8/7/2019 080810

1/19

1

Eight Common Dietary MythsDr. Chun-Hsu Chen, ND

August 12, 2008

Part of Eating Wrong Makes People Ill.

Not final version. Copy right protected. Please cite reference.

Myth #1: Low fat diet is better?

Case 1

Miss Huang, 35 years old, works as the group leader in the public relation

department in a technical company. Because she has to accommodate the domestic

and foreign clients frequently, she pays great attention to her appearance; wishing to

make a good first impression to the clients. For the past 5 years, Miss Huangs

weight has been on the rise gradually. She has gained 10 kg since she first entered

the company. Not only did the companys senior official comment on her weight

problem, she also noticed the distorted body shape herself. One of her best friends

told her that consuming too much fat was the cause of her rising weight; therefore, Miss Huang decided to resolve this problem by blocking fats. Foods such as

hamburgers, fried chicken, beef, pork, and etc. are taken out of her diet. She only

eats salads, breads, biscuits, or sushi rolls for her three meals, and drinks milk tea

every once a while. Surprisingly to her, after going on a low fat diet for 6 months,

her lower abdomen seems even more protruding than before. She is now also easily

tempered, and has cold limbs when she is hungry. Miss Huang wonders what she

has done wrong: Has she been eating the wrong foods?

Losing weight has become the most popular topic among modern females,

even to elementary students. Low fat diet is prevalently used by girls who fear of

gaining weight from the conception that eating less fat would simply lead to growing

less fat. Foods such as fat meat, lard, chicken skin, etc. are completely cut out from

this diet. However, a low fat diet would lead to symptoms such as a pale

complexion, emotional instability, in some cases, even depression. In addition, some

believe that a low fat diet is healthy based on the fact that large quantities of fat can

induce chronic diseases.

8/7/2019 080810

2/19

2

Low fat diet is not necessarily healthier

Nevertheless, low fat is not necessarily healthier. Then, is low fat diet even

healthy? My answer is: No. Fat is a vital component to the body, as a part of our

body compositions and as one of the important mediators between many physiological

operations. In the case of insufficient fat intake, problems such as unstable

emotions, decreased immunity, irregular hormones, unstable blood sugar, and etc. will

emerge, thus affecting the status of our health significantly. The problem with

consuming fats is not the amount but the quality. Good oils in moderation should

be included in ones diet, whereas bad oils should be avoided even in small

quantities.

In Miss Huangs case, although she avoided fat, she also consumed a large

quantity of starch, thus resulted in getting hungry easily and protruding abdomen.

Her mood fluctuated greatly with her unstable blood sugar levels. Many of her

symptoms are similar to those of the symptoms of early stages of diabetes. Even

though she tried to cut fat out from her diet, unbeknownst to her, she was consuming

large quantities of trans-fatty acids hidden in biscuits and breads. In turn, this diet

increased the risk of cardiovascular diseases and chronic inflammations.

There are a lot of patients with diabetes and hypercholesterolemia in Taiwan

who follow their doctors advice to carry out a low fat diet. This diet not only does

not benefit them, but also worsens their conditions. For diabetic patients, decreasing

meat and oil intake is beneficiary, but the resulting increase in starch consumption isnot; large quantities of starch make it harder to maintain a steady blood sugar level.

Similarly, for those patients with hypercholesterolemia, even though less meat is

consumed, increased consumption of traditional biscuits results in ingestion of too

much trans-fatty acids and free radicals. In comparison, eating meats boiled in water

raises LDL much less.

Bad Oil is the number one killer for chronic diseases

Taiwans economy started to ascend right after WWII ended in 1946. During

the period from 1950 to 1980, as the Taiwanese became more affluent, fat intake also

increased from 10% to 36% of total energy consumed, and it even reached as high as

50% in 1995. Throughout this time, many chronic diseases such as cardiovascular

disease, stroke, DM, allergy, obesity, and etc. became prevalent. American studies

show that all these diseases mentioned above are related to diet habits and more

specifically, the fat intake. The risk of chronic diseases increases directly with fat

intakes; it can be concluded that excess fat equals to chronic diseases. Among

different sources of fat, animal fat is even considered as the prime suspect for chronic

diseases.

8/7/2019 080810

3/19

3

As a result, in recent years and even now, experts in nutrition and medicine

advocate eating less animal fat such as lard, butter, chicken oil, and cream. However,

this argument requires further discussion. While it is true that chronic diseases are

caused by excess fat consumption, the type of fat consumed is also significant.

Animal fat is not the best, but it is not the worst either. Many do not realize that even

if animal fat is avoided, chronic diseases can still occur with consuming bad oils in

excess.

