5 Healthy Foods You Should Pay Attention to

Dear reader, we present to you our new columnist Inessa Tsarkova!

Inessa is an active nutritionist, gastroenterologist, therapist, naturopath and aromatherapist, health coach, integrative medicine doctor with a holistic approach. And now he will share with us his knowledge in the field of both physical and mental health, nutrition and much more.

In our last article, we discussed where cramps originate in the body and how they can be prevented, and today we will talk about how the foods we are used to, such as cheese and tea, are not as safe as they seem.

Inessa Tsarkova

I want to start with the fact that there are absolutely no harmful and absolutely healthy products.

In some cases, they begin to have a noticeable effect. The first is consuming a product frequently and in large quantities. Secondly, if you combine it incorrectly with other products that interfere with digestion and absorption. Third, when allergies or “food intolerance” occur. In the latter case, lectins (“sticky bombs” that plants produce to protect their seeds) and microflora living in the intestines have a great influence. And two more factors are important to keep in mind: the method of food preparation and the proper functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, starting with the first stage of digestion: chewing.

Let’s see what features the most popular “healthy” products have.

Green tea

Of course, green tea contains many beneficial antioxidants. But does this mean that the more tea a person drinks, the better it is for their health? It turns out that if you overuse tea or due to another combination of factors (and these include eating habits, lifestyle and genetic characteristics of a person in general), problems may arise with the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract.

This is because tea antioxidants consist of polyphenols from which the grain is composed. For example, in persimmon there is a lot of it – and that’s why it often “knits”. Tannin is easily oxidized under the influence of air and hot water, turning into tannic acid, which causes atrophy of mucosal cells. As a result, for example, atrophic gastritis may develop. And such a mucous membrane becomes vulnerable to Helicobacter pylori bacteria, which leads to erosions and ulcers, and subsequently to cancer processes.

Already in 2003, Professor Masayuki Kawanishi reported on this effect of tea antioxidants on DNA at a conference in Japan dedicated to the fight against cancer. Therefore, it is better to take care of the gastrointestinal mucosa and preferably drink no more than a cup of green tea every day.

Coffee

Many people cannot imagine a cheerful morning without coffee. There are also many people who “revive” it many times throughout the day. So what do you need to know about coffee? Caffeine is chemically similar to adenosine.

Adenosine is a residue from the ATP molecule, which is the energy provider of cells. After three phosphoric acids are separated from the ATP molecule, the amount of adenosine in the blood accumulates, which gives a signal to the brain – it is necessary to replenish energy! Caffeine binds adenosine molecules and such a signal is not turned on. The body continues to function without recharging, which greatly depletes it.

Caffeine also blocks a special enzyme that breaks down the “carrier” of hormones into cells. As a result, the effect of hormones (for example, adrenaline) on the body increases and some other processes associated with the action of hormones are disrupted. For example, the secretion of gastric juice containing hydrochloric acid increases. Heartburn and even stomach pain may occur. This effect is also associated with an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. This is especially negative for people with cardiovascular diseases.

Another effect of caffeine is on acid-base balance. There is a balance and equilibrium between acids and alkalis in our body. Every fluid, including blood, has its own optimum pH.

When the pH of the blood changes, usually towards the acidic side, red blood cells stick together in “columns of coins” and enzymes begin to work poorly. To prevent this, the body uses “buffer systems”: alkaline metal reserves (magnesium, calcium, potassium). And coffee is one of the strongest “acidifiers” that lead to such processes. Additionally, coffee has a pronounced diuretic effect, which can lead to dehydration. Therefore, it is better to drink coffee in moderation. According to the standards of the Russian Ministry of Health, this is 150-300 mg of caffeine per day (an average cup of American coffee). However, we still remember that the complex effects of the product on the body are important. For some, this dosage will not be dangerous, but for others it can lead to serious consequences. It is better to invigorate yourself with exercises or a contrast shower.

Yogurt and cheese

Yogurts, cheeses and all fermented dairy products are widely considered to be excellent suppliers of calcium, potassium, phosphorus, iodine, zinc and B vitamins (vitamins B2, B5 and B12). It is also believed that the fermented milk microorganisms they contain have a beneficial effect on the intestinal microflora. We will try to look at the big picture and understand whether these are really useful or not.
Milk contains the protein casein and the carbohydrate lactose. One of the most discussed fats is cholesterol. Moreover, if you reduce the amount of fat in these products, the absorption of vitamins and calcium will worsen. And the taste gets much worse. Therefore, various chemical sweetening additives and sugar need to be added. Casein protein (especially cow protein) becomes much less digestible and absorbable with age.

The link between excess casein and the development of type 1 diabetes, as well as breast and prostate cancer, has already been proven.

