire as if
you were full. But you have not eaten
food. Nor do you want to.
Perhaps the
most critical component in cactus is its dietary soluble fiber, which comes in
the form of mucilage and pectin.
Mucilage is the sticky juice that oozes from the pad when it is
sliced. This sticky substance is
mucilaginous polysaccharide. Polysaccharides
are the primary active ingredient of other well-known immune-stimulating herbs
such as aloe vera, Echinacea, astragalus and Asian mushrooms.
The pads
also contain a full range of amino acids, the building blocks of protein,
including all nine or ten essential amino acids not manufactured by our bodies.
The benefits of amino acid consumption
are far-reaching, as protein is involved in multiple structural and chemical
interactions within the body. It is unusual
that a plant source provides such a high and broad composition of amino acids
as the prickly pear. Its utility as a
nutritional, high-fiber, low-fat food is amplified by this unique and exquisite
plant amino acid profile.
Nopales are
commonly used in Mexican cuisine in dishes such as huevos
con nopales (eggs with nopal),
"carne con nopales" (meat with nopal) or "tacos de nopales."
Nopales are also an important ingredient in New Mexican cuisine. Nopalitos is a dish made with diced nopales. They are sold fresh, bottled, or canned and less often dried. They have a light, slightly tart flavor, and
a crisp, mucilaginous texture. Nopalitos are often eaten with eggs as a breakfast and
in salads and soups as lunch and dinner
meals.
If you boil
the nopales, you may sometimes have to drain and re-boil them once or twice,
depending on how thick the sap is. When boiled, the thicker the pad, the
thicker the sap. Boiling them with a copper
coin (an old Mexican "veinte") is a common remedy to thin the sap and
make it more palatable to unaccustomed diners.
The boiled nopales are then drained, washed off with cold water and
served as a salad with finely diced tomatoes, onion, cilantro and jalapeños and
seasoned with vinegar, salt and lime juice.
If you grill
nopales, coat them generously with pepper, salt, and other spices. They are
ready when tender and very slightly browned.
Grilled nopalitos strips can be seasoned with fresh lime juice and a
little olive oil. One can also add grilled Portobello mushrooms to the mix. Try stirring cooked nopales into soup, mixing
them into a salad or omelet, pickling them or eating them solo. The flavor of prickly pears has been compared
to kiwi, but not as
acidic. The cooked pads have a flavor
comparable to green beans. They also have a texture reminiscent of
okra, which some people find unpleasant, and others find enticing. This slimy
quality is exaggerated if nopales are overcooked.
The most
common preparations of the fruit are in the forms of beverages, syrups,
candies, jellies, marmalades, barbecue sauce, and popsicles. In Italy, the fruit is often presented in a
bowl of cold water and in Malta, the fruit is chilled for a couple of hours in
the refrigerator before serving.
Purslane In order to preserve
purslane's pulpy juiciness for eating, harvest this delight of your edible
landscaping in the morning or evening, when you do not have to compete with
intense sunlight. Purslane can either
be used raw in salads or sautéed as a side dish. In addition to the crispy texture you would
expect from a succulent, purslane also has an interesting peppery flavor.
Purslane leaves
are rich in essential omega-3 fatty acids, but it also has stems high in
vitamin C. Omega-3 fatty acids are
instrumental in regulating our metabolism, and are otherwise rare in the
tropics. Purslane contains a very high
concentration of alpha-linolenic acid, along with vitamin
E (at several times the concentrations in spinach). All parts of the weed are edible. Wash and boil the plants for a tasty
vegetable or eat them raw and fresh. Use
seeds as a flour substitute or eat them raw.
Ingredients:
8 oz each of leeks, potatoes, carrots and onions.
1-2 oz butter / cream
1 tbs. chopped parsley or chervil
½ cup chopped purslane or sorrel if available
32 oz chicken stock (homemade or vegetable) - or water
Salt, pepper and perhaps nutmeg
Directions:
1.
Trim
leeks and wash thoroughly. Clean and peel vegetables; cut into 1 inch chunks.
2.
Melt butter in a large saucepan or wok until
it is hot but not brown.
3.
Add the vegetables and stir-fry gently until
wilted and softened.
4.
Add salt and pepper. This gives a much more intense flavor than
adding seasoning after the liquid. Then
add chicken stock or water.
5.
Simmer gently for 15-20 minutes.
6.
When the vegetables are soft, mash gently with
a fork or process quickly in a food processer or liquidizer until most lumps
have gone, but texture remains.
7.
If
necessary, reheat gently and serve this lovely, creamy soup in bowls with fresh
parsley sprinkled on top. Lots of hot
French bread or lightly toasted granary bread is a perfect complement.
One
variation is to blend in a liaison, beating the yolks of four eggs (one egg to
a quart of soup), and mixing with them a cupful of cream or rich milk. Then blend in.
Clusters of
its young, fresh leaves are a perfect contrast to sweet vegetables such as new
potatoes, beets, fava beans and garbanzo beans, and juicy vegetables such as
cucumber and tomatoes. Or, simply
sprinkle the leaves generously with Himalayan salt, lemon juice and olive oil
and serve with fish, grills or omelets.
Or, add handfuls of purslane sprigs to the juices in the roasting pan,
once the roast has been removed for carving. After a few minutes of swishing, the greens
wilt and the sauce acquires elevated nutrition, a sharper flavor and a
pleasantly gelatinous character.
Purslane is
native to India, has thick, fleshy stalks and leaves and is classed as a
succulent. It is one of the basic elements of the Mediterranean/Cretan diet
exemplary for its many benefits and synonymous with long life. It was listed by Dioskorides in the first
Greek pharmacopoeia for its anti-inflammatory and soothing properties, which is
precisely what it is used for in cosmetology. In skin care treatments for men,
it helps fight razor burn, soothe irritations and calm redness.
ESSENTIALLY IODINE
Sea vegetables are a great source of vitamins, fiber and protein
and offer the broadest range of minerals including iodine of any
food. There are thousands of varieties of sea
vegetables, although not all of them are enjoyed as foods. They come in a
variety of colors, usually green, brown and red. Brown and red seaweeds (such as kombu and
fucus) contain the most iodine.
Iodine is actually quite rare in the earth’s crust. Kelp, certain plants and other algae have the ability to concentrate iodine, which helps
introduce the element into the food chain.
Phytoplankton take up iodate ions (large iodine molecule with three
little oxygens attached or IO3-)
and convert them into singular negative iodide, which is mostly, but not
completely released.
Iodate is also converted to iodide by bacteria in oceanic
low oxygen environments. When
kelp is stressed at low tide by exposure to light and atmospheric ozone, it
releases iodides (single negatively charged ions). Iodide is the negative ion of iodine (chemically
a ‘salt’). Iodates (richer in surface
water) and iodides typically add up to about 0.06 parts per million iodine.
Iodine is the most reactive of the halogens
(existing in their free state in nature), and the most electropositive. Iodine
is rare in the solar system and Earth's crust,
however iodides are very soluble in water, and the element is concentrated in
seawater. This helps to explain how
iodine came to be required in trace amounts by all animals and some plants,
being by far the heaviest element known to be required by living organisms.
Iodides act as an inorganic antioxidant (being non carbon
based), creating a protective coat, attenuating free radicals and hydrogen
peroxide. Iodine released from kelp
provides nuclei for cloud condensation and formation as well as reducing ozone
accumulation and helping maintain atmospheric integrity.
Nobel laureate Dr. Albert Szent
Györgi (1893 -1986), the physician who discovered
vitamin C, wrote: "When I was a medical student, iodine in the form of KI
(potassium iodide), was the universal medicine. Nobody knew what it did, but it did something
and did something good.” Now we can
understand that iodides are an even more primary antioxidant than carbon based
vitamin C or glutathione.
Different forms of iodine have very different chemical
properties. In addition to iodate, iodide and methylated organic forms of
iodine, there is molecular iodine (I2). Lugol’s solution, for
example, contains a mixture of I2 and I-. It is the
molecular iodine (I2) form that is powerfully toxic to
microorganisms.
The I2 iodine form, and that form in
combination with other forms, is a potent antibacterial agent that has long
been used for disinfection. The naturally occurring inorganic forms
(iodide and iodate) have little antimicrobial activity. In mixtures
containing I2 and other forms, it is the amount of free I2
that is important for antimicrobial activity.
Iodine is one of the most abundant electron-rich
essential elements in the diet of marine and terrestrial organisms. It is transported from the diet to the cells
via iodide transporters. Iodide, which
acts as a primitive electron-donor through peroxidase enzymes, seems to have an
ancestral antioxidant function in all iodide-concentrating cells from primitive
marine algae to more recent terrestrial vertebrates.
Like other marine invertebrates, polyps of Aurelia aurita
contain iodide ions. Inevitably produced
peroxides oxidize iodide into iodine. The
danger to be harmed by iodine is strongly decreased by endogenous tyrosine
which reacts with iodine to form iodiferous tyrosine compounds including
thyroxin. Both substances together,
iodide and tyrosine form an efficient oxidant defense system which shields the
tissue against damage by reactive oxygen species.
Berking suggested that in the course of evolution (from a
species at the bottom of the animal kingdom like Aurelia to a highly evolved
species like man) the waste product thyroxin (indicating a high metabolic rate)
has developed into a hormone which controls metabolic rate.
Thyroxin and iodothyronines have an antioxidant activity as
well and, through deiodinase enzymes, are donors of iodides and indirectly
of electrons. Thyroid cells
phylogenetically derived from primitive gastro enteric cells, which during
evolution of vertebrates migrated and specialized in uptake and storage of
iodo-compounds in a new follicular “thyroidal” structure, for a better
adaptation to iodine-deficient terrestrial environment.
Our metabolisms evolved when we were basically a
primitive stomach, like ‘sponges on the reef’ with two daily incoming tides
bringing food and encouraging growth and repair; and two outgoing tides
carrying away waste while enhancing catabolism and excretion.
From 1900 to the 1960s almost every single U.S. physician
used Lugol’s (iodine) supplements in practice for both hypo- and hyperthyroid,
as well as many, many other conditions-all with excellent results. In fact, iodine was considered a panacea for
almost all human ills. Today a phobia (generated
by mainstream medical misinformation against iodine due to toxic experiences
using diagnostic dyes on patients already in extremis) has caused most physicians
to avoid this powerful treatment like the plague. Everyone should know how to utilize this
essential and therapeutic ‘poison’ that has a wide therapeutic safety range.
Restoration
of total body iodine stores to fulfillment or sufficiency can often finally
resolve difficult, stubborn problems that have resisted all other treatments. Called ‘ortho-iodo’ supplementation, this approach
uses elemental iodine supplements until the thyroid gland and all other
iodine-sensitive sites in the body have reached iodine sufficiency.
Iodine
therapy has been considered a panacea for fibrocystic breasts, acne, polycystic
ovary syndrome, hypo- and hyperthyroid (with or without goiter), brain fog,
constipation, obesity, diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), and even
some heart problems (most notably irreversible arrhythmias like atrial
fibrillation, which are also associated with heavy metals).
Graves’s
disease is an immune-mediated disorder that causes hyperthyroidism. Virus or
heavy metal contamination marks certain cells for elimination through
apoptosis. But when cellular immunity is
compromised and humoral immunity is exacerbated, that message is cancelled and
these defective cells live on. Thyroid-stimulating
immunoglobulins bind to the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) receptor, mimic
the action of thyroid TSH, and stimulate thyroid growth and thyroid hormone
overproduction.
Standard medical
treatments for Graves disease target the thyroid gland (rather than the source
of the disorder) and include antithyroid drugs such as propylthiouracil or
methimazole, radioactive iodine to ablate (destroy) thyroid cells or surgery to
remove thyroid tissue.
Radioactive
iodine is a “time-honored and effective” medical treatment option for
overactive thyroid, hyperthyroidism. Physicians are taught that only the thyroid
gland naturally "absorbs" iodine.
So if the iodine is made radioactive, the absorbed radioactive iodine
delivers radiation directly to the overactive thyroid gland, where it
"quiets" the gland and treats hyperplasia. (Unfortunately
this simple theory has damaged many patients ‘with the best of intentions’
since radioactive iodine is also accepted by all glands that support our
mucosal defense system.)
People who
received radioactive iodine to treat hyperthyroidism have an overall 25%
increased risk of cancer compared to those who did not. Stomach and breast cancer risk are
particularly increased. Women who
received radioactive iodine were 53% more likely to develop breast cancer
compared to those who did not receive radioactive iodine. The increased cancer risk was seen only after
a latent period of five years from the time of radioactive iodine treatment.
Better to
aim for iodine/iodide sufficiency and restore recycling of reduced
glutathione. Cellular immunity has
failed and destructive humoral inflammatory immunity is exacerbated and
untethered. Restore cellular immunity to
tone down autoimmune expression. Get to
bed early, rise with the sun, and ingest a sustaining easily-digestible
breakfast 6-8AM while avoiding gluttonous behavior and addictive foods. Zinc (at 30-60mg / day), selenium (200-400mcg
/ day) and magnesium (200-800mg / day) are as foundational for support as the
sulfur amino acids.
Thyroid
hormone production depends on iodide oxidation by cytochromes to iodine, called
organification. Iodine deficiency may produce conditions of
oxidative stress with high thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) producing a higher
level of free radical peroxides, which because of lack of iodide are not being
used to form thyroid hormones.
The
cytotoxic actions of excess iodide in thyroid cells may depend on the formation
of free radicals and can be attributed to increases of both necrosis and
apoptosis, with necrosis predominating in goiter development and apoptosis
during iodide induced involution. Cytotoxic
effects depend on levels of antioxidant enzymes and likely occur in conditions
of selenium, zinc or magnesium deficiencies (impairing recycling activity of
selenium containing glutathione).
Hyperthyroid
(grave’s disease) usually suggests toxicity and/or virus triggering autoimmune
inflammatory breakdown that classically first creates a ‘hyper’ stage
(eventually ending with autoimmune breakdown and low thyroid function). Endocrinologists classically stop the white
blood cell driven autoimmune inflammatory destruction with large doses of
steroidal stress hormones (which causes active immune cells to commit mass
apoptosis or cell suicide). This
temporarily disables cellular immunity and aborts inflammatory heat, providing
short-term relief, but sets the patient up for a variety of later problems.
Beta-blockers slow down eighteen hormones of the stress-response system as well as disable learning and cause memory loss (are also among conventional physicians’ prescription favorites). Beta-blockers do not cure hyperthyroidism and do not decrease the amount of thyroid hormone being produced; they prevent some symptoms and create a compliant patient.
