If you don’t eat soybeans, you deprive yourself of a readily available youth potion. One of the best things you can do to enliven your cells’ defenses against aging and age-related diseases is to infuse them with substances found in the soybean.

The soybean may seem like a tiny speck of nature, a trivial, inconsequential creation. Wrong. It is actually an anti-aging pill, packed with powerful antioxidants that can perform magic in your cells. Inside your body the soybean is a mighty force that may actually alter your destiny, slowing the pace with which you age and consequently influencing when you encounter disease and death.

That’s what Dr. Denham Harman, the father of the free radical theory of aging, discovered a couple of decades ago. He found that soybeans could interfere with free radical damage, which is at the heart of how fast you age. Laboratory animals fed soybean protein had far less free radical damage to their cells than animals fed casein, a protein in milk and other dairy products. In short, eating soybeans slowed down aging; eating milk or animal products accelerated it. Eating soybeans instead of casein also stretched the animals’ life spans by 13 percent!

This may help illuminate why vegetarians enjoy a longer life and why the Japanese, who eat the most soybeans in the world – thirty times more than Americans – live longer than anyone.

Recently, scientists have identified the source of the soybean’s enormous biochemical energy. The bean is a powerhouse of antioxidants and other antidisease agents, including genistein, diadzein, protease inhibitors, phytates, saponins, phytosterols, phenolic acids and lecithin. Many are antioxidants, able to battle aging and chronic diseases on many fronts. For example, Dr. Ann R. Kennedy, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, finds that a protease inhibitor in soybeans – called Bowman-Birk inhibitor – is so versatile against various cancers that she calls it “a universal cancer preventive agent.” Dr. Stephen Barnes, professor of pharmacology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, hails soy’s genistein as a unique and incredibly promising inhibitor of breast and prostate cancer. Dr. Harman also points out that the amino acids in soybeans are less vulnerable to oxidation; thus, unlike many other foods, soybeans don’t spew scads of damaging free radicals throughout your body to mangle and age your cells.

The Drug That Makes Soybeans Special

Soybeans are unique because they are a rare source of high concentrations of a kind of wonder drug, known as genistein. Genistein is a potent antioxidant with wide-ranging biological anti-aging and anticancer activity. For example, genistein interferes with fundamental cancer processes at virtually every stage: Genistein blocks an enzyme that turns on cancer genes, thwarting cancer at inception. It inhibits angiogenensis, the spawning of new blood vessels needed to feed growing cancers. In test tubes, it directly curbs the growth of all types of cancer cells – of the breast, colon, lung, prostate, skin and blood (leukemia). It also has anti-hormonal effects that give it special potential in deterring breast and possibly prostate cancer.

On other anti-aging fronts, genistein saves arteries because, just as it hinders cancer cell proliferation, it also obstructs proliferation of smooth muscle cells in artery walls that promotes plaque buildup and clogged arteries. And genistein clamps down on the activity of an enzyme, thrombin, that promotes blood clotting, thus heart attacks and strokes. Remarkably, genistein also seems to actually decrease the number of cells that are dividing in the breast. This gives enzymes more time to repair DNA damage so it is not permanently passed on to newly created cells in the form of mutations that hasten aging and cancer.

Even more astonishing, a brief exposure to soybean genistein early in life may inoculate against cancer. Investigations at the University of Alabama by Dr. Barne’s colleague Coral Lamartiniere have found that even very low doses of genistein given soon after birth to female rats delays the onset, size and multiplicity of cancers in middle and old age. In the experiment, a group of newborn rats were given a chemical known to cause breast cancer later in life. Some also were given genistein and others got an inactive compound. Of those getting genistein at birth, only 60 percent developed breast cancer in mid to late life. One hundred percent of those getting the dummy pill developed tumors. This might mean infants now drinking soy-based formula or who drank it thirty years ago have already received a dose of anticancer vaccine, partially immunizing them against future malignancies, Dr. Barnes says, but as yet no human studies have been done to verify it.

So powerful is genistein that researchers see it as a potential new type anticancer drug. But why wait? You can get the drug now by eating soybeans.

Another soybean compound, diadzein, has some but not all genistein’s powers. Diadzein, too, blocks cancer in animals and is also an isoflavone with antiestrogenic activity. These two soy compounds – genistein plus diadzein – are considered double threats to rapid aging and cancer in particular.