Fats can be classified into good fats and bad fats. Consumption of good fats

even above the recommended amount can be healthy too. On the other hand,

incorrect cooking methods or manufacturing procedures can change good fats into bad

ones. Frying under high temperature usually alters the nature of the oil and thus

produces toxins. Hence, instead of focusing the problem on how much fat we

consume, we should pay close attention to the quality of the oils. In the fifth chapter

I will teach you how to differentiate between oils.

Myth #2: Avoid foods rich in cholesterol?

Case 2

On the banquets, Mr. Wong saw the full table of delicious foods, sighing and

shaking his head and said, when I was young, I was too poor to eat any good foods.

Now I am an elder with hypercholesterolemia, and doctor said daily intake of egg cannot exceed one. Mr. Chang said, my wife restricted me from eating hot pot, due to

the high cholesterol content in the meat products, which will clot our blood vessels.

Mr. Song said, you guys are all better than me, I am not only being restricted from

meats and eggs, also seafood, I think I am going to become an herbivore.

This topic is frequently being discussed on the dinner gatherings; I usually jump

out and claim that, eating five eggs in one day is okay if they are water boiled, same

theory applies to meat products and seafood. Even though these foods contain

cholesterol, but it is okay as long as using low temperature cooking methods.

95% of cholesterol is endogenous

is a debatable concept. Many

of my patients are hypercholestrol and their doctors provided them a list of

cholesterol containing foods to avoid. In fact, after foods or fats being ingested,

bile and digestive enzymes reduce them into smaller units, after absorption and

synthesis with liver, transforming into the usable form for our body. Therefore,

95% of the cholesterol in our body is synthesized by liver instead of from foods.

8/7/2019 080810

4/19

4

The liver synthesis approximately 3000mg of cholesterol per day which equals the

cholesterol content of ten eggs, thus do not be afraid with high cholesterol foods

such as seafood, pettitoes, beef, egg, but be caution with the cooking methods.

Good cholesterol vs Bad cholesterol

You know that cholesterol can be differentiated into good cholesterol and bad

cholesterol? Total cholesterol can be divided into high density lipoprotein

cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and very low

density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C). HDL-C is considered the good

cholesterol while LDL-C is the bad one. Each body makes a specific amount of

good and bad cholesterol which is in fact arranged by the liver. Foods containing

high cholesterol are metabolized or burned after being ingested.

How can we demand our livers for making more good cholesterol instead of bad

cholesterol? We must understand under different circumstances our liver will make

different cholesterol.

First of all, our clever liver will decide for us depending on body needs.

Secondly, also the most important point is if the cholesterol and fats that we

ingest are oxidized. This leads to the amount of free radicals thats being products

and how much fresh fruits and vegetables we consumed to neutralize free radicals.

As we all know that seafood and egg contain the highest amount of cholesterol of all

foods, but it is ok to eat 5 eggs per day as long as its not oxidized, such as water boileggs, stew eggs, eggs boiled in water blended with tea. Relatively, eating one

pan-fried egg or fry egg per day can be harmful. In that circumstance, you will need

to eat some fresh fruits and vegetable to neutralize it. Oxidized cholesterol or fats

will stimulate liver making more bad cholesterol.

So, it is the cooking method that we should concern instead of the amount of

cholesterol in the foods. But I am not suggesting you to eat water boiled eggs or

pettitoes unlimitedly since there are other problems we should concern about. The

best recommendation is eating moderately. Another important thing is consumption

of fried foods such as fried chicken, fried pork chop even fried vegetables or okra

produce free radicals, hence, increase bad cholesterol. Other factors such as pressure

can stimulate the production of free radicals too.

A simple step of cholesterol check

Bad cholesterol builds up in the damaged vessel walls easily then forms plaque;

it becomes thrombus when the plaque falls off. Heart attack is when this thrombus

happens in the heart and stroke is when this happens in the brain blood vessels.

Good cholesterol is indispensable since it is one of the important materials for

8/7/2019 080810

5/19

5

hormones and cell membranes. Health examination in Taiwan only tested for total

cholesterol and the doctors will simply tell patients that they are hypercholesterolemia.

In fact, this is actually an assessment with insufficient data. Starting from 2001,

European doctors put emphasis of health assessment on the ratio of total cholesterol to

HDL instead of total cholesterol alone since elevated total cholesterol does not

represent the same for bad cholesterol. For reference, ratio below 3 is considered

healthy, ratio of 3 to 5 is caution, and ratio above 5 is at high risk for CVD or stroke.

For example, TC of 250 with HDL-C of 80 (ratio of 3.1) is healthier than TC of 180

with HDL-C of 35 (ratio of 5.1). The second case is actually at high risk for

atherosclerosis and stroke comparing with the first case. You need to be cautious

and remember to ask for your lab data of HDL-C from health providers.

To conclude, consuming cholesterol containing foods need to be controlled in

moderate amount. You can still enjoy delicious foods as long as keep the following

principles in mind, keep the ratio of TC and HDL-C is below 3, TC is between 150

and 200, with healthy cooking methods, and remember to eat your fruits and

vegetables.

