Congrats Rose!

Coffee, uttering the word alone may give you an energy boost, but most would rather drink it for its mood-enhancing effects. Although coffee is much more than just a mood enhancer, mainly due to its caffeine content, for coffee has also been shown that it could help prevent or combat development several chronic diseases. One particular study concluded that long-term coffee consumption with a dose-dependent relationship, a higher dose equated to increased benefits (to a point), reduced the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.1 In another study, it was concluded that coffee intake reduces the risk of liver damage in people at high risk for liver disease.2 Furthermore, coffee has many performance benefits as well that range from improving endurance performance2 to increasing muscle glycogen resynthesize,3 a fancy way of saying you’re muscles ability to refill their glycogen (carbohydrate) stores.

What Produces Coffees Incredible Health Benefits?

What is it about coffee, specifically what are the compounds that are found in coffee, that produce this broad spectrum of health benefits? Well let’s take a deeper look.

Decreasing Inflammation & Risk of Developing Chronic Disease

Pertaining to coffee being able to fight against chronic disease, antioxidants are the main compounds that have been shown to decrease excessive inflammation levels in the body, a hallmark of all chronic disease.

Antioxidants, Especially Cholorgenic Acid

Coffee contains incredibly high levels of antioxidants and is the number one dietary source of antioxidants for Americans.4 Coffee beans specifically contain phenolic antioxidant compounds or polyphenols, the major polyphenol found in coffee is chlorogenic acid.5 Chlorogenic acids (CGAs) have been shown to reduce the risk of developing many chronic diseases, this is mainly due to CGAs ability to mitigate oxidative stress.6 Antioxidant activity, thus CGAs activity, of coffee depends on the chemical composition. I’m not going to bore you with the actual chemical composition. All that is important here is that it has been observed that the antioxidant activity of coffee varies according to the degree of roasting. Maximum antioxidant activity was found in medium-roasted coffee.7

Performance Benefits

Caffeine

When we talk about coffees performance enhancing effects they are most often attributed to coffees caffeine content and this is rightfully so. Caffeine has been consistently researched since the 1970s and the majority of this research has looked at the effects of caffeine on exercise and/or sport. Research done in the 1970s, from David Costill’s laboratory, shown that trained cyclist improved their ride times from 75 mins when consuming a placebo to 96 mins with the consumption of 330 mg of caffeine (from coffee), that’s roughly a 28% increase!8 Another study gave only 250 mg of caffeine and reported a 20% increase in work completed in 2 hours of cycling.9 This hints at there being a dose-dependent relationship between caffeine and it performance-enhancing effects, which is supported by other research.10

Cafestol & Kahweol (No those aren’t made up words)

Caffeine is not the only component of coffee that relate to it performance enhancing abilities. Although these effects are not seen in the exercise itself, but rather they aid in the bodies ability to recover. These components are chlorogenic acids, Cafestol, and kahweol. You have already learned that CGAs are the primary antioxidants found in coffee and their ability to fight disease. CGA can also benefit muscle recovery by reducing inflammation and promoting further healing in damaged muscle tissues.11 Cafestol is known as a diterpene, a bioactive substance in coffee, that has been shown to increase glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in vitro (outside the human body) and increases glucose uptake in human skeletal muscle cells.12 Increasing the uptake of glucose into muscle will allow for faster recovery of depleted or damaged muscle fibers. Kahweol, another diterpene found in coffee, has also been shown to increase glucose uptake into muscles and the added benefit of inhibiting lipid accumulation in adipocyte cells, or simply fat accumulation in fat cells.13

1. http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/diacare/29/11/2385.full.pdf
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5440772/
3. http://jap.physiology.org/content/jap/105/1/7.full.pdf
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4665516/
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5481750/
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4728630/
7. https://www.omicsonline.org/open-access/engineering
8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/723503
9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/481158
10. https://accp1.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/j.1552-4604.1997.tb04356.x
11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3298958/
12. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.jnatprod.7b00395?src=recsys&journalCode=jnprdf
13. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317569898_Kahweol_

