Oil Company Fraud / Spinach for Eyes / Brown Rice for Blood Pressure

On Healthy by Nature this week: Pharmacist, nutritionist and naturopath, Dr. Jim LaValle teaches us natural approaches for cholesterol and blood pressure. Get your pencils ready, he always delivers lots of details.

IN THE NEWS

Another lawsuit against oil companies—but this time it’s about olive oil. Restaurateurs and chefs in California have launched a class action suit, alleging that big name firms have been passing off olive oil as pricier “extra virgin” when it is actually a lower grade, past its prime, or has been degraded by such things as heat, refining or even blending with other cheaper oils. A recent University of California Davis study found that 69% of imported olive oils did not meet international standards for an “extra virgin” label. California olive oils were found lacking only 10% of the time.1 (Of course, according to the Associated Press article, the olive oil trade association doesn’t think there’s a problem.2 ) The brands named in the suit are: Bertolli, Filippo Berio, Carapelli, Star, Colavita, Mezzetta, Pompeian, Rachael Ray, Mazolla and Safeway Select. Oh, NO not Rachel Ray! We’ve talked about this problem on our show for years. That misrepresentation was one of many reasons Fred Pescatore, MD and I always recommended MacNut Oil. Unrefined macadamia nut oil is also richer in the prized monounsaturated fats; can be used at higher temperatures; and has a more versatile buttery flavor.

RESEARCH

Lutein for Eyes: A study with a publication date next week (“recent” is one thing, but wait, huh?) reconfirms that supplements of the food pigment, Lutein, are protective against macular degeneration (the major cause of age-related blindness) and cataracts (clouding of the lens of the eye).3 Another recent study tried to determine the best dose of Lutein. They looked at daily intakes of 5, 10 and 20 milligrams. They found that the higher the dose, the faster and better the progress in improving eye health.4

My 2 cents: In light of these 2 new studies, it seems worth giving this warning again: Don’t be fooled by supplements that brag about Lutein but don’t have a meaningful amount. On the website for Centrum® Silver® Ultra Women’s Tablets, the company features “eye health”. However, the product only contains 300 mcg of Lutein—it would have to include 33 times as much to equal the average dose in the study. Based on the forms of nutrients, their amounts and the unnecessary manufacturing chemicals, I don’t believe the Centrum line was ever intended for people who are knowledgeable about nutrition, but doesn’t that Lutein business verge on dishonesty like the olive oil problem? (Please go to a health food store to buy your multi.) Spinach is a good food source of Lutein. Scroll to the bottom of the page at the following link for a Dr. Oz video with a remarkable story about how Lutein and spinach protect the eyes. Link. By the way, another recent study added resveratrol to its list of substances that protect the eyes.5 (That’s a key ingredient in Longevinex. Bill Sardi mentioned it in his 8/17/2010 interview on eye health.)

Brown Rice and Blood Pressure: In 2006 the US Department of Agriculture showed that adding whole grains to the diet lowered blood pressure and was possibly useful for weight loss.6 Now a Temple University study is closing in on the active component of brown rice and the mechanism by which it lowers blood pressure.7

My 2 cents: I hope they aren’t just trying to isolate it so they can make it into a drug because there are so many other reasons to just eat brown rice instead of white—more vitamins, minerals and fiber are just the beginning. Here’s another—it tastes great (nutty and chewy).

KITCHEN TIP

Speaking of brown rice…it’s just as easy to prepare as white rice but has a longer cooking time. I use a rice steamer appliance. (It was a present from Bill—he loves gifts with cords.) I make a big batch then freeze meal size portions from the leftovers. The flavored microwave brown rice pouches might seem like a good solution, but be sure to check the sodium content. Some are off the chart high. It may be best to get the plain varieties and add your own flavor with herbs or salt-fee Spike.

So there you have the beginnings of a really delicious and healthy meal: Brown Rice and Spinach sautéed in MacNut Oil. The protein source? How about some wild salmon?

The statements in this newsletter have not been evaluated by the FDA. This information and any products mentioned are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

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

Copyright 2010 Martie Whittekin, CCN

1J Agric Food Chem. 2010 May 26;58(10):5991-6006. Chemistry of extra virgin olive oil: adulteration, oxidative stability, and antioxidants. Frankel EN.

2http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jfffvVL4RuEPs4sxL38bizP8shYwD9HCV0101

3Curr Med Res Opin. 2010 Aug;26(8):2011-23. Dietary supplementation: effects on visual performance and occurrence of AMD and cataracts. Barker FM 2nd.

4Arch Biochem Biophys. 2010 Jun 22. [Epub ahead of print] Dose-dependent response of serum lutein and macular pigment optical density to supplementation with lutein esters. Bone RA, Landrum JT.

5J Ocul Pharmacol Ther. 2010 Jun;26(3):231-6. Resveratrol protects human retinal pigment epithelial cells from acrolein-induced damage. Sheu SJ, Liu NC, Chen JL.

6Am Diet Assoc. 2006 Sep;106(9):1445-9. Whole-grain diets reduce blood pressure in mildly hypercholesterolemic men and women. Behall KM, Scholfield DJ, Hallfrisch J

7Lead researcher – Satoru Eguchi, MD, PhD. Presented at the 2010 Experimental Biology conference.