Myth #3: Is it healthier to cook with vegetable oils?

Case 3

Jade is the newly wed housewife. Before she gets married, her mom urges Jadeto help husband in any ways, to teach children the right manner, and to obey her

parents-in-law, moreover, to learn how to cook deliciously. Jades mom sends

Jade to culinary school for three months learning how to cook since she has never

entered kitchen. The couple is still in their honey moon affection six months after

marriage but mother-in-law complains about Jade being too stubborn. After

carefully examined, Bear found out that different cooking principles triggered this

misunderstanding. Mother-in-law loves to cook with lard while Jade insists using

vegetable oils which was taught by culinary school since lard is not healthy. Jade

argues that using salad oil for cooking is healthier. Bear does not know how he can

solve this dispute between two women.

A survey done in 1996 reporting the ratio of cooking oils sold in the retailers in

Taiwan as 60% salad oil, 12% sunflower oil, and 13% lard. After ten years, the most

popular cooking oils in Taiwanese family are salad oil, sunflower oil, and olive oil.

Recent year, lard has been used less frequently while olive oil became more popular.

The question thats being asked most frequently during my public speaking is

what kind of oil is best for stir-fry. The answer to who is right between Jade and her

8/7/2019 080810

6/19

6

mother-in-law depends on what kind of vegetable oil Jade is using and the

temperature of stir-frying. If you are using wrong kind of vegetable oil, mind as well

just use lard instead.

Common cooking methods in Taiwan are pan-fry, stir-fry, and deep frying.

Vegetables are often stir-frying short time with big flame and using corn oil or

sunflower oil. Even some will use this kind of oils for frying pork chops. But this

is a serious mistake since not all oils can tolerate high temperature cooking. In fact,

sunflower oil starts to have smoke and alter its quality after 107 Celsius, and certainly

inadequate for stir-fry or deep-frying. Let us discuss about what is smoke point.

Smoke points

Different cooking oils have its own smoking point (between melting point and

boiling point). Alteration of quality of cooking oils begins when oils reach a

temperature above its smoking point and even can cause fire. Therefore, I encourage

adding some water when you are stir-frying. Hope no one minds I called this

method as stir-fry with water. Most oils has smoking point above 100 Celsius hence

the quality of the oil will not be altered if you keep cooking temperature under 100

Celsius. Many liquefied vegetable oils, such as canola oil and sunflower oil, have

smoking point of 107 Celsius. Oil quality can be easily altered when cooking under

big flame and it is unhealthy to consume oil products over its smoking point, but it is

good as dressing in cold dish.Names for oil products can be confusing, for example, ingredients for salad oil

might be canola oil alone or mixture of canola and corn oils but manufactures didnt

mark this information clearly. In fact, the name of salad oil means any oil thats

suitable to use as dressing in cold dish. Therefore, make sure you know the

components in your oil before you use it for stir-fry. Smoking point for olive oil,

peanut oil, or sesame oil is 160 Celsius which its ok for stir-fry but its safer to add

some water. Smoking point for coconut oil is as high as 177 Celsius. 95% of the

housewives in Taiwan are not sure which is the best oil for stir-fry so they use

whatever is handy but resulted eating oils that already being altered. I summarized a

list of smoking points for different kind of unrefined oils and strongly advise you to

make sure you taking oils smoking point into consideration before you purchase or

cook.

Smoking points for different oils

Unrefined oils Smoking points Recommended cooking methods

Sunflower oil 107C

(225F)

Cold preparation, stir-fry with

water

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunflower_oilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunflower_oil

8/7/2019 080810

7/19

8/7/2019 080810

8/19

8

Four cooking methods for oils

Four common cooking methods for oils among the foreign countries are Cold

Preparation (Condiments & Salad Dressings), Low Heat (Sauces & Baking), Medium

Heat (Sauting), and High Heat (Browning & Frying). This can be corresponded to

Cold Preparation, Stir-fry with water, Medium Heat (Stir-fry with medium flame),

and High Heat (sauting and deep-frying) in my grouping.

Almost all kinds of oil are suitable for Cold Preparation (below 49) besides

butter, lard, coconut oil, or avocado oil since they are solid under room temperature.

Sunflower oil, safflower oil, and canola oil are suitable for stir-fry with water

(100 /212F). I advise eating the uncooked linoleic acid, this way the nutrition is

preserved although linoleic acid is also okay for this method.

Soybean oil, corn oil, extra virgin cold press olive oil, peanut oil, walnut oil,

sesame oil, lard, butter, macadamia oil are suitable for Medium Heat (163C/325F) but

not High Heat. Vegetable shortening is the most common oil used in bakery but I

strongly advise not to use this product due to the concern of trans-fatty acid.

