A brief history of honey

It’s the year 1702. You want to eat something sweet.  What are your options?  Can you hit up Whole Foods for xylitol or agave?  Nope. You don’t even have table sugar. But if you’re lucky, and it’s the right time of year, you might get a little bit of honey.

Honey has been humans’ main sweetener for thousands of years. People didn’t really have sugar until intercontinental trade in the 18^th century made cane sugar available.

Honeybees, which originated in Africa, have probably been around for 100 million years. So it’s no surprise that nearly every world culture uses honey.

For instance:

• Honey appears in Spanish cave paintings about 10-15,000 years old (see image below).
• Honey is part of Buddhist rituals and traditional Indian and Chinese medicine.
• Honey is mentioned often in the Jewish Talmud (honeybees are not kosher, but honey is), the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, and the Koran.  In fact, the word honey appears 56 times in the King James version of the Bible; Biblical references to “the land of milk and honey,” probably refer to Tel Rehov, one of the most important cities in Israel and a beekeeping center.
• Bees and honey appear in Egyptian hieroglyphics (see image below).
• Ancient Greeks revered honey. The Greek physician Hippocrates used honey to treat skin ailments, while the philosopher Aristotle thought honey was deposited from the atmosphere..
• Honey was used for mead – the first known alcoholic drink in mythology.
• Old Scandinavian texts, such as the Kalevala, the ancient Finnish epic poem, also refer to honey. The term honeymoon originated with the Norse practice of consuming large quantities of mead during the first month of a marriage.  This practice was believed to ensure fertility during the lunar cycle.

In 1866 Franz von Hruschka invented the first device to extract honey from the honeycomb using centrifugal force (after watching milkmaids swinging buckets).

In modern times, honey is often used in Middle Eastern/Mediterranean, African, northern and southern European cuisine.

Ancient Spanish cave painting showing honey gathering	Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic of bees

Americans now consume 156 pounds of added sweeteners per year. Roughly 1.3 pounds of that — or 0.8% — is honey. (Comparatively, China only consumes about 0.4 to 0.6 pounds per person per year.)

Things have changed.

35% of honey is consumed at home and in restaurants.  65% is purchased by the industry and used in processed foods/drinks: Honey is a preservative.

Honey types & variations

Comb honey is the purest, rawest form of honey.  The beeswax is edible.

Raw honey often contains wax, pollen, and other bee parts.

Liquid honey is often pasteurized (which decreases the chance of crystallization), and the beeswax has been filtered out.

Chunk honey is liquid honey with chunks of honeycomb.

Dry honey is dehydrated, and can be sold as powder, flakes, granules, etc.  Usually contains additives.

Creamed/whipped honey is intentionally crystallized to allow for spreading.

Organic honey must be produced without certain pesticides, insecticides, and herbicides.  This is hard to control since bees can travel up to 2 miles from the hive to gather nectar and pollen.  Only nontoxic paints can be used on the beehives and no medications can be used on the bees.

Fair trade honey: if you’re getting honey from small local farmers, this won’t be an issue.  But if you are buying honey from outside the U.S., ensuring Fair Trade is important so beekeepers get proper compensation.

Single flower species honey comes from nectar gathered from a single flower (e.g. orange blossom or clover honey). This honey must contain at least 51% of the specific type of nectar to be labeled as such.

Honey is produced across the U.S., and there are over 300 varieties of American honey.

Natural honey is diverse. For instance:

• Colour can depend on mineral, pollen and phenol content.
• Honey is often cloudy due to air bubbles, pollen, or other particles.
• The smell of honey depends on the amount and type of acids it contains.
• The taste of honey varies from hive to hive and from year to year.
• Different types of honey can vary 20 fold in their antioxidant content.

Honey is graded in the U.S. by the USDA based on a system accounting for water content, flavor, aroma, clarity, and absence of defects.

Honey colour variations

How honey is made

Honey is made from flower nectar.

Bees collect nectar from flowering plants, pollinating the plants in the process as they wiggle around in the flower. This makes bees crucial links in the food chain. For instances, 80% of cotton relies on honeybees. Many plants, such as squash, have specialized bees that only collect nectar from that particular plant.

A bee visits about 1,500 flowers to gather enough nectar to fill up her honey sac stomach (which holds about 70 mg of nectar – almost as much as a bees body weight), which is different than their digestive stomach.

Bees then carry the nectar back to the hive in their honey sac stomach. Here, a younger bee will suck the honey from the honey sac stomach, via the mouth (kind of like they are kissing).

Bees navigate using an exceptional spatial sense, and can fly up to 15 mph. Back at the homestead, they may do a little “bee dance” for their hive mates to communicate where the nectar was found.

The bees deposit (OK, regurgitate) the nectar into the waxen honeycomb, where invertase (aka sucrase) from salivary glands thickens it and splits sucrose into glucose and fructose, so that the bees are able to digest the honey when they consume it later.

Once honey is in the honeycomb, worker bees flap their wings to encourage water evaporation until the nectar fluid becomes syrupy.  Then the bees cap the honeycomb with wax.  If honey is harvested before the water is evaporated, moisture content will be too high and naturally occurring yeast cells will ferment.  This honey will be runny and taste like vinegar.

A single worker bee makes less than a teaspoon of honey in her 6-week lifetime (assuming she doesn’t sting anyone, as bees die after they sting).  They work themselves to death, literally.

One colony can produce 44 pounds of honey during a typical summer. This requires more than 1 million foraging trips, and is roughly the amount necessary to sustain the colony during winter.

Nectar transfer

Why do bees produce honey?

Honey feeds the bee colony in the winter. Bees eat honey for carbohydrates and pollen for protein, vitamins and fat.  Worker bees metabolize honey to generate heat for the hive, so it must be present at all times.

Just like you defend your lunch, bees defend their honey.

Bees can die of starvation during the winter without enough. Drones (male bees) are not allowed to spend the winter in the bee hive, as they would eat all the honey. Way to go, fellas.

Technically, honey is taken from the bees, which is why some folks try to avoid consuming it.

Beekeepers

There are between 140,000 and 212,000 beekeepers in the U.S. with 2.4 million honeybee colonies.

U.S. beekeepers can only supply 48% of American honey needs.  The remaining 52% comes from outside the U.S., with a majority imported from Asian countries.  Asian honey can be cheap, and it can also be contaminated with metals and antibiotics. (Read more about tainted and counterfeit Asian honey here and here)

A typical honeybee colony in the summer has 80,000 bees with one queen.  Queens are marked by beekeepers for tracking.

“Educated” beekeepers don’t remove honey from the main hive where the bees live, because bees eat this honey, and feed it to their larvae. Instead, beekeepers provide larger hives and harvest the excess honey.  Beekeepers often feed bees a sugar water solution before the fall/winter to ensure the bees have enough stored honey.

Honey extraction and bottling

• Honey – From the Hive to the Jar
• Honey Extraction & Bottling

To access honey, beekeepers will use a one-way bee escape or a fume board (that smells like almonds).  The bees often get defensive here.  Beekeepers might also use smokers to neutralize odours and access hives.

Some modern industrialized beekeeping can subject honeybees to unnatural living conditions, genetic manipulation, and stressful transportation.  To prevent swarms, some beekeepers clip the wings of bees.

Why do bees matter?

Before certain plants can grow they need to be pollinated.  Bees (along with butterflies, moths, hummingbirds, bats, and wind) help transfer this pollen.  90% of pollination is performed by managed honeybees; beekeepers transport honeybee colonies to different agricultural areas depending on the need for pollination.

Thus, 1/3 of all food grown depends to some degree on honeybees. If honeybees were to go extinct, we (humans) probably wouldn’t die off completely.  But since honeybees are the most important pollinators worldwide, our food choices would be dismal. (Or we’d have to spend a lot of time out in the fields with Q-tips, poking flowers.)

Why are bee populations declining?

With more people, we need more food.  To grow more food, we need more bees.

Bee populations are decreasing for many reasons:

• the Varroa mite
• Colony Collapse Disorder
• insecticides (neonicotinoids)
• chemicals
• antibiotics

Artificial diets provided to bees might leave bees susceptible to illness and harassment from other insects (because honey that the bees would normally eat is harvested).  These problems vary from region to region.

For more, see this useful infographic.

Ali’s Potion & the health properties of honey

Muhammad Ali drank a mixture of honey, bee pollen and other ingredients before a 1978 fight. He claimed it helped.  But beyond Muhammad’s anecdote, does honey do anything for our health?

Indeed, honey has antiseptic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, antifungal, antibacterial and prebiotic properties.

However, many studies use substantial amounts of honey (like 50 to 80 grams/day, which supplies 40-65 grams of sugar). Luckily, we can also derive health benefits from topically applied honey.

When comparing sweetener intake in rodents, honey appears to be less harmful than others (notice we said “less harmful” – because lots of any sweetener consumption tends to be harmful).

Skin

Honey can stimulate tissue growth, collagen and new blood vessels in wounds.  It can also absorb moisture and fend off microbes.  The antibacterial action of honey might be attributable to sugars, low moisture, gluconic acid (which creates an acidic environment), and hydrogen peroxide.  Nitric oxide end products in honey might also be useful.

Allergies

Ingesting pure honey with traces of pollen may help build a better tolerance to local airborne allergens.

Sore throat & cough

Honey is said to soothe the throat and ease congestion.  A large review concluded that honey is better than no treatment for acute cough symptoms, and sometimes as good as commercial cough syrups.

Gastrointestinal illness

Honey may relieve indigestion and other GI ailments, helping to destroy bad bacteria in the gut. It may also help to protect against gastric ulcers.

Workout recovery

Honey appears to act like other forms of rapidly digesting carbohydrates when it comes to athletic performance, recovery and promoting muscle growth.  Honey has about the same amount of fructose as high fructose corn syrup and less than agave nectar (different varieties of honey vary slightly in their fructose content).

Honey gone bad

For food safety, store honey between 70 and 80 F in airtight containers.

Fermentation

Honey contains yeast cells.  When honey has more than 19% water, the yeast cells divide and fermentation occurs.

This happens when beekeepers harvest honey too early or you get water/saliva in your honey storage container.  If honey ever smells like vinegar, it’s fermenting/fermented. Chuck it.

Mad honey

Some honey is toxic to humans.  This “mad honey” is often found in the northern hemisphere in honey produced from rhododendrons, mountain laurels, oleander, and azaleas.  The nectar of these plants may contain grayanotoxin (psychoactive and poisonous).

Luckily (for us, not for the bees), bees act as filtering agents and any toxic levels of chemicals brought back to the hive would kill the bees before reaching humans.

Local honey

Locally produced honey tends to contain more bacteria than commercially blended honey.  This is probably because local honey undergoes less processing.

Teeth

Honey is bad news for cavities and dental erosion, comparable to table sugar, soda and juice.

Infants

Infants (less than 12 months old) should avoid honey due to the potential of Clostridium botulinum (aka botulism) bacteria to be present. Generally, adults’ more robust digestive systems can destroy any bacteria.

Allergy

Reactions to honey are uncommon, still it’s possible due to the pollen and proteins.

Toxic flowers

Toxic compounds occur in 3% of flowering plants and are harmful if ingested.  Commercial honey blends with no floral attribution tend to contain more of these harmful compounds.

According to risk assessments, levels of these toxic compounds could cause chronic diseases such as liver cirrhosis, pulmonary hypertension and cancer, assuming you eat a lot of honey regularly (daily intake of 15–25 grams).

Honey & the environment

From an environmental perspective, locally sourced honey is likely a better choice than commercial sweeteners that undergo high levels of processing and longer transport distances. So if you must put something sweet in your tea, try a little local honey.

When using honey in a recipe, reduce the amount of any other liquid by ¼ cup for each cup of honey and add ½ teaspoon of baking soda for each cup of honey used.  Reduce the temp of the oven by 25 F to prevent too much browning.

Summary & recommendations

Honey has been used throughout history because it was the only sweetener available.

Honey can be good for our skin, respiratory system, and GI tract. It has antiseptic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, antifungal, antibacterial and prebiotic properties.

Chemically, honey is not much different than other sweeteners like agave nectar and maple syrup. It’s still sugar. Use it sparingly.

Bees are important, both as honey producers and key links in food chains. If bees are healthy, our food system is healthy.

If you use honey, know your source.  If you aren’t sure you’re getting local sustainable honey, another sweetener might be a better option.

Resources

Colony: The Endangered World of Bees. 2011. (DVD)

The Great Vegan Honey Debate

Apitherapy is the ancient practice of using bee venom and other products of the honeybees, including honey.

USDA Honey Grading

References

Marchese C. Marina.  Honeybee: Lessons from an accidental beekeeper.  Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, Inc.  2009.

Wilson Bee. The Hive: The story of the honeybee and us. Thomas Dunne Books. 2004.

Colony: The Endangered World of Bees. 2011. DVD

Schneider Andrew. Asian honey, banned in Europe, is flooding U.S. grocery shelves.  Accessed August 28^th, 2011.

Honey: From factory-farmed bees.  Accessed August 29^th, 2011.

Seeley Thomas D.  Honeybee Democracy.  Princeton University Press.  2010.

Vanata DF, et al.  Enumeration and identification of bacterial contaminants in commercial and locally produced honey.  J Am Diet Assoc 2010;110:A55.

Shaaban SY, et al.  Effect of honey on gastric emptying of infants with protein energy malnutrition.  Eur J Clin Invest 2010;40:383-387.

Bowen WH & Lawrence RA.  Comparison of the cariogenicity of cola, honey, cow milk, human milk, and sucrose.  Pediatrics 2005;116:921-926.

Mohamed M, et al.  Afr J Trad CAM 2010;7:59-63.

Genersch E. Honey bee pathology: current threats to honey bees and beekeeping. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2010;87:87-97.

Oduwole O, et al.  Honey for acute cough in children. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2010;20:CD007094.

Bogdanov S, et al.  Honey for nutrition and health: A review. J Am Coll Nutr 2008;27:677-689.

Al- Waili NS, et al.  Honey for wound healing, ulcers, and burns; Data supporting its use in clinical practice. The Scientific World Journal 2011;11:766-787.

Ischayek JI & Kern M.  US honeys varying in glucose and fructose content elicit similar glycemic indexes.  J Am Diet Assoc 2006;106:1260-1262.

Tappy L & Le K.  Metabolic effects of fructose and the worldwide increase.  Physiol Rev 2010;90:23-46.

Nemoseck TM, et al.  Honey promotes lower weight gain, adiposity, and triglycerides than sucrose in rates.  Nutr Res 2011;31:55-60.

Khan FR, et al.  Honey: nutritional and medicinal value.  Int J Clin Pract 2007;61:1705-1707.

Edgar JA, et al.  Pyrrolizidine alkaloids in food: a spectrum of potential health consequences Food Additives & Contaminants 2011;A28:308-324

Schramm DD, et al.  Honey with high levels of antioxidants can provide protection to healthy human subjects.  J Agric Food Chem 2003;51:1732-1735.

Kreider RB, et al.  Effects of ingesting protein with various forms of carbohydrate following resistance-exercise on substrate availability and markers of anabolism, catabolism, and immunity.  JISSN 2007;4:18.

Casey J. The hidden ingredient that can sabotage your diet.  Medicine Net.  2005.

Melnick M. Tainted Chinese honey may be on U.S. store shelves.  Time.  2011.

Koca I & Koca AF.  Poisoning by mad honey: A brief review.  Food and Chemical Toxicology 2007;45:1315-1318.

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To lose fat, you have to eat less. Simple enough. But it’s hard to get enough fibre when you’re eating less food. Inadequate fibre often means more hunger. More hunger means you want to eat more.

What to do?

Glucomannan, a soluble fibre from konjac root, may be one supplement that meets both these needs — adequate fibre plus greater satiety. It may have many other health benefits too.

What are soluble fibres?

Soluble fibres are a form of so-called “complex” carbohydrate (which means that their more elaborate molecular structure is harder for our bodies to break down) that are soluble in water. In liquid, soluble fibres form viscous gels. For instance, fruit pectin is used to thicken jams and jellies, while xanthan gum is used as an emulsifier that makes foods creamier.

Soluble fibres are also great bacteria food (which earns soluble fibre the term prebiotic). Our gastrointestinal bacteria eagerly ferment soluble fibres, creating byproducts such as valuable nutrients or not-so-desirable gases.

Soluble fibres are found in foods like:

• beans and legumes
• grains such as oats, rye, and barley
• some fruits such as plums/prunes, apples, pears, berries, and bananas
• some vegetables, such as the onion family; the brassica family; and Jerusalem artichokes (root vegetables/tubers are often high in soluble fibres)
• some seeds, such as chia and psyllium

For more on this, see All About Fibre.