Revered by
physicians, beta-blockers are also routinely prescribed for many uses as well
as non-cardiac surgeries to reduce blood pressure, slow the heartbeat and
theoretically, to reduce strain on the heart.
Finally after decades of still continuing common use, a retrospective
study has shown that besides slowing mentation and increasing forgetfulness, beta-blockers
double stroke risk and increase death risk by a third.
Instead,
medical texts alarmingly remind us that 30mg iodine daily will stop
organification of iodine and stop hyperactive thyroid hormone production (but
for only 10-14 days). Niacinamide
(adults work up to 3 grams in divided doses per day) and the active form of
pyridoxine, P-5-P at 25-50 mg per day are very helpful in slowing autoimmune
destruction.
Certain
foods can help to quiet the thyroid, like soybeans and the cruciferous
vegetables (cabbage, cauliflower, and broccoli, Brussels sprouts, mustard
greens, kale, radish, spinach and rutabagas) as well as peanuts, peaches and
pears. Avoid stimulatory caffeine (no coffee, tea, colas or chocolate and in place of
coffee, try basil or ginger tea (anti-inflammatory and no caffeine, very tasty
combined). In place of milk, try a soy
beverage.
Cooking and
fermenting do not destroy millet or soy isothiocyanate goitrogens; in fact,
they make these foods more effective at blocking iodine (and more
cancer-protective). Millet goitrogens are
present in both the bran and the endosperm. Traditionally prepared millet that is
dehulled, fermented and cooked into porridge is associated with goiter in
humans.
These isothiocyanate
iodine blockers are fairly common naturally occurring compounds in food that are
generally protective against cancer and are considered health supportive, not
health damaging. Microwaving crucifers
reduces average isothiocyanate yield to one-half; steaming reduces this yield
to one-third; boiling for a half hour and dumping out the water almost entirely
eliminates them. The effect of
microwaving and steaming is dependent on the individual's intestinal flora and
is thus highly variable. The effect of
boiling is more reliable and constant. Fermentation
or juicing raw crucifers makes them more goitrogenic (and more anti-cancer).
Cyanogenic
glycosides can be found in the fruits (and wilting leaves) of the rose
family
(including cherries, apples, plums, almonds, peaches, apricots, raspberries and
crabapples). Flax leaves and seed chaff
contain cyanogenic glycosides. This
glycoside can release poisonous hydrogen
cyanide
if acted upon by an enzyme, as amygdalin from almonds.
The most
effective way of removing cyanogenic glycosides is by crushing the tubers (as
with cassava) and leaching them in running water for several days, and by
blanching and boiling the leaves. Dietary
iodine is able to overcome the effect of cyanogenic glycosides, moderate
amounts of crucifers and is probably able to overcome the effect of soy
flavonoids (as seaweed does in Asia). Iodine
is not able to overcome large amounts of raw juiced crucifers or any amount
of millet.
Chris
Masterjohn suggests,” People who have thyroid problems or other problems
associated with iodine deficiency or cyanide exposure should consider the
following dietary restrictions: 1) eliminate millet; 2) moderate soy and only
consume it with additional sources of iodine; 3) limit crucifer intake to five
servings per week, only eat more than this if it is boiled, and match one's
crucifer intake with extra iodine; 4) avoid foods with cyanogenic glycosides
unless they are extensively boiled or crushed and leached in running water for
several days, and match one's cyanogen intake with extra iodine and vitamin
B12-containing foods or supplements (but not cyanocobalamin).”
Bugleweed (Lycopus virginicus), from
the mint family, is a native of North America. It is closely related to the European herb
called gypsywort or gypsyweed (L.
europaeus). For herbal purposes,
these two plants are often used interchangeably. Bugleweed may reduce thyroid hormone by
decreasing levels of TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone, a pituitary hormone that
stimulates the thyroid gland) and by impairing thyroid hormone synthesis. In addition, bugleweed may block the action
of thyroid-stimulating antibodies found in Grave's disease.
Bugleweed
should not be used by individuals with hypothyroidism (low thyroid
hormone) or an enlarged thyroid gland.
Pregnant or nursing women should avoid bugleweed because of potential
effects on their children as well as reducing prolactin (important for breast
milk).
Soothing lemon
balm (Melissa officinalis) may also block the
action of thyroid-stimulating antibodies found in Grave's disease. Motherwort
(Leonuris cardica) was employed by the
ancient Greeks and Romans to treat heart palpitations as well as depression,
which they considered a problem of the heart.
Recently, the German herbal regulating body has authorized use of
motherwort as part of an overall treatment plan for overactive thyroid.
Ironically,
while conventional medicine shuns iodine therapy, the physicians’ most popular
anti-fibrillation drug, Amiodarone, is
actually iodine in a toxic, sustained release form. This drug can produce a smooth heartbeat when
the body has accumulated about 1.5 grams (1,500 mgs) of iodine. This is typically the same amount of iodine
retained by the human body when iodine sufficiency is achieved by natural
iodine supplementation.
If you are
about to try to achieve iodine sufficiency with slowly increasing doses of
Prolamine Iodine, or other iodine source, this is to be done in place of Amiodarone (not simultaneously with
it). A fibrillation patient will need to
stop prescription drug therapy when starting iodine therapy. Therapy usually starts at 1 tablet of
Prolamine Iodine daily for a week. If no
problem arises, the dose increases slowly (every week to 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6
tablets daily).
If there are
no problems along the way, and especially if the heart begins to function more
normally, one would stay at 5 or 6 tablets daily for three to six months. Or one might do three months of 12 Prolamine
Iodine tablets daily to achieve full iodine sufficiency levels. This is, of course, in conjunction with an
early sustaining breakfast, sunshine and a comprehensive heart protocol of
phytonutrients.
We now know
that it is possible for some people to eliminate their need for medically
prescribed thyroid drugs after achieving iodine sufficiency. We also now know that anyone taking thyroid
drugs like Synthroid should also be
on extra iodine to support other similarly functioning glandular tissues.
The mammary
glands have a trapping system for iodine similar to the thyroid gland. The breasts effectively compete with the
thyroid gland for ingested iodine. This
distribution of iodine to both developing breast and thyroid gland in pubertal
girls may explain why goiter is 6 times more common in girls than pubertal
boys. The demand for iodine by breast
tissue in women leads to diminished ability to supply the thyroid gland with
adequate amounts of iodine.
The
development of hypothyroidism in young females indicates deficient distribution
of iodine to both breast and thyroid tissue (and other glands). Treating a young woman with just thyroid
hormone is not sensible and appears to increase risk to breast cancer (and most
other cancers). Iodine therapy can decrease the need for
thyroid hormone drugs and reduce risk to cancer.
Iodine helps us utilize proteins properly
partly by fueling the thyroid. An iodine
deficient person becomes functionally protein deficient. Optimally, we would
get all our iodine from dietary sources: kelp, seaweed, some ocean fish, and
vegetables grown in iodine-rich soil, while controlling intake of
iodine-inhibiting foods (raw crucifers and soy) as well as pharmaceuticals.
Iodine in most
diets comes mainly from animal-derived foods (like vitamin B12). Today many ocean-bearing iodine-rich foods
are now unavailable or contaminated with mercury. Agricultural farmland is increasingly
iodine-deficient, leading to reduced levels of iodine in foods. Vegans who do not ingest substantial seaweed
are at risk to deficiencies in both B12 and iodine, especially if they regularly
consume raw crucifer juices or choose soy as primary protein source.
How does one
know if more iodine is needed? One of
the first indicators is belly fat in men. When the abdominal muscles disappear under a
layer of fat, a pot belly, metabolic syndrome X (insulin resistance) is
present. If the cause is not weak
breakfast or inadequate sunshine or exercise, it is likely iodine lack. In women, fat occurs on the hips. Flabby belly fat is a major indicator of
underlying risk to cardio-vascular disease, cancer, diabetes and all
inflammatory diseases of industrialized societies. If flabby, one is ‘at risk’ to all diseases of
civilization as well as sub-clinical hypothyroidism (likely resulting from
iodine, zinc or selenium deficiencies).
In a study
involving 96 Iranian children with goiter and 72 without goiter, significantly
lower selenium levels were found in children with goiter, as compared to
children without goiter. Mean plasma selenium was 68.45 microg/dl in goitrous
boys (65.62 microg/dl, in girls) and 76.91 microg/dl in non-goitrous boys
(76.51 microg/dl, in girls). Researchers
concluded: "Selenium deficiency is among the contributors of thyroid goiter
in Isfahan schoolchildren."
Frequently
experienced additional warning signs of low thyroid function due to iodine
deficiency are a tendency to be cold when everyone else is warm and comfortable,
low energy levels, aches and pains, nasal congestion, dull hair, weak
fingernails, poor digestion, depression and overweight that resists diet and
exercise.
A lack of iodine can manifest as very dry skin and skin that does not
sweat even when hot. Enlargement of the thyroid gland (goiter) develops when there is not enough iodine available to manufacture
thyroid hormones. The gland enlarges in
an attempt to trap more iodine when it becomes dietarily available (during
seasonal ‘migration’ to the seashore).
Supplemental iodine usually resolves this problem, but sometimes thyroid
hormone glandulars may be necessary.
Iodine is absolutely necessary for a healthy thyroid and immune system as well as healthy ovaries, breasts, cervix, prostate and salivary glands. Locations at which the sodium/iodide symporter protein is found are the thyroid gland, salivary glands, parotid glands, submandibular glands, pituitary gland, pancreas, testis, mammary glands, gastric mucosa, prostate and ovaries, adrenal glands, heart, thymus as well as lung. More iodine is also needed during pregnancy and lactation.
Goldenseal (now
threatened) is an immensely popular herb that has long been used as an immune
enhancer and a body cleanser that promotes healthy glandular functions.
Some of goldenseal's constituents include alkaloids (hydrastine, berberine,
canadine and hydrastanine), tannins, beta-carotene, fatty acids, resin,
albumin, essential oil, calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus,
potassium selenium, zinc, B-vitamins and vitamins A, C and E.
Berberine in goldenseal
seems to increase blood flow to the spleen and stimulate activity of
macrophages, our mobile white blood cells that are critical to cellular
immunity. Berberine also enhances secretion of bile. In
regulating healthy glands, goldenseal benefits the liver, pancreas, spleen,
thyroid and lymphatic system. Berberine
activates glucose-6-phosphate
dehydrogenase (an enzyme mostly in muscle and liver), improving insulin
sensitivity and helping to modulate blood sugar levels.
Berberine is an
isoquinoline alkaloid with a bright yellow color that is easily seen in most of
the herb materials that contain any significant amount of this compound. Among Chinese herbs, primary sources are
phellodendron and coptis. Berberine is also
found in goldenseal, barberry, Oregon grape and goldthread.
Berberine has
demonstrated significant antimicrobial activity against bacteria, fungi, yeast,
protozoans (Giardia), viruses, helminthes (worms) and chlamydia. Berberine actions also include: antagonism of
the effects of cholera and E. coli toxin, inhibition of intestinal ion
secretion, inhibition of smooth muscle spasms and reduction of inflammation. Berberine's most common clinical uses include
bacterial diarrhea and intestinal parasites.
Goldenseal
increases the flow of digestive enzymes and is considered an effective herb for
improving overall digestion and easing digestive disorders, including heartburn
(especially when associated with emotional tension), inflamed peptic ulcers,
constipation and indigestion.
Tyrosine is a biogenic amino acid that
helps stimulate thyroid function, raise mood-elevating and pain-relieving
endorphin production and increases brain energy by precursor-loading dopamine,
epinephrine and norepinephrine both systemically and in the brain. Try 500 mg daily, before breakfast, for up to
three weeks at a time. If
taking an MAO inhibitor drug, do not take supplemental tyrosine, since
potentiation may cause increase in blood pressure.
Many organs require
iodine, but cannot absorb it until blood levels become very high. The stomach and salivary glands are two such
organs, but they cannot uptake iodine in any significant amounts until the
blood level reaches 100 times what the thyroid needs. Most people do not produce enough stomach
acid as they grow older. Low gastric
acidity creates poor protein digestion and compromises mineral absorption. Dr. Robert Rowen notes that iodine promotes
stomach acidity.
For the
purpose of weight loss (or especially if one has an inability to lose weight no
matter what), the potential effect of stored toxic metals on thyroid function
and estrogen production becomes of special interest. Release and redistribution of toxins
previously stored in fat can lead to rashes, irritability, anger and mood
swings. Resultant demotivating distress
and discomfort as well as the apathy due to impaired thyroid function (impairment
of peripheral T4 conversion to active T3) will act like an invisible force
field around body fat. No amount of diet
or exercise will be of much use for someone with sufficiently impaired thyroid.
Low iodine,
competing halogens and/or heavy metal toxicity can impair endocrine (thyroid)
function. Equally interesting, and
perhaps more compelling, is the reports from a number of weight loss specialty
clinics around the country about metal toxicity. Numerous studies correlate lead, cadmium and
mercury with impaired thyroid function. A case of autoimmune thyroiditis was
successfully treated by removal of dental amalgam.
To promote
detoxification, return to nature’s rhythm and take concentrated seaweed, fruit
and vegetable supplements. Heavy
concentrations of free radical scavengers in super foods and natural catalysts are
helpful in removing toxic metals in ways that vitamins alone cannot.
Harold D.
Foster, Ph.D. linked long-term iodine
deficiency to abnormalities in the dopaminergic system (that includes an
increased number of dopamine receptors).
This raises susceptibility to dopamine oxidation which, in turn, causes
deficiencies of antioxidant enzymes Cu/Zn SOD (superoxide dismutase),
glutathione peroxidase and catalase. This diminishes energy production and allows
unbridled inflammatory destruction (brain on fire). Dopamine deficiency also leads to elevated
cytotoxic glutamate levels seen in Parkinsonism, multiple sclerosis and
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Possible
interventions might include levodopa, vitamin B3, Coenzyme Q10, various
antioxidants, amino acids, iodine and glutamate antagonists.
Breast cancer rates rose from one in 23 to one in
seven over the last 30 years. During
this time, the nutrient, iodine, was removed from the bread and the
"anti-iodine," and toxin, bromide, was introduced widely into many baked
goods and consumer products. Stealth (unlabeled) bromide exposure from
fire-retardants surrounds us in our daily life to a degree unacceptable in some
other countries.
Beside
greater risk for breast and prostate cancer in iodine deficient people, iodine
deficiency also increases risk to thyroid and most other cancers. In an age of increasing toxic exposures we
all need more (not less) iodine because it has very specific protective effects
against several common poisons like chlorine, fluorine, bromine or radioactive
iodine and to a lesser extent it helps eliminate lead and mercury from the
body.
