Our diets have changed dramatically in recent times, according to Cereal Grass: What's In It for You, edited by Ronald L. Siebold, M.S. Many physicians and nutritionists feel the Western diet, developed over the past 50 to 100 years, is responsible for the prevalence of the most deadly diseases today. Some of these diseases actually are called, "The diseases of civilization."
They include heart and artery diseases, some cancers, and diabetes. According to Siebold's book, "They are troubling not only because they are so common, and take such a heavy toll, but because we generally have no effective treatment against them. The best hope of reducing the incidence of heart disease and cancers is to prevent them."
Dieticians and governmental agencies usually recommend five or more servings of fruits and/or vegetables daily. But these common foods aren't the only forms of plant life that are good for us.
Green Foods
Scientists also have stated that green foods, such as grasses and algae are healthy. Green foods consist of cereal grasses, such as wheat and barley, and algae, such as spirulina and chlorella. Cereal grasses can be used as a vitamin/mineral supplement for those who either don't have the time or the desire to eat well. They are one of the best available sources of fiber, as well as a source of varied vitamins, minerals and protein. Dietary fiber has been proven to reduce blood glucose concentrations in diabetics, thus lowering the need for insulin.
Cereal Grass: What's In It for You suggests that dehydrated wheat and barley grasses often are taken for their effectiveness in promoting intestinal regularity. They contain a variety of enzymes- specialized proteins that stimulate chemical reactions between other proteins.
Wheat grass also may have cancer-preventative properties, according to information presented by Dr. Chiu Nan Lai, of the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in Houston at a meeting of the American Chemical Society. She showed that an extract of wheat grass applied to known chemical mutagens ( chemicals that cause cells to become cancerous) decreased their cancer-causing ability by up to 99%.
Ideal Fast Food
Yoshihide Hagiwara, M.D. writes in Green Barley Essence; Health Benefits of Nature's "Ideal Fast Food' that illnesses can be brought on indirectly by a deficiency in the diet. They are induced by an imbalance of minerals, enzymes and vitamins. An imbalance like that also can be caused directly by radiation, chemicals, inorganic drugs and other modern world pollutants.
Green Barley Essence is made by dehydrating a green juice of the young leaves of barley to a fine powder at room temperature within a time as short as two or three seconds, using a spray-drying process patented in many countries including Japan and the United States. It contains a good amount of minerals, enzymes, vitamins, and proteins.
It also contains chlorophyll, which appears to be a twin of human blood in chemical structure save that chlorophyll contains magnesium in its structure, while blood contains iron. Chlorophyll is known as a deodorizer, an anti-inflammatory, and a germicide. Hagiwara tried using chlorophyll on an acquaintance who suffered from gastritis and was taking shots of analgesic with no success. The pain and nausea caused by the patient's gastritis were lessened with her first cup of Green Barley Essence dissolved in water, and her gastritis was cured within a week, Hagiwara asserted.
Chlorella and Amino Acids
According to William H. Lee, Ph.D. and Michael Rosenbaum, M.D. in Chlorella: The Sun-Powered Supernutrient and It's Beneficial Properties, chlorella contains all eight amino acids and impressive amounts of Vitamin C, beta-carotene (provitamin A), B-1, B-2, B-6, B-12, niacin, pantothenic acid, folic acid, biotin, choline, inositol, PABA, Vitamin E and Vitamin K.It includes minerals such as phosphorous, potassium, magnesium, sulfur, iron, calcium, manganese, copper, zinc, iodine and cobalt.
It also contains lipoic acid, an important microbial growth factor. Chlorella has the capacity to promote growth in the young as well as to stimulate the healing process. Its antioxidant properties are important in immune system function, the authors add.
In Chlorella: Natural Medicinal Algae, Dr. David Steenblock, B.S., M.Sc., D.O. and president of the Aging Research Institute, discusses how chlorella stimulates the immune system. The algae's cell wall structures are similar to those of bacteria and fungi, which have been shown to have anti-cancer effects due to their ability to stimulate the immune system.
Jack Challem, author of Spirulina: What It Is…the Health Benefits It Can Give You, says that spirulina contains the eight essential amino acids as well as 10 of the 12 non-essential amino acids. Spirulina contains essential minerals such as potassium, calcium, zinc, magnesium, manganese, selenium, iron, and phosphorous. It contains vitamins such as pyridoxine, biotin, cobalami (B-12), pantothenic acid, folic acid, inositol, niacin, riboflavin, thiamine, and tocopherol(Vitamin E).
Japanese and Mexican medical establishments recognize spirulina as a nutritional adjunct to therapeutic programs, especially in situations where malnutrition is the cause of the illness. Some diseases studied in relation to the effects of spirulina include: diabetes, anemia, liver disease, ulcers. pancreatitis, visual complaints, leukocyte prevention, treatment of allergies, heavy metal poisoning and senility. Challem indicates that spirulina has been shown to be effective in treating or improving the conditions of patients with these diseases.
Consumer Bulletin- Whole Foods
References:
Cereal Grass: What’s In It For You, edited by Ronald. L. Siebold
Chlorella: Natural Medicinal Algae by dr. David Steenblock, B.S., M.Sc., D.O.
Chlorella: The Sun-Powered Supernutrient and Its Beneficial Properties by William H. Lee, R.Ph., PhD. And Michael Rosenbaum, M.D.
Green Barley Essence:Health Benefits of Nature's "Ideal Fast Food" by Yoshihide Hagiwara,M.D.
Spriulina:What It Is… The Health Benefits It Can Give You by Jack Joseph Challem
Last Update:: 0000-00-00