The Alarming Facts

• We [USA] grow about half the world’s soybeans and export one-third of it, mainly to Japan. Nearly all that we keep goes into food for pets and agricultural animals.
• The Japanese, who hold the world’s record for longevity, eat about an ounce of soy per day. Americans eat too little to measure. Americans have four times more fatal breast cancer and five times more prostate cancer than the Japanese. (Jean Carper, Stop Ageing Now!, pp. 189-192)

Special Note From Nature’s Choice

Please take careful note that this article refers primarily to natural soya beans. We should not assume that all of the benefits in the natural soya bean will be found in processed soya derivatives or isolates.

All of our Herbal Support Teas are accredited by, and have been specially formulated for Nature’s Choice and for South African conditions by Dr Andreas Kefaladelis, President of the South African Naturopathic Association and Director of the Gauteng Institute of Herbal Medicine. (Reg. A04232PRNO0169145 ND., Ph.D.; D.Herb RSA; D.Ph (Med Herb) Canada) 

The suggestions made below have worked for us and for many others. They have helped many people to overcome prolonged digestion problems - including indigestion, and they have certainly helped many others to prevent such problems.

Milk & Sugar Combinations:

When taken together, milk and sugar cause fermentation which, in turn, can lead to any number of immediate discomforts such as acidity, gas, bloated feelings, etc. If this habit is not corrected it can contribute towards the development of more serious ills.

If milk and sugar combinations are eaten freely, and we have infection in our teeth, halitosis is sure to follow, for the fermentation in the digestive tract will provide a perfect breeding ground for the bacteria that have found a breeding ground in the teeth.

Children with ever-running noses are usually victims of this faulty combination – coupled with too many sweets and cold drinks.

Sugar is an addictive sweetener in that its continuous use leads to a disrelish for natural sweet foods such as fruit and dates. Because refined sugar is an empty calorie – a non-food that is totally lacking in minerals and essential nutrients, the body has to “borrow” nutrients from tissues and bones in order to digest the sugar. This could eventually lead to dental cavities, to osteoporosis and/or to nutritional deficiencies. These deficiencies, in turn, lead to cravings. In the case of sugar cravings, the body usually interprets these cravings as a cry for more sugar, and a vicious cycle is thus set up. Ever been on a sugar binge?

Bear in mind, however, that the craving for sweet foods
is an educated craving – and it is one that soon disappears when we switch to using more natural sweeteners in moderation.

The following bio-friendly substitutes will serve you admirably. Always try and use

natural sweeteners wherever possible. While fructose is preferable to sugar, it is still a processed product and should be used in moderation.

Liquids With Meals

Taking liquids just before, during, or after meals dilutes the digestive juices and can severely impair digestion, causing stomach pains and heartburn. It is best to take liquids at least 30 minutes before a meal, and not earlier than two hours after a meal.

Fruit & Vegetable Combinations

You will notice that the recipes on this website are categorized as either Fruit (F), Vegetable (V), or Neutral (N). This is to assist those who prefer not to mix fruit and vegetables at the same meal. If you are having digestion problems, acidity, gout, rheumatism or arthritis, this food combining plan could prove to be of great benefit. If you are not suffering from any of these maladies, you will still derive great benefit by avoiding fruit and vegetable combinations at the same meal.

Rationale: On average, vegetables take four hours to digest, whereas fruit usually takes approximately two hours to digest. Eating fruits together with vegetables will thus cause the fruit to remain in the stomach for far longer than Nature intended. This often causes fermentation, gas, bloating, acidity and discomfort. Sometimes, in some people, this will cause extreme discomfort. Far better, therefore, to eat vegetable or vegetable and neutral combinations at one meal, and fruit or fruit and neutral combinations at the next meal. See the Food Combining Chart below. At first this will be a little confusing, but it soon becomes a way of life.

Please note that we do not suggest this food combining program as a temporary measure but as a program for life. It is simple and it is logical and it has often brought profound results where protracted medical procedures have failed.

Please do not make others miserable because of this suggestion. Certain individuals might find that they can afford to be a little flexible on this score – others again have found that for them suffering is always the consequence of combining fruit and vegetables at the same meal.

