Murtha Case Thrown Out On Appeal<<<
That makes me want to cuss.
I wanted the real American to win, for he did his job, murtha does not ever do his.
My blood pressure tops, when i see the name ‘murtha’.
http://www.townsendletter.com/FebMarch2005/broth0205.htm
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Traditional Bone Broth in Modern Health and Disease
by Allison Siebecker Search this site
Introduction
Broth, made from the bones of animals, has been consumed as a source of nourishment for humankind throughout the ages. It is a traditional remedy across cultures for the sick and weak. A classic folk treatment for colds and flu, it has also been used historically for ailments that affect connective tissues such as the gastrointestinal tract, the joints, the skin, the lungs, the muscles and the blood. Broth has fallen out of favor in most households today, probably due to the increased pace of life that has reduced home cooking in general. Far from being old-fashioned, broth (or stock) continues to be a staple in professional and gourmet cuisine, due to its unsurpassed flavor and body. It serves as the base for many recipes including soup, sauces and gravy. Broth is a valuable food and a valuable medicine, much too valuable to be forgotten or discounted in our modern times with our busy ways and jaded attitudes.
Definition
In general, broth is a liquid made by boiling meat, bones, or vegetables. There are many types of broths, based on what is being cooked. For example, Bieler Broth, a vegetable broth made with green beans, zucchini, and celery is a supportive remedy used in detoxification or cleansing protocols. Consommé, a rich broth made from meat, is another example. It is prepared by reducing, or prolonged simmering. Stock is another word used synonymously with broth, though some chefs denote stock as being made from bones whereas broth is made from meat. In this paper the two names are used interchangeably. Soup is a similar term referring to simmered vegetables, meat, and seasonings, and is defined by Random House Webster’s Dictionary as a liquid food.1 The difference is that soup contains solids such as meat, beans, grains or vegetables (sometimes disguised by a purée) while a broth is the liquid in which solids have been simmered and then discarded. Soup is what we think of as having for a meal. Broth is a starting ingredient for soup, and must be prepared separately beforehand.
Method
The ingredients are as follows: bones from an animal, with or without meat and skin, enough water to just cover the bones, a splash of vinegar, and optional assorted vegetables or their scraps. Making broth requires almost no work, just put the bones in a pot, add water and vinegar, bring it to a simmer and walk away. No chopping or tending is needed.
Why then, don’t people make it? Stock needs to be prepared in advance to mealtime. It needs to boil for hours, and the longer it simmers, the better it gets. An easy solution is to routinely put meat scraps into a pot, instead of the garbage can. Broth can just as easily be extracted from a single chicken breast bone as it can from a whole chicken, and it need not be raw. Broth can be allowed to simmer on lowest heat for a day or two. The greatest amount of work is at the end, when it must be strained, cooled, and put into containers, still not very troublesome. It can be kept in the refrigerator for about five days, or frozen for months.2 With stock on hand, homemade soup can be ready for dinner within 20 minutes. (See Appendix A for more recipe details.)
Nutritional Contents
Basically then, broth will contain the ingredients that are in bone. Covering and adhering to the ends of bones to form a joint, is cartilage. Therefore broth will also contain the ingredients that are in cartilage. Bone and cartilage are both classified as connective tissue. Connective tissue is one of the four basic tissue types that exist in animals. It functions to bind or hold together and to support and strengthen the body. Connective tissue consists of a matrix, and cells that secrete the matrix. The matrix is the material that fills the space between the cells and is therefore referred to as the extracellular matrix. It is composed of protein fibers, and ground substance, which can be a liquid, a gel or a solid. Since the cells are few, it is the valuable nutrients from the matrixes of bone and cartilage, which create the substance called broth. (Table I)
Table I: Connective Tissue
Extra Cellular Matrix Cells
Ground Substance Protein Fibers
Bone:
calcium
phosphorus
magnesium
sulfur
fluoride
sodium and potassium
Bone:
collagen I (90%)
collagen III
Bone:
osteocytes
Cartilage:
chondroitin sulfate
keratin sulfate
hyaluronic acid
Cartilage:
collagen II
elastin
Cartilage:
chondrocytes
Bone
The primary functions of bone are to provide a support framework, protect organs, store and release minerals, produce blood cells and store energy. In the matrix of bone, the protein, collagen, forms the fibers. Collagen has the ability to resist a pulling or tearing force, called tensile strength. It is flexible and rubbery. The other matrix component, the ground substance, is made of mineral salts. Calcium and phosphorus, in a composite called hydroxyapatite, and some calcium carbonate, form 65% of the ground substance. Water contributes 25%. The remaining 10% is formed by magnesium, sodium, potassium, sulfate and fluoride.3,4 (Table I) The inorganic minerals form a solid ground substance and give bone its hardness. If bones were made only of collagen they would be rubbery, but if they were made only of minerals, they would be brittle. Together they make bone flexible and hard.
Bone Marrow
In a central cavity, bone also houses marrow. There are two types of bone marrow, red and yellow. Red bone marrow is the location for the manufacture of the cells in blood. It produces the cells in their immature forms. The final conversion into mature blood cells occurs outside the bone marrow. The cells made in the red marrow are myeloid stem cells, the precursors to red blood cells, and lymphoid stem cells, the precursors to white blood cells and platelets. Red blood cells carry and deliver oxygen to other cells, white blood cells are part of the immune system, and platelets allow for clotting. Red bone marrow also contains collagen protein fibers, sometimes called reticulin fibers, classified as type III collagen.5 (Table I) In comparing why less chicken parts compared to beef parts are needed to produce a similarly strong tasting broth, the authors of The Best Recipe cookbook suggest that chicken bones have a higher concentration of red marrow, and that this considerably enhances flavor.6
Yellow bone marrow is a storage site for energy in the form of lipids or fats. It contains adipocytes within which fat is stored. It also contains a small amount of blood cells and type III collagen fiber.7 (Table I)
Cartilage
Cartilage is deposited in varying places in the body including the nose and ear. The joint cartilage is the primary type that gets incorporated in broth. It functions as a shock absorber and to reduce friction. In the matrix of cartilage, the fiber component is collagen protein and elastin protein. Like collagen, elastin provides strength, but it also provides stretch. It can stretch up to one and a half times its original length.8 The other matrix component, ground substance is made of the glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) chondroitin sulfate, keratin sulfate and hyaluronic acid. The GAGs form a gel ground substance that gives cartilage its resilience. (Table I)
Cartilage has enjoyed fame as a supplement for osteoarthritis in the form of shark cartilage. It has been studied for joint disease, and gastrointestinal disease. Prudden found that cartilage dramatically improved degenerative joint disease, including rheumatoid arthritis. He also found that it improved inflammatory bowel disease.9
Cartilage has a poor blood supply. It actually produces chemicals known as antiangiogenesis factors (AAFs) that inhibit the growth of blood vessels into it. This seemingly unfortunate quality can actually be used to advantage in the fight against cancer. Cancer cells grow very rapidly. They achieve rapid proliferation by stimulating the growth of new blood vessels to support themselves. AAFs are now being used as a treatment to inhibit the growth of blood vessels into cancer cells.10 As a medicine, AAFs are given in the form of cartilage.11
Cartilage supplementation also stimulates B, T, and macrophage immune cells.12 According to Murray and Pizzorno, malnutrition (protein deficiency) is the most common form of immune suppression in the world.13 That is because the immune system is composed primarily of protein, including antibodies, receptors and chemical signalers. When it is further considered that 80% of the immune system lines the gastrointestinal tract, the role of cartilage gains importance, since it can nourish both the gut and the immune system.14
Pharmaceutically prepared cartilage is very expensive, often prohibitively so. Of course cartilage can be extracted at home, by making broth. Broth recipes stress the quality that can be obtained from using highly cartilaginous parts of animals. These parts will be joint areas, like chicken feet and beef knuckles, trachea and ribs, or anatomy with a concentration of glycosaminoglycans, like hooves and skin.
To summarize, cartilage (broth) can be considered for use in the following conditions: arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis), cancer, decreased immune system states, and malnutrition.
Collagen and Gelatin
Collagen comes from the word kolla, which means glue. True to its verbal root, it has been used as glue in the past. It functions to hold the body together. One fourth of all the protein in the body is collagen.15 It is the framework for the extra cellular matrix of bone, cartilage and skin. Another word for collagen is gelatin. Collagen is a scientific term for a particular protein in the body, while gelatin is a food term referring to extracted collagen. It is usually encountered in powdered form, but gelatin also describes the collagen extracted into broth. Properly prepared broth will gel, just like Jell-O, when cooled, because collagen is rubbery and flexible. Webster’s Dictionary defines gelatin as “the…substance extracted by boiling bones, hoofs, and animal tissues.”16 Since collagen is present in both bone and cartilage, it can be extracted from either of the two connective tissues and be labeled as gelatin. Most commercial gelatin today is extracted from animal skin, another connective tissue which contains collagen.17,18 Gelatin, is what most people think of as the main ingredient in broth. Bone broth differs from gelatin in that it also contains minerals and GAGS. Traditionally made stock uses bone and cartilage and produces a higher quality result. It also produces a safer result considering that commercial gelatin contains small amounts of monosodium glutamate (MSG).19
Gelatin
Although it seems obscure today, gelatin has been studied and recommended, with great enthusiasm, by the medical community in the past. In 1937 Dr. Pottenger said, “Gelatin may be used in conjunction with almost any diet that the clinician feels is indicated.”20From the late 1800s to the mid-1900s, gelatin was the subject of many studies, and these were summarized in the book, Gelatin in Nutrition and Medicine, by Dr. Gotthoffer.21 In her article, “Why Broth is Beautiful,” nutritionist Kaayla Daniel speculates that one of the reasons gelatin is so infrequently studied today, is due to a lack of standardization. Without a consistent item, researchers in the past found it difficult to reproduce findings.22 In Gotthoffer’s survey, one general area of health prescription clearly comes to the fore, and that is digestion. Most notably, he refers to over 30 years of research on gelatin’s ability to improve the digestion of milk. In the early 1900s gelatin was therefore recommended as an ingredient in infant formula, to decrease allergic reactions, colic and respiratory ailments. Gelatin was also reported to increase the digestibility of beans and meat (which gives credence to the practice of serving meat with gravy). It was also found that gelatin increased the utilization of the protein in wheat, oats and barley, all gluten containing grains.23 Gluten is a notoriously difficult to digest protein for many people. Those that suffer from gluten allergy are diagnosed with Celiac disease, a debilitating condition.