There are three simple practices that you can and should incorporate in your morning routine that could drastically improve the rest of your day. The first of which is hydrating your body directly after waking, and I don’t mean coffee. What I do mean is you should be re-hydrating your body with high-quality H20, commonly known as water.  Secondly, is to simply, get some light. This can be done a couple of ways, but the best way is direct sun exposure, not too much not too little. Another method is using a device called the Human-charger, which I’ll discuss more later. Last but certainly not least, the third practice is to get your body moving. This doesn’t have to be, nor should it, be strenuous. Light aerobic movement such as stretching, yoga, or a brief walk would suffice.

Importance of Adequate Hydration

Let’s look at why hydrating your body first thing in the morning is essential and why high-quality hydration source matters. Being at least adequately hydrated is crucial to our bodies being able to function correctly. Studies have shown that even mild dehydration resulting from fluid loss equaling roughly 1 percent of your body weight can cause headaches, moodiness, irritability, anxiety, and fatigue.¹ At as little as 2 percent decreases in mental performance and short-term memory loss can begin to occur.² Considering that 78% of Americans in 2007 were chronically dehydrated,³ based on their water intake, how can we possibly get our days off on the right foot when we are fatigued and forgetting everything. We should also be aware that we are most dehydrated when we first wake up.

When You Wake, Drink Some High-Quality H2O

When you get a full night’s sleep, you’ve just gone seven or more hours without drinking any water. This dehydrated state can be further compounded by many factors such as dryer climates, working out the previous evening, or drinking alcohol the night before creating a fluid deficit before even going to sleep. As a result, we most often wake up thirsty and you would think that solving this issue would be simple. Just get up and drink some water to re-hydrate vital internal components that need to be hydrated to function best. Instead, more often than not the first liquid people consume first thing is coffee.

Coffee Timing

This is not to say that coffee is bad, although low-quality coffee is, but rather that the time we consume said coffee should be taken into consideration. Here’s one reason why that is, when you’re dehydrated and have nothing in your stomach (or very little) caffeine will enter your bloodstream incredibly fast. This releases a flood of stress hormones from your adrenal glands that activate the bodies sympathetic nervous system,⁴ otherwise known as our bodies fight-or-flight response. When our bodies are in this excited state it uses water to help cool the body,⁵ although this may not be as noticeable as seen during exercise.

Importance of Adding Minerals To Your Water & A Mineral Cocktail Recipe

Hydration is essential but a glass of water from your kitchen faucet isn’t going to cut it. The goal is not just to cure your dry mouth, but to hydrate our internal components (organs, fascia, cells). What is needed is minerals such as manganese, potassium, phosphorus, bromine, boron, zinc, and many more. These minerals play an essential role in our bodies hydration status without them we cannot be truly hydrated, at least at the cellular level.⁶ How do we get these minerals into our drinking water? By adding them of course, sea salt is one of the best ways to do this. The most practical way to accomplish this, on a routinely basis, is to make yourself a morning mineral cocktail recipe. An example of this would be combining 12 ounces of water (preferably filtered), 2-3 grams of sea salt, and a splash of lemon.

Importance of Light & Our Circadian Rhythm

Now what about light, why is light important? Light is important because it plays the strongest role in regulating our bodies sleep and wake cycle what is called circadian rhythm.⁷ Not just any light either, blue light, more specifically sunlight as it is the most abundant source of blue light. Circadian rhythm tells our body when it’s time to wake up and when to sleep and is often referred to as our bodies internal clock. If our internal clock is off the result is sleepiness, decreased energy levels, and even weight gain.⁸ Ideally, due to our biology, we are supposed to wake up with the sun and go sleep with the stars. But the timing of your circadian rhythm can easily be altered by environment or choices that we make, which can cause internal desynchronization (imbalance). The factor that causes the largest imbalance is, you guessed it, light. What can you do about this?