The term ‘organic’ refers to environmentally friendly and health supportive methods of farming and processing both animal and plant foods. Chemical pesticides, fungicides and fertilizers are generally not used except in cases where they pose no environmental danger or a health risk for the consumer.

Conventional methods of growing, processing, packaging and otherwise handling food not only destroys much of its nutritional value but also exposes the consumer to toxins and harmful chemicals. It is now generally acknowledged that the methods and materials of conventional farming are responsible for many human ailments.

Organic methods, on the other hand, provide numerous benefits, not only in terms of the quality of the product itself but also for the environment, the economy, employment, social well-being and personal health.

What is Organic Food?

Instead of chemicals, the organic farmer will use crop rotation to control pest build-up and improve soil fertility, plant selected bushes and flowers to attract insects that ward off unwanted pests, and so on. It’s very much a question of blending old methods and new research and technology.

The Hazards of Conventional Agricultural Methods

Many conventional agricultural methods expose the consumer to various kinds of toxins. These include pesticides, heavy metals and solvents. Many pesticides are now recognized as cancer-causing agents. Heavy metals (e.g. lead and mercury) damage nerve function, contribute to diseases such as multiple sclerosis and block hemoglobin production, which causes anemia. They are also believed to lower IQ. Solvents damage white blood cells, thereby weakening the body’s immune system so that it cannot resist infections and illnesses effectively.

Besides exposing consumers to toxins, these environmentally hostile methods of agriculture also substantially reduce the levels of nutrients naturally found in the foods we eat.

Thus far, studies have never been able to prove conclusively that there is a direct correlation between chemical residues in non-organic foods and the decline of human health. This, however, unfortunately doesn’t prove there is no cause for alarm. One of the biggest difficulties in conducting such a study is to find a control group – a population that is free from chemical residues – to which one can compare those who have been contaminated. No such population exists. What studies have been able to show is that we are all contaminated with chemical residues and toxins from conventionally grown and processed foods. This in itself is enough reason for anyone who wants to be healthy to avoid non-organically grown food and change to organic.

Some Cautions about Commercial Labels

Generally when you see the term ‘organic’ on food labels you can be sure that the product had to meet certain standards laid down by the law. These standards may include prohibitions on the use of harmful synthetic substances, genetic engineering, growth hormones, irradiation, antibiotics and artificial ingredients and the application of environmentally friendly farming methods. In the case of farming for meat, poultry, eggs and dairy, the standards will cover the health and welfare of livestock. In other words, they have to be adequately fed, and they must be housed in adequate, sanitary conditions allowing for exercise, freedom of movement, and minimum stress. The standards will even cover the handling of the product – processing, preservation, packaging and even transportation methods must be environmentally friendly and supportive of health standards.

Note, however, that such descriptions on products as ‘natural’, ‘traditional’ or ‘environmentally friendly’ do not necessarily mean the product was grown or processed organically. Also, the description ‘organic’ doesn’t mean the entire product was produced organically. Read the labels carefully.

Ten Environmental, Social and Other Benefits of Growing Organic Food

1. Soil conditions improved
2. Soil erosion minimized
3. Contamination of crops, soil and water prevented – and water supply therefore protected
4. Sustainable agriculture and food production
5. Less risk to biodiversity and ecosystems
6. Greater safety and health of farm workers
7. Better chances of survival for small farms
8. Better taste and quality of food
9. More labour opportunities, especially for hard-to-place categories of workers, such as welfare families, the homeless, the disabled and the injured
10. Easy and inexpensive to cultivate one’s own garden and produce one’s own fresh fruits and vegetables

Six Benefits of Organic Food for Personal Health

1. Reduced exposure to toxins used in conventional agricultural practices
2. Substantially higher levels of nutrients available for consumption
3. Better health, stronger immune systems, less obesity
4. Better blood function – oxygen-carrying ability improved
5. Better sleep
6. In children, less harm to developing brain and nervous systems

A Word about Personal Food Preparation and Purchasing

Lead has long been recognized as posing a serious threat to health, yet lead solder is still used to seal tin cans, which then deposit this poison into the food.

Babies, because of their developing organs, are probably more susceptible to toxins in foods than adults are. Some therefore believe that organic foods would be a safer, more suitable diet for them.

Consumers also need to be careful about the implements they use for cooking. Metal cookware is best avoided. Use glass cookware where available. In other words, don’t undo in the kitchen all the hard work you put into hunting for organic food in the supermarket!