In the early
1900's, Harry Hoxsey developed an herbal formula that was effective for the
treatment of cancer. Similar to famous
anti-cancer ‘Essiac tea’ plus iodine, this mixture is taken internally and
contains licorice, red clover, burdock root, stillingia root, barberry,
cascara, prickly ash bark and buckthorn bark, but also has potassium iodide added.
The Hoxsey
mixture is considered to be cathartic/cleansing or immune boosting. The preparation is used either directly on the
skin or drunk as a tonic. Patients are
encouraged to avoid pork, vinegar, tomatoes, carbonated drinks and alcohol, and
to use immune stimulants, yeast tablets, vitamin C, calcium, laxatives, and
antiseptic washes, as well as adopt a positive mental outlook while taking the
Hoxsey treatment.
The thyroid
gland is the main temperature control center of the body. Those with under active thyroids often will
have a lowered basal body temperature. Cancer
cells cannot tolerate heat as well as normal cells due to the lack of
collateral circulation around tumor cells. Maintaining
a normal temperature creates an internal environment unfavorable for cancer
growth. Coleus
Forskohlii contains
the diterpene forskolin, which mobilizes fat and stimulates the thyroid.
Guggulsterone
extracts from the Indian herb Commiphora
Mukul can increase the concentration of thyroid hormones in the
blood. Forskolin stimulates thyroid hormone release and increases thyroid
hormone production. The herb is
especially effective in increasing the ratio of the active T3 form of thyroid
(triiodothyronine) to less active T4 (thyroxine). A corresponding and
significant decrease in normal liver damage by free radicals was noticed, which
is most interesting since liver is the principal site where T4 thyroid is
stored and T3 thyroid is generated.
Forskolin
stimulates digestive secretions, including hydrochloric acid, pepsin, amylase
and pancreatic enzymes, suggesting benefit in digestive disorders and
malabsorption. It has an antidepressant effect
via activation of cAMP and forskolin has potent immune-balancing properties,
reducing inflammatory humoral immunity and enhancing quiet cellular immunity.
Coleus
forskohlii is a perennial mint that has been used since ancient times in Hindu
and Ayurvedic medicine. The root portion
of the plant is used for medicinal purposes and contains the primary active
constituent, forskolin. Traditionally it
was used to treat hypertension, congestive heart failure, eczema, colic,
respiratory disorders, painful urination, insomnia and convulsions; today we
understand that it may have therapeutic benefit in asthma, angina, psoriasis
and prevention of cancer metastases.
Forskolin's
potentiation of cAMP in turn inhibits the inflammatory humoral immune response
of basophil and mast cell degranulation and histamine release, lowers blood
pressure and intraocular pressure, inhibits platelet aggregation, promotes
vasodilation, bronchodilation and thyroid hormone secretion, as well as
stimulates lipolysis in fat cells. Forskolin
also has a positive inotropic action on the heart via increased cAMP levels. Forskolin significantly lowers blood pressure
via relaxation of vascular smooth muscle. Oral Coleus forskohlii extracts are typically
standardized to 10% forskolin, with dosages ranging from 100-250 mg twice
daily.
Dr. Sebastiano Venturi, in Evolution
of Dietary Antioxidants: Role of Iodine, makes it clear that iodine is a
crucial antioxidant and apoptosis-inductor with anti-tumor
and anti-atherosclerotic activity. When
we supplement with iodine we see increased antioxidant activity and immune
system function. Iodides increase
movement of granulocytes into areas of inflammation and improve phagocytosis by granulocytes and their ability to kill
bacteria. Improving cellular immunity
allows inflammatory hypersensitive auto-immune humoral response to diminish.
From Iodine for Health by Donald W.
Miller:
“More
than 4,000 patients in this project take iodine in daily doses ranging from
12.5 - 50 mg, and in those with diabetes, up to 100 mg a day. Iodine does indeed reverse fibrocystic
disease; diabetic patients require less insulin; hypothyroid patients, less
thyroid medication; symptoms of fibromyalgia resolve and patients with migraine
headaches stop having them.”
Four of the most common formulations of
inorganic iodine, as iodide (I-), and with or without molecular iodine
(I2): Potassium iodide (KI) tablets, in doses ranging from 0.23 to 130 mg;
super saturated potassium iodide (SSKI), 19–50 mg of iodide per drop; Lugol’s solution, 6.3 mg of molecular iodine/iodide per
drop; and Iodoral, each tablet
containing 12.5 mg iodine/iodide. Both Lugol’s solution and Iodoral
are one-third molecular iodine (5%) and two-thirds potassium iodide (10%).
Lugol's
solution consists of 5 g iodine (I2) and
10 g potassium iodide (KI) mixed with 85
ml distilled water, to make a brown
solution with a total iodine content of 130 mg/mL. Potassium iodide renders the elementary
iodine soluble in water through the
formation of the I3- ion.
The most efficacious supplement includes molecular iodine (I2),
which breast tissue prefers.
Lugol's
solution is a prescription medication in the US, and labeled as a poison. However, it is safe to take internally in small
doses, although it kills friendly flora along with pathogens in the
bowels. If your bowels are perfect, then
paint supplemental iodine/iodide on the skin.
Deficiencies
of selenium, vitamin A and iron may exacerbate effects of iodine
deficiency. People with hypothyroidism
have an impaired ability to oxidize and split beta-carotene into vitamin A, and build up
beta-carotene, often giving the skin a sallow or yellow-orange tinge. Moderate to severe iodine deficiency is present now in a
significant proportion of the U.S. population, with a clear increasing trend
over the past 20 years, caused by weakening soils, increased diet deficiencies
and reduced iodized table salt usage.
Along with
magnesium, zinc and selenium, iodine is commonly one of the most deficient
minerals in our bodies. Magnesium, zinc and selenium as well as
iodine deficiencies are causes of autoimmune thyroiditis, not excess iodide.
A high
amount of copper in the body is common to reduced thyroid function. Too
much copper can inhibit the function of zinc, which is essential to the thyroid
conversion process along with manganese, iodine, iron and selenium.
Fulvic in the diet assists with maintaining proper balance. Fulvic chelates and removes excess copper
(or other minerals or heavy metals), and helps to nourish by supplying safe
natural organic plant forms of minerals, in the proper balance as nature
intended.
Fulvic is a
natural water soluble substance of plant-microbial symbiotic origin. It
contains many healing phytochemicals and enzymes which readily disperse
throughout the body, even to the interior of cells. Specially prepared
fulvic extracts regulate abnormal thyroid hormone secretion because of their
ability to regulate RNA and DNA (cyclic nucleotides) at the cellular
level. Fulvic acts as an immune modulator, regulating immune system
function.
The
mechanism behind environmental "halogen displacement" was probably
best described by J.C. Jarvis, M.D. (Folk Medicine, Henry Holt & Co., 1958,
HB, p. 136), who wrote: "The clinical activity of any one of these four
halogens is in inverse proportion to its atomic weight. This means that any one
of the four can displace the element with a higher atomic weight, but cannot
displace an element with a lower atomic weight. For example, fluorine can
displace chlorine, bromine and iodine because fluorine has a lower atomic
weight than the other three. Similarly, chlorine can displace bromine and
iodine because they both have a higher atomic weight. Likewise, bromine can
displace iodine from the body because iodine has a higher atomic weight. But a
reverse order is not possible.
Knowledge
of this well-known chemical law brings us to a consideration of the addition of chlorine
to our drinking water as a purifying agent.
We secure a drinking water that is harmful to the body not because of
its harmful germ content but because the chlorine content now causes the body to
lose the much-needed iodine."
That was before public health officials worsened the situation by
adding fluoride (its current industrial waste source also increases the amount
and absorptive availability of lead, arsenic and aluminum) in our water. Fluoride ingestion or absorption/inhalation
greatly enhances uptake of radioactive elements, including iodine 131 and strontium
90.
It is a common theory that the reason fluoride was ‘proven’ to reduce
tooth decay in Michigan (a glaciated area low in soil iodine, where
hypothyroidism is endemic) was through a statistical trick. The key statistical dental parameter improved
(in Michigan) by adding one part per million fluoride in community water was
decayed, extracted or filled 6 year molars.
Degrees of hypothyroidism progressively delay the eruption of teeth. Fewer teeth results in fewer cavities.
The amount of fluoride a modern American gets from fluoridated water
and contaminated foods is the amount German physicians sometimes still use
today to poison the thyroid to treat hyperthyroidism. Further fluoride competition (with already
low iodine) accentuated subclinical hypothyroidism and delayed eruption of
studied ‘6 year’ molars (perhaps slowed as much as a year) and accounted for
statistical improvement of decay scores. Delayed eruption of
teeth was interpreted as a "benefit" in fluoridated areas when
same-age children's teeth were compared.
In 1926, Goldemberg
is the first to take medical advantage of the then much-observed
iodine-fluoride antagonism. He concluded that, because fluoride was the
reason behind iodine deficiency/goiter areas, it would therefore also reduce
high iodine levels in Basedow patients.
He began to use fluorides to effectively cure Basedow's disease
(hyperthyroidism caused by excessive iodine consumption). He
published and published. They followed.
Traditional
areas where people had been sent for “natural therapy” of hyperthyroidism had
higher amounts of fluoride in the local water.
In
the 1930s, it was found that fluoride and thyroid have synergistic toxic
effects. In 1991, it was reported that low
iodine intake coupled with "high" (0.88ppm) fluoride intake
exacerbates central nervous lesions and the somatic developmental disturbance
of iodine deficiency. Goiters may
actually be fluoride-induced.
G proteins
are basic nuclear “On" and "Off" switches, selecting or
silencing genes depending on cellular signal transmission. Fluorides
became known as the universal G-protein activator during the 1980s and 1990s. Fluorides mimic TSH, thyroid-stimulating-hormone. The
TSH receptor is the only
receptor known able to activate all G protein families, an activity directly
imitated by environmental fluoride. G
proteins in thyroid physiology are normally absolutely dependent on TSH and are
inactive without it. TSH is the master,
sometimes also referred to as the "first violinist in the orchestra"
(unless there is excess confounding discordant fluoride).
Besides
direct regulation of ion channels, G-proteins transduce activation of
neurotransmitter receptors into alterations in intracellular levels of second
messengers in target neurons. Prominent
second messengers in brain include cyclic AMP, cyclic GMP, calcium, the major
metabolites of phosphatidylinositol [inositol triphosphate (IP3) and diacylglycerol]
and of arachidonic acid and endothelial relaxation factor, nitric oxide. Altered levels of second messengers mediate
the actions of neurotransmitter-receptor activation on some types of ion
channels, as well as on numerous other physiological responses.
Fluorine can produce considerable functional
and anatomic changes in the thyroid. Depending
on dose of fluoride (with long latency at very low doses), early on, these
changes create increased thyroid function and an altered thyroid-hypothalamus-pituitary
balance; later, a dysfunctional glandular hypertrophy leads to further hypo
function of the thyroid, and finally a goiter-like strumiform degeneration of
the gland.
Co-administration
of fluoride and methyxanthine-containing beverages doubles plasma fluoride
levels in rats. Co-administration of
fluoride with caffeine-containing tea, or Coca-Cola
resulted in a significantly higher plasma fluoride level than intake of the
same amount of fluoride in decaffeinated beverages. Soft drinks and processed beverages and foods
are significant sources of fluorides. (Now, if fluoride really works, why do
kids who drink soft drinks have so much decay and adults thinning bones?)
Russell L
Blaylock, MD notes that fluoride is strongly associated with damaging DNA,
interfering with thyroid function leading to hypothyroidism, creating problems
with fluoridated organic molecules (Paxil,
Prozac and some antibiotics), significantly increasing many types of
cancer, increasing heart disease, increasing oral cancer and even periodontal
disease, reducing zinc in body tissues (including the brain), increasing Down's
Syndrome, reducing testosterone and sperm count, increasing Alzheimer's and
lowering IQ.
Perfluorinated
chemicals, (pervasive in food packaging, pesticides, clothing, upholstery,
carpets and personal care products), may delay pregnancy. These chemicals are also commonly used in
non-stick cookware. Using non-stick
cookware encourages ingesting perfluorinates, which are being phased out in the
U.S. because of their toxicity. However,
they remain in the environment and in the body for decades, and are linked to
developmental problems. Danish women
with high levels of perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) take longer to get pregnant.
Women in the
three groups with the highest levels of PFOS took from 70-134% longer to get
pregnant than women in the lowest quartile with the lowest PFOS levels. Women with the highest PFOA levels took
60-154% longer to get pregnant compared with women with lowest levels. In animals, these chemicals have a variety of
toxic effects on liver, immune system and developmental as well as reproductive organs, also inducing impaired fetal growth.
Environmental
contaminants such as PCBs, PBDEs, and mercury can alter brain neuron
functioning even before a child is born. These changes to the brain can be
long-lasting. Stain-resistant chemicals, found in up to 98% of Americans
sampled in the late 1990s, are found in clothing, carpeting, upholstery, and
even the lining of food containers.
Fetuses
exposed to the chemicals PFOS and PFOA experience changes
in proteins important to both growth of brain neurons and the production of
brain proteins necessary to carry messages between nerve cells. These changes in
brain proteins may account for behavior changes including hyperactivity, as is
the case in lab animals that are exposed to stain-resistant chemicals.
In rats,
fluoride administration significantly increased brain levels of a marker of
free radical damage and markedly reduced activity of a number of antioxidant
enzymes compared with controls. When
melatonin was also administered, it decreased the marker of free radical damage
and increased activity of antioxidant enzymes.
Buffalo-derived pineal protein had a similar protective effect. Pineal protein and melatonin likely help
control fluoride induced neurotoxicity by enhancing enzymatic and non-enzymatic
antioxidant defense systems.
Danger from
these chemicals might be lessening. In
2006, the EPA had promises from eight manufacturers of PFOA to ‘voluntarily’
reduce emissions and product content of perfluorinated compounds in U.S. and
overseas by 95% by 2010, and to ‘work toward’ eliminating emissions and product
content of these chemicals by 2015. This
action was taken because perfluorinated compounds are associated with
"systemic and developmental toxicity." The only manufacturer of PFOS in the U.S.
(3M) had agreed to ‘phase out’ its production and use nine years ago. On the other hand, to this day, DuPont
insists PFOA and Teflon are perfectly safe to cook on.
Dr. Timothy
A Hardgrove in "Dental
Caries", published in 1939
by the American Dental Association, noted that nervous persons
are more apt to have carious teeth than persons who are not nervous, a
condition indicating lack of normal calcium function. (This is similar to my ‘irritability hypothesis’, reflecting stress-driven
negative mineral balance. To restore
balance, supplement with chelated multiminerals along with water and greens
morning and evening.)