Sunlight & The HumanCharger

You have a couple of options but preferably upon waking you would expose yourself to 5-10 minutes of direct sunlight (blue-light). Another great option is something called a HumanCharger made by a company named Valkee located in Helsinki, Finland. The HumanCharger, as described on their website, is a revolutionary device that channels bright light directly to the light-sensitive regions of the brain, right where it is needed the most.⁹ Essentially the HumanCharger device is a pair of light-emitting earbuds. Why earbuds? There are more light-sensitive receptors than just those on the retinas, these receptors are also found in the brain, including the cerebrum and the hypothalamus.¹⁰ One of the best and most effective ways to shine light on these brain receptors is through the ear canal. If you think this sounds crazy, I bet you’re not the only one, but a number of studies have shown incredible benefits from reducing symptoms and improving mental performance in people with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) to combating the effects of jetlag.¹¹ It’s important to remember whatever benefits this device may offer it will still not be as good as sunlight exposure, but it’s a great option whenever sun exposure is not possible.

Importance Of Movement

Then comes step three in upgrading your morning routine – movement. I’m not going to lie to you this is probably going to be the most difficult to build into your routine. One major key to understand here is that I’m not talking about a morning workout, just morning movement. Even light exercise (movement) boosts circulation and improve cognitive performance.^12,13 Moving the body also, along with light, helps get the bodies circadian rhythm back into balance. Movement also sends a strong cue to the body that it is time to wake up, just as light does. There are many ways to get this movement in, but if it’s not at least a little enjoyable it’s likely not going to stick. Whether this is a short yoga routine, a walk, walking your dog, burpees (no way), or even bouncing on a mini trampoline (called a rebounder). The point is to pick some type of movement that you don’t hate and will be able to incorporate easily.

Hydration, Light & Movement

So, there you have it three ways you can upgrade your morning routine are hydration, light, and movement. As most people are chronically dehydrated, especially after sleeping, and need to start the morning off hydrating well. Many peoples’ circadian rhythms are all out of order and need rebalancing by exposing their bodies light-sensitive receptors to tell them its morning. Not enough of us get morning movement in so that we may wake up our bodies and build momentum to set our day off on a positive trajectory.

1. https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core
2. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00039896.1988.9934367?journalCode=vzeh20
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23578399
4. https://www.livescience.com/22665-nervous-system.html
5. https://opentextbc.ca/anatomyandphysiology/chapter/26-2-water-balance/
6. https://traceminerals.com/hydration-electrolytes-it-takes-more-than-just-water-for-proper-hydration/
7. http://europepmc.org/backend/ptpmcrender.fcgi?accid=PMC2717723&blobtype=pdf
8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4848717/
9. https://humancharger.com/
10. https://humancharger.com/research/
11. https://humancharger.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/HumanCharger-Summary-of-published-peer-reviewed-findings-2017.pdf
12. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1748-1716.1977.tb10365.x
13. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4466189/

To control blood sugar our main strategy is going to be finding the amount of carbohydrates that your gut cannot only handle but will also thrive on. Blood sugar regulation is important for two reasons: (1) stable blood sugar promotes healthy weight, metabolism, energy, and production of stress hormones;^1,2 (2) appropriate carb intake (thus stable blood sugar) will help optimize your microbiota.

Carbohydrate & Blood Sugar Relationship

Carb intake is important because it has a direct relationship with blood sugar regulation,³ let’s briefly discuss this relationship. When you consume a meal that doesn’t contain the right amount of carbohydrates (for you), either too much or not enough, it is likely to cause spikes and falls in your blood sugar. The ideal amount of carbs varies from person to person and largely determined by differences in insulin sensitivity, the lower the amount of insulin someone needs to produce to stabilize their blood sugar – the higher their insulin sensitivity. Neither high blood sugar levels nor low blood sugar levels are ideal, especially when extremely elevated or low.

Insulin Resistance, A Warning Sign for Developing Diabetes?

If you’re consistently eating an improper amount of carbs, causing this roller coaster ride in your blood sugar levels, the result can be weight gain and insulin resistance⁴ (opposite of insulin sensitive). As your body develops a resistance to the blood sugar lowering the effects of insulin it becomes progressively more challenging to stabilize blood sugar levels. This can eventually result in the inability to sufficiently control blood sugar levels, as seen in those with type 2 diabetes.⁵

Why is There So Much Carbohydrate Confusion?