From konjac root to glucomannan

Like many tubers, the root of the konjac plant (Amorphophallus konjac) is high in soluble fibre. This soluble fibre is used to manufacture glucomannan (GM) supplements.

Konjac roots

Konjac also appears in East Asian cuisine, often as shirataki noodles or a gel that is cut up and served with dipping sauce. It’s generally prized for its gelatinous texture rather than taste, and takes on the taste of whatever it’s cooked, marinated, or dipped in.

Sashimi konnyaku (konjac sashimi)

From konjac, manufacturers can produce flour or powder, along with “foods” such as noodles, gels, and even candies (although these aren’t recommended for consumption).

What does glucomannan do?

Although konjac has long been used in China, Japan and South East Asia as a food source and as a traditional medicine, Western researchers have only been interested in GM’s health benefits since about the 1980s.

Absorbs water

Glucomannan/konjac flour or powder is highly absorbent, and can suck up tremendous amounts of liquid. In an article on glucomannan, T-Nation included a video showing just how much a wee bit of GM expands when water is added.

Helps us feel fuller, longer

Because it can hold so much water and form a gel, GM helps us feel more satisfied with meals. This means we can eat less but feel more satisfied for longer. Eating less means fat loss.

Studies looking at adding GM to calorie-restricted diets have consistently found that GM groups lose more fat than the non-fibre’d up groups. In one study (Birketvedt GS, et al. 2005), the GM group dropped an additional .8/kg (1.75 lb) on average over 5 weeks compared to the control group.

This effect of feeling full is not necessarily obvious — having a full gut does not always leave one feeling satisfied.  As many dieters know, a stomach that’s simply stretched (e.g. from being full of water) doesn’t necessarily result in a lack of desire to eat more. “Mechanical” fullness doesn’t always mean “real” satisfaction.

However, a study of people with Type 2 diabetes (Grill 2010) showed that key hunger signals (such as ghrelin) decreased after taking a meal with GM in it. GM seems to trip sensors in the gut/brain to tell them that less food is more satisfying.

Better carbohydrate tolerance & lipid profile

Along with its effects on physical fullness, GM may improve satiety and fat loss by improving our blood sugar and lipid profile.

One review (Keithley and Swanson 2005) found that 2-4 g of GM each day enhanced dieters’ weight loss efforts, along with other positive side effects like improved blood lipids, carb tolerance, and satiety. Being better able to handle starchy carbs means better insulin sensitivity, which means better appetite control and fewer blood sugar swings or cravings.

One of the earliest findings with GM (Walsh 1984) showed lower serum cholesterol and LDL. And compared to one of the most popular soluble fibre supplements, psyllium, GM seems to have better overall results on blood lipids.

GI health

Gut health is an indicator of overall wellbeing. This includes good gastric motility (stuff moving through the pipes) and a healthy bacterial flora. (Indeed, gut dysbiosis, or an overgrowth/imbalance of the wrong bacterial types, has been connected to obesity.)

Lowcarb dieters know the nightmare that is a good bowel movement while the body adjusts to lower intakes of grains and other sources of fibre. Tolerable bowel movements while eating less food can be a challenge.

Lots of dieters try psyllium husk or bran as a solution to constipation. But along with choosing higher-fibre whole foods, going the soluble fibre route with GM may be a better choice.

Besides regular bowel movements, a study (Chen 2006) found that the group using GM also showed a significant increase in helpful bifidobacteria, lactobacilli and total bacteria — the friendly gut bacteria we want. The GM supplement also promoted colonic fermentation, as shown in the decreased fecal pH. That’s a good thing.

Acne

Probiotic foods (such as sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, etc.) along with GM have been shown to reduce acne. (Just FYI: Eat it, don’t smear it on your face.)

Cancer

No food/supplement overview would be complete without evaluating its influence on cancer. GM’s benefits for gastrointestinal flora may help reduce precancerous risk factors of colon cancer.

Hyperthyroid

GM may help with hyperthyroid symptoms, as Cassandra Forsythe suggests.

(Also check out the rest of Cassandra’s pieces on GM.)

Glucomannan safety

Because GM expands so readily in water, people have choked on the powder or GM candies by trying to swallow them dry. Imagine a balloon blowing up in your mouth and throat and you get the idea.

Thus, take GM either in food format (e.g. as shirataki noodles or konjac gel in your favourite Korean or Japanese dishes) or as a powder added to food or dissolved into a Supershake. You can also take it as capsules — be sure to have them with plenty of water. However, the pills aren’t as strongly recommended.

Otherwise, GM has been shown to be safe for both adults and kids.

Start slowly

Start with small doses of GM. Clinical studies used only about 1-3 g per meal on average. We recommend one very small dose per day to start.

Going overboard may cause bloating, gas and related discomfort.

How to take glucomannan

There are quite a few ways to get GM into one’s diet.

• Konjac flour (aka GM powder) is available from a variety of resellers – but it’s not exactly cheap, at around $18 USD/500 grams.
• Shirataki (or shiratake) noodles, which you can find in Asian grocery stores, can be used in traditional East Asian dishes or as a pasta substitute. Rinse noodles off first as they have a funky smell when first out of the package. You can also try the konjac gel (cut it up into little pieces and serve with dipping sauce), but it can be an acquired taste/texture.
• We don’t generally recommend GM pills, but one Canadian product that’s not bad is PGX, which is mostly GM along with sodium alginate, and alas, xanthan gum (and various stabilizers).
• If you do get GM pills, pop the capsules open and dissolve them in some water first, or mix them into some liquid-y food.

Again, be sure to drink lots of water with GM and/or dissolve well in liquid before ingesting.

Konnyaku (konjac) gel. You may, um, want to cut it up into chunks or something. Or throw a sprig of parsley on there.

Summary & recommendations

GM can improve many measures of bowel health, such as gastric motility (aka having healthy and appropriately frequent bowel movements) and the health of good GI bacteria.

GM can improve blood sugar control and blood lipids (e.g. serum cholesterol and lipoproteins).

GM can help you lose weight by keeping you fuller longer, and possibly affecting appetite hormones.

For safety, take GM with lots of liquid.

Check with your doctor if you’re on any medication that may be contraindicated, or if you have trouble swallowing.

References

Al-Ghazzewi FH, & Tester RF (2009). Effect of konjac glucomannan hydrolysates and probiotics on the growth of the skin bacterium Propionibacterium acnes in vitro. Int J Cosmet Sci 31:139-142.

Birketvedt GS, et al. (2005). Experiences with three different fiber supplements in weight reduction. Med Sci Monit 11:PI5-8.

Chen HL, et al. (2006). Konjac acts as a natural laxative by increasing stool bulk and improving colonic ecology in healthy adults. Nutrition 22:1112-1119.

deFonseka A & Kaunitz J. (2009). Gut sensing mechanisms. Curr Gastroenterol Rep 11:442-447.

Grill, H. (2010). Leptin and the systems neuroscience of meal size control. Front Neuroendocrinol 31:61-78.

Keithley J & Swanson B (2005). Glucomannan and obesity: a critical review. Altern Ther Health Med 11:30-34.

Chearskul S, et al.  (2009).  Brief report Immediate and long-term effects of glucomannan on total ghrelin and leptin in type 2 diabetes mellitus.  Diabetes Res Clin Pract 83:e40-e42.

Chua M, et al. (2010). Traditional uses and potential health benefits of Amorphophallus konjac Ethnopharmacol. 24;128(2):268-78. Epub 2010 Jan 15.

Marsicano LJ, et  al. (1995). Use of glucomannan dietary fiber in changes in intestinal habit G.E.N. 49:7-14.

Sartore G, et al. (2009). The effects of psyllium on lipoproteins in type II diabetic patients.  Eur J Clin Nutr 63:1269-1271

Walsh DE, et al (1984) A. Effect of glucomannan on obese patients: a clinical study. Int J Obes 8:289-293.

Wu WT, et al.  (2011) Ameliorative effects of konjac glucomannan on human faecal β-glucuronidase activity, secondary bile acid levels and faecal water toxicity towards Caco-2 cells. Br J Nutr 105:593-600.

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What is acne?

Our skin is the largest organ in our body, and it’s a complex ecosystem made up of several layers and components.

The skin is semi-permeable, meaning that although it’s mostly a barrier between us and our environment, some stuff can get in and out. Sweat glands and hair follicles provide openings.

Hair originates in follicles deep in the subcutaneous layer, the deepest layer below the dermis. These hair follicles are paired with sebaceous glands, which secrete sebum, an oily substance that lubricates both hair and skin. (This is why your hair gets greasy if you don’t wash it.) Human sebum is primarily composed of triglycerides (40-60%), cerides (19-26%), squalene (11-15%), and small amounts of cholesterol.

We have hair follicles and sebaceous glands all over our body, except for the palms of our hands and soles of our feet.

Acne forms when pores become congested with old skin cells, which is more likely when the skin is oily and skin cells stick together. If we also have high levels of bacteria on the skin plus systemic inflammation, we have ourselves a full fledged acne party.

Acne vulgaris is the form of acne most of us are familiar with and accounts for nearly all acne experienced.

What contributes to acne?

Thus, anything that clogs pores, and/or creates or worsens infection and inflammation, contributes. The major players in acne production are:

• Excessive sebum (oil) production by the skin
• Rapid division of skin cells
• Delayed skin cell separation and death
• Bacteria on the skin surface
• Inflammatory response

The food we eat and our body fat cells play a role in sebum production, hormones, and inflammation. Hormonal changes likely have the greatest influence on acne (think birth control medications, anabolic steroids and puberty).

Hormonal factors

Growth hormone and IGF-1

Acne during puberty is often associated more with growth hormone (GH) than with testosterone and estrogens. GH goes from the brain to the liver and triggers the release of Insulin Like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1). IGF-1 promotes skin cell growth/division, sebum production, efficacy of luteinizing hormone (LH) and the production of estrogens.

Insulin and glycemic response

A study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal in 1958 described acne as “diabetes of the skin.” And as far as I’m concerned, everything from the 1950s was true.

High insulin levels and insulin resistance are associated with worse acne and more sebum (side note: more body fat can lead to more insulin resistance). Medications that lower insulin and control glucose often have the side effect of less acne.

Theory behind low glycemic diet and reduction in acne Source: Costa A, et al. Acne and diet: truth or myth? An Bras Dermatol 2010;85:346-353.

Androgens

Acne severity doesn’t seem to correlate with total androgen levels in the body. Rather, androgens play a permissive role in priming or initiating acne. An example of this would be women with PCOS or someone starting a cycle of anabolic/androgenic steroids. These folks often experience a surge of circulating androgens and IGF-1, along with lower levels of sex hormone binding proteins.

Androgens can directly influence skin cells if the cells have high levels of androgen receptors. Also, androgens can increase growth and productivity of sebaceous glands.

Consuming a lot of food promotes androgen release in the body. Animal foods and saturated fats tend to get the biggest response. Lower fat, higher fiber diets can increase levels of sex hormone binding proteins, thus lowering free levels of circulating androgens.

Inflammation & stress

Acne is a type of of inflammatory disease. With acne, inflammatory hormones and cell signals are upregulated — the skin is a hive of inflammatory activity.

Our bodies secrete cortisol in response to stress. Evidence shows that people with acne have an over-active cortisol secretion system, one that is particularly expressed in the sebaceous glands.

Thus, stress (whether physical or general life stress) plus inflammation (whether existing or prompted by stress) make acne worse.

Nutrition: What makes acne worse?

Not enough antioxidant vitamins and minerals

Low levels of vitamin C and E, zinc, selenium, and carotenoids might contribute to acne. These nutrients help fight free radicals that break down skin elastin, produce collagen, and repair skin damage. The catch here is that you usually have to get these from whole foods for them to be of any benefit.

Processed foods

Data show a mixed relationship between processed foods and acne. Eat a big meal with lots of processed food and you have lots of insulin. Lots of insulin means lots of tissue growth and androgen production, which are both contributors to acne.

Foods that are highly processed and cooked often contain compounds that promote oxidative stress and inflammation (see All About Cooking and Carcinogens). Again, oxidative stress and inflammation almost always contribute to chronic disease.

Dairy

While there have been noted associations between dairy consumption and acne starting back in the 1800s, some data indicate no association.

Milk provides a mix of growth factors, hormones and nutrients specific to offspring. As rapid growth ends and the youngster can feed themselves, milk consumption is stopped (well, not in humans).

Dairy foods produce a high insulin response, increase hormone levels in the body and alter inflammation – all factors that lead to unfavorable acne outcomes.

Consuming cow’s milk can raise IGF-1 levels 10-20% in the body. IGF-1 from cow’s milk survives pasteurization and homogenization and digestion in our gut, and can enter the body as an intact hormone (cow and human IGF-1 share the same sequence).

The unfavorable associations between dairy and acne haven’t been noticed with fermented dairy products, maybe because bacteria in fermented dairy use IGF-1, leaving less for us to absorb.

Some experts theorize that whey protein in particular may encourage acne, since it’s a strong promoter of insulin. A compound called betacellulin (which can be found in dairy foods) may increase skin cell division and decrease skin cell death – leading to worse acne.

Alcohol

Many studies link alcohol consumption to acne.

GI dysfunction & gluten

Acne is often correlated with GI tract dysfunction.

Those with acne might be more likely to experience gastrointestinal problems like bloating and constipation.

Gut health is often diminished when chronically stressed, leading to inflammation and maybe even a leaky gut.

There may be a connection between wheat gluten and acne (as well as between gluten and other skin conditions). Consider eliminating all sources of wheat and gluten from your diet for a month and see if that helps.

Acne cascade (notice the potential impact of dietary factors) Source: Kurokawa I, et al. New developments in our understanding of acne pathogenesis and treatment. Experimental Dermatology 2009;18:821-832.

Nutrition: What makes acne better?

Acne is a big deal. While genetics (mom seems to play a bigger role) and ethnicity contribute to acne, it appears that how we live each day matters too.

In the U.S., people spend more than $100 million on over-the-counter products to fight acne. Yet many non-Westernized populations have no acne at all.

So, you could spend a lot of money on drugs that have potentially dangerous side effects… or you could change your diet. Changing your diet is a heckuva lot cheaper and safer as a starting point.

Whole plant foods

Diets based around whole plants can lead to slightly lower IGF-1 levels and slightly higher IGF-1 binding protein levels (leaving less available IGF-1 circulating in the body). This might help reduce acne.

Calorie restriction

Less food coming into the body is associated with less sebum production.

Phytoestrogens

These substances, found in foods such as soy, may inhibit androgen-forming and acne-promoting enzymes, but don’t appear to play a major role in helping acne.

Cocoa

There doesn’t seem to be an association between chocolate (in its most unprocessed form) and acne. Studies show that dark chocolate can improve insulin sensitivity and improve blood flow to the skin and skin hydration. (Some manufacturers are even capitalizing on these studies by offering chocolate in skin products. The jury’s still out on whether this works, but it sure makes you smell tasty.)

Omega-3 fats

Skin levels of fatty acids might play a role in the development of acne. Furthermore, the pro-inflammatory Western diet (with lots of omega-6 fats) tends to negatively influence acne. Balancing fat intake and ensuring enough omega-3s seems to be important for overall skin health. 1 gram of EPA from a supplement (check your fish oil to see how much EPA is in it) might be useful for acne treatment.

GI health

As mentioned above, poor GI health is strongly correlated with acne. Whole foods, soluble and insoluble fibre, omega-3 fats, coconut, and Brassica vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kohlrabi, etc.) can have a beneficial influence on gut health, in part by improving gut motility. (See diagram below.) Fibre can also bind to and excrete excess hormones that contribute to acne.

Consider eliminating wheat, dairy, and sugar for a month to see if this helps. All of these things worsen GI tract problems, and acne is strongly connected to gluten enteropathy.

Pre/Probiotics

This might be of particular interest to anyone who has been using antibiotics for acne. Our gut is home to countless bacteria and if gut health is out of whack, this might have a negative influence on acne. Getting enough of these from foods and/or supplements can help to restore gut health and may reduce acne.

Skin cells have also been found to act as immune cells that signal an over-active immune system. Inflamed skin means inflamed body, and probably inflamed gut.

Gut-brain-acne interaction Source: Bowe WP & Logan AC. Acne vulgaris, probiotics and the gut-brain-skin axis – back to the future? Gut Pathogens 2011;3:1.

Spices

Many spices (e.g.cinnamon, ginger, turmeric) and fresh herbs (e.g. basil, oregano, garlic) are anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and immune-boosting. Spices such as cinnamon can also help to regulate insulin.

