Showing posts with label yogurt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label yogurt. Show all posts

Pasteurized Milk Increased Risk of Death and Bone Fractures - Probiotic Milk Products Do The Opposite

I found this article on GreenMedinfo by Case Adams, Naturopath about the difference between pasteurized milk and probiotic milk like yogurt and cheese. I thought I'd share some excerpts that I think might be very informative.

The article "Pasteurized Milk Speeds Death, Heart Disease, Cancer, Bone Fractures; Yogurt and Cheese Have Opposite Effect" is based on a large study from City University of New York published in the British Medical Journal. It followed 61,433 women between 39 and 74, and 45,339 men between 45 and 79...

Researchers followed the men for an average 11 years, and the women for and average of 20 years.

Researchers used a frequency questionnaire to correlate the amount of milk consumed by each group for 11 to 20 years.

Deaths rates, bone fractures, inflammation markers PGF2-alpha, and interleukin-6 numbers where collected from the groups.

Here is some of the data as repotted in the article:
Among the women.... three or more glasses of milk per day nearly doubled the incidence of death (by 93 percent) compared to those who drank none or less than one glass of milk per day.
Three or more glasses of milk per day in women also 
increased deaths from cardiovascular disease by over 90 percent 
and increased incidence of cancer by 44 percent. 
... three glasses of milk per day or more increased the risk of 
hip fractures by 60 percent and the risk of 
bone fractures by 16 percent. 
... the men also showed 
higher risks of death and cardiovascular disease  
from those drinking three or more glasses of milk per day – although only by about 10 percent. 
The real story of this study is hidden in the fine print...
... cheese, yogurt and fermented (cultured) milk had the opposite effect. 
Women eating 60 grams or more cheese per day (a couple of slices) in particular 
reduced the risk of mortality by at least 30 percent – 
and up to 49 percent (almost half) – when not cancelling out the effects of some of the nutrients in the cheese. 
... adjusted by age only, the effect is 49 percent, but in the model (3) where all the effects of the other nutrients that cheese contains are canceled, the effect is lessened.
When negative effects are measured, it is helpful to eliminate the possible positive effects from the milk in terms of nutrients from its harmful effects. But when the equation is flipped in the case of yogurt and cheese – the effects of the nutrients add to its benefits. 
Using this range, incidence of 
deaths from cardiovascular disease decreased from 37 percent to 52 percent, 
and deaths from cancer decreased from 5 percent to 15 percent among women who ate 60 grams or more of cheese a day. 
Both hip fractures and bone fracture incidence decreased among the women eating more than 60 grams of cheese a day – ranging from 
50 percent lower (by half) to 36 percent lower for hip fractures. 
Among men, even with the reduced follow-up period, mortality incidence among the men was reduced by between 14 and 18 percent – 
depending upon the model – while death from cardiovascular disease decreased by between 13 and 22 percent. 
Mortality from cancer was insignificant. 
Bone fracture incidence was also decreased among the cheesy men, ranging from 25 to 23 percent lower 
among men eating more than 60 grams of cheese a day. 
Yogurt and Fermented Milk Also Healthier 
Eating 400 grams of yogurt or fermented milk per day (less than two cups) was also healthier for both men and women. 
Compared to those who ate little or no yogurt or fermented milk, women experienced a reduced morality ranging from 14 percent to 38 percent, 
and reduced death from heart disease at between 7 and 32 percent. 
Cancer deaths also decreased among yogurt eaters, by between 19 and 25 percent. 
Bone fractures also decreased among yogurt-eating women. 
Hip fractures decreased by between 30 and 51 percent. 
Among men, 400 grams or more of yogurt or fermented milk a day decreased the incidence of death by between 10 and 17 percent, 
heart disease deaths by between 10 and 16 percent, and 
cancer deaths by between 11 and 17 percent. 
Yogurt-eating men also had 25 percent fewer hip fractures than non-yogurt eating men. 
.... 99 percent of the milk being consumed is pasteurized,  
... probiotics are breaking... sugar into harmless compounds. 
Still other research has indicated lactose to be problematic, especially for those with reduced availability of lactase. 
... casein and lactose – are also substantially broken down or changed by colonies of the right probiotics, which include species of lactobacilli. 
For this reason, many cheeses – especially mature varieties (allowing the probiotic fermentation process to continue) - are naturally low in lactose and galactose, as is most yogurt. 
Learn more about probiotics.REFERENCES:
Michaëlsson K, Wolk A, Langenskiöld S, Basu S, Warensjö Lemming E, Melhus H, Byberg L. Milk intake and risk of mortality and fractures in women and men: cohort studies. BMJ. 2014 Oct 28;349:g6015. doi: 10.1136/bmj.g6015.
Fordjour L, D'Souza A, Cai C, Ahmad A, Valencia G, Kumar D, Aranda JV, Beharry KD. Comparative effects of probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics on growth factors in the large bowel in a rat model of formula-induced bowel inflammation.  J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2010 Oct;51(4):507-13. doi: 10.1097/MPG.0b013e3181df5ff2.
Portnoi PA, MacDonald A. Determination of the lactose and galactose content of cheese for use in the galactosaemia diet. J Hum Nutr Diet. 2009 Oct;22(5):400-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-277X.2009.00948.x.
Astrup A. Yogurt and dairy product consumption to prevent cardiometabolic diseases: epidemiologic and experimental studies. Am J ClinNutr. 2014 May;99(5 Suppl):1235S-42S. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.113.073015.Modler HW, Kalab M. Microstructure of Yogurt Stabilized with Milk Proteins. J Dairy Sci. 1983 Mar; 66(3), 430–437.
Adams C. PROBIOTICS-Protection Against Infection: Using Nature's Tiny Warriors To Stem Infection and Fight Disease. Logical Books, 2012.