He also
noted that in his community, since the
beginning of administration of iodine to prevent goiter, children had less
caries. Iodine seems to increase
resistance to caries, retarding the process and reducing its incidence. Two conditions mainly determine
resistance or susceptibility to caries: normal calcium metabolism and bacterial
disintegration (cellular immunity is
aided by iodine). Diet adequate in
calcium is not sufficient to maintain teeth free from caries unless the endocrine glands are in normal
coordination (with adequate levels of
iodine, magnesium, selenium and zinc). When glands are normal, bacteria are powerless.
Some few individuals are allergic / hypersensitive to
iodide or to organic preparations containing iodine, especially medically
prescribed dyes. Hypersensitivity
reactions may involve rash, angioedema (throat swelling), cutaneous / mucosal
hemorrhage (bleeding), fever, arthralgias (joint pains), eosinophilia (abnormal
blood counts), urticaria (painful itching and hives), thrombotic thrombocytopenic
purpura, or severe periarteritis (inflammation around blood vessels). Reactions can be severe and deaths have
occurred with exposure. Iodine-based
products should be avoided if there is known allergy / hypersensitivity to
iodine.
Remember, hypersensitivity reactions occur when
glutathione becomes exhausted and cellular immunity quits. That is when we end up in hospital subject to
diagnostic dyes and likely to have heightened response to them. Most allergies to x-ray contrast media are to
the specific media itself, not necessarily the iodine component. When kidney function is significantly impaired, it may be
difficult for the body to eliminate excess iodine, so it can accumulate to
toxic levels. Most of those who display
allergic response to iodine (the oxidant) show absolutely no reaction to iodide
(the antioxidant).
Iodine contact allergies are sometimes seen to
providone-iodine (Betadine®) scrub
used as surgical preps. In one study, 10
people who had skin reactions to providone-iodine were further tested and only
one was found to be skin allergic to iodine, five were allergic to the
providone-iodine solution itself and the other four had direct skin irritation
reactions (not allergic response).
Both shellfish and other fishes are
rich sources of iodine, but most often those allergic are not really responding
to iodine, but proteins in the seafood. Not all reactions to seafood are
allergies to seafood protein itself. A
parasite called anisakiasis (which frequently contaminates seafood) is a major
cause of gastrointestinal upset that many people interpret as a food allergy.
This parasite is killed by deep freezing.
On the other hand, repleting iodine allows the body to
begin to excrete fluorine, bromine and chlorine previously preferentially bound
to iodine receptor sites. Heavy metals
like lead and mercury can now be more effectively eliminated because thyroid
and other hormones become more functional.
Cleansing side effects of iodine supplementation are mostly dermal and
typically last just 2-3 weeks.
Irritability symptoms are most likely due to toxicity created by the
displacement, movement and elimination of aggressive non-essential halogens.
The Iodine study group started by Dr. Guy Abraham has
recommended clearing the body of excess fluoride and bromide prior to
instituting elevated doses of iodide and iodine. Chloride (from salt) can be used if the
person is not susceptible to heart and blood pressure problems from the sodium
content. They recommend eating several
grams of extra salt a day for a couple of weeks to displace fluoride and
bromide slowly. After some clearance has occurred, iodine / iodide
such as Lugol's can be started.
Thad Mauney [tmauney@wtp.net] suggests a simpler way not
involving excess sodium. Take about 1 mg of iodide per day for a month as
Lugol's or whatever form you can get.
This will displace not more than the equivalent amount of fluoride. 1 mg
I- = 7.9 microequivalents of I-, and 7.9 microequivalents of F- = 0.15 mg. So we find out whether release of 0.15 mg of
F- per day can be tolerated by that person, and likely it can be. But, over a month's time the body could
displace and excrete up to 5.5 mg of F (hopefully without symptoms).
Then
increase the quantity of Lugol's slowly, to 2 mg, and then 5 mg/day. At these
quantities the displacement will be occurring more rapidly. If fluoride symptoms
recur, reduce the dosage again to 1 mg, and try raising it again a month
later. The logic is simple of course --
you need the iodine and iodide for numerous functions throughout the body. But
some functions are at a very delicate balance of fluoride toxicity and the
elevated serum fluoride level cannot be tolerated even as it is on the way to
excretion. It is best to replenish
iodine slowly so as to cause only minimal serum fluoride elevation along the
way.
The same applies to other folks who may have accumulated
bromide instead of fluoride except that symptoms will be different, for example
the skin rash chloracne (brom-acne) as the bromide is released. Anomalous acne may be the locus of some
bromide release.
Optimal nutritional need for iodine may well be in the
1-5 mg/day range. At the moment, Mauny cannot see that striving for whole-body
saturation with iodine/iodide (at the 30-40 mg/day level) is needed by most
people. However, saturation is likely
beneficial to some individuals with the need to correct chronic problems.
U.S. dentists
are still poisoning half their patients with clinically-forgiving and durable
anti-microbial mercury dental amalgam (with 50% vapor-producing mercury,
amalgam includes varying amounts of silver, copper, tin along with 2%
beneficial zinc). Biofilm bacteria
convert inorganic metals to organic assimilable forms, like mercury to ethyl or
methyl mercury. Silver is noble. Copper is necessary.
What about
tin? Organotin compounds have been used in plastic industries and as
agricultural chemicals. Both trimethyl
and triethyl tin compounds are found to be extremely neurotoxic. Despite the similarity of their chemical
structures, trimethyl and triethyl tins have a diversely different toxic
property and effects. While triethyl tin
is myelinotoxic, producing edematous and vacuolar changes in the central
myelin, trimethyl tin is neurotoxic, producing prominent toxic changes in the
neurons of the limbic system (hippocampus and entorhinal cortex).
Physicians
like soldiers-in-lockstep lamely tout their mercury-laden immune-unbalancing vaccine
injections (as instructed). Physicians believe that Thimerosal (ethyl mercury) is added to vaccines in ‘trace’ amounts. However, the concentration of mercury in a
multi-dose flu vaccine vial is 50,000 parts per billion, and much higher for
the unlucky one who gets the last dose (since heavy metals sink to the bottom
of the ten-dose vial).
To put this
in perspective, since there are no safe levels, drinking water cannot exceed 2
parts per billion of mercury, and waste is considered hazardous if it has only
200 parts per billion. Is it prudent to
inject pregnant women, newborns and infants (same dose as much larger hardened
adults) with mercury levels 250 times higher than what is legally classified as
hazardous waste?
Agreeing
that mercury has no place in vaccines, legislatures of seven states have passed
Thimerosal bans in recent years:
California, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, New York and Washington. California was first to have implemented the
ban, and one study showed autism rates immediately declining (with conventional
sources looking at the same data, saying no change occurred). Parents are now funding their own studies
verifying vaccine damage. Governor
Schwarzenegger has ‘temporarily’ overturned the ban after a ‘shortage’ of
mercury-free flu shots led to pressure from the vaccine companies through state
medical groups.
Every
vaccine has two parts, the microorganism to which you want to elicit immune
response (such as a measles virus) and an immune adjuvant (which amplifies
immune response to both and is typically made from a variety of highly toxic
compounds including aluminum compounds, MSG and mercury. Immune adjuvants boost the immune system and
make it react as intensely as possible for as long as possible.
Says
Russell Blaylock, M.D.: “Studies have
shown that adjuvants, from a single vaccine, can cause immune over activation
for as long as two years. This means
that the brain microglia remain active as well, continuously pouring out
destructive inflammatory chemicals. A
single injection of an immune activating substance can cause brain immune over
activation for more than a year. This is
very destructive.”
Vaccines
containing high concentrations of neurotoxic aluminum were added to the child
immunization schedule when several vaccines containing mercury were
removed. Two-month old babies (just like
adults) are now scheduled to receive 1,225 mcg of aluminum from their vaccines
(50 times higher than their safety levels!).
Babies with already impaired kidney function are at higher risk of
aluminum toxicity. Babies are not
generally screened for the health of their kidney function prior to
immunization. Infants who receive the recommended
schedule of immunizations will have received 5000 mcg (5 mg) of aluminum by 18
months of age.
Remember,
the wrong basic premise of vaccinations is that the chicken pox does not
return. Now that we live longer, we understand
that those viruses never leave; they lurk and return when cellular immunity is
compromised and the body turns on humoral immunity due to overwhelming stress
or senescence. Chicken pox returns as
shingles (or polio might return as meningitis or post-polio syndrome or
Alzheimer’s disease).
It is
literally raining mercury all over the world, but especially in the more
industrialized northern hemisphere. Mercury
strips the body of critical selenium, zinc and magnesium, disabling glutathione
recycling among other things. Trace
mineral selenium is more important to enzyme action and hormonal function than
most of us imagine. AIDs patients’
condition parallels selenium levels in their blood. Risk to disease exacerbation and death
increases as levels drop. Selenium
stores get bound up quickly because of its great affinity for mercury.
Like lead, there is no safe mercury level
that does not cause damage. Mercury also
poisons methionine reductase, an enzyme which generates glutathione production
from sulfur-containing amino acids and thus further limits further production
of glutathione’s most active forms (which also contain selenium). Energy production, detoxification and
cellular immunity become compromised.
Eli Lilly and Co. developed and registered
thimerosal under its trade name Merthiolate in 1929 and began marketing it as
an antibacterial, antifungal product. It
became the most widely used preservative in vaccines (and still is).
Thimerosal/Merthiolate was widely used in
over-the-counter products, including ointments, eye drops, nasal sprays and
contact lens solution. In 1998, the FDA
finally banned Thimerosal for use in OTC products, 18 years after it began a
safety review of mercury-containing products. Eli Lilly faces hundreds of civil lawsuits
from parents who blame thimerosal for their autistic children. But no action is taken; the pharmaceutical
giant has powerful friends in government.
World Health Organization reported in 1991
that our leading exposure to mercury is our dental fillings. ‘Silver’ fillings usually contain 50%
mercury, and Americans average eight fillings per person. Although dentists are taught that once
hardened in amalgam, dental mercury is inert, invisible vapor of this liquid
metal continually evaporates (and release goes up exponentially when heated or other
metals are present in the mouth) and then gets absorbed into our bodies.
Chewing food or gum as well as drinking hot
beverages markedly increases the substantial mercury vapor release from these
shiny fillings. With multiple fillings,
mercury vapors inside the [mouth often violate OSHA standards. Mercury amalgam fillings have been banned by
several progressive European countries, including Switzerland and Sweden.
Our next largest source of mercury is coal-burning
power plants, which emit 40 tons of mercury into the air each year. Mercury is present in all fossil fuels that
we burn. The EPA reports that rainfall
in New England now contains thirty times the “safe” level of mercury for
surface water. The EPA also blames mercury for varying levels of neurological
damage to 60,000 American babies each year (more U.S. citizens than died in the
entire Vietnam War).
Worldwide, a major problem is illegal use of
mercury in mining gold, contaminating rivers and estuaries in lesser developed
countries, poisoning everybody (even the upper class) with the water. Most governments have no ability to control
the tremendous amounts of mercury released into everybody’s water as its poor
people scrabble for survival. At the same
time, our US government thinks it is too costly and unnecessary to scrub
mercury from the smokestacks of our coal-burning plants (we poison Europe as
China poisons us).
Human exposure to environmental contaminants
is a well-known phenomenon in the Canadian Arctic. Like many organic pollutants, heavy metals bio-accumulate (they build up in the tissues of animals
and steadily move up the food chain). The Inuit are exposed
to many toxic substances that are carried from warm southern to colder and
heavier water of northern latitudes by oceanic and atmospheric transport and
biomagnified in Arctic food webs.
Human toxicity of PCBs and methyl mercury has
been documented, often following industrial accidents, which cause a variety of
adverse health effects including birth defects and learning disorders. PCBs and heavy metals accumulate in the fat
of fish and marine mammals, causing much concern for humans who traditionally
consume large amounts of these animals.
The Inuit are among the most heavily exposed people in the world to PCBs
and methyl mercury.
Inuit women like to eat large amounts of
fish, beluga whale skin and blubber, seal meat and seal fat during their
pregnancies. However, fish and seal meat
consumption was associated with increased mercury exposure as measured in hair
samples. The heavy metals polluting including
thallium, cadmium and lead in the Arctic have primarily come from the burning
of coal and other fossil fuels in North America and Western Europe.
Despite widespread knowledge of traditional
foods now being a source of contaminants, many women increased their
consumption of these foods because of pregnancy-related changes in food
preferences and their native belief that these foods were beneficial for women
and their unborn children. Measurements
for mercury and PCBs in mothers' hair, plasma and milk, as well as children's
cord blood showed levels consistent with cognitive deficits seen in other
studies.
Evidence for continued increasing levels of
mercury in the Canadian Arctic is observed in a number of marine birds and
mammals. A recent decrease observed in
blood concentrations of mercury in Inuit can be attributed to changes in dietary
habits. Mean intake of marine mammal meat
decreased from 28.7 g/day in 1992 to 17.5 g/day in 2004, which is about a 40%
decrease.
These changes in dietary habits might result
from promotion of less contaminated traditional food (such as Arctic Char), but
more likely due to the decrease in traditional food consumption associated with
a shift to a globally more westernized junk-food life-style. Despite the decrease, mercury body burden in
this population still remains a concern, based on the number of people showing
blood concentrations above maximum recommended levels.
I have had several patients who frequently ate fish proven to be poisoned with mercury (and they never had mercury amalgam fillings). I know doctors all across America with similar patients, especially sushi lovers. Predatory fish such as large tuna, swordfish, shark and mackerel can have mercury concentrations in their bodies that are 10,000 times higher than those of their surrounding environment!
Four years
ago, the EPA and FDA issued a joint advisory warning to women of childbearing
age, and warned pregnant women, nursing mothers, and children to stop eating
swordfish, shark, tilefish and king mackerel, and to limit their consumption of
other mercury-contaminated fish to a maximum of 12 ounces per week. FDA is now suggesting it is OK to eat more
fish, promoting the financial health of agribusiness and the seafood industry
(not your health).
Recently,
nine of twenty tested samples of commercial high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
contained mercury, which was also found in nearly a third of 55 popular
brand-name food and beverage products where HFCS is the first- or
second-highest labeled ingredient. It is
Russian roulette knowing whether or not a soda or snack food contains HFCS made
from ingredients like caustic soda contaminated with mercury.
