Will Eating and/or Drinking Soy Prevent or Reverse Dis-ease or So-called Disease?

Cancer is a group of dis-eases characterized by the uncontrolled fermentation and degeneration of body cells. Over 10 million Americans today are cancer survivors, and about 1.4 million Americans are expected to be diagnosed each year.¹

"Diet plays an important role in the prevention and treatment of ALL cancerous conditions, and soy protein is one of the leading anti-acid or alkalizing and therefore anti-carcinogenic foods being studied," stated Dr. Robert O. Young, Director of Research at the pH Miracle Living Center.

Soy Foods & Cancer

There has been much focus during the past 15 years on the anticancer effects of soy foods.² There are several presumed chemopreventive agents in the soy bean,⁶ but the isoflavones have received the most attention.³ A particular interest lies in the role of soy foods and isoflavones in reducing the risk of breast and prostate cancer.²

Soy & Breast Cancer

Data modestly supports the hypothesis that soy food intake may reduce the incidence of breast cancer. A recently published analysis found the relative risk for breast cancer was 95 percent when comparing high- vs. low-soy consumers.⁵ However, many of the case-control and prospective studies included in this analysis were of poor quality.⁶

Rodent studies have generally shown that isoflavones, or soy protein, inhibit chemically induced mammary tumors when given prior to tumor initiation^7-9, although there are a number of exceptions.^10-12 Interestingly, the chemopreventive effects of isoflavones appear to be affected by the background dietary choices.

When the isoflavone genistein was added to the semi-purified diet, chemically induced rodent mammary tumors were not inhibited, but when added to the regular chow diet, tumor development was suppressed by approximately 50 percent.¹³ This suggests that animal research, which most commonly uses semi-purified diets, may actually underestimate the potential anticarcinogenic effects of soy and other foods.

Soy & Markers of Breast Cancer

In contrast to the animal and epidemiologic data, there is little clinical evidence that soy or isoflavones favorably affect markers of breast cancer risk including breast tissue density,^{14, 15} serum estrogen levels,^{16, 17} and breast cell proliferation.¹⁸ There is limited evidence that estrogen metabolism is favorably affected¹⁹ and that menstrual cycle length is increased (which decreases cancer risk).¹⁶

Nevertheless, there remains considerable enthusiasm for the possibility that soy food intake contributes to the low breast cancer rate in Japan.

Early Intake of Soy May Reduce Breast Risk

There is both epidemiologic ^20-22 and animal ^{23, 24} data in support of the hypothesis that early soy intake reduces later risk of developing breast cancer. This hypothesis is consistent with mounting evidence that early life influences — parity, lactation, age at menses, birth weight, etc. — impact risk of developing breast cancer.^25-36 Studies of migrants suggest that the first 20 years of life have an especially profound impact on risk.^36-38 The epidemiologic data suggest just one to two servings of soy foods is protective.

Breaking News - Soy Breast Cancer Study

Soy Breast Cancer Study Holds Promise, But Calls for Further Research

For more than 15 years, soy foods have been actively investigated for their possible role in reducing breast cancer risk. Initial enthusiasm about this hypothesis was based on several observations. These include the low breast cancer rates in Japan, early animal research indicating that soy beans in rodent diets reduced mammary tumor development and evidence suggesting that the isoflavones (phytoestrogens) in soy foods may exert anti-estrogenic effects.

However, establishing a relationship between cancer risk and diet – especially specific foods – is much more difficult than establishing such links in the case of other chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease. This is because there are few well-established non-invasive indicators of cancer risk, and studies are very rarely conducted for long enough to measure actual differences in tumor incidence. Consequently, it is difficult to claim with confidence whether a particular intervention increases or decreases the chances of developing cancer.

Epidemiologic research is a useful mode of investigation for exploring a relationship between diet and cancer. Epidemiology is the study of the patterns, causes, and control of disease in groups of people. There are two primary types of epidemiologic studies, case-control and prospective studies. In case-control studies, scientists compare people with cancer to those without in hopes of identifying characteristics such as lifestyle or diet that are more common to one group than the other. In prospective studies, scientists first evaluate the characteristics of a large group of healthy people, then follow those subjects for many years in hopes of identifying whether certain factors are more common to those who develop cancer than to those who don't. Generally, prospective studies are considered more credible than case-control studies. It is important to recognize, however, that epidemiologic studies cannot establish cause and effect relationships. Only clinical trials can do that. But epidemiologic studies are often used as a basis for clinical research.

