Healthy by Nature radio show this week: I talk to Dr. Jeffrey Burke (naturopath and herbalist) about which form of minerals are best absorbed and about a way to take vitamins in fizzy form. Then, producer Andy Hopkins turns things around and interviews me. We will offer one of my books for free (no purchase necessary). Click here to find podcasts, show archives and ways to listen nationwide.
EVENTS
Of interest across the country, the 10th Annual, Integrative Oncology Conference takes place next week in the Dallas suburb, Southlake. Experts from around the world will lecture on the many diet, lifestyle, emotional and even spiritual issues involved in causing and curing this dreaded disease. They will also talk about cutting edge therapies. Doctors and other health professionals can earn continuing education credits and even get special training (LINK).  There are also lectures for the public on Saturday. Click here for speaker list and cost: LINK
   Saturday, April 28, 2012.
   Hilton Dallas / Southlake Town Square
   100 Plaza Place, Southlake, Texas, United States 76092
   To register: email [email protected] or Call 512-342-8181
Also Saturday, April 28, 2012
10:30-1:30 (come and go as you like)
Ezzilift Mother’s Day Party Open House
•Demos of the micro-current facelift device
•Special Savings (buy a kit for the price of just the device)
•Gift bag (a gift for just watching the demo, more gifts with purchase)
•Refreshments
Location: HealthWorks Center (On the back side of the shopping center on the SW Corner of Parker & Independence in Plano, TX. Street address: 3221 Independence, 75075. For more information call 1-877-262-7843.)
 
SOY-IS MORE REALLY BETTER?
Q. In a follow-up to our discussion last week about vegetarianism and protein sources a reader asked about soybeans as a protein source.

A. Because each food has unique advantages and disadvantages, a key piece of nutrition advice is to eat a wide variety of foods and avoid overdoing any single food or ingredient. (E.g. pizza, spaghetti and a hamburger sandwich do not create variety. All three contain at least wheat, cheese and tomato and possibly the same meat-i.e. the same ingredients just rearranged.)

Soy is a prime example of how a food can have offer both plusses and minuses. It is good to understand soy’s dual personality because we all probably eat more soy than we think we do because it is inexpensive and used as filler in other foods such as meat and poultry products as well as to increase protein value in cereals.

Benefits: Soy is low in calories, does not raise blood sugar and is believed by many to have a number of health benefits. The maker of soy milk is the sponsor of a site that lists benefits such as soy possibly reducing the risk of prostate cancer. LINK.

BUT: Soy is controversial. A lot of the benefits credited to soy are based on its use in Asia where much of the soy consumed is fermented into products like tempeh or soy sauce. Fermenting makes the soybean easier to digest and modifies some of its negative constituents. (A German company makes a fermented soy protein powder that is backed by clinical studies. LINK).  Also, historically in Asia, soy foods have not been made from beans that were Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO). In the US since 1995 when the chemical company Monsanto introduced soybeans genetically modified to resist the company’s highly toxic week killer, Roundup, it has been increasingly hard to find soy that isn’t GMO. I don’t think anyone knows if GMO soy will have the same effects as the original soy.

The darker side: Soy is known as a goitrogen, meaning that it in excess it has a negative effect on the thyroid gland. There is also some indication that the bean’s hormone-like substances (e.g. phytoestrogens) that are alleged to reduce the risk of cancers might have the reverse effect. Some studies show a benefit to brain function while other studies hint at the reverse. The differences in study results could be from different breeds, or the variety of processing methods or the quantity eaten-or all of those. Soy oil contains roughly 7 times as much omega-6 (pro-inflammatory) as it does omega-3 (anti-inflammatory). But, that is better than say corn oil that has over 50 times more. Soy is also near the top of the list of allergens. (It gives me sinus drainage and so I use rice or almond milk instead of soy milk.)  The non-profit Weston A. Price Foundation lists a number of concerns. LINK.

More information: Here is an interview (LINK) we did with Kaayla Daniel PhD, CCN author of a terrific book, The Whole Soy Story.

Useless information: During high school I lived downwind from where soybeans were grown and processed. They stink! By the way, Soylent Green is a 1973 science fiction movie that has nothing to do with soy. It is about the ultimate in recycling.

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My first book : Natural Alternatives to Nexium, Maalox, Tagamet, Prilosec & Other Acid Blockers. Subtitle: What to Use to Relieve Acid Reflux, Heartburn, and Gastric Ailments.

My latest book: Aloe Vera-Modern Science Sheds Light on an Ancient Herbal Remedy

The information contained in this newsletter has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The contents are for informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice.

Copyright 2012 Martie Whittekin, CCN