Gotthoffer also found gelatin to be prescribed for both hyper- and hypo-stomach acidity. He cites three physicians who report gelatin to “work better and more rapidly than bismuth and tannin” in clinical practice.24 A more recent study by Wald, demonstrated that glycine (a main ingredient in gelatin) stimulates gastric acid secretion.25
Another recent study found that “gelatin as feed supplement protected against ethanol-induced mucosal damages in rats.”26 This directly supports the traditional thought that broth is healing and coating to the gastrointestinal lining, and gives a scientific explanation for broth’s ability to calm and soothe. Gelatin has also been found to improve body weight as well as bone mineral density in states of protein undernutrition.27 Additionally, studies have shown that convalescing adults, who have lost weight because of cancer, fare better if gelatin is added to their diet. It is said to be tolerated when almost nothing else can be.28
Some of the medical communities in other parts of the world value gelatin too. In Chinese herbal medicine, gelatin is an important herbal remedy, in use for thousands of years. Its Chinese name is e jiao. It is classified as a tonic herb. Tonics strengthen or supplement insufficiency and weakness. They are considered nourishing and enhance the body’s resistance to disease. They are used for states of deficiency. Gelatin is used to tonify the blood, in particular. This correlates to Western medical knowledge since, as we will see, glycine, a key ingredient in gelatin, plays a vital role in the blood. (Table II) Also if gelatin is extracted from bone, then marrow, where blood cells are produced is also extracted. Chinese studies have shown gelatin to increase red blood cell and hemoglobin count, increase serum calcium level, increase the absorption and utilization of calcium, and prevent and treat myotonia atrophica (muscle wasting).29
To summarize, gelatin (broth) can be considered for use in the following conditions: food allergies, dairy maldigestion, colic, bean maldigestion, meat maldigestion, grain maldigestion, hypochlorhydria, hyperacidity (gastroesophageal reflux, gastritis, ulcer, hiatal hernia) inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis), irritable bowel syndrome, leaky gut syndrome, malnutrition, weight loss, muscle wasting, cancer, osteoporosis, calcium deficiency and anemia.
Collagen
Over 15 types of collagen have now been identified, but histology classifies three main types.30 Type I is in bone, skin, ligaments, tendons and the white of the eye. Type II is in cartilage. Type III is in bone marrow and lymph, and is also called reticulin fiber.31 (Table I)
Protein fibers are created by stringing together amino acids, the building blocks of protein. Collagen differs from the average protein in that it is composed of a high concentration of certain amino acids. Specifically, about one third of collagen is composed of glycine, the smallest amino acid. Another third of collagen is composed of proline (and hydroxyproline, the active form of proline).32 The small size of glycine along with the properties of proline, allows for the unique triple helix shape of collagen. A smaller portion of the amino acids lysine (and hydroxylysine) are also incorporated into collagen. The remaining structure is made from other amino acids that vary. (Table II)
Scurvy is a disease caused by a deficiency of vitamin C. It results in symptoms such as bleeding gums, bruising, and poor wound healing. These manifestations are actually due to a deficiency of collagen, because vitamin C is needed to synthesize collagen. It converts proline into hydroxy proline.33 Collagen, along with minerals are needed for the creation and healing of bone. It is also integral to cartilage formation and repair, along with GAGs.
To summarize, collagen (broth) can be considered for use in the following conditions: poor wound healing, soft tissue injury (including surgery), cartilage and bone injury (including dental degeneration).
Table II:34
Amino Acid Profile of Gelatin
Glycine
Proline
Hydroxyproline
Lysine
Hydroxylysine 27.2 g/ 100 g
15.5 g/ 100 g
13.3 g/ 100 g
4.4 g/ 100 g
0.8 g/ 100 g
Glycine
Glycine is the simplest amino acid. It contributes to the manufacture of other amino acids and is incorporated into important structures in the body. It is a primary ingredient in the synthesis of heme, the vital portion of our blood that carries oxygen. It is used in the synthesis of creatine, which buffers energy and shuttles energy across membranes in muscle tissue, especially the heart. It contributes to the synthesis of bile salts. It is incorporated into purines and pyrimadines, and nucleic acids, which form our DNA and RNA. It is used as a cofactor in phase I detoxification, during the final oxidation.35 It is one of the three amino acids needed to form glutathione, the key phase II detoxification enzyme. Glycine is used in gluconeogenesis, the synthesis of glucose from amino acids (protein) during times of fasting, and therefore affects the stabilization of blood glucose levels.36
Glycine is classified as a nonessential amino acid because we can synthesize it within our body. Not all scientists believe it is unnecessary to consume it though. In fact, Yu and associates found that glycine metabolism is directly responsive to dietary glycine and that prolonged abstinence in the diet may limit the formation of heme, glutathione, purines and creatine.37 Jackson has concluded that a marginal state of glycine is more common then previously thought.38 Jackson also found that certain conditions increase our need for glycine, such as sickle cell anemia and pregnancy. In the case of sickle cell anemia, the high rate of heme destruction increases the requirement for glycine.39 In pregnancy, the growing fetus creates a demand for glycine that is two to ten times greater than normal, and two to ten times greater than the need for other amino acids.40
Additional studies have reported positive results with glycine for health conditions. Fogarty states that glycine is “associated with a strongly reduced risk of asthma.”41 Wald demonstrated that glycine stimulates gastric acid secretion.42 In a study on wound healing, Minuskin theorized that glycine was particularly helpful due to its high concentration in connective tissue and also due to the increased need for creatine in wound healing.43 It has also been found to be the rate limiting step in rapid growth, of which both wound healing and fetus growth are an example.44 Lastly, Ottenberg stated that “the ability of the liver to perform protective synthesis is limited by the amount of glycine available,” and further recommended gelatin as a glycine supplement for patients with jaundice and other liver problems.45
Broths are often used in modified fasting and cleansing regimes. In the fasting state, glycine is used for gluconeogenesis. During periods of fasting when no food or energy source is being consumed, our body breaks down our own protein tissues, such as muscle, to create energy from. If broth is consumed, it supplies an outside source of glycine, which limits or prevents degeneration during the fast. Since glycine is also used for phase I and II detoxification, it puts broth into the category of a liver tonic (or liver supportive). Broth helps the body to detoxify during a cleanse, and in fact at any time it is eaten.
To summarize, glycine (broth) can be considered for use in the following conditions: anemia, fatigue, detoxification, blood sugar dysregulation, muscle wasting, wound healing, pregnancy, infant and childhood growth, asthma, hypochlorhydria, jaundice and liver support.
Proline
Proline is found in most of the proteins in the body. One of its main roles is in the structure of collagen. It is therefore incorporated into connective tissues such as bone, skin, ligaments and tendons, and cartilage. Proline is also considered a nonessential amino acid, but as with glycine, it may be considered ‘conditionally essential’ in that it is important to consume proline dietarily. Research shows that proline levels drop significantly when it is absent from the diet.46 Proline has also been shown to have beneficial effects for memory and the prevention of depression.47
Glycosaminoglycans
There are other compounds in broth that gel besides collagen. The ground substance of cartilage is made of proteoglycans, huge sugar and protein molecules. Attached to a core protein are long strands of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) also called mucopolysaccharides. These structures are naturally jellylike. As mentioned, the GAGs in cartilage are hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate and to a lesser degree, keratin sulfate. Hyaluronic acid forms a central strand to which chondroitin and keratin sulfate bond.
Hyaluronic acid
Hyaluronic acid is strongly negatively charged, which allows it to attract and bond a large amount of water. This molecule is therefore aptly entitled hydrophilic, or water-loving. Dr. Francis Pottenger, who researched gelatin in the 1930’s, believed that this hydrophilic nature was at the root of gelatin’s digestive benefits by attracting digestive juices to the surface area of our food. He coined the term “hydrophilic colloids” to describe this process.48,49 Hyaluronic acid is viscous and slippery. It lubricates joints and helps in wound healing by assisting migration of phagocytes.
Chondroitin sulfate
Chondroitin Sulfate is a jellylike substance, now famous as a supplement for joint pain associated with osteoarthritis. It functions to support and provide adhesiveness. It lines blood vessels and plays a role in lowering atherosclerosis, cholesterol and heart attacks.50
Minerals
Minerals have three major functions in the body. First, they provide a structural base for connective tissue like bone. Second, they create electrical potentials allowing for conduction of nerve signals and movement across cell membranes. Third, they act as catalysts for enzymes in physiologic processes, and as Paul Bergner says in The Healing Power of Minerals, “transform the food and air we breathe into energy, vibrant health, and consciousness.”51
Minerals are essential to life but they are not easy to digest. In the stomach, the presence of hydrochloric acid is necessary to physically break down our food, but also to extract elemental minerals from the food that we’ve eaten. A similar reaction takes place in the making of broth. An acid is necessary to remove the minerals from the bone. This is the purpose of using vinegar (acetic acid) when making broth. As stated in The Principles of Anatomy and Physiology, “If inorganic minerals are removed by soaking bone in a weak acid such as vinegar, it results in a rubbery, flexible structure.”52 This rubbery flexible structure is the leftover collagen/gelatin. The chemical reaction that extracts the minerals is an acid base reaction, in which the vinegar is the acid, and the minerals are the base.53
According to The Best Recipe cookbook, the US FDA and Department of Agriculture set no standards of definition for chicken broth or stock. The authors were wondering why commercially available broth was so flavorless, lacking in body and generally inferior to the homemade version. Their conclusions were that the ratio of water to chicken must be high, giving a dilute result, and that the high, long heating involved in canning destroys the flavor compounds. Canned broth that tasted good to them had high sodium and MSG. They did find that broth sold in aseptic packaging, which is subjected to a shorter duration of heat, called flash heating, tasted more flavorful than canned broth.54
Since there are no standards for the preparation of, or ingredients in, commercial broth, it is possible that manufacturers are skipping the vinegar step, or perhaps not even using bones, both of which would leave the broth devoid of minerals. This may be why canned soup does not contain the same amount of minerals as home cooked. The milligrams of minerals in vegetable soup increase 2-8 fold when cooked at home.55
Bone contains calcium and phosphorus, and to a lesser degree, magnesium, sodium, potassium, sulfate and fluoride. Bone is an excellent source of minerals. All of the minerals present in bone, except fluoride, are macrominerals, which are essential for proper nutrition and are required in greater amounts than 100mg/day.56 The only macromineral not present in bone is chlorine. Minerals have numerous functions in the body beyond the composition of bone, which is why the body will rob the bones and tissues to maintain steady levels of minerals in the blood and other fluids.
Deficiencies of minerals can be acquired, similar to vitamin deficiencies. Generally there are two ways this can happen, lack of intake in the diet, or lack of absorption in the intestines. Broth can be an excellent remedy for both of these causes of mineral deficiency because it provides easily absorbed extracted minerals, plus promotes healing of the intestinal tract. Unlike vitamins, minerals do not have defining deficiency diseases, but rather a collection of associated deficiency signs, symptoms and diseases. Interestingly, many of the deficiency symptoms of minerals are mood and behavior disturbances. This offers a scientific explanation for broth’s ability to soothe and stabilize. It is reasonable to assume that previous to the development of pharmaceutical mineral supplements, bone broth was an important supply of minerals, especially in the winter when fresh fruit and vegetables are less available, and warm food is preferred. Even just one generation ago broth was a part of most household and restaurant repertoires. Yet today, neither nutrition nor science textbooks list bone as a dietary source of minerals.