The ‘good
news’ is that mercury-free HFCS exists (although HFCS is still a metabolic
poison on its own if it becomes dietarily significant). Food companies usually squelch bad publicity,
rather than use safer ingredients. The
FDA had evidence that commercial HFCS was contaminated with mercury four years before. Our government agency did not inform
consumers, help change industry practice or conduct additional testing.
Perchlorate has turned up in most samples of
breast milk and store-bought cow's milk from 23 US states. The chemical may
disrupt metabolism in adults and lead to mental retardation in children. Perchlorate is a component of fuel for
rockets and missiles and also appears to be made naturally in the atmosphere
and stored in the soil. It is widely found in the US water supply and has
previously been detected in samples of dairy milk and lettuce.
Perchlorate has been associated with thyroid
ailments and is particularly dangerous to children. This is because perchlorate
knocks an iodine ion off of a protein that transports the ion to the thyroid.
This can lead to iodine deficiency, which impairs thyroid development and is
believed to be the main cause of mental retardation in children. With the problem many Americans have with
iodine nutrition, perchlorate only worsens things.
The figures for lead toxicity are better known. Three billion pounds of lead have been
released into the environment worldwide since the Industrial Revolution. No amount of lead ingestion is safe (even
lowest measurable lead levels in baby teeth produce lower IQ scores).
In children, lead in hair parallels classroom
disruption. America’s explosive crime
rate of the 1950s through the 1970s diminished (law-enforcement took the
credit) in the decade after lead was finally removed from gasoline. Meanwhile, 20% of American homes still have
leaded water pipes, while even more still have leaded paint dust.
Aluminum toxicity also raises awareness of risk
to Alzheimer’s dementia. A 1980 autopsy
study showed Alzheimer’s brains had significantly more neurotoxic aluminum than
controls (their brains have more mercury too, as well as herpes viruses). CDC reports that 1/3 of U.S. cities still use
aluminum to purify tap water and those cities have more Alzheimer’s disease.
Without the antioxidant,
immune boosting and cleansing affects of iodine, the body can develop
intestinal yeast overgrowth and leaky gut syndrome easily (especially when
beneficial bacteria levels have been compromised due to stresses like weak breakfast
or lack of sleep, steroids, non-steroids, acid-blockers or antibiotics,
chemotherapy or radiation). Loss of
cellular immunity and upregulated humoral immunity (with its hypersensitivities
and allergies) is the basic auto-immune imbalance which causes many symptoms
and serious autoimmune diseases.
Modern physicians
treat symptoms, but the underlying cause, dysbiosis with yeast overgrowth,
leaky gut syndrome and iodine deficiency is generally ignored. In fact, these physiological concepts are not
part of medical school conventional curriculum.
When using oral therapeutic iodine or iodide, regularly take beneficial
bacteria supplements to replenish friendly gut flora that is killed along with the
pathogens. (Painting iodine on the skin does not directly affect gut flora.)
Iodine is
essential for the synthesis of thyroid hormone (four iodines oxidized from
iodide added to tyrosine). But
selenium-dependent enzymes (iodothyronine deiodinases) are also required for the systemic conversion
of the less active thyroxin (T4) from multiple local
storage depots, to the biologically most active thyroid hormone, triiodothyronine (T3). Selenium is the primary mineral responsible
for T4 to T3 (thyroid hormones) conversion in the liver.
Supplemental
selenium at 200mcg per day becomes absolutely essential in the age of mercury
toxicity for it is the perfect antidote to mercury exposure (400-800mcg if you
have male pattern baldness, four or more mercury amalgams or enjoy lots of
sushi). Add 15-60mg zinc and enough
magnesium (100-800mg), perhaps magnesium taurate, titrated to maintain optimal
regularity of bowel function, along with or as part of your daily multi-mineral
supplementation.
Iodine is utilized by every
hormone receptor in the body. The
absence of iodine causes a hormonal dysfunction with practically every hormone. Iodine's ability to revive hormone receptors
seems to significantly improve insulin sensitivity. Adequate tissue iodine helps guide proliferative
estrogens into friendly
pathways. Iodine helps to metabolize
estrone (a mildly carcinogenic human estrogen) and 16-alpha-hydroxyestrone (a
much more aggressive metabolite of human estrogen) into milder beneficial estriol,
an "anti-carcinogenic" or at worst "neutral" form of human
estrogen.
The steroid and thyroid hormone receptor superfamily of
regulatory proteins include dualistic receptors for thyroid hormone and retinoic
acid, vitamin A, vitamin D or other fats and steroids. Steroid/thyroid hormone receptors are
ligand-dependent transcription factors that regulate diverse aspects of growth,
development and homeostasis by binding as homodimers or heterodimers to their
cognate DNA response elements to modulate gene transcription. Co-activators and co-repressors act as accelerator
and/or a brake that modulates transcriptional regulation of hormone-responsive
targeted gene expression.
Medical doctors are taught that a ‘pharmacologic’ dose
(30mg iodine) will generally shut down thyroid gland production for 10-14 days,
and this is bad. What this really means
is that existing peripheral thyroid hormone stores can now begin to work
effectively, lightening the load on an overworked gland, allowing it a
rest. This is good.
Current sclerosed thinking in conventional clinical
medicine is that there are only two reasons to use iodine. One rare indication is to pharmacologically
reduce thyroid hormone production in the two weeks before surgical removal of
an offending thyroid gland. In reality,
beta-blockers and steroids with their pleomorphic side-effects are usually
used.
The second iodine use (which physicians usually forget to
do) is to rescue some thyroid glandular function after poisoning the thyroid
(and other iodine absorptive glandular tissues) with radioactive iodine. (So
the patient does not become a doctor’s annuity and need lifetime medical tests,
supervision and prescriptions.).
The terminally-ill corporate insurance-driven
disease-management system (which has an incredible will to live) only pays for
surgery or further poisoning people with pharmaceuticals. Insurance will simply not pay to look for
environmental causes for thyroiditis like iodine, zinc or selenium lack,
pesticide or heavy metal excess and/or auto-immune destruction from virus
expression due to failed cellular immunity and glutathione exhaustion.
Dr. Eric Braverman reminds us that healing comes from
within. There are 21 bioidentical
hormones and they have a significant impact on brain and body health. Patented synthetic non bioidentical hormones
have been a failure. All
growth is a form of controlled repair.
We are only as young as our oldest
part. Injured or aging individuals (anyone past 40) benefit
from enhancing repair hormones.
One’s endocrinology is in constant inherent rhythmic and
environmentally responsive flux with steroid, thyroid, parathyroid and growth
hormone levels constantly changing their proportional effects. Medical comorbidities
are common and they damage nerves and feed brain degeneration. Medical comorbidities worsen brain function
and vice versa. Healing comes from the
brain, since it is connected to everything.
Pregnenolone
is parent to many steroid hormones. Many factors determine how much pregnenolone is used as
pregnenolone, or converted to DHEA and used as DHEA, or converted to progesterone
and used as progesterone. DHEA or
progesterone is then converted into one or more other hormones (cortisol,
testosterone or estrogens). Pregnenolone is the super hormone of our
brain.
The brain and adrenal cortex produce pregnenolone
and levels diminish as we age. By age 75
we produce about 40% of youthful levels.
Both men and women past 40 generally benefit from taking two 25mg
tablets daily, one AM and another PM (often combined with 5-10 mg DHEA for
females or 25mg DHEA for males). Pregnenolone
seems to generally be safe, non-toxic and without side effects when taken in
100mg doses per day or less. Long-term pregnenolone supplementation is best
guided by testing levels at least once per year (ideally every 6 months).
Pregnenolone is the
most potent memory enhancer ever discovered.
Pregnenolone enhances mental performance, facilitates learning, helps us
adapt to stress, increases our feeling of well being and actually makes us
happier and more appreciative of life.
Pregnenolone improves concentration, prevents mental fatigue, increases
productivity and improves psychomotor performance. It even helps prevent depression.
Using either pregnenolone or progesterone in mice promoted
myelin formation during nerve regeneration. Pregnenolone keeps brain function at peak capacity. Pregnenolone
is present in common medicinal plants such as Angelica
sinensis
(Dong quai) and Oncidium (spray
orchids).
Progesterone and pregnenolone tend to
increase thyroid hormone effects because they promote the conversion of T4 to
the more active T3. Estrogen has the
opposite effect on thyroid hormone conversion. This may explain why so many women gain weight
when estrogen replacement therapy or birth control pills are prescribed.
Dong quai has been
called the "female ginseng" and is excellent as an all purpose
women's herb. Chinese angelica possesses
the distinction of being one of the few good non-animal sources of Vitamin
B12 (along
with specialty varieties of yeast and microalgae like spirulina).
Dong quai
increases the effect of ovarian/testicular hormones. It has been used for centuries in China for
regulating the menstrual cycle as well as easing menstrual pain and cramping. It can be used to help women regain normal
menstrual cycles after taking "the Pill." It has proven helpful for relieving hot
flashes and vaginal dryness during menopause.
Dong quai
can be used for insomnia and blood pressure stability for both men and women.
(The affect on blood pressure can be an overall lowering although sometimes it
may rise slightly first, followed by a decline). It can reduce PMS and may help anemia,
suppressed menstrual flow, uterine bleeding, and abdominal pain after
childbirth, dry intestines, chronic pelvic disorders as well as constipation
and headaches due to blood deficiency.
Dong quai
helps the liver utilize more oxygen and therefore can be useful in treating
hepatitis and cirrhosis. It may also
help with abnormal protein metabolism.
Dong quai helps dilate peripheral blood vessels, increase circulation
and has been used as a mild laxative. It
is not to be used during pregnancy due to possible hormonal, anticoagulant and
anti-platelet properties.
Sympodials
are orchids with creeping ground stem or rhizome which sends out shoot which
eventually develops into stem and leaves. This new growth produces its own
roots and leaves at maturity. After
flowering, another shoot is formed at the base of the proceeding growth to
repeat the cycle. The stem is sometimes thickened and fleshy, forming
pseudobulbs. Cattleyas, Dendrobium,
Oncidium, Coelogyne, Bulbophyllum, are examples of orchid genera with sympodial
growth habit.
In
traditional Asian medicine, the Gold Orchid (Dendrobium
chrysotoxum) tea is used to strengthen Yin for a balanced Yin
and Yang, for supporting feminine characteristics of harmony and
reproductivity. The "Gold Tea"
contributes to happy moods and a sound sleep undisturbed by dreams. When drinking the tea of the flowers of this
Gold Orchid, the effects on the more caring, harmonious, and restoring nature
(Yin) can be felt immediately.
This
excellent drink with an orchid aroma is the most effective among the Yin
tonifying plants; it aids the immune system and speeds recovery from mental and
physical fatigue. The stems of the Gold
Orchid are also used in Chinese Medicine. They contain active polysaccharides with a
proven effect on the immune system and for treating diabetes.
Orchid is both
a flower and herb of love and fertility that carries an aphrodisiac quality. The tuber may be dried whole and carved into
an amulet or talisman to represent love and romance. The powdered root is
considered by many as an aphrodisiac, capable of increasing sexual and amorous
potency. Some still place orchid root in
food or drink to enhance fertility and eagerness before sexual intercourse.
Ingestion of
orchid bulb (Orchis
anatolica) by mice induced a significant increase in the
following parameters: (i) testes and seminal vesicle weights; (ii) number of
different testicular germ cell population including interstitial Leydig cells
and fibroblasts; and (iii) testicular cell linage dynamics obtained from testes
and cauda epidydimides.
Ingestion of
the orchid diet by male mice increased their fertility. (This was indicated by an elevation in the
number of impregnated females when allowed to mate with treated mice, an
increase in the impregnation sites, and an increase in the number of viable
fetuses and the offspring's male/female ratio.)
A slight significant increase in the testosterone and follicular
stimulating hormone titers in the treated mice were found in their blood serum. In contrast, a decrease in the number of
degenerating cells was observed.
Pregnenolone can be
an alternative therapy for estrogen replacement, menstrual problems, lupus,
PMS, post-natal depression, menopause, rheumatism, arthritis, seizures, mood
disorders, chronic fatigue syndrome, clinical depression, diabetes, MS, immune
enhancement, insomnia and sleep disorders, tumor inhibition, fibromyalgia,
nerve injuries and anxiety.
Pregnenolone has very synergistic effects when taken with
DHEA and melatonin. Appetite is
significantly decreased and cravings for alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, mind altering
drugs and even chocolate are usually diminished as well. Sense of well being is increased and cravings
are decreased or eliminated.
Symptoms of
iodine deficiency include enlarged
thyroid, muscle pain or cramps, cold hands and feet, proneness to
weight gain, apathy, fuzzy thinking, poor memory, constipation, depression and
headaches, puffiness and edema, weakness, poor hair, thinning eyebrows, dry
skin and brittle nails. Iodine plays a
critical role in the lymph system and in the lymph glands.
Swollen sub
maxillary glands known as ‘waxen kernels’ to our grandparents, will soften and regress within
minutes after allowing iodized lime to dissolve in the mouth. The brown iodide of lime is a loose
combination of iodine and calcium oxide, and sets nascent iodine free when
taken into the stomach. Given in doses
of 1/4 to I gr.
Painting iodine on one’s wrist gets rid of sore throat every time! Iodine definitely works. Some prefer to use white or clear
"decolorized" potassium iodide, available at most drugstores. Paint it on the inside of the wrists (where
the veins are closest to the skin) and on the sides of the throat. It was
used on a 3-year old, and the next day he was 100% better.
Iodine, used
as a douche, may reduce vaginal inflammation as well as the itching and
discharge that go along with vaginitis. Povidone-iodine
has the advantage of iodine tincture without the disadvantages of stinging and
staining. Douche for vaginitis:
generally two tablespoons of an iodine solution to one quart of warm water once
per day.
Delivering medicine through the skin is sometimes a desirable
alternative to taking it by mouth, since it will not upset gut flora. Patients often forget to take their medicine,
and even the most faithfully compliant get tired of swallowing pills. Skin application of iodine is effective (even if
not especially efficient) and a practical way for supplementation of iodine
with an expected bioavailability of 6-12% of the total iodine applied to skin. Iodine put onto scabs helps to organize total
repair of skin tissue.
All
pre-malignant lesions and many other oddities of the skin appear to respond to
the regeneration process triggered by topical iodine. A water solution of iodine (like Lugol's) is
an important therapeutic agent for skin. Because of its effectiveness and the results,
perhaps many skin diseases are related to local tissue areas of relative iodine
deficiency. In addition, iodine's
ability to trigger programmed cell death (apoptosis) in defective cells makes
it effective against all pre-cancerous skin lesions and very likely, many
cancerous lesions.
