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Associations of vegetable and fruit consumption with age-related cognitive change by Martha Clare Morris from the Rush Institute of Health and Aging, Chicago, IL, published in the October 2006 issue of the journal Neurology found, “High vegetable but not fruit consumption may be associated with slower rate of cognitive decline with older age.”1 This six-year study of 65-year and older Chicago residents found a 35% slower decline in cognitive function each year for those who ate the most vegetables. In the entire group of people under study the average number of vegetable servings a day was 2.3, with a range from 0 to 8.2. Green leafy vegetables, summer squash, eggplant, and kale were some of the vegetables found to be valuable—however, this list should not be considered exclusively beneficial. The authors believe the benefits to the nervous system were from the antioxidants and other bioactive compounds (like flavanoid). Even though fruits are also rich in these bioactive substances, the researchers could not explain why their findings failed to support similar benefits from fruits.

Research from this same group published in 2004 showed, “A diet high in saturated or trans-unsaturated fat or low in nonhydrogenated unsaturated fats may be associated with cognitive decline among older persons.”2 This dietary trend—more fat and fewer vegetables—is reminiscent of the discussion of heart disease, strokes, type-2 diabetes, and other degenerative diseases. The same harmful diet that is causing artery closure to the heart may be closing the small and large arteries to the brain with resulting loss of intellectual activity. Furthermore, research on another common form of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, has also found a causal relationship with dietary fat and cholesterol. (See my June 2004 Newsletter article: Alzheimer’s Disease Can Be Safely Prevented and Treated Now.)

Often times the variation in what people eat is so small that benefits are unrecognizable. The fact that this research was done on people who all eat the rich Western diet and still shows a difference is noteworthy. Worldwide, people’s diets show much greater variety in the amount of plant and animal foods. This larger variation is reflected in the observed difference in the incidence of dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease—both are much less common in Asian countries where people eat mostly starches (rice), compared to people of Europe and the US, where dairy and meat are the dominant foods

The threat of becoming mentally incapacitated and a burden on family and society is scarier than the threat of dying. Therefore, this research showing the right dietary choices will keep us functioning can act as a strong motivator. The ideal diet for the preservation of mental and physical function is based on starches, with the addition of fruits and vegetables.

Calcium Does Not Benefit Children

Effects of calcium supplementation on bone density in healthy children: meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials by Tania Winzenberg published in the October 2006 issue of the British Medical Journal found, “The small effect of calcium supplementation on bone mineral density in the upper limb is unlikely to reduce the risk of fracture, either in childhood or later life, to a degree of major public health importance.”1 The authors state, “Our results do not support the premise that any type of supplementation is more effective than another.” Their findings mean dairy products are of no value either. Even studies that used intakes of 1400 mg per day of calcium showed no benefit.

Osteoporosis is a real problem affecting millions of people. The dairy and calcium supplement industries would like you to believe this potentially deadly disease is due to calcium deficiency and the solution is to eat lots of their products, beginning as early in life as possible. They commonly point out in their sales pitches how important it is to intervene in childhood, so that the peak bone mass can be maximized early in life, preventing fractures later on in life. The truth is calcium deficiency is not the reason for weak bones and the bone mineral density (BMD) is an unreliable predictor of future risk for fractures. (For more information read my October 2004 newsletter article: Resisting the Broken Bone Businesses: Bone Mineral Density Tests and the Drugs That Follow.)

An accompanying editorial pointed out, “Of three qualitative reviews of literature published in this decade, two concluded that it is not known whether the modest increments in rate of bone gain after supplementation with calcium or dairy products will translate into clinically meaningful reductions in the risk of osteoporosis later in life or even persist beyond the treatment period. The third concluded that increases in dairy or total dietary calcium intake did not reliably increase bone mineral density or reduce fracture rate in children or adolescents.”2 So the research clearly contradicts the advertising claim of better bone health from the calcium and the dairy industries — and nobody is willing or able to stop these industries from lying to the public.

Osteoporosis is due to gradual loss of bone tissue (not just the calcium) primarily from poor nutrition and secondarily from lack of exercise. Acids from the high animal protein Western diet cause the major damage to the bones.3 The bones provide most of the alkaline material to buffer this dietary-derived acid from cheese, meat, poultry, seafood and isolated soy protein-based foods (fake meats and cheeses). The acid-base problem is compounded by the lack of alkaline fruits and vegetables in people’s diets. Any positive effect that calcium supplements may have on bone health come from their antacid effects (not the calcium). For example, the popular antacid, TUMS, is recommended for prevention of bone loss. TUMS is an antacid made of calcium and carbonates. The alkaline carbonates neutralize dietary acids and stop the bone loss. The same bone building effects from acid neutralizing occurs when baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) or potassium bicarbonates are fed to people.3

Those who rely on calcium supplements or dairy products for stronger bones are destined to disappointment. The answer to strong bones for a lifetime is a diet based on alkaline foods—vegetables and fruits. Exercise and an active life have a very positive influence.