Cottonseed oils are often used to make cookies but its better avoid using this product

since it is toxic to the body and kills sperm. Consumers need to be cautious when

choosing oil products since the manufactures in Taiwan do not always show detail

information on the package like foreign ones will.

Almond oil, hazelnut oil, tea oil, and avocado oil are good for High Heat(190 /375F). Coconut oil and palm oil can be used for High Heat method since it

can endure heat above 200. But both oils are refined from high acid charged oil

which doesnt qualify for my standard as good oils. I have heard that farmers will

spray some agent during harvesting to maintain the freshness of grapes which will

then remain in the oil products. I am not quite sure if this problem has been solved

that its better not making comment on that at this point. Since Pomace is extracted

from the residues of extra virgin olive oil and the quality is worse than extra virgin,

the sale price is about half of the extra virgin ones. Taiwanese avoid using Rice bran

oil after its incident with virulent substance due to its problem with the machinery.

Right oils with proper cooking methods

The story behind oil can be quite confusion that even food manufactures cant

clearly state the details. Once I was discussing the problem of cooking oils with a

product developer of one famous food manufacture, he was trying to change subject

during the whole conversation since he knew the oils produced by his company did

not reach my standard. I realized that people in the business fields and inventors

have different views with Naturopathic doctors in many aspects. People in the

8/7/2019 080810

9/19

9

business field care about how to make more money, inventors concern about the lab

data, but ND like us care nothing but the health of human beings and earth.

Most Taiwanese believe in the idea of animal fats are bad, vegetable oils are

better while in fact not all vegetable oils are good oils. Some audiences thought it

was clever to respond that they stir-fry with olive oil since olive oil is good oil. But

when I told them that 80% of the olive oil in the markets is not considered as good oil,

they are all in shock and asked where they can find good olive oils.

There is many camouflage in the oil products in Taiwan, for example a product

can name Polyphenols Olive Oil by mixing canola oil with a drizzle of olive oil. To

cater the Taiwanese habit of using high heat to cook, most manufacture refines the

supreme quality of olive oil after imported. In fact, not only olive oil is being

refined, most of the cooking oils in Taiwan is refined. And unfortunately, refined

oils are not in my list of good oils. Refined oils are actually one of the three major

problems which I will discuss in detail when we reach chapter five.

The vegetable oils sold in Taiwan are pretty much all refined. Stir-fry with

refined oil is adding another step of oxidation to the foods. The correct cooking

method to maintain health is to use unrefined olive oil, sesame oil in Medium Heat.

If you are not able to find unrefined palm oil, its better to use butter, lard, or tea oil

for stir-fry.

The definition of good oil is proper cooking method with correct oil selection.

It will be risky to cook with unrefined salad oil. You should make sure the smokepoint for that specific oil you are going to use before you stir-fry and make sure your

flame temperature is under that smoke point. Most chronic diseases, infections,

allergies, feminine diseases are caused by dietary oils.

Myth #4: Do not consume Lard and Butter?

Case 4

Ling is studious just like every other senior in high school. The only thing

different is that she spends many hours reading English newspaper and watching

American ABC news since she is going to attend University in the US after summer.

But one day she was confused about the term French Paradox when she read this

term in the newspaper. She found out one fact that overthrows the traditional belief

after searching on the internet.

Wake up call of French Paradox

The American experts in the science field dont understand how come the

incident of CVD for French is 60% less than that for the Americans while they

8/7/2019 080810

10/19

10

consume more butter, cream, lard, and tallow. French females love to eat the

traditional greasy foods but they are the group with lowest CVD rate. Thats why

this unexplained phenomenon is called the French Paradox.

Over the past 50 years, the Americans attribute the cause of CVD, HTN, and

stroke to animal fats such as butter, lard, and cream; thus the invention of margarine

and development of oil refinery rise. The theory of eating vegetable oil is healthier

than animal oil doesnt really apply to the French.

Not only the French, people who live in Southeast Asian countries eating

coconut oil and palm oil which are saturated fats the Americans trying to avoid. For

many centuries, butter and lard are shipped all over the world and many grandparents

of ours are eating it for their whole life. What is wrong with eating saturated fats?

Using the traditional Cold Press method to press oil out of high oil containing

seeds like olive, sesame, peanut, or camellia will be the ideal oil. But do you know

how they make oil out of low oil containing seeds such as soybean, corn, and

coleseeds. Manufactures will first sun-dry these seeds, and then soak in chemical

dissolvers (usually hexane or gasoline) before they can extract oil out. The oil

quality is highly related to the level of the oil factory since the toxic remnants (hexane,

benzene, and methyl benzene) need to be controlled below 10 PPM. I hope the food

manufacture will consider bring back the traditional oil making process or any

healthier methods.

Lard has been the primary cooking oil for centuries and food that has been eatenfor thousands of years wont be that bad. In fact, it is better than the invented refined

soybean oil, hydrogenated vegetable oil (trans-fatty acids). I have always believe

that nature is the best, now we can get the partial answer for French Paradox from

here.

