Recent Posts

• 3 September 2021

  The PURE Study Myths

  Dr James Muecke is the Australian of the Year in 2020 which was awarded for his work as an eye-surgeon and his work in preventing blindness.

  Muecke believes that we should be eating more eggs, cheese, meat and dark chocolate to minimise diabetes, its associated blindness (diabetic retinopathy) and diabetic neuropathy. Peripheral diabetic neuropathy is nerve damage of the limbs that is caused by diabetes. 50% of adults with type 2 diabetes have peripheral neuropathy. It can result in pain, numbness and an increase in sensitivity. Diabetes account for more than 80% of amputations.

  Mueke cites the PURE Study to justify his low-carbohydrate, high-fat, animal-based diet.

  The PURE Study is an observational study in 27 countries that examined 225,000 people. The study period is 20 years.

  Read more ⇒

• 6 August 2021

  Zinc, Selenium and the Immune System

  Zinc and selenium are important micronutrients required for the immune system to function effectively along with vitamins A, C, E, B6, B12, C, D, E and folic acid and the trace elements iron and copper.

  Both insufficient and excessive intakes of zinc and selenium can have negative consequences on the immune status.

  For the majority of people, low selenium intake is not a major issue. Whole-grains provide provide a more than adequate supply for vegans.

  A serum selenium test shows a short-term status of selenium whilst red blood cell selenium reflects a long-term status.

  Before consuming large amounts of selenium in foods or supplements, it is important to know the true status of your selenium.

  Read more ⇒

• 5 August 2021

  Vitamin B12, Homocysteine and Methylmalonic Acid

  B12 is a group of cobalt-containing vitamins. Hydroxocobalamin and cyanocobalamin are synthetic forms of vitamin B12. The two forms of vitamin B12 naturally occurring in foods are methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin. These forms are biologically equivalent.

  B12 is produced by a number of different species of bacteria which is found in the soil, on the surface of some plants and some red and green algae.

  Lack of vitamin B12 can have serious consequences as does high levels of homocysteine. Determining the status of vitamin B12 and homocysteine can be difficult and can be determined by measuring serum vitamin B12, homocysteine and methylmalonic acid (MMA).

  A number of products contain riboflavin, pyridoxine, folate, B12 and methionine way in excess of dietary requirements in an attempt to resolve B12 metabolism problems.

  Many magnesium supplements contain pyridoxine which is usually unnecessary and possibly detrimental.

  Read more ⇒

• 3 July 2021

  Mushrooms, Tomatoes and Kale on Toast

  One of the big challenges of a whole-food, plant-based diet is learning to cook without eggs or oils. Eggs are useful for binding foods and to start cooking the first step is often to add an oil to the frying pan or saucepan to fry onions.

  Instead of frying foods, try cooking with water - keeping the lid on the pan to ensure that the water does not evaporate. Add water as required.

  Read more ⇒

• 27 May 2021

  Changes to our Health Indicators

  Many of our health indicators have become worse over the past few decades (2000-2020). There has been a decrease in the United States in life expectancy. Below are some of the indicators that have been reduced, resulting in a society that is becoming increasing unhealthy and is placing an unsustainable burden on the families and health care facilities.

  Read more ⇒

• 24 March 2021

  Effect of Single High Fat Meal on Blood Flow

  MARS Center for Cocoa Health Science is based at University of California – Davis Campus (which is near Sacramento). Ronald Krauss, one of the authors of Astrup’s 2019 paper WHO draft guidelines on dietary saturated and trans fatty acids: time for a new approach?  is based at University of California – San Francisco campus.

  MARS has contributed $40 million to fund the institute.

  Between 2000 and 2021, the MARS institute has produced 157 articles extolling the benefits of chocolate and cocoa.

  “Everyone knows” that chocolate is really healthy and good for you based on research such as this.

  Read more ⇒

• 19 March 2021

  Pop Psychology, Alice and the Concept of Evil

  Pop psychology has a habit of taking ideas from psychology and science and transforming them into half-truths – ideas that can be simplistic and misleading.

  Some examples include ego and intuition.

  With the help of Alice (from Alice Through the Looking Glass), we will also explore the concept of EVIL.

  Read more ⇒

• 9 March 2021

  Harvard Study Shows Plant Protein Consumption Reduces Mortality

  There are thousands of medical and scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals showing that a whole-food, plant-based (WFPB) diets are optimal for our health and are also the best for the environment and for the animals we share the earth with.

  A number of these studies are documented on this website.

  There are many more studies purporting that eggs, dairy, chocolate and even red meat are healthy and even essential for health.

  When a comparison is made between two or more groups of people, showing that healthy WFPB are detrimental, be mindful of the nature of the comparison group.

  Read more ⇒

• 1 March 2021

  Lessons from The China Study

  Colin Campbell was a nutritional biochemist at Cornell University. In the 1960s, he was involved in nutritional programs in the Philippines to help families provide for their critically undernourished children. Peanuts were one of their preferred sources of protein. It is a legume— great for improving the soil, easy to grow, and is nutritious and tasty.

  At the same time, children younger than 10, were dying at alarming rates from liver cancer. Normally liver cancer is an adult disease— and the children dying from the disease were from the most affluent suburbs in Manila. These are the families that could afford the best housing and the best food.

  Whilst in the Philippines, he read a paper in an obscure medical journal. Rats were fed aflatoxin— one of the deadliest carcinogens known. One group of rats was given a diet of 20% protein —and they all died of liver cancer. The second group was given a diet of 5% protein— and they all lived. 100% deaths compared to zero deaths. They were all fed aflatoxin— but only those rats that had a high protein diet died.

  A 20% diet of wheat protein, gluten, or pea protein did not result in liver cancer deaths whereas casein, which comprises of 80% of the protein found in cow’s milk, and albumin, which is found in egg white, did result in liver cancer deaths. Plant-based diets are often considered to be lysine deficient. However, adding the amino acid lysine to the wheat protein to match the level found in casein also resulted in cancer deaths.

  Significantly, peanuts and corn in the Philippines were often contaminated by aflatoxin— and the wealthy ate Western-style diets, one rich in protein.

  Read more ⇒

• 19 January 2021

  The World Incidence and Prevalence of Autoimmune Diseases is Increasing

  The average percentage increase per year of the incidence and prevalence of autoimmune diseases worldwide were 19% and 13% respectively.

  Incidence is the rate of new (or newly diagnosed) cases of the disease. It is generally reported as the number of new cases occurring within a period of time or as a fraction of the population.

  Prevalence is the proportion of disease or risk factor affecting a population (for example, cancer, smoking or seat-belt use). It is arrived at by comparing the number of people found to have the condition with the total number of people studied and is usually expressed as a fraction.

  Read more ⇒