Research Fails to Support Flu Shot’s Value

Influenza vaccination: policy versus evidence by Tom Jefferson in the October 28, 2006 issue of the British Medical Journal reported after a thorough analysis of current research that, “Evidence from systematic reviews shows that inactivated vaccines have little or no effect on the effects measured…Little comparative evidence exists on the safety of these vaccines…Reasons for the current gap between policy and evidence are unclear, but given the huge resources involved, a re-evaluation should be urgently undertaken.”1 The author argues the reason any benefits are reported for flu vaccines may be that those who get vaccinated are more active, healthier and wealthier people than those who do not get vaccinations—and because of these superior health qualities of these people—not the vaccination—they had better outcomes.

Comment: I am often asked whether or not I recommend getting a “flu” shot. I have changed my opinion on this many times over my thirty-five years of medical practice and I reserve the right to change my opinion again in the future. As a young doctor in the late 1970s, I ran a general practice during a time when an epidemic of swine flu was predicted—but that viral infection never occurred. However, two of my patients developed permanent paralysis below the waist after immunization with the swine flu vaccine, and some people believe that was not a coincidence. This left me no longer recommending flu shots.

Years later, after I personally had suffered from a couple of episodes of brutal flu, and when the research I was reading seemed to support flu shots, I began to take a more positive stand. However, I continued to have concerns about their effectiveness and safety. The vaccines are based on the three strains of influenza viruses that were common the previous year—they are not based on a virus that will infect people the year they are vaccinated. Second, these vaccines contain mercury and aluminum.2,3 Mercury is a recognized poison, suspected to be linked to autism; and aluminum is known to be toxic to the nervous system and is involved in the cause of Alzheimer’s disease. The mercury is used as a preservative and the aluminum enhances the immune response to the killed viruses in the vaccine.

A letter to the editor4 that followed questioned the effectiveness of flu shots. The writer pointed out, “A 2005 US National Institutes of Health review of over 30 influenza seasons could not correlate increasing vaccination coverage after 1980 with declining mortality rates in any age group and concluded that observational studies substantially overestimate vaccination benefit.” 5

Where do I now stand? For several years I personally did get a flu shot, but the last two I have not. I now recommend that people who are old and frail err on the side of getting their annual flu shot, because complications, such as pneumonia, from a bout of influenza could easily be fatal. I worry that many people believe the flu shot will protect them from getting a very deadly viral disease known as avian (bird) flu—this is not true. I also think it is long overdue for the pharmaceutical companies to start making safer vaccines, without the aluminum and mercury.

Cow's Milk Promotes Acne

Milk consumption and acne in adolescent girls by Clement Adebamowo in the May 2006 issue of Dermatology Online Journal found after studying 6,094 girls, aged 9 to 15, that those consuming two or more glasses of milk daily compared to girls consuming less than one glass, had 20% to 30% more acne. In their research, low-fat milk was implicated, suggesting that is was not the fat, but other ingredients, that promoted pimples. They proposed that milk protein causes a rise in the body of a powerful growth hormone, Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1), which in turn promotes acne. Male hormones, called androgens, are linked to acne and these are also increased by consumption of milk and cheese.

Comment: A common mantra heard from doctors is, “Diet has nothing to do with acne.” The truth is the few studies done show the opposite: diet does cause and aggravate the severity of acne. Previously, I have held the position that the fat in the food was the primary culprit. Fats and oils from the diet end up on the skin, where acne-causing bacteria feed upon them. These authors add other dimensions to the diet-acne connection—focusing on milk products, and more specifically, the dairy proteins. You should know that all animal proteins, as well as isolated soy proteins, cause a significant rise in IGF-1 levels in the body.

My experience has been that people (adults and teenagers) who switch to the low-fat version of our diet (avoiding nuts, seeds, avocados, and olives) experience an immediate reduction in the oiliness of the skin, and particularly the face; and within a month, they notice a dramatic reduction in the acne. (To learn more read my November 2003 newsletter article: Acne Has Everything to do With Diet.)

