turmeric info.- with a juice reciepy

So we have been out of ginger and I then realized we depend on it to much. I know there are other roots that do the some,, hell I know some do even better.Let gather all the info. we can and start with turmeric. If any one has some info. I don't post here please pass it on to use.

Turmeric can help regenerate the liver, groundbreaking new research

by J. D. Heyes 

(NaturalNews) Incredible, groundbreaking new research just published in the Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand found that the primary polyphenol in turmeric - curcumin - is able to repair and even regenerate the liver tissues in diabetic rats.

Researchers at the Srinakharinwirot University in Bangkok administered curcumin to rats afflicted with diabetes and whose livers demonstrated the characteristic pathology and destruction of tissues and microvasculature. The curcumin was able to trigger a significant reversal of the condition.

"Fascinatingly, liver microvasculature in curcumin treated group developed into regenerate and repair into healthy and normal characteristics," the research team said, in its findings. "These results optimistically demonstrated the potential use of curcumin as a novel therapeutic agent in liver pathology of diabetic rats."

The Thai research is just the latest - albeit most promising to date - research showing a treatment link between curcumin and both forms of diabetes, Type I and Type II.

Earlier research reveals similar findings

Researchers, who published their results in the journal Diabetes Care in July, said they discovered that over nine months, a daily dose of curcumin - a compound in curry spice - appeared to prevent new cases of diabetes among people with so-called pre-diabetes, or abnormally high blood sugar levels that could eventually progress into full-blown Type II diabetes, which is also linked to obesity.

That study, which was also Thai-based, followed 240 adults with pre-diabetes who were randomly assigned to either take curcumin capsules or a placebo that looked identical but contained no active ingredient, Reuters reported.

After nine months, 19 of the 116 placebo patients had developed Type II diabetes, compared to none of the 119 patients who took the curcumin.

The researchers, led by Dr. Somlak Chuengsamarn of Srinakharinwirot University in Nakornnayok, Thailand, said their findings were an endorsement.

"Our study showed that the curcumin extract can effectively prevent the prediabetes population from developing type 2 diabetes mellitus," wrote the research team. "Although we found that the results were quite remarkable, a longer trial may be required to see if the curcumin-treated prediabetes population will eventually develop type 2 diabetes mellitus."

"Because of its benefits and safety, we propose that curcumin extract may be used for an intervention therapy for the prediabetes population," the team wrote.

One thing experts agree on is that the concentration of curcumin is not the same in each extract or capsule.

In the July Thai study, participants took six capsules a day containing 250 mg each of "curcuminoids."

Other health advantages

"Last year, the testing company ConsumerLab.com found that 20 percent of curcumin and turmeric supplements it tested failed the company's quality review. And the cost of getting the amount of curcumin used in this study would range from 39 cents to $1.50 per day, depending on the supplement used," Reuters reported.As for the study's results, Constance Brown-Riggs, a certified diabetes educator and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, said more research was needed but that what had been discovered thus far "is compelling, and the good news is there seemed to be minimal adverse effects."

Other health benefits are thought to be linked to this compound, which is one of the most clinically studied ever.

For example, "scientists agree that curcumin may have anti-inflammatory properties and may act as an antioxidant," says Discovery Health. "Other research is looking into the use of curcumin and turmeric in treating many medical conditions, including Alzheimer's disease, high cholesterol and osteoarthritis."

Even if you don't eat a lot of food from certain cultures that use curry, you have likely eaten something with curcumin. If you've had a hot dog with mustard, you have: curcumin gives mustard its distinctive tangy flavor and yellow color.

Sources:

http://www.greenmedinfo.com

http://www.greenmedinfo.com

http://www.reuters.com

http://health.howstuffworks.com

Protect your heart with Turmeric

by PF Louis 

(NaturalNews) Turmeric and its major active ingredient curcumin are among the top most clinically studied spices and herbs today. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) lists 24 studies.

Western science is investigating via double blind placebo human test, animal testing (in vivo) and test tube petri dish culture testing (in vitro) what has been known and practiced for centuries by Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Ayurvedic Medicine of India: Turmeric is a highly effective anti-inflammatory without adverse side effects.

Turmeric can be taken directly from its plant root or used in foods with powder ground from the roots. Turmeric is used in curries, giving curry its yellow color. Curries are a large part of Indian and Southeast Asian cuisines.

Curcumin extracted from turmeric and placed into capsules offers an inexpensive but intensely therapeutic method of using turmeric's active ingredient.

A recent study

A recent study involved heart bypass operation patients in Thailand. Dr. Wanwarang Wongcharoen led a research team from Chiang Mai University at the University Hospital. They studied 121 consecutive patients who had non-emergency bypass surgery at the hospital between 2009 and 2011.

They were all given one gram pills four times daily, three days before the surgery and five days after. However, half were given sugar pills (placebo group) and the other half was given curcumin capsules. Neither group of patients nor their doctors knew who was taking what. Only the research team knew.

The curcumin group had a 65% lowered risk from post bypass operation heart attacks. That group also showed significantly lower levels of inflammation and oxidative stress markers in their blood. The findings were published in the American Journal of Cardiology.

Turmeric and curcumin applications

Although curcumin capsules are considered ideal for extreme conditions, Dr. Andrew Weil recommends using whole root turmeric powders in food often for preventing inflammatory conditions, considered the root of most coronary, chronic and autoimmune diseases.

Cooking and adding black pepper or mixing the powder with fats like coconut oil helps digest the turmeric's curcumin, which is normally a bit difficult to assimilate. Curcumin capsules should be enteric coated to preserve the curcumin as it passes through digestive juices for assimilation by the small intestines into the blood stream.

Having heart surgery while being injected or fed all sorts of pharmaceuticals provides an intense breeding ground for cardiac inflammation. That's what made the Thailand study so dramatic.

Dr. Dwight Lundell, a retired heart surgeon with 25 years of experience with 5000 surgeries, asserted that inflammation is the root cause of heart disease, not cholesterol or fat. He determined this by actually viewing inflamed inner artery walls.

He explains that inflammation creates atherosclerosis (artery plaque), which occurs from ingesting too much sugar and HFCS (high-fructose corn syrup), toxic processed trans-fats, processed low fat foods, and an omega-3 to omega-6 imbalance.

He further asserts that reducing cholesterol with statin drugs is hazardous to your health, since much of the brain, nervous system, and cell walls throughout the body need cholesterol for their composition (http://www.naturalnews.com).

Turmeric and curcumin have also shown positive effects on preventing and reversing Alzheimer's disease and relieving many types of arthritic conditions (http://www.naturalnews.com/029767_turmeric_alzheimers.html).