To do the
iodine-loading test, a patient first empties his bladder and then swallows 50
mg of iodine/iodide. The patient then
collects all urine for the next 24 hours.
A small sample of it (along with a note that includes total volume of
urine collected) is sent to the laboratory.
If the person excretes 90% or 45 mg of the iodine, that is considered
iodine sufficiency. If less is excreted,
the patient is not optimally sufficient or is iodine insufficient and a
therapeutic dosage of iodine may be administered for a period of time, after
which the test is repeated.
Dr.
Brownstein has found in using this test, that more than 90% of his Michigan
patients are iodine insufficient. Once a
person is iodine sufficient, the maintenance dose for an adult to maintain
sufficiency is about 12.5 mg of iodine/iodide daily. Their treatment dose (when a person is iodine
insufficient) is generally 12.5- 50 mg daily.
Dr. David Brownstein’s book is Iodine: Why You Need It; Why You Can’t
Live Without It. Dr. Guy Abraham’s research papers
relating to the Iodine Project may be viewed and downloaded free from the
Internet by accessing www.optimox.com and clicking ‘Iodine Research.’
Dr. Alan
Gaby noted that positive results observed in Michigan might not be reproducible
in other areas. Drs. Abraham and
Brownstein noted that part of the beneficial effect of iodine is due to enhanced
removal of bromine from the body. The
Midwest is a glaciated area with historic iodine lack in the soils creating
endemic goiter. In 1973-4, several
thousand Michigan dairy farms were contaminated by polybrominated biphenyls
(PBBs) from an industrial accident. This
bromine-containing pollutant is known to persist in the body for long periods
of time.
Five years
after the accident, 97% of fat samples taken from Michigan residents had
detectable levels of PBBs; and 96% of breast milk samples from women in densely
populated areas of the state contained this chemical up to three years after
the accident. Because of its exceptionally long half-life,
it is a reasonable assumption that many Michigan residents still have a body
burden of PBBs. As thyroid dysfunction
is known to occur in people exposed to PBBs, it is likely that some beneficial thyroid
effects attributed to iodine therapy were also due to a reduction of body
burden of PBBs. (Sounds like an excellent
bonus to me!)
If a person
is iodine insufficient, it typically takes about 3 months to become iodine
sufficient with daily dosage of 50 mg of iodine and a year to become iodine
sufficient while ingesting a dosage of 12.5 mg of iodine daily. Close monitoring is suggested, with awareness
of possible side effects and early detoxification reactions, primarily rashes,
fatigue and irritability.
Although
urine loading challenge tests are superior, we often use the survival of a
‘silver dollar sized’ skin tattoo of Lugol’s solution as an indicator of
sufficiency. If the brown stain
disappears in hours, the body is very hungry for iodine. A still visible brown smudge 24 hours later
suggests sufficiency. The remaining
iodine on the skin following evaporation of 88% of the total iodine,
approximately 12%, is at the disposal of the body, and absorbs through the
skin. The bioavailability of the
remaining 12% iodine staining the skin is relatively gradual.
Lugol's has
historically often also been used in the treatment of gout. Painting the soles of the feet with Lugol's
before retiring for the night (use your red sheets) allowed the body to absorb
what it needed from its soles. If, upon
waking, the Lugol's was gone it meant that the body had taken what it needed
and needed more. Painting was done on a
nightly basis and as treatment progressed, the need for the solution diminished
because the body rebuilt its stores and thus absorbed less and less over each
24 hour period until none was absorbed at all.
Sometimes,
one wants to consider the large amount lost by evaporation. The evaporation of iodine from the skin
increases with increased ambient temperatures and decreased atmospheric
pressure due to weather conditions and altitude. For example, the yellow-brown color of iodine
will disappear much faster in Denver, Colorado at 5,000 feet above sea level
then Los Angeles, California at sea level, regardless of the amount of
bioavailability of iodine. For this
reason Dr. Simoncini directs skin cancer patients to paint iodine on lesions up
to twenty times per day.
Oncologist
Dr. Tullio Simoncini states, “Every
tumor of the skin can be completely removed with Iodine Tincture 7%, brushed
many times (10-20) per day. When the crust is formed, do not take it away,
but treat the area continuously and wait until it falls without any other
intervention (otherwise the fungus might spread) except the Iodine tincture. When the crust falls down the third time, the
patient is healed.”
Essential iodine was removed from breads, starting in 1960 and was replaced with its toxic non-essential substitute, bromide by the mid 1970s. Before then, the average American got about 1mg of iodine daily through breads and vegetables. Now hardly anybody eats enough iodine daily unless seaweed is a large part of the diet.
To counter
the effects of iodine lack and competition from fluorine, bromine and chlorine,
Dr. Jarvis recommended: (1) Eating foods rich in iodine: food from the ocean as
well as vegetables grown on iodine-rich soil: radishes, asparagus, carrots,
tomatoes, spinach, rhubarb, potatoes, peas, strawberries, mushrooms, lettuce,
bananas, cabbage, egg yolk and onions. (2) Painting a small area of the body
with tincture of iodine. (3) Taking preparations known to be rich in iodine,
including cod liver oil and kelp tablets.
Jarvis was
particularly keen on the power of Lugol's
iodine, for treating various illnesses, including colds and flu, and for
countering effects of stress: "Supposing you find that some weeks the
pressures of life are causing you to lose the ability to bounce back. Then, add
a drop of Lugol's solution of
iodine to your breakfast glass of apple or grape juice or you may take it in
the mixture of apple cider vinegar and water.
The
potassium in the solution (in Lugol’s and SSKI) blocks off the body mechanism
that organizes for aggressive action, releasing its hold on the body when
opportunity for rest and relaxation arises. The iodine swings into action the body and the
building up and storing of body reserves. When working under pressure, include the Lugol's solution dose each day until
the period of pressure passes. If it
should happen that the body becomes saturated with iodine, one will find an increase
in nasal moisture. If this occurs, omit
iodine until the nose is normal."
As usual,
benefits or symptoms follow a parabolic dose-response curve. The number one reason to suspect iodine need
is excess mucus. Iodine exhibits excellent
activity against bacteria, molds, yeasts, protozoa and many viruses. Of all antiseptic preparations suitable for
direct use on humans and animals and upon tissues, only iodine is capable of
killing all classes of pathogens (gram-positive
and gram-negative bacteria, mycobacterium, fungi, yeasts, viruses and protozoa.
Most
bacteria are killed within 15- 30 seconds of contact.
Water-soluble
iodide is less irritating than iodine tincture (a solution in alcohol) when
applied to open wounds. There does not seem
to be a medical drug with equal effectiveness.
Therefore health authorities in most or all developed countries are
presently trying to make it unavailable for natural therapists and self-healing
under the pretext that it might be used to produce illegal drugs. It is now difficult to obtain and deceptive
methods are being used by pharmacists (under coercion from corporate-motivated
central health authorities).
Treatment of
burns with topical povidone-iodine ointment significantly improved oxidative
stress parameters, indicating its antioxidant effect. Treatment with topical povidone-iodine
ointment alone or in combination with systemic vitamin E and vitamin C
significantly improves outcome of thermally injured patients in a safe way.
“Medical textbooks contain several vital pieces of
misinformation about the essential element iodine, which may have
caused more human misery and death than both world wars combined,” said Dr.
Guy Abraham. In case of nuclear bomb fallout or atomic power-plant
accident, iodine deficiency will result in increased radioactive iodine
trapping by the thyroid.
Iodine deficient individuals of all ages are more
susceptible to radiation-induced thyroid cancer. Saturating the
body with iodine is primary protection against radiation poisoning. In the US, regular Lugol's solution with 10%
total iodine (from 10% potassium iodide and 5% iodine in water) is now outlawed
over the counter.
When ordinary, non-radioactive iodine is made available
for absorption by the thyroid gland before any radioactive iodine is made
available, the gland will absorb and retain so much that it becomes saturated
with non-radioactive iodine. When
saturated, the thyroid can absorb only about l% as much additional iodine, including
radioactive forms that later may become environmentally available. It is then it is said to be blocked. (Kidneys
rapidly excrete excess iodine from the blood.)
It takes 20-40 times the amount of iodine needed to control breast
cancer and fibrocystic disease than it does to prevent outright goiter. The required daily amount (RDA) of iodine is just enough to keep most
of our thyroids from expanding, like the silly RDA of vitamin C
today which is just enough to keep us mostly free of scurvy,
but not near enough to provide optimal function or prevent pre scurvy inflammatory
syndromes (that require aspirin and other patent drugs) or cardiovascular
disease.
“We
placed am 83-year-old woman on ‘ortho-iodo’ supplementation for six months at
50 mgs of elemental iodine daily. She experienced a tremendous increase
in energy, endurance, well being and memory. At six months all her skin
peeled off and was replaced by new, younger-looking skin. She was
flabbergasted and amazed at her new appearance. In our experience older women (especially over
65) notice a major difference both physically and mentally,” wrote Dr. Guy
Abraham (an endocrinologist who today is leading the movement back to the use
of iodine as an essential safe and effective medicine).
Kelp may be preferable as a long-term
food supplement for thyroid function along with some skin painting, and Lugol's solution as a 3 week therapy course of 4 x daily,
6-8 drops for excess mucus or infection, and long-term several drops for fungal
and mold control (for someone chronically susceptible to yeast or Candida, or
when living in a moldy environment, like south Florida).
For chronic bronchitis and or emphysema, COPD
(chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) or an ordinary cold, SSKI is a valuable
tool. SSKI "gets into" all
body secretions, including often thick and hard to cough up bronchial
secretions, which get infected very easily. SSKI takes care of both of these problems
For bladder Infections, try 1-2 drops of Lugol's in a glass of
water, four times daily. Since iodide
excretion generally exits the kidney in four hours, for a severe bladder
infection give it every four hours. Some
of the worst bladder infections respond to this method. Lugol's works better than antibiotics, and unlike
antibiotics, the infection is not so nearly likely to return. Dr.
Jonathaan Wright notes, “Although SSKI is close to 100% effective in
elimination of bladder infections, this is a "high dose." If possible, it is better to use the simple
sugar D-mannose (or other alcohol sugar like xylitol) to eliminate bladder infections. D-mannose is effective over 90% of the time,
and is very, very safe.”
Richard Kunin, M.D. of San Francisco found that
hemorrhoids will sometimes disappear literally overnight, when SSKI (20 drops)
mixed with flaxseed oil (1 ounce) is rubbed in them at bedtime. He's also found
that SSKI alone will do the same job, although it "really stings"
when applied to a hemorrhoid by itself.
Dr Hulda Clark (The Cure for All Diseases) says: “Lugol's
Iodine solution is old-fashioned ‘iodine.’
Iodine has a distinctive trait: it hangs up on anything and everything. In fact, it attaches itself so quickly we consider
everything it touches as ‘stained.’ This
is just the property we want that makes it safe for use. The amount you use is immediately hung up, or attached,
to your mucous and cannot be quickly absorbed into the blood or other organs. It stays in the stomach. And for this reason it is so useful for
killing vicious bacteria like Salmonella. “
“Six drops
of Lugol's solution can end it all for Salmonella. If you have gas and bloating, pour yourself
1/2 glass of water. Add 6 drops of
Lugol's (not more, not less), stir with wood or plastic, and drink all at once.
The action is noticeable in an hour. Take this dose 4 times a day, after meals and
at bedtime, for 3 days in a row, then as needed.”
“Notice how
calming 6 drops of Lugol's can be, soothing a manic stage and bringing a
peaceful state where anxiety ruled before. Lugol's is perfectly safe (if not allergic) to
take day after day, when needed, because of its peculiar attaching property. It arrives in the stomach, reattaches to
everything in proximity. Doomed are all salmonellas; doomed also are eggs of
parasites that might be in the stomach (cysts).”
Erring on
the side of conventional medicine’s fear-based caution, she says “Naturally,
one would not leave such medicine within the reach of children. Also, one would not use anything medicinal,
including Lugol's unless there was a need, like infection, cancer, AIDS or
bowel disease. When the gas and bloating
problem has stopped, quit using Lugol's. If one or two doses of Lugol's cures the
problem, stop. Store it in a perfectly
secure place.” Then she notes, “In the
past, 2/3 of a teaspoon (60 drops) of Lugol's was the standard dose of iodine given
to persons with thyroid disease. Six
drops is small by comparison.”
In Lyme
disease: A Look Beyond Antibiotics, Dietrich K. Klinghardt, MD, PhD says,
“Amazingly, the most depleted minerals in our Lyme patients are often copper,
magnesium, manganese (in Lyme) and iron (in Babesiosis). Oxidized used-up iron and copper get
displaced into the extracellular compartment and body fluids and appears in the
hair and skin, as the body’s most efficient way of excreting toxins without
hurting the kidneys.
Oxidized
metals do pose a danger and must be reduced or eliminated. But, when copper and iron are needed and supplemented
appropriately, major improvements are observed. Appropriate antioxidant treatment reduces
these metals. Initially selenium should
be given in high doses (400-800mcg daily) to suppress viral replication and lock
up bioavailable mercury.
However, the
most critical element in the Lyme (infected) patient is iodine. Deter’s version of the ‘silver dollar’ tattoo
is a two-inch square of Lugol’s iodine painted on the patient’s skin which
should remain visible for 24 hours. (Try a cupid’s heart next time.) The sooner it is absorbed, the more deficient
the patient. “Filling up the body’s mineral reserves has always been most essential
in our heavy metal detoxification program and also most essential in Lyme
treatment.”
Iodine and
iodide chemically make oils, fats, and waxes (cholesterol is actually a wax)
more soluble in water. This known action
of iodide might explain why it often helps in patients with lipomas (fatty
tumors) or yellow sebaceous
cysts, especially if they eat a better breakfast.
Sialoliths (parotid duct stones) can form in the saliva-carrying
duct(s) inside the cheeks draining the major salivary glands
("parotid" glands are ‘chipmunk’ glands located at side of the jaw). Try 3-4 drops of SSKI in water daily (will
almost always dissolve parotid duct stones in 4-8 months).
Prophylaxis along with 3 applications of 2% I2-KI
solution reduced decay-causing mutans
streptococci levels in tooth fissures (4 wks) and proximal-surface plaques and
saliva (20-24 weeks). Children treated
with 10% povidone iodine while undergoing restorative procedures had markedly
reduced pathogenic mutans streptococci
& lactobacilli to 3 months.
Betadine (10% povidone-iodine in water) works
extremely well at clearing up and preventing pimples. It is especially helpful on, popped or broken
ones, helping them clear up much faster than usual. With cystic acne, if a spot is drenched with betadine, apoptosis is enhanced and in
the morning it will have come to a head (a process which usually take a lot
longer). It even helps with red spots. Dab it on problem areas at night when the
staining of the skin will not be an issue (disappearing stain defines
inadequate iodine stores).