There is much confusion when it comes to carbohydrates and whether we should eat a lower- or higher-carb diet. In my mind, this debate exists because there is no one single answer that is correct for everyone. Some do extremely well eating very low to almost no carbs, while others can’t function adequately without at least a moderate amount of carbs. Here is one example, if a person has any underlying imbalance such as SIBO or small intestinal fungal overgrowth (SIFO) in the gut they will almost certainly not do well on a high-carb diet, as this will only promote the overgrowth further.⁶ Clearing Things Up

A Different and Possibly Radical Approach

Therefore, I think, a much healthier and wiser approach is to recognize that each person is unique, and they may require higher or lower amounts of carbohydrates, the key is finding out what works for you. This may be a radical concept since it puts the individual first rather than the dietary ideology. If you can learn to listen to your body, it will tell you what amount of carbs is ideal for you.

Low- & High-Carb Guidelines

But I don’t want to just leave you with that, as to get you started you’re probably going to require something more practical than “just listen to your body.’ To start you may want to know what is considered low carb versus high carb? Here are some guidelines:

• High carb – more than 175 grams per day.
• Moderate carb – 100-175 grams per day
• Low Carb – less than 100 grams per day
• Very-low Carb – less than 50 grams per day

Geographical Location May Determine Ideal Carb Intake

These differing levels of carb intake are connected to latitudinal (North to south) regions of the world.⁷ This is due to what foods were available to our ancestors depending on the time of year and distance from the equator, as our ancestors did not have the supermarkets of today. Availability of regional foods greatly affected the genes of our ancestors.⁸ For example, if your heritage is that of an equatorial region (close to the equator), you’re likely to do better eating a higher-carb diet. Conversely, if you’re heritage is of a more northern region, you may very well do better on a lower-carb diet.

Further Determining If a Low- or High-Carb is Right For You

Here are some other guidelines⁹ to help you determine whether lower- or higher-carbohydrates is right for you. You may do better with fewer carbs (100g per day or fewer) if: you have tried a lower-carb diet and felt good, you have a family history of diabetes, you currently have or used to have diabetes (type 2) and/or prediabetes, you are overweight, you crave carbs/sugar or can’t stop eating the them once you start, your ancestry is more of northern descent than equatorial (example, Irish vs Venezuelan). You may do better with more carbs (150g per day or more) if: you have tried eating higher-carb and felt good, you are an athlete or extremely active, you need to gain weight, your ancestry is more of equatorial descent than northern (example, Cuban vs. Russian).

“Safe” Carbohydrate Choices

If you find that you feel better eating a moderate to high carb diet. It is important that you’re making safe carb choices. Although I want to point out that safe carb choices should also be made by those on a lower-carb diet. Some of the best safe carb choices are: vegetables, white rice, sweet potato or white potato, gluten-free bread products (preferably sprouted), oats, plantains (not same as a banana), cassava, rutabaga, and non-GMO corn (difficult to find).

Summing This All Up

Let’s review, we have covered a few of the main reasons why some do better on high-carb diets and others do eating low-carb. These reasons include differences in insulin sensitivity, gene origin and ancestry, and any possible underlying imbalances in the gut (SIBO and SIFO). All this taken together comes back to our ability to optimize our bodies regulation of blood sugar.

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279012/
2. https://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/type-1-diabetes/what-insulin
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5409661/
4. https://www.livescience.com/34757-insulin-resistance-develop-diabetes-heart-disease.html
5. https://www.livescience.com/43477-diabetes-symptoms-types.html
6. http://functionaldiagnosticnutrition.com/foods-feed-sibo/
7. https://watermark.silverchair.com/940.pdf
8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1392256/
9. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0999766805/

Optimizing gut health is largely dependent upon the health of your small intestines. Based on this whatever solution(s) work best for promoting small intestines health should also be the best for promoting the overall health of the entire digestive tract. As I went over last week one important concept to understand is that an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestines is not a good thing.¹ Therefore, starving bacteria or just not providing substance for bacteria to feed on is often better than feeding the overgrowth further. Although this is not always the case as we all have very unique (different) guts.