Some studies indicate curcumin curbs cancer cell proliferation, even causing some of them to self destruct. There's quite a list of actual positive results from an inexpensive, effective and safe herb or herbal extract.

The fact that coronary disease is still the number one killer in the USA, it would be wise to avoid statin drugs' adverse effects, which includes death by heart failure, while consuming healthy amounts of turmeric powder or curcumin capsules.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.reuters.com

http://www.huffingtonpost.com

http://www.healthdiaries.com

Turmeric and cinnamon combine to lower insulin and triglycerides triggered by high fat meals

by John Phillip 

(NaturalNews) Many spices such as turmeric and cinnamon are powerful antioxidants that continue to gain acceptance as natural nutrients able to assist human health and prevent chronic disease. Researchers from Penn State publishing in The Journal of Nutrition provide strong evidence that these potent spices provide a protective shield to reduce the body`s negative responses to eating high-fat meals. A diet filled with high-fat foods that have been fried or baked with trans fats increases oxidized LDL cholesterol levels and dangerous blood fats known as triglycerides. Turmeric and cinnamon taken before a high fat meal combine to lower the triglyceride response by as much as 30%, preventing a cascade of harmful metabolic events that lead to heart disease and diabetes.

Culinary spices have peaked interest among nutritional scientists in recent years as both turmeric and cinnamon exhibit powerful antioxidant properties that may halt dangerous metabolic imbalances prompted by poor dietary choices. To conduct the study, researchers added 14 grams of a combined turmeric-cinnamon spice blend to a 1200 calorie high-fat meal, and compared the results to a control group not receiving the spice mixture.

Blood samples were taken prior to the meal and then again at 30 minute intervals for the next three and a half hours after eating. Participants were tested again one week later, and the two groups were switched to verify the accuracy of the results. Researchers found that blood levels of insulin were reduced by 21% and triglycerides dropped 31% in response to the turmeric-cinnamon mix.

The study authors found that the spices significantly improved two critical metabolic markers that are associated with increased risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disorders. They commented "Adding spices to the meal significantly increased the ferric reducing antioxidant power, such that postprandial increases following the spiced meal were 2-fold greater than after the control meal." They also found that the two spices interact synergistically and the impact was significantly greater when both spices were administered concurrently, compared to individual results.

Most health-conscious adults can benefit from a wide array of natural spices added to and consumed with many popular foods, regardless of specific dietary approach. Penn State authors concluded "The incorporation of spices into the diet may help normalize postprandial insulin and TG (triglyceride) and enhance antioxidant defenses." Include turmeric and cinnamon to your favorite meals, or take a high quality supplement with meals to maximize your defense against metabolic dysfunction and heart disease.

Article References:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/232710.php
http://www.wellnessresources.com/weight/articles/tumeric_curcumin_and...
http://jn.nutrition.org/content/early/2011/06/22/jn.111.138966.abstra...

Discover the super-food power of turmeric

by Dr. David Jockers 

(NaturalNews) Foods that have an incredible array of health benefits that go well beyond just their nutrient value are considered `super-foods.` Turmeric is an herb native to Southeast Asia that is a true super-food shown to have remarkable healing and anti-inflammatory properties that are just now being discovered.

Cellular inflammation is a common day epidemic that is it is the fundamental cause of degenerative disease in our society. Turmeric has been shown to reduce inflammation & oxidative stress as well as any herbal medicinal ever studied.

Turmeric root is extraordinarily rich in curcuminoid polyphenol anti-oxidants that give it a classic yellow-orange color. The principal crucuminoid is curcumin which is responsible for much of the health benefits attributed to turmeric. The other 2 curcuminoids are desmethoxycurcumin and bis-desmethoxycurcumin.

Blood sugar imbalances and insulin resistant cell membranes are critical factors that promote inflammatory conditions in the body. Curcumin has been shown to stabilize blood sugar and reverse cellular insulin resistance by increasing the number of insulin receptors and improving the receptor binding capacity to insulin.

Curcumin has been shown to activate PPAR (peroxisome proliferator-activator receptor), which is a group of nuclear receptor proteins that regulate gene expression and modulate sugar uptake and utilization from the blood. Curcumin also acts on the liver to decrease the activity of enzymes that release sugar into the blood while increasing activity of enzymes that store sugar. Through these mechanisms, curcumin has been shown to significantly reduce blood glucose and triglyceride levels in diabetic rats.

When blood sugar imbalances occur without sufficient regulation, glucose cross-links are formed with functional proteins. These new molecules are called Advanced Glycolytic Enzymes (AGE`S) that damage cell membranes, vital enzyme systems, and perpetuate inflammatory conditions in the body. Curcumin has been shown to inhibit the formation of these dangerous substances and turn off the inflammatory fires.

Turmeric is the 4th highest anti-oxidant rich herb with an extraordinarily impressive ORAC score of 159,277. These anti-oxidants such as curcumin are very powerful modulators of oxidative stress.

Turmeric also boosts levels of natural cellular anti-oxidants such as glutathione, superoxide dismutase, and catalase. These molecules are critical for the body to limit oxidative stress all day long. The greater the surplus of cellular anti-oxidants the less stress and damage occurs to vital organ systems.

Turmeric`s powerful curcuminoids have been shown to reduce the inflammatory mediating prostaglandins, cytokines and other molecules such as interleukin-6 & tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). This tips the scales; it pulls the body out of an inflammatory cascade and promotes anti-inflammatory behavior at the cellular level.

Turmeric`s ability to inhibit oxidative stress, AGE formation, & inflammatory prostaglandins across multiple organ systems and multiple biochemical pathways makes it an incredibly powerful anti-aging and performance enhancing aid. Through the above mentioned mechanisms turmeric has been shown to reverse diabetes and improve blood vessel elasticity.

This stabilizes blood pressure and improves cardiovascular function. Additionally, by inhibiting pro-inflammatory prostaglandins it is a powerful pain inhibitor and cancer cell inhibitor. Turmeric improves blood flow and reduces brain inflammation, thus making you cognitively sharper while protecting against Dementia, Alzheimer`s, Parkinson`s and every other neurodegenerative disorder. It has been shown to speed up wound healing from cuts & burns while reducing inflammatory skin disorders such as psoriasis and eczema.