Green tea

Green tea can suppress enzymes and androgens involved in acne formation. It’s also anti-inflammatory.

Walnuts/almonds

These nuts might help with blood/skin fatty acid status, and control blood sugar. Monounsaturated fats can be anti-microbial.

Dark green & purple vegetables/fruits

These contain acne fighting anti-oxidants and minerals that extinguish inflammation. They may also inhibit androgen-forming and acne-promoting enzymes.

Free-range organic (or pastured) eggs

Hens that receive nutritious feed (or even better, free-ranging pasture that includes bugs and other small animals) produce more nutrient-dense eggs (including beneficial vitamin A and omega-3 fatty acids) that may help to deter acne.

Tomatoes

These may lower IGF-1 in the body.

Resveratrol

Found in grapes, red wine, peanuts and mulberries.

Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)

Supplementation with pantothenic acid (500-1000 mg daily should be sufficient) can be quite effective, and a far safer alternative to commercial prescription medications such as oral contraceptives and retinoids.

Zinc & selenium

6% of all zinc found in our bodies is in our skin. Selenium is a potent antioxidant. It’s best to get these in food format.

High-zinc foods include seafood, wild game, red meat, and nuts. High-selenium foods include nuts (Brazil nuts in particular), fish, poultry, meat, and wild game.

Who doesn’t get acne?

Observing cultural shifts in diet can also clue us into what foods might be associated with acne.

Acne doesn’t seem to appear in non-Westernized populations eating traditional diets. This includes Inuit, Okinawa islanders, Ache hunter-gatherers, Kitavan islanders, and rural villages in Kenya, Zambia and Bantu.

Staple foods among cultures where acne is nearly absent include:

• tubers (e.g. taro, yam)
• fruit
• fish, seafood, and marine mammals
• coconut
• vegetables
• wild game
• groundnuts and tree nuts
• traditionally prepared (fermented or ash-treated) non-wheat grains such as millet, barley, maize (corn), or rice
• beneficial fungi, molds, and lichen

They don’t eat processed foods, sugars, flours or processed wheat, processed oils, nor much dairy. They also get plenty of vitamin D from being outside, and/or consuming the livers of marine animals.

Summary and recommendations

Acne is complex, and each person is unique. However, there are common factors in cultures that don’t suffer from acne. Use these ideas as your starting point and our recommendations.

• They eat whole, unprocessed foods. All their nutrients come from these foods. They don’t supplement.
• They get outside and get sunlight (or, again, consume vitamin D in organ meats).
• They often eat fermented foods — foods that are high in beneficial probiotics for gut health.
• Except for the Inuit, they eat a lot of unprocessed and/or traditionally prepared plant foods, such as fresh or fermented vegetables and fruits, and grains that are soaked/sprouted/fermented.
• They often eat many fresh herbs and spices, as well as beneficial fungi.
• They eat a good balance of unprocessed fats.
• They eat plenty of omega-3 fatty acids from fish, wild game, and even insects and snails. They don’t consume a lot of omega-6s from vegetable or seed oils.
• They eat traditionally prepared ground nuts (e.g. peanuts) and tree nuts (e.g. walnuts, almonds).
• They don’t consume much dairy; if they do, it’s fermented and/or pastured.
• They eat as much as possible of any animals consumed: dark and white meat, organ meats, connective tissues, etc.

The value of self-experimentation

If you struggle with acne, keep a food diary. Look for connections between foods and breakouts — and don’t forget that it might take a day or more for foods to stimulate breakouts.

One good experiment is to try doing without wheat, dairy, and sugar for a month to see if it helps. These foods have the strongest associations with acne. Substitute tubers, fruit, and beans/legumes for carbohydrate instead. If that seems like too much, try just one thing at a time.

Other factoids

During times of hormonal fluctuation (like puberty) excess sebum production likely occurs to protect hair follicle growth.

Our skin is replaced every 28 to 45 days. Sebaceous glands have receptors for neuropeptides, like endorphins.

Histamines and anti-histamines may influence sebaceous gland function.

Environmental pollutants

Environmental pollutants might bump up IGF-1 levels. Pollution — which includes smoking — also increases oxidation. Smoking can also influence acetylcholine, and acetylcholine can influence sebaceous gland activity.

Natural topical treatments

The plant extracts from Azadirachta indica (Neem), Sphaeranthus indicus (Hindi), Hemidesmus indicus (Sarsaparilla), Rubia cordifolia (Common Madder) and Curcuma longa (Turmeric) seem to be anti-inflammatory and might suppress bacteria on the skin that promote acne. Same with topical tea tree oil.

If you’re looking for a cheap vitamin A cream, try egg yolk. Dab it on your skin and leave it for 10 minutes or even overnight. (Just remember to wash it off eventually.)

Chamomile and peppermint tea can soothe skin irritation. Make a strong solution of chamomile and peppermint, swish your face in it, and let it sit for a while on the skin. Plain oatmeal will also calm skin down. (Again, wash it off eventually unless you’re auditioning for a zombie movie.)

Fruit acids and enzymes can give you a natural “glycolic peel”. Next time you throw fruit in your Supershake, wipe your face with the pineapple or squished orange rinds. Seriously. Plain yogurt also works as a topical probiotic and exfoliating acid.

References

Ferreri D. Preventing acne with diet. Disease Proof. July 12th, 2011. http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/hurtful-food-preventing-acne-with-diet.html

Abulnaja KO. Oxidant/antioxidant status in obese adolescent females with acne vulgaris. Indian J Dermatol 2009;54:36-40.

Short RW, et al. A single-blinded, randomized pilot study to evaluate the effect of exercise-induced sweat on truncal acne. Pediatric Dermatology 2008;25:126-128.

Berra B & Rizzo AM. Glycemic index, glycemic load: New evidence for a link with acne. J Am Coll Nutr 2009;28:450S-454S.

Cordain L. Dietary implications for the development of acne: A shifting paradigm. US dermatology review 2006;1-5.

Danby FW. Nutrition and acne. Clinics in Dermatology 2010;28:598-604.

Dubrow TJ & Adderly BD. The Acne Cure. Rodale. 2003.

Logan AC & Treloar V. The Clear Skin Diet. Cumberland House Publishing. 2007.

Bowe WP, et al. Diet and acne. J Am Acad Dermatol 2010;63:124-141.

Cordain L. Implications for the role of diet in acne. Semin Cutan Med Surg 2005;24:84-91.

Costa A, et al. Acne and diet: truth or myth? An Bras Dermatol 2010;85:346-353.

Davidovici BB & Wolf R. The role of diet in acne: facts and controversies. Clinics in Dermatology 2010;28:12-16.

Shen Y, et al. Prevalence of acne vulgaris in Chinese adolescents and adults: A community-based study of 17,345 subjects in six cities. Acta Derm Venereol 2011 Jun 28 Epub.

Melnik BC. Evidence for acne-promoting effects of milk and other insulinotropic dairy products. Nestle Nutr Workshop Ser Pediatr Program 2011;67:131-145.

Cordain L, et al. Acne vulgaris a disease of western civilization. Arch Dermatol 2002;138:1584-1590.

Ghodsi SZ, et al. Prevalence, severity, and severity risk factors of acne in high school pupils: A community based study. Journal of Investigative Dermatology 2009;129:2136-2141.

Adebamowo CA, et al. Milk consumption and acne in teenaged boys. J Am Acad Dermatol 2008;58:787-793.

Kurokawa I, et al. New developments in our understanding of acne pathogenesis and treatment. Experimental Dermatology 2009;18:821-832.

Bowe WP & Logan AC. Acne vulgaris, probiotics and the gut-brain-skin axis – back to the future? Gut Pathogens 2011;3:1.

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When asked what substance he was first addicted to, guitarist Eric Clapton answered: “sugar.”  And we all know the person who kicked the “hard drugs” only to become reliant on food as their “go-to” addiction of choice.

So, are we all doomed for food addiction?

Well, 97% of people prescribed opioid painkillers (with no history of addiction) don’t become addicts.  And most of us wouldn’t rob a 7-11 for candy bars if the price of candy bars became unaffordable.  But some people are more susceptible to addiction, whether it’s opioids or candy bars.

Thus, addiction is complicated: Social, motivational, emotional, and genetic factors all interact to create an addiction experience. An addictive substance alone doesn’t create addiction. However, some things are more addictive than others.

We often joke “I’m a ___ addict”, whether that’s video games, shoes, or ice cream. But what, exactly, is real addiction? And is it a useful concept for understanding food behaviour?

What is addiction?

Addiction is an overpowering craving to repeatedly engage in an activity that provides temporary relief at the expense of terrible consequences. It’s something you feel compelled to do, even though it harms you.

To count as an addiction, there must also be withdrawal — feelings of discomfort, distress, and intense cravings – when our addictive substance or behaviour is taken away or stopped.

What is food addiction?

Thus, food addiction involves a regular compulsion to eat and/or consume particular foods, even though those foods harm us — whether that’s because the foods are unhealthy (e.g. high in sugar), or because they make us sick, or cause us to become obese.

An occasional big meal: not addiction. Regularly eating so much, and so rapidly, that you end up bloated and nauseated — but feel unable to stop? Potential addiction.

After having a couple of cookies (or any potentially addictive food), a non-addict will feel indifferent about eating more.  The experience of an addict is much different.  Addicts become utterly single-minded in the pursuit of their “hit”. Eating a couple of cookies (or any potentially addictive food) sets off an abnormal reaction – and they want more and more until they’re physically unable to swallow.

If you aren’t an addict, it’s not that you are a master of self-control, you just don’t have an insatiable appetite for more.

A food addict can be:

• an overweight woman who is always trying a new diet
• a man who eats beyond fullness at dinner after snacking on junk food all day to help deal with job stress
• a thin woman who never eats enough and is hungry all the time because she’s afraid of getting fat (in this case, her “hit” is not eating)
• a lonely guy with nothing to do on a Friday night except watch TV and eat several bags of chips
• a person who snacks all day to ease the boredom of an un-stimulating life
• a perfectionist who is never quite satisfied with their body
• a person suffering from a nutrition related disease (e.g., heart disease, diabetes, etc.) who gets disturbingly resistant when presented with treatment approaches

Some food addicts eat too much; some don’t consume enough.  For a food addict, food provides the fun, entertainment, control, reassurance, or love that’s missing in their life.  Food may also help to numb difficult emotions like fear and sadness.  Some people even have addiction to restriction.

The Yale Food Addiction test is a clinical tool for assessing food addiction (click to download in PDF).

Food dependence

But here’s the problem with determining food addiction: Unlike, say, heroin or gambling, we need food to live. Without an innate desire for food, we can wave bye-bye to evolution.

At what point does “big appetite” end and “food addiction” begin? And can you technically become “addicted” to something you need?

Researchers, while divided on the exact definition of “food addiction” or whether it truly exists, nevertheless agree that addiction is a pattern of behaviour characterized by things like:

• near-constant searches for a “hit”
• an intense compulsion and/or desire for the substance or behaviour
• strong, all-encompassing focus on getting that “hit”
• withdrawal symptoms when the “hit” is taken away
• needing more, or more intense “hits” as tolerance develops over time

By this definition, nearly anything — including food, water, or sex (i.e. things that are part of basic biology) — can be an addiction.

So let’s call it “food dependence”.

Over time, food (substance) dependence often becomes less about the high and more about preventing the negative feelings that come from abstinence.  The ability to get pleasure from the food becomes more difficult, because small amounts of the same food aren’t as rewarding.

Substance dependence: Official definitions

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) defines “substance dependence” as 3 or more of the following 7 symptoms occurring within 1 year. We’ll look at how these might relate to food dependence.

Symptom 1: I use more over time.

Over time, tolerance increases.

Food example: When I used to buy groceries, I would take them home, eat a snack and go on with my day.  Now I buy groceries and I eat all day long until I have gone through half of what I bought.

Symptom 2: I have withdrawal symptoms.

I now take the substance to avoid withdrawal.

Food example: I eat processed snacks to correct being tired and/or depressed.  To fix anxiety, I eat something crunchy, like chips or crackers to calm myself. I am afraid if I stop using food to correct my emotions, I will have nothing else to turn to.

Symptom 3: I use more than I intend.

Food example: One bowl of ice cream turns into 2 bowls, then 3 bowls.  I start with one handful of chips and end up eating the whole bag.

Symptom 4: I’m trying or have tried to cut back.

I want to reduce my intake, and I’ve tried, but haven’t been successful.

Food example: I have tried to cut down or stop my eating, but it’s always on my mind and I find a way to defeat myself, even making a special trip to get a candy bar or chips.

Symptom 5: I spend time pursuing, using, or recovering from use.

I spend a lot of time on activities necessary to obtain the substance, or recover from its effects.

Food example: I will have a list of chores to do on Saturday.  I will go to the store and buy groceries and spend the rest of the day eating what I bought, taking antacids, and sleeping.

Symptom 6: I miss important activities because of my substance use.

I miss or give up important social, occupational, or recreational activities.

Food example: I come home and eat.  Then, I’m too full to exercise or meet with friends.

Symptom 7: I eat despite knowing the consequences.

I continue to abuse the substance despite knowing it’s giving me a persistent or recurrent physical or physiological problem.

Food example: I eat in spite of horrible knee pain from obesity.  I’m so uncomfortable after a binge that I can’t lay down without regurgitation into my esophagus.  My blood pressure is high.  I’m miserable.  I am embarrassed and afraid about being in social situations but I overeat anyway.

Time magazine graphic: Addiction: What happens in the brain?

What influences food addiction?

Many factors play a role in the development of food addiction.

Fear: Addicts may fear eating a reasonable amount of food, getting fat, and/or experiencing uncomfortable emotions and hunger.

Chronic overeating: Eating too much of highly processed foods can stimulate brain opiates — “feel good” chemicals. Regular bingeing might create a dependency on this “natural high”.  We become dependent on a highly processed diet to feel “normal” and experience withdrawal symptoms when we don’t eat it.

Food restriction: What if I told you that starting tomorrow you could never have ice cream again?  What would you do today?  Probably eat a bunch of ice cream – right?  Cravings and reward responses from food are greater after a period of food restriction (whether real or imagined) and/or nutrient depletion. This is why diets and extreme restriction almost inevitably lead to binges.

Stress: Various forms of stress can trigger addiction. Binging + food restriction + stress = a winning combination for food addiction. Addiction can lie dormant when things are going well, then rear its ugly head when life trouble strikes.

Depression: Depression usually changes appetite, hunger, and fullness signals, as well as sleep patterns (normally, good quality sleep helps us manage urges — sleep is “willpower fuel”).

Weak satiety mechanisms: Some people who struggle with food addiction aren’t as tuned in to their fullness cues. They “hear” hunger signals more loudly than satiety signals.

Automaticity: Food behaviours can be strongly ingrained habits that “wear a groove” into our nervous system. Some argue that they can’t be eliminated — just rendered dormant (temporarily).

What makes food addictive?

Are all pleasurable foods automatically addictive?  Probably not.

Hyperpalatability

Processed foods are engineered in ways that exceed basic reward properties of traditional whole foods, making them hyperpalatable.

Consider items such as ice cream, burgers, candy, melted cheeses, buttery/oily sauces, and so on – these are the foods that stimulate the release of opioids and dopamine in the brain and have addictive potential (note: artificial sweeteners can even trigger a dopamine response).

Rodent studies confirm this: Rats are unlikely to binge on normal rat chow. But when given the option of sweeter and fattier rat chow, rats go on a bender.

The table below shows the characteristics of some “normal” foods and some hyperpalatable foods. Notice how much higher in sugar, fat, and/or sodium the hyperpalatable foods are — and how many ingredients each food contains.

What differentiates regular from hyperpalatable foods? Source: Gearhardt AN, et al. Can food be addictive? Public health and policy implications. Addiction. 2011;106:1208-1212.

Other things can contribute to the addictive potential of food:

Quantity: When served more, we eat more.

Processing & energy density: The right mix of fat, sweeteners, flours, caffeine and salt provides a strong reward.  Plain sugar packets or a bottle of olive oil aren’t very desirable.  Processed foods have combinations of ingredients not found in nature.  Many food components, like drugs, are not addictive until extracted and concentrated by modern processing (a whole grain vs. white flour in cake, a whole fruit vs. sugar in cookies, cocaine vs. cocoa leaves, opium vs. poppies, etc.).

Variety: When there are different colours, sizes, shapes, tastes, and textures, we eat more.  People will eat more cookie dough ice cream versus plain vanilla and more trail mix versus plain raw almonds.

Nutrient composition of foods: When we eat nutrient-poor foods, we may end up eating more overall food in order to meet nutrient needs.

