Food for Life: How the New Four Food Groups Can Save Your Life (28 page)

Another problem with fish is mercury. The metal settles in rivers and oceans, and according to
Consumer Reports
tests, is in 90 percent of swordfish. A typical can of tuna contains about 15 mcg of mercury. Is that safe? The government says you should feel comfortable eating up to 30 mcg of mercury. Personally, I do not feel so comfortable with even that level of exposure, particularly for pregnant women and children. Fish also contain pesticides of all sorts. Half the flounder sampled in New York contained pesticides.

Why are fish so dirty? They live in what has become civilization’s sewer—the inland waterways and oceans. After all, when water drains from pesticide-covered farm fields, city sewers, or factories, pollutants of all kinds are escorted into the chemical cornucopia of rivers and streams, and eventually to the oceans. Contaminants are absorbed by fish as water passes over their gills, and because fish are carnivorous, the contaminants in smaller fish become concentrated in larger fish. Some fish are also migratory; you don’t know where they’ve been.

As noted in
Chapter 5
, fish often carry contaminants with them from polluted waterways to the fish counter at the grocery store, where about 40 percent of fish samples have so much bacterial contamination that they have already begun to spoil before they are sold.

Filth is not the only reason to skip fish. Many have promoted fish as a replacement for other meats, but it is completely out of the league of the New Four Food Groups. All fish contain cholesterol and fat, including saturated fat. As noted in
Chapter 1
, the fish oils that were once in vogue have been found to actually encourage the production of cancer-causing free radicals.
^4
,
5

Many Americans still consume large amounts of dairy products. Some even force themselves to drink milk because they believe it will help prevent osteoporosis. But dairy products are not included in the New Four Food
Groups, and here are ten reasons, summarized from previous chapters, why you will want to take them off your menu:

1. Dairy products are not the solution to osteoporosis. As noted in
   Chapter 1
   , milk is largely ineffective in slowing bone loss. The high occurrence of osteoporosis has more to do with the excess of protein Americans eat, along with a sedentary life-style and tobacco and alcohol use, than with any “deficiency” of cow’s milk.
   

2. Dairy products contribute cholesterol and fat. The fat in dairy products is animal fat—i.e., mostly saturated. This problem alone rules out virtually all dairy products except skim milk, some yogurts, and a very few other nonfat dairy products. Studies comparing the cardiovascular status of lacto-ovo-vegetarians and vegans clearly give the edge to the latter, as we saw in
   Chapter 2
   .
   

3. Insulin-dependent diabetes is linked to dairy products. Comparisons of various countries show a strong correlation between the use of dairy products and the incidence of insulin-dependent diabetes. Confirmatory research has shown that antibodies to cow’s milk protein destroy the insulin-producing cells of the body, as was detailed in
   Chapter 5
   .
   

4. There are difficulties from lactose intolerance. Many people, particularly those of Asian and African ancestry, are unable to digest the milk sugar, lactose. Diarrhea and gas can result.
   

5. Milk is one of the most common food allergies. Respiratory problems, canker sores, skin conditions, and other subtle and not-so-subtle allergies can be caused by dairy products. The sad fact is that many people never know they have a dairy sensitivity; they thought their problems were “normal.” If they had given themselves a break from dairy, they might get a very pleasant surprise. Asthmatics, in particular, should give themselves a long vacation from dairy products to see whether their condition improves.
   

6. Chemicals anyone? Like other products from animals, dairy products contain frequent contaminants, from pesticides to drugs. According to recent studies, about one in every three cartons of milk at the retail store contains some of the antibiotics that were fed to the dairy cow. Twenty different antibiotics and thirty-three other drugs are legal for use in dairy cows. Although farmers are supposed not to sell milk from medicated cows, the regulatory system is a clear failure.
   ⁶
   

   Dairies add vitamin D to milk, but do so in a haphazard way that is poorly regulated. Vitamin D is poisonous—and potentially fatal—in overdose,
   ⁷
   yet recent testing of 42 milk samples found only 12 percent within the expected range of vitamin D content. Testing of ten samples of infant formula revealed that all had more vitamin D than they were supposed to. Seven had more than twice the vitamin D content reported on the label, one of which had more than four times the label amount.
   ⁸
   

7. About one in five babies develops the digestive irritability called colic. It has long been known that eliminating cow’s milk formulas often solves the problem. However, researchers were surprised that some breast-fed babies also developed colic. In the April 1991 issue of
   Pediatrics
   , researchers reported a surprising finding. Although it had been believed that the antibodies in milk are completely broken down in the process of human digestion, some of the antibodies can actually pass into the mother’s bloodstream and enter her own breast milk, where they are then passed along to her nursing baby.
   ⁹
   So the solution to colic is not only to take the child off cow’s milk, but to take the nursing mother off it as well.
   

8. Although iron deficiency is a less common problem among American adults than iron excess, dairy products make a deficiency more likely. First, cow’s milk products are very low in iron,
   ¹⁰
   containing only about one-tenth of a milligram per eight-ounce serving. This makes milk particularly risky for small children. To get the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance for iron, which is 15 mg per day for infants less than a year of age, an infant would have to drink more than thirty-one quarts of milk per day.
   

