Dr. Arturo M. Volpe

In a nutshell, commercial beef and poultry products are a disaster. They contain significant amounts of hormone, antibiotic and pesticide residues. In addition, the fat they contain is altered and harmful to our health. Cows should eat only grass, because when they are fed corn and other feeds, their bodies produce arachidonic acid, a fat that can cause heart disease and other degenerative and inflammatory disorders when consumed by humans.

In contrast, pastured (or grass-fed) beef has many health-enhancing properties. First of all, it is approximately 50% lower in fat and therefore it is lower in calories, a benefit for those trying to manage their weight. It also contains significant amounts of omega-3 oil, commonly associated with fish – though today’s farm-raised fish, including all Atlantic salmon on the market, do not contain omega-3 oil, just as commercial beef does not contain it.

Omega-3 oils, and especially the EPA and DHA forms found in wild cold-water fish and pastured cattle, have been found to protect against inflammation, depression, attention deficit disorder (ADD) and cancer. The average American’s diet is profoundly deficient in these oils. Pastured beef also contains another “good” fat, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), that has been found in recent research to help protect against cancer. For more information about the health benefits of grass-fed beef, visit www.eatwild.com. This website also provides a list of suppliers of pastured beef and organic poultry and eggs from around the country.

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It is well known that inflammation is associated with the pain of arthritis and the swelling and redness that follow a sprain. In recent years, research has revealed that chronic inflammation can also cause heart disease, independent of traditional risk factors such as cholesterol, and it has been linked with an increased occurrence of degenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s.

Though in the past it was difficult to measure low-grade chronic inflammation, a new test called high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), can easily identify this condition. This test is now often included in blood panels designed to screen for heart disease risk factors.

But what causes chronic inflammation? A study designed to help answer this question measured the hs-CRP of 244 apparently healthy women, and then analyzed various factors of their diets and lifestyles. Researchers found a strong association between diets with high glycemic loads and increased inflammation (Am J Clin Nutr 2002;75(3):492-8).

Glycemic load measures the impact of diet on blood sugar. The higher the glycemic load, the more likely a diet is to raise one’s blood sugar. A high glycemic diet can lead to obesity, diabetes or other blood sugar imbalances. This study shows that such diets can also lead to higher levels of inflammation.

To estimate glycemic load, foods are assigned a number, called a glycemic index, reflecting the extent to which they affect blood sugar. White bread has an index of 100% and is considered the glycemic standard. All other foods are ranked in relation to it. Many carbohydrates, even some that are often considered healthy, have very elevated glycemic indexes. By contrast, protein affects blood sugar consistently less and fat has no effect at all. If you’d like to get an idea of your diet’s glycemic load, a good reference is the list at the end of Dr. Barry Sears’ book Mastering The Zone. However, remember that while glycemic index is an important consideration, it is not the only factor that determines whether a food is healthy.

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A study published in the International Journal of Vitamin Nutrition Research (2001;71(4):217-221) reveals that an increase in the consumption of total carbohydrates to 55%, 65% and 75% of total calories induces a progressive deficiency of vitamin B1. The deficiency is directly proportional to the percentage of total calories derived from carbohydrates. This study does not imply that all carbohydrates should be avoided, only that high-carbohydrate diets trigger this vitamin deficiency. The reason is that thiamin is used up in the body to break down carbohydrates and it is not adequately replenished by any amounts of this vitamin, whether the vitamin occurs naturally or whether it has been added to “enriched” carbohydrate products. This study is particularly interesting for several reasons. First, our diet has been progressively shifting towards higher carbohydrate consumption, and this is especially true in children’s diets. In addition, thiamin deficiency is associated with high anxiety and many of the symptoms of ADHD. Derrick Lonsdale, MD, a proponent of natural treatments for
ADHD, recently published a paper in which he describes successful treatment of many children with ADHD using significant doses of thiamin in addition to dietary management
(Clinical Practice of Alternative Medicine; Volume 2, Number 3, Fall 2001; pages 196-203).

Tags: ADD/ADHD, Diet
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