To evaluate the relationship between soy intake and breast cancer risk, Bruce Trock and colleagues from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and Georgetown University conducted a meta-analysis of epidemiologic studies. A meta-analysis is the statistical analysis of a large collection of results from individual studies for the purpose of integrating the findings. This particular analysis included 12 case-control studies and 6 prospective studies. The major finding of this analysis was that when all women (Asian and non-Asian, pre- and postmenopausal) were considered, soy intake was associated with a 14% reduction in breast cancer risk. That is, women consuming higher quantities of soy were 14% less likely to develop breast cancer than women who consumed relatively little soy. However, subgroup analysis revealed that soy was more protective against pre- compared to postmenopausal breast cancer, and was protective in studies involving non-Asian women but not Asian women.

The analysis by Trock and colleagues provides modest support for the notion that soy may protect against breast cancer. A 14% reduction is certainly noteworthy, but for several reasons the study results should be interpreted with caution.

First, in many studies, soy intake was not actually quantified. Rather, it was estimated based on the urinary excretion of isoflavones. Because urinary isoflavone excretion varies so much from person to person, it provides only a rough approximation of soy intake. Furthermore, although soy was found to be protective in studies involving non-Asian women, the intake of soy by the women in these studies was quite low. There is some doubt as to whether such low intakes are sufficient to exert biological effects. Since soy foods are still consumed by only a minority of people in non-Asian countries – and are often favored by especially health-conscious individuals – we must consider the possibility that the perceived cancer-protective effects of soy may result from an overall healthy lifestyle, rather than soy consumption per se. Although the researchers employed statistical techniques to try to separate the effects of soy from other factors common to people who eat soy, this is very difficult to do.

While some evidence, including the new analysis by Trock and colleagues, suggests soy foods may reduce breast cancer risk, no conclusions can be made at this time. Nevertheless, because soy foods provide excellent nutrition, they can play an important role in an overall healthy diet, regardless of their possible relationship to breast cancer protection.

Soy & Prostate Cancer

The soy bean isoflavone genistein inhibits the growth of both androgen-dependent^39-42 and androgen-independent^{39, 42-45} prostate cancerous cells, depending on the level of soy doses administered. In addition, genistein inhibits the invasive capacity of prostate cancerous cells ⁴² and enhances the ability of radiation to kill these cells.⁴⁶ However, the concentration of genistein required to exert these effects is higher than the serum isoflavone levels of people who eat soy foods.^47-49 Nevertheless, several observations suggest these effects are biologically relevant.^{39, 44-49}

Regional Diets Can Impact Prostate Cancer

In Japan, although many men have prostate cancer, few die of this dis-ease. This is because the small tumors often referred to as latent prostate cancer, not uncommon to Japanese men, rarely progress to the more advanced form of this disease.^{51, 52} Isoflavones in combination with tea extracts were shown to reduce tumor growth in mice more effectively than either agent alone.⁹

In Asia, and especially in Japan, where prostate cancer mortality rates are low, both soy foods and tea are important components of their diet. There are likely several factors that contribute to this clinical situation in Japanese men and according to the International Prostate Health Council, and isoflavone intake from soy foods may be one.⁵³

There has been limited epidemiologic investigation of the relationship between soy intake and prostate cancer. These studies have produced mixed results but can be said to be consistent with the hypothesis that soy intake reduces prostate cancer risk.

A recent analysis of 10 epidemiologic studies found that soy intake was associated with a one-third reduction in prostate cancer risk.⁵ However, many of the epidemiologic studies involved a small number of cases^{54, 55} and/or did not comprehensively evaluate soy food intake. However, a recent comprehensive Japanese case-control study found that when comparing the highest with the lowest soy food intake cases, risk was reduced by nearly 50 percent.⁵⁶

Soy May Help Treat Existing Prostate Cancer

Data suggests that soy foods may be useful in the treatment of existing prostate cancer, but this remains speculative. A study of 11 trials, three involving healthy subjects^57-59 and eight involving prostate cancer patients,^60-67 examined the effects of isoflavones on PSA levels. No benefits were noted in healthy subjects, but among the cancer patients one-half noted favorable effects.⁶⁸ Recent intervention data demonstrate that reducing prostate cancer risk is not dependent upon reductions in PSA levels.⁶⁹

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39. Peterson G, Barnes S. Genistein and biochanin A inhibit the growth of human prostate cancer cells but not epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine autophosphorylation. Prostate 1993;22:335-345.
40. Onozawa M, Fukuda K, Ohtani M, Akaza H, Sugimura T, Wakabayashi K. Effects of soy bean isoflavones on cell growth and apoptosis of the human prostatic cancer cell line LNCaP. Jpn J Clin Oncol 1998;28:360-363.
41. Shen JC, Klein RD, Wei Q, Guan Y, Contois JH, Wang TT, Chang S, Hursting SD. Low-dose genistein induces cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors and G(1) cell-cycle arrest in human prostate cancer cells. Mol Carcinog 2000;29:92-102.
42. Santibanez JF, Navarro A, Martinez J. Genistein inhibits proliferation and in vitro invasive potential of human prostatic cancer cell lines. Anticancer Res 1997;17:1199-1204.
43. Naik HR, Lehr JE, Pienta KJ. An in vitro and in vivo study of antitumor effects of genistein on hormone refractory prostate cancer. Anticancer Res 1994;14:2617-2619.
44. Kyle E, Neckers L, Takimoto C, Curt G, Bergan R. Genistein-induced apoptosis of prostate cancer cells is preceded by a specific decrease in focal adhesion kinase activity. Mol Pharmacol 1997;51:193-200.
45. Bhatia N, Agarwal R. Detrimental effect of cancer preventive phytochemicals silymarin, genistein and epigallocatechin 3-gallate on epigenetic events in human prostate carcinoma DU145 cells. Prostate 2001;46:98-107.
46. Hillman GG, Forman JD, Kucuk O, Yudelev M, Maughan RL, Rubio J, Layer A, Tekyi-Mensah S, Abrams J, Sarkar FH. Genistein potentiates the radiation effect on prostate carcinoma cells. Clin Cancer Res 2001;7:382-390.
47. Doerge DR, Chang HC, Churchwell MI, Holder CL. Analysis of soy isoflavone conjugation in vitro and in human blood using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Drug Metab Dispos 2000;28:298-307.
48. Chang HC, Churchwell MI, Delclos KB, Newbold RR, Doerge DR. Mass spectrometric determination of Genistein tissue distribution in diet-exposed Sprague-Dawley rats. J Nutr 2000;130:1963-1970.
49. Dalu A, Haskell JF, Coward L, Lamartiniere CA. Genistein, a component of soy, inhibits the expression of the EGF and ErbB2/Neu receptors in the rat dorsolateral prostate. Prostate 1998;37:36-43.
50. Messina M. Emerging evidence on the role of soy in reducing prostate cancer risk. Nutr Rev 2003;61:117-131.
51. Yatani R, Kusano I, Shiraishi T, Hayashi T, Stemmermann GN. Latent prostatic carcinoma: pathological and epidemiological aspects. Jpn J Clin Oncol 1989;19:319-326.
52. Shibata A, Whittemore AS, Imai K, Kolonel LN, Wu AH, John EM, Stamey TA, Paffenbarger RS. Serum levels of prostate-specific antigen among Japanese-American and native Japanese men. J Natl Cancer Inst 1997;89:1716-1720.
53. Griffiths K. Estrogens and prostatic disease. International Prostate Health Council Study Group. Prostate 2000;45:87-100.
54. Jacobsen BK, Knutsen SF, Fraser GE. Does high soy milk intake reduce prostate cancer incidence? The Adventist Health Study (United States) [see comments]. Cancer Causes Control 1998;9:553-557.
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56. Lee MM, Gomez SL, Chang JS, Wey M, Wang RT, Hsing AW. Soy and isoflavone consumption in relation to prostate cancer risk in China. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2003;12:665-668.
57. Urban D, Irwin W, Kirk M, Markiewicz MA, Myers R, Smith M, Weiss H, Grizzle WE, Barnes S. The Effect of Isolated Soy Protein on Plasma Biomarkers in Elderly Men with Elevated Serum Prostate Specific Antigen. J Urol 2001;165:294-300.
58. Adams KF, Chen C, Newton KM, Potter JD, Lampe JW. Soy isoflavones do not modulate prostate-specific antigen concentrations in older men in a randomized controlled trial. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2004;13:644-648.
59. Jenkins DJ, Kendall CW, D'Costa MA, Jackson CJ, Vidgen E, Singer W, Silverman JA, Koumbridis G, Honey J, Rao AV, Fleshner N, Klotz L. Soy consumption and phytoestrogens: effect on serum prostate specific antigen when blood lipids and oxidized low-density lipoprotein are reduced in hyperlipidemic men. J Urol 2003;169:507-511.
60. Hussain M, Banerjee M, Sarkar FH, Djuric Z, Pollak MN, Doerge D, Fontana J, Chinni S, Davis J, Forman J, Wood DP, Kucuk O. Soy isoflavones in the treatment of prostate cancer. Nutr Cancer 2003;47:111-117.
61. Fischer L, Mahoney C, Jeffcoat AR, Koch MA, Thomas BE, Valentine JL, Stinchcombe T, Boan J, Crowell JA, Zeisel SH. Clinical characteristics and pharmacokinetics of purified soy isoflavones: multiple-dose administration to men with prostate neoplasia. Nutr Cancer 2004;48:160-170.
62. deVere White RW, Hackman RM, Soares SE, Beckett LA, Li Y, Sun B. Effects of a genistein-rich extract on PSA levels in men with a history of prostate cancer. Urology 2004;63:259-263.
63. Spentzos D, Mantzoros C, Regan MM, Morrissey ME, Duggan S, Flickner-Garvey S, McCormick H, DeWolf W, Balk S, Bubley GJ. Minimal effect of a low-fat/high soy diet for asymptomatic, hormonally naive prostate cancer patients. Clin Cancer Res 2003;9:3282-3287.
64. Jarred RA, Keikha M, Dowling C, McPherson SJ, Clare AM, Husband AJ, Pedersen JS, Frydenberg M, Risbridger GP. Induction of Apoptosis in Low to Moderate-Grade Human Prostate Carcinoma by Red Clover-derived Dietary Isoflavones. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2002;11:1689-1696.
65. Kumar NB, Cantor A, Allen K, Riccardi D, Besterman-Dahan K, Seigne J, Helal M, Salup R, Pow-Sang J. The specific role of isoflavones in reducing prostate cancer risk. Prostate 2004;59:141-147.
66. Dalais FS, Meliala A, Wattanapenpaiboon N, Frydenberg M, Suter DA, Thomson WK, Wahlqvist ML. Effects of a diet rich in phytoestrogens on prostate-specific antigen and sex hormones in men diagnosed with prostate cancer. Urology 2004;64:510-515.
67. Kranse R, Dagnelie PC, van Kemenade MC, de Jong FH, Blom JH, Tijburg LB, Weststrate JA, Schroder FH. Dietary intervention in prostate cancer patients: PSA response in a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study. Int J Cancer 2005;113:835-840.
68. Messina M, Kucuk O, Lampe J. An overview of the health effects of isoflavones with an emphasis on prostate cancer risk and prostate specific antigen levels. JAOAC; (accepted).
69. Meyer F, Galan P, Douville P, Bairati I, Kegle P, Bertrais S, Estaquio C, Hercberg S. Antioxidant vitamin and mineral supplementation and prostate cancer prevention in the SU.VI.MAX trial. Int J Cancer 2005;116:182-186.

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VeganNik: The pH Miracle Living Retreat

VEGANIK: THE pH MIRACLE RETREAT

Vol. 2: It’s a bird, it’s a plane… No wait, it’s “ALKALINE BOY”!

by featured contributor Nik Tyler

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Tired of not getting enough sleep? Or feeling foggy? Sluggish in the morning? Crashing in the middle of the day? Dealing with problematic skin? Damaged, crazy hair? Poor digestion? Sore muscles? Aching back? Feeling stressed? Feeling stressed about feeling stressed? No, this isn’t a late-night infomercial – this is literally how I felt for years. I finally found the true cause of these all-too-common health afflictions, and I want to share the truth with you. Get ready; the

cause of illness as I have come to know it is (drum roll, please)… SUGAR & ACIDIC FOOD! Though simple may it seem, I learned this during a transformative health retreat where I had the fortune of spending 12 days cleansing at Dr. Robert Young’s Rancho De Sol in Valley Center, near San Diego. Dr. Young, a world renowned scientist and lecturer, is the author of several books, including “The pH Miracle” and because of him, I am soaring! So here’s my story:

The basis of Dr. Young’s scientific philosophy is that of adopting an “Alkalarian” lifestyle and diet (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alkalarian), a way of eating and thinking where essentially your meals consists of 80% alkaline foods and 20% acidic. Choosing to consume primarily alkaline foods and limiting the intake of meat, dairy, high sugar fruits & certain carbohydrates, we can maintain an internal alkaline level of 7.2 (striving for 8), which, strengthens the immune system. Who knew?

When I first met Dr. Young, he held a Microscopy session with me, consisting of viewing samples of one drop of my blood, dry and living, under a microscope and on a monitor. What he found under the microscope was shocking; my blood was totally riddled with yeast and I had cancerous markers on some of my internal organs, which scared the hell out of me. After talking to me about my past dietary history, Dr. Young explained to me that this was all a result of years of consuming sugar and other acidic foods – and not just an abundance of those decadent raw/vegan desserts, but from years of heaping bowls of pasta, dairy, rice, caffeine and fruit overload. As surprised as I was to hear this, it was no surprise at all to Dr. Young that I had been feeling lethargic with sore muscles and having difficulty for years maintaining clear skin and a clear state of mind – my body needed help, and pronto! So his plan for me was to completely drench my system in alkalizing foods and activities, and in doing so, rid my body of the yeast, restoring it’s alkaline balance and obliterating all of my current health issues.

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Now I’ll be completely honest here - I was scared shitless by my diagnosis, and entirely consumed with doubts. I knew the basics of Dr. Young’s scientific beliefs and they made sense to me, but I also was uber-bummed at the concept of cutting out all the acidic food I was so used to consuming and loved… it sounded hardcore to a dude who loved his desserts and nutritional yeast 6-layer pasta-extravaganza’s! But after much consideration of what the blood test had revealed, I weighed the pros and cons, and I decided to ditch the sugar and acidic foods (for at least the 12 days I was staying at the ranch), be brave and give “Alkalinity” a deserving try! After all, in 12 days I would know first-hand if this “pH Miracle” really lived up to its name.

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The first day at the ranch I was in mourning the death of all the foods I wouldn’t be eating, but then after the first two meals were prepared for me (a delicious avocado-spinach-tomato-cucumber-hemp oil smoothie, followed by a sumptuous leek-onion-garlic-ginger-almond milk-soup), I began to let go of my desire for a giant bowl of soy-alfredo fettuccini and chocolate chip cookies. I was just beginning to break the vicious cycle of my sugar addiction, and not only was the new alkaline food delicious, I was feeling really terrific after I ate it – gone was that constant feeling of being tired and grossly-full after a meal. Now I felt light and energized!

The following 11 days at Dr. Young’s Ranch were entirely transformative. I followed a surprisingly delicious, gourmet alkaline diet of especially-green vegetables like kale, spinach, collard, zucchini, broccoli, tomato, cauliflower, peppers, cucumbers, leeks, onions, lots of healthy oils like olive, flax, sunflower, hemp, sesame, home made almond milk, and my favorite, lots of avocado and guacamole! In addition to the foods I was putting into my body, I also adopted a daily exercise regimen consisting of yoga, stretching and hiking. This emphasis on physical activity and deep breathing was as essential as the food I was eating. The act of working out and sweating does wonders for detoxifying the body of any acidity, and by practicing yoga, a state of tranquility rids the body of stressful thoughts that are scientifically proven to produce acidity.

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I definitely went through a major sugar detox, but around Day 6 I started to pick up and feel clear and healthy. All the alkalining foods partnered with workouts gave me so much unexpected joy and clarity that by day 12 I was an entirely revamped version of myself. My final blood microscopy session with Dr. Young was miraculous. The majority of the acidic spots had disappeared and all the cancer markings were completely gone from my internal organs- the yeast had been abolished and my blood was healthy, strong & vibrant. This turn around in my health was truly remarkable to me, but equally as cool was the fact that I didn’t crave the old acidic foods I once loved o.d.ing on . I learned a huge lesson in the ways our taste buds can change and shift if we just allow ourselves to explore the vast dietary options that are out there. In just 12 short days, I developed an entirely new, more health-conscience palette, and now I am craving alkaline foods!

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Being a constant work in progress, I am continuing this “Alkaline” journey back in LA. Being simple and strict for the rest of ‘09 is my current adventure – creating and experimenting with delectable variations on the alkaline menu, as well as joining yoga classes around town and making sure that I drink loads of “alkaline” water, pH miracle green drinks, devouring kale and avocado by the fistful, using my shot glasses for chlorophyll and hemp oil, and staying active by rollerblading, lifting weights and playing with happy dogs! All these physical, spiritual and nutritional endeavors will be the topics of future blog entries, so stay tuned for alkaline recipes, pictures and activities.

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And remember, not everyone needs to prescribe to my specific routine, cause not everybody or every body is the same – we all react differently and can handle acids in different ways… but if this story resonates with you and you’ve been experiencing some similar ailments, give the alkaline diet a try. When you wake up tomorrow morning, instead of reaching for that acidic bowl of corn flakes & sugary soy milk, try whipping up an “awesome-avocado-spinach shake”, or a “cool-crunchy-cabbage-cucumber-guacamole wrap”, or for an even easier quick-fix, an “avocado-salsa-scooper” (recipes + pictures to follow)! Just like those hypnotizing late-night infomercials, I’m guaranteeing you that if you make the switch and allow your taste buds the time to transition (which they will, I promise – it only took me 4 days to stop craving those sickening, sneaky sugars) you will undoubtedly start feeling like a power-house alkaline version of ‘Tony the Tiger’, and start feeling GRRRRRREAT!

-Nik

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Impressions of Hawai'i

I recently went to Hawai'i for the American Society of Human Genetics meeting in Waikiki, followed by a one-week vacation on Kaua'i with friends. It was my first time in Hawai'i and I really enjoyed it. The Hawai'ians I encountered were kind and generous people.

Early European explorers remarked on the beauty, strength, good nature and exellent physical development of the native Hawai'ians. The traditional Hawai'ian diet consisted mostly of taro root, sweet potatoes, yams, breadfruit, coconut, fish, occasional pork, fowl including chicken, taro leaves, seaweed and a few sweet fruits. It would have been very low (but adequate) in omega-6, because there simply isn't much of it available in this environment. Root crops and most fruit are virtually devoid of fat; seafood and coconut contain very little omega-6; and even the pork and chicken would have been low in omega-6 due to their diets. Omega-3 would have been plentiful from marine foods, and saturated fats would have come from coconut. All foods were fresh and unrefined. Abundant exercise and sunlight would have completed their salubrious lifestyle.

The traditional Hawai'ian diet was rich in easily digested starch, mainly in the form of poi, which is fermented mashed taro. I ate poi a number of times while I was on Kaua'i, and really liked it. It's mild, similar to mashed potatoes, but with a slightly sticky consistency and a purple color (due to the particular variety of taro that's traditionally used to make it).

I had the opportunity to try a number of traditional Polynesian foods while I was on Kaua'i. One plant that particularly impressed me is breadfruit. It's a big tree that makes cantaloupe-sized starchy green fruit. Breadfruit is incredibly versatile, because it can be used at different stages of ripeness for different purposes. Very young, it's like a vegetable, at full size, it's a bland starch, and fully ripe it's starchy and sweet like a sweet potato. It can be baked, boiled, fried and even dried for later use. It has a mild flavor and a texture similar to soft white bread. It's satisfying and fairly rich in micronutrients. On the right are breadfruit, coconut and sugarcane, three traditional Hawai'ian foods.

I find perennial staple crops such as breadfruit very interesting, because they're much less destructive to soil quality than annual crops, and they're a breeze to maintain. I could walk into the backyard of the apartment I was renting and pick a breadfruit, soak it, throw it in the oven and I had something nutritious to eat in just over an hour. It's like picking a bag of potatoes right off a tree. Insects and birds didn't seem to like it at all, possibly because the raw fruit exudes a bitter, rubbery sap when damaged. Unfortunatley, breadfruit is a tropical plant. Temperate starchy staples that were exploited by native North Americans include the majestic American chestnut in the Appalachians, and acorns in the West. These are both more work than breadfruit to prepare, particularly acorns which must be extensively soaked to remove bitter tannins.

One of the foods Polynesian settlers brought to Hawai'i was sugar cane. I had the opportunity to try fresh sugar cane for the first time while I was on Kaua'i. You cut off the outer skin, then cut it into strips and chew to get the sweet juice. It was mild but tasty. I don't know if it was a coincidence or not, but I ended up feeling unwell after eating several pieces. It may simply have been too much sugar for me.

Modern Hawai'i is a hunter-gatherer's dream. There are fruit trees everywhere, including papayas, wild and cultivated guavas, mangoes, avocados, passion fruit, breadfruit, bananas, citrus fruits and many others. Many of those fruits did not predate European contact however. Even pineapples were introduced to Hawai'i after European contact. Coconuts are everywhere, and we could pick one up for a drink and snack on almost any beach. The forests are full of wild chickens (such as the one at left) and pigs, both having resulted from the escape and subsequent mixing of Polynesian and European breeds. Kaua'ians frequently hunt the pigs, which are environmentally damaging due to their habit of rooting through topsoil for food. Large areas of forest on Kaua'i look like they've been ploughed due to the pigs' rooting. Humans are their only predators and their food is abundant.

While I was on Kaua'i, I ate mostly seafood (including delicious raw tuna poke), poi, breadfruit, coconut and sweet fruits-- a real Polynesian style hunter-gatherer diet! I swam every day, hiked in the lovely interior, and kayaked. It was a great trip, and I hope to return someday.

.

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Sean Stephenson - A pH Miracle Marvel

Sean Stephenson came to my research center over 8 years ago to help him with his rare genetic condition - Osteogenesis Imperfecta or the glass bone disease.

When I first met Sean he was sick, tired and had broken over 270 bones. He would break a bone if he sneezed.

Now he is a pH Miracle, living his life to the fullest as the "3 Foot Giant."

Sean attributes his good health and the fact he has not broken a bone in 8 years to the work and research of Dr. Robert and Shelley Young.

Check out his new TV show. Sean is very entertaining and yes he drinks his greens. He will challenge you to get off your "BUTT!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_4YpAHxAwA


Please watch the following YouTube testimonial of a three foot giant, Sean Stephenson. You will be amazed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZwWgiuI8uc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-l6NuUUjutE

Sean shares his life changing and life saving pH Miracle story that is one of the most motivating testimonials on the web encouraging everyone to make the necessary alkalizing lifestyle and dietary changes to improve health and energy and prevent or reverse ALL sickness and dis-ease. Sean attributes his reversal of Osteogenesis imperfecta and no more broken bones to Dr. Robert and Shelley Young and following their pH Miracle Living Lifestyle and Diet.

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The Truth About Water

Someone once said that life is a race between education and catastrophe. That statement could not be more true when it comes to educating ourselves about water and its relationship to our health.

A vast array of pharmaceuticals­-including antibiotics, anti-convultants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones­-have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans, an Associated Press investigation reported recently after a five month-long study.

And that is just the tip of the iceberg.

Despite the small concentrations of pharmaceuticals, and despite water utilities insistence that their water is safe, there is much evidence to the contrary.

The presence of so many prescription drugs and over-the-counter medicines like acetaminophen and ibuprofen that have been flushed down toilets are easily found in much of our drinking water and is heightening worries of long-term health consequences.

Unfortunately, water providers rarely disclose results of pharmaceutical screenings, unless pressed. They claim that the public does not know how to interpret the results and might be unduly alarmed.

Because of information like this, and because of many other abuses of our water system-­sewage waste, poisons used in agribusiness, acid rain, industrial and household chemicals just to name a few­-I have for many years now gone on record as stating that a good, dependable water ionizer has already become a necessity for every family in America.

Even users of bottled water and many of the home filtration systems don't necessarily avoid exposure. Bottlers, some of which simply repackage tap water, do not typically treat or test for all toxins, especially pharmaceuticals, according to the industry's main trade group.

I have been researching water for over two decades. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the contamination of our water supply in the US is a clear and present danger. I have personally tested the water supplies of nearly every major city in the U.S. and there is NO safe water to drink that is clean, pure and alkaline. Even the majority of the bottled waters being sold in the U.S. and around the world are questionable at best.

A National Assessment of Tap Water Quality found 260 contaminants in our nation's tap water; 141of these contaminants have no enforceable safety limits. Of the 141 unregulated contaminants utilities detected in water supplies between 1998 and 2003, 52 are linked to cancer, 41 to reproductive toxicity, 36 to developmental toxicity, and 16 to immune system damage, according to chemical listings in seven standard government and industry toxicity references. Despite the potential health risks, any concentration of these chemicals in tap water is legal, no matter how high.

For more detailed information, I often refer people to a chapter in our book entitled "The pH Miracle For Weight Loss." In Chapter 5 entitled "You Are What You Drink," I present the truth about the present dangers of the world's potable water supply.

http://www.phmiracleliving.com/p-298-the-ph-miracle-for-weight-loss.aspx

Clean drinking water is something that the public has pretty much taken for granted for the past hundred years. The public has little idea-­perhaps understandably­-just how contaminated our drinking water has become.

Our environment has changed, new biological transformations are emerging, drinking-water systems are aging, and governments often seem more interested in ensuring business in the global marketplace than in ensuring the safety and health of the world citizens.

Health scientists throughout the world are now echoing what I have been saying for two decades. When it comes to your health, whether you are trying to reverse an illness, prevent an illness, or simply create the healthiest body possible, the #1 thing you must do is to change your water.

A good water ionizer must alkalize, ionize, purify and structure the molecules of the water. In order to neutralize and reverse the over-acidity of the body, the pH of our water supply is critical.

http://www.phmiracleliving.com/p-463-ph-miracle-mark-i-ionizer.aspx

What most people do not realize is that underlying all disease or most dis-ease is an acidic condition. More and more medical researchers are beginning to focus on the relationship of acidity in cells, tissues, organs, and blood as highly correlated with many bodily symptoms and complicated disease syndromes.

Having studied water for decades, I have become convinced that the pH Miracle organization has created the best water ionization products on the market from several standpoints: water quality, price, system durability, and customer relations. At the pH Miracle Center (www.phmiracleliving.com), one can find the pH Miracle Mark I water ionizer in every kitchen and guest house. We provide healthy water for family, guests, employees, farm hands, and visitors.

http://www.phmiracleliving.com/p-463-ph-miracle-mark-i-ionizer.aspx

The average healthy person should drink at least 1 quart of water for ever 50 pounds of body weight each day. A person with a serious health challenge should drink a liter for every 30 pounds. People often laugh when I say "we must pee our way to health," but I don't know how much simpler I can make it.

High pH water such as the water that comes from a good ionIzer neutralizes acids throughout the entire body. Since acids underlie all disease entities, nothing makes more sense than neutralizing these acids.

One of my most often quoted statements goes like this: "When the fish is sick, change the water." We don't feed the fish medicine. We give them clean water. When the cells of our body our sick, we must change the water and fluids in which all cells and tissues are bathed.

When we purchase a good ionizer, we actually save money over time when compared with purchasing water from vendors and stores and treating the water to try and improve its quality. I can't think of any investment that is better for a person or a family than a good water ionizer and especially the best ionizer on the market today has to be The pH Miracle Mark I seven plate ionizer.

http://www.phmiracleliving.com/p-463-ph-miracle-mark-i-ionizer.aspx

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The pH Miracle Healing Retreat on the Island of Kauai, Hawaii

The pH Miracle Healing Retreat, is located on 26 acres
on the North Shore of the Island of Kauai, and is
situated on the former site of the historic Bertleman
residence which stood from 1850-1890.

The home site was part of the was Bertleman
Estate which totaled roughly 17,000 acres
and stretched from Kilauea to Waipake.

It stands as a testimony to the quality of the
home site, that of all the spots to choose from
within those 17,000, this spot along side
the Pila'a stream, was the site chosen for
the family home. It was during their years
residing on the property, about 150 years
ago, that the distinctive and now massive
Norfolk Pine and Mango trees were planted.

The new pH Miracle Healing Retreat house was
completed in 2009, took over 4 years to build.
It is the result of over 15 years of research,
collecting, and the refining of a singular vision.

Architecturally, the pH Miracle Healing Retreat is a
remarkable creative feat. The graceful,
estate style of the retreat takes design
inspiration from the grand coastal houses of
southern India and has perfectly translated that
regional style to the Hawaiian landscape and
climate with it’s open, flowing design,
and covered lanai, high ceilings and stone
floors which tame the tropical sun and heat.

The retreat gets it’s distinctive character
from the rare, one-of-a-kind, antique
Indian architectural elements.

These architectural features were
reclaimed, collected, and have been masterfully
integrated into the core functional and
decorative architectural features of the home.

The result is a place of healing grace
and indelible beauty with the soul of
Ancient India and the heart of Hawaii.

Come join us at our first pH Miracle Healing
Retreat on the Historic Bertleman Estate,
January 11th through the 17th or the 18th through
the 24th.

For more information go to:

http://www.phmiracleliving.com/p-397-ph-miracle-health-retreat-hawaii-event.aspx

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Meat Causes Diabetes and Cancer

High intake of processed meat may increase the risk of developing type-2 diabetes by 40 per cent, according to a new meta-analysis from Norway and the US.

Data from 12 cohort studies showed that high intakes of all types of meat were associated with a 17 per cent increase in the risk of type-2 diabetes, while similar risk increases were also noted for high intakes of red meat.

The study, published in the journal Diabetologia, adds to an ever increasing list of bad news for red and processed meat, following previous studies from the US National Cancer Institute (NCI) that reported high intakes of red and processed meats may raise the risk of lung and colorectal cancer by up to 20 per cent.

Why does red meat and processed meat cause diabetes and cancer?

According to Dr. Robert O. Young, Director of Research at the pH Miracle Living Center in San Diego, California, "meat never completely breaks down and thus ferments and rots in your gut releasing acids, such as uric and nitric acid that destroys the root system (intestinal villi) in the small intestine that causes diabetes and then cancer. Eating meat also causes a double loss of alkaline minerals that leads to an over-acidification of the blood and tissues and eventually sickness and/or dis-ease."

The World Cancer Research Fund published a report in 2007 that directly linked diet to cancer, with alcohol and red and processed meats posing particular risks.

Earlier this year, the same authors published similar findings from a study with half a million people, noting that that increased consumption of red and processed meat may have a modestly increased risk of death from all causes and also from cancer or heart disease (Archives of Internal Medicine, Vol 169, pp. 562-571).

The Archives study was described by Barry Popkin from the University of North Carolina as “excellent” in an accompanying editorial. Popkin added that the results “reiterate the concerns echoed in other major reviews and studies on the adverse effects of excessive meat intake”.

The new meta-analysis, led by Dagfinn Aune from the University of Oslo, sought to iron out the inconsistencies from previous studies which found both positive and negative associations between meat consumption and the risk of type-2 diabetes.

Of the 12 cohort studies pooled, the overall data suggested the high intake of total meat increased the risk of diabetes by 17 per cent, while red meat and processed meat were associated with 21 and 41 per cent increases in diabetes risk.

“These results suggest that meat consumption increases the risk of type 2 diabetes,” said the researcher. “However, the possibility that residual confounding could explain this association cannot be excluded,” they concluded.

A direct mechanistic study of how meat may affect diabetes risk has not been performed. However, an earlier study from Harvard University suggested several “possible biologically adverse effects of components in red and processed meats”, including saturated fatty acids and cholesterol. However, their study (Diabetologia, 2006, Vol. 49, pp. 2604-13) failed to find an association between these components.

Another possibility is the effect of nitrites, frequently used as preservatives in processed meats. “Nitrosamines can be formed by the interaction of amino compounds with nitrites present either in the stomach or within the food product,” they explained. “They have been linked to beta cell toxicity. In addition, low doses of the nitrosamine streptozotocin were found to induce type 2 diabetes in animal models,” they added.

"I have found in my own research that both Type I and Type II diabetes are caused from the congestion and damage to the small bowel due to the ingestion of animal protein. All children and adults that are diagnosed with Type I diabetes are constipated, have irregular bowel movements and are challenged with digestive disorders," states Dr. Young.

Dr. Young further states, "the ingestion of red meat and processed meat is linked to colon cancer and now diabetes which both begin in the bowels. If you do not want lung cancer then don't smoke. It you do not want diabetes and colon cancer then don't eat meat. It is that simple."

Source: Diabetologia
November 2009, Volume 52, Issue 11, Pages 2277-2287
"Meat consumption and the risk of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies"
Authors: D. Aune, G. Ursin, M.B. Veierod
The pH Miracle Revisited, Dr. Robert and Shelley Young, July, 2010.

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