| The alkaloids, glycosides, amino acids, carbohydrates, volatile oils, antibiotics, acids and enzymes contained in these herbs present a consummately impressive array of vital physiological and metabolic activity.
RED CLOVER has been used in America for over 100 years to treat and prevent cancer. There is little scientific data available to support this use, but it is firmly entrenched in American medicinal folklore. In Europe, where the plant originated, it is used extensively as a diuretic to treat gout, and as an expectorant (1). |
| Another recent study, in an attempt to elucidate the mechanism by which Licorice root remedies hepatitis (in conjunction with the amino acids cysteine and glycine), found that the herb actually stimulates the production of interferon, that critical chemical in the immune system that could be the key to preventing and treating many immune-response deficiency diseases in the future (19). The search for non-toxic and effective interferon inducers has been in progress for several years. Licorice root is now prominent on that list. |
| Fenugreek seeds are also high in protein, with large amounts of amino acids: lysine, tryptophan, leucine, histi-dine and arginine. These chemicals could also contribute to better digestion and assimilation of nutrients. In addition, the mucilaginous nature of Fenugreek would act in a like fashion to Irish Moss in relieving the pain and irritation of ulcers. Other research shows that the seeds have galactagogue effects due to lactation factors in the fatty acids. |
| ALFALFA'S anti-rheumatic effect is probably due to its extremely high nutritive value, which includes vitamins A, B1, B6, B12, C, D, E and K, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, folic acid, minerals, protein, saponins, amino acids, trace elements (calcium, phosphorous, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc and copper) (1). Alfalfa has a proven cholesterol lowering effect (2) and it generally helps to improve overall health, vigor and vitality (3-4; see also WHOLE BODY). |
John Heinerman
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 Bean sprout juice contains many of the essential amino acids required for healthy glands.
Hormonal Imbalances. A hormone is a chemical substance, formed in one organ or part of the body and then carried in the blood to another organ or part. Depending on the specificity of their effects, hormones can alter the functional activity, and sometimes even the very structure, of just a single organ or of various numbers of them. When an excess of one or several hormones results, the body's entire delicate mechanisms can be completely thrown out of kilter. |
Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D.
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 This hormone causes most amino acids floating in the blood to be absorbed into the body's (not the brain's) cells—all, that is, except tryptophan, which remains in the bloodstream at relatively high levels. With the competition removed, tryptophan can freely enter the brain, causing serotonin levels to rise. The high serotonin levels increase feelings of calmness or drowsiness, improve sleep patterns, increase pain tolerance, and reduce cravings for carbohydrate-rich foods. (See "Diet and Serotonin Levels," on page 17. |
John Heinerman
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| Within apricots may be found those life-giving nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, and oils that go to work to keep the skin fairly supple and young. Of course, the Hunzukuts have lifespans similar to our own, with just a handful reaching the century mark. However, the surprise in store for those who are able to go there is that they don't look old, even though they are old!
Cancer; Failing Eyesight; Second-Hand Smoke, Sluggish Liver.
All four of these health problems, while different in their clinical symptoms, nevertheless share a common factor. |
Mark Bricklin
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 The carbohydrates provide energy—glucose—directly to the cells, while the amino acids and vitamin C promote and participate in the synthesis of new tissue. In addition, a balanced salt solution, which is used to rinse out the sore at the beginning of each treatment, works to promote the growth of healthy cells.
All nutrients are needed to bring about health and healing, and in fact, the lack of almost any single nutrient can prevent healing. Vitamin C is needed to form collagen, while vitamin A strengthens connective tissue. |
John Heinerman
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| These are a type of amino acids filled with ammonia. They consist mostly of betacyanins (red), with a small amount of betaxan-thins (yellow). Betanin accounts for most of the betacyanins present. Plant chemists have discovered that this betanin occurs in red beet root as a sulphur-sugar complex.
A scientific quarterly that I edit recently published some original research conducted by a Hungarian physician, who found that beet root juice and its powdered form arrested the further development of many different kinds of cancer. |
| And plain malnourishment, which deprives the body of essential vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and enzymes necessary for growth, is a fourth. I have noticed as an anthropologist that in those cultures which have access to plenty of sulphur-rich foods, their young children don't suffer very much from stunted growth. Since bussels sprouts contain sulphur, it will be of obvious value here. As to how the sulphur works in this regard, still remains a mystery. |
Gary Null, Ph.D.