   The iron-deficiency associated with milk is not simply due to milk’s low iron content and its tendency to displace iron-rich foods. Milk can also cause the loss of blood from the intestinal tract, which over time reduces the body’s iron stores. It is not yet certain how cow’s milk causes blood loss, but researchers speculate that the culprit may be bovine albumin, a protein present in milk, and that it may elicit an immune reaction that leads to blood loss.
   ¹¹
   Pasteurization does not eliminate the problem. Researchers from the University of Iowa recently wrote in the
   Journal of Pediatrics:
   “In a large proportion of infants the feeding of cow milk causes a substantial increase of hemoglobin loss. Some infants are exquisitely sensitive to cow milk and can lose large quantities of blood.”
   ¹¹
   The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants under a year of age not receive unmodified cow’s milk because it is deficient in iron and other nutrients.
   ¹²
   

   In addition, dairy products interfere with the body’s absorption of iron. Milk or cheese with a meal will reduce the amount of iron absorbed by about half.
   ¹³
   Calcium supplements do the same thing. Many women,
   particularly pregnant women, take calcium and iron supplements, unaware that calcium inhibits the absorption of iron. All forms of calcium supplements
   ¹⁴
   cut in half the amount of iron absorbed with meals. (Women for whom iron and calcium supplements are prescribed will absorb more iron if the supplements are taken between meals.)
   

   This is not to say that reduced iron absorption is always a bad thing, since iron has toxicities in addition to its benefits for the body. But iron deficiency is risky for children, and when it occurs, dairy products are often the culprit.
   

9. Ovarian cancer is linked to dairy consumption, as described in
   Chapter 3
   .
   

10. In a similar way, cataracts are also linked to dairy products, as we noted in
    Chapter 1
    .
    

Now, many people anticipate that a dairyless existence will mean waking up in the night screaming for a cheese pizza. But the desire for dairy products soon passes. And once you get away from this culinary wrong turn, you may wonder who ever got the idea to consume milk from a cow in the first place.

There is a small amount of oil inherent in grains, beans, vegetables, and fruits, and small amounts are needed by the body for a variety of functions. But in excess, vegetable oil may contribute to cancer risk, as animal fat does. And all forms of fat and oil, whatever the source, contribute to weight problems. It is advisable to keep nuts, seeds, and cooking oils to a minimum, and to avoid fried foods, oil, salad dressings, margarine, and fatty baked goods. Ideally, fats and oil should contribute roughly 10 percent of the calories in the foods you eat.

Even though people who eat according to the New Four Food Groups live years longer than those on the typical American diet, have dramatically lower risks of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, and tend to stay slimmer, it is still common to hear people ask whether it is
safe
to eliminate meat and dairy products. Because questions about protein and calcium, in particular, are raised so frequently, it is necessary to dispel some myths.

First,
protein
. It was once thought that people who avoided meat products had to be very careful about what they ate in order to get enough protein. But it has turned out to be very easy. If you had the idea that plant foods have to be carefully combined in order to get complete proteins, you can relax. According to the American Dietetic Association and others, you will get more than enough protein as long as you eat a variety of plant foods.
^15
,
16
There is no need to carefully “complement your proteins,” nor do you have to have foods from all four groups at every meal.

Unfortunately, the worry about getting enough protein has led to an overemphasis on high-protein foods that are also high in fat and cholesterol. Americans consume more than twice the amount of protein they need. A high-protein intake is detrimental to bone strength and overworks the kidneys.

Second,
calcium
. The key to bone strength is not to maximize calcium intake but to minimize calcium loss. A plant-based menu is far superior to meat diets in this respect. The best calcium sources are green leafy vegetables and beans. If you choose to supplement, calcium-fortified orange juice is a good choice. For more details, see
Chapter 1
.

Some ask whether plant-based diets can provide adequate
iron
. The answer is yes, although the factors that enter into the discussion are complex. The form of iron found in meats is more easily absorbed than that in plants. This has turned out to be a liability, because meats apparently contribute to iron overload, which is common in American adults. The New Four Food Groups allow the body to regulate its iron absorption more effectively, and provide plenty of iron without the excessive iron of meat products. According to research studies, populations that consume little or no animal products actually have equal or greater iron intake than meateaters,
^17–
19
although slightly less of it is absorbed. Iron absorption can be increased by vitamin C.

Zinc
is provided by grains such as rice, corn, and oats, as well as by peas, potatoes, spinach, and other foods. Recent research shows that, while adequate intake is important to health, overingestion can be damaging to the immune system.
^20
,
21
The best advice is to obtain zinc naturally from foods rather than from supplements.

Finally,
riboflavin
. I know the reader has not lost much sleep over riboflavin, but it is the subject of occasional discussion among nutritionists. Diets based on plant foods are somewhat low in riboflavin. However, researchers now believe that riboflavin needs may be lower than previously thought.
²²
The China Health Study has found that low riboflavin intake may not be associated with clinical deficiency symptoms. Riboflavin is provided by broccoli, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, spinach, and other green leafy vegetables.

There is one vitamin, called vitamin B
_12,
which does present a genuine nutritional issue, although one that is easily solved. B
₁₂
is important for maintaining healthy blood and healthy nerves. The vitamin is not produced by plants or animals, but rather by bacteria and other one-celled organisms. The body needs only about 1 mcg per day.
²³
Since the body can store this vitamin, there is no need to have a source of B
₁₂
every day, but you should include B
₁₂
at least every few days.

There have traditionally been vegetarian sources of vitamin B
_12.
Some evidence suggests that bacteria in the soil can contribute traces of B
₁₂
to root vegetables, and Asian foods such as miso and tempeh are loaded with the vitamin, due to the bacteria used in their production. But improved hygiene, careful washing, and modern processing destroy the bacteria that make B
_12.
Spirulina, which is often sold at health food stores, is not a consistent source of true B
_12.

Some packaged foods, particularly breakfast cereals, are enriched with B
_12,
as you will see on their labels. Nearly all common multivitamin tablets, from Flintstones to One-A-Day to StressTabs, also contain B
_12.
Health food stores carry vegetarian B
₁₂
supplements, usually made from algae. Look for the words
cobalamin
or
cyanocobalamin
on the label, which are the chemical terms for vitamin B
_12.