Keloids are abnormally thick
scars, sometimes as much
as an inch thick that can form after injury. Although anyone can get a keloid, they are
more common among blacks. Rubbing SSKI
into a keloid at least twice daily will ultimately flatten them down to a
"normal scar", but it can take many months to a year for particularly
bad ones. The treatment goes faster if
SSKI is mixed "50-50" with DMSO.
Continued Lugol’s solution is also indicated to prevent acne
(although it rarely has a paradoxical effect), liver or kidney cysts as well as
fibrocystic disease in breasts, ovaries and uterus, and with diabetes, cancer
and autoimmune diseases. When
supplementing high-dose iodine over longer time periods, look for signs of over-active thyroid: anxiety,
insomnia, rapid weight loss, diarrhea, high pulse rate, high blood pressure, eye
sensitivity or bulging eye and vision difficulty.
Tear fluid contains
antioxidative protective mechanisms, which can be weakened by free radicals,
arising from influence of ozone, UV light, smog or smoking. Antioxidant
status can be positively influenced by the supply of the oxygen radical
scavenger iodide.
Iodide protects
hyaluronate, a component of tear fluid and tissues of the anterior part of the
eye, against UVB light-induced degradation.
Injury of human conjunctival cells can be prevented by incubation with
iodide before UVB irradiation. German therapists
at the spa Bad Hall used iodine brine sprays often with iontophoresis for
improvement of dry eye, visual acuity, color perception and contrast
sensitivity as well as for delaying cataract development.
Over the
counter, the highest total amount of iodine allowed is 2.2%. In the U.S. you can still buy Iodoral tablets with the same
iodine content as 2 drops of Lugol's solution, or 13 mg per standard
tablet, even 50 mg tablets are available.
When buying
Lugol's solution, always compare stated iodine values on the bottle
with standard or regular Lugol's solution. This has a total iodine concentration of 10%
from 10g of potassium iodide and 5g of elemental iodine per 100 ml, and nominal
6.5 mg of iodine per drop. Sixty million mainland Japanese consume a daily average of 13.8 mg of
elemental iodine, and they are one of the healthiest nations based on overall
well being and cancer statistics.
The dosage
of about 12.5 mg of iodine daily can be obtained with 2 drops of Lugol’s
solution in water or as an identical over-the-counter solution (or 20-30 drops
on the skin). This same dosage is also
available over-the-counter in tablet or capsule. Each capsule or tablet or 2 drops of the
Lugol’s solution contains 5 mg of the reduced elemental form of iodine
(preferred by the breast, ovary and prostate) and 7.5 mg in the antioxidant iodide
form (preferred by the thyroid gland). Most patients improve many symptoms with
optimal supplementation of iodine.
A retired Indian physician used SSKI during more than 30
years traveling from village to village in rural Africa. Most usually, the only drinking water
available was from a local stream or river, muddy and contaminated. After removing sediment and debris by
straining the dirty water through cheesecloth, he would add several drops of
SSKI, and wait two to three minutes since most bacteria are killed within 15-30 seconds of contact (official
recommendation 15-60 minutes). He and
his team could then drink the water. In
over 30 years, he never got an infection from contaminated water. The SSKI killed any micro-organisms present.
Preparation Disinfectant Iodine
Amount/Liter
Iodine Topical Solution 2% 8 drops
Iodine Tincture 2% 8 drops
Lugol's Solution 5% 4 drops
Povidone-Iodine (Betadine®) 10% 4 drops
Final drinking concentrations are calculated at 8 mg iodine / liter. Addition of a small amount of vitamin C (50 mg) to water after contact time with iodine will render the water nearly flavorless!
We need fresh fruits and vegetables, but not insect
excrement, chemicals and pathogenic bacteria that tag along. Wash all pre-packaged fruits and vegetables,
even if labeled ‘pre-washed’. Gently rub
fruits and vegetables under clean or iodine-disinfected running water. Soaps, detergents, bleaches or other toxic
cleaning chemicals leave their own residue on produce and are no better than
clean water.
2.
Measure cortisol and DHEA levels in saliva at 7 am, 11 am, 4 pm and 10pm for
those having problems stabilizing thyroid replacement.
3.
Measure serum cortisol, pregnenolone, progesterone, and DHEA-S in the AM.
4.
Screen for iodine and selenium deficiency in hair analysis.
5.
Replace thyroid slowly and immediately. Add cortisol in low doses if
indicated by saliva test or clinical parameters.
6.
Replace minerals, protein, iodine, pregnenolone and progesterone when
appropriately noted on special urine, blood and clinical tests."
Without
all the following tests, one cannot determine if the cause of thyroid
dysfunction is pituitary (aging) or thyroid , or related to autoantibodies or
is mostly deficiencies of nutrients, minerals and/or vitamins (tyrosine, iodine,
selenium, zinc, calcium, magnesium or vitamin D).
·
TSH: Thyroid stimulating hormone: measures pituitary
dysfunction.
·
T4 free: Measures availability of thyroxin, representing
75% of thyroid hormone.
·
T3 free: Measures availability of triiodothyronine:
the active thyroid hormone.
·
TBG: Thyroid binding globulin: Elevated in states of sex
hormone excess.
·
TPO: Thyroid peroxidase: indirect measure of iodine and
selenium deficiencies.
·
Reverse T3: Levels elevated when stress or synthetic
thyroid has triggered production of this blocking hormone deactivating necessary active T3
(triodothyronine).
·
Thyroid Antibodies: Present in Grave's disease. Antibodies to TSH hormone or its receptor.
Nori - Sushi anyone? This may be the one
seaweed you're familiar with because of its use in sushi rolls. Even though
it's usually dark green, or black in color, Nori is the Japanese term for
various edible seaweed species of red algae.
It is made by
shredding sea vegetables and making them into what resembles sheets of paper.
Japan, Korea, and China are the world's largest producers of nori, which grows
very rapidly, and can be harvested within 45 days of its seeding.
Eat toasted nori as a snack or by using it as a wrap for a
range of delicious fillings like cultured vegetables, quinoa salad or various nut
pâtés.
Kombu - Great for soup. Kombu is edible large
seaweed that actually belongs to a family of brown algae. Over 90 percent of it is cultivated and
harvested in Japan. It is used
extensively in Japanese cooking, particularly for dashi, which is a soup stock
used to make miso soup.
Add strips of kombu to flavor any soup, or even to flavor your Body
Ecology grain-like seeds by adding strips of kombu in the water and simmering for
30 minutes to release all the minerals.
Wakame - Future Fat Burner? Wakame is closely
related to Kombu. In addition to many mentioned benefits, recently, researchers
in Japan found a compound (fucoidan) in wakame that appears to show promise in
the fight against obesity.
Studying a
cell model for the genesis of fat cells in the human body, researchers found
that fucoidan significantly inhibited adipogenesis (generation of new fat cells)
by up to 40%. Treating adipocytes with
fucoidan also significantly decreased the expression of genes involved in
genesis of fat cells. Fucoidan decreased
the expression of gene, PPARgamma, by up to 70% compared to controls. Other genes known to trigger fat cell
production, known as aP2 and ACC, were inhibited by 6% to 38%, depending on
amounts of fucoidan used.
Fucoidan
is a sulfated polysaccharide (MW: average 20,000)
found mainly in various species of brown seaweed such as kombu, limu moui, bladderwrack, wakame, mozuku, and hijiki (variant forms of
fucoidan have also been found in animal species, including the sea
cucumber). Substantial pharmaceutical research has been
done on fucoidan, focusing primarily on two distinct forms: F-fucoidan, which is >95% composed
of sulfated esters of fucose, and U-fucoidan, which is approximately 20%
glucuronic acid.
F-fucoidan
can induce apoptosis in human lymphoma cell
lines;
alsol, French researchers showed in 2002 that F-fucoidan can inhibit hyperplasia in rabbits.
It is also one of the highest vegetarian
sources of Omega-3
fatty acids
based on its nutrient to calorie ratio. With
its beautiful green color and delicate flavor, wakame is great in soups and
salads.
Hijiki - Natural Beauty
Aid. This brown sea vegetable grows wild around the coasts of Japan, Korea and
China and has been used abundantly for centuries.
Packed with fiber and minerals, according to Japanese folklore, hijiki is also
a natural health and beauty aid. They attribute their lustrous, thick, dark
hair to regular consumption of hijiki!
Hijiki must be soaked and chopped before you cook it, and takes much longer
than other sea vegetables to prepare. Just
be sure to simmer it for at least 45 minutes to an hour until it's really
tender. Often times we like to chop it
rather finely because to a newcomer it looks a little like black worms. This sea veggie may not be the very first one
you want to introduce to your pickiest eaters. Not only is it quite black (we're not used to
black food in the US, and it is also a bit salty and fishy.
However,
it's easy to change the taste. Cook it
with lots of sweet onions and carrots, plus some chopped
red pepper. Then add a large dollop of
whole grain mustard and wheat free, low sodium tamari (from San-J) to taste. Tamari is a fermented soy product.
Another simple recipe: Sauté onions and carrots in unrefined coconut oil, add
hijiki, cover with filtered water, and cook for 45 minutes to an hour. One can even add small chunks of butternut
squash to create a delicious stew. When
chilled, this makes a delicious topping for salads, or filling for nori wraps!
Dulse - Easy Snack. Dulse is grown on
the northern Atlantic and Pacific coasts, and has been an important source of
fiber in Iceland for centuries. It is commonly
eaten in Northern Ireland, and in Canada. In Iceland, the tradition is to dress
it with butter, although it's delicious in soups, and as a salad topping too.
Dulce can be eaten right out of the package as a quick snack that's packed with
protein and iron. Carry it with you and
eat it when you need some energy or brain food. Purchase packages of dulse flakes and sprinkle
it on salads and on the four Body Ecology grain-like seeds: millet, quinoa,
amaranth and buckwheat.
By the way, most people mispronounce dulse. It rhymes with pulse.
Arame - The Sweet One. Arame is also a
brown algae that is very popular in Japanese cuisine, and is known for it mild,
almost sweet flavor. It's usually found in finely shredded strands that have a
crispy texture. If you're not used to eating seaweeds, arame can be a good place to start
because of its mild, almost sweet flavor.
Soak arame until it softens. After that you can chop it and toss it into a
salad without even cooking it. If you want to serve it as a delicious hot dish,
it's great with sautéed sweet onions and carrots. (English peas are tasty with
arame as well). This arame, onion and carrot dish can be chilled and added to a
leafy green salad. We also love to serve it hot as a topping for your Body
Ecology grain-like seeds.
|
Agar
Nutrient |
|
Dried (100
g) |
|
Protein |
|
6 g |
|
Fat |
|
0.3 g |
|
Carbohydrates |
|
81 g |
To replace
one egg white, dissolve 1 tablespoon plain agar powder into 1 tablespoon water;
then beat and chill for 15 minutes and beat again. Agar-agar is especially rich
in iron. It is 8–10 times more efficient than gelatin; it adds far fewer
calories to foods. Agar-agar lubricates the digestive tract and acts as a mild
laxative and can provoke allergic reactions in some people.
Agar is perfect
for sweet desserts! Agar is a vegetarian alternative to egg whites and gelatin.
Digestive heath is Body Ecology’s
specialty; they promote recipes based around agar. Agar is mostly used in sweet puddings and
aspics and it's easy to work with. The Body Ecology Diet book has recipes for
several savory dishes that use agar, like vanilla pudding, sweet carrot gelatin
salad and jellied butternut squash.
Pomegranate and pear aspic
Break one
bar into pieces and place in 3 cups of water or juice. Bring to a boil without
a lid, stirring occasionally. Reduce the flame to low and simmer for 15 minutes
until dissolved. Add pomegranate juice
and add thinly sliced pears, cook for 3 to 4 minutes until tender and pour into
a mold. Put aside to gel for 60 minutes
or refrigerate to speed gelling.
Laminaria Japonica - Miracle Cleanser! If you prefer an
easy, convenient way to include all the benefits of sea vegetables into your
diet, try the Body Ecology Ocean Plant Extract.
Ocean Plant Extract is made from Laminaria
Japonica,
which is a common species of kelp that inhabits very cold waters in the
northern hemisphere and temperate ones in the southern hemisphere. Laminaria
Japonica nourishes your thyroid function balancing and has cardiovascular
benefits. Laminarin
polysaccharide is helpful in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular
disease. It exhibits 30% of the anticoagulant activity of heparin. But, it is especially known for its ability to
detoxify the body of heavy metals and free radicals.
Sea
vegetables are a boost if you are trying to restore your vitality and health,
improve thyroid function or overcome mineral deficiencies created by years of
eating unhealthy, toxin-laden, processed foods. Sea veggies are the oldest
vegetables on our planet. They are the least untouched or altered by man. They
are a must if you truly want to alkalize your body, nourish you thyroid and
adrenals and even slow down aging.
MODIFILAN
is a concentrated brown seaweed extract. It
is a patented natural food supplement which contains the life essential
properties of fucoidan, organic iodine,
alginates and laminarin, organic elements found
to be very beneficial to health. Modifilan may be the least expensive,
most effective way to remove mercury from the body with the only side effects
being a sense of well being.
Some
folks try to remove mercury and other heavy metals by using things like DMSA
DMPS, NAC (n-acetyl-cysteine) and or ALA (alpha-lipoic acid). Many experience brain fog and other difficult
side effects, while struggling with a difficult regimen. Using things like DMSA, DMPS, NAC or ALA can
cause mercury to come out of tissues, organs and glands into the blood stream,
allowing redistribution.
If the
mercury isn’t completely removed, the remainder of it gets reabsorbed and the
body reacts antigenically as if a new source of mercury has been introduced to
it. Bad side effects! Early in detoxification, some might feel toxic again during
days off from taking Modifilan
quenches negative side effects. When
heavy metals finally become low, no changes will be felt if one stops for a few
days. One wants to supplement on a
regular basis because in studies it causes significant shrinking of lymph
glands which had been enlarged, improved digestive systems and decreased incidence of bronchitis by 30%.
Both yeast and the Algea, Laminarina spp. contain the same
immune-boosting soluble beta-glucan polysaccharide: (1-3), (1-6) D-glucan.