Here is one very tasty way of implementing more Turmeric into your lifestyle:

Anti-Inflammatory Lemonade:
1 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice:
(4 -6 lemons)
4-6 cups of clean water (to taste)
1 tsp of ground turmeric
1 tsp of cinnamon
Pinch of volcanic salt
(Himalayan Salt)
1/2 tsp of liquid stevia (or to taste)
Optional: 1 tsp ground/fresh ginger
[Editor`s Note: NaturalNews is strongly against the use of all forms of animal testing. We fully support implementation of humane medical experimentation that promotes the health and wellbeing of all living creatures.]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turmeric
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curcumin
http://www.naturalnews.com/030475_inflammatory_diseases_natural_remed...
http://www.naturalnews.com/028597_superfoods_inflammation.html

Parsley- I was asked what is it good for?? here just some.

We know parsley so well as food, so the idea that could be a medicine seems more like a figure of speech. Cooked in soups, chopped into salads until has became trivialized too much. And yet, you should reconsider parsley, entitling it with the importance it deserve. Few herbs in the world can compare with the efficiency of this vegetable, which if, properly prepared and administered, the therapeutic actions are extremely intense. So intense, that the laboratories of pharmaceutical companies and prestigious universities in the world have studied a lot to learn his secrets. Therefore we should put it where he belongs: among the miracles of nature, growing up in our garden of vegetables.

What we use from the parsley:

Everything! The root is an excellent remineralizing, driver of the kidneys, liver and antiviral drainer. Leaves and stems helps neutralize and eliminate toxins from the body, freshens breath, helps dissolve and eliminate kidney and liver stones. The fruits (seeds) of Parsley are a powerful digestive tonic, strongly stimulates the sexual glands and is an amazingly powerful aphrodisiac, can combat alcoholism. Here are some preparations of parsley..

Leaf juice:

To obtain fresh parsley juice, mix up a handful of fresh leaves with four tablespoons of water, then let it soak for half an hour, then filter. Liquor obtained is best to drink immediately or be stored in a refrigerator, but no more than 4 hours. Fresh juice made from parsley is a powerful medicine, which can also be diluted in a little carrot juice. As a rule, is to be taken four times a day, 4-6 tablespoons of parsley juice, diluted in a quarter glass of carrot juice.

Root juice:

Can be prepared in two ways:

- With a centrifugal juicer: Parsley roots are washed, possibly rubbing them with a stiff brush, but not erase them with a knife, because it would lose some valuable vitamins and enzymes contained in the thin crust on the surface. After washing, cut in pieces, then put in the juicer. The resulting juice is consumed immediately or placed in a bottle and let cool. Should be taken within 30 minutes of preparation, diluted 1:3 in carrot root juice.

- Chopping followed by manual filtering: Parsley roots washed and cut into small pieces, then put it through the manual meat grinder. The paste thus obtained is filtered through a gauze, so the juice finally got to be more clear. The juice is put aside, and the result residue is used for culinary purposes or throw. Must be administred in maximum 30 minutes after getting the juice.

Parsley powder:

Parsley powder is obtained by grinding the seeds with an electric coffee grinder or by crushing them. After grinding, the powder is kept in a refrigerator in a tightly closed jar for the volatile oils to not evaporate. Can be taken half a teaspoon, 2-3 times per day.

Parsley poultice:

Parsley root wrapped on the affected areas. Apply poultices with parsley roots to the affected area for 30-60 minutes, then remove and let air dry the skin. Usually, applications are made daily, but no more than 7 days.

Various diseases are cured by internal treatment with parsley:

- Viral hepatitis. Recent studies have shown that parsley has an unusual effect against viruses that attack the liver. Therefore it is recommended for patients with hepatitis A, B and C to make a cure time of four weeks with fresh parsley juice, fifteen tablespoons per day, taken preferably on an empty stomach, before meals.

- Alcoholism. In a liter of water is put four roots of parsley, lemon and grapefruit peel. Boil this mixture until all drops in half, remove from heat and add two tablespoons of parsley seeds. Allow to cool and then filter. Keep in the refrigerator and take four times a day, a spoon of this preparation, until the entire amount is exhausted. This remedy reduces the need for alcohol, removes some liver and nervous sequelae of alcoholism, even giving an intolerance to the drug. As a palliative against acute alcohol intoxication (drunkenness) and its sequel, can be consumed large amounts of parsley leaves, chew thoroughly before swallowing.

- Cellulite, water accumulation in tissues. The cure consists of parsley root juice, for at least three weeks, during which this time must be taken a glass daily. Additionally, can be made a strong massage to the affected areas with fresh parsley juice.

- Kidney stones and gall. Drink three times daily with 1-2 hours before meals, one quarter cup of parsley juice (from root and leaves), diluted with three quarters of a cup of carrot juice.

- Anorexia. Some leaves of parsley chewed before meals awaken the appetite and activates digestion and is an excellent cure for anorexia. Also, this vegetable combat nausea, being helpful to those with serious illnesses who can not eat because of persistent nausea.

- Halen. Chewing parsley gives a fragrant long breath, acts as an excellent disinfectant on average and upper airways. It is recommended that those who suffer from halitosis, and those with chronic respiratory diseases.

- Recurrent infections, weakened immunity. In Arabic medicine, finely chopped parsley mixed with lemon juice, olive oil and a little garlic (maybe a few slices of tomato) is used as a salad that is given to those who have recurrent infectious diseases. Recent studies from Turkey emphasized that this remedy made from parsley strongly activates the immune system and, moreover, directly address many species of bacteria and fungus.
I hate when people throw the cancer word around but it was part of this study
- Cancerous disease. Salads with more parsley and the juice of parsley leaves and roots are an excellent adjunct in the treatment of cancer. This vegetable keeps a fresh appetite, immune system, supporting the body fight disease, help restore hormonal balance. In addition, parsley combat many of the side effects of radiotherapy and cytostatics.

- Male sterility, impotence. It is a treatment for 40 days, is administered four times a day, half a teaspoon of powdered parsley seed, before meals. For rapid effect, take a single dose of the following prepared: two teaspoons of powder parsley and a pinch of black pepper mix well until smooth. The remedy is taken on an empty stomach.

External treatment with parsley:

- Hernia. One hundred grams of parsley root is boiled for 15 minutes in a pint of soup. Then the removed roots are crushed, put in a gauze and apply as a poultice on the affected area. The resulting from boiling can be taken as is throughout the day, or used for a soup.

- Inflammation of the eyelids and eye. Apply a compress of parsley juice, held for 20 minutes long. Parsley leaves have anti-infective, inflammatory and regenerative effects.

- Against breast inflammation (in lactating women). Place a poultice of leaves and roots of parsley (boiled in water) on the affected area. The application takes 30 minutes and can be repeated daily. Poultice of fresh parsley leaves, uncooked, help to stop lactation.