So here are my two cents. I do not have a double blind study or a published research paper to sight, but I think you can easily extrapolate from this research that the benefits of fermented and particularly the probiotic milk products like cheese, yogurt and fermented milk, that raw, unpasteurized milk & milk products have similar health advantages. This is particularly true when you take into account the similar probiotic profile that raw milk has when compared to fermented milk products. Raw milk also has all of the healthy natural lactase, enzymes, vitamin D, magnesium and non-denatured fat and protein, which are destroyed during pasteurization, so therefore they no longer exist in regular, pasteurized milk. 99% of milk consumed is pasteurized. The aforementioned properties of raw milk mitigate most (if not all) of the pasteurized milk health problems.

Like I always say, do your research and make up your own mind.

Thanks!
Sifu Marcus


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The Yogurt Myth - Why Store Bought Yogurt is Shit


By Dr. Mercola

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Mark Kastel, co-founder of The Cornucopia Institute, about their long-awaited and much-needed Yogurt Report. The interview took place at the recent Heirloom Seed Festival in Santa Rosa, CA, where we both had the honor of speaking.
The idea for the Yogurt Report was seeded about two years ago. I was out of town and a friend requested yogurt, so I went out looking for some in a local grocery store.
To my dismay, I couldn't find a single healthy yogurt. They were all junk food disguised as "health food." Previous to this experience, I was unaware of how truly degenerated most commercial yogurts had become.
I believe this is really a strong case of deception, so I turned to The Cornucopia Institute. It required two years of investigation.
If you're eating yogurt to help optimize your gut flora, you need to review this report. Chances are you're currently eating yogurt that has more similarities with candy than anything else...

Have You Been Deceived?

Most commercial yogurts are chockfull of artificial colors, flavors, additives, and sugar, typically as fructose (high fructose corn syrup), which actually nourishes disease-causing bacteria, yeast, and fungi in your gut. 

Since your gut has limited real estate, this smothers your beneficial bacteria and gets you sick.
Sugar also promotes insulin resistance, which is a driving factor of most chronic disease. 

Virtually all commercially available yogurts use pasteurized milk (heated at high temperature) even before it is reheated to make the yogurt itself, and this has its own drawbacks.