Access: The number one factor in addiction is availability.  If the substance isn’t available, we can’t develop an addiction.  When the substance is readily available, addiction will be more common (think: cigarettes in vending machines).

Cultural norms: When a behavior/substance is accepted within a group, it’s unlikely that behaviour will stop. Many folks cut down on or quit smoking when jurisdictions outlawed smoking in restaurants and bars.

Individual preferences

Think about what foods have an “addictive” potential for you.  It’s important to consider these questions because any one food isn’t universally “addictive.”

• What foods do you crave?
• What foods do you think about you aren’t physically hungry?
• What foods do you want to eat more of, even when you’re full?
• What foods do you typically deprive yourself of — but later, feel unable to control yourself around?
• What foods have emotional associations for you — say, foods you remember from childhood, or foods that seem to have “special powers” to make you feel better?

Answers to the aforementioned questions don’t usually include barley, pears, asparagus and black beans (but it’s possible).

While whole foods in their most unprocessed form are still potentially addictive (think sweet fruits and fatty nuts), the potential for true dependence/addiction is low compared to processed foods (such as fruit candies and flavoured fatty nuts).

Treating addiction

People aren’t responsible for having an addiction, but they are responsible for dealing with it.

To treat addiction, you must address the following factors:

Food availability and environment

If you feel out of control with certain foods or in certain situations, you probably are.

Our behaviour depends heavily on social and environmental cues. We can adjust our behaviour by adjusting cues from our routine and environment.

Thus: Avoid people, places, and things that trigger addiction. Use social pressure to your advantage. Addicts don’t like to use their drug with sober people staring at them.

The more available — and socially acceptable — an addictive substance is, the easier it is to get hooked. Make it hard to get.

Emotions

Food doesn’t help resolve emotions. And emotions aren’t a bad thing. They actually serve a useful purpose in life and can indicate that something is out of balance.

Food can be used as a coping mechanism for emotions that feel intolerable. Once a “food rush” wears off, we’re left with the very same emotional problems… plus the additional problems addiction brings.

Many addictions stem from uncontrolled stress combined with food restriction. If these two factors can be controlled, food addiction might also be controlled.

Pharmaceuticals

What about appetite suppressants and drugs that eliminate the high from addictive foods?  These so-called solutions open up new problems (e.g., undereating, malnutrition, etc).

Compliance to pharmaceuticals like naltrexone (blocks the high someone gets from a drug) and antabuse (makes someone sick if they drink alcohol) tend to be poor.  Why?  Because people want the high again.  Even if an appetite suppressant drug is developed, the food addiction will still remain.  This has little to do with the addictive food itself and more to do with a deficiency elsewhere in life – boredom, loneliness, anger, lack of stimulation, lack of purpose, etc.

Cravings die as a side effect of changing our life and identity — medication is, at best, only a partial and temporary solution.

However, pharmaceuticals that may be useful in addiction recovery include those that treat underlying conditions leading to emotional distress (pain, depression, etc.).

Abstinence

While we can’t choose to be addicted, we can choose to abstain in order to sustain recovery. Some claim that as an addict, it’s easier to give up the addictive substance entirely than to negotiate with it.

In this case, freedom comes when we give up effort to control the substance and become abstinent. Recovery from addiction means having the restoration of choice.

However, abstinence means that addicts must be willing to face discomfort. Luckily, the longer an addict remains abstinent, the more biological urges for the substance fade. Withdrawal is worst in the beginning.

If urges return, they’re often the result of conditioned reflexes and/or the desire to escape emotional distress. Managing stress and knowing “triggers” is thus an important part of recovery.

Meaning

Recovery from addiction needs meaning and purpose.  Without meaning, there is no reason to remain abstinent.

External meanings (e.g., how the body looks, a spouse, a friend) can be fleeting.  We love them one day, hate them the next.

If we count on external meanings for sustained change, there’s a good chance we’ll be dissatisfied. Dissatisfaction fuels resentment, and soon enough we remember that overeating is a quick way to forget about the entire mess.

Meaning is one of the reasons why the idea of a “higher power” in many addiction recovery programs is appealing.  A higher power isn’t fleeting, it’s eternal. However, what’s most important is that the meaning and purpose is internal — it comes from the inside and reflects the person’s deeper values and life priorities.

Getting a handle on food addiction often requires a temporary hiatus from mirror and scale obsession. Instead, we must prioritize what’s going on inside.

Dieting

Reason is no match for addiction. Addiction is mostly an emotional-biological phenomenon.

Thus, addicts tend to be unable to rely on self-control alone — which doesn’t mean they are “weak”. (In fact, given how hard most food addicts try to change — even if unsuccessfully — arguably their will is very strong.)

The struggle with food addiction often leads to dieting, over-exercising, purging, drugs, binging, and weight gain/loss.  These are efforts to control the addiction, but these efforts are often unrealistic, become lenient, and eventually fail (and this failure can lead to more addictive behaviors). In fact, restriction and obsession with “fixing the problem” itself can create more rebounds.

Structural changes

“Willpower” helps, but it’s weak compared to structural and foundational changes. This includes things like:

• changing one’s physical environment
• building a social support system (including getting away from people who enable the addiction)
• making it tougher to get at the addictive substances
• decreasing life stress, and/or working on stress management
• learning to tolerate discomfort, and getting support in doing so
• changing one’s routine and schedule to favour positive behaviours, and diminish the chances for negative behaviours (which can include things like getting more sleep, seeking out safer situations during “trigger times”, scheduling activities that conflict with the addictive behaviour, etc.)

Other tidbits and factoids

Food addiction factoids

Reward threshold — or the amount of substance needed to get a “high” — increases over time. Addicts need more and more. Eventually, many don’t get a “high” or any pleasure at all — the addiction focuses around managing withdrawal.

Reward thresholds increase over time. Source: Kenny PJ. Reward mechanisms in obesity: New insights and future directions. Neuron. 2011;69:664-679.

The earlier we start eating hyperpalatable foods, the more likely we are to get hooked on them. This means that good childhood nutrition is very important — and processed foods targeted at children are a major potential health problem.

In related factoids, the longer we’re exposed to innately desirable foods, the more difficult they are to resist.  Self-control is a limited resource. So, if you struggle with being near certain foods, get away from them — fast. Get them out of your house, and move yourself away from them. Don’t torture or tempt yourself with physical proximity.

Those who prefer to binge on sweet foods tend to binge more frequently than folks who prefer to binge on fatty or salty foods.

Addicts often have higher levels of dopamine circulating in their brains than non-addicts. It’s not clear whether that’s a cause or consequence of eating.

Binge eating (independent of body weight), rather than weight, is more closely associated with addictive eating patterns. In other words, behaviour predicts addiction better than body size, weight, or fatness.

Some data indicate that compared to women, men are more likely to overeat once they begin, and are more likely to eat more than their body needs.

Philosophical musings

In the U.S., many self-destructive compulsions are considered normal. This means it’s harder to identify problem behaviours as addictions or dependencies. Indeed, if someone were to design a society ideal for food addiction – North America would probably be it.

If we quit eating a certain food – are we addicted to abstaining?

Buddhist teachings have long stated that attachment is the root of all suffering. Could this — along with mindfulness training and learning to “be present” with discomfort — be the key to unlocking addiction?

Further resources

What’s harder to kick – food or chemicals? 

Substance related disorders

Food Addiction Summit

Food Addicts Anonymous

For more on appetite and addiction, see here:

All About Appetite – Part 1

All About Appetite – Part 2

Research Roundup: Food Addiction

Is Food Addiction Real?

Kessler, David. The End of Overeating.  2009.  Rodale.

Barnard N & Stepaniak J.  Breaking the Food Seduction.  2003.  St. Martins.

References

Velez-Mitchell.  Addict Nation.  2011.  Health Communications, Inc.

Finlayson G, et al.  The Regulation of Food Intake in Humans.  http://www.endotext.org/obesity/obesity7.3/obesity7-3.html

Cohen DA.  Neurophysiological pathways to obesity: Below awareness and beyond individual control.  Diabetes 2008;57:1768-1773.

Milkman KL, Rogers T, Bazerman MH.  Harnessing our inner angels and demons: What we have learned about want/should conflicts and how that knowledge can help us reduce short-sighted decision making.  Perspectives on Psychological Science 2008;3:324-338.

Five Techniques for Avoiding Short-Sighted Decision-Making. PsyBlog. http://www.spring.org.uk/2011/06/five-techniques-for-avoiding-short-sighted-decision-making.php
Committee on Assessing Interactions Among Social, Behavioral, and Genetic Factors in Health, Lyla M. Hernandez and Dan G. Blazer, Editors.  Genes, Behavior, and the Social Environment: Moving beyond the nature/nurture debate.  2006.  National Academy of Sciences.  http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=11693

Kessler DA.  The End of Overeating.  2009.  Rodale.

Barnard N.  Breaking the Food Seduction.  2003.  St. Martins.

Szalavitz M.  Heroin vs. Haagen-Dazs: What food addiction looks like in the brain.  April 4, 2011.  http://healthland.time.com/2011/04/04/heroin-vs-haagen-dazs-what-food-addiction-looks-like-in-the-brain

Szalavitz M.  Hooked on addiction: From food to drugs to internet porn.  April 15, 2011.  http://healthland.time.com/2011/04/15/hooked-on-addiction-from-food-to-drugs-to-internet-porn/

Parylak SL, Koob GF, Zorrilla EP.  The dark side of food addiction.  Physiology & Behavior 2011;104:149-156.

Wenk GL.  Your brain on food.  2010.  Oxford University Press.

Obesity and food addiction summit webcasts: http://www.foodaddictionsummit.org/agenda.htm

Avena NM, Rada P, Hoebel BG.  Evidence for sugar addiction: Behavioral and neurochemical effects of intermittent, excessive sugar intake.  Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2008;32:20-39.

Gearhardt AN, et al.  Can food be addictive?  Public health and policy implications.  Addiction. 2011;106:1208-1212.

Sandor RS.  Thinking simply about addiction.  2009.  Penguin Books.

Blumenthal DM & Gold MS.  Neurobiology of food addiction.  Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care. 2010;13:359-365.

Ifland JR, et al.  Refined food addiction: A classic substance use disorder.  Medical Hypotheses. 2009;72:518-526.

Kenny PJ.  Reward mechanisms in obesity: New insights and future directions.  Neuron. 2011;69:664-679.

Avena NM, Rada P Hoebel BG. Sugar and fat bingeing have notable differences in addictive-like behavior. J Nutr. 2009;139:623-628.

McQuillan S. Breaking the bonds of food addiction.  Psychology Today.  2004.  Penguin Group.

Kiernan J.  Why Food is Addiction is Often Deadlier Than Drinking or Drugs. The Fix.  June 23, 2011.  Accessed here: http://www.thefix.com/content/oa-vs-aa

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What makes a starch “resistant”?

All starches are composed of two types of polysaccharides: amylose and amylopectin. (For more on polysaccharides, see All About Carbohydrates.)

Amylopectin is highly branched, leaving more surface area available for digestion. It’s broken down quickly, which means it produces a larger rise in blood sugar (glucose) and subsequently, a large rise in insulin.

Amylose is a straight chain, which limits the amount of surface area exposed for digestion. This predominates in RS. Foods high in amylose are digested more slowly. They’re less likely to spike blood glucose or insulin.

Thus, resistant starch is so named because it resists digestion.

While most starches are broken down by enzymes in our small intestine into sugar, which is then absorbed into the blood, we can’t fully absorb all kinds of starch.

Some starch — known as resistant starch (RS) — isn’t fully absorbed in the small intestine. Instead, RS makes its way to the large intestine (colon), where intestinal bacteria ferment it.

RS is similar to fibre (see All About Fibre), although nutrition labels rarely take RS into account.

SCFAs and RS

However, RS still plays an important role in our diets even though we don’t necessarily absorb it.

When RS is fermented in the large intestine, short chain fatty acids (SCFA) such as acetate, butyrate, and propionate, along with gases are produced. SCFAs can be absorbed into the body from the colon or stay put and be used by colonic bacteria for energy.

Evidence suggests that SCFAs may benefit us in many ways. For instance, they:

• stimulate blood flow to the colon
• increase nutrient circulation
• inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria
• help us absorb minerals
• help prevent us from absorbing toxic/carcinogenic compounds

The amount of SCFAs we have in our colon is related to the amount and type of carbohydrate we consume. And if we eat plenty of RS, we have plenty of SCFAs.

Rate of digestion changes absorption

RS can also help us stay lean and healthy.

As we cover in a Research Review on processed vs. whole foods, researchers found that less-processed foods offered less energy than refined foods. In other words, although whole and processed foods may contain the same amount of calories, we absorb fewer calories of energy from whole foods.

Since RS is incompletely digested, we only extract about 2 calories of energy per gram (versus about 4 calories per gram from other starches). That means 100 grams of resistant starch is actually only worth 200 calories, while 100 grams of other starch gives us 400 calories. High-RS foods fill you up, without filling you out.

The way we’ve modified/processed grains and starchy vegetables in the modern food supply diminishes the amount of RS we consume (think: cereal bars instead of oats, burgers instead of beans, potato chips instead of boiled potatoes). And fibre sources such as wheat bran, psyllium, and methyl-cellulose (Citrucel) don’t have the same benefits.

Thus, to get the most benefits from RS, we need to consume it in whole food format.

Most developed countries (including Europe, the United States, New Zealand, and Australia), which have a highly processed diet, consume about 3-9 grams of RS per day. In developing countries, diets are often based around whole plant foods and the intake of RS tends to be around 30-40 grams per day.

Potential benefits of RS

Improved blood fats

RS may help to lower blood cholesterol and fats, while also decreasing the production of new fat cells (the latter has only been shown in rats). Also, since SCFAs can inhibit the breakdown of carbohydrates in the liver, RS can increase the amount of fat we utilize for energy.

Better satiety

RS can help us feel full. SCFAs can trigger the release of hormones that reduce the drive to eat (leptin, peptide YY, glucagon like peptide). After someone starts eating more RS, it may take up to one year for gut hormones to adapt.

RS slows the amount of nutrients released into the bloodstream, which keeps appetite stable.

Better insulin sensitivity

RS doesn’t digest into blood sugar, which means our bodies don’t release much insulin in response.

RS might also improve insulin sensitivity via alterations in fatty acid flux between muscle and fat cells. Some data indicate that ghrelin might increase with RS consumption, improving insulin sensitivity (this is counterintuitive since ghrelin drives appetite). RS may also lower blood fats (see above), which also improves insulin sensitivity.

Improved digestion

RS may help alleviate irritable bowel syndrome, diverticulitis, constipation, and ulcerative colitis. RS can add bulk and water to the stool, aiding in regular bowel movements.

SCFAs can help to prevent the development of abnormal bacterial cells in the colon and enhance mineral absorption (especially calcium).

Better body composition

Since RS has less energy (calories) per gram than other starches, it can help us eat less. And consuming more RS may have a thermic effect in the body.

Keeping us hydrated

For those receiving treatment for cholera and/or diarrhea, RS can assist in the rehydration process (since it can normalize bowel function).

Improved immunity

Consuming RS can influence the production of immune cells and inflammatory compounds in the gut.

Where is RS found?

RS is found in starchy plant foods such as:

• beans/legumes
• starchy fruits and vegetables (such as bananas)
• whole grains
• some types of cooked then cooled foods (such as potatoes and rice)

The longer and hotter a starch is cooked, the less RS it tends to have — except for Type 3 RS.

How much RS should we consume?

Data indicates that RS is safe and well tolerated up to about 40-45 grams per day. Consuming more than this might result in diarrhea and bloating, since high amounts can overwhelm the fermenting ability of our colonic bacteria.

How we respond to RS varies by the type. One might notice more side effects when consuming RS3 (versus RS1, RS2, RS4). Our ability to ferment RS can increase over time, making it possible to adapt to a higher RS intake.

RS seems to be tolerated best when:

• It’s in solid food form (rather than liquid)
• It’s consumed as part of a mixed meal (rather than alone)
• Consumption is increased gradually over time (rather than a lot at once)

Here’s an idea how much RS is found in food. Note: these are average values and will vary.

Grams of RS per 100 g of food

Summary and recommendations

We absorb more energy (calories) from cooked and highly refined and processed carbohydrate dense foods. If we let machines and ovens do the digestion for us, we are left with highly digestible starches. Not good for glucose control, staying lean, or intestinal health.

Various cultures thrive and stay lean when eating whole unprocessed legumes, intact grains and starchy vegetables. RS may be one factor that enables this.