Calcium
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in bone, present both as hydroxyapatite (bonded to phosphorus) and calcium carbonate. It is also the most abundant mineral in the body. Calcium is necessary for the normal functioning of nerve conduction and muscle contraction (including the regulation of the heartbeat). It facilitates neurotransmitter release, and hormone action via its relay role as a second messenger, thus playing an important role in mood and endocrine balance. Proper blood clotting and tissue repair is also dependent on calcium. It is necessary for the passage of fluids between cell walls. It is a cofactor for the activity of hundreds of enzymes. It is involved in the production of the body’s primary energy source, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), due to its role as a citric acid cycle intermediate. Calcium is involved in immune function by helping to stabilize mast cells. It regulates cell reproduction and it also regulates the manufacture of proteins. As we can see, calcium is a vitally important mineral, so important, that it is maintained at a constant amount in the bloodstream at all times, to be readily available for the body’s needs.
Intake of calcium is reported to be low in the American diet.57 Calcium (broth) can be considered for use in the following deficiency signs, symptoms and conditions: pain and inflammation, cramps, muscle spasms, delusions, depression, insomnia, irritability, hyperactivity, anxiety, palpitations, hypertension, high cholesterol, allergies, brittle nails, periodontal and dental disease, pica, rickets, osteomalacia, osteoporosis and any situation that creates bone loss such as aging, immobilization, postmenopause, and caffeine, tobacco, and alcohol use.
Phosphorus
Phosphorus is an ingredient of ATP, the body’s source of energy. It is therefore a regulator of all enzymes via activation reactions. It is a component of nucleic acids, which make up our DNA, phospholipids which make up our cell membranes, and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) which as a second messenger, relays information into the cells. It buffers acids, and regulates osmotic pressure intracellularly.
Phosphorus (broth) can be considered for use in the following phosphorus deficiency signs, symptoms and conditions: decreased attention span, fatigue, weakness, muscle weakness, celiac or sprue disease, rickets, osteomalacia, primary hyperparathyroidism and seizures.
Magnesium
Magnesium is present in enzymes that generate and stabilize ATP. It is involved in over 300 enzyme reactions and acts as a cofactor for vitamins B1and B6. It is involved in the synthesis of cAMP, fatty acids, proteins, nucleic acids and prostaglandins via delta 6 desaturase. It contributes to muscle excitability, nerve transmission and allows the parathyroid gland to function normally. Magnesium deficiency is the most common dietary deficiency in the U.S. Magnesium levels in the diets of 10 different, non-industrialized groups, still eating their traditional diets, were 130–2,850% higher than are consumed in the modern diet.58 Magnesium deficiency causes a reduction in all antibodies (except IgE) and antibody forming cells due to its involvement in protein synthesis.59
Magnesium (broth) can be considered for use in the following magnesium deficiency signs, symptoms and conditions: loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, nervousness, anxiety, restlessness, confusion, hyperactivity, insomnia, muscular irritability and weakness, allergies, immunodepression, kidney stones and heart attack.
Sodium and Potassium
The electrolytes sodium and potassium have a major influence on osmotic balance between cells and the interstitial fluid (electrolyte balance), establishing ion gradients across cell membranes, and neutralizing positive and negative charges on proteins and other molecules. Their electrical conductivity is necessary for nerve signals, muscle contraction (including the heart) and hormone/ neurotransmitter release. Sodium, in particular, is important in nerve and muscle function and maintaining water balance. Potassium acts as a catalyst in carbohydrate and protein metabolism. Intake of potassium is low in the American diet.60 Both minerals are involved in helping us adapt to stress, and during situations of prolonged stress such as cancer, the body’s stores can be depleted.
Potassium (broth) can be considered for use in the following potassium deficiency signs, symptoms and conditions: cramping, shallow breathing, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, confusion, increased urination, and heart attack.
Sodium (broth) can be considered for use in the following sodium deficiency signs, symptoms and conditions: muscle weakness, dizziness, headaches, hypotension, increased heart rate, shock, mental confusion, stupor and coma.
Sulfur
Sulfur is a component of connective tissues (cartilage and skin, as chondroitin and keratin sulfate), proteins (enzymes and antibodies), hormones, and B vitamins (thiamin and biotin). It is involved in energy production, blood clotting, phase II detoxification and bile secretion from the liver.
Sulfur (broth) can be considered for use in degenerative arthritis, and detoxification.
Fluoride
Fluoride is not considered an essential mineral for humans. Its function is to stimulate and strengthen bone as it is being formed.
Food or Medicine?
Is broth a food or a medicine? It has traditional use as both. As a food it is generally incorporated into other dishes, serving as a base structure to make soup, stew, sauce or gravy, or to cook grains and beans in, instead of water. Broth is not a complete protein, since it only contains three amino acids. A complete protein needs to contain all 8 essential amino acids. Therefore it is not a meat replacement, but it can be used as a meat extender. Since glycine is used to make other amino acids, it is considered protein sparing. In addition, because glycine is used to make energy in gluconeogenesis, consuming glycine spares your own body protein from being broken down to make energy. Broth is not a meal replacement, which is why it is used as a starting point for soup, or as the first course of a meal.
As a medicine, it is often used alone, sipped at intervals or drunk much like a tea. The word tea, besides referring to the popular beverage, also refers to a form of herbal medicine. “Tea” can be used to describe an infusion or a decoction. To make an infusion, pour boiling water onto herbs, let soak for 5–10 minutes, discard the herbs, and drink the tea. This is how black tea, is made. A decoction differs in that it is made by directly boiling the herbs in water, for 20–40 minutes. This method is used on substances that are tougher, like roots, or bones. Broth is a bone and cartilage decoction, or tea. What this process is doing, with herbs or bones, is removing the active chemical ingredients into the water by means of heat, time, and acid, making the nutrients immediately available to absorb. (Vinegar is also used to remove the minerals from plants when making extractions.)60 Using the standard of herbal formulation, broth qualifies as a medicine.
Being both a food and a medicine, broth has some distinct benefits. In general, food is a form of medicine that has few side effects and is difficult to overdose on. There is less likelihood of forgetting to take the medicine, since eating is a part of a normal daily routine. This is especially true if the medicinal food can be incorporated into established eating patterns, such as using broth to cook grain for a patient who eats grain on a regular basis. Using leftover meat and vegetable scraps to make medicine is a pretty smart form of recycling. It is an example of using the entirety of what Nature provides. Most importantly, broth tastes good, it’s a delicious food that people enjoy eating, and that makes the best medicine.
Conclusion
Broth can be thought of as a protein supplement, and a calcium supplement. The chemical ingredients extracted from broth are glycine and proline (collagen/ gelatin), calcium and phosphorus (minerals), hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate (GAGs), and other minerals, amino acids and GAGs in smaller amounts.
It’s time we reclaim broth making from the past. The All New Joy of Cooking describes broth as inherently calming, consoling, and restorative to our spirit and vigor.61 Brewing broth fills a home with an aroma of indefinable goodness. That, in itself, is medicine. Because it’s easy to absorb, tastes good, and contains a rich concentration of nutrients, broth makes a distinctively good medicine.
In conclusion, rather than revisiting the disorders broth may be applied to, (see Appendix B for a complete listing) a review of definitions associated with broth may illustrate its benefits more accurately:
To ‘support and strengthen’ the function of connective tissue. To ‘support and protect’ the function of bone. To ‘store energy,’ the function of yellow bone marrow. To act as a ‘shock absorber and reduce friction,’ the function of cartilage. To be ‘flexible and strong,’ the function of collagen. To ‘hold it together’ and ‘keep it together,’ also the function of collagen. To ‘soup up,’ to increase the power or speed of. To ‘put stock in,’ to trust.62
Appendix A
Basic Broth Making and Usage
Ingredients
1. Bones—from poultry, fish, shellfish, beef, lamb*
* cooked remnants of a previous meal, with or without skin and meat
* raw bones, with or without skin and meat**
* use a whole carcass or just parts (good choices include feet, ribs, necks and knuckles)
* don’t forget shellfish shells, whole fish carcasses (with heads) or small dried shrimp
2. Water—start with cold water
* enough to just cover the bones
* or 2 cups water per 1 pound bones
3. Vinegar—apple cider, red or white wine, rice, balsamic
* a splash
* 2 tablespoons per 1 quart water or 2 pounds bones
* lemon juice may be substituted for vinegar (citric acid instead of acetic acid)
4. Vegetables (optional)—peelings and scraps like ends, tops and skins or entire vegetable
* celery, carrots, onions, garlic and parsley are the most traditionally used, but any will do
* if added towards the end of cooking, mineral content will be higher
Recipe
Combine bones, water and vinegar in a pot, let stand for 30 minutes to 1 hour, bring to a simmer, remove any scum that has risen to the top, reduce heat and simmer (6–48 hrs for chicken, 12–72 hrs for beef). To reduce cooking time, you may smash or cut bones into small pieces first. If desired, add vegetables in last ½ hour of cooking (or at any point as convenience dictates). Strain through a colander or sieve, lined with cheesecloth for a clearer broth. Discard the bones. If uncooked meat was used to start with, reserve the meat for soup or salads.
An easy way to cook broth is to use a crockpot on low setting. After putting the ingredients into the pot and turning it on, you can just walk away. If you forget to skim the impurities off, it’s ok, it just tastes better if you do. If you wish to remove the fat for use in gravy, use a gravy separator while the broth is warm, or skim the fat off the top once refrigerated. Cold broth will gel when sufficient gelatin is present. Broth may be frozen for months or kept in the refrigerator for about 5 days.
Usage
1. Soup—Make soup by adding vegetables, beans, grains or meat to broth. Briefly cook vegetables and meat with butter or oil in the bottom of a stockpot (5 minutes). Add broth, and grains or previously soaked beans if you wish. Simmer until everything is cooked through. Time will vary with the ingredients used, but count on a minimum of 20 minutes. Season at the end of cooking with salt and pepper and spices of your choice. Consult cookbooks for specific recipe ideas.
2. Cooking Liquid—Use broth in place of water to cook rice, beans or other grains. Bring broth to a boil, add grains or beans, reduce heat and cook for instructed time. Or you can simmer vegetables or meat in a little seasoned broth until cooked. Remove to a plate, thicken broth with cornstarch, arrowroot or flour, then pour over vegetables and meat.
3. Gravy—Make gravy to put on vegetables, meat or biscuits. Put fat (removed from the broth, or use butter) in a skillet. Add any type of flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, and stir constantly until browned. Whisk in broth and cook till thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Tea—Don’t forget you can just add salt and sip broth like tea. This is especially nice in the winter or if you’re feeling sick. Since broth is simultaneously energizing and calming, it can take the place of morning coffee, afternoon tea, or evening nightcap. Try it in a thermos and sip throughout the day. Of course, the most traditional use for seasoned broth is as a first course, to enhance the digestion of any meal to come.
*Pork bones are not generally recommended for prepared ahead broth, but are cooked into stew and soup recipes, and boiled pig skin is traditionally consumed for many of the same purposes as broth.