The top-rated yogurts are generally VAT pasteurized at relatively low temperatures, and are made from raw milk rather than previously pasteurized milk. 

While not as advantageous as making yogurt from raw milk in your own home, it's certainly better than most commercial yogurt.

The report also took a look at the food industry's labeling campaign, Live and Active Cultures, which is supposed to help consumers select products with high levels of healthy probiotics.
To assess probiotic content, Cornucopia tested yogurt purchased directly from grocery stores instead of following the industry's practice of testing levels at the factory. As it turns out, many of the brands bearing the Live and Active Cultureslabel contain LOWER levels of probiotics than the top-rated organic brands in Cornucopia's report and scorecard that are not part of the Live and Active campaign.

The report also includes a comparative cost analysis of commercial yogurt brands. The good news is that many organic yogurts are actually less expensive, on a price-per-ounce basis, than conventional, heavily-processed yogurts.

Cornucopia Files Complaint; Requests FDA Investigation

As noted in their press release announcing the release of the report:

"Based on its industry investigation, The Cornucopia Institute has filed a formal complaint with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asking the agency to investigate whether or not certain yogurts on the market, manufactured by such companies as Yoplait, Dannon, and many store brands including Walmart's Great Value, violate the legal standard of identity for products labeled as yogurt.

The Cornucopia Institute requests that the legal definition of 'yogurt' be enforced for product labeling, just as it is for products labeled 'cheese.'

'The reason that Kraft has to call Velveeta® 'processed cheese-food' is that some of the ingredients used, like vegetable oil, cannot legally be in a product marketed as 'cheese',' Kastel added.

Cornucopia alleges that some of the ingredients that manufactures are using in yogurt, like milk protein concentrate (MPC), typically imported from countries like India, do not meet yogurt's current legal standard of identity."

Why You Need Probiotics

Your body contains about 100 trillion bacteria, mostly in your gut, which is more than 10 times the number of cells you have in your entire body. It's now quite clear that the type and quantity of micro-organisms in your gut interact with your body in ways that can either prevent or encourage the development of many diseases.

A healthy microbiome is not only important for optimal digestion of food and absorption of nutrients, these bacteria also help your body produce vitamins, absorb minerals, aid in the elimination of toxins, and are responsible for a good part of your immune system and mental health, including your ability to resist anxiety, stress, and depression.

One recent study1, 2 discovered that yogurt containing Lactobacillus rhamnosuscan help protect children and pregnant women against heavy metal poisoning.

As shown in earlier research, certain microorganisms are particularly efficient at binding to certain toxins and/or chemicals, including pesticides. Here, they found that L. rhamnosus had a preference for binding (and eliminating) mercury and arsenic.

According to the authors: "Probiotic food produced locally represents a nutritious and affordable means for people in some developing countries to counter exposures to toxic metals." Probiotics also have dozens of other beneficial pharmacological actions,3 including:


Anti-bacterialAnti-allergenicAnti-viralImmunomodulatory
Anti-infectiveAntioxidantAntiproliferativeApoptopic (cellular self-destruction)
AntidepressiveAntifungalCardioprotectiveGastroprotective
Radio- and chemo protectiveUpregulates glutathione and certain glycoproteins that help regulate immune responses, including interleukin-4, interleukin-10, and interleukin-12Downregulates interleukin-6 (a cytokine involved in chronic inflammation and age-related diseases)Inhibits tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha inhibitor, NF-kappaB, epidermal growth factor receptor, and more

It's also important to realize that your gut bacteria are very vulnerable to lifestyle and environmental factors. Some of the top offenders known to decimate your microbiome include the following—all of which are best avoided:


Sugar/fructoseRefined grainsProcessed foodsAntibiotics (including antibiotics given to livestock for food production)
Chlorinated and fluoridated waterAntibacterial soaps, etc.Agricultural chemicals and pesticidesPollution