Precautions of use:

- Juice of parsley (root and leaf) has a therapeutic action so intense, that must not be used undiluted, but mixed with carrot juice, which combines very well.

- In doses greater than 200 ml in adults and 60 ml in children, parsley juice can give side effects such as nerve hyperexcitability, and certain digestive disorders.

- A higher dose of 8 grams of seeds can produces vertigo, twitching and powerful digestive disorders.

Contraindications:

Parsley should not be used for therapeutic purposes by pregnant women, because may cause abortion.

Juiceing?? Foods in season now?? Roots are on the list

What to juiceTry and eat what is in season it's the natural way. Nature was designed to do the detox, fasting, chunking up and slimming down. If you begin to study the seasons you will see for your self when detoxing is normal and how things work.

The root vegetables available at this time of year – including the miraculously nutritious beets – are full of antioxidants that will help keep you healthy during the stress of colder weather. Root veggies are also often full of Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and iron.

What goes in a winter root smoothie?Please try and us organic and as I always say know your farmer when you can. But alway know were it comes from..

 Start with beets, which are packed with antioxidants and other nutrients. Try carrots, a longtime juicing favorite, for sweetness and vitamins. You might also want to try Celery root, a knobby bulb with a mild taste similar to Celery. Celery root is full of minerals, including potassium, and contains Vitamin C as well. If you can’t find Celery root at your local food store, try using stalks of Celery instead. You can also try juicing the stem, fronds, and bulbs of fennel, an herb with lots of compatible flavor and its own share of nutrients.
This juice is mildly sweet, and tastes predominately of carrot and beet, a traditional veggie juice combo. If it’s not sweet enough for your liking, add an apple to the mix. I always like to throw a few raw spinach leaves into any juicing recipe because you can’t really taste it and it adds a great deal of nutrition.

This recipe makes one cup, which you should try to drink the same day you make it; store unused juice in the refrigerator until you’re ready to finish it.

Beet, Carrot, and Celery Root Juice

Ingredients

• 1/4 celeriac (celery root)
• 1/2 fennel
• 1 inch fresh ginger
• 1/2 lemon
• 1 medium carrot
• 1 medium red beet
• 1 small apple (optional)
• 3-4 raw spinach leaves (optional)

Directions
Juice all ingredients in juicer, or use blender and strain. Drink as much as you can immediately, and chill the rest to drink later in the day.

gallbladder and skin detox

Organic burdock root and dandelion root tea: these herbs will help stimulate your gallbladder and as a result induce bowel function. At the same time, this concoction is considered an alterative, meaning it helps cleanse the blood of impurities. Burdock and dandelion root provide many important nutrients to the body such as vitamins A, B, C iron, potassium, silica, and calcium. It is important the roots are decocted to ensure that you receive the most benefit from them. To make the tea, combine 4 tbsp of combined roots with 4 cups of water. Place all ingredients in a pot on the stove. Bring to a boil and then simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes. Strain and drink 2-3 cups daily. Note that it is important to use organic herbs for numerous reasons, but during a cleanse it is especially important to ensure you are not adding toxins to your diet.

organic from china

Here's something I thought you  might be interested in..I copied this from Mike's page please share it if you need too. But remember the other country's don't have to follow the rules as Usa does. It's not just china. Try and know as many farmers as you can. It's time to visit your food sources. Maybe you'll never know them all but it's up to you. You would get to know all the people your children visit or the places you put them in. As in day care , school or friends house. Then you should know something about who grow the food that goes in them.You are worried about things that can hurt your kids and you. You want to keep them safe. You worry about things that go on around them mental scares. Well there's a lot happening to us. But we don't care to look or try and the damage is very real. Things you can't fix maybe. think about it.How would you feel if you made your son finish his broccoli even if he had to set there 20 min. it's good for you. Eat it. then 10 years later after years of Doc and your son may died. You here about radiation leak in japan where it came from an organic farm. Not a real story just an example.  

'Organic' from China exposed: The shocking truth about 'organic' foods grown in the world's worst environmental cesspool Thursday, February 21, 2013 by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger

22K 165 (NaturalNews) When it comes to foods, superfoods and even nutritional supplements from China, "organic" is largely a hoax. This is my opinion, of course, but I've been researching the issue quite extensively as the key decision maker for new products in the Natural News Store. And I've come to the conclusion that "organic" from China is largely a fraud. Here's why... First off, you're going to be shocked to learn thatthere is no limit to how much mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic and aluminum is allowed in "organic" products. It's a fact: USDA organic standards place NO LIMITS on levels of heavy metals contamination of certified organic foods. Even further, there is no limit on the contamination of PCBs, BPA and other synthetic chemicals that's allowed in certified organic foods, superfoods and supplements. At this point, you're probably shaking your head in disbelief and thinking, "No, that can't be true. Organic standards must check for heavy metals and chemical contamination, right?" No! "Organic" certifies a process of how food is grown or produced. It certifies that the farmer doesn'tadd pesticides, herbicides, petroleum-based fertilizer, metals or synthetic chemicals to the crop (among other things), and it certifies that the soil must be free from such things for a certain number of years before organic certification is approved. But organic certification does nothing to address environmental sources of pollution such as chemtrails, contaminated irrigation water, and fallout from industrial or chemical factories that might be nearby. A certified organic farmer can use polluted water on their crops and still have the crops labeled "organic." For this reason: the environment in which organic foods are produced is critical to the cleanliness of the final product. Organic farming in a clean environment produces clean, organic foods. But organic farming in a polluted environment produces contaminated organic foods. And China is one of the most polluted chemical cesspools on the planet. The pictures on the right show some scenes from China, a country suffocating under apollution nightmare. As you view these pictures, ask yourself: Would you eat food grown there? Even if it were sold by Whole Foods and labeled "organic?" China is an environmental nightmare China is a nation that has virtually no environmental regulation enforcement. In China, anything goes: You can dump mercury into rivers. You can spray raw human sewage sludge on crops. You can produce factory-made chemicals and blow the waste products right into the air through smokestacks. In China, many rivers are so toxic that, from time to time, they actually catch on fire and burn. It's so bad that a Chinese environmental official was recently offered over US$30,000 to take a 20-minute swim in a local river. He DECLINED. Why? Because the river there is so polluted that swimming in it would mean certain death. It is this water that's often used in "organic" food and superfood production in China. So even though the farmer is following organic process standards, he may be using irrigation water that's wildly contaminated with metals, chemicals and even pesticide residues. He may be spraying hormone drugs on the crops because there's a pharmaceutical factory upstream. Here's the kicker: In a country with virtually no environmental laws, "organic" food production is largely a fraud because environmental sources contaminate the foods or superfoods being produced there. There are some exceptions to this, by the way. Notably goji berriesare grown at high altitude, far away from the pollution of China's cities and rivers. Goji berries sourced from China tend to be very clean and have very low levels of contamination. There are no doubt other exceptions to the rule, but the difficulty is in knowing what to trust that comes out of China. In North America, "organic" is legitimate precisely because North America has far more strict environmental standards. Organic is clean food, responsibly produced, and consistently less contaminated than conventional food. The same is true across Europe, where organic standards are also strict. But in China, "organic" is often a joke. Almost a hoax, in my opinion. And the laboratory tests bear this out. For example, we just published an investigative story on chlorella showing that "organic" chlorella from China is polluted with nearly ten times the aluminum level of "organic" chlorella from Taiwan. And the cleanest chlorella we found in terms of metals contamination was actually a non-organic chlorella produced in Korea. China is a nation that lacks ethics Remember, too, that China is a communist regime. It is a country where all religion has been outlawed and the people are never taught ethics or morality. They have no moral compass. Across China, the majority of the population believes that the best way to get ahead is to CHEAT, lie and steal, even if it means harming someone else in the process. Remember: China is the country where they put melamine in infant formula, knowing that it will kill little children. China is the country where the paint on children's toys contains obscene levels of brain-damaging lead. China is a nation of shortcut-takers who will do anything to cheapen a product as long as they can cover it up and trick the buyer. This is why "made in China" has, for decades, been synonymous with "crap quality." Here's a little note that will interestpet owners: If you buy pet treats made in China, you are murdering your pet with the most insane chemicals imaginable. The stuff that goes into some pet treats made in China is highly toxic and causes cancer. This is one of the main factors behind the alarming rise of cancers among dogs and cats in North America. All this isn't just secondhand information, by the way: I lived in Asia for two years and traveled extensively throughout the region. I speak a fair amount of Mandarin (Chinese), and I've interacted with lots and lots of people from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. I can tell you that Taiwan is a country with much greater honesty, integrity and quality than China. In Taiwan, religion is allowed and openly practiced (Buddhism, mostly). In Taiwan, there is a sense of responsibility to customers. There is a philosophy of striving for quality. Taiwan is to China like revolutionary America was to the British Empire. Taiwan is a island nation of hard-working, creative, innovative entrepreneurs, and when I look to import products from Asia, I always try to find it in Taiwan first because I know Taiwan means quality. But in China, it's exactly the opposite: There is no sense of responsibility to customers. The overriding philosophy is to screw the customer, even on the very first order, knowing that the customer will never buy from you again! In China, the idea is to CHEAT people rather than make them happy. You see this all the way to the top of the government which is, of course, a police state communist regime where laws are enforced at gunpoint against a completely disarmed and helpless population that has no rights. China is a culture of corruption, deception and exploitation. Now, of course, there are people in China who rebel against all this. There are exceptions to the rule, and there may even be some honest organic food producers in China that buck the trend. Not all mainland Chinese are bad people. Many wish to overthrow the corrupt government and restore freedom, liberty and justice to the country. But because they are all disarmed (China has no Bill of Rights), they are powerless against a dictatorial government. They are slaves to the system. Health Ranger Select brand BANS all foods, superfoods and ingredients from China except for goji berries I made a decision months ago to ban anything produced in China from my own label, with the exception being goji berries. If a food, superfood or supplement has my name on it, I will not use ingredients sourced from China unless I know and can VERIFY the end-product cleanliness of the product. So if you see the "Health Ranger Select" brand or the "Storable Organics" brand, know that it's clean and very carefully sourced. We source from the USA, Canada, European countries, Peru and even Thailand for some ingredients. Mexico is acceptable for some ingredients as well. But China is a big red flag. I simply can't trust that most foods, superfoods or supplements from China are going to be consistently clean and honest. China is the kind of country where you order a sample of a raw material -- say pomegranate juice powder -- and the first batch you receive is really clean and passes all the lab tests. So you order 5000kg of the stuff, and when it arrives, it's all full of lead and pesticides. Chinese medicine herbs from China are notoriously contaminated with lead. The same is true for green tea and many other ingredients that naturally absorb heavy metals. All sorts of products at Whole Foods, by the way, are grown in China but certified "organic." What a joke. Given that China has virtually no environmental enforcement whatsoever, the very idea that something grown in China can be certified "organic" is absurd. Without a clean environment, you can't product clean food even if you follow organic growing standards. So why do so many formulators and food companies in the USA still buy