The natural plant-based sweeteners stevia and monk fruit (Luo Han Guo) are pitted head-to-head against aspartame and Splenda. A number of artificial sweeteners have been approved in North America by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, including aspartame and sucralose (sold as Splenda), but there are also natural “high-intensity sweeteners” found in plants. The global…
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Researchers tested 76 samples of different kinds of organic and conventional meats for 33 different carcinogens. A study on carcinogenic risk associated with the intake of various meats estimated it to be so high that we may not want to feed beef, pork, or chicken to children more than about five times a month. The…
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Concerns over the arsenic content of rice have led to recommendations to reduce rice consumption in favor of other whole grains. What are some strategies to reduce arsenic exposure from rice? What Is Arsenic? Arsenic, a naturally occurring element, has been designated as a category one carcinogen, which is the highest level. Dietary Sources…
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Summer is in swing here in the northern hemisphere, and, for many, that means more time outside. Exposure to the sun is important for producing vitamin D, but it also comes with some risks. The UV rays in sunlight are considered to be a complete carcinogen, meaning they can not only initiate cancer, but also…
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Cholesterol is a vital component of our cells, which is why our body makes all that we need. Elevated cholesterol in our blood is implicated in many serious health concerns. We know that many whole-food sources of fat, like nuts, can lower our levels. What about avocados? Can we dig into some guacamole and get…
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What are the preparation methods to reduce exposure to carcinogens in cooked meat? What are some ways we can decrease our exposure to the carcinogenic substances in meat that are formed during cooking? At 0:15 in my video Carcinogens in Meat, I show a whole list of hazard factors. The first factor is “meat type,”…
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What is the science behind the marketing of foods for antidepressant effects? If you go online, you can see claims about “coconut water being beneficial for depression,” and studies are even cited. You can see it yourself in black and white—“Young coconut water ameliorates depression”—as shown at 0:16 in my video Flashback Friday: Coconut Water…
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The secret to unlocking the benefits of chia seeds may be grinding them up. When recently reviewing the literature on the health-promoting properties and therapeutic applications of chia seeds, I ran into a lot of studies discussing, for example, “strategies for incorporation of chia (Salvia hispanica L.) in frankfurters as a health-promoting ingredient.” After all,…
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What impact might cell phone and Bluetooth radiation have on the inner ear? “Given the huge number of mobile [cell] phone users at present days, even simple adverse health effects could have major implications.” “The major concern about cell phones is that they are usually held close to the head, resulting in significant exposure to…
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What dietary change can simultaneously help detoxify mercury, lead, and cadmium from the body? I’ve previously explored the issue of lead contamination in calcium supplements, such as bonemeal, but bone meal isn’t all that can be contaminated. “Substantial quantities of lead have been reported in some over-the-counter calcium supplement preparations,” and testing has revealed continued…
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