 Green Foods - Nature's Original Vitamins
All across America, health-conscious people start each day with a glass of vital, green, cereal grasses. In this report we will detail the science that supports the health-giving properties of these ancient super foods, but we must say that, truly, there is something else going on here as well when it comes to our yearning for green super foods: the natural primitive, physical, all-knowing healthy self in each of us desperately covets and cries out for the miracle compounds in these foods. It knows something that only now science is beginning to discover... Could it be our bodies intuitively recognize green foods are packed with nature's most powerful antioxidants and an array of powerful phytochemicals that not even our best scientists have yet learned to fully identify or isolate? Perhaps people have begun to recognize their own fast-food diets and even supplemental multiple vitamins and mineral supplements lack many of the vital molecules with which nature has endowed these ancient super foods! Super Foods of the Ancients Long ago, the green foods in Barlean's Greens; organic kamut, barley, oats, alfalfa, spirulina, chlorella, sea vegetables and green vegetables (spinach and parsley) were our ancestors original vitamin and mineral supplements; in their wisdom, which we should respect, ancient peoples knew these foods were their super protectors, too. The ancients consumed these foods because they were the most vital, alive, super-nutritious foods available to them for sustaining and protecting life and, of course, the irony is that they remain so even now. Here are some examples... Kamut Kamut, one of the green foods in our recommended formula, is an heirloom, non-hybrid, ancient grain from the Nile region of Egypt that, to this day has never been crossbred. Kamut contains 29% more protein, 27% more lipids and measures higher in eight of the nine minerals than found in common wheat; it is significantly higher in magnesium (23% higