100,000 Person Study Reveals That This Causes Early Death

Author: Laura Lewitzky
Is it possible that your house is a lethal enemy to your health? Strangely enough, there is one common substance that people have in their home at all times and it can do more harm than good.

Even though it has been stated that milk is harmful for children to consume, this beverage still remains popular. Consuming pasteurized milk can be extremely dangerous, although the dairy industry keeps reassuring us in the quite opposite. This has caused a major revolt in scientists and researchers who decided to do something about it.

Recently, a mass study of thousands of Swedish people has shown that cow’s milk has a degenerating effect on health if it is consumed constantly. The same research was published and it has discovered this effect in 61,433 women at the age from 39-74 in a 20 year time, and in 45,339 men of similar age in an 11 year time. What they discovered was that the consumption of cow’s milk can cause bone fracture or even lead to an early death.

Women who consumed 3 or more glasses of milk on a daily basis have subjected themselves to a double risk of dying prematurely, unlike women who only consumed one glass a day. One glass of milk is an approximate 200ml (6.7 oz) serving and it has a 16 percent high chance of causing one bone fracture.

Milk pasteurization results in creating calcium carbonate, which needs a chelating agent to approach the cells. This way, the body extracts the calcium from the bones and calcium carbonate is insulated. This process leads to osteoporosis.

All pasteurized dairy products contain very little, almost no magnesium which is essential for the suitable calcium absorption. The minimum amount of calcium to magnesium ratio should be 2 to 1 and ideally 1 to 1. Whenever the ratio of these two is 10 to 1, the milk faces a problem.

The human skeleton contains over 99 percent of the total body calcium, where mechanical severity is provided. Pasteurized dairy products reduce calcium intake more than usual and the skeleton performs as a reserve system. If the skeletal calcium is overused, this results in osteoporosis.

The general belief is that dairy is beneficial for the bones and teeth, and because of that we were taught to consume it regularly, as our parents did before us. That is why Americans have one of the highest risks of osteoporosis in the world alongside people from the U.S., Canada, Norway, Sweden, Australia, and New Zealand, who have the highest rates of osteoporosis.

Milk pasteurization is tested via negative alpha phosphatase test. Enzyme phosphatase is completely destroyed when milk has been heated to 165 degrees and when the pasteurization is complete. The dangerous thing about this enzyme is that it absorbs the calcium-rich minerals. Phosphatase is considered as the third most profuse enzyme found in raw milk; this shall mean that people who consume raw milk are more exposed to bone solidity than others.

Insulin is, actually, a growth hormone found in pasteurized milk and is also known as Growth Factor One (IGF-1). The same hormone is known to feed and encourage cancer cells. IGF-1 is found in all milk and it is the main reason for the increased growth and generation of breast, prostate and colon cancers. According to some studies, one pint of dairy elevates the IGF-1 levels and it can cause a 10 percent increase in postmenopausal women who consume 3 servings of milk a day.

People continue to consume milk due to the belief that pasteurization makes it healthier. However, when milk is heated it actually destroys many useful bacteria which destroy the dirt, pus, and dirty dairy practices. Dairy factories usually use heat ranging from 100-175 degrees during this process. Evidences show that 44 percent of 125 pasteurized milk samples contained as many as 2200 harmful organisms per cubic cm.

http://www.houseofhealth.us/100000-person-study-reveals-this-causes-early-death/

How to Get Enough Nutrition on Plant-Based Diet

Heather McClees 

For whatever reason we decided years ago that we had to eat animals to get our nutrients, it’s time to put that nonsense idea to rest. We weren’t meant to survive off
other species to keep us strong and healthy. We also needn’t harm animals, the environment, or our bodies through mass productions of meat, dairy, eggs, and even processed foods that all just contribute even more to the problems at hand.

Our bodies don’t require us to eat animals to get enough nutrition. Period.

Just like animals get their nutrients from plants (which we end up eating them for), we can do the same. Why not cut straight to the source of our vitamins and minerals and save all those steps in the middle? Some of the biggest concerns when it comes to nutrition on a plant-based diet involve protein, iron, and zinc found in meat, along with some other nutrients found in foods like dairy, eggs and fish. Everyone knows where to get their vitamin C, fiber, and magnesium – plants – but what about other nutrients?

How to Get Enough Nutrition on Plant-Based Diet

Below are some nutrients found in meat that are also found in plants. If you’re worried whether you’ll be able to get enough, don’t be. It’s completely possible to get enough nutrients in a plant-based diet when you eat a variety of whole foods. There is also some information included about other nutrients found in animal foods, plus controversial nutrients you can also learn more about.

1. Protein

Why not start with the biggest issue first? The human body is incredible; let’s not undermine it so much that we believe we have to eat animals in order to keep it thriving. Before animals were even considered as a protein source, people ate plants. Why not do that now? Seeds are one of the easiest to digest sources of plant protein, but vegetables are also a great source, not to mention leafy greens, beans, legumes, and even whole grains. The key isn’t to look at just protein grams on a label, but to also consider if that food has amino acids, the building blocks of protein. Your body can use amino acids to form protein that you need to stay healthy and strong. Too much protein has actually been found to be harmful, specifically animal-based protein which is inflammatory. Plant-based foods (especially raw seeds, raw nuts, greens, veggies, and soaked whole grains) can actually reduce inflammation and keep the body alkaline.

Here are some options: hemp seeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, quinoa, oats, almonds or almond butter, leafy greens, broccoli, green beans, lentils, black beans, chickpeas, green peas, and even raw plant-based protein powder if you enjoy smoothies. And of course, tofu and tempeh are also great choices if you tolerate soy.

See our Green Monster’s Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition: Protein for more information and to get some delicious recipes!

2. Iron

Iron is necessary by the body for energy, muscle mass preservation, red blood cell function, cognitive function, and it can even affect your digestion. Red meat is not the best choice, nor any animal protein for that matter. Iron is actually very easy to obtain enough of on a plant-based diet. One reason being that plant-based sources, despite being non-heme sources, seem to digest just fine in the body and are easy for the cells to use, though consuming iron-rich foods with vitamin C rich foods will help with absorption even more. Since vitamin C is abundant in a plant-based diet, this is easy to do without much thought if you eat enough fresh fruits, vegetables and leafy greens.

Here are some of the best sources: hemp seeds or hemp protein, raisins, cashews, kale, pumpkin seeds, kañiwa, spirulina, beans, prunes, legumes, oats, quinoa, amaranth, teff,chia seeds, blackstrap molasses, cacao, tempeh, and sunflower seeds.

3. Zinc

What about zinc? It keeps our immune systems running well, and yes, it is found abundantly in meat. However, it’s also found in many plant-based foods and requires no special food pairings for your body to absorb. Your best bet for obtaining enough zinc lies in nuts, seeds, beans, legumes, and whole grains (specifically oats and quinoa). Since these foods are also sources of iron and protein, it’s very easy to get enough nutrition.

Here are some specific foods high in zinc: pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds (or tahini),  cashews, hemp, pintos, lentils, almonds, oats, quinoa, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, cacao, tofu, chickpeas, kidney beans and green peas.

See our Green Monster’s Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition: Zinc here for more information and for zinc-filled, immune-boosting recipes!

What About …?

If you’re wondering about calcium,  B vitamins and even controversial items like Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D, here’s what you should know:

Calcium

While not found in meat, many people struggle with giving up dairy in order to get enough calcium, though people are starting to realize now that dairy is not the best source. Greens, seeds, some vegetables, and even some fruits are all great sources. These foods do not contribute to inflammation, interfere with magnesium absorption that puts stress on your joints,or cause calcification in the bones that can impair with good bone health like dairy. They’re also helpful for strengthening the body and very nutritious in other areas too.

Eat more: kale, collards, spinach, Swiss chard, oranges, dried figs, chia seeds, almonds, teff, navy beans, fortified non-dairy milk, most beans, and tofu.

See our Green Monster’s Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition: Calcium here for more information and recipes!

Vitamin B12

turion/Flickr

One exception to getting enough nutrition through our food on any diet (even those from animal-based sources) is Vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is derived from the soil- not animals. While meat eaters may obtain more, supplements ensure everyone is getting enough and can even offer additional benefits. While it would be nice to depend on plants from the soil to get us there, that’s not a smart choice due to the way our soil quality has greatly changed. It’s also hard to tell how much of this crucial nutrient we’re consuming through our food. It’s incredibly important for vegans to take a supplement to get enough vitamin B12. Choose sublingual forms, which are easily absorbed in the bloodstream in minutes since they dissolve under the tongue. You can also use liquid forms (choose vegan options) or get a B12 patch from a trusted health professional.

Controversial Options: You may have heard that nutritional yeast, fortified non-dairy milk, and spirulina contain B12. This is true, but there is a great deal of controversy with these options  since they are a different form of vitamin B12 that your body may not absorb as easily.

Other B Vitamins

No need to worry here; though meat is packed with B vitamins, so are plants! They’re also very easy to absorb and you’ll never have to worry about obtaining enough if you eat whole foods. B vitamins provide energy, enhance mental function, help relieve stress, mild depression and anxiety, red blood cell function, and some also help with digestion.

Here are of the best options: greens, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, beans, avocados, legumes, and whole grains.

Vitamin D

GeraintRowland/Flickr

This vitamin is so important for your health; do not disregard it. It acts like a hormone in the body, can greatly affect your mood, helps your body use calcium to build strong bones, and has even been shown to reduce the rates of colon cancer. It’s important to know what forms of vitamin D the body can use. It absorbs D3 the best, not D2 which is found in the form of yeast, mushrooms and fortified non-dairy milks. Meat does not contain vitamin D, and even milk is fortified with vitamin D, therefore it’s not a natural source either. Though fish may be a food source, the risks that come with eating fish are not worth it or necessary. Vitamin D3 comes from the sun, so your best option is to get 15-20 minutes of sunlight daily if possible or take a vitamin D3 supplement (no more than 10,000 I.U. a day). Of course, you can still use mushrooms and drink non-dairy fortified milk, but you shouldn’t rely on one (or even two) food sources alone.

We hope this will inspire all of you to choose vegan every time you eat. Be smart about your health; avoid processed foods, meat and meat products, dairy, eggs and other animal-based foods, and learn to prepare your meals from whole, plant-based foods. Don’t be afraid to supplement with vitamin B12 and vitamin D, get enough sunlight and exercise, and choose organic when you can. Though all these seem like a lot of tips, taking it meal by meal each day is really so easy and less stressful than you think.

What’s your next plant-based meal going to be?

Lead Image Source: Lentil Quinoa Burgers

This content provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

http://www.onegreenplanet.org/natural-health/nutrients-found-in-meat-you-can-get-from-plants-instead/

Why High-Protein Diets May Be Linked To Cancer Risk

Alice G. Walton

Despite the popularity of protein-rich diets like Atkins and Paleo, new research suggests that it may be wise to steer the opposite way, especially when it comes to cancer risk. In the new study, middle-aged people who ate protein-heavy diets had a markedly increased risk of dying from cancer compared to their low-protein counterparts. But, as always, there are caveats: Protein from animal sources – meat and dairy – was what largely produced the risk, whereas plant-derived proteins seemed to be “safer.” And the rules seem to be different for people over the age of 65.

So what are we to do?

“There’s a misconception that because we all eat, understanding nutrition is simple,” said study author Valter Longo, director of theLongevity Institute at the University of Southern California. “But the question is not whether a certain diet allows you to do well for three days, but can it help you survive to be 100?”

In the new study, the team followed over 6,300 adults over the age of 50, to see what effect high-, medium-, and low-protein diets had on longevity. A high-protein diet was defined as 20% of one’s daily calories coming from protein, a moderate-protein diet is made up of 10-19% calories from protein, and a low-protein diet consists of less than 10% protein. People in the study ate, on average, 16% protein, with two-thirds coming from animal sources – pretty typical of an American diet, the authors say.

The findings were intriguing: People from ages 50-65 who ate high-protein diets were four times more likely to die of cancer – this is in the ballpark of smoking risk, say the authors – compared to people who ate low-protein diets. Even those who ate moderate-protein diets were three times as likely to die from cancer. And people who ate high-protein diets were 75% more likely to die from any cause, including three times as likely to die from diabetes. The team calculated that reducing protein intake from moderate to low would reduce the risk of death by 21%.

Interestingly, when the source of the protein was taken into consideration, things changed a bit. When animal-derived sources taken out of the mix, the mortality risk was significantly reduced: In other words, plant-based protein did not seem to present the same kind of problem as protein from animal sources.

“The majority of Americans are eating about twice as much proteins as they should, and it seems that the best change would be to lower the daily intake of all proteins but especially animal-derived proteins,” said Longo. “But don’t get extreme in cutting out protein; you can go from protected to malnourished very quickly.”

Why the protein-cancer connection? Protein intake influences the levels of the growth hormone IGF-I, which not only affects the growth of healthy cells, but can also encourage cancer cell growth. In fact, in the current study, the team found that for every 10 ng/ml increase in IGF-I, people who ate high-protein diets were 9% more likely to die from cancer than those on a low-protein diet.

This growth hormone mechanism seems to be the reason that calorie-restricted diets have been shown to increase longevity in certain species, including, possibly, humans.

But again, there are more caveats. IGF-I levels decline over the years, especially after age 65, which is part of the reason that people lose muscle tone and become frailer with age. And the current study bore this out, too: When the team looked at people above the age of 65, people who ate more protein had a reduced risk of death.

The protein issue is therefore complex, and will require some more research.

But the recommendations arising from the current study, says Longo, line up with those from the World Health Organization and the Institute of Medicine. Longo tells me that generally people should stick with “plant based proteins and/or stay as close as possible to 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day. This is about 54 grams of protein per day for a 150-pound person… However, going lower than that can be detrimental.”

So, it may be wise to watch your protein intake, at least in middle age. And at any age, eating a plant-based diet is probably smart, as study after study shows the near-indisputable health benefits of doing so.

“Almost everyone is going to have a cancer cell or pre-cancer cell in them at some point,” says Longo. “The question is: Does it progress? Turns out one of the major factors in determining if it does is protein intake.”

http://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2014/03/04/the-protein-puzzle-meat-and-dairy-may-significantly-increase-cancer-risk/

Omega-3 Fatty Acids In Fish Might Protect The Aging Brain

Alice G Walton

Adding to our diets more of the omega-3 fatty acids in fish (or fish oil supplements) has been controversial  in recent years, but a newstudy adds some interesting neurological evidence to their effectiveness. Cognitive decline is a too-common side effect of aging, and Alzheimer’s disease is unnervingly prevalent. So it’s nice to feel like we’re doing something to reduce the odds. Eating fatty fish regularly might be one way to this, and so might taking fish oil supplements – but it depends on the kind.

A team at the University of South Dakota looked at 1,100 postmenopausal women who’d taken part in the Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study. The levels of the fatty acids DHA and EPA, found in fatty fish, were measured in their red blood cells, and the volume in different areas of their brains, as well as total brain volume, were measured via MRI at the end of the eight-year study.

It turned out that women who had the highest levels of the fatty acids in their red blood cells had greater overall brain volume than women with the lowest. They also had greater volume in the hippocampus – about 2.7% greater – than women with the lowest levels. The hippocampus is the brain area that’s thought to be the seat of learning and memory, and the one most affected by Alzheimer’s disease.

What are these fats doing in the brain? “It’s likely that fish oil doesn’t increase brain volume, but prevents brain shrinkage with age,” study author James Pottala tells me. “This could be due to several mechanisms. The brain metabolizes DHA into several anti-inflammatory compounds that could help prevent cell death. Also, DHA is concentrated in nerve cell membranes, so if a sufficient amount is not available in the blood for replenishment then it makes sense that the amount of brain matter would decline over time.”