Brain Health Is Strongly Tied to Gut Health

While many think of their brain as the organ in charge of their mental health, your gut may actually play a far more significant role. Mounting research indicates that problems in your gut can directly impact your mental health, leading to issues like anxiety and depression.4 For example:

  • One proof-of-concept study5, 6 conducted by researchers at UCLA found that yogurt containing several strains of probiotics thought to have a beneficial impact on intestinal health also had a beneficial impact on participants' brain function; decreasing activity in brain regions that control central processing of emotion and sensation such as anxiety.
  • The Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility7 reported the probiotic known as Bifidobacterium longum NCC3001normalized anxiety-like behavior in mice with infectious colitis by modulating the vagal pathways within the gut-brain.
  • Other research8 found that the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus had a marked effect on GABA levels—an inhibitory neurotransmitter that is significantly involved in regulating many physiological and psychological processes—in certain brain regions and lowered the stress-induced hormone corticosterone, resulting in reduced anxiety- and depression-related behavior.
Previous studies have confirmed that what you eat can quickly alter the composition of your gut flora. Specifically, eating a high-vegetable, fiber-based diet produces a profoundly different composition of microbiota than a more typical Western diet high in carbs and processed fats.

This is part and parcel of the problem with most commercially available yogurts—they're widely promoted as healthy because they contain (added) probiotics, but then they're so loaded with ingredients that will counteract all the good that they're basically useless... The negative effects of the sugar far outweigh any marginal benefits of the minimal beneficial bacteria they have. Remember, the most important step in building healthy gut flora is avoiding sugar as that will cause disease-causing microbes to crowd out your beneficial flora.

Surprisingly, Mark Kastel notes that some of the organic brands of yogurt actually contained some of the highest amounts of sugar! It's important to realize that some yogurt can contain as much sugar as candy or cookies, which most responsible parents would not feed their children for breakfast. Artificial flavors are also commonly used.

You Can Easily and Inexpensively Make Your Own Yogurt

Your absolute best bet, when it comes to yogurt, is to make your own using a starter culture and raw grass-fed milk. Raw organic milk from grass-fed cows not only contains beneficial bacteria that prime your immune system and can help reduce allergies, it's also an outstanding source of vitamins (especially vitamin A), zinc, enzymes, and healthy fats. Raw organic milk is not associated with any of the health problems of pasteurized milk such as rheumatoid arthritis, skin rashes, diarrhea, and cramps.

To find a local source of raw grass-fed milk, see RealMilk.com.

While delicious as is, you could add a natural sweetener to it. Mark suggests whole food sweeteners such as raw organic honey or maple syrup, for example. You can also add flavor without sweetening it up by adding some vanilla extract, or a squirt of lime or lemon juice. Whole berries or fruits are another obvious alternative. Just be mindful not to overdo it, especially if you're insulin or leptin resistant—and about 80 percent of Americans are.

Nourish Your Microbiome with Organic Yogurt for Optimal Health

Cultured foods like yogurt are good sources of natural, healthy bacteria, provided they're traditionally fermented and unpasteurized. One of the best and least expensive ways to get healthy bacteria through your diet is to obtain raw milk and convert it to yogurt or kefir. It's really easy to make at home. All you need is some starter granules in a quart of raw milk, which you leave at room temperature overnight.

By the time you wake up in the morning you will likely have kefir. If it hasn't obtained the consistency of yogurt, you might want to set it out a bit longer and then store it in the fridge.
A quart of kefir has far more active bacteria than you'd obtain from a probiotic supplement, and it's very economical as you can reuse the kefir from the original quart of milk about 10 times before you need to start a new culture pack. Just one starter package of kefir granules can convert about 50 gallons of milk to kefir! Cultured foods should be a regular part of your diet, and if you eat enough of them you will keep your digestive tract well supplied with good bacteria. There may still be times when a probiotic supplement is necessary, but for day-to-day gut health maintenance, yogurt and other traditionally cultured or fermented foods are truly ideal choices.

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Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Posted by Sifu Marcus Lovemore at 1:58 AM 0 comments

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