The advantages and disadvantages of lard and butter

Arachidonic Acid can be found in the saturated fats like lard and butter.

Saturated fat is denounced due to Arachidonic Acid can stimulate inflammation. But

if we consume more fresh vegetables and fruits and less sweets we can actually

counteract this problem. One good quality of saturated fats like lard, coconut oil,

and palm oil is that they contain Lauric Acid which is antibacterial, anti-virus, and

enhance immunity.

Besides, lard and butter are solid and stable under room temperature. It is safer

to use them to stir-fry than liquid vegetables (safflower oil or salad oil) because they

can store for a long time and heat durable. Most importantly they wont product free

radical that easily like other oils. Next time, you dont need to feel so guilty if you

add some yam leaves to your rice with lard.

8/7/2019 080810

11/19

11

Myth #5: Margarine is safer than butter?

Case 5

Ming and little sister Mei gained about 4kg after visited South Africa. Their

mother brought them both to my clinics but not for the reason of weight gain but their

nasal allergic problem is getting more serious. Their noses are completely stuffed

that they can only use their mouth to breath. Not only that, Ming has difficulty

concentrating and memorizing; he can even lost keys for three times in a month and

teachers often need to pay extra attention. During the consultation, I found out that

they favor dairy products especially margarine. Mings mom urged Ming and Mei

to study English that she sends them to Mings aunt who immigrated to South Africa

eight years ago. Mings auntie loves her two nieces and whenever they visit she will

always prepare lots of foods for them. During the two months in Africa Ming drinks

two cups of milk everyday plus a few cheese sticks, and put margarine on his toast

and potato. He reminds his mom to buy lots of margarine and insist that it is

vegetable oil and good for health.

The theory of Margarine is safer than butter is actually a big mistake.

Margarine is in fact one of the partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, it contains trans

fatty acids which is something that you should avoid completely. But there are many

who believe margarine is a good thing and consume freely. Partially hydrogenatedvegetable oil is the number one bad oil in my list, the enemy of all human beings.

The only recovery chance for patients with allergy, auto immune diseases, and CVD

is stop eating trans fatty acids and incorporating proper treatment. We should avoid

eating trans fatty acids since they do not exist in natural and human body is unable to

decompose it. I asked all my patients to avoid it completely.

Influenced by western diet, many Taiwanese love to butter their toasts recent

years. Now they switched to margarine since butter has gained bad reputation.

Many diseases such as HTN, Hyperlipidemia, CVD, Stroke, allergy, autoimmune

diseases, low immunity, obesity, etc, are actually caused by margarine intakes.

Why in the first place margarine is invented. About fifty years ago, Americans

started to blame butter, lard, and cream for clotting of blood vessels. But Americans

love to put butter on toasted bread and baked potato. To cater the preference of

consumers that the food manufactures hydrogenated liquid vegetables such as

soybean oil, corn oil, and canola oil to solid forms then add artificial coloring and

flavor to make it butter-alike. Food manufactures didnt know that margarine is

even worse than butter.

8/7/2019 080810

12/19

12

Although arachidonic acid is one of the big concern for butter, but you can

counteract its effects with exercise and eating tons of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Consuming margarine is like placing a bump in the body since hydrogenated oils can

not be metabolized by the body.

Myth #6: Vegetarian diet is good for health?

Case 6

This is a real story I heard on the airplane during one of my trips. Mei and her

mother became vegetarians after Meis mom recovered from breast cancer with whole

food and vegetarian diets. They have been practiced vegetarian diet since then for

both self-redemption and health. As time goes by Mei got married and became a

mother. Once Mei learned that vegetarian diet is also good for children, she insists

son Howard to follow the same diet since infant period. Meis parents-in-law are

worried that Howard being malnutrition, they will feed Howard with egg, lean meats,

and milk sometimes without behind Meis back. Howard is now four years old.

Just like every other mothers Mei worries about if she is making the right decision

raising Howard with vegetarian diet. Vegetarian diet can actually be healthy if

eating correctly.

Even though vegetarian diet is considered healthy practice, but most Taiwanesevegetarians are not eating correctly. Statistics showed vegetarians in Taiwan

actually has higher CVD incident than non-vegetarians. Just recently, Tzu-Chi

hospital examined 3689 patients who came for annual exam and found TG levels of

vegetarian females are higher than those who are not vegetarians. Also, HDL levels

are lower in vegetarian females. HK appears to have the same problem that

long-term vegetarians have higher Homocysteine level and at higher risk for

atherosclerosis since they are deficient in vitamin B12.

Many people thought following vegetarian diet is a way to healthiness. But

ironically, it is not quite the case. Eating right can lower the incidence of breast

cancer, colon cancer, fibroid, atherosclerosis, stroke, DM, Rheumatoid arthritis, etc

chronic diseases. But eating wrong can cause atherosclerosis, DM, Iron-deficient

anemia, pernicious anemia, melancholia, anorexia, metabolic syndromes, decline

reproduction function.

Let us look at why vegetarian females have lower HDL and elevated LDL. It is

all because they consumed too much oxidized fats and cholesterol. Vegetarian

housewives or restaurants often prepare foods with too much oil and mostly using

refined vegetable oils. These refined vegetable oils are bad quality and easily

8/7/2019 080810

13/19

13

oxidized when stir-frying. This is not the worst. Housewives usually eat up all the

left-over dishes that are already oxidized.

Vegetarians in Taiwan love to eat processed bean products such as vegetarian

chicken or fish. Food manufactures will either fry or stir-fry these vegetarian meat

products to improve the taste and mouth-feel. A lot of vegetarians or elderly likes to

eat fried mushroom, fried eggplant, fried vegetarian fish cake, etc. How can LDL

not increased when the diet is filled with too much oxidized fats and lack of fresh

fruits and vegetables. Elevated TG is in fact caused by consuming too much starch.

Raw Food Diet

Foreign vegetarians have a much healthier eating habit since vegetables are

prepared mostly by low temperature cooking or as salad. Salad is one of Raw Food

Diet. A lot of my schoolmates are vegetarians and they eat fresh vegetables raw.

But vegetarians in Taiwan are used to eating their vegetable stir-fried. Taiwan is

located in subtropical zone; with this humid climate it is better that we wash and cook

vegetables before consumption. Also, eating vegetables as salad is not that popular

in Taiwan. I would suggest wash vegetables first, boil in water for 10 to 20 seconds,

take them out, then drizzle some olive oils on the vegetables. The freshness of the

vegetables is the most important thing no matter you are vegetarian or not. I

recommend eating fresh fruits and vegetables for every meal. Uncooked vegetables

have the highest nutrient values but you need to clean off bacteria. It is better to eatorganic vegetables, this way you wont consume pesticides and chemical fertilizers.

The presence of bacteria is one major concern for organic vegetables since pesticide is

not used. There was an incident happened in September 2006 with 166 Americans

eating organic spinach and were infected with E. coli. The best way to resolve the

bacteria problem and to retain the freshness of vegetables at the same time is to boil

vegetables in water for ten seconds. The longer you cook vegetables, the less

nutrient is retained. We have to remember the main purpose for cooking is to kill

germs.

Another problem is the incorrect food proportion among the vegetarians. This

problem not only concerns the vegetarians in Taiwan but the whole world.

Vegetarians usually consume insufficient protein and fat since they avoid meat

products; symptoms like blood sugar instability, low levels of cholesterol, low thyroid

function, or deficient in serotonin are often caused by this reason. It is important to

make sure vegetarians are consuming adequate amounts of protein and fat with the

correct proportion. Accurate proportion needs to be calculated for different body

types. Metabolisms of starch, protein, and fat are very individualized; hence some

8/7/2019 080810

14/19

14

will find it easy to follow vegetarian diets while some will have difficult time. This

is also related to blood type and the pH value of body.

It is important to schedule vegetarians for blood test for the status of vitamin B12

and iron regularly since this diet does not contain a good source of these nutrients.

Deficient in iron can cause anemia while deficient in vitamin B12 will cause

pernicious anemia and atherosclerosis. Another important thing is to make sure to

incorporate complementary protein in vegetarian diet, for example to consume

legumes with grains to obtain complete amino acids.

Most fruits and vegetables are considered as cold and meats are considered as

warm according to traditional Chinese medicinal science. If you have a cold body

type, then you need to consume warm foods and to increase your metabolic rate by

exercising. More information is attached at appendix.

Pregnant women and infants should pay extra attention to nutrition due to the

unique requirement during this time of period. Clinically found vegetarians are often

deficient in calories, protein, calcium, iron, zinc, vitamin B12, and vitamin D. It can

be easily improved with consumption of eggs. Insurance companies and state

governments would recommend pregnant women and infants to arrange regular

appointment with dietician and obstetrician to ensure nutrition sufficiency and growth

development.

To conclude, there are few points to follow in order to be a healthy vegetarian.

Be caution with pesticides, chemical fertilizer, manufacturing process of vegetarianmeats, cooking oils in restaurants and home, quality of protein, sufficient vitamin B12

and Iron, and to incorporate the correct food type with body type.

Myth #7: Low protein diet can prevent diseases?

Case # 7

Mr. Chung was diagnosed with hepatitis C three years ago. He started feeling

fatigue frequently since last year. Sometimes he would be unable to walk due to

swollen toes. He starts cutting meats out of his diet and eats only vegetables and

grains and after doctor told him he has gout. After half year, Mr. Chung feels better

regarding his gout problem. But surprisingly he feels down, unenergetic, and

pessimistic. Data from his annual health examination shows that his cholesterol

went down to about hundred but his blood sugar was too high. In additional to his

health condition, his company isnt running too well either that Mr. Chung found

himself becoming antisocial and melancholic.