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 Nature simply cannot make a soybean, potato, or grain of wheat without using all the same amino acids (the "building blocks" of protein) required by the metabolism of humans.
Vegetable proteins, eaten throughout the day in a well-balanced vegetarian diet, are each "complete" in their own way and will be metabolized quite completely, finding their way to the liver and other tissues where they will be used as needed.
Another selling point for a vegetarian diet: combining protein-rich vegetable dishes increases protein absorption by approximately 30 percent. |
| Like amaranth, it is packed with lysine and other amino acids, making it a complete protein. A cup of the cooked grain has the calcium content of a quart of milk. It is also a rich source of iron, phosphorus, various B vitamins, and Vitamin E.
Toast quinoa, a little at a time, in a dry skillet before cooking to enrich its flavor. Rinse 1 cup quinoa under cold running water; drain, and add to 2 cups water or vegetable stock. Heat to boiling, stir, cover, and reduce heat. Cook until liquid is absorbed, ten to fifteen minutes. Yields 3 cups. Cooked quinoa is transparent. |
| It is approximately 96 percent water, with the balance of its active contents consisting of essential oil, amino acids, vitamin, minerals, and enzymes. Aloe's primary strength as a healing agent lies in the fact of it being able to regenerate damaged tissues. Such actions have long made it a powerful therapy for wounds such as burns, cuts, and bruises. But this is just the tip of the iceberg.
A traditional remedy for diabetes in the Arabian peninsula, several peer review studies indicate aloe may indeed be an effective treatment for symptoms associated with the disease. |
| Glutathione
Glutathione is made up of glutamic acid, glycine, and cysteine— all three amino acids. Significant positive associations have been shown between blood glutathione levels and a host of biomedical/ psychological traits among the elderly, including fewer illnesses, higher levels of self-rated health, lower cholesterol lower body mass index, and lower blood pressures.
Those suffering from arthritis, diabetes, or heart disease showed significantly lower glutathione levels than those without disease. |
Annemarie Colbin
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 Although all plant foods contain all eight essential amino acids (the ones that cannot be manufactured by the body), these appear in patterns that apparently make them less usable than the protein in eggs, milk, and meat. However, when people are raised on low-protein diets, as they are in most of the world, they are much more efficient at extracting the full nutritional value of plant foods than people raised on high-protein diets. |
| Some examples: near-death experiences that totally change a person's life; drastic changes in diet that provide a dramatic new viewpoint; amino acids organizing themselves into living muscle tissue. The reorganization, incidentally, generally goes in the direction of higher order, coherence, and complexity—the opposite, in fact, of entropy, or disintegration and decay. |
| I found out later that one of the amino acids in meat, tryptophan, tends to induce relaxation and sleepiness.
Some people are natural vegetarians, practically since birth, and both the thought and the act of eating animal products is quite repugnant to them; they usually remain in excellent health on a simple vegetarian regime. On the other hand, there are people
* Hauschka says that this is because it's harder to convert vegetable protein into human protein, and the extra effort needed is like exercise that develops our inner powers and soul strength. |
| These microscopic living organisms begin by breaking down the carbohydrates and proteins in a food into carbon dioxide, constituent amino acids, and alcohol. When salt is added during this process, it prevents the formation of toxin-producing microorganisms. Originally, fermentation was left to the chance presence of airborne, invisible yeasts or bacteria, but that gave no assurance that each batch of fermented food would be of similar quality. |
| It is the highest in protein among all beans; its proportion of essential amino acids is close to that of animal products, and therefore it is considered to be a "complete protein." As a result, the nutrition-conscious movement that has been developing over the past ten to fifteen years has elevated soybeans to a lofty status, and soy products such as tofu, miso, and tempeh have been enthusiastically adopted by natural cooks (among whom I count myself).
Yet the enthusiasm can go too far. I once had as a student a man who always looked profoundly pale. |
Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D.
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| In contrast, a high-protein bedtime snack, such as a slice of turkey or a glass of milk, is a great source of tryptophan but also provides large quantities of other amino acids that compete with tryptophan for absorption and entry into the brain. Consequently, these snacks do not produce the serotonin rise and might even produce a drop in brain levels of serotonin, which could aggravate insomnia. (The advice to drink a cup of warm milk before bedtime won't raise serotonin levels, but the liquid is soothing and provides a feeling of satiety. |
Judith J. Wurtman and Susan Suffes
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 We now know how much carbohydrate must be eaten at one time in order to bring about a swift and effective surge of insulin, which, as you will recall from Chapter Two, is the substance responsible for rearranging the amino acids to the benefit of tryptophan. Although you will be tempted to skip the snack in the interest of saving a few calories, without it you cannot be sure that your brain will make enough serotonin. In other words, you run the risk of developing a carbohydrate craving and bingeing to satisfy it.
