The healing power of...broccoli?

Absolutely. Bad news for people like George Bush the Elder, who, during his tenure leading this nation, asserted: “I do not like broccoli. And I haven't liked it since I was a little kid and my mother made me eat it. And I'm President of the United States and I'm not going to eat any more broccoli.” Despite the fact that for much of his life (and throughout his presidency) he regularly got high scores on health and fitness from his family physician, Bush missed out on some amazing health benefits.

So here's a few articles about the greatness of broccoli. If you have osteoarthritis, ulcers, cancer, or are at risk for any of these, it would be good for you to sit up and pay attention. And what about isolating the components like sulforaphane, di-indolylmethane, and selenium? Here's why it's better to get your nutrition from food than from supplements:

"It's probably a combination of ingredients in the plant that is responsible (for health benefits). When you try to extract them out to make a pill, it usually doesn't work." So says a randomly-named Steven Zeisel from the University of North Carolina. Dunno who he is, but the quote rings true.

Tip: either eat broccoli raw or only lightly steam it for 3-4 minutes. Cooking longer than that destroys the sulforaphane, hugely responsible for broccoli's anticancer effects.

UPDATE: Here's a great picture of a friend's son enjoying his broccoli. Seeing enthusiasm for vegetables among kids like this is cause for celebration!

SIGG Water Bottles and Bisphenol A

SIGG is a Swiss company that prides itself on manufacturing environmentally sound water bottles, made from either aluminum or stainless steel. Backpacker magazine has dubbed SIGG “The World’s Toughest Water Bottle” after putting a series of water bottles through a rigorous test, including being pummeled by golf balls shot from a cannon. Aluminum SIGG water bottles have been tested repeatedly to ensure that aluminum does not leach into the water.

SIGG water bottles also have a plastic coating on the inside that prevents them from building up a smell or residue. According to their website, these bottles “exceed FDA requirements and have been thoroughly tested to ensure 0.0% leaching – so they are 100% safe.”

However, on September 7, 2009, the CEO of SIGG, Steve Wasik, publicly apologized about not disclosing that the plastic linings of the popular SIGG stainless steel water bottles contained bisphenol A (BPA). This came as a surprise and a disappointment. SIGG has marketed itself as a great alternative to plastic water bottles. Many consumers who chose SIGG water bottles did so intentionally to avoid further exposure to BPA.

I have already written about the links between BPA and many diseases, including breast cancer, obesity, and diabetes. In my video, I even show a SIGG water bottle that I drank from regularly. It’s a shame that Wasik did not feel that BPA exposure was not a pertinent issue for the consumers who chose SIGG water bottles. He has risked the trust of these consumers and the stability of the company. But to his credit, he has apologized numerous times, and has taken action accordingly.

SIGG began to produce water bottles with a lining that does not contain BPA in August of 2008. The company has also offered a voluntary exchange program for anyone who bought a water bottle prior to August 2008, and who would prefer to have a BPA-free water bottle. This exchange program will be effective until October 31, 2009.

Whether or not the lining does leach contaminants of any sort, it appears that BPA may not be necessary to make an effective lining for water bottles. And this can only be good for the health of consumers.

Ideally, you should drink from water bottles that are BPA-free. Even better, consider avoiding plastic water bottles across the board. Pure stainless steel water bottles (SIGG does sell these) and even glass containers are still the best, healthiest, and most environmentally sound water bottles around. But as an acquaintance pointed out, glass may not be the best choice for children due to its being relatively fragile. So stick with stainless steel for children, and go with either for adults.

====

Do you have health issues that aren't being adequately addressed by conventional medicine? Naturopathic care may be the answer you're looking for. Visit my website for more information about naturopathic medicine, and begin your journey toward optimal health!

By The Numbers: Vitamin D

0-25 - Level of vitamin D (measured in nanograms per milliliter, or ng/mL) that gives a diagnosis of Vitamin D Deficiency Syndrome, when accompanied by two or more of the following: osteoporosis, heart disease, hypertension, autoimmune diseases, certain cancers, depression, chronic fatigue, or chronic pain.