**Raw bones and meat may be browned first in the oven, or in the bottom of the stockpot to enhance flavor and color.
Appendix B
Alphabetical Listing of Conditions that Broth Benefits
aging skin
allergies
anemia
anxiety
asthma
atherosclerosis
attention deficit
bean maldigestion
brittle nails
carbohydrate maldigestion
Celiac Disease
colic
confusion
constipation
dairy maldigestion
delusions
dental degeneration
depression
detoxification
Diabetes
diarrhea
fatigue
food sensitivities
fractures
Gastritis
grain maldigestion
heart attack
high cholesterol
hyperactivity
hyperchlorhydria (reflux, ulcer)
hyperparathyroidism (primary)
hypertension
hypochlorhydria
hypoglycemia
immunodepression
increased urination
infectious disease
inflammation
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis)
insomnia
intestinal bacterial infections
irritability
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Jaundice
joint injury
Kidney stones
leaky gut
loss of appetite
meat maldigestion
memory
muscle cramps
muscle spasms
muscle wasting
muscle weakness
Muscular Dystrophy
nausea
nervousness
Osteoarthritis
Osteomalacia
Osteoporosis
pain
palpitations
Periodontal Disease
pregnancy
rapid growth
restlessness
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rickets
seizure
shallow breathing
stupor
virility
vomiting
weakness
weight loss due to illness
wound healing
References
1. Braham, C, et al. Random House Webster’s Dictionary, New York, NY, Random House Inc., 2001, pp.688 and 707.
2. Fallon, S, Nourishing Traditions, New Trends Publishing, Washington, DC, 1999, p.118.
3. Lian, J, et al. American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, www.depts.washington.edu/bone. (Link not active as of Oct. 2005.)
4. Tortora, G, et al. Principles of Anatomy and Physiology, New York, NY, Harper Collins Press, 1996, p.145.
5. Kaminski, M, Personal Communication, Professor of Histology, Portland, OR, National College of Naturopathic Medicine, May 2003 and October 1998.
6. The editors of Cook’s Illustrated, The Best Recipe, Brookline, MA, Boston Common Press, 1999, p.18.
7. Kaminski.
8. Tortora, p.105.
9. Prudden, J, The Biological activity of bovine cartilage preparations, Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatology, 1974, III, 4, 287–321.
10. Tortora, p.114.
11. Quillin, P, Beating Cancer with Nutrition, Carlsbad, CA, Nutrition Times Press, 2001.
12. Ibid.
13. Murray, M, Pizzorno, J, Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, Rocklin, CA, Prima Publishing, 1991.
14. Quillin.
15. Tortora, p.105.
16. Guralnik, D, Webster’s New World Dictionary, New York, NY, The World Publishing Co., 1964, p.601.
17. Daniel, K, Why Broth is Beautiful, Wise Traditions Quarterly, spring 2003, 25–36.
18. Bensky, D, Chinese Herbal Medicine Materia Medica, Seattle, WA, Eastland Press Inc., 1993, p.332.
19. Fallon, p.118.
20. Daniel.
21. Ibid.
22. Ibid.
23. Ibid.
24. Fallon, p.121.
25. Wald, A, Stimulation of gastric acid secretion by glycine and related oligopeptides in humans, American Journal of Physiology, 1982, 5, 242, G86-G88.
26. Samonina, G, et al. Protection of gastric mucosal integrity by gelatin and simple proline containing peptides, Pathophysiology, April 2000, 7, 1, 69–73.
27. Koyama, et al. Ingestion of gelatin has differential effect on bone mineral density and bodyweight in protein undernutrtion, Journal of Nutrition and Science of Vitaminology, 2000, 47, 1, 84–86.
28. Daniel.
29. Bensky.
30. Kaminski, April 2004.
31. Kaminski, October 1998 and May 2003.
32. Pischinger, A, Matrix and Matrix Regulation, Haug International, Brussels, Belgium, 1991, p.60.
33. Murray, et al. Harper’s Biochemistry, Stamford, CT, Appleton & Lange, 2000.
34. Daniel.
35. Szabat, S, Personal Communication, Professor of Environmental Medicine, Portland, OR, National College of Naturopathic Medicine, September 2004.
36. Dangerfield, B, Personal Communication, Professor of Biochemistry, Portland, OR, National College of Naturopathic Medicine, June 2003.
37. Yu, YM, et al. Quantitative aspects of glycine and alanine nitrogen metabolism in postabsorptive young men,: effects of level of nitrogen and dispensable amino acid intake, Journal of Nutrition, 1985, 115, 399–410.
38. Jackson, A, et al. Urinary excretion of 5-oxoproline (pyroglutamate aciduria) as an index of glycine insufficiency in normal man, British Journal of Nutrition, 1987, 58, 207–214.
39. Ibid.
40. Jackson, A, et al. Optimizing amino acid and protein supply and utilization in the newborn, Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 1989, 48, 293–301.
41. Fogarty, A, et al. Amino acids and asthma: a case controlled study, European Respiratory Journal, 2004, 4, 565–8.
42. Wald.
43. Minuskin, M, et al. Nitrogen retention, muscle creatine and orotic acid excretion in traumatized rats fed argenine and glycine enriched diets, Journal of Nutrition, 1981, III, 1265–1274.
44. Persaud, C, et al. Glycine: Limiting amino acid for rapid growth, Proceedings of the Nutritional Society, 1987, 46, 236A.
45. Ottenberg, R, Painless jaundice, Journal of the American Medical Association, 1935, 104, 9, 1681–1687.
46. Jaksic, et al. Plasma proline kinetics and concentrations in young men in response to dietary proline deprivation, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1990, 52, 307–312.
47. Cherkin, A, et al. L-Proline and related compounds: correlation of structure, amnesiac potency, and anti- spreading depression potency, Brain Research, 1978, 156, 2, 265–273.
48. Daniel.
49. Fallon, p.116.
50. Lininger, S, et al. The Natural Pharmacy, Prima Publishing, Rocklin, CA, 1998.
51. Bergner, P, The Healing Power of Minerals, Prima Publishing, Rocklin, CA, 1997.
52. Tortora, p.145.
53. Zwickey, H, Personal Communication, Professor of Immunology and Research Director, Portland, OR, National College of Naturopathic Medicine, September 2003.
54. The editors of Cook’s Illustrated, The Best Recipe, American Classics, Brookline, MA, Boston Common Press, 2002, p.13.
55. Bergner.
56. Williams, S, Essentials of Nutrition and Diet Therapy, St. Louis, MO, Mosby Inc., 1999, p.148.
57. Quillin.
58. Bergner, p.201.
59. Quillin.
60. Bergner.
61. Gladstar, R., Herbal Healing For Women, New York, NY, Simon and Schuster, 1993, pp.45–47 and 66.
62. Rombauer, I, et al. The All New Joy of Cooking, New York, NY, Simon and Schuster Inc., 1997, p.91.
63. Braham.
Selected Bibliography
In addition to the previously mentioned texts, the following sources were referenced.
Campbell, N, Biology, Menlo Park, Ca, The Benjamin/ Cummings Publishing Co., 1996.
Marks, D, Basic Medical Biochemistry, Lippencott Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore, MD, 1996.
Peterson, H, Personal Communication, Biochemistry NPLEX Board Review, 2001.
Robinson, W, et al. General Chemistry with Qualitative Analysis, Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, MA, 1997.
Subscriptions are available for Townsend Letter for Doctors & Patients,
the magazine, which is published 10 times each year.
http://www.natmedtalk.com/recipes/2782-flavonoid-rich-diet-may-protect-heart.html
Quote:
Originally Posted by Harry Hirsute View Post
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releas...-ash031808.php
sooooo.... organic popcorn is good for my heart?
well, I think I will pop in another dvd!!
actually, I ordered a bunch of organic popping corn a while ago. My son and his friends love it.
but... I didn’t care for it cooked with coconut oil I’ve made it with gheee... now that is GOOD!!
but iggy did tell me about popcorn salt which is different than regular salt. what I do now is take my mineral salt and grind it or crush it in the mortar. that makes it finer. seems to go on better.
another way to have popcorn:
1. make popcorn
2. melt some honey so that it is a thinner consistency- 1/2 or equal to the amount of oil you used
3. toss popcorn with honey
4. sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds, toss, sprinkle more sesame seeds, toss, until there are some sesame seeds on most of the kernels (how much is a matter of personal preference). the sesame seeds stick to the honey.
the popcorn might be a little sticky, so put out napkins.. and wash your hands before eating.
salt to taste (be careful.. the salt also sticks to the honey.. so don’t over salt - you can’t shake it to desalt it).
yum.. a little salty, a little sweet, and crunch. (and some minerals along with the flavenoids).
http://www.natmedtalk.com/recipes/2312-allow-freshly-crushed-garlic-sit-15-min.html
Allow freshly crushed garlic to sit 15 min
Quote:
Many home chefs mistakenly cook garlic immediately after crushing or chopping it, added Dr. Kraus. To maximize the health benefits, you should crush the garlic at room temperature and allow it to sit for about 15 minutes. That triggers an enzyme reaction that boosts the healthy compounds in garlic.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/1...its-of-garlic/
http://www.gourmetgarlicgardens.com/
I found this site yesterday. It is really incredible! if your into garlic, that is. They say that pickeled garlic may be the stongest for healing purposes without the smell and strong taste.
Garlic should be fermented with whey and vegetables to get the best taste and to maximize the enzymes...
A tablespoon of whey,
An assortment of fresh vegetables to fill a quart jar,
Add whey and garlic,
Fill with water making sure vegetables are covered,
Let age at room temp for several months.
Jars may have to be burped once in a while.
Asparagus and garlic develop a great taste after about six months.
Garlic fermented by itself lacks flavor.
Vegetables fermented by themselves also lack flavor.
Fully fermented foods and drinks do not require fermentation and should have a shelf life of at least a year or more.
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http://www.natmedtalk.com/nutrition/3261-using-ginger.html
using ginger
recently, I fixed some yogurt for a chinese friend of mine. My latest way to fix yogurt is to grate fresh ginger into plain yogurt, and add sweetener. oh! it is so good! My friend was surprised, and she uses ginger all the time and eats yogurt, but hadn’t tried combining the two.
so, I’m peeling the ginger using a knife and slicing off the skin. and my friend says.. what are you doing? here, let me show you an easier way.
so, she wets the ginger, takes my little paring knife and scrapes off the outer peel. and it comes off pretty easy! A lot easier than the way I was doing it.
well, you learn something new every day!
you still have to cut off the knots, but once you do that, you can wet it and scrape it pretty easy.
use a knife with a blade with a straight edge. and I find the smaller paring knife easier to use than a bigger knife.
try peeling some ginger, the grating 1/2 tsp to a tsp of ginger (I love the taste, but it might be too strong for some) in the yogurt and add sweetener. Yum!
Lately, I’ve been adding some cinnamon to my vanilla protein shakes. It really makes it taste more interesting and pleasant.
A little added spice, here and there, can make all the difference.
http://www.natmedtalk.com/nutrition/3877-pea-protein-may-lower-blood-pressure-help-kidneys.html
Pea protein may lower blood pressure and help kidneys
(At least in rats...)
Pea Protein May Cut Blood Pressure and Help Kidneys
April 2009
Proteins from peas may reduce blood pressure and improve kidney health, according to a new study from Canada.
Rats fed pea protein hydrolysate extracted from the yellow garden pea experienced a 20% drop in blood pressure when compared to rats on a normal diet, scientists from the University of Manitoba told attendees at the American Chemical Society’s 237th National Meeting.
“In people with high blood pressure our protein could potentially delay or prevent the onset of kidney damage,” said Rotimi Aluko, PhD. “In people who already have kidney disease, our protein may help them maintain normal blood pressure levels so they can live longer.”