Review of the Evidence that Diet Causes Autism

Elimination diets in autism spectrum disorders: any wheat amidst the chaff? by George W. Christison published in the April 2006 issue of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics reported their analysis of the scientific studies connecting autism with diet, and concluded, “The literature currently available suggests that diets eliminating both gluten and casein (rather than either alone) should be studied first and that outcome measures should include assessments of nonverbal cognition.”1 The most popular diets evaluated removed both gluten—a protein commonly found in wheat, barley, and rye products—and casein, a protein in cow’s milk. Benefits described by proponents of this kind of dietary treatment are improvements in a wide range of autism symptoms, with better social engagement and verbal skills commonly experienced.

Comment: Diet therapy should be the first treatment recommended by all doctors—it is low-cost and side-effect free, and could easily lead to a cure. Besides, what other choices are available—certainly, not anything of real value from the pharmaceutical industry. The mechanisms by which diet can cause autism are easily explainable. Diet can produce an excess of opium-like compounds which affect the brain, and an unhealthy diet can damage the intestinal wall increasing its the permeability—a “leaky gut” forms, which allows passage into the blood of neuroactive substances, like the opium-like compounds. Eliminating casein and gluten from the diet reverses these effects.

The easiest step for a family to take would be to stop feeding all dairy products (including skim milk, cheese, yogurt, and anything else derived from cow’s milk—other animal milks are also excluded) and high gluten foods, such as wheat, barley and rye. However, the best chance for success, and my recommendation, would be to start an effective elimination diet immediately. Only the foods least likely to cause harm are consumed. My December 2002 newsletter article—Diet for the Desperate—provides guidelines for the most effective elimination diet. Benefits should be expected to begin to be seen in 4 to 7 days; however, I have seen improvements in similar diseases take as long as 4 months. Schizophrenia is a related disease, and a similar dietary approach should be tried with this condition.

Information on a gluten-free diet can be found in my September 2005 newsletter article: Could It Be Celiac Disease? More reasons to take your child off of all milk products are found in my May 2003 newsletter article: Marketing Milk and Disease.

The Evidence Based Miracle of Plant-based Diets

The American Institute for Cancer Research says that health experts agree; putting mostly plant-based foods on your plate is the healthiest diet you can consume.

However, we believe a plant-based “diet” isn’t so much of a strict diet, as it is a chosen health conscious lifestyle for many— and it’s one of the best ways to support a healthy mind and body in recovery.

Plant foods (aka: the unprocessed foods found in nature) provide your body with healing anti-inflammatory compounds, fiber, and essential vitamins and minerals. All of these nutrients are crucial for healthy liver function, which in turn promotes restful sleep, fewer cravings, and a happier mood.

As you may know, your liver is the primary organ of detoxification and is responsible for eliminating harmful toxins from drugs and alcohol from your system. While your liver is an extremely capable detoxifier, eating plant based foods that are rich in nutrients and support healthy liver function can accelerate your healing, and make a huge difference in how well your digestion and elimination functions overall.

Heavily processed, deep fried, fatty and oily foods can slow your liver function down, which is why choosing to eat a plant-based diet that eliminates these foods is a huge step towards feeling your best.

What is a Plant Based Diet?

When you eat plant based, you simply focus on eating the nutrient-rich unprocessed foods found in nature such as fruit, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and legumes, while limiting— or ideally— completely removing processed foods.

Most processed foods contain very few nutrients and are known to cause inflammation in the body, which prevents you from healing. These foods include refined sugar and flour, caffeine, dairy products, and heavily processed oils.

Eggs, meat, poultry, dairy and fish are typically not part of a plant based diet, however, plant based diets can vary depending on a person’s unique needs. For example, some people may eat plant based 90% of the time, but choose to consume small amounts of high quality, organic animal products if they are weak, deficient, or may need certain nutrients in animal products for therapeutic reasons (such as bioavailable iron and vitamin B12). A plant-based diet isn’t meant to be restrictive. It is simply a sustainable way of adopting healthier eating habits to provide your body with maximum nutrition. Let’s take a look at three reasons to transition to a plant based diet during your recovery (and beyond).

3 Ways a Plant-Based Diet Can Help You with Addiction Recovery

1. A Plant Based Diet May Help You Address the Root Cause of Addiction Sooner

   A diet that is focused on whole, unprocessed foods eliminates the foods we find most addictive, such as caffeine, refined sugar (candy and sweets), and processed carbs (bread, cakes, donuts, pastries, pasta). These foods can become addictive because they can cause a rapid surge in dopamine levels. While these foods may seem like the lesser of the evils during the recovery process, they are merely a band-aid solution and substitute for more harmful substances, and all the same, they serve as a distraction and provide comfort when challenging emotions surface— which prevents you from getting to the bottom of your addiction. On the other hand, certain plant foods such as nuts, seeds, bananas and raw cacao can gently boost dopamine levels (which makes them less addictive) while also providing several essential nutrients that aid in liver function. It’s also worth noting that a predominantly plant based can help reduce your risk of stroke and heart disease, which are risk factors for those who heavily consume alcohol (1).