ingredients from China?Because they're CHEAP. Buying from China means higher profit Here's the dirty little secret of the natural products industry... and yes, the "dirty" is quite literal in this case: Raw materials from China are cheap! Across the board, raw materials (foods, superfoods, supplements) from China are about 1/4th the cost of materials grown in North America or Europe. This means getting your ingredients from China grants your product a lot more profit in the marketplace. For those selling through Whole Foods -- whose product shelves are littered with ingredients made in China -- this profit margin is essential to economic survival. If you're buying a superfood powder sold at Whole Foods and paying $50 at retail, the actual ingredient cost that goes into that superfood canister is often as little as $5. So sourcing those materials from China is crucial to having the margins. Whole Foods might only pay your company $22 or so for a product they sell at $50. So your company has to buy the materials, pay for shipping, insurance, labor, packaging, formulations and everything else and still somehow make a profit to stay in business. So you source from China. You make a really nice-looking label, you get it "certified organic" with a nice USDA logo on it, and you sell it to Whole Foods which adds another layer of legitimacy to the product. But inside the bottle, there could be mercury hiding in there. Or pharmaceutical residues. Or pesticide residues. Or just about anything, including melamine. Now, obviously Whole Foods has a level of quality control in place, and they do require C of A's for products they carry. But China is expert at FAKING these documents and tricking importers, formulators and manufacturers. In China, the idea of forging a laboratory analysis document is no big deal. Fabricating fake documents is routine. You have to understand the philosophy of these people living without any code of ethics, surviving under a police state communist regime: There are no ethics. No values. No moral compass. Forging a fake lab report is no different to them than planting seeds: it's just one more step needed to make money. There is no moral difference in their minds between telling the truth and lying. It's a "relativistic" morality philosophy. I'm not saying all people in China are liars and deceivers. But a lot of them are. Anyone who has actually lived there for any length of time knows exactly what I'm talking about. This is a country where deceptive manufacturers take white sesame seeds and coat them in toxic black ink just to sell them as "black sesame seeds." This is a country where infant formula producers spike their formula with kidney-destroying melamine in order to make an extra five cents a pound, even while killing babies by the thousands. THEY DON'T CARE. China is a nation that has abandoned morality and even attacked it. This is a country where the Falun Gong group of meditation advocates and yoga practitioners is arrested and thrown in prison by an extremely oppressive, dictatorial government. Look, cultures are different everywhere around the world. You want to hang out with really nice, intelligent and honest people? Get yourself some Dutch friends. They're the most upstanding, moral, educated bunch of folks you'll ever meet. You want to hang out with highly-innovative rule followers? Get yourself some German friends. They follow the rules. And they're smart, innovative people on top of that. Brilliant minds. Some of the greatest scientists in history came out of Berlin. You want some friends who are wildly creative? Those are Americans. Americans make the best movies, the best music (well, along with UK musicians anyway), and a lot of the best computer software on the planet. Americans are rebels. They break the rules and forge a new path. America is a nation founded on rebellion. But if you're looking for people who will stab you in the back in a business deal, go the China. There, you will find the most back-stabbing, dishonest cheaters and liars you'll probably ever meet, short of Nigera's "Prince Nubula" whose emails promise you'll receive a million dollars if you only send them $5,000 first. Why you won't hear this truth anywhere else I know that telling the truth is unpopular and not politically correct. I'm not interested in winning a popularity contest. What I'm doing here is flat-out telling the truth that most other people are too afraid to say on their own: The very idea of "organic" coming out of China is a disturbing contradiction. And organic standards have a huge gap in the fact that they don't require foods to actually be free from mercury or other contaminants. Overall, organic is a wonderful standard and I've been a strong advocate of organic, but when a "USDA organic" label is slapped on a product grown in China, you really have to scratch your head and say, "Yeah, it might be organic, but is it clean?" It may be, but you just don't know until you test it. "Organic" grown in the USA can be assumed to be clean, but organic grown in China must be assumed contaminated unless proven otherwise. Until China enforces some really strict environmental standards, "organic" from China is largely a fraud in my opinion. It's a hoax. You can lie to yourself and say, "Well it's ORGANIC so it must be clean!" but you'll be swallowing mercury, lead, pesticides and other synthetic chemicals in various amounts. Laboratory tests confirm everything I'm telling you here. This is the dirty little secret of the organic food industry that nobody's talking about. China's environmental nightmare Just how polluted is China's environment? As I mentioned above, it's so bad that a Chinese environmental official was recently offered over US$30,000 to take a 20-minute swim in a local river. He declined the offer, as would any sane person. Are these the same rivers that are being used to produce "organic" crops in China? You have to wonder. A river can be so inundated with smelting factory runoff and chemical pollution that even bacteria struggle to survive in it; yet this water can be legally sprayed on crops that are exported to America as "organic." If you buy "organic" foods, superfoods or supplements grown in China, you need to know about this. As The Guardian reports: A recent government study found that groundwater in 90% of China's cities is contaminated, most of it severely. The head of China's ministry of water resources said last year that up to 40% of the country's rivers are "seriously polluted", and an official report from last summer found that up to 200 million rural Chinese have no access to clean drinking water. By the way, this is another story altogether, but I can tell you with 100% certainty that China is headed for an environmental collapse. The country has polluted itself far beyond the point of long-term sustainable life. Children are being born as mutants. Rivers support no fish life. Soils are building up obscene levels of contaminants and becoming so toxic that crop yields are affected. Cities are so filled with airborne pollution that the mere act ofbreathing causes cancer. And on top of that, China's one-child policy has resulted in mass gendercidewhere baby girls are routinely -- and yes, I mean ROUTINELY -- murdered, drowned, suffocated, etc., because the family wants a son, not a daughter. In its quest for economic power, China has poisoned itself to death, and now it's only a matter of time before the nation collapses in a cesspool of toxicity and lies. The economic "boom" of China is nearly over, and it will be followed by an environmental implosion so huge and disgusting that the world will be absolutely horrified. Remember: China is so corrupt that it won't stop factories from openly dumping toxic waste directly into the groundwater supplies. Instead of acknowledging the source of pollution, Chinese officials simply accept bribes and cover it up. The corruption in China is so deeply rooted in the culture that honesty and accountability can never overcome the deception. With some exceptions, when you buy food grown in China, you are buying food produced in the most toxic environment on planet Earth, grown by some of the most deceptive and most corrupt liars and back-stabbers on the planet, all ruled by one of the most dictatorial and tyrannical governments history has ever known. That about sums it up. Ultimately, China has a terminal environmental crisis on its hands, compounded by an eternally corrupt, dictatorial communist regime government that oppresses freedom and outlaws religion while forcing families to kill their own baby girls under its population control mandates. In summary, China suffers from: • An environmental nightmare • An almost complete abandonment of morals and integrity • A deeply corrupt communist police state political system that mandates the mass murder of baby girls Is this the vibe you really want to be putting into your body? Photo credits: Adam Cohn: http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamcohn/4267886203/ http://www.valuewalk.com/2013/01/china-pollution-leads-to-end-of-low-... http://theboldcorsicanflame.files.wordpress.com http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Factory_in_China.jpg Copyright belongs to username "High Contrast" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Beijing_smog_comparison_August_2005...