As for lactose, the milk sugar, about 70% of people in the world (in Russia the figure varies from 11 to 25 depending on the region) suffer from lactose deficiency (lack of the enzyme that breaks down lactose). In fermented dairy products, lactose is predominantly processed by lactic acid bacteria. In this form, it is perceived a little better by the body.

Paradoxically, it is the toxic effects of undigested lactose that cause loose stools, and many people consider this to be a “beneficial” effect on the intestines. Lactose is broken down into glucose and galactose.

The latter is practically not absorbed by most people and accumulates, including in the joints, leading to arthritis.

Another important feature of modern dairy products is the content of oxidized fats that can become a source of free radicals. This occurs as a result of the production of dairy products. exact percentage of fat. (But the cow produces milk with different fat content!) To do this, the milk is first skimmed and then the required amount of fat is added. When mixed with skim milk, oxidation occurs and trans fats are formed.

Trans fats also trigger oxidative stress, leading to cellular damage and chronic inflammation in tissues. As for calcium, despite its large amount (especially if the product is low-fat), it is practically not absorbed. Due to the acidification of internal environments, the body’s own calcium from bone reserves is consumed. A paradoxical situation arises: Calcium in the body does not increase, but rather decreases (which can ultimately lead to osteoporosis).

Let’s take a look at what else cow’s milk may contain.

Cows live in unnatural conditions (they do not walk on water meadows, they stand in barns), eat unnatural food (not fresh and juicy grass, but feed made from wheat, corn, soybeans, these products contain large amounts of pro-inflammatory lectins, as well as nitrates and pesticides). Therefore, cows get sick and are treated with antibiotics. Purulent mastitis often develops due to the hormones cows give to increase lactation. And again they are fed antibiotics.

So there are still a lot of things that shouldn’t be in milk and fermented milk products. Milk also contains a lot of opium. Initially, nature did this so that the calf would love to suck milk and run after its mother. However, their concentrations are particularly high in products such as cheese. That is why cheese is considered the strongest food medicine that lovers cannot refuse. In addition, cheeses contain a lot of salt and often chemical additives (preservatives, sealants, stabilizers, trans fats, nitrates), which do not contribute to our health at all.

What is the state of the intestinal microflora? Are yoghurt and other fermented milk products really necessary for his health? The trick is that normally not a single bacteria can survive passing through the stomach, which contains aggressive hydrochloric acid. Of course, if a person has hypoacid or atrophic gastritis, then some bacteria will survive (and not just “useful” ones). So what’s next?

The qualitative composition of the microflora will depend primarily on what kind of food we leave in the intestines and what kind of environment (pH) we create for its vital activity. The beneficial flora (bifidum and lactobacilli, which should be more numerous than others) are saccharolytic and feed on fiber and resistant starches (which modern humans are extremely deficient in). Pathogenic microflora, on the other hand, is proteolytic and feeds on undigested and indigestible proteins, including casein obtained from dairy products.

Therefore, it is better not to get carried away with dairy products. And if you have to choose, fermented milk products from goat or sheep milk, and ideally from free-grazing animals. If you choose cheeses, young ones are less salty and “lively”. Be sure to combine this with raw plant fiber and bitters for better digestion and absorption. An ideal combination, for example: Greek salad with plenty of vegetables, herbs and onions.

Brown bread

On the one hand, bread contains carbohydrates, which are the main suppliers of glucose, from which energy is produced. However, their source is mostly first-class wheat flour with the addition of crushed wheat grains.

The grain husk, on the one hand, reduces the glycemic index of this product, and on the other hand, adds pro-inflammatory lectins (the most famous of which is gluten). Lectins bind to intestinal cells, causing inflammation and damage. Digestion and absorption of nutrients is impaired, “leaky gut” syndrome develops, leading to the emergence of autoimmune diseases and allergies.

Additionally, wheat contains wheat germ agglutinin, a small lectin that helps with weight gain. Thanks to this ability, wheat once became the main grain of humanity. Fat people looked larger than others, were respected, and were thought to be more resilient and adapted to times of famine. Thus, lectins can cause not only health problems but also excess weight.

It is important to consider combinations of other products with bread. Therefore, combining it with meat or acidic foods will disrupt the digestion of carbohydrates and cause problems in the intestines. To cope with lectins and improve the digestion of whole grain bread (as well as other carbohydrates), you need, firstly, to chew it well and for a long time, and secondly, to combine it with herbs, vegetables and bitters (this improves the production of digestive juices and nourishes the beneficial microflora that destroys lectins) . For example, you can make yourself a sandwich with lettuce or arugula, green onions, and roasted beets, drizzled with olive oil or MCT oil.