The study, which is yet to be published in a peer-review journal, involved feeding small daily doses of the protein to laboratory rats with polycystic kidney disease, a severe form of kidney disease used as a model for research on chronic kidney disease (CKD), a condition that has been affecting an increasing number of people in the U.S. and elsewhere.
Dr. Aluko told attendees at the ACS meeting that after eight weeks the protein-fed rats with kidney disease showed a 20% decrease in blood pressure when compared to diseased rats on a normal diet.
“This is significant because a majority of CKD patients actually die from cardiovascular complications that arise from the high blood pressure associated with kidney malfunction,” Dr. Aluko noted.
The researchers also report that consumption of the pea extract produced a 30% increase in urine production in the diseased rats, bringing their urine to within normal levels.
Commenting on other studies in this area, Dr. Aluko said: “There has been some work on in-vitro effects of pea protein hydrolysate but ours is the first to demonstrate actual lowering of blood pressure in an animal model.”
The researchers are currently doing a clinical trial with mildly hypertensive human volunteers, with results expected in the autumn, he said. “The rat model we used had both CKD and hypertension. Results from the current clinical trial will let us know whether the product works in hypertensive individuals,” he added.
Presented at the American Chemical Society’s National Meeting
http://www.natmedtalk.com/nutrition/3264-spice-things-up.html
Spice Up Your Life
Tulsa World 08-04-08
Adding different flavors to your palate could give you a longer, healthier life. What you use to season your food could help you live a longer, healthier life.
Certain spices are rich in phytochemicals — colorful compounds believed to protect the body’s cells and decrease inflammation. Adding these spices to flavor your food protects your health and allows you to use less salt when seasoning, an added benefit for those who are watching their sodium intake, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research.
The protection provided by each spice is different, so try to incorporate a variety in your diet. Here’s a guide to some healthful spices that can add a nutrient kick to your diet.
Cardamom
What it is: Aromatic pods with a warm, spicy-sweet flavor.
Why it’s good: Contains limonene, an antioxidant that’s believed to slow tumor progression and detoxify cancer promoting agents.
How to use it: Since it’s a member of the ginger family, it’s great in desserts, baked goods and gingerbread, but also curries and pickled foods.
It’s readily available in ground powder form at most grocers, but freshly ground pods have a more potent benefit.
Cayenne pepper
What it is: A hot, pungent powder made from dried cayenne chiles.
Why it’s good: Contains high levels of capsaicin, which is used in medical ointments for pain relief, also works as a digestive aid and may have anti-cancer properties, according to some studies.
How to use it: Make anything from gumbo to chocolate dishes hotter and more delicious with just a pinch — a little goes a long way.
Ginger
What it is: A plant from tropical regions grown for its gnarled and bumpy root, which is used in freshly grated and dried powdered form for its peppery, pungent, slightly sweet flavor.
Why it’s good: Rich in antioxidants and often used as a digestive aid, it also contains the antioxidants gingerol and zingerone.
How to use it: An essential ingredient in many world cuisines, use fresh ginger in stirfrys, sauces, dumplings marinades and salad dressings. Dried is great for gingerbread, of course, but it’s great for cookies and fruit desserts as well.
Turmeric
What it is: The dried, ground root of a tropical plant related to ginger with a pungent, slightly bitter flavor and intense yelloworange color that gives curry powders and mustards their deep yellow hue.
Why it’s good: That intense yellow hue also happens to be a sign of its rich antioxidant properties. Contains inflammation fighting compounds called curcuminoids or curcumin, and studies show it may help prevent cancer.
How to use it: Rice dishes, egg or potato salads, pickles, sauces and salad dressings.
Cumin
What it is: Cumin is the dried fruit of a plant in the parsley family. Its aromatic, nutty-flavored seeds and ground powder form add smoky character to foods without a lot of heat.
Why it’s good: A good source of essential nutrients such as iron and manganese, cumin also contains cuminaldehyde, which is thought to have strong anticancer effects.
How to use it: Fajitas and tacos, veggies, sauces, spice rubs and marinades — cumin is widely used in Mexican and Middle Eastern cuisines.
Garlic
What it is: A member of the lily family (related to leeks, chives, onions and shallots) with a uniquely hot, pungent flavor with subtle hints of sweetness (depending on the variety).
Why it’s good: Affectionately called “the stinking rose” in light of its numerous health benefits, it’s rich in manganese, vitamin B6, vitamin C and selenium. Contains valuable phytochemicals known as allyl sulfides that stimulate the body to produce powerful toxinbusting enzymes. Those allyl sulfides will develop better if you let it rest for about 10 to 15 minutes between chopping and cooking.
How to use it: Sauces, salad dressings, salsas, marinades, pestos, roasted spreads for bread. Pretty much any way you like, except for dessert (though they do make garlic ice cream in Gilroy, Calif., for the annual festival in honor of the stinking rose).
Cinnamon
What it is: Dried bark of a tropical tree, sold as aromatic sticks or ground into powder with a mildly spicy, bittersweet flavor.
Why it’s good: It has the health-boosting antioxidant eugenol, which works as an anti-inflammatory agent, and also contains limonene.
How to use it: Desserts, beverages, breads, savory dishes (including meat stews and spice rubs). It’s a superstar paired with apples, and can easily be sprinkled on a cup of coffee or bowl of cereal for an antioxidant boost.
Cloves
What it is: The unopened flower buds of the evergreen clove tree, picked when they are pink and dried until they turn brown in color, with a distinctive, intense warm-sweet flavor and aroma.
Why it’s good: A powerhouse spice that contains several phytochemicals, including eugenol, and important flavonoids (plant compounds) that also reduce inflammation and decrease clot formation.
How to use it: Cakes, pastries, sauces, marinades, mulled wine and spiced cider. It’s the stud of many a Christmas ham.
http://www.lef.org/news/LefDailyNews...tion=Nutrition
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http://www.natmedtalk.com/nutrition/3203-coconut-oil-alzheimers.html
Coconut Oil and Alzheimer’s
There’s an interesting article in the current issue of Bruce Fife’s newsletter:
Quote:
How do the medium chain triglycerides in coconut oil fight Alzheimer’s disease? During digestion, MCTs are broken down into medium chain fatty acids, some of which are converted into ketones. Nerve tissue, including the brain, relies on glucose for energy. Nerve cells can also convert ketones into energy. When food is restricted and adequate glucose is unavailable, the body converts fat into ketones, which supplies the brain with the energy it needs to function properly.
Certain conditions, such as chronic inflammation, can cause cells to become insulin resistant. Insulin is a hormone that takes glucose from the bloodstream and shuttles it into the cells. Glucose cannot enter cells without the aid of insulin. In insulin resistance, insulin receptors do not function properly and cannot adequately transport glucose into the cells. When inflammation affects nerve tissue, nerve cells become insulin resistant. Therefore, the brain is unable to get the glucose it needs and nerve cells degenerate and die, leading to neurological problems such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and other neurological disorders.
http://www.coconutresearchcenter.com/hwnl_5-3.htm
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That’s interesting, as I don’t know if you know this, but the body produces something called Ghrelin.
Ghrelin is produced in an upper area of the Stomach called the Fundus, and apart from Interacting with the Hypothalamus and Pituitary Gland, to help produce more Growth Hormone, it has the rather intruiging effect of converting energy into Fat.
Though Ghrelin production is more potent when hungry than when sated.
So perhaps the lack of Glucose, (in hunger situations), means the body can produce more Ghrelin, to convert existing energy to Fat, for the Ketones to convert Fat back into energy.
In effect the two would be working as an energy recycling system.
The only problem is, of course, Ghrelin increases occur when hungry, so ideally Ghrelin could be seen as not so good.
Of course Glucose metabolism and Lipid Metabolism, are also to some extent governed by another hormone of type called Adiponectin, and then there’s the Fat burning Leptin, that is produced by Fat cells, another intruiging substance. Again Leptin interacts with the Hypothalamus to stimulate hunger signals, probably when hungry the Fat gets stripped to produce more energy.
So it’s all vey interesting how these things play their part in Fat and Glucose usage.
Harry, I read a book about the ketogenic diet and epilepsy years ago (got it at the local library). after that, I looked up studies on ketogenic diet, ketones, that kind of thing.
They seem to have a lot of effect on the brain, some balancing effects. for some kids that are on the ketogenic diet, the seizures are gone.. PERMANENTLY, even after they go off the diet. It is like the diet “fixes” something.
but.. they really don’t understand why.
but, i’ve seen studies with parkinsons, alzheimers, different psychotic disorders.. do a search on ketogenic brain and you will see what I mean.
I haven’t read the book but this doctor believes he’s got some of the answers as to why ketogenic diets benefit the brain.
http://livinlavidalocarb.blogspot.co...ed-by-low.html
Doug Kaufmann at www.knowthecause.com says that fungus causes Alzheimer’s. A ketogenic diet is actually an antifungal diet. A diet high in fat and protein, with no carbs or sugar, except for most vegetables and low sugar fruits and berries, starves the fungus.
Coconut oil is an excellent antifungal.
It is actually fungus that causes our cells to become “insulin resistant.” Fungi attack the beta cells in the pancreas to produce less insulin which raises the blood sugar levels. They do this because they cannot live without sugar. Without insulin, cells cannot absorb glucose.
I have read almost all of Doug Kaufmann’s books. I highly recommend them. The Fungus Link to Diabetes was his last book that I read. If you decide to read his books, you will not regret it. They make sense out so much confusion!
[I knew that the Coconut oil was used in healing salves and soap making.
When we were kids, even poor folks could afford a fresh coconut, hit it with a hammer, save the milk and scoop/pry the meat out.
All the kids were willing to help.
granny]
http://www.natmedtalk.com/nutrition/3056-avocados-may-help-wounds-heal.html
Avocados May Help Wounds Heal Faster
Quote:
OBJECTIVE: Avocado (Persea americana) oil is rich in nutrient waxes, proteins and minerals, as well as vitamins A, D and E. It is an excellent source of enrichment for dry, damaged or chapped skin. This study aimed to evaluate the wound-healing activity of fruit extract of Persea americana in rats.
METHOD: The effect of topical and oral administration of Persea americana fruit extract (300 mg/kg/day) on excision and dead space wound models was evaluated. The rats used in the excision wound model were divided into four groups of five each and received either topical or oral treatment.
The rats used in the dead space wound model were divided into two groups of five each and were treated orally. Healing was assessed by the rate of wound contraction, period of epithelialisation, granulation tissue weight and hydoxyproline content.
RESULTS: In the excision wound model, complete healing (full epithelialisation) was observed on average on day 14 in the rats who receive oral or topical treatment. In contrast, the controls took approximately 17 days to heal completely.
The extract-treated wounds were found to epithelialise faster than the controls (p < 0.001). Wet and dry granulation tissue weight and the hydroxyproline content of the tissue obtained from extract-treated animals used in the dead space wound model were significantly higher (p < 0.05) compared with the controls.
CONCLUSION: Rate of wound contraction, epithelialisation time together with the hydroxyproline content and histological observations support the use of Persea americana in the management of wound healing.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1...ubmed_RVDocSum
avocado’s for inside and outside
Avocado’s are wonderful for healing inside and outside the body. They contain monumental amounts of vitamins and minerals which are essential for building healthy cells in the body. Avocado’s contain a significant amount of lutein which provides our bodies a buffering to acid and they are high in monounsaturated fat which is known to lower cholesterol. Sounds like a delicious fruit to eat daily. I have found a fabulous unscented moisturizer, “pHorever sopH skin”. It is made with avocado oil and aloe vera.
They are also extremely high in potassium. Forget bananas.
Well, it’s not really a recipe but I love wrapping a piece of prosciutto around a slice of avocado (or two, or three, or four ...) and having that as a delicious low-carb snack.
Avocados are also excellent for the prostate (due to their sitosterol content), helpful for the eyes (due to their highly-absorbable form of lutein) and a good aid for the bones (due to their vitamin K content - with the fatty acids to help with it’s absorption).
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http://www.natmedtalk.com/nutrition/3098-add-rosemary-healthier-grilling.html
Add Rosemary for Healthier Grilling
We had some grilled lamb chops (with rosemary, sea salt and fresh-cracked pepper) earlier this week. Mmmm mmmm mmmm.
Quote:
To Block The Carcinogens, Add A Touch Of Rosemary When Grilling Meats
ScienceDaily (May 21, 2008) — Rosemary, a member of the mint family and a popular seasoning on its own, also has benefits as a cancer prevention agent. Apply it to hamburgers and it can break up the potentially cancer-causing compounds that can form when the meat is cooked.
J. Scott Smith found out about rosemary’s strength against the compounds while researching ways to reduce them as part of a long-term Food Safety Consortium project at Kansas State University. Smith, a KSU food science professor, has been looking into the carcinogenic compounds known as HCAs (heterocyclic amines).
“Put a little bit on the surface,” Smith advised grillers. “Rosemary extracts shouldn’t have much of an aroma to them. Most people don’t want a rosemary-flavored burger. So if you get the extract you don’t really know it’s there.”
Smith’s findings began with research into commercial rosemary extracts’ effect on stopping HCAs from forming in cooked beef patties. His research group found that the HCAs were reduced in levels ranging from 30 to 100 percent.
The presence of HCAs is a potential problem in cooked beef. The likelihood of their presence is influenced by cooking time and temperature. Previous studies showed that meat products cooked below 352 degrees Fahrenheit for less than four minutes had low or undetectable levels of HCAs. The HCAs would increase as temperature and cooking time increased.
Although lower temperatures and shorter cooking times can reduce the risk of HCA formation, those alternatives have their own problems. Lower temperatures can affect the taste adversely, Smith explained, noting that commercial steak houses cook at temperatures above 400 degrees F.
“Some use real high temperatures quick on the surface, then they pull it out and put it in an oven to finish it,” he said.
The better way may be to use rosemary extracts so temperatures can be still be kept high. Rosemary’s antioxidant content makes this method possible thanks to the presence of phenolic compounds. Those compounds – rosmarinic acid, carnosol and carnosic acid – block the HCAs before they can form during heating.
The results of the rosemary research tie in with previous findings from Smith’s group. Those studies showed that marinating steaks with certain herbs and spices also reduces HCAs. Rosemary is among those herbs and spices with basil, mint, sage, savory, marjoram, oregano and thyme, all rich in antioxidants.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0521184129.htm
I don’t eat beef but I occasionally grill chicken and ground turkey. I would rather pop a capsule with rosemary in it before and after the meal to make sure I get all the good properties of the herb.
Thanks for this information Harry.
http://www.natmedtalk.com/nutrition/3106-brain-nutrition.html
[I did not check the links]
Brain Nutrition
This is Dr Dharma Singh Khalsa’s website. He has a product available that looks really good, composed of the key ingredients for brain food.
http://www.drdharma.com/Public/Home/index.cfm
If you don’t want to buy this product you should read his book at least and this is where I started with all this several years ago.
http://www.drdharma.com/utility/show...fm?objectID=33
I bought it used from Amazon at a fraction of the price.
I use lecithin and fish oil as well as B vitamins, and a brain food product called BrainSpeed by Natrol.I have used vinpocetine in the past and I give vinpocetine to my son when he has to study.
http://www.vitacost.com/Natrol-Brain-Speed-Memory
http://www.vitacost.com/Source-Naturals-Vinpocetine
You will also want to look at this website
http://www.smart-publications.com/cg...emory&x=20&y=6
and this page in particular:
http://www.smart-publications.com/me..._nutrients.php
I came upon this website when I read The books Smart Drugs and Nutrients vol 1 and 2.
I also purchased this book from www.Amazon.com used.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw...rugs&x=12&y=16
When the book was such a sucesss the website and products followed. So between these books and sites you will find the most up to date information on brain nutrition and nutrients. Smart publications offers a free emailer if you sign up for it.
http://www.smart-publications.com/me...ients_sec3.php
Here is an excellent article on preventing Alzheimer’s. We take tumeric daily in capsule form
http://www.smart-publications.com/al...loid_clear.php
Smart Publications also has a list of drugs that are more effective than what is commonly prescribed in the US for a variety of mind or mental disorders.
I found nootropics very interesting and there are many available but must be ordered from an overseas pharmacy. I would not hesitate to use Piracetam or pramiracetam if it became necessary, which is available in the US but I can’t seem to find the website right now. I do think that vinpocetine is really worth looking at.
http://www.smart-publications.com/me...ients_sec4.php
https://www.healthmegamall.com/prodV...766_p38096.htm
One thing I didn’t mention is that I use liquid lecithin from NOW brand nutritional products. I add it to my green drink every day. These green products offer lots of health benefits. I always purchase over the Internet. It is much too costly at the health food store.
Basic Recipie:
1 cup orgainic apple juice
1/2 to 1 cup water
1 scoop of a super green product like:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gr...8000&x=23&y=17
or: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gr...erfood&x=0&y=0
One scoop Jarrow Whey.
this is an exellent protien supplement, Easy to digest and will give about 22 grams of protien.: http://www.iherb.com/Search.aspx?c=1...kw=jarrow+whey
Best price: http://www.totaldiscountvitamins.com...ssocID=bizrate
about 1 to 2 teaspoons of NOW liquid lecithin (when the blender is running)
http://www.iherb.com/Search.aspx?c=1&st=l&kw=lecithin
http://www.natmedtalk.com/nutrition/2939-wheat-grass-may-stronger-antioxidant-than-spirulina.html
Wheat Grass May Be a Stronger Antioxidant than Spirulina
Quote:
Date: April 15, 2008 HC# 120374-350
Re: Study Shows Wheat Grass to be Better Antioxidant Than Spirulina
Shyam R, Singh SM, Vats P, et al. Wheat grass supplementation decreases oxidative stress in healthy subjects: a comparative study with spirulina [letter to the editor]. J Altern Complement Med. 2007;13(8):789-791.
“Recent investigations have shown that the antioxidant properties of plants could be correlated with oxidative stress defense in different human diseases,” write the authors in their letter to the editor of The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. They report the results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study aimed at evaluating the effect of wheat grass (Triticum aestivum) and spirulina (Arthrospira maxima) as antioxidants.
Thirty healthy subjects aged 18 to 21 years volunteered for the study. All of the subjects were undergoing training at the School of Medical Assistants, Institute of Naval Medicine, Mumbai, India. They all ate at the same place, their socioeconomic status was similar, they had similar body mass indices and were all engaged in routine physical exercise.
The subjects were divided into 3 groups of 10. Group 1 took placebo (calcium gluconate), group 2 took wheat grass, and group 3 took spirulina. All 3 supplements were given as a dry powder for 30 days at 500 mg twice daily (before breakfast and dinner) in capsules that were identical in appearance. The wheat grass was manufactured by M/s Sanat Products Ltd., Delhi, India; the spirulina, by M/s Nutraceuticals Bio-Tech, Mumbai, India.
Physical parameters were recorded between 7 am and 8 am before taking food. Blood samples were collected after 12 hours of fasting before and after 30 days of supplementation. Biochemical tests were performed to assess the following values: reduced glutathione (an antioxidant); blood malondialdehyde (MDA) (biomarker for oxidative stress); vitamin C; total antioxidant status in plasma; superoxide dismutase (SOD) (an antioxidant); and the enzyme glutathione reductase.
Statistical analysis was carried out by using a paired t test within each group to make conclusions of a significant change from baseline. Data were reported as mean - standard error of the mean. A value of P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.
The authors report that supplementation with wheat grass for 30 days (group 2) resulted in significant reductions in blood concentrations of MDA and enhanced concentrations of plasma total antioxidant status, vitamin C, and SOD (P<0.05) from baseline. Spirulina supplementation did not alter the blood concentrations of MDA significantly, but a trend toward lower values was evident.
As the authors point out, MDA is a good marker for lipid oxidation and its increase may indicate oxidative injury. Plasma total antioxidant status is usually considered to provide indication of the body’s global antioxidant status.
In this study, the total antioxidant status improved significantly after wheat grass supplementation, which may be because the supplementation significantly increased the plasma concentration of major antioxidants, vitamin C, and erythrocyte activity of SOD. Small amounts of other antioxidant compounds absorbed from wheat grass (e.g., vitamin C, beta-carotene, and -tocopherol) may be the reason for the increased total antioxidant status of plasma, say the authors.
Spirulina supplementation also increased plasma total antioxidant status; however, this was not statistically significant.
“Hence, this study showed that wheat grass is a better antioxidant as compared to Spirulina,” write the authors.
http://content.herbalgram.org/iherb/...ew.asp?i=45241
__________________
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Zyflamend=antiangiogenic, antiinflammatory, antioxidant.
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Does Stronger Chlorine Taste Mean Better Activation?
http://www.natmedtalk.com/nutrition/2751-anise-unexpected-treasure-trove.html
Anise - An Unexpected Treasure Trove
Quote:
Herb Anise Contains Unique Healthful Phenylpropanoids, Study Suggests
Anise, Pimpinella saxifraga. (Credit: Image courtesy Nurhayat Tabanca, ARS)
ScienceDaily (Mar. 12, 2008) — People use anise to add a hint of licorice to everything from holiday springerle cookies to robust bottles of ouzo and raki. Now Agricultural Research Service (ARS) postdoctoral scientist Nurhayat Tabanca and plant pathologist David Wedge have found that anise (Pimpinella sp.) is more than just another jar in the spice rack.
Teaming up with colleagues in Mississippi and Turkey, they isolated 22 compounds in Pimpinella’s essential oils and found high levels of organic mixtures called phenylpropanoids. Phenylpropanoids are found in a wide variety of plants, and some are thought to have health-boosting benefits.
However, the chemical structure and biological activity of the Pimpinella phenylpropanoids are unique. Some phenylpropanoid compounds the team found have only been found in Pimpinella, and four of the compounds they isolated had never before been identified in any plant.
The compounds were evaluated for their activities against the plant fungus Colletotrichum, which causes anthracnose diseases worldwide. One unique compound was especially effective against strawberry anthracnose and strawberry soft rot and leaf blight. In addition, Pimpinella isaurica essential oils were more effective in controlling aphids than isolated Pimpinella phenylpropanoids.