Two of the Best Diet Strategies for Creating a Healthy Gut Environment

All right, this is all great, but how do actually go about optimizing gut health whether that means promoting the right type of bacteria to grow or decreasing a possible overgrowth? What are the best diet strategies to create a healthy environment for your gut bacteria to thrive? There are two strategies that have best shown to promote ideal balance. One, eating to control inflammation and two eating to control blood sugar. Combining both methods will result in the greatest benefit and this shouldn’t be difficult since most of the principles of eating to control inflammation and blood sugar are the same, or very similar.

Controlling and/or Reducing Inflammation

Avoid Consuming Foods You are Allergic or Intolerant To

The most effective diet strategy to reduce inflammation is quite obvious but is often not understood fully, avoid exposure to foods that you are allergic or intolerant to. It is obvious that we shouldn’t eat foods we are allergic to, but foods we are intolerant of often go unnoticed or are disregarded. Gluten, I’m pretty sure you’ve heard of it, is commonly one of these foods that many are intolerant of, but it doesn’t cause as severe a reaction as let’s say peanuts, for someone that is allergic, so it isn’t very concerning – or at least not at first. As a response to ingesting a food that you’re allergic or intolerant to the immune system reacts with inflammation, but to a greater degree with the former. Accordingly, this inflammation creates an environment in your gut that is favorable for bad bacteria to proliferate. When bad bacteria (pathogens) proliferate they push out the good bacteria resulting in an imbalance of gut bacteria that is known as dysbiosis.²

Most Common Problematic Foods

Foods that you or other’s may be allergic (intolerant) to are going to vary by person, but there are foods that are commonly problematic. The foods that are most problematic for the general population are gluten-containing grains, dairy, soy, beans or legumes, and nuts. The best method to determine if you’re allergic to any of these is to eliminate these foods from your diet, then reintroduce these foods later. Following a paleo diet is a great option here as it eliminates most of the problematic foods already mentioned. It would be best to follow this eating strategy for 2-3 weeks before you start to reintroduce any possibly problematic foods back into your diet.

Further Dietary Modifications

If you try or have tried the paleo diet and don’t see any improvements, then you may need to add some additional modifications. There are two sets of modification you can add; one is the autoimmune paleo diet and the other is the low-FODMAP diet.

Autoimmune Paleo Diet

The autoimmune paleo diet³ removes some of the less common food allergens that may be a hidden source of inflammation. To be more specific the AIP diet restricts the following, in addition to the standard Paleo diet restrictions: eggs, nuts, seeds (including coffee), nightshades, and alcohol. These additional restrictions serve to restrict even more food allergens that could be causing inflammation.

Low-FODMAP Diet

FODMAP stands for Fermentable, Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, And Polyols. A low-FODMAP diet⁴ essentially restricts many foods (mainly carbohydrates) that are high in FODMAPs can feed bacteria, thus helping to reduce any possible bacterial overgrowth.⁵ Common foods to avoid on a low-FODMAP diet include: garlic, mushrooms, apples, cherries, cow’s milk, most legumes, grain products (wheat, rye, barley, etc.), and cashews or pistachios. These are just a few of the common high-FODMAP foods you can find many more comprehensive lists online.

An Important Connection Between Carbohydrate Malabsorption & Bacterial Overgrowth

An important concept to understand why a low-FODMAP diet is beneficial is carbohydrate malabsorption and its connection to bacterial overgrowth. Carbohydrate malabsorption⁶ means you can’t digest certain carbs and when you eat them, you have a negative reaction. This dysfunction is often caused by a bacterial overgrowth that damages the area of the intestines that helps digest these carbs. Carbs that can’t or don’t get digested (due to carb malabsorption) are broken down by our gut bacteria. Thus, further feed your gut bugs and exacerbating the existing bacterial overgrowth. But this problem also works in reverse, some people have intestines that can’t digest certain carbs because they don’t release the certain enzymes that are needed. Therefore, bacterial overgrowth and carbohydrate malabsorption are two of the main reasons many people do best on a dietary approach that reduces and rebalances intestinal bacteria. Restoring bacterial balance is the only way to break this vicious cycle.