8/7/2019 080810

15/19

15

Mr. Chungs case is caused by protein deficiency, which will in term lead to

insufficient serotonin thus become melancholia. Inadequate intakes of meats and

fats will end up with lowering cholesterol. Hyperglycemia might be caused by

genetic, pressure, sedentary life style, or too much simple sugar.

Low protein diet has gained its popularity among the Asians recently. People

who practice this diet think they are eating healthy while in fact it is a big

misconception. Protein is vital to our physiological function, immunity, and even

brain operation. Let us look at the popular so called Detox meals as an example.

Deto meals are usually composed of high fiber and high starch which means will be

low in fat and protein. Detox meals was first designed to serve cancer patients and

results were good. According to clinical researches in the past twenty years, low

protein diet is suitable for 80% of CA patients but most people dont quite fit low

protein diet. Requirement for protein and fat is very individualized and can be

determined through examination of blood, saliva, and urine, or through consultation.

The importance of food proportions

Recently, a patient came to me with dizziness, headache, and cold sweat.

After consultation I found she only eats yam for breakfast. All her symptoms

indicate blood sugar instability. I recommend adding two water boiled eggs in

addition to yam. After two weeks, she is cured without taking any medication. On

second meeting, I suggest adding one serving of guava can make the meal even better.Our grandparents are used to the diet pattern similar to detox meals; low

protein with moderate fat. They are very smart to incorporate adequate fat in the diet

to sustain energy and satiety. It is the instinct of living organism that human body

craves for protein naturally. Therefore, they would supplement protein needs on

wedding celebration, funeral, and different occasions with shrimps, fishes, and plenty

of meats.

The only safe way for using detox meal is to include intensive exercises such

as walk for three hours or cultivating. But most people in the modern society are

unable to meet this requirement. Thus, symptoms like decline in immune function,

melancholy, DM, obesity, hypertriglycerolemia, etc. will accompany people who

follow very low protein diet.

The importance of protein

Besides water protein is the most vital composition in human body structure.

Greek word proteos means the most important. Protein, as one of the most

important substance, helps to maintain normal function of our body. Therefore low

protein diet can exert great influence on the body.

8/7/2019 080810

16/19

16

First of all, protein can helps us grow muscles since it is the major component.

Most cells in our body are composed by protein. We can often find low protein

intakes among skinny people.

Secondly, skin, enzymes, antibodies, cells for organs, neural cells, blood vessels,

blood cells, neurotransmitters, cellular endocrines, etc. are all composed by protein.

Many hormones are composed after protein degradation, such as thyroxin, it is

composed by amino acid tyrosine. After protein enters our gastrointestinal tract, it is

decomposed to peptide, then amino acids. There are eight essential amino acids that

we must obtain from foods since we are unable to make them.

Thirdly, protein can provide energy, adjust pH level, adjust osmosis pressure,

carry nutrients, and communicate between cells, etc. Thus, tons of problems will

occur in the case of protein insufficiency. There will be detail explanation in the

following chapter.

Myth #8: Supplement with milk?

Case 8

Vicky is five years old, attending kindergarten. She has drawing talent and good

physique but the development of her linguistic ability is a little delay comparing to

other same age children. Vicky loves to go to kindergarten because they provide

snacks. Recently, the kindergarten increases its budget for snacks that each childcan have two cups of milk, few packs of cookies and cheeses for each day. Teacher

tells Vickys mom that Vicky is a little laid-back and her hearing seems not so keen

recently. Vickys mom takes Vicky to pediatrician and find out she had severe ear

infection and damaged ear drum. Pediatrician recommends treatment with

antibiotics and suggests she might need drainage. Vickys mom blames herself for

spending too much time working and neglecting to care for Vicky. No wonder Vicky

picks her ears frequently and her ear wax is always stinky. Vickys moms high

school friend who is a nurse recommends them to see a naturopathic doctor. ND

concludes that it is all because of the milk, cookies, and cheeses. He suggests Vicky

to take some natural treatments and stop eating all dairy products. After three

weeks, Vickys ear drum is totally cured and she doesnt pick her ear any more.

The above case is one of many cases I treated. My wife and I often see bunch of

moms standing in front of the freezer selecting milk for their children in the

supermarket. There will always be a baby with full face of pimples on the safety

seat. I highly suggest them not to purchase milk anymore. There are so many

8/7/2019 080810

17/19

17

down sides about milk but the whole world is blinded by the successful marketing

strategies from the dairy industry.

Why am I holding an opposed opinion while everyone else are encouraged to drink

milk? The basic theory is milk is for calves, not for human beings.

There are a few reasons for not drinking milk.

Milk is the top one reason causing allergies. Milk and dairy products (cheese,

yogurt, and butter) contain more than 25 different proteins and can easily cause

allergic reactions (dermatitis, nasal allergy, stuffed nose, asthma, food allergy,

tympanitis, tonsillitis, GI problems, diarrhea, abdominal distention, abdominal

discomfort, constipation, etc.) and autoimmune diseases (Multiple sclerosis,

rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 DM, lupus erythematosus, etc.). According to statistics,

leading cause of chronic food allergy is milk. Leakage of the intestine, when

undigested protein, allergen, toxins permeate into blood vessels from intestines, can

cause more severe problems. Leakage is often caused by toxins production from

deteriorated undigested milk protein in the intestine and immune complexes which are

formed due to allergy.

Ninety percents of the population is lactose intolerant, lacking the enzymes

for analyzing milk. Lactase and Rennin are the specific enzymes to analyze lactose

and casein but they are only present in the body before we reach the age of three.

After the age of three, these enzymes will disappear and we are unable to secrete themagain.

The protein in the milk is bigger and not easy to digest when compared with

breast milk. 82% of the milk is casein which is extremely to digest in human

stomach; this is also the reason for babys GI problems and diarrhea. There are four

stomachs in cows for ruminating continuously in order to digest casein completely.

But we, human beings, only have one stomach; this fact makes digesting casein a

difficult job for us.

The protein proportion in milk is quite different with human milk.

Casein accounts for 40% in human milk while it accounts for 82% in milk. The

major function of casein is to help animals grow rapidly; calves double their weights

monthly after birth and increase 8 times when they reach three months old. It is true

that baby grows chubby when feeding with milk, only become big in size structurally

but not intellectually.

The percentage of whey in milk is only 18% while it is 60% in human milk.

Whey plays a vital role in the development of infant growth because it helps with the

maturity of brain and immune enhancement. Human milk also contains large

amount of Taurine and lecithin, in addition to whey, they accelerate brain growth of

8/7/2019 080810

18/19

18

baby. Kids drinking human milk are bigger and stronger when compared with kids

drinking milk since milk lacks of these nutrients. Children who drink milk wont be

as spontaneous and smart as children who drink human milk. What about goat milk?

Goat milk is a little better than milk since the protein size is small and easy to digest

and absorb like human milk.

Milk contains hormones, antibiotics, and pesticides. Farmers will add

artificial hormones to feedstuffs in order to stimulate cow to secrete large amount of

milk; the fact that onset age of menstrual cycle is younger than it used to be and

increased incident of breast cancer are highly correlated with it. Growth hormone,

antibiotics, and pesticides will be added to feedstuffs to ensure cows growth strong

and healthy. But we are eating all these artificial ingredients indirectly if we drink

milk.

Drinking milk will lead to osteoporosis. Although milk contains the most

abundant calcium but unfortunately this calcium cant be easily absorbed by human

body. Milk contains large amount of protein, our body will take out calcium ions

from bones trying to neutralize this acidity and thus cause osteoporosis. The acidity

of dairy products is even worse than milk. The highest rates of osteoporosis and

bone fracture occur in the four nations with leading consumption of milk (England,

US, Swaziland, Finland). But most Asian countries dont drink milk but their bones

are in fact stronger than those who drink milk. For example, Bantu, they dont drink

milk but consume foods containing abundant calcium which include dark leafyvegetables (yam leaves and spinach), cruciferae vegetables (broccoli, cabbage and

Chinese broccoli), and legumes. This evidence shows that eating vegetables instead

of milk can prevent osteoporosis.

Sterilization of milk damages precious nutrients in milk. For sanitation

reason, milk must undergoes sterilization with temperature at 130 for 3-5 seconds

or sterilization with temperature at 72. Enzymes, lactobacillus and vitamins will

be damaged at temperature above 62C. Milk is not only difficult to digest and

absorb, but also nutrient deficient. Researches have shown that feeding calves

sterilized milk brings early death to them.

Replacement for milk

The above reasons show why most people are not suitable to drink milk. Many

patients are used to drink milk and have difficulty cutting it out of their life. I have

tried to search for good milk for them but even organic milk did not pass my test. I

can only conclude that milk is for calves. Some people might insist that they cant

live without milk, then I would recommend replace milk with goat milk or soy milk.

But be caution with the addition of milk in goat milk sold in Taiwan. The soy milk

8/7/2019 080810

19/19

19

in the US contains agar agar and some other natural ingredients to make its mouth feel

similar to milk. Some of my patients in the US quit milk successfully with soy milk

replacement. During leisure time, I recommend buying non-genetic modified

organic soy beans and make soy milk at home. Many food processors can chop

soybeans and cook them at the same time. Making home-made soy milk is

economical and healthy.