We might see some benefits from as little as 6-12 grams/day of RS, but closer to 20 grams/day might be ideal. This is easy to get if you eat plenty of whole plant foods.

More than 40 grams/day might cause digestive problems — especially if this RS comes from industrially produced RS products. In any case, we probably don’t get the same benefits of RS if it’s processed (i.e. an industrially created RS product) as we do from whole foods.

References

Anderson GH, et al. Relation between estimates of cornstarch digestibility by the Englyst in vitro method and glycemic response, subjective appetite, and short-term food intake in young men. Am J Clin Nutr 2010;91:932-939.

Nilsson AC, et al. Including indigestible carbohydrates in the evening meal of healthy subjects improves glucose tolerance, lowers inflammatory markers, and increases satiety after a subsequent standardized breakfast. J Nutr 2008;138:732-739.

Johnston KL, et al. Resistant starch improves insulin sensitivity in metabolic syndrome. Diabet Med 2010;27:391-397.

Bodinham CL, et al. Acute ingestion of resistant starch reduces food intake in healthy adults. Br J Nutr 2010;103:917-922.

Grabitske HA & Slavin JL. Gastrointestinal effects of low-digestible carbohydrates. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2009;49:327-360.

Robertson MD, et al. Insulin-sensitizing effects of dietary resistant starch and effects on skeletal muscle and adipose tissue metabolism. Am J Clin Nutr 2005;82:559-567.

Higgins JA, et al. Resistant starch consumption promotes lipid oxidation. Nutr Metab (Lond) 2004;1:8-19.

Wolever TM, Spadafora P, Eshuis H. Interaction between colonic acetate and propionate in humans. Am J Clin Nutr 1991;53:681-687.

Higgins JA. Resistant starch: metabolic effects and potential health benefits. J AOAC Int 2004;87:761-768.

Landin K, et al. Guar gum improves insulin sensitivity, blood lipids, blood pressure, and fibrinolysis in healthy men. Am J Clin Nutr 1992;56:1061-1065.

Weickert MO, et al. Cereal fiber improves whole-body insulin sensitivity in overweight and obese women. Diabetes Care 2006;29:775-780.

Maki KC & Raines TM. Dietary fibers, insulin sensitivity, and risk of type 2 diabetes. Scan’s Pulse 2011;30:6-9.

Nugent AP. Health properties of resistant starch. British Nutrition Foundation Nutrition Bulletin 2005;30:27-54.

Position of the American Dietetic Association: Health implications of dietary fiber. J Am Diet Assoc 2008;108:1716-1731.

Elmstahl HL. Resistant starch content in a selection of starchy foods on the Swedish market. Eur J Clin Nutr 2002;56:500-505.

Murphy MM, et al. Resistant starch intakes in the United States. J Am Diet Assoc 2008;108:67-78.

Feder D. The Skinny Carbs Diet. Rodale. 2010.

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You could open that bag of frozen broccoli…but isn’t that the nutritional equivalent of a cardboard box? Instead, you order a supreme pizza with extra cheese and a side of rationalization.

Was that really the best choice?

Canned/frozen vegetables and fruits in context

It might seem hard to believe, but canned/frozen vegetables/fruits are some of your best options from a “nutrients per food dollar” perspective.  Even the FDA and IFIC have reported that canned/frozen vegetables/fruits have nearly the same nutrient profiles as fresh.

Most people believe that canning or freezing vegetables/fruits depletes their nutrients.  But we also need to remember that only 12% of the standard American diet is comprised of whole plant foods.  Yikes.

Adding a bag of frozen cauliflower to the above diet isn’t going to make it worse, that’s for sure.

Low vegetable/fruit intake is #6 on the WHO‘s list of 20 risk factors for mortality worldwide.  Sufficient consumption of these foods could save up to 2.7 million lives each year.

So let’s get three things straight right off the bat.

1. Fruits and vegetables are good for you.
2. Canned or frozen fruits or vegetables are not much worse than fresh.
3. Considering the big picture of the Western diet, any fruits and vegetables — in any format — are probably an improvement.

Why preserve fruits and vegetables?

Seasons change.  So unless you have a home garden capable of supplying 10 servings of fresh vegetables/fruits year round, you may want to introduce yourself to canned/frozen options.

Fresh vegetables/fruits are susceptible to moisture loss and microbial spoilage.  Refrigeration can slow this process, but canning/freezing puts a halt on moisture loss, nutrient loss, and growth of micro-organisms.

Many folks already prefer to buy certain types fruits and vegetables in preserved format. Below is a comparison of consumer habits. As you can see, while people prefer some things fresh (such as asparagus), they’re more likely to buy other things preserved, such as pineapple or tomatoes.

Source: Rickman JC, et al. Nutritional comparison of fresh, frozen and canned fruits and vegetables. Part 1. Vitamins C and B and phenolic compounds. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. 2007;87:930-944.

Preserving nutrients

Harvesting a vegetable/fruit separates it from the source of nutrients.

The longer a food is separated from the soil, the more nutrients are lost.  Leaving fresh foods sitting around leads to nutrient losses.  Food washing, peeling and cooking can also lead to further nutrient losses.

By the time you pick up a fresh vegetable/fruit at the grocery store, it might have already lost between 15-60% of some vitamins (unless purchased and consumed within 72 hours of harvest).  Canned/frozen varieties of the same vegetable/fruit usually have lost no more than 20% of these vitamins.

Check out this table comparing the vitamin C content of fresh and frozen peas, spinach, and French beans.

The nutrient content of preserved plant foods depends on four factors:

1. Time of harvest
2. Location
3. Growing conditions
4. Cooking method

Freezing is one of the best methods for preserving as many nutrients as possible. When plant foods are frozen, they are often blanched (briefly immersed in boiling water) to suppress the growth of microbes and retain color.  Then they’re flash frozen (immediately taken in small batches to freezing).

VIDEO: Frozen foods – behind the scenes

Blanching can make some nutrients (including phytochemicals) more bioavailable.  Some data indicate that certain nutrients are actually higher in frozen vegetables than in fresh or canned.  Even in delicate blueberries, the antioxidants aren’t much different between canned, frozen, fresh, and dried.

Vitamins

Regardless of whether a food is canned, frozen or fresh, cooking can leach out nutrients, especially vitamins B1 and C, with vitamin C being the least stable.  Don’t overcook foods if you want to maximize nutrient intake.  Microwaving and steaming seem to help retain the most nutrients.

Vitamins A, D, and E, along with most carotenoids, are fat-soluble, making them resistant to degradation from blanching and washing.  However, they’re still prone to oxidation with the presence of light, heat and oxygen.  This can be minimized with canning/freezing (compared to purchasing fresh, storing at home, and then preparing).

Further, we tend to absorb carotenoids better after eating cooked foods rather than raw.  So, canned/frozen foods might offer a better source for these nutrients.

Minerals

Minerals are resilient. They’re not destroyed by light, heat, or oxygen. Thus, noticeable mineral losses from canned/frozen foods are rare.

Minerals are removed from foods by leaching into the cooking water (tends to be negligible) and mechanical processing (e.g., the stems of mushrooms are often removed before canning them).

Canned vegetables may have higher levels of calcium and other minerals due to the uptake from hard water during processing.  Iron levels can increase and copper levels can decrease when foods are canned in tin-plated steel.

Fibre

Fibre losses occur only when there is mechanical separation of the food (e.g., removal of peels, skins, stems, etc.), such as with canned asparagus and tomatoes.  The fibre content in canned beans/legumes is the same as fresh.

Concerns about preserved foods

What about the environment?

Freezing/canning foods takes energy, resources, and fuel.  The act of keeping a freezer the proper temperature takes energy, and the coolant for freezers can harm the environment.

Most of the aluminum or tin-plate steel that cans are made from can be recycled.  This is superior to most frozen foods in plastic bags (some frozen foods are in biodegradable bags – like Stahlbush Island).

What about BPA in canned food?

Some companies are committed to BPA free can linings (like Eden Organics).  Check with the company whose products you buy.  More information on BPA in canned foods can be found here.

What about nitrates/nitrites?

Sodium nitrates/nitrites are sometimes added to canned meats/fish to prevent spoilage.  When combined with amino acids in an acidic environment (i.e., your stomach), they can form into nitrosamines, which have been linked to the development of cancer. For more, see All about Cooking and Carcinogens.  Many companies are now using alternative methods of preservation – so check ingredients.

What about sugar, salt and preservatives?

This is an important consideration, especially for canned foods. For instance, many fruits are canned in sugar solutions (look for “syrup”, “juice”, or “sweetened” on the label), while many vegetables (such as tomatoes) are high in sodium. Some canned vegetables are also packed in oil. As always, read labels carefully!

One option is to drain and rinse canned items before eating them. Draining/rinsing canned beans is very effective at reducing salt.  One experiment resulted in a 41% reduction in sodium per serving, from 503 mg to 295 mg.

Source: Enjoying nutrient rich canned beans with less sodium. VegetableWithMore.com

And I know this is shocking, but you can also buy low sodium, no-salt added, preservative free, no-sugar-added options.

What about food waste?

You know that moldy asparagus in the back of your fridge?  That’s food waste.

We waste about 25% of all the food we purchase for home (for more see All About Food Waste).  With frozen/canned foods, you don’t have to worry about food waste since the stems, stalks, peels and rinds have already been removed.  Plus, you just use what you need at the time you need it.

Summary and recommendations

Who likely has a leaner and healthier body?

• The person who eats 2 bowls of frozen cauliflower each day?
• The person who eats 2 bags of chips/pretzels instead of vegetables because they feel like frozen/canned options suck?

No matter whether they’re fresh, frozen, or canned – just eat more vegetables and fruits. Frozen cauliflower will likely benefit your body more than a moon pie.

Fresh veggies/fruits may taste better than frozen/canned, but only when they are local and straight from the soil do they contain substantially more nutrients. Fresh foods lose nutrients over time, while the nutrient content of frozen foods in particular is better than we might expect.

When heating foods, try to steam, stew, or microwave for nutrient retention. Don’t overcook.

Read labels for any ingredients you don’t want, such as sugar, salt, preservatives, and/or oils. Drain and rinse canned foods if necessary.

To make sure the planet doesn’t explode in the next few months, try this:

• Stock your home freezer well (this will save energy).
• Keep your freezer at -18 C (0 F).
• Recycle cans from canned foods.
• Try to find frozen foods in biodegradable bags.
• Try to find BPA free canned foods.

Extra credit

Do you tend to get the same three produce items?  Canned and frozen options can increase your variety.

Simply allowing frozen foods to thaw at room temperature won’t destroy any potential bacteria that are on the food.

The liquids from defrosted frozen food can contain nutrients.

Most people didn’t have freezers to store frozen food until the late 1940s.

Nutrient labels on packages aren’t always reliable since nutrients are influenced by washing, peeling, heating, oxygen, water losses, and further preparation at home.

Fruits usually aren’t blanched due to their delicate structure.

Frozen legumes can contain slightly more nutrients than their canned counterparts.

If your freezer is near a heat source (like your oven), operating costs can increase by nearly 50%.

Further resources

Frozen food FAQ

Nearly every part of the food preparation process can result in nutrient losses. See here for more.

References

Galgano F, et al.  The influence of processing and preservation on the retention of health-promoting compounds in broccoli.  J Food Sci 2007;72:S130-S135.

Food labeling: nutrient content claims, definition of term: healthy. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) website. Available at: http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/98fr/032598c.pdf Published March 1998. Accessed January 25, 2011.

The cold shoulder: why food snobs shouldn’t snub the freezer. Slate Magazine website. Available at http://www.slate.com/id/2102884/ Published June 2004. Accessed January 25, 2011.

IFIC.  September 2010.  What is a processed food?  You might be surprised. http://www.foodinsight.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=wtg018sd8qk%3D&tabid=1398

Environmental aspects of frozen.  April 2010.  Last accessed 1/20/11. http://www.thenewiceage.com/top-environmental-aspects-frozen-foods

Darmon N, et al.  A nutrient density standard for vegetables and fruits: Nutrients per calorie and nutrients per unit cost.  J Am Diet Assoc 2005;105:1881-1887.

Wehrmeister AA, et al.  Antioxidant content of fresh, frozen, canned, and dehydrated blueberries.  J Am Diet Assoc 2005;105;38S.

Storing, defrosting and cooking frozen foods safely.  June 2010.  Last accessed 1/20/11.  http://www.thenewiceage.com/the-cold-facts/storing-defrosting-and-cooking-frozen-foods-safely

Fellows PJ. Food Processing Technology – Principles and Practice. 2nd Ed. London, 2000.

Mangels AR, et al.  Carotenoid content of fruits and vegetables: An evaluation of analytic data.  J Am Diet Assoc 1993;93:284-296.

Enjoying nutrient rich canned beans with less sodium.  Last accessed 1/20/11. http://www.vegetablewithmore.com/PDF/04/DrainRinse.pdf

Fresh, canned, or frozen – Get the most from your fruits and vegetables.  March 2010.  Last accessed 1/20/11.  http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6442451032

Storing, defrosting and cooking frozen foods safely.  June 2010.  Last accessed 1/20/11.  http://www.thenewiceage.com/the-cold-facts/storing-defrosting-and-cooking-frozen-foods-safely

Wu Y, et al.  Vitamin C and B-Carotene in fresh and frozen green beans and broccoli in a simulated system.  J Food Quality 1992;15:87-96.

Nursal B & Yucecan S.  Vitamin C losses in some frozen vegetables due to various cooking methods.  Nahrung 2000;44:451-453.

A study of canned food nutrition. Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign website. Available at: http://nutrican.fshn.uiuc.edu/ Accessed January 25, 2011.

Spada PD, et al.  Antioxidant, mutagenic, and antimutagenic activity of frozen fruits.  J Med Food 2008;11:144-151.

Spada PD, et al.  Macro and micro minerals: are frozen fruits a good source?  An Acad Bras Cienc 2010;82:861-867.

Bernhardt S & Schlich E.  Impact of different cooking methods on food quality: Retention of lipophilic vitamins in fresh and frozen vegetables.  J Food Engin 2006;77:327-333.

Chalom S, et al.  Composition of sulfited potatoes: comparison with fresh and frozen potatoes. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 1995;47:133-138.

Favell DJ.  A comparison of the vitamin C content of fresh and frozen vegetables.  Food Chemistry.  1998;62:59-64.

Rickman JC, et al.  Nutritional comparison of fresh, frozen, and canned fruits and vegetables II.  Vitamin A and carotenoids, vitamin E, minerals and fiber.  Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.  2007;87:1185-1196.

Rickman JC, et al.  Nutritional comparison of fresh, frozen and canned fruits and vegetables. Part 1. Vitamins C and B and phenolic compounds.  Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.  2007;87:930-944.

Pellegrini N, et al.  Effect of different cooking methods on color, phytochemical concentration, and antioxidant capacity of raw and frozen brassica vegetables.  J Agric Food Chem 2010;58:4310-4321.

The history of canned food: http://www.tinplategroup.com/pooled/articles/BF_DOCART/view.asp?Q=BF_DOCART_197927

Siegle L.  Is it better to buy canned or frozen food?  The Observer. Sept 14, 2008.  http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/sep/14/1

Canned food and the environment.  Green Living Tips. May 14, 2008.  http://www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/225/1/Canned-food-and-the-environment.html

Research from the University of Tennessee (Institute of Food Technologists June 2009 Annual Conference) – draining and rinsing.

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Ginger, aka Zingiber officinale, is a rhizome, a thick underground stem that sprouts roots and shoots.

Each ginger plant can grow up to three feet high and produce 2-5 sections of ginger, which can be harvested year-round. After a ginger root is broken off from the main plant it is washed and dried in the sun.

Once dried, it can be used for cooking or medicinal purposes.

Ginger as medicine

Ginger is one of the oldest medicinal foods.

Since the herb originated in Southeast Asia, it’s not surprising that ancient Chinese and Indian healers have made ginger a part of their toolkit for thousands of years.

Ayurvedic texts credit ginger as a “universal great medicine”. An old Indian proverb says that “everything good is found in ginger.” Traditional Chinese medicine holds that ginger “restores devastated yang” and “expels cold”.

Currently, since ginger grows best in warm, damp areas, it’s currently cultivated in China, India, Australia, and Jamaica. China and India produce most of the world’s ginger, with half being produced on India’s Malabar Coast.

Today, ginger is still used as food and medicine. Modern Western science has confirmed its usefulness for treating a variety of conditions.

Zingerone, shogaols, gingerols, and volatile oils give ginger its distinct aroma and flavour, as well as its medical properties. The amount of these therapeutic compounds in ginger is determined by geography, time of harvest, and processing methods.