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Sources Consulted

• http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=faq&dbid=17#Health
• http://www.webmd.com/cancer/news/20030306/organic-foods-may-fight-disease
• http://nutiva.com/nutrition/organic.php
• http://www.babycentre.co.uk/baby/startingsolids/organicexpert/?_requestid=1333804
• http://lookwayup.com/free/organic.htm
• http://www.sustainableenterprises.com/Body/organic.htm

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At Nature’s Choice we generally classify foods into the following categories:

Foods Certified as Organic

These are foods that are grown and distributed in strict compliance with globally recognized standards of organic food cultivation and production. These foods, wherever available, would usually be the first choice of the enlightened consumer. At Nature’s Choice we carry a wide and ever-growing range of Organic foods, most of which are specially imported and all of which we would also classify as bio-friendly (see below). Nature’s Choice is certified with BCS in Germany and, as such, all of our organic foods are Certified Organic. Organic foods are discussed in more detail at this link.

Bio-Friendly Foods

These foods may not be strictly organic but, unlike “junk foods,” they adequately support the needs of life and they do not burden the life processes in any way. Typically, bio-friendly foods are preservative-free, sucrose-free, and hydrogenated fat-free. They are unrefined and unadulterated. They have not been irradiated, or over-processed or ultra heat-treated. Bio-friendly foods do not contain harmful chemical additives (which might include texturizers, emulsifiers, colorants etcetera). While bio-friendly foods are not always on a par with organic foods, as a rule they are infinitely superior to junk foods. All foods in the Nature’s Choice range are either Organic or Bio-Friendly. All of our organic foods are also bio-friendly – (this is why we refuse to sell “organic” sugar, for example.)

Functional Foods

Usually, these are junk foods that have been “enriched” with a few vitamins and minerals etcetera. We believe that when a food needs enrichment, it is a poor food indeed and, as such, it is hardly worthy of being classified as “functional.”

Junk Foods

According to our definition, junk foods are neither Organic or Bio-Friendly. For one reason or another, they do not adequately support the needs of life and/or they burden the life processes in some way. They may contain preservatives, sugar, hydrogenated fat, refined flour and/or any number of chemical additives. They may be adulterated, irradiated, ultra-heat treated and/or highly processed. In most cases, they will cause constipation and/or unbalance body chemistry and/or cause hormone imbalance and/or upset homeostasis and/or contribute significantly to the body’s toxic load. As a matter of policy, and out of respect to our loyal supporters, we do not stock junk foods of whatsoever nature.

Genetically Modified Foods

We choose not to use genetically modified foods and we do not recommend their use. Because of poor (almost non-existent) governmental controls over the production and importation of genetically modified (GMO) foods, however, certain GMO foods have made significant inroads into our country’s food supply – the two main culprits being Soya and Maize. Our company policy dictates that wherever we suspect that a food may be genetically modified, we will make every effort to supply the organic alternative (which will always be GMO free). Until such time as there is a quick and easy way of identifying a GMO food – enabling us to label food accordingly – we would urge you to opt for the organic alternative – especially in the case of soya and maize.

By Dr Steven R. Schechter, N.D.

Throughout history, whole grains have been referred to as “the staff of life.” Whole grains – brown rice, millet, wheat, barley, oats, corn, buckwheat, and rye – are highly nutritious, containing many of the protective nutrients such as the B complex vitamins, vitamin E, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, zinc, iron, and selenium. Buckwheat and millet have been specifically documented as helping to counteract radiation. These two also contain more protein than the other grains. Buckwheat, millet, and rice are the three most digestible grains, easily tolerated even by those with allergies to wheat and rye.

Whole grains are energy foods. They are a rich source of complex carbohydrates, which provide long-lasting, even-keel energy that endures for hours, rather than the short bursts of nervous energy provided by refined sugars and processed grains [like white flour and white flour products].

Complex carbohydrates are efficiently metabolized by the body and then cleanly converted into energy without buildup of unnecessary toxins. Whole grains also provide fiber, which aids in digestion and elimination of waste from the intestinal tract. Fiber shortens intestinal transit time, thus helping to rapidly eliminate harmful toxins, including carcinogens, that otherwise might accumulate there.