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3752184/
2. https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1931312807001576
3. https://aiplifestyle.com/what-is-autoimmune-protocol-diet/
4. https://www.dietvsdisease.org/diy-low-fodmap-diet/
5. https://insights.ovid.com/pubmed?pmid=24406476
6. http://www.jnmjournal.org/journal/view.html?doi=10.5056/jnm.20.2.228

Soy is a controversial topic among many dietary health circles, some say it’s good for our health and others tell you to avoid it. Soy was popularized for its health-promoting benefits because researchers found in Okinawa, Japan — considered by some people to be the healthiest place on earth — they consumed a lot of soy (although “a lot” might not be as much as you think).¹ The key difference with the soy that Okinawans consumed, was that it is a much different type of soy than most consume today

The Traditional Process of Fermentation

Traditionally soy foods, that Okinawans and many other Asian cultures consume, went through a long, slow process of fermentation. The main advantages of fermented soy sauce are that it contains a wider variety of nutrient substances and the fermentation process makes Soy much easier for your digest and absorb.² Some of the nutrients it provides are essential nutrients such as an adequate amount of protein, Vitamin D3, and manganese. Fermentation breaks down compounds in soybean into smaller units making them more digestible. One particular type of carbohydrate subcomponent called oligosaccharides³ promotes the growth of good intestinal flora like lactic acid bacteria.⁴ They’re considered “good” bacteria because they maintain the chemical balance in the large intestine and aid in the further breakdown of nutrient substances in food. Another incredibly important part of fermentation is that it “deactivates” many of the antinutrients, including phytic acid, in soy that act as toxins in your body.⁵

Modern Soy Health Concerns

Acid Hydrolysis, The Modern Process

Conversely, most modern soy foods are not fermented to neutralize toxins in soybeans, they instead go through a process known as acid hydrolysis.⁶ This is a much faster process as it may only take days while fermented soy sauce takes at least 6 months. But it necessitates additional stabilizing and flavoring ingredients. Furthermore, when soy foods are processed in this way it denatures their proteins⁷ and increases levels of known carcinogens such as Nitrosamines.⁸

Genetically Modified (GMO)

This is not the only problem with most modern soy as, at least, 90 percent of soy today is also genetically modified.⁹ Genetically modified foods are linked to many health problems because they kill off good bacteria in your gut and also damage the functioning of your digestive system. Combine this with the fact that soy products, traditionally fermented or not (often increased in the later), contain phytoestrogens which may lead to major disruption of your endocrine system.

Endocrine Disruption

Phytoestrogens

Phytoestrogens are naturally-occurring plant compounds that are structurally and/or functionally similar to mammalian estrogens and their active metabolites.¹⁰ Isoflavones, a sub-class of phytoestrogens have been widely promoted for their purported health benefits such as the promotion of heart health and maintenance of bone health.¹¹

Isoflavones

However, phytoestrogens, particularly the isoflavones, fit the Environmental Protection Agency’s definition of an endocrine disruptor which characterizes these compounds as those which, “alter the structure or function(s) of the endocrine system and cause adverse effects.”¹⁰ This is perhaps due to the most well-characterized mode of phytoestrogen action which is estrogen receptor (ER) binding. These findings have raised concerns that isoflavone intake, by mimicking or interfering with endogenous estrogens, could pose a risk to human reproductive health.

Other Health Concerns

There are yet more possible dangers of soy consumption, as the Integrative Medicine Center of Western Colorado claims that trypsin inhibitors found in soy products interfere with protein digestion and may cause pancreatic disorders. They also state that the vitamin B12 found in soy are not in their usable form and actually increase the body’s need for more B12.¹² Additionally, the Weston A. Price Foundation has found at least one study every year, dating back from 1939 to 2014, showing adverse health effects of dietary soy.¹³ Although I bet you could also find studies showing beneficial health effects for most if not all of those years as well.