Active compounds in ginger

Anti-inflammatory & anti-oxidant

Consuming ginger may help to decrease muscle soreness, inflammation, and relieve osteoarthritis pain.

It’s far from a sure thing (data is mixed), but one theory is that ginger may inhibit COX (cyclooxygenase) and LOX (lipooxygenase), making it anti-inflammatory. NSAIDs work in a similar fashion, but only inhibit COX (leading to upregulation of LOX).

Since ginger appears to inhibit both COX and LOX, it can lead to a lower production of chemical messengers like LTs (leukotrienes), TNF (tumor necrosis factor), and PGs (prostaglandins). This occurs systemically and at the site of inflammation, helping with pain relief.

Ginger may inhibit both COX and LOX

Unlike NSAIDs, ginger doesn’t appear to harm  the stomach or kidneys (in normal amounts), and may even have anti-ulcer properties.

Nausea

Ginger might help decrease nausea from chemotherapy, motion, pregnancy, and surgery. But data is mixed. It seems most effective for nausea related to pregnancy and surgery.

Ginger works by inhibiting serotonin receptors, exerting anti-nausea effects at both the brain and gut level. It may also decrease the release of vasopressin, diminishing nausea related to motion.

Digestion

Ginger has been valued as a digestive aid since the Middle Ages. Ginger can calm over-active stomach contractions, allowing stomach contents to enter the intestines (this may also help to decrease heartburn). It also contains an enzyme called zingibain that may assist in protein digestion.

Blood pressure & asthma

Animal studies have shown that ginger might help to control high blood pressure.

It’s thought that ginger may act (in a much weaker way) similarly to calcium channel blockers. Over several months, ginger may promote smooth muscle relaxation and more elastic blood vessels. Smooth muscle relaxation might also be a benefit to asthmatics. Note: these effects are based on theory and rat studies so far.

Cholesterol

In rodents, ginger can help to lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides while raising HDL – at levels similar to conventional lipid lowering drugs. It may also decrease the liver’s production of cholesterol and increase cholesterol excretion (via bile/fecal excretion). Human trials have yet to show benefits.

Cancer

Population based studies show that those living in Southeast Asian countries have a lower incidence of cancers than folks in the Western world. It’s thought that some of the plants they consume have anti-cancer properties; ginger might be one of them.

Tumor promotion is linked with inflammation and oxidative stress. Thus, the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties of ginger could play a role in cancer prevention. Further, ginger might activate a tumor suppressor gene and downregulate a gene that plays a role in metastasis.

However, anti-cancer data on ginger has only been demonstrated in test tubes and animals so far.

Anti-bacterial

Ginger might help destroy oral pathogens and H. pylori (the bacteria that causes stomach ulcers), making it anti-bacterial.

Migraines

Ginger may help to reduce migraine headaches (pain and frequency), similar to some prescription medications.

Miscellaneous

You can even add ginger to baths and foot soaks.

Because of ginger’s anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial action, it may help keep skin clear and free of blemishes. It may also help fight skin discolouration and aging, both when consumed and topically applied.

Ginger may help your sex life. The famous Arab physician Avicenna wrote that ginger “increases lustful yearnings”, and ginger appears in the Kama Sutra. Rat studies confirm that ginger may help increase testosterone.

Drug interactions

It’s possible that ginger could interact with calcium channel blockers and drugs that lower blood sugar. There have been reports showing interactions with blood thinning drugs. Five grams (or more) of ginger has anti-platelet action.

If you’re taking ginger medicinally, consider using standardized capsules or tablets, so that you can be sure of the dose you’re getting.

Consuming a lot of ginger at once (like, eating an entire knob of it) might result in heartburn, diarrhea, and mouth irritation. Besides that – ginger seems to be safe. After all, you could easily consume a fair bit of ginger normally in foods (such as pickled ginger with sushi).

Ginger as food

Choose firm, shiny-skinned and smooth knobs. Don’t buy roots with sprouts.

Peeled and sealed, ginger will keep in the fridge for about 2 weeks. It will keep unpeeled in a dark, cool place for weeks. Freeze if storing for long periods.

Peel ginger before using it; don’t consume the skin.

You can use ginger fresh, dried, crystallized, preserved, or pickled. If you aren’t willing to buy fresh, check out preserved versions.

Use ginger anywhere you need some zing. This includes dipping sauces, dressings, rubs, pesto, teas, and even Super Shakes. To convert a recipe from dried ginger, substitute in 6 parts fresh grated ginger for 1 part of ground.

Peeling ginger

How to prepare fresh ginger

Making ginger tea

Gourmet Nutrition includes many ginger recipes, such as:

• Fruity chicken skewers (pg. 116)
• Carrot, orange and ginger soup (pg. 134)
• Butternut squash and turkey soup (pg. 138)
• Miso corn chowder with salmon (pg. 170)
• Spinach and black bean soup with prawns (pg. 174)
• Miso vegetable brown rice (pg. 198)
• Curry coconut chickpeas (pg. 200)
• Soy ginger lentils with baby bok choy (pg. 204)
• Chickpea cakes (pg. 212)
• Asian dressing (pg. 242)

Summary and recommendations

Consuming 1-2 grams of ginger might help with nausea, muscle soreness, and digestion. Beyond that, ginger has the potential to promote overall health, but the data is limited. Ginger doesn’t appear to cause any health problems.

Don’t exceed 4 grams of ginger per day from food, drink and supplements.

Check with your doctor if pregnant, as ginger supplementation is controversial.

Extra credit

Ginger is in the same family as cardamom and turmeric.

Beta-elemene is an anti-cancer pharmaceutical derived from ginger.

In India, basil leaves combined with ginger is a popular remedy for children’s stomachaches.

The use of ginger in Asia is common because it’s believed to cleanse the body of toxins from meat dishes.

At one time in England, three pounds of ginger was the going rate for one head of cattle.

Chewing on a piece of fresh ginger might relieve a sore throat and hoarseness.

Eating slices of ginger sprinkled with salt before meals can aid digestion.

Some say that ginger is a “warming” food for the body.

Ginger is a main ingredient in kimchi.

When ginger is used in large quantities it can mask the odor of fish.

Ginger was so popular in Europe that it was used like salt and pepper. Folks even sprinkled it on beer (the origin of ginger ale).

Further resources

In 3-6 months you could have your own ginger if you grow it yourself.

References

Hughes MS. Flavor foods – spices and herbs. Lerner Publications Company. 2000.

Andoh E. Kansha. Ten Speed Press. 2010.

Simonds N. A spoonful of ginger. Borzoi Book. Random House. 1999.

Simonds N. Spices of life. Borzoi Book. Random House. 2005.

Hill T. The contemporary encyclopedia of herbs & spices. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2004.

McBride K. The herbal kitchen. Conari Press. 2010.

Pillai AK, et al. Anti-emetic effect of ginger powder versus placebo as an add-on therapy in children and young adults receiving high emetogenic chemotherapy. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2011;56:234-238.

Zick SM, et al. Phase II trial of encapsulated ginger as a treatment for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. Support Care Cancer 2009;17:563-572.

Kim MK, et al. Modulation of age-related NF-kappaB activation by dietary zingerone via MAPK pathway. Exp Gerontol 2010;45:419-426.

Chung SW, et al. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor activation by a short-term feeding of zingerone in aged rates. J Med Food 2009;12:345-350.

Ojewole JA. Analgesic, anti-inflammatory and hypoglycaemic effects of ethanol extract of Zingiber officinale (Roscoe) rhizomes (Zingiberaceae) in mice and rats. Phytother Res 2006;20:764-772.

Willetts KE, et al. Effect of a ginger extract on pregnancy-induced nausea: a randomised controlled trial. Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol 2003;43:139-144.

Vutyavanich T, et al. Ginger for nausea and vomiting in pregnancy: randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled trial. Obstet Gynecol 2001;97:577-582.

Ernst E & Pittler MH. Efficacy of ginger for nausea and vomiting: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials. B J Anaesth 2000;84:367-371.

Altman RD & Marcussen KC. Effects of a ginger extract on knee pain in patients with osteoarthritis. Arthritis Rheum 2001;44:2531-2538.

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. NIH. Updated July 2010. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/ginger/

Medline Plus. NIH. Updated November 2010. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/961.html

Chrubasik JE, et al. Evidence of effectiveness of herbal antiinflammatory drugs in the treatment of painful osteoarthritis and chronic low back pain. Phytother Res 2007;21:675-683.

Morelli V, et al. Alternative therapies for traditional disease states: osteoarthritis. Am Fam Physician 2003;67:339-344.

Black CD, et al. Ginger (Zingiber officinale) reduces muscle pain caused by eccentric exercise. J Pain 2010;11:894-903.

Black CD & O’Connor PJ. Acute effects of dietary ginger on muscle pain induced be eccentric exercise. Phytother Res 2010;24:1620-1626.

Black CD & O’Connor PJ. Acute effects of dietary ginger on quadriceps muscle pain during moderate intensity cycling exercise. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab 2008;18:653-664.

Chen Z, et al. Anti-hypertensive Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods. J Agric Food Chem 2009;57:4485-4499.

Gregory PJ, Sperry M, Friedman A. Dietary supplements for osteoarthritis. Am Fam Physician 2008;77:177-184.

White B. Ginger: An overview. Am Fam Physician 2007;75:1689-1691.

Grzanna R, et al. Ginger-An herbal medicinal product with broad anti-inflammatory actions. J Med Food 2005;8:125-132.

Nicoll R & Henein MY. Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe): a hot remedy for cardiovascular disease? Int J Cardiol 2009;131:408-409.

Ali BH, et al. Some phytochemical, pharmacological and toxicological properties of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscose): a review of recent research. Food Chem Toxicol 2008;46:409-420.

Shukla Y & Singh M. Cancer preventive properties of ginger: A brief review. Food Chem Toxicol 2007;45:683-690.

Park M, et al. Antibacterial activity of [10]-gingerol and [12]-gingerol isolated from ginger rhizome against periodontal bacteria. Phytother Res 2008;22:1446-1449.

Mahady GB, et al. Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) and the gingerols inhibit the growth of Cag A+ strains of Helicobacter pylori. Anticancer Res 2003;23:3699-3702.

Aggarwal BB & Yost D. Healing Spices. Sterling. 2011.

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Ginger. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/ginger/ Last updated July 2010. Accessed January 2011.

Stonesoup Blog: 9 things you should know about ginger. http://thestonesoup.com/blog/2010/06/9-things-you-should-know-about-ginger-with-self-saucing-ginger-puddings-5-ingredients-simple-baking/

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How vitamins are made (by Ryan, age 8)

People that use vitamin supplements likely start with good intentions. But where do these products actually come from? Are vitamin supplements any more natural than white flour or pharmaceuticals?

Where do vitamin supplements come from?

When people think of drugs, most think “artificial.” When people think of vitamin supplements, most think “natural.”

But both drugs and vitamin supplements can be artificial or natural. Many vitamin supplements produced today are artificial. Meanwhile, the world of “natural” isn’t all hopscotch tournaments and fairy dances. Poison hemlock, hallucinogenic mushrooms, rhubarb leaves and sprouted kidney beans are all natural – and potentially deadly.

There are six categories of nutrients used in the manufacturing of vitamin supplements.

1. Natural source

These include nutrients from vegetable, animal or mineral sources. But before making it into the supplement bottle, they undergo significant processing and refining. Examples include vitamin D from fish liver oils, vitamin E from vegetable oils, and natural beta-carotene.

When a vitamin is marked “natural”, it only has to include 10% of actual natural plant-derived ingredients. The other 90% could be synthetic.

Consider vitamin E tocopherols, which can be extracted from vegetable oils (often soybean, due to low costs).

1. First, the soybeans are crushed and the protein is removed by precipitation.
2. Second, the resultant oil is distilled off to become bottled vegetable oil.
3. Third, the remaining materials are solubilized to remove any carbohydrates.
4. Fourth, the vitamin E is solvent extracted away from the remaining waxes and lecithin.

Synthetic alpha-tocopherol is a combination of eight isomers, natural alpha-tocopherol is just one isomer, and consuming various isomers can decrease bioavailability.

Natural vitamin E - notice the D-alpha tocopherol

Synthetic vitamin E (notice the dl-alpha)

Another example is vitamin D3. The manufacturing starts with 7-dehydrocholesterol (usually from wool oil), which turns into cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) when exposed to ultraviolet light.

2. Nature-identical synthetic

This includes nutrients completely manufactured in a lab with the molecular structure identical to the same nutrients occurring in nature. Manufacturers often prefer this process because of the cost and scarcity of natural resources. Most standard vitamin supplements on the market today are this type.

An example here would be vitamin C. Most vitamin C currently manufactured is synthetic, coming from China. Vitamin C is a weak acid. Many supplements use salt forms (sodium ascorbate, calcium ascorbate, magnesium ascorbate) to decrease acidity.

The most popular form of synthetic vitamin C is ascorbic acid. Naturally occurring vitamin C is the same molecule as synthetic ascorbic acid. But in food, ascorbic acid is found within the vitamin C complex among other compounds. The ascorbic acid in supplements is often derived from corn starch, corn sugar, or rice starch, and is chemically dependent upon volatile acids.

The method for vitamin C synthesis using two-step fermentation was developed by China in the 1960s:

Ascorbic acid production. From: Vandamme EJ. Production of vitamins, coenzymes and related biochemicals by biotechnological processes. J Chem Tech Biotechnol 1992;53:313-327.

3. Strictly synthetic

Centrum is strictly synthetic

These nutrients are manufactured in a lab and are different than the same nutrients found in nature. Synthetic vitamins can have the same chemical constituents, but still have a different shape (optical activity).

This is important because some of the enzymes in the human body only work properly with a vitamin of the correct shape. When we give the body concentrated forms of synthetic nutrients, it doesn’t always appear to have an appropriate delivery system.

Starting materials for strictly synthetic supplements can be anything from coal tar to petroleum to acetylene gas. These supplements are made in facilities via chemical manipulations with the goal of duplicating the structure of the isolated vitamin. Specific formulas for the process aren’t made available to the public (sorry, I tried).

An example is vitamin B1. Coal tar is a widely used foundational substance for this vitamin — typically a crystalline yellow coal tar (yes, this means it’s from coal, a fossil fuel). Hydrochloric acid is often added to allow precipitation. Then fermentation, heating, cooling, and other steps are completed until a final synthetic vitamin is created. It’s then dried and tested for purity before being shipped to distributors.

Now, to get a natural vitamin B1 supplement the process is quite different.

The food or botanical containing the desired vitamin is harvested and cleaned (let’s say wheat germ). It’s then placed in a vat to be mixed with water and filtered to create an extract and remove fibre (unlike in whole foods, where you want fibre). The post-filtration extract of the sourced food contains the nutrients found in the original whole food. It’s then dried and ready for packaging.

4. Food cultured

Example of a “whole food” labeled supplement

This involves the same process behind cultured foods like yogurt, kefir, miso, and sauerkraut. Nutrient supplements are often grown in yeast or algae. Culturing in and of itself creates nutrients and can make them more bioavailable.

Raw materials (minerals and some synthetic nutrients) are added to yeast/algae suspensions where they concentrate within cells. The yeast/algae are then harvested, ruptured, and made into a vitamin supplement. The theory here is that yeast/algae contain the nutrients they’re fed in a whole food complex.

Sometimes food cultured vitamins are combined with synthetic vitamins to increase potency (i.e., to bump up the milligram/microgram count on the label), since most have a low potency on their own. Remember, counting the milligrams of a synthetic vitamin might not be comparable to what’s found in whole foods.

5. Food based

One kind of food based supplement is made by enzymatically reacting synthetic and natural vitamins with extracts containing vegetable proteins and then making this into a supplement. This is not food cultured, because the nutrients are not grown into a whole food, as in the yeast/algae suspensions.

Manufacturers don’t often use concentrates or extracts derived from whole food sources because of low nutrient potency, fluctuating nutrient levels, limited shelf life. Nutrients are easily degraded by heat, pH changes, light, and oxygen.

Food based form of vitamin C

6. Bacterial fermentation

This includes nutrients produced by genetically altering bacteria. Genetically altered bacteria can produce nutrient by-products.

Examples include CoQ10, amino acids, ergocalciferol (vitamin D2), menaquinone (vitamin K2), riboflavin (fermentation of ribose), cyancobalamin (vitamin B12; this is exclusively obtained via fermentation processes, as the naturally occurring source of B12 is bacterial metabolic activity, think animal tissues/meat carrying bacteria), and melatonin.