Whole grains, in addition to providing vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, and fiber, also supply small amounts of protein. They are exceedingly low in toxin-laden fat. Because grains are high in bulk-producing fiber and low in fat and calories, they are an ideal food to eat when weight-loss is necessary.

Diets rich in whole grains provide an abundance of the amino acid Tryptophan, which scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have found increases brain levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Serotonin increases one’s sense of well-being, reduces tension and stress, and improves sleep.

Refined grains, especially white flour and sugar, on the other hand, leach minerals from the tissues, bones, and teeth. The body converts sugar to triglycerides, a kind of fatty acid that accumulates in the bloodstream as blood cholesterol and contributes to heart disease, diabetes, and a weakened immune system. Refined grains and sugars are referred to as “empty calories” because they provide carbohydrates, or fuel, without the necessary vitamins and minerals for healthy metabolism. These refined, or simple, carbohydrates set metabolism in motion but cannot provide the many vitamins and minerals necessary for the body to carry on the multitude of chemical reactions that are the basis of life.

Refined grains, of course, provide [virtually] no fiber, which makes them difficult to digest. They are also commonly laced with synthetic additives, including artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives. A number of studies have shown that many additives, like other toxins, caused behavioral problems, especially in children. Some additives may be carcinogenic.

In short, whole grains encourage health on all levels while refined grains and sugar debilitate the body and rob it of needed nutrients. (Steven R. Schechter N.D., Fighting Radiation & Chemical Pollutants with Foods, Herbs, & Vitamins, p.172,173)

• Dr Schechter’s book is excellent and rather unique in that it is becoming more and more relevant (rather than outdated) with every passing day. You may order it from your local bookstore or via www.amazon.com. ISBN 1-878412-04-3. Publisher: Vitality Ink, PO Box 294, Encinitas, USA CA92024.
• We cannot speak too highly of Nature’s Choice whole grain cereals – including Wholefood Granola, Wonder Crunch, Gourmet Muesli Crunch, and the following whole grain products that are ideal for wonderfully satisfying porridges and for delicious bread, cookies and crusts – Quinoa, Amaranth, Buckwheat, Polenta, Whole Oats, Oat Bran, Barley, Barley Bran, Millet, Rice Flour, Sorghum, Wheat, Pastry Flour (twice-milled whole wheat flour), Three Grain Cereal, Seven Grain Cereal, Mealie Meal, Rye Flour, Soya Flour. If your local Nature’s Choice stockist does not carry any of the above, please feel free to speak to store management who will gladly start stocking your needs for you.

Important Note:

A nutritional imbalance is usually a sign that something in your life, your lifestyle, and/or your diet needs changing. Deficiencies can be caused by excesses (imbalances in diet and/or exercise), by drugs, by stress, by other deficiencies, by overdosing on other nutrients and/or supplements, by a poor diet, and by a number of other factors. While supplements may bring quick relief – the cause of your deficiency in all cases was not a lack of supplements, but some other influence, dietary imbalance, or excess in your life – and this is what first needs to be addressed. While supplementation might well be the treatment of choice in your particular case, it is unwise to take supplements while ignoring the root cause of your problem – which cause will have to be addressed before permanent relief can be expected. In short, therefore, do not expect supplements to do for you that which only you can do for yourself – and always follow the golden rule of Nature Cure . . . If you remove the cause you will have no need of a cure.

In conjunction with the table below, please also see the chart of Dietary Fat Sources.

Once again we need to point out that supplements should never be used as so many of the world’s people use medicinal drugs – that is, as “magic bullets.”

In the case of disease prevention, supplements should only ever be considered as supplementary to a balanced lifestyle and diet.

In the case of illness, the first step always is to establish the cause of our ailment. In most cases it will be found that the cause is either directly or indirectly related to our lifestyle and/or our diet and/or to constipation. Then we need to remove that cause – and this would obviously involve rectifying our lifestyle and/or diet. Then, understanding that we will never get well while continuing to do whatever it is that is making us ill, we can look to using appropriate treatments and supplements – but we must understand that supplements are never the beginning and the ending of our treatment program – they can only ever be considered as supplementary measures to boost the effectiveness of our primary treatment program.

All deficiencies should be addressed (a) by increasing our intake of foods that are high in that nutrient – see Nutrient Sources, and (b) by taking supplements.