What Is My Conclusion?

Taking all of this, and more, I have concluded (in my opinion) that 95 percent of it is bad for you. My case in point is that at least 90% percent of the soy products we’re consuming today are conventional, GMO and toxic to your system. For that reason alone, most soy is bad for you. Also, in my opinion, even if you get organic, traditionally fermented soy foods they should still only be consumed in moderation and not as a staple in your diet.

1. https://imcwc.com/html5-blank/dangers-of-soy/
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5088370/
3. https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Structural_Biochemistry/Carbohydrates/Oligosaccharides
4. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1472-765X.2007.02167.x
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4190255/
6. http://web.gps.caltech.edu/~als/resources/lab_methods/pdf_download_list/acid_hydrolysis.pdf
7. http://www.jbc.org/content/64/2/369.full.pdf
8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2017213
9. https://grist.org/food/are-you-a-farmer-worried-about-gmo-contamination-usda-says-get-insurance/
10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3074428/
11. https://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Article/2012/08/14/Meta-analysis
12. https://imcwc.com/html5-blank/dangers-of-soy/
13. https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/soy-alert/studies-showing-adverse-effects-of-dietary-soy-1939-2008/

Last week, I introduced that the small intestine is currently thought of, as the most important part of the entire digestive tract. This is very logical since it makes up most of our digestive system and 90% of caloric absorption, thus most nutrient absorption happens in this organ.¹ Additionally, if we look at the bodies entire gut ecosystem and the methods for creating a healthy internal environment in your gut ecosystem, it’s usually the intervention that works best for the small intestines that have the most overall benefit.

The Small Intestines is Fragile

Why do the interventions that work best for the small intestines have the greatest effects? Because it is most commonly the small intestine that is damaged since it is fragile and more prone to dysfunction than any other section of our digestive system. This fact is supported by the small intestines association with diseases such as celiac disease, hypothyroidism, and irritable bowel syndrome.

Celiac Disease & The Small Intestines

Celiac disease is considered the most severe form of gluten intolerance as it causes inflammation and autoimmune damage to your gut. Several human studies have shown that there are increased amounts of bacteria and increased bacterial diversity in the small intestines of those with celiac disease. Essentially, this means they have a bacterial overgrowth in the small intestines.²  Interestingly bacteria that are considered to be healthy bacteria can also overpopulate the gut and cause problems. As one study showed that many children with celiac disease, when compared to healthy control participants, have an increased diversity of the healthy species bifidobacteria.³ Another study showed this same increase of bifidobacteria in adults with celiac disease.⁴ Although not all research agrees with, there is certainly enough evidence that suggests that those with celiac disease may or often have bacterial overgrowth in the small intestines.

Hypothyroidism & The Small Intestines

Hypothyroidism, otherwise known as an underactive thyroid, is a condition in which the thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough of certain important hormones. It is one of the most common thyroid disorders. Hypothyroidism also seems to have the same potential cause behind it as celiac disease, too much bacteria in the small intestines. As there is research showing that this thyroid condition is associated with small-intestinal bacterial overgrowth.⁵ However, it is important to ask the question does this overgrowth of bacteria occur because of the hypothyroidism itself? Or said another way does hypothyroidism cause the overgrowth, rather than the overgrowth causing the hypothyroidism? Experts don’t know for sure, but bacterial overgrowth has been seen in both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism (over-active thyroid).⁶ This suggests that the bacterial overgrowth is not being caused by thyroid disease but rather that the overgrowth is causing the thyroid disease, or at least potentially.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome & The Small Intestines

The small intestine also has a strong connection with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). SIBO is known to cause gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and abdominal pain – all of which are the primary symptoms of IBS. It is of no surprise then, that research has shown up to 78% of IBS may be caused by an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestines.⁷