These compounds were also tested for their activity against various major and minor microbes. A few showed some effectiveness against Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite that causes malaria in humans, and Mycobacterium intracellulare, a bacterium which can cause illness in immunocompromised patients.
Some phenylpropanoids exhibited anti-inflammatory activities. Pimpinella essential oils also showed estrogenic effects in a yeast model and were considered to have phytoestrogen properties.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0307082741.htm
http://www.natmedtalk.com/nutrition/2863-gerd-another-forum.html
It’s conceivable that the neem addressed an H. Pylori infection (or another bacteria) that was generating the GERD.
On the other hand there’s this ...
Quote:
Life Sci. 2004 Oct 29;75(24):2867-78.
Clinical studies on the effect of Neem (Azadirachta indica) bark extract on gastric secretion and gastroduodenal ulcer.
Bandyopadhyay U, Biswas K, Sengupta A, Moitra P, Dutta P, Sarkar D, Debnath P, Ganguly CK, Banerjee RK.
Department of Physiology, Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4, Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Kolkata, 700032, India. ubandyo_1964@yahoo.com
We have shown earlier that Neem (Azadirachta indica) bark aqueous extract has potent antisecretory and antiulcer effects in animal models and has no significant adverse effect (Bandyopadhyay et al., Life Sciences, 71, 2845-2865, 2002).
The objective of the present study was to investigate whether Neem bark extract had similar antisecretory and antiulcer effects in human subjects. For this purpose, a group of patients suffering from acid-related problems and gastroduodenal ulcers were orally treated with the aqueous extract of Neem bark.
The lyophilised powder of the extract when administered for 10 days at the dose of 30 mg twice daily caused a significant (p < 0.002) decrease (77%) in gastric acid secretion. The volume of gastric secretion and its pepsin activity were also inhibited by 63% and 50%, respectively.
Some important blood parameters for organ toxicity such as sugar, urea, creatinine, serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase, serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase, albumin, globulin, hemoglobin levels and erythrocyte sedimentation rate remained close to the control values.
The bark extract when taken at the dose of 30-60 mg twice daily for 10 weeks almost completely healed the duodenal ulcers monitored by barium meal X-ray or by endoscopy.
One case of esophageal ulcer (gastroesophageal reflux disease) and one case of gastric ulcer also healed completely when treated at the dose of 30 mg twice daily for 6 weeks.
The levels of various blood parameters for organ toxicity after Neem treatment at the doses mentioned above remained more or less close to the normal values suggesting no significant adverse effects. Neem bark extract thus has therapeutic potential for controlling gastric hypersecretion and gastroesophageal and gastroduodenal ulcers.
PMID: 15454339 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1...ubmed_RVDocSum
And this ...
Quote:
Planta Med. 1993 Jun;59(3):215-7.
The gastric antiulcer effects of the leaves of the neem tree.
Garg GP, Nigam SK, Ogle CW.
Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong.
The antiulcer effect of aqueous extracts of the leaves of the neem tree was investigated in rats exposed to 2-h cold-restraint stress or given ethanol orally for 1 h. Extracts were administered in doses of 10, 40, or 160 mg leaf/kg body weight, either as single- or five-dose pretreatment regimens. Neem dose-dependently reduced gastric ulcer severity in rats subjected to stress and also decreased ethanol provoked gastric mucosal damage. The extract appeared to prevent mast cell degranulation and to increase the amount of adherent gastric mucus in stressed animals. These effects may explain, at least in part, the mode of the antiulcer action of neem.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8...ubmed_RVDocSum
The real question is whether it reduces stomach acid (which generally isn’t good in GERD) or addresses an infection (like H. Pylori).
Here’s an interesting video about calcium’s role in treating another cause of GERD (and it’s not because of any antacid action).
http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-us&bran...8-039ebc3801b6
And the accompanying article: http://www.bottomlinesecrets.com/blpnet/today.html
__________________
You’re officially invited to come visit my new blog: www.healthyfellow.com
http://branchesofhealth.com/coconut-curry-squash-soup
Coconut Curry Squash Soup
You will need:
1 medium sized squash
1 red onion
4 carrots
3 celery stalks
1 can Coconut Milk
garlic
basil
curry powder
cumin
sea salt
ground black pepper
First, cut the squash in half and remove the seeds. Season to your desire, and roast in the oven at 350 degrees for about 30-40 minutes, inside facing down in a pan.
While the squash is cooking, cut up the carrots and celery and onion. If you want a creamy soup, all will go in the blender. You may save some pieces to go directly in the soup if you so wish.
Put the veggies in the blender, along with the coconut milk, garlic. When the squash is done, scoop out the insides and add to the blender. Use curry powder, cumin, salt and pepper to taste and blend it all together. I like to add the basil at the end instead of blending it up as well. When it is all blended together, you may heat it up or eat it cold! Enjoy!
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/04/16/obama-appointee-suggests-radical-plan-newspaper-bailout/
Obama Appointee Suggests Radical Plan for Newspaper Bailout
Rosa Brooks, who has moved from the L.A. Times to the Pentagon, called for
more “direct government support for public media” and government licensing
of the news, which critics say would destroy the independent media.
FOXNews.com
April-May, 2009
Volume 17, Number 2
Newsletter of ATTRA - National Sustainable Agricultural Information Service (http://attra.ncat.org/): A project of the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) (http://www.ncat.org). This issue of ATTRAnews is available online (http://attra.ncat.org/newsletter/archives.html#attranews).
Extending the Growing Season
Farmers can get top dollar when they bring their product to market early in the season, late in the fall, or during the winter. Many producers across the country are using hoop houses to extend their growing season. This issue of ATTRAnews looks at ways farmers can put this technology to work.
In this issue:
Free Webinar: Hoop Houses for Extending Your Growing Season
Hoop Houses and High Tunnels
Where to Find Information About Hoop Houses
Design and Construction
Au Naturel Farm
Multibay Tunnel Systems
Free Webinar: Hoop Houses for Extending Your Growing Season
May 7, 2009, 11 a.m. Mountain Daylight Time
Register at:
http://www.attra.ncat.org/webinars2009/hoophouses
NCAT specialists Tammy Hinman and Andy Pressman will discuss:
~ Uses and benefits of hoop houses, including quality and yields
~ Different types of high tunnels
~ Construction, materials, and cost estimates
~ Management of crops, soil fertility, pests, and weeds
~ Economics and marketing of crops
~ Your questions about hoop house production
Hoop Houses and High Tunnels
Hoop houses, also called high tunnels, are arched or hoop-shaped frames covered with one or more layers of clear plastic. They are high enough to drive a tractor through. Crops are grown in the ground, usually with drip irrigation. Most high tunnels are solar heated, using no electricity.
Less expensive than greenhouses, some of these structures can pay for themselves in one season. High tunnels are used extensively in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Now they are catching on in the United States. Researchers are experimenting with various systems. Market growers are hosting workshops about hoop houses at conferences and on their farms.
High tunnels can have a big impact on season extension:
- Crops grown in hoop houses can have higher quality and yields than those grown in the field.
- Crops grown in hoop houses can hit the market early while prices are still high, helping to capture loyal customers for the entire season.
- Hoop houses allow certain crops to be grown throughout the winter, providing a continuous supply for the entire year.
Crops grown in high tunnels include cut flowers, carrots, tomatoes, peppers, squash, melons, lettuce, and other greens. Some growers use hoop houses to produce cane berries, strawberries, blueberries, and even cherries. Although high tunnels provide a measure of protection from low temperatures, they are not frost protection systems in the same sense that greenhouses are.
On sunny mornings, the sides must be rolled up to prevent a rapid rise in temperature. Tomato plants, for example, may set less fruit when temperatures go above 86°F for a few hours. Even on cloudy days, rolling up the sides provides ventilation to reduce humidity that could lead to disease problems. The sides should be rolled down in the evening until night temperatures heat up to 65°F. A thermometer that records minimums and maximums is a great way to keep track of temperatures.
Maine market gardener Eliot Coleman has devised a method for moving hoop houses in his fields. This allows him to grow crops outside in the warm season, and then cover and harvest them during the winter. His new Winter Harvest Handbook summarizes his considerable experience with the technology.
Where to Find Information About Hoop Houses
Publications
Books from Eliot Coleman
Maine farmer/author Eliot Coleman has been an enthusiastic innovator of high tunnel production for 30 years. See http://www.fourseasonfarm.com. His books are available from Chelsea Green Publishing (800-639-4099, http://www.chelseagreen.com)
- Winter Harvest Handbook: Year-Round Vegetable Production Using Deep Organic Techniques and Unheated Greenhouses. 2009
- Four Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Garden All Year Long. 1999
Books from Growing for Market
Lynn Byczynski, Kansas publisher of Growing for Market magazine (800-307-8949, http://www.growingformarket.com), offers two publications on hoop house production.
- The Hoophouse Handbook: Growing Produce and Flowers in Hoophouses and High Tunnels. 2006
- Extending the Season (a compilation of season-extension articles from Growing for Market). 2005
High Tunnel Production Manual (http://plasticulture.cas.psu.edu/manual.htm). Bill Lamont and Mike Orzolek. Pennsylvania State University, 2003. $26.50 from Dr. Bill Lamont, Department of Horticulture, 206 Tyson Building, Penn State University, University Park, PA 16802
Solar Gardening (http://www.chelseagreen.com/bookstore/item/solar_gardening:paperback). Leandre and Gretchen Poisson, 1994. Chelsea Green Publishing (800-639-4099, http://www.chelseagreen.com)
Walking to Spring: Using High Tunnels to Grow Produce 52 Weeks a Year. Alison and Paul Wiediger, 3298 Fairview Church Road, Smiths Grove, KY 42171. $15 from http://www.aunaturelfarm.homestead.com
Web-Based Resources
http://Hightunnels.org is a comprehensive Web site, the creation of Midwest researchers, professors, growers, technicians, and students.
High Tunnel Tomato Production (http://extension.missouri.edu/explore/manuals/m00170.htm). Lewis Jett, University of Missouri Extension Bulletin M170.
High Tunnel Melon and Watermelon Production (http://extension.missouri.edu/explore/manuals/m00173.htm). Lewis Jett, University of Missouri Extension Bulletin M173.
eXtension’s informative page on high tunnels (http://www.extension.org/article/18369) includes resources, plans, and Powerpoint presentations.
Michigan Food & Farming Systems has an active series of hoop house projects (http://www.miffs.org/programs6.asp). Contact Adam Montri, (517) 432-3381, admontri@anr.msu.edu
North Carolina’s Center for Environmental Farming Systems offered a workshop on high tunnels (http://www.cefs.ncsu.edu/calendar2009.htm#hightunnel) in February.
Noble Foundation in Oklahoma conducts research about hoop houses. Contact Steve Upson (http://www.noble.org/Ag/Staff/Profile/Upson_Steve.html), sdupson@noble.org, 580-223-5810
Video and CD-Rom Presentations
Building a Hoop House. Part 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5dyGHurXdA) Part 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bsv1_Jr4l00&feature=related) Adam Montri (admontri@anr.msu.edu), Michigan State Univ.