For instance, vitamin D2 is made by artificially irradiating fungus. It’s not a naturally occurring form of vitamin D. The starting material is ergosterol, a type of plant sterol derived from fungal cell membranes. Ergosterol is turned into viosterol by ultraviolet light, and then converted into ergocalciferol (vitamin D2).

What you should know about vitamin supplements

Full scale vitamin production started during the 1930s with widespread distribution after World War II. Now, about 1/3 of Americans use vitamin supplements.

Nutrients from food?

Most people are interested in vitamin supplements because they fear they don’t enough nutrients from food.

This is a worthwhile concern: nutrients can be lost from soil due to fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, irrigation, farming practices, and other causes. The USDA has reported that the nutrient content of vegetables has fallen since 1973. Of the vitamins we do ingest from whole food, absorption can range from 20 to 98%.

Do vitamin supplements prevent disease?

A 2002 study in JAMA concluded that adults would be better off taking a multivitamin supplement each day. The authors didn’t specify synthetic or natural. Other reviews have concluded that beyond treatment of deficiency, vitamin supplements don’t promote health or prevent cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Data indicates that vitamin supplements can actually lead to more cancer (specifically breast and prostate), cardiovascular disease, kidney damage (in those with diabetes), and fractures, while not helping prevent infections and sick days.

However, it’s important to remember that chances of certain chronic diseases can increase for those who are deficient in certain micronutrients.

The American Dietetic Association (ADA) recommends that the best nutritional strategy for optimal health and reducing the risk of chronic disease is to choose a wide variety of whole foods.

Other vitamin sources

Even if you aren’t popping vitamin supplements each day, if you consume fortified foods (think cereals, milks, breads, meal replacement shakes, etc.), it’s nearly impossible to avoid synthetic vitamins.

A report from the National Institutes of Health noted that individuals who consume high dose single nutrient supplements and fortified foods along with multivitamin/mineral supplements are at risk for undesirable effects.

Notice the synthetic vitamins added to Corn Flakes and Special K. Check out the ingredient listing.

Added vitamins and minerals in Special K and Corn Flakes.

What do supplement companies say?

Good question. I got busy with the phone and email to find out.

I called Centrum. They don’t have any information on where the nutrients in their products come from. They told me that their “vitamins are synthetic and the minerals are derived from natural sources.”

I called Bayer (the maker of Flintstone’s Vitamins) two times. They didn’t provide any response about where their vitamin supplements are derived.

I emailed CSPI. They said “most” vitamin supplements on the market are synthetic.

I emailed Vitamin Cottage. They believe that coal tar should not be a source for vitamin supplements since there are other non-petroleum materials that can be used. They also indicated that none of their vendors have C or B vitamins derived from coal.

I emailed Nature Made about vitamin B-1. They said: “We appreciate your questions concerning our supplements. Nature Made Vitamin B-1 is manufactured in a laboratory from chemicals. It is synthetically made in our manufacturing facilities in Southern California.”

I emailed GNC. They said: “GNC purchases vitamins, herbs, minerals, and other dietary ingredients from domestic suppliers as well as suppliers in many other countries from around the world. This will vary by ingredient.”

Summary and recommendations

With all of the data regarding nutrition and optimal health, the most convincing information tells us to focus on what we eat — not what we get from a pill bottle.

Synthetic vitamin supplements are isolated man-made chemical compounds, and appear to be in the same class as other synthetic pharmaceuticals.

Some supplements hold real benefit. For instance:

• folic acid for pregnant women
• iron for those who are anemic
• B-vitamins for those dealing with alcoholism
• vitamin D for those who’ve undergone bariatric surgery
• vitamin C for someone with scurvy

But in a situation where it’s possible to get nutrients from whole foods, choosing a supplement instead doesn’t seem to promote health, and taking supplements may actually cause harm.

The conclusion of an NIH State-of-the-Science conference in 2006:

“The present evidence is insufficient to recommend either for or against the use of MVMs [multivitamins/minerals] by the American public to prevent chronic disease.”

If you want to find a natural vitamin supplement, look for one with a label that indicates “naturally occurring food sources.” If the potency of the vitamin is higher than anything you would find in nature (e.g., 1000% vitamin B-3 per serving), the product likely contains synthetic ingredients.

To find out where your vitamin supplements come from, contact the company directly. A non-response or a generic response can go a long way in telling you what you’re getting.

Extra credit

Fortification of foods with vitamin B-3 has lead to intakes greater than twice what’s recommended, most notably in kids, who eat processed fortified foods. This higher intake of vitamin B-3 might lead to increased appetite and impaired glucose tolerance.

Capsules that enclose vitamin supplements can be derived from plant sources, like seaweeds, or animal sources like gelatin. Animal gelatin is from tallow, animal bone, marrow, or tissue scraps, and may include diseased tissues.

The tablet coating methylene chloride is a carcinogen.

Food color additives are often used in children’s vitamins. See All About Food Colour Additives for more.

The Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) are based on synthetic vitamins. We don’t fully understand how they translate to whole food alternatives.

Some manufacturers are currently trying to make an ergosterol precursor (cholestatetraenol) produced by yeast fermentation.

If you are interested in avoiding supplement contaminants, look for the NSF logo.

In North America, a majority of the raw materials for synthetic vitamin supplements are from the following companies:

• Arnet Pharmaceuticals Corporation – Davie, FL
• Botanical Laboratories, Incorporated – Ferndale, WA
• Contract Pharmacal Corporation – Hauppauge, NY
• Leiner Health Products Incorporated – Carson, CA
• Perrigo Company – Allegan, MI

I contacted all of these companies and got no response.

Further resources

New Chapter Organics, makers of food based vitamin supplements

All about Nutrient Deficiencies

All about Vitamins and Minerals

Infographic – scientific evidence for popular health supplements

Deciphering synthetic vs. natural supplement labels

References

United States National Library of Medicine. TOXNET.

Roan S. The dirt on dietary supplements. 2009.

Bjelakovic G, Nikolova D, Simonetti RG, Gluud C. Antioxidant supplements for preventing gastrointestinal cancers. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2008;3:CD004183.

Bjelakovic G, et al. Antioxidant supplements for prevention of mortality in healthy participants and patients with various diseases. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2008;2:CD007176.

Bjelakovic G, et al. Mortality in randomized trials of antioxidant supplements for primary and secondary prevention: systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA 2007;297:842-857.

Sesso HD, et al. Vitamins E and C in the prevention of cardiovascular disease in men: the Physicians’ Health Study II randomized controlled trial. JAMA 2008;300:2123-2133.

Bolland MJ, et al. Effect of calcium supplements on risk of myocardial infarction and cardiovascular events: meta-analysis. BMJ 2010;341:c3691.

Epstein D & Dohrmann G. What you don’t know might kill you. Sports Illustrated. May 18, 2009.

Cook NR, et al. A randomized factorial trial of vitamins C and E and beta carotene in the secondary prevention of cardiovascular events in women: results from the Women’s Antioxidant Cardiovascular Study. Arch Intern Med 2007;167:1610-1618.

Vivekananthan DP, et al. Use of antioxidant vitamins for the prevention of cardiovascular disease: meta-analysis of randomized trials. Lancet 2003;361:2017-2023.

Vinson JA & Bose P. Comparative bioavailability to humans of ascorbic acid alone or in a citrus extract. Am J Clin Nutr 1988;48:601-604.

Hickey S & Saul AW. Vitamin C: The real story. Basic Health Publications. 2008.

Cooperman T, Obermeyer W, Webb D. Consumerlab.com’s guide to buying vitamins and supplements. Consumerlab.com. 2003.

McDougall J. http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2010nl/may/vitamins.htm

Ji Sayer. Research: Vitamins may increase the risk of death.

Ji Sayer. Is your multivitamin toxic?

Fletcher RH & Fairfield KM. Vitamins for chronic disease prevention in adults. JAMA 2002;287:3116-3129.

Orr KK & Hume AL. An evidence-based update on vitamins. Med Health RI 2010;93:122-124.

Huang HY, et al. Multivitamin/mineral supplements and prevention of chronic disease. Evid Rep Technol Assess (Full Rep) 2006;139:1-117.

Nutrition Business Journal.

Hannon-Fletcher MP, et al. Determining bioavailability of food folates in a controlled intervention study. Am J Clin Nutr 2004;80:911-918.

Cohn W, et al. Comparative multiple dose plasma kinetics of lycopene administered in tomato juice, tomato soup or lycopene tablets. Eur J Nutr 2004;43:304-312.

Lodge JK. Vitamin E bioavailability in humans. J Plant Physiol 2005;162:790-796.

Clement BR. Supplements Exposed. Career Press and New Page Books. 2010.

USDA Nutrient Content of the U.S. Food Supply

Linus Pauling Institute

Halwell B. Still no free lunch. (PDF)

Baker H, et al. Inability of chronic alcoholics with liver disease to use food as a source of folates, thiamin and vitamin B6. Am J Clin Nutr 1975;28:1377-1380.

Li D, et al. Chronic niacin overload may be involved in the increased prevalence of obesity in US children. World J Gastroenterol 2010;16:2378-2387.

Bates CJ & Heseker H. Human bioavailability of vitamins. Nutrition Research Reviews. 1994;7:93-127.

Neuhouser ML, et al. Multivitamin use and risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease in the Women’s Health Initiative cohorts. Arch Intern Med 2009;169:294-304.

Hill AM, et al. The role of diet and nutritional supplements in preventing and treating cardiovascular disease. Curr Opin Cardiol 2009;24:433-441.

Sesso HD, et al. Vitamins E and C in the prevention of cardiovascular disease in men: the Physicians’ Health Study II randomized controlled trial. JAMA 2008;300:2123-2133.

Gaziano JM, et al. Vitamins E and C in the prevention of prostate and total cancer in men: the Physicians’ Health Study II randomized controlled trial. JAMA 2009;301:52-62.

Cook NR, et al. A randomized factorial trial of vitamins C and E and beta carotene in the secondary prevention of cardiovascular events in women: results from the Women’s Antioxidant Cardiovascular Study. Arch Intern Med 2007;167:1610-1618.

Marra MV & Boyar AP. Position of the American Dietetic Association: nutrient supplementation. J Am Diet Assoc 2009;109:2073-2085.

Lichtenstein AH & Russell RM. Essential nutrients: food or supplements? JAMA 2005;294:351-358.

NIH State-of-the-Science Conference statement on multivitamin/mineral supplements and chronic disease prevention. NIH Consens State Sci Statements 2006;23:1-30.

Lawson KA, et al. Multivitamin use and risk of prostate cancer in the National Institutes of Health AARP Diet and Health Study. J Natl Cancer Inst 2007;99:754-764.

Sarnat R, et al. The Life Bridge. Herbal Free Press. 2002.

Vandamme EJ. Production of vitamins, coenzymes and related biochemicals by biotechnological processes. J Chem Tech Biotechnol 1992;53:313-327.

Padmini J. New technology for vitamin C production may end Chinese monopoly. Dec 23, 2004.

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• What should plant-based eaters be eating?
• Do plants provide enough amino acids?
• Where do most people go wrong?
• Will carbs from whole plant foods lead to excess body fat?
• Is it actually possible to gain muscle and fuel performance when eating plant-based?
• What’s the deal with soy?

The plant-based eating gurus are back for another round! For the first installment and more about our panelists, check out Part 1.

Before we get in to the details, let’s step back and ask the big philosophical question:

Q. Why a plant-based diet?

John Pierre: I feel that life should be about “we” not “me”. Most people eat only to benefit themselves, not considering the suffering and death of animals, the devastation to the environment, and the lack of resources that will be left for future generations. And of course, a properly followed plant-based diet gives you vitality, so it’s an easy choice for me.

Jon Hinds: Three big reasons:

1. I love animals, so I don’t want to harm them.
2. I want to help global cooling, so I don’t support the meat/milk industry.
3. It’s healthier for me, other people, and the planet.

Nathane Jackson: My mom passed away from cancer in the fall of 2009. During this time in my life, my research led me to the power of raw plant foods and the effect they have on our body.

Jack Norris: I want to contribute as little as possible to the death and suffering of animals.

Mike Mahler: I adopted a plant-based diet for moral reasons when I was 15 years old.

Jeff Novick: Philosophical reasons, health reasons, and because of the overall impact on personal and planetary health. Oh, and because it’s easier to sneak up on a carrot than a rabbit.

Take-home: Whether you’re concerned about the planet, animals, your community, or your own health, there are many reasons to move towards a plant-based diet.

Q. What supplements should plant-based eaters consider?

Novick: Focus on food first and centre your diet around the most nutrient dense foods.

Pierre: Each person is unique, so everyone needs different levels of nutrients according to their lifestyle.

Hinds: In fact, plant-based eaters’ supplement needs are largely the same as omnivores.

PROTEIN

Hinds: Protein supplements can be useful. The best options are combinations of hemp, brown rice and pea protein. Vega is a good source for all of these and Sunwarrior makes a quality brown rice protein powder. I take a plant-based nutrient powder called Source of Life Energy Shake.

Mahler: A quality protein powder isn’t mandatory, but can be useful to ensure optimal protein intake. I like to start each day with a shake — loaded with fruits, coconut oil or coconut milk, greens, and protein powder.

FAT

Mahler: Essential fats are important. Flax seed oil takes care of ALA, and ALA can convert to EPA/DHA (to a degree), but it’s still a good idea to take an algae- based DHA/EPA product (such as V-pure) to ensure adequate levels are met.

VITAMINS & MINERALS

Jackson: Everyone needs Vitamin D. Unless you live in the southern hemisphere and spend a half hour outside each day, you should take a supplement. I also recommend a quality organic vitamin B-12 product.

Pierre: Vitamin B12, sunshine or Vitamin D, and iodine or sea vegetables.  If you don’t get enough of these nutrients you can have problems with red blood cells (anemia), permanent neurological problems, symptoms that mimic dementia, elevated homocysteine levels (which may contribute to heart disease), depressed immunity, and a dysfunctional metabolism.

A 100% plant-based eater who consumes no fortified foods should consider Vitamin B-12.

Mahler: B vitamins are definitely important for energy, hormone optimization, and overall health. They get depleted when we are under stress.

Zinc and magnesium supplements are worth investigating since they are important for testosterone and insulin. I prefer Zinc citrate and transdermal magnesium oil.

Norris: Supplements are discussed here: http://www.veganhealth.org/

Take-home: Get most of your nutrition from a variety of whole foods. Beyond that, focus on getting adequate protein, B vitamins (especially B12), vitamin D, essential fatty acids, and minerals such as magnesium, iodine, zinc.

Q. What animal food do you feel causes the most health, body composition, and performance problems?

The experts are pretty much agreed: Milk does not do a body good.

DAIRY

Sorry, Bessie.

Hinds: Today, most every animal product is unhealthy, as they often contain toxins (antibiotics, steroids, pesticides and hormones) that lead to major diseases (heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, arthritis).

And milk does a body bad. The intake of milk products doesn’t seem to improve bone health and can blunt the absorption of nutrients. Many people cannot tolerate dairy, but are encouraged to consume it by nutrition experts/coaches.

Jackson: Yes, dairy products have been put on a pedestal but are a leading contributor to many bodily dysfunctions. Not only are more people lactose intolerant than ever, but cases of cancer, diabetes, fibromyalgia, acne, arthritis, and irritable bowel have been cured by eliminating dairy products.

Pierre: I agree; dairy products are the worst. You are ingesting a hormonal secretion of a bovine. I don’t feel that the body is equipped to digest these secretions. Dairy can lead to inflammation, asthma, joint pain, congestion, and of course weight gain.

MODERN FARMING

Mahler: It’s not necessarily the “animal foods” per se that cause problems, but the way animal foods are being raised/processed.

Meat, dairy, and eggs from factory farms are the most problematic. These animals live in miserable conditions, are given antibiotics, and provided low quality feed.

If the animals aren’t healthy, do you think that you’ll be healthy eating them? Of course not!

Moreover, imagine the stress that these animals experience on a daily basis. The adrenaline and cortisol they produce goes into their tissues, and this is what people are eating.

If you support the level of suffering that these animals experience you shouldn’t be surprised when it comes full circle and causes human health problems. Even if you don’t care about animal welfare, consider having more respect for yourself and consuming meat, dairy, and eggs from animals that are treated humanely and fed optimal diets.

Take-home: Avoid dairy. If you eat animal products, make sure they’re organic and humanely raised.

Q. What do you eat in a typical day — and a non-typical day (travel days, busy days, the kids are sick, your juicer broke, etc.)?

