Dr. BT's Blog
Remember that the modern technologies and investment created a huge processed food industry in the developed nations. This food industry was supposed to produce a lot of "easy to digest" (e.g., refined), "nutrients enhanced" (e.g., vitamin D enforced), tasty, and convenient (e.g., fast foods) processed foods. The result of this modern industrial de-naturing has produced generations of metabolic syndrome related diseases. I wonder if the modern technology of dietary supplement industry will turn out to be similar. For example, eating tofu or other whole soybean products is a thousand year tradition in Asia, and proven to be healthy. Usually, raw soybeans contain between two and four milligrams of total isoflavones/gram. This is about 0.2-0.4% of isoflavones in raw whole soybean (read more here). As we know, isoflavones is a phytoestrogen, and has been singled out to be the really beneficial active component of soybeans. Now there are many soy extracts in the market as soy supplements. For example, the Ultra Soy Extract of Life Extension contains as high as 40% isoflavones! Yes, modern technologies can do wonders. But if you're not careful, and thinking that you can just take supplements for the nutrition of really good whole foods, you may be wrong! Phytoestrogens have a weak estrogenic effect. When taking in whole foods, they are safe and healthy. But when taking in supplements in high concentration, care must be taken because they may change your hormone balance - to the good or bad! Similarly, flaxseeds as a whole food is a wonder food - very healthy. But now you may choose to take supplements rather than the whole flaxseeds. Just 1 gram (2 capsules) of supplements can be equivalent to as many as 70 grams of whole flaxseeds in lignans contents - the major phytoestrogen in flaxseeds (see example)! Again, there will be measurable impact on hormone balance - good or bad. Care must be taken to make sure you are on the good side indeed. In conclusion, YBM Diet only supplement with whole food concentrates such as the Green Magic, and ORAC, and fish oil. We only use supplements with partial high concentration extraction of whole foods in conjunction with particular therapies, such as hormone therapy and meridian balancing.
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