50 - Minimum acceptable blood level of vitamin D (in ng/mL) for optimal function.

75-125 - Ideal level (in ng/mL) of vitamin D.

200 - Amount of IUs (international units) recommended by the US Food & Drug Administration per day for adults to prevent osteomalacia - not for optimal health.

400 - Amount of IUs recommended by the US Food & Drug Administration per day for children to prevent rickets - again, not for optimal health.

5,000 - Amount of IUs recommended for adults to boost Vitamin D levels by 50 ng/mL within 3 months.

10,000 - Amount of IUs recommended for adults to boost vitamin D levels by 100 ng/mL within 3 months.

20,000 - Average amount of IUs generated by individuals when sunbathing in the summer with maximum skin exposure, for roughly 15 minutes.

156,000–2,604,000 - Amount of IUs a man unknowingly took daily for 2 years, which produced one of the few documented instances of vitamin D toxicity. He recovered with sunblock, steroids, and discontinuing the (poorly measured) vitamin D supplement.

Source: Vitamin D Council

====

Do you have health issues that aren't being adequately addressed by conventional medicine? Naturopathic care may be the answer you're looking for. Visit my website for more information about naturopathic medicine, and begin your journey toward optimal health!

Water bottles: plastic vs. glass

As I mention in this video, it is prudent to stay away from plastic water bottles that leach out bisphenol A, or BPA. For those of you who are curious about which water bottles those are, they're the ones that seem virtually indestructible - the prototypical Nalgene water bottles. Ironically, Nalgene water bottles were originally marketed as water bottles that would not leach plastic byproducts. They once were seen as the environmentally sound brand. Oops.

So what is the big deal about BPA? Studies have linked it to a number of estrogen-sensitive conditions: obesity, breast cancer (even the CDC acknowledges this), premature onset of puberty in girls (the average age of menarche, or a woman’s first menstrual cycle, has dropped by at least one year, if not more, over the past 50 years or so), gynecomastia (development of breast tissue in males) and birth defects. BPA was actually used as a estrogen mimicker in lab tests during the 1930s before diethylstilbestrol (DES) replaced it as a stronger estrogen substitute. (Babies were exposed to DES when their mothers took it to prevent miscarriages. Unfortunately, we discovered that “DES daughters” experienced a greater risk of vaginal and cervical cancer, infertility, and pregnancy complications. It was subsequently taken off the market years ago. But I digress.)

Which plastics leach BPA? Apparently, the hard plastics (like Nalgene) that are imprinted with the number 7 inside the recycling symbol are the ones to avoid. According to this website, plastic #7 is a catch-all for “miscellaneous plastics.” This includes Tupperware. Often, plastic #7 is not recyclable.

There are a few arguments against studies showing the dangers of BPA. First, some studies have shown that BPA doesn’t really increase the risk of, say, cancer. These studies, though, don’t take into account the synergy that occurs when other compounds interact with BPA, and the combination can be particularly dangerous. (Also consider that adipose tissue, or fat, in itself tends to favor the production of estrogen. Being obese may also act synergistically with BPA. With obesity being rampant in society today, this issue becomes even more vital to address.) One could also argue that these studies have all been performed on rats and not humans. Unfortunately, humans are often more sensitive to toxins than rats, particularly when fetuses are exposed to them. BPA is no exception. (And who would willingly undergo a study that exposes them to a potentially carcinogenic substance?)

Stick with glass water bottles if you're looking for an environmentally sound alternative to plastic water bottles. If you want to get something more stylish and perhaps more resilient than glass, there are many companies that sell excellent metal water bottles. Like glass, these water bottles do not leach out harmful substances, and they are completely recyclable after being used. They just cost a bit more.

====

Do you have health issues that aren't being adequately addressed by conventional medicine? Naturopathic care may be the answer you're looking for. Visit my website for more information about naturopathic medicine, and begin your journey toward optimal health!