MODIFILAN was developed in Russia by
a group of scientists who worked in the State Rehabilitation Institute, where
victims of the Chernobyl nuclear catastrophe underwent treatment. Healing qualities of seaweed have been known
for centuries, so the Russian government instructed scientists to find an
effective and powerful remedy for the radiation poisoning of that particular
population. After trying out various
forms of algae, one type yielded the best scientific data for this purpose. It was the brown seaweed known as Laminaria japonica, which grows wild in
the northern Pacific Ocean off the coast of uninhabited islands far to the east
of Russia, known as the Kurils.
Laminaria
has a high content of sodium alginates, which are enhanced by the extraction
process used to produce MODIFILAN. Alginates are the most effective organic
elements that enable the human body to get rid of heavy metals and toxins. Not all "algae" have alginates; blue
or green algae do not. MODIFILAN has about 50% of highest
quality alginates.
Low-temperature processing of MODIFILAN
causes a sloughing off of the heavy outer fibers of the seaweed, while
retaining the essential properties of the plant. This process further enhances its
bioavailability, making the Laminaria
more digestible. Forty pounds of raw Laminaria are required to make one pound
of MODIFILAN. Eating 8 capsules of extract a day provides
the same amount of good, organic micro- and macro-elements contained in entire
plate of this nutrient-rich seaweed.
It is
not cooked. The oldest Japanese recipes of preparing seaweed tell us to eat
seaweed raw, rather than cooked. Modern
science affirms that an anti-cancer substance called Fucoidan, as well as
beneficial polysaccharides, will break down if the seaweed is cooked. This was
determined when studies were performed on the Japanese island of Okinawa, known
for its lowest cancer death rate in Japan.
In
Russia, according to the State Certificate of Recommendation, approved by
Ministry of Health, brown seaweed extract is a leader in remedies for people
who live in the areas polluted by radioactive elements. Most effective in preventing the absorption
of and promoting the excretion of radioactive elements: strontium and radioactive
iodine. It is recommended for all people
and especially for people who are at high risk of developing thyroid cancer and
other types of cancer.
It
is a leader in remedies for people who live in areas polluted by heavy metals. It is recommended to also take along with Modifilan vitamins and minerals rich in
iron, calcium, copper and zinc. It helps
people who come in contact with toxins with immune-depressive properties (non-
organic, non-metallic compounds; organic compounds). People who have chronic non-infectious
diseases, especially heart diseases (abnormal lipid levels) will be helped. Modifilan
might be used alone or in combination with other detoxifying remedies depending
on the level of chemical or radioactive pollution. Suggested dosage for children is up to 1.25
grams per day; for adults, up to 5 grams per day for 2 months.
Papaya (Carica
papaya) is cultivated
mainly to supply ripe, tasty fruits (used at breakfast), in jellies, preserves
and refreshing drinks; while the young leaves, shoots and fruit can be cooked
as a vegetable. Green papaya is used in Thai cuisine, both raw and cooked. Papaya
contains papain, which has milk-clotting (rennet) and protein-digesting
properties (papaya leaves wrapped around meat will soften and tenderize it). Papaya can be eaten for its digestive and
heart health properties. In Java, even
the flowers are eaten.
Externally,
it is used in anti-aging products and both skin and pulp are valuable as
healing agents. The softening qualities
of papain are taken advantage of in the treatment of warts, corns, sinuses, and
chronic forms of scaly eczema, cutaneous tubercles, as well as other hardness
of the skin, produced by irritation.
Papain also is used to treat arthritis. Papain
is used in many products including some dentifrices, shampoos and face-lifting
preparations.
Papaya contains much cancer fighting lycopene. Isothiocyanates found in papaya restore the
cell cycle to eliminate cancer by apoptosis and are effective against hormone related cancers. Isothiocyanates are capable
of inhibiting the formation, development and metastasis of cancer
cells via multiple
pathways and mechanisms.
Proteolytic
enzymes are able to digest and destroy the defense shields of viruses, tumors,
allergens, yeasts, and various forms of fungus. Once the shield is destroyed,
tumors and invading organisms are extremely vulnerable and easily taken care of
by the immune system. Of avocado, black sapote, guava, mango,
prickly pear cactus (nopal), pineapple, grapes, tomato and papaya, only papaya
had a significant direct effect on stopping breast cancer cell growth.
After a
course of antibiotic therapy, papaya juice will rapidly return the intestinal
bacteria to normal. It is especially
rich in Vitamin C and E as well as carotene.
More unusual, but very valuable is its high arginine, papain and carpain
contents. Arginine promotes immunity and male fertility, while papain is a
proteolytic enzyme, similar to pepsin (pancreatic enzyme that helps digest
protein).
This proteinaceous
enzyme is not damaged by heat. Papain breaks down protein, making it
valuable as a meat tenderizer. Carpain
is an enzyme beneficial for the heart.
Papaya also contains fibrin, a rarity in the plant world. Fibrin is
essential to our blood clotting.
Papaya
lowers risk to diabetic heart disease.
It is high in fiber, which helps to modulate blood sugars and insulin
response as well as to lower stress-induced cholesterol. Leaf and seed are used as a dewormer. The fiber contained in papaya can bind cancer
causing toxins, preventing them from binding to colon cells. For folks with a family history of colon
cancer, papaya may be an important dietary addition. The papain in papaya relieves acute
prostate inflammation and may help in cases of benign prostatic hypertrophy
(BPH). Russian studies found that papain treatment reversed rectal
lesions induced by extreme prostate enlargement in 97% of men.
The black
seeds are edible and have a sharp, spicy taste.
They are sometimes ground up and used as a
substitute for black pepper. Fruit and seed extracts have pronounced
bactericidal activity against Staphylococcus
aureus, Bacillus cereus, Escherischia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Shigella flexneri.
Crushed
papaya seeds can be added to minced meat for koftas (spicy meatballs) or to a
marinade for meat. Some of the pounded flesh of the fruit can also be added.
When cooked, the meat will be tender with and interesting, peppery flavor. Crushed papaya seeds can be added to salad
dressings or sauces to serve with fish. They also add texture and flavor to a
fruit salad. The fresh fruit can be served in slim wedges with seeds still
intact.
The green (unripe) papaya is rich in digestive enzymes
papain and chymopapain. The alkaloid carpain also found in green papayas has
antibacterial and amoebicidal properties. The latex sap inhibits the growth of
Candida albicans during its exponential growth phase.
For biliousness, try ripe papaya fruit as a remedy. Ripe papaya fruit is a useful remedy for many
gastric troubles. Eating them is especially helpful for
weak or old folks who complain of upset stomach when they eat meat, chicken or
eggs. Papaya makes these foods easier to
digest. A combination
of papaya and tomato juice is excellent to keep the digestive system normal and
in order. Papain breaks down wheat gluten, helpful for those with Celiac disease.
For
treatment of poisonous snakebites, papaya sap helps to degrade the venomous
protein in the blood, thus losing its deadly strength. It is used topically to rid the pain of poisonous
protein stings of insects or sea creatures.
When applied to heal wounds, it digests dead tissue without affecting
the surrounding live tissue.
In Jamaica, 75% of nurses at three local hospitals use green
papaya to dress skin ulcers. The gummy latex of the unripe papaya
fruit is slowly dripped onto warts and corns, shriveling them, and they fall
off. The milky juice exuding from the
wounds of the unripe papaya fruit applied topically removes and cures barber
rash. Juice from the leaves can be
applied to open and offensive wounds, to cleanse and promote healing. In Cuba the latex is used for
psoriasis, ringworm and the removal of cancerous growth.
A paste of the seeds is applied to skin diseases like
ringworm. To expel worms, the seed of
papaya is juiced and taken on empty stomach with a spoonful of castor oil taken
with hot water; or eat a whole leaf of papaya first thing in the morning before
breakfast. Eat lots of papaya regularly
to treat liver problems.
The leaves
and roots are used to make diuretic teas.
Leaves and roots of Carica papaya contain cyangenic glucosides which
form cyanide. The leaves also contain tannins. Both of these compounds, at high
concentrations, can cause adverse reactions. Also, inhaling papaya powder (high
in the enzymes papain and chymopapain) can induce allergies. The latex can also be irritating so some care
is required.
Papain might
cause abortions shortly after conception (apparently it dissolves protein(s)
responsible for joining the newly-fertilized egg to the wall of the uterus). Women
in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and other parts of the world have long used
green papaya as a folk remedy for contraception and abortion. Research in animals supports the contraceptive
and abortifacient capability of papaya. Unripe
papaya is especially effective in large amounts or high doses. Papaya is not
teratogenic and will not cause miscarriage when ripened and eaten in smaller
amounts.
Papaya seeds
have contraceptive effects in adult male langur monkeys, possibly in adult male
humans as well. In India, papaya seeds
are chewed to freshen one’s breath. Widely
used as pessaries, seeds also serve as a medicine for flatulence and piles.
Australian aboringines have a more romantic approach to the seeds, and consider
them an aphrodisiac.
Phytochemicals
in papaya may suppress the effects of progesterone. Papaya is said to have
compounds that act as the female hormone, estrogen and has been used in folk
medicine to promote milk production, facilitate childbirth and increase the
female libido. In some parts of the world, it is used to induce menstruation.
In
Suriname's traditional medicine: the boiled green leaves of papaya are used
against malaria and as an anthelmintic, the seeds as a vermifuge and tea of the
fallen leaves against hypertension. Some
facts from Dr.
Sylvia Mitchell, email:smitchel@uwimona.edu.jm.
Sorrel (Rumex acetosa) is a green leaf
vegetable native to Europe. It is also
called common sorrel or spinach dock, and is actually considered less a
vegetable and more an herb by some. In appearance sorrel greatly resembles
spinach and in taste sorrel can range from comparable to the kiwifruit in young
leaves, to a more acidic tasting older leaf. As sorrel ages it tends to grow more acidic
due to the presence of oxalic acid, which actually gets stronger and tastes
more prominent.
Young sorrel
may be harvested to use in salads, soups or stews. If you are planning on using sorrel in salads,
it is a good idea to stick with small tender leaves that have the fruitier and
less acidic taste. Young sorrel leaves
are also excellent when lightly cooked, similar to the taste of cooked chard or spinach. For
soups and stews, older sorrel can be used because it adds tang and flavor to
the dish.
Throughout
the Caribbean you can find deep red sorrel (a roselle) which is not a close
relative to European sorrel. Unlike
European sorrel, it is an annual plant instead of a
perennial. It does have a similar acidic taste.
In the Caribbean, the calyx-covered fruits are brewed in water to make a
refreshing, cranberry-colored tea. They
are also used in salads, jellies (such as Jamaica's famous rosella jam),
sauces, soups, beverages, chutneys, pickles, tarts, puddings, syrups and wine. Powdered dried red sorrel is added to
commercial herb teas such as Red Zinger for flavor and color.
Its flower
petals are funnel-shaped, typically pale yellow with deep red blotches at the
base, and grow up to five inches wide. They
are edible too and have a citrus like flavor.
Harvest flowers quickly, as they only last a day. Once the petals drop, the calyces enlarge and
become crisp and juicy.
Along with
the fruit, calyces, and flowers, the leaves of red sorrel are also edible. They have rhubarb-like taste and are served in
salads and curries. Its seeds also may
be eaten; they are best roasted or ground to make flour for baking. In the Sudan, seeds are fermented into a meat
substitute called "furundu."
Red sorrel has much nutritional value. The calyces are high in calcium, niacin,
riboflavin and iron.
It is best
when served fresh. So why not cultivate a few specimens in your own vegetable
or herb garden this year? Roselle has
enough ornamental interest to hold its own in an herbaceous border or
cut-flower garden. Its ruddy stems and
seedpods make interesting additions to fresh or dried arrangements.
Remove seeds
from the fruit by cutting off the bases with a small, sharp knife and scraping
the seeds out with a small spoon. Place the fruit in a large, clean jar or
noncorrosive pot with the citrus peels, cloves, and ginger. Pour in boiling
water. Cover the container with a tea towel, and let the mixture steep for 24
hours. Then strain it and sweeten to taste. Keep refrigerated. Adults can add a jigger of rum to their
servings; be sure to use clear rum so as not to affect the brilliant color of
the beverage. Remember that brown rum is
filled with caramelized sugar molecules (AGEs) that create stress messaging,
and that equivalent white rum is less likely to create hangover.
Sorrel leaf may be a little challenging to
find in your local grocery store, and shipping it may also be problematic. It will only keep for about three days in the
refrigerator. The best place to look for sorrel is in
specialty food stores, where it may be available fresh, or in pureed or canned
varieties. For sorrel fans, fresh sorrel
is most preferable, though the pureed version may add a nice flavor to creamy
soups.
It can be
challenging to grow sorrel in an organic fashion, often the preferred
method with natural food stores, because numerous pests enjoy pot sorrel. Several species of moth larvae enjoy snacking on sorrel, and if you happen to live near
hare, deer, or rabbit populations, you may
also find that your sorrel supply diminishes as quickly as it grows.
From a
nutritional standpoint, sorrel can be an excellent food for many. It has high
levels of vitamins A and C, with
moderate levels of potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Like
rhubarb, there is oxalic acid in sorrel.
Oxalic acid is not good for everyone.
Oxalic acid may aggravate conditions of people with rheumatism, kidney or bladder stones. If you love sorrel when you first try it,
learn to love it in small doses at the beginning. It has natural laxative properties which might be beneficial or that
may make consuming too much sorrel a tummy trial.
Water spinach or swamp cabbage (Ipomoea aquatic) is a semi-aquatic
tropical
plant grown as a leaf vegetable. It is most commonly grown in East
and Southeast Asia.
It flourishes naturally in waterways and does not require much if any
care. It is used extensively in Malay
and Chinese cuisine.
It has also been introduced to USA where its high growth
rate caused it to become an environmental problem, especially in Florida and
Texas. It has been officially designated
by the USDA as a "noxious weed." Despite this ominous label, the plant is not
in any way harmful when eaten. In fact,
the plant is similar to spinach in its nutritional benefits.
Water spinach is a common ingredient in Southeast Asian
dishes. In Singapore, Indonesia
and Penang,
the leaves are usually stir fried with chile pepper,
garlic,
ginger,
dried shrimp paste (from fermented ground shrimp) and
other spices. In Penang and Ipoh, it is cooked with cuttlefish
and a sweet and spicy sauce. During the Japanese Occupation
of Singapore in World War II,
the vegetable grew remarkably well and easily in many areas, and become a
popular wartime crop. It can be eaten
raw with Lao green papaya salad.
Its stems are julienned into thin strips and eaten with many
kinds of noodles, and used as a garnish as well.
A study of 1 million students in New York showed that
students who ate lunches that did not include artificial flavors,
preservatives, and dyes did 14% better on IQ tests than students who ate
lunches with these additives.