It is up to you to decide when to eat the snack. |
John Heinerman
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| Cereal grass powder has 20 essential and non-essential amino acids. Five grams (0.175 oz) of dehydrated cereal grass yields more grams of fiber per serving than does equivalent amounts of oat bran and cooked whole wheat cereal. It is nearly equal to equivalent amounts of wheat bran and prunes in total dietary fiber. (This data was taken from tables on pages 51 and 53 of the aforementioned book. Copies of this excellent study are available at $13.95 (postage included) from Pines Int'l. See Appendix Three for details. |
Lesley Tierra
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 Dioscoreaceae Chinese: shan yao; wai san
Part used: the tuberous root
Energy and taste: neutral; sweet
Active constituents: 16% starch, mucilage, amylase, albuminoid matter, fat, sugar, amino acids including arginine, leucine, tyrosine and glutamine
Actions: lung, kidney, spleen
Properties: energy tonic, nutritive, demulcent Dose: 6-15 gm in decoction Precautions: any excess conditions Other: this is the Chinese wild yam
Dioscorea strengthens the energy and digestion, helping tiredness, poor appetite, diarrhea, spontaneous sweating and diabetes. |
John Robbins
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 The American Dietetic Association, in a formal position paper on the subject, makes it clear that these beliefs, while commonly held, have no scientific backing whatsoever: "Plant sources of protein alone can provide adequate amounts of the essential and nonessential amino acids. Conscious combining of these foods within a given meal as the complementary protein dictum suggests is unnecessary. |
Judith J. Wurtman and Susan Suffes
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| Protein supplies certain amino acids that our bodies do not manufacture, and protein-rich foods also contain important vitamins and minerals.
You must supply your body with protein. The problem is this: How can you get the protein you need for health without interfering with the serotonin production required for emotional well-being and appetite control? How can proteins and carbohydrates both do their jobs without the former undermining the latter?
It's not easy. |
| Some contain purified substances from eggs or soybeans that might have an impact on preventing memory loss; others contain amino acids thought to help in promoting mental alertness.
Obviously, people with serious mood disorders like clinical depression or other kinds of mental problems should not depend on either foods or nutraceuticals to make them feel better. A medical problem requires a medical solution. For example, women with severe PMS will probably find more relief from psychoactive drugs than from food. |
| Several studies have been done in which different doses and combinations of carbohydrates have been tested to see their effects on making the pattern of amino acids in the blood favorable for tryptophan uptake by the brain.
During the past three years my colleagues and I have been experimenting with carbohydrates that have been altered to enable them to be digested more rapidly and absorbed into the bloodstream more quickly than conventional carbohydrates. We wanted to see if the stress-relief process could be speeded up. |
| They consume drinks made of amino acids that are missing the one amino acid needed for serotonin production—tryptophan. After a day on a tryptophan-free diet, the volunteers report feeling depressed, agitated, restless, anxious, and stressed. Their serotonin stress-management system seems to have been rendered completely inactive.
Why hasn't such information been used to develop weight-loss plans that are serotonin protective? |
Andrew L. Stoll
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 It is often difficult for vegans (strict vegetarians) to obtain some essential amino acids, commonly found in animal products.
Fish is a good protein source, because it is low in saturated fat. Two to three servings of ocean water fish per week may be healthful. However, it is important to be aware of where the fish was caught and make informed decisions regarding contaminants. Freshwater fish from lakes or rivers that have been contaminated can contain large amounts of heavy metals and carcinogens—especially fish that feed on the lake floor, where the contaminated sludge settles. |
Dr. Julian Whitaker
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| Although many neurotransmitters use amino acids as building blocks, glutamate is used by the brain in its unaltered state. Glutamate is known as an excitatory neurotransmitter because it activates neurons and causes them to fire repeatedly. Under normal circumstances, this activity is balanced by calming inhibitory neurotransmitters, and excess glutamate is cleared away However, when you ingest MSG, it's like mainlining glutamate—it simply overwhelms your brain.
According to neurosurgeon Russell Blaylock, M.D. |
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