He adds that consuming higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids could be the equivalent to two extra years of brain health. For people who don’t consume much fish, supplements might be necessary. This is because the body is very poor at converting the omega-3s found in plant sources (namely ALA) to the heart- and brain-healthy DHA and EPA. Therefore, says Pottala says, “most organizations recommend that all adults should eat non-fried ‘oily’ fish (e.g. salmon, herring, tuna, sardines, etc.) at least twice a week,” or taking high-quality fish oil supplements.

Unfortunately, not all supplements are created equal, as another study has just reported (see below for a nice graphic of the top 10 brands in both quality and value). On average, supplements contained about 14% less DHA than indicated on the label, but there was huge variation across brands. 

While there’s no failsafe way to protect the brain against disease, eating a healthy diet full of antioxidants and essential nutrients, is one way to help reduce the risk. Always talk to your doctor about adding supplements to your diet.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2014/01/22/could-fish-oil-protect-the-aging-brain/

5 Ridiculous Myths About Cow’s Milk

Abigail Geer

Despite its pure, innocent, and creamy exterior, milk has a much darker side and one that the dairy industry doesn’t want you finding out about.

Milk is much more than just a drink, it is a cultural phenomenon that can be traced back thousands of years, but despite all the research proving milk to be detrimental to both our own lives and the lives of the cows, the milk myths still ring loud and clear.

Myth 1 – You Need Cow’s Milk to Get Calcium

Like it or not, milk is not the best source of calcium.  It may be hard to believe but the calcium contained in cow’s milk is barely absorbable to the human body.

Thankfully, a milk-free diet won’t leave you deprived of calcium. The most calcium-rich foods on the planet comes from plants, especially leafy greens such as kale, spinach, and broccoli.

Myth 2 – Cow’s Milk Will Give You Strong Bones

Much along the same lines as we need cow’s milk to get calcium, we are also told that cow’s milk is how we get nice, strong, and healthy bones. Unfortunately, this couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, this ridiculous myth is so dangerous that I can’t believe marketers are allowed to get away with it.

Research has proven that milk actually depletes calcium from our bones and increases fracture risk, which is why the countries with the highest rate of osteoporosis are the ones where people drink the most milk!

Myth 3 – Cow’s Milk Isn’t Cruel

No amount of cute celebrities sporting milk moustaches can hide from the ugly side of the dairy industry. Calves are taken away from their mothers within hours of being born where they are fed milk substitutes and often sold as veal calves after spending months chained at the neck unable to walk, stretch their legs, and even turn around.

Mother cows are also forced to endure needless suffering and cruelty. The stress caused by poor conditions on factory farms leads to lameness, disease, and reproductive problems rendering them useless at just 4-5 years old (their natural lifespan is 25 years) at which time they are sent to slaughter.

Myth 4 – Cows Need to be Milked

For some reason, the whole world is walking around under the illusion that cows need to be milked otherwise their udders will explode, in other words by milking them we are actually doing them a favor. This myth is a downright lie.

Cows only produce milk to feed their young. If they don’t have babies, they don’t make milk. Simple. To keep cows lactating, farmers impregnate them through artificial insemination once a year. This traumatic process is carried out by constraining cows in what is known by the industry as a “rape rack.”

Myth 5 – Cow’s Milk is for Humans

No one can dispute that cow’s milk is an excellent food source…for calves. This incredible food is essential to baby calves in their first few months of life, but once weaned they will never drink milk again, and that’s the same for every mammalian species on the planet. Which is why it makes no sense for us humans to be drinking it.

As if that’s not reason enough, cow’s milk contains an average of three times the amount of protein than human milk, contributing to a variety of illness and disease. That might be the incentive you need to help you ditch the dairy.

http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/5-ridiculous-myths-about-cows-milk/