The First Step In Healing the Digestive System

(If an overgrowth of bacteria is the problem)

As you can see, what’s associated with all three of these conditions, and many others is an overgrowth of bacteria. Therefore, following the current guidelines for SIBO may also be the guidelines one should follow if they have celiac disease, hypothyroidism, or IBS. The current treatment guidelines for those with SIBO state that one should not feed their gut bacteria, or at least should do so very cautiously.⁸ This means that those with any form of bacterial overgrowth shouldn’t be eating high amounts of fiber or starch, foods that are considered pre-biotics, fermented foods, foods high in natural sugars, and especially foods with added sugars and refined carbohydrates. Although this is true for anyone dealing with a bacterial overgrowth, it is not true for everyone.

A Great Start. But…

And while this is a good place to start, as many who eat a typical western diet typically have an overgrowth of bacteria, it is only that – a good place to start. Next week, I’ll dive into what you can do if you want to optimize the health of your gut.

1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0958166914001657?via%3Dihub
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21826768
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20972239
4. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0300908412001332
5. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs12020-014-0509-2
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24969306
7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3949258/
8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3099351/

Many people refer to Echinacea as the “Miracle” herb and for good reason as it has incredible protective effects against aging and cancer.¹ Echinacea, commonly known as coneflower, is a member of the Asteraceae family, a large plant family composed of 23,600 species. Well-known members of this family include dandelion, cudweed, artichokes, lettuce and sunflower. Discovered and used as a traditional herbal remedy for more than 400 years by the Great Plains Indian tribes. Echinacea is technically classified as an herb, several species of the echinacea plant are used to make medicine from its flowers, leaves and roots. Native Americans primarily used Echinacea to help treat the common cold. It still serves that purpose today, but Echinacea is quickly becoming known for multiple uses and benefits.

Echinacea’s Major Health Benefits

Immunoenhancing Capabilities

This “miracle” herbs most well-known health benefit is it’s immunoenhancing capabilities, or simply its ability to enhance our immune system. A meta-analysis² performed by the University of Connecticut, published in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases, looked at 14 different studies and came to the conclusion that: (1) Echinacea cuts the chances of catching a common cold by 58% and (2) Echinacea reduces the duration of the common cold by nearly one-and-a-half days. Furthermore, the medical journal Hindawi has published material suggesting that echinacea stops viral colds. However, the most significant results of echinacea benefits with regards to the immune system were the effects when used on recurring infections.³

Ability to Fight Cancer

Another benefit of echinacea that stands out is its ability to fight cancer. Particularly, brain cancer, as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has published research stating that:⁴ “medicinal value of phytochemicals contained in Echinacea is clearly evident and indicates that these agents, as well as phytochemicals not yet discovered in other herbs, may be valuable tools to combat tumors.” Echinacea has also been shown to combat Leukemia,¹ by boosting levels of what are known as “Natural Killer” cells (NK cells),⁵ this was even more effective when used in combination with other therapies such as melatonin supplementation or immunization.

Other Health Benefits

Echinacea seems to have about an infinite number of health benefits ranging from those already mentioned to alleviating pain and even improving upper respiratory issues. It also may help treat the following conditions: flu, vaginal yeast infections, HIV/Aids, Urinary tract infections (UTIs), herpes, and HPV.

Quality, Once Again, Is Essential

The key when buying an echinacea supplement, once again, is to make sure what you’re getting is of high quality. The University of Maryland Medical Center reports the results of a study that took 11 brands of echinacea and discovered that only four actually contained what was stated on their labels! Approximately 10 percent of these products had no echinacea at all, half of the products were mislabeled as the species of echinacea, and more than half of the preparations didn’t contain the labeled amount of ingredients.⁶

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1193558/
2. http://news.uconn.edu/2007/June/rel07056.html
3. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2012/841315/
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2668539/
5. https://www.livescience.com/817-natural-body-guards-killer-cells-motivated.html
6. https://www.umms.org/ummc/about/alternative-medicine#ixzz3SeBnWSgd