Hinds: I start the day with water and some greens powder to alkalize my body. When at home:

• soaked oats, berries, nuts, Source of Life Energy Shake
• banana, mango, plant protein, nuts
• kale, butternut squash, pine nuts
• greens powder and water
• sprouted tortillas (Ezekiel brand), red pepper hummus, homemade veggie nut burgers, broccoli and peas
• greens powder and water

When traveling:

• greens smoothie at a health food store: spinach, mango, spirulina, raw nuts
• two pieces of fruit and/or some trail mix
• salad bar (usually at Whole Foods Market): kale, beets, corn, beans, pumpkin seeds
• greens powder and water (I travel with this stuff)
• if we’re eating at a typical restaurant like P.F. Chang’s, we’ll get sautéed spinach, green beans, and brown rice. Side orders are the way to go when traveling. At Mexican restaurants I’ll get sides of fajita filling (onions, bell peppers), black beans and red rice. This is a great meal; just make sure to say “no cheese!”
• greens powder and water

Jackson: The majority of the time I follow the schedule below. When I travel or go out to eat, I just rely on raw fruits and vegetables.

• water with lemon and cayenne pepper
• large bowl of mixed fruit — banana, dates, mango, grapes, apple or pear, goji berries, hemp seed and soaked sunflower or pumpkin seeds
• post workout smoothie — bananas, dates, carob powder, plant protein powder, goji berries, maca and coconut water
• large leafy green salad with raw vegetables and soaked nuts or raw hummus on dehydrated veggie wraps.
• green juice — cucumber, celery, kale, apples (sometimes beets, carrots, lemons, ginger, etc.)
• whatever I feel like (I tend to favor more protein and fat at this point in the day), e.g., raw zucchini pasta and raw pasta sauce, or raw mushroom & nut burgers, or large salad, or a juice/green smoothie
• plant protein powder, almond milk and peppermint oil

Novick: My diet is very simple and ordinary. It doesn’t change much, regardless of where I am. It’s almost entirely composed of foods in their natural form. While I’m not a breakfast eater, if I did, it would be oatmeal and fruit. Most of my lunches and dinners are centred around vegetables, intact whole grains, and legumes. I have a new DVD out called Jeff Novick’s Fast Food, which explains my theory and system based on 10-minute meals with no more than 5 ingredients, and can be done with no more than scissors and a can-opener for $3/day.

Mahler: I have some ideas here and here.

Take-home: Wherever you are and whatever you’re doing, it’s easy to get more plants into your diet with a bit of planning.

Q. Where do you get food and recipe ideas?

Hinds: I’m always reading plant-based eating books. My favourites are:

• The Thrive Diet by Brendan Brazier
• Superfoods by David Wolfe
• The Engine 2 Diet by Rip Esselstyn
• Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman & Kim Barnouin

I usually keep it simple and just eat the foods I like. All my meals can be made in a few minutes.

Jackson: Most of raw foodies have blogs. If you type in “raw” or “vegan” before a recipe name you’re looking for, I can almost guarantee that you will find someone with a blog post/website recipe. I have a section on my blog titled RAWsome Vegan RAWcipes. I also like Dr. Gabriel Cousens and his Tree of Life café books as well as The Thrive Diet by Brendan Brazier.

Novick: I graduated from culinary school and was a former chef, so I make up recipes myself. Most of them come from playing in the kitchen with basic foods under the heading of “making things simple, easy and tasty.”

Mahler: I am half Indian and fortunate to have a mother who is a lifelong vegetarian. I learned the basics of plant-based eating from her and went on to personalize it for my training goals. I like Indian food, rich in beans and vegetables. The website vegsource.com has great recipes. Brendan Brazier and Robert Cheeke have great books on the vegan diet loaded with recipes.

Take-home: When it comes to plant-based eating recipes and inspiration, you’re only limited by your imagination and Google skills.

Q. For someone who eats a more animal-based and/or processed diet (read: most of North America), what’s one simple step they can take starting right now to eat more nutritious plants?

Hinds: I’ll give you three tips:

• Substitute rice milk or almond milk for cow’s milk
• Substitute veggie patties for meats
• Instead of snacking chips or pretzels, have an orange or an apple

Jackson: Green smoothies are a great way for adults (and kids) to incorporate leafy greens into their diet. Adding a handful of spinach into a fruit smoothie is a solid start.

Pierre: Eat fruits and/or vegetables with every meal. Make smoothies with fruits/vegetables. Enjoy vegetables with dips and herbal seasonings.

Mahler: Add a baby spinach salad to your daily meal rotation. Each time you eat, make sure 2/3 of your plate is comprised of vegetables.

Novick: As Nike always says, just do it!

Take-home: It’s easy to start incorporating more nutrient-rich plants to your diet with some simple substitutions or additions.

More resources

For more on plant-based eating, check out Precision Nutrition V3.0.

There are also resources in the PN Member Zone.

• For plant-based omega-3 supplement options, see here.
• For plant-based protein supplement options, see here.

Our panel

	Jon Hinds runs Monkey Bar Gym in Madison, WI.
	Nathane Jackson is an NSCA certified strength & conditioning coach and kettlebell trainer specialist in Toronto, Canada. Nathane is a pro fitness model, physique competitor, and fitness personality.
	Mike Mahler is a writer, strength trainer, and kettlebell instructor in Las Vegas, NV.
	Jack Norris is a Registered Dietitian and the President and co-founder of Vegan Outreach.
	Jeff Novick holds an MS and RD, is Vice President for Executive Health Exams International, lectures at the McDougall Program in Santa Rosa, California, and serves as an Adjunct Professor in the School of Health Sciences for Kaplan University.
	John Pierre is a nutrition and fitness consultant specializing in geriatrics, nutrition, fitness, women’s empowerment, green living, and cognitive retainment and improvement.

Click here to join the waiting list.

We’re used to tall glasses of moo juice, grilled chicken salads at restaurants, big omelets, and whey protein shakes. (And that’s the most nutritionally-conscious of us. Many folks still think vegetables mean French fries, or perhaps the anemic wisp of iceberg lettuce on a bacon cheeseburger.)

When folks decide to add more plants to be “healthier” or “more environmentally friendly”, that addition might include refined grains, processed soy, Twizzlers, and beer. While this kind of food swapping is usually better for animals, and — depending on how these pseudo-foods were produced — better for the planet, it might not be so good for our health and body composition.

This can lead to plant-based eating confusion. What’s “good”? What’s “healthy”? What really benefits animals, the planet, and your wellbeing?

Luckily, more and more coaches and experts understand plant-based eating. I gathered some of the best and brightest to discuss the topic.

Our panel

	Jon Hinds runs Monkey Bar Gym in Madison, WI.
	Nathane Jackson is an NSCA certified strength & conditioning coach and kettlebell trainer specialist in Toronto, Canada. Nathane is a pro fitness model, physique competitor, and fitness personality.
	Mike Mahler is a writer, strength trainer, and kettlebell instructor in Las Vegas, NV.
	Jack Norris is a Registered Dietitian and the President and co-founder of Vegan Outreach.
	Jeff Novick holds an MS and RD, is Vice President for Executive Health Exams International, lectures at the McDougall Program in Santa Rosa, California, and serves as an Adjunct Professor in the School of Health Sciences for Kaplan University.
	John Pierre is a nutrition and fitness consultant specializing in geriatrics, nutrition, fitness, women’s empowerment, green living, and cognitive retainment and improvement.

What’s in Part 1

In part 1, we’ll cover the following:

• What should plant-based eaters be eating?
• Do plants provide enough amino acids?
• Where do most people go wrong?
• Will carbs from whole plant foods lead to excess body fat?
• Is it actually possible to gain muscle and fuel performance when eating plant-based?
• What’s the deal with soy?

Before you throw your hands up in frustration and order another chicken salad, read this Q&A.

Q. Why do some folks feel plant-based eating doesn’t provide enough protein?

Jon Hinds: Because we learn that meat, milk, etc. are the “protein” foods. Don’t worry, plants have protein!

Jack Norris: Indeed, many people do not even know that plants contain any protein at all. How they think vegetarians survive is an interesting question!

Nathane Jackson: The bodybuilding influence has dominated most mainstream fitness magazines for decades. This approach tells us to consume large quantities of animal protein in order to build muscle. But we need to consider other issue in these extra-large physiques: performance enhancing drugs; mucus build-up from excessive animal protein consumption; and for the most part non-functional movement. The general public reads these magazines and get brainwashed into feeling like they require high levels of animal protein (and isolation exercises, but that’s a topic for another time).

John Pierre: Most people aren’t familiar with plant-based diets and the research supporting them. Look no further than athletes who eat plant-based. Eat properly, and you’ll get all the protein you need.

Mike Mahler: Fitness magazines often recommend 1-2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. As a result, people think they require a lot of protein.

However, I don’t think people need this much. Instead, 1 gram of protein per kilogram of bodyweight is a good starting point. Beyond this, you could add 30-40 grams each day if you are in a phase of intense training.

Using this approach, a 200 pound athlete would take in around 90 – 130 grams of protein each day, which can easily be achieved on a 100% plant-based diet. Building muscle and losing bodyfat comes from creating an optimal hormonal environment, not from over-consuming protein.

Take-home: Plants have protein, and with a well-chosen diet you can get everything you need, even if you’re an athlete.

Q. Joe/Jane Meat Eater decides to start eating more plant-based. Where will Joe/Jane likely go wrong?

Hinds: Joe/Jane won’t eat enough nutritious foods, and then they’ll get tired, weak, and think plant-based eating isn’t for them.

Jackson: They’ll consume excessive amount of nuts, beans, and plant protein powders (neglecting fresh vegetables and fruits – the foundation of a nutrient rich eating plan). As an athlete I do consume plant protein powders such as Vega and Sunwarrior, but I’ve seen folks use such products at every meal to adhere to the “meat-eating bodybuilding influence” of 30 grams of protein per meal.

Novick: Eating too many refined and processed “vegetarian” foods. The real benefit from “plant-based” comes when the diet is centered on whole unrefined/unprocessed fruits, vegetables, intact whole grains, and legumes with the addition of a few nuts/seeds.

Norris: When some people eat 100% plant-based, they also give up added fats (among other things). They end up with a very low fat diet and sometimes not feeling so great. They then go back to eating meat for the “protein,” not realizing that many types of meat are 50% or more fat. They feel better with the meat and chalk it up to the protein. Often it was really the added fat that made them feel better, not the protein; they could have gotten a similar effect by adding more fat to their plant-based diet.

Mahler: Yes, fat consumption is generally too low or from poor sources. Or people eat excessive amounts of grains, like pasta, bread, cereal, etc. People need a balance of protein, healthy fats, and low glycemic carbohydrates at each meal from whole food sources.

And avoid “fake meat” products. These products are often loaded with garbage ingredients such as wheat gluten, soy protein isolate, tons of sodium, and other chemical derivatives.

Norris: On the other hand, plant-based diets can fall short on the amino acid lysine if someone is avoiding all legume-based foods. Legume-based foods include:

• tofu;
• tempeh;
• soymilk; and
• other soy products; peanuts; beans, lentils, and peas.

These foods are the highest in lysine. If you don’t eat any of these foods regularly (at least 2 servings per day – 1 serving typically being 1/2 cup cooked or 1 cup of soymilk), then you should make sure you’re getting plenty of servings of the few other high-lysine foods in the plant kingdom – quinoa, pistachios, and cashews.

Take-home: Many folks simply eliminate meat from their diet, but don’t add in more healthy options. Or they go overboard with what they think are “healthy options”: processed foods, refined grains, and protein powders. Fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, and legumes should provide the foundation of a plant-based diet.

Q. Some folks are concerned with controlling carb intake and often get scared away from plant-based eating. What do you tell them?

CARB TYPE

Hinds: We’re told carbs are “bad,” so many folks resort to eating only meat and vegetables to lose body fat. “Carbs” in general aren’t the problem; it’s the source of the carbs that matters. Some plant-based eaters consume high amounts of processed carbs and end up looking/feeling like trash. This gives the plant-based eating population a bad rep.

Novick: Over 90% of the carbs consumed in America are highly refined, highly processed, and mostly in the form of refined flour and sugar. This is the problem. Avoid these.

However, carbs in the form of fresh fruits, vegetables, starchy vegetables, intact whole grains and legumes are the healthiest foods for us, and should be the center of any healthy diet. This is a very important distinction.

Hinds: Eat strong plant foods like wild rice, sweet potatoes, millet, quinoa, amaranth, etc. These kinds of carb-dense foods aren’t causing body fat problems and disease.

CARB TIMING

Jackson: Consume the majority of your carbohydrate-dense foods (root vegetables and grains) earlier in the day and/or around workout times. If you work out in the evening, surround your workout with a combination of simple and complex carbohydrates to maximize workout potential and recovery.

Pierre: Yes, complex carb sources found in whole foods will help control insulin response; save simple carbs for after intense workouts.

Take-home: Avoid processed carbs; look for better sources such as whole grains and tubers. Stay active, and consume most of your carbs around your workouts.

Q. Some folks want to gain muscle/strength and fuel high levels of performance. What do you suggest they do to get enough nutrient dense food each day?

Hinds: We have a guideline called the MBG Hand Plan: Eat only when hungry, eat only until satisfied, and drink lots of water.

• To lose fat, eat 2 meals and 3 snacks per day.
• To maintain body composition, consume 3 meals and 2 snacks per day.
• To gain muscle, eat 5 meals per day.

Make up these meals from nutrient dense foods like veggies, fruits, raw nuts and seeds, legumes and then grains (in that order). Eating like this consistently will lead to amazing results.

SMOOTHIES

Jackson: Try some meals in the form of smoothies and juices for easier digestion and assimilation.

Pierre:  Add healthy fats like flax or walnuts. Add veggies to each meal, including your smoothie. And if you have protein anxiety, use a pea or brown rice protein (or a blend like Vega).

Mahler: I like Sun Warrior Rice Protein, Olympian Labs Pea Protein, and Manitoba Harvest Hemp Protein.

I would also suggest adding coconut oil or coconut milk. Coconut is a great source of medium chain fats, which the body uses well. Coconut oil in a protein shake two hours before a workout will help to ensure that you have enough energy to crush it. Having a balance of protein, fat, and carbohydrates at each meal will balance energy levels throughout the day.

Norris: And possibly 3-5 grams of creatine if you’re doing explosive sports like power lifting or sprinting.

Take-home: Eat a variety of nourishing foods. Eat in accordance with your appetite and goals. And make friends with your blender.

Q. Soy – any thoughts?

Pierre: Soy is a legume, it’s not mystical or magical. Don’t hide from it nor hold it above any other legume.

HOW MUCH?

Hinds: Soy’s received a lot of bad press. But really, in order to notice any negative effect, your intake of soy has to be huge! Occasional soy from whole food sources (tempeh, edamame, etc.) is no problem.

Novick: Soy is highly over-blown, over-hyped and over-promoted in the USA. In Southeast Asia, the average intake is about 2 oz a day, or the equivalent of about 7-9 grams of soy protein. Limit overall soy consumption. You can get all the benefits of soy from other beans without the potential health concerns.

WHAT ABOUT “FAKE-ON” OR “SOYLONEY”?

Hinds: When people first start transitioning to plant-based eating, using “fake soy meat” products is fine. Beyond that initial transition period I encourage folks to eat whole foods as much as possible, and not rely on these fake substitutes.

Jackson: Personally, I am not a fan of soy. However, people can get away with including non-GMO (genetically modified) soy products on occasion. But I do warn them about the potential health problems from eating fake products such as soy burgers, soy milk, and soy cheese.

Novick: Avoid all the highly processed forms of soy. Edamame = good; isolated soy protein = bad. Tempeh = good; soy energy bars = bad.

Mahler: Not all soy products are created equal. Fermented products, such as natto and tempeh, are absorbed more efficiently and don’t seem to block mineral absorption like other soy products.

Still not really the healthiest choice.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Mahler: After the soy scare many years ago, a lot of research was done to see if soy does in fact lower testosterone and raise estrogen levels. The results are still inconclusive. The theory that phytoestrogens in soy lower testosterone has not been confirmed.

This doesn’t mean that one should go crazy on soy as many people have soy sensitivities without realizing it, and you could develop sensitivities if high levels of soy are consumed each day. Soy can have negative effects on the thyroid, so anyone with thyroid issues should question their soy use.

Take-home: Choose soy foods carefully and in moderation, if at all.

What’s coming up

Part 2 of our plant-based eating roundtable will get into the following questions:

• What supplements should plant-based eaters consider?
• When concerned with health and body composition, what animal food should someone think about nixing first?
• Why would someone want to eat plant-based?
• Where can people find food/recipe ideas?
• What steps can someone take today to eat more plants?

Click here to join the waiting list.