High Tunnels: Using Low-Cost Technology to Increase Yields, Improve Quality and Extend the Season (http://www.uvm.edu/vtvegandberry/Videos/hightunnelvideo.html).
North Central Region Organic and Sustainable Ag Video Series (http://www.tristateorganic.info) includes an Indiana workshop on hoop houses.
High Tunnel Workshop at Ohio State University, 2008.
CD with six hours of discussion on high tunnel design, construction and management, including in organic systems. Speakers include farmers, scientists, and industry professionals. A packet of written material contains complementary information. $10 for the CD, $20 for the packet, $25 for both: (330) 263-3810, kleinhenz.1@osu.edu.
More Research on Hoop Houses
In addition to the resources listed above, other universities and colleges are conducting research on hoop houses. To find out about various projects and workshops, search the Internet for ‘high tunnels’ or ‘hoop houses’ with one of these university names. Or try the search using the name of a college near you.
Kansas State University, Rutgers University, University of Kentucky, University of Maryland Cooperative Extension, University of Minnesota, University of Nebraska, University of New Hampshire, University of Wisconsin’s Healthy Farmers/Healthy Profits Project
Manufacturers and Suppliers
ATTRA’s publication Season Extension Techniques for Market Gardeners provides a very extensive list of manufacturers and suppliers of hoop house equipment. Download this free publication at http://www.attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/seasonext.html/ or call 800-346-9140 for a paper copy.
Design and Construction
High tunnels are not too difficult to build. A common and inexpensive design uses galvanized metal bows attached to metal posts driven into the ground — a traditional Quonset style structure. Designs with vertical walls provide unhindered internal access and growing space along the sides of the house, but are more costly and time-consuming to construct because of the additional pipe required
Strength is important. Heavy-gauge galvanized steel pipe is best for hoops. The hoops should not be set farther than 4 feet apart. In cold climates a peaked-roof structure that will shed snow is preferable to the quonset style, which can collapse in a heavy snowfall. Strong end walls are the most critical components for hoop house stability. The cover must also be anchored securely to withstand strong winds.
The most economical covering is 6-mil greenhouse-grade, UV-treated polyethylene, which should last three to five years. Do not use plastic that is not UV-treated, as it will disintegrate quickly. Market growers commonly use hoop houses that are 20 feet by 96 feet. This allows efficient heating and cooling, enough growing space, and adequate natural ventilation.
The roll-up sides used on many high tunnels provide a simple and effective way to manage ventilation and control temperature. The edge of the plastic is taped to a 1-inch pipe that runs the length of the tunnel. A sliding ‘T’ handle is attached to the end of the pipe so that the plastic can be rolled up as high as the hip board. Ventilation is controlled by rolling up the sides to dispel the heat. Depending on temperature and wind factors, the two sides may be rolled up to different heights.
East-West or North-South?
Hoop house manufacturers recommend orienting the house to capture the most light in winter. For locations north of 40° latitude, the ridge should run east to west so that the end walls don’t block sunlight. For locations south of 40° latitude, the ridge should run north to south. (The border between Kansas and Nebraska is at 40°N.) At any latitude, according to Growing for Market’s Lynn Byczynski, gutter-connected or closely spaced multiple greenhouses will get more light if they are aligned north-south to avoid shadows cast by the structures to the south. Dr. Lewis Jett, in Columbia, Missouri, says that a high tunnel should be oriented perpendicular to prevailing winds. Sunlight may be less important than ventilation.
Irrigation
In hoop houses, irrigation is essential. Watering can be done by hand, through a trickle or drip system, or by overhead emitters. Advantages of drip irrigation:
~ Efficient water and fertilizer use
~ Reduced weed competition in areas outside the beds
~ Ability to simultaneously irrigate and work inside tunnels
~ Reduction in disease potential because water doesn’t get on plant leaves
(Adapted from High Tunnel Production Manual, Penn State Center for Plasticulture)
Year-Round Production
Benefits
- Earn year-round income
- Retain old customers
- Gain new customers
- Higher prices at times of the year when local growers with unprotected field crops do not have produce
- Possible higher yields, better quality
- Extended or year-round employment for skilled employees
Disadvantages
- No break in the yearly work schedule
- Increased management demands
- Higher production costs
Au Naturel Farm
Alison and Paul Wiediger of Au Naturel Farm in south-central Kentucky grow winter vegetables in high tunnels. In their book, ‘Walking to Spring: Using High Tunnels to Grow Produce 52 Weeks a Year’, the Wiedigers advise growers to prepare the site so that the ground is level from side to side, with no more than a 3 percent slope from end to end. Avoid wet or shady areas and obstructions to ventilation. Make sure drainage around the site is good. You don’t want water running through the house every time it rains.
The Wiedigers use a commercially available 20 by 96 foot hoop house, in addition to two 21 by 60 foot tunnels. They think there is value in building as large a structure as is practical. ‘Most of the growing in this tunnel will be in spring, fall, and winter when outside temperatures are colder,’ they say. ‘We believe that both the earth and the air within the tunnel act as heat sinks when the sun shines. At night, they give up that heat, and keep the plants safe. The smaller the structure, the smaller that temperature ‘flywheel’ is, and the cooler the inside temperatures will be.’
They also find that plants close to the walls do not grow as well as the plants closer to the center. Twenty feet wide, however, may be as wide as you can get with inexpensive hoophouses that don’t use interior bracing. Hoop houses longer than 100 feet or so may be too long for effective natural ventilation, which is very important in order to avoid disease problems. The Wiedigers use a double layer of 6-mil, four-year poly to cover their tunnels. A small fan blows air between the two layers to create an insulating barrier against the cold. To learn more, see their Web site, http://www.aunaturelfarm.homestead.com
Multibay Tunnel Systems
Some growers literally cover their fields to protect high-value crops from early and late frost, heavy rain, wind, hail, and disease. The British company Haygrove (www.haygrove.co.uk) was the first to manufacture the multibay tunnel systems that are popular in Europe and the United States. The system eliminates walls between bays and can be used on slopes and large expanses. However, multibay tunnels cannot carry a snow load.
The articles in this issue of ATTRAnews are adapted from the ATTRA publication Season Extension Techniques for Market Gardeners, written by NCAT agriculture specialist Janet Bachmann. In addition to offering information about high tunnels, the publication discusses low tunnels and other season-extension techniques. It provides an excellent list of suppliers of hoop houses and related equipment. You can download the publication for free at http://www.attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/seasonext.html or call 800-346-9140 for a paper copy.
ATTRAnews is the bi-monthly newsletter of ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service. The newsletter is distributed free throughout the United States to farmers, ranchers, Cooperative Extension agents, educators, and others interested in sustainable agriculture. ATTRA is funded through the USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Service and is a project of the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT), a private, non-profit organization that since 1976 has helped people by championing small-scale, local and sustainable solutions to reduce poverty, promote healthy communities, and protect natural resources.
Teresa Maurer, Project Manager
Karen Van Epen, Editor
Mary Ann Thom, e-newsletter production
Subscribe to ATTRAnews (http://visitor.roving.com/optin.jsp?m=1011223551022&ea=)
Comments? Questions? Email the Weekly Harvest Newsletter editor Karen Van Epen at karenv@ncat.org.
ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service
PO Box 3657
Fayetteville, AR 72702
1-800-346-9140
1-800-411-3222 (Español)
http://www.attra.ncat.org
© Copyright 2009 NCAT
1. NEWS from CPSC
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs
Washington, DC 20207
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 16, 2009
Release #09-195
Firm’s Recall Hotline: (888) 887-9273
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908
Toy Maracas Recalled by Tupperware U.S. Due to Choking and Suffocation Hazards
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.
Name of Product: Shape-O Toy Maracas
Units: About 44,000
Importer: Tupperware U.S. Inc., of Orlando, Fla.
Hazard: The maracas can break and expose small parts, posing a choking hazard to young children. In addition, the handle poses a suffocation hazard to young children.
Incidents/Injuries: Tupperware has received two reports of maracas breaking. No injuries have been reported.
Description: This recall involves blue and red toy maracas with yellow handles. The maracas were used by Tupperware representatives during sales presentations. Cut-outs in the shape of stars, squares and other geometric figures are located inside the maraca.
Sold by: Tupperware’s Holiday 2007 and Spring 2008 product catalogs from September 2007 through April 2008 for between $5.50 and $11.
Manufactured in: China
Remedy: Consumers and Tupperware sales consultants should immediately stop using the maracas and return them to Tupperware for a refund or gift certificate. Maraca return forms can be accessed at www.tupperware.com
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Tupperware at (888) 887-9273 between 8:30 a.m. and 9 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.tupperware.com
To see this recall on CPSC’s website, including a picture of the recalled product, please go to:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09195.html
*******************************************************
2. NEWS from CPSC
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs
Washington, DC 20207
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 16, 2009
Release #09-196
Firm’s Recall Hotline: (800) 624-5671
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908
Fitness Balls Recalled by EB Brands Due to Fall Hazard; New Assembly Instructions Provided
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product.
Name of Product: Bally Total Fitness, Everlast, Valeo and Body Fit Fitness Balls
Units: About 3 million
Manufacturer: EB Brands, of Yonkers, New York
Hazard: An overinflated fitness ball can unexpectedly burst while in use, causing the user to fall to the floor.
Incidents/Injuries: EB Brands has received 47 reports of fitness balls unexpectedly bursting, including reports of a fracture, and multiple bruises.
Description: This recall involves rubber fitness balls sold in 55-, 65- and 75-cm diameter sizes. The fitness balls were sold with a pump and inflation instructions. The fitness balls were sold in various colors with the Bally Total Fitness, Everlast or Valeo logo printed on the ball.
Sold at: Department stores and fitness retailers nationwide from May 2000 to February 2009 for between $15 and $30.
Manufactured in: China
Remedy: Consumers should contact EB Brands to receive a copy of the updated instructions on how to safely inflate the ball.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact EB Brands at (800) 624-5671 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.ebbrands.com
To see this recall on CPSC’s website, including pictures of the recalled products, please go to:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09196.html
Lost Goat Wanders Into Carl’s Jr. Restaurant
POSTED: 7:38 am PDT April 16, 2009
UPDATED: 8:25 am PDT April 16, 2009
PEDLEY, Calif. — Diners seeking Six Dollar Burgers and Charbroiled Chicken Sandwiches at a Southern California Carl’s Jr. outlet got an unexpected serving of goat.
A small, lost and wounded female goat wandered into the restaurant in Pedley near Riverside on Wednesday and caused a lunchtime stir. Disoriented by her reflection, the goat began butting into windows and doors.
Riverside County sheriff’s deputies tried to distract and soothe her until animal control officers arrived.
continued.
[LOL, wish I had been there, still laughing...
It is safe in the animal shelter now...granny, ]
Song of the Vine: A History of Wine
Website companion to a 2008-09 exhibition about the story of wine making that “celebrates the 10th anniversary of [Cornell University Library’s] Eastern Wine and Grape Archive (EWGA).” Essays and digitized materials explore the introduction of wine in America, grape cultivation, the temperance movement, Prohibition, cocktail culture, and more. Includes a few related website links. From Cornell University Library Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections.
URL: http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/ewga/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/27932
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