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/039195_organic_foods_China_pollution_nightmare.html#ixzz2MWF3lDFP

coconut milk all about it. Everyone's perspective should be.

My recent blog entry about coconut oil generated
 a lot of comments with the same question: Why isn’t
the Alzheimer’s Association researching coconut oil?
 It’s an excellent question and one I get often about
 coconut oil and other substances that have been
 rumored to help people with Alzheimer’s.
At first glance, the answer is simple: we’ve received
 few, if any proposals specifically studying  coconut oil.
 However, we have received a little over half a dozen
 proposals on studies that look at substances derived
 from coconut oil such as ketones. Most recently, we
 funded a study in 2010 by David Morgan, Ph.D
. from the University of South Florida. Find a
summary of his study here: Ketogenesis and Alzheimer Pathology.Continue reading
 “Why aren’t you researching coconut oil or [insert other substance here]?” »

Can coconut oil treat Alzheimer’s?

106 COMMENTSBy Dr. Edgerly, research expert February 5th, 2012 @ 10:59 am

We’ve received quite a few questions recently about whether or not coconut oil can be used to treat
 Alzheimer’s disease. This is a topic that comes up often, so I thought it would be helpful to provide some background:
The claim
This theory has to do with substances called
 ketones. The damage caused by
 Alzheimer’s disrupts the brain’s ability to
 use its primary energy source, known as
glucose. The brain naturally gets a portion
of its energy from ketone bodies when
 glucose is less available (e.g., during
fasting, strenuous exercise, and in
 newborns). Ketones may provide an
alternative energy source to the brain’s
 cells to moderate the damage caused by
 Alzheimer’s disease. The body produces ketones when it metabolizes coconut oil and
 similar substances (fatty acids).
Beyond the headline
Unfortunately, there just isn’t any creditable science to support this idea. It is
mpossible
 for us to know how well coconut oil does or does not work in Alzheimer’s disease
 because there have not been rigorous, large-scale research studies done. Continue
 reading “Can coconut oil treat Alzheimer’s?” »

- See more at: http://www.alzheimersblog.org/tag/coconut-oil/?gclid=CPy0kMaD4bUCFQ6xnQodfEIAPQ#sthash.NmlO5NDE.dpuf10 

Benefits of Coconut Milk

Coconut milk is extracted by grating mature coconuts and squeezing them by using cheesecloth or both bare hands. This milky white liquid is called santam in Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia, and gata in Philippines. It is used in several food recipes like sauces, delicious curries and desserts. Apart from making foods tastier and creamier, coconut milk is also a healthy addition to various food preparations.



Nutritional Values of Coconut Milk:
Following are the nutritional values present in 100 grams of fresh coconut milk:

Calories – 230
Proteins – 2.3g
Fat – 23.8g
Carbohydrates – 5.5g
Dietary fiber – 2.3g
Sugar – 3.35g
Vitamin C – 2.8 mg
Vitamin E – 0.15 mg
Vitamin B1 – 0.026 mg
Vitamin B6 – 0.033 mg
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid) – 0.183 mg
Folate – 16 mcg
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) – 0.76 mg
Iron – 1.64 mg
Selenium – 6.2 mcg
Sodium – 15 mg
Calcium – 16 mg
Magnesium – 37 mg
Phosphorus – 100 mg
Potassium – 260 mg
Benefits of Coconut Milk:
Following are some of the health benefits of coconut milk:

Helps to maintain blood sugar places:
Glucose intolerance may cause manganese deficiency in your body. Coconut milk is a rich source of manganese. Whole grains, legumes and nuts are some other excellent sources of manganese.
Keeps skin and blood vessels flexible and elastic:
Copper is a very important mineral for most of the bodily functions. Copper and vitamin C help to maintain the flexibility and elasticity of the skin and blood vessels.
Aids in building strong bones:
Coconut milk is not rich in calcium, but it is rich in phosphorus. Phosphorus is an essential nutrient that the body needs for strengthening bones. It is must to take phosphorus with calcium particularly to prevent bone loss because it supplies phosphate to the body.
Helps to prevent anemia:
Lack of iron is the most common nutrient deficiency among the people throughout the world. Iron deficiency in body does not allow the body to develop enough hemoglobin for keeping sufficient oxygen levels in red blood cells, resulting in anemia. Each cup of coconut milk supplies the body with nearly a quarter of daily value of iron.
Relaxes muscles and nerves:
Whenever you feel muscle cramps or muscle soreness, have some food along with coconut milk. It is rich in magnesium and can help you in relieving the problem. One of the functions of magnesium is it acts as a gate block in many nerve cells. If magnesium is not present in body, nerve cells become very active because of calcium that activates nerves. Excess contraction of muscles is caused by over-active nerve cells.
Helps in Controlling Weight:
This can be good news for people who are trying to reduce weight. Coconut milk makes you feel full very quickly because of high concentrations of dietary fiber.
Decreases the risk of joint inflammation:
Selenium is an important antioxidant. It controls the free radicals and thereby helps in relieving the symptoms of arthritis. It is observed that people with low levels of selenium may suffer from rheumatoid arthritis.
Helps in lowering high blood pressure:
People who are concerned about their blood pressure will not face any problem consuming foods containing potassium. Potassium helps in lowering blood pressure levels in the body.
Helps in maintaining healthy immune system:
Coconut milk helps in warding off colds and coughs by keeping the immune system healthy. It supplies vitamin C to the body which boosts the immune system.
Promotes the health of prostate gland:
Zinc plays a vital role in promoting the health of prostate gland. A preliminary study showed that it slows down the activities of cancer cells.
I hope the above mentioned information helps you in understanding the relation between health and coconut milk. It can also be consumed by people with cow’s milk allergy. It is free from gluten and soy. Hence people who are allergic to these substances can also use coconut milk.

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3 reasons why coconut milk may not be your friend

By Chris Kresser on June 9, 2011 in Food & Nutrition | 376 comments

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Coconut milk is often a staple fat source for those following a Paleo diet. From a nutritional perspective, it’s an excellent choice. It’s high in saturated fatty acids and medium-chain triglycerides (MCT), which areboth easily burned as fuel by the body. MCTs are particularly beneficial in that they don’t require bile acids for digestion, and they’re directly shunted to the liver via the portal vein.

Coconut milk and fruit can be a great snack for Paleo folks, and coconut milk smoothies make a great Paleo breakfast choice – especially in the summer.

So what could be wrong with coconut milk? Here are three things to consider.

Bisphenol-A

Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a chemical that has been used in consumer goods since the 50s. It’s found in reusable drink containers, DVDs, cell phones, eyeglass lenses, automobile parts and sports equipment. One of the highest sources of BPA is cash register receipts.

We’ve known for decades that BPA has estrogenic activity. In vivo animal studies and in vitro cell-culture research has linked low-level estrogenic activity associated with BPA exposure to all kinds of fun stuff, like diabetes, ADHD, heart disease, infertility and cancer.

Is BPA exposure common? You bet. This CDC report found BPA in the urine of 93% of adults. Perhaps most troubling is that companies like Nestle, Similac, Enfamil and PBM all use BPA in the linings of metal cans holding baby formula. This is scary in light of a recent study which found an association between neurobehavioral problems in infants and high levels of BPA in their mothers.

So why is BPA even legal, you ask? Its safety status is still somewhat controversial. Although I’m not sure how “real” the controversy is.

On the one side you have consumer advocates and independent researchers and scientists who claim that there’s sufficient evidence against BPA, including plausible mechanisms for how it causes harm, to ban it completely. They argue that continued use of BPA in industrial and commercial materials is akin to performing a large, uncontrolled experiment on us all. I tend to agree.