2. The Fiber From Plant Foods Improves Gut Health, Which Can Directly Improve Your Energy and Mood

   When you think of healing from addiction recovery, your gut may not be the first thing to come to mind. However, the gut and the brain are interconnected (this is known as the gut-brain axis), and this connection explains how your gut health can directly impact your mood and cravings for addictive substances (2).

   For example, serotonin is produced in the gut— the neurotransmitter that helps you feel good. When your serotonin levels are low, depression, anxiety, and cravings for addictive substances can increase. This is only one example of how your gut health impacts how you feel on a daily basis.

   All fruit, vegetables and whole grains contain fiber, which supports healthy digestion and elimination by keeping your bowel movements regular. Fiber also acts as a prebiotic, which feeds your body’s natural stores of healthy bacteria, called probiotics — which rule the health of your entire digestive system. As you can see, fiber is a critical nutrient for a healthy gut.

   Plant foods are the most fibrous foods on the planet— so luckily, eating an abundance of fruit, vegetables and whole grains on a plant based diet makes it easy to meet your daily fiber requirements. If you’re a woman between the ages of 18-50, you’ll need about 21 grams of fiber per day, while men require around 30-38 grams.

3. Organic Plant Foods Provide Up to 40% More Antioxidants Than Conventional Produce

   Plant based diets also focus on the quality of foods, which means choosing local or organic whenever possible because they’re lower in pesticides and higher in nutrients. While it is not always realistic or affordable to choose organic year round, you can follow the Clean Fifteen and Dirty Dozen List to see which foods should be purchased organic whenever possible. Studies have found that organic produce contains higher levels of antioxidants and significantly lower levels of metals such as cadmium, which can lead to mood and neurological disorders. Scientists discovered that organic crops lack the synthetic chemical pesticides of their conventional counterparts, which helps organic plants to produce greater amounts of polyphenols and phenols. These antioxidants help prevent diseases caused by oxidative stress, which can be caused by excessive alcohol consumption, cocaine and other recreational drug use. By switching to organic plant-based produce, you can increase the amount of antioxidants in your diet by 20- 40 percent. These antioxidants support both phases of liver detoxification, which neutralize harmful drugs and toxins to be eliminated safely from your body.

Tips for Transitioning to a Plant-Based Diet Today

1. Start Simple With Having One Green Smoothie Per Day

   Your first step to starting a plant-based diet is to establish a healthy eating routine. People in early recovery need to develop a foundation for healthier eating. Your diet has a big impact on your recovery. Not sure where to start? Keep it simple. Choose to begin your day with a green smoothie as you search Pinterest for easy and delicious combinations with fresh fruit, vegetables, coconut water, and greens. If you’re pressed for time in the mornings, wash and chop your ingredients the night before so that all you need to do is throw your ingredients in a blender, and pour into a to-go cup.

2. Don’t Forget To Snack on Fruit (Nature’s #1 Fast Food)

Aside from providing essential nutrients, fruit offers a quick burst of energy and soothes sweet cravings. Plus, fruit is nature’s ultimate “fast food” that you can grab from a fruit bowl on your way out the door— no meal prep, clean up or elaborate gourmet cooking necessary!

3. Stock Up on Leafy Greens

Leafy greens are one of the most powerful foods for liver health, especially when your body is going through a more intense detoxification period. Leafy greens include spinach, collard greens, baby kale, arugula, romaine lettuce and butter lettuce. You can easily add a handful of these to your smoothie, have a small side salad with your dinner each day, or steam in a small amount of unrefined coconut oil and pure sea salt, which makes a tasty side dish to any meal.

4. Add Protein and Healthy Fats to Every Meal

While fruits and vegetables are a great source of antioxidants and energy boosting carbohydrates (and they do also contain smaller amounts of plant protein), you still need to incorporate higher protein foods to repair damaged cells.

Protein and healthy fats also help balance your blood sugar levels which can reduce sugar cravings, fatigue and irritability, and keep your appetite satisfied for longer periods of time. A few examples of plant based proteins and healthy fats are lentils, beans, wild rice, quinoa, and tempeh, as well as hemp hearts, avocado, nuts and seeds.

When it comes to eating for addiction recovery, it’s not about focusing on which foods to stay away from and feeling restrictive with your diet, but rather focusing on adding in more nutrient dense foods to it. Nutrition should never seem punitive, but rather a helpful and important component of your healing and recovery process, and overall healthy lifestyle.