On the other side, you’ve got industry scientists claiming that there’s no significant evidence that low levels of BPA causes harm in humans. If I was a cynic, I might point out that these chemical industry groups are out to protect a multi-billion dollar market from government regulation. Global BPA demand is up to 12 billion pounds and growing at 5% per year.

Okay, back to coconut milk. BPA is used in the lining of certain canned foods. BPA especially leaches into canned foods that are acidic, salty or fatty, such as coconut milk, tomatoes, soup, and vegetables.

So what’s the solution here? In short, if you want to be on the safe side and reduce your exposure to BPA, you have to reduce your consumption of canned foods (including coconut milk) as much as possible. I made this recommendation in 9 Steps for Perfect Health-#3: Eat Real Food.

A study published in Environmental Health Perspectives found that families who ate fresh food for three days with no canned food, and using only glass storage containers, experienced a 60% reduction of BPA in their urine. The reductions were even higher (75%) for those with the highest BPA levels at the beginning of the study.

The good news, however, is that there are at least two brands of coconut milk that don’t have BPA in them. One is Native Forest, which you can purchase on Amazon if it’s not available at your local store. The other is Arroy-D, which is a brand imported from Thailand. You can get it here (but you have to scroll down and order the version that comes in cartons, not the cans at the top). I’m a little suspicious of Arroy-D, though, because one Thai reader mentioned that it does contain other ingredients aside from coconut milk. I don’t read Thai, so I can’t confirm this. If anyone out there can, please leave a comment below.

Coconut milk can also be made quite easily at home, with coconut flakes, a blender and cheesecloth. Here’s a video to show you how (get a load of the soundtrack). I find that blanching the coconut flakes prior to blending improves the results.

Guar gum

The other potential problem with canned coconut milk is guar gum. Guar gum is a galactomannan, which is a polysaccharide consisting of a mannose backbone with a galactose side group. It’s primarily the endosperm of guar beans.

Beans and legumes have a variety of compounds in them that make them difficult to digest, especially for people with digestive problems (1 in 3 Americans, from the latest statistics).

In my clinical experience, many patients with gut issues improve when they remove guar gum from their diet – including canned coconut milk.

Unlike BPA, there’s no evidence that guar gum may cause serious harm. So, if you’re able to tolerate guar gum, I don’t see a problem with buying coconut milk from Native Forest or Arroy-D or making it at home.

Fructose malabsorption

Fructose malabsorption (FM) is a digestive disorder characterized by impaired transport of fructose across the small intestine. This results in increased levels of undigested fructose in the gut, which in turn causes overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine. Undigested fructose also reduces the absorption of water into the intestine.

The clinical effects of FM include: intestinal dysbiosis, changes in motility, promotion of mucosal biofilm, and decreased levels of tryptophan, folates and zinc in the blood. Symptoms produced include bloating, gas, pain, constipation or diarrhea, vomiting and fatigue (to name a few). Recent research has also tied fructose malabsorption to depression.

Lest you think this isn’t a common problem, studies have shown that up to 40% of people in Western countries suffer from fructose malabsorption.

Even in healthy people without fructose malabsorption, however, only about 20-25g of fructose can be properly absorbed at one sitting. Glucose assists in transport of fructose across the intestine, so in general foods with equal amounts of glucose and fructose will be better absorbed than foods with excess amounts of fructose (in relation to glucose).

While fructose malabsorption can cause symptoms in anyone, those with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) or Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) are particularly affected. While the prevalence of FM is the same in healthy populations and those with IBS & IBD, the experience of FM appears to be more intense in the latter group. This is probably due to the increased visceral sensitivity common in IBS and IBD patients.

In fact, one of the most promising clinical approaches to treating IBS & IBD right now is something called the FODMAP diet. FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligo-, Di- and Mono-saccharides And Polyols. These include:

• fructose (fruits, honey, HFCS)
• fructans (wheat, onions)
• lactose (milk sugar)
• polyols (sugar alcohols like sorbitol, xylitol & mannitol, along with fruits like apples, pears and plums)
• galactooligosaccharides (legumes & beans, brussel sprouts, onions)
• other sweeteners like polydextrose and isomalt

Studies have found that restricting FODMAPs can significantly improve the symptoms associated with IBS, IBD and fructose malabsorption.

What does this have to do with coconut milk, you ask? According to Drs. Gibson & Barrett, experts in fructose malabsorption, coconut milk is is a FODMAP and should be avoided by people with digestive conditions like IBS & IBD.

According to NutritionData.com, coconut milk has very little sugar of any kind – including fructose. Nevertheless, I do have patients that cannot even tolerate homemade coconut milk (which has no guar gum in it), even though they are fine with coconut oil. I assume that they are reacting to the fructose in the coconut milk – but I can’t be sure.

Recommendations

Let’s bring this together into recommendations for three different groups of people:

• Women who are trying to get pregnant, pregnant or breastfeeding, children and other vulnerable populations (chronically ill): should avoid canned coconut milk products except for those that are BPA-free, like Native Forest and Arroy-D. Note: Native Forest is organic, but Arroy-D is not.
• People with digestive problems (IBS, IBD, GERD, etc.): may want to avoid coconut products entirely, except for coconut oil
• Healthy people: may be fine with canned coconut milk, provided they don’t react to the guar gum, and provided they’re willing to take the side of industry scientists that claim BPA doesn’t cause harm in humans

Want organic coconut milk – but without the BPA and guar gum?

As of the time of this writing there is no widely available commercial brand of coconut milk that is organic and free of BPA and guar gum. The good news, however, is that with a little extra effort you can easily make this at home yourself.

• Purchase coconut cream (Let’s Do Organic and Artisana are good choices) and blend with water to make coconut milk.
• Purchase shredded coconut (again, Let’s Do Organic is a good choice), and follow the instructions below for making homemade coconut milk.

Homemade coconut milk instructions

Ingredients

• 4 cups water
• 1.5 – 2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes

Instructions

• Heat water until hot (but not boiling).
• Add shredded coconut and water to blender (preferably a Vitamix!) If all of the water won’t fit, you can add it in two batches.
• Blend on high for several minutes until thick and creamy.
• Pour through a colander to filter out the coconut pulp, then squeeze through a cheese cloth
  or nut milk bag to filter the smaller pieces of coconut.
• If you separated the water into two batches, put the strained coconut back into the blender with the second batch of water.
• Drink immediately or store in the fridge. Fresh coconut milk should be used within 3-4 days of making it for the best flavor and texture.

Tagged as: bisphenol-A, BPA, coconut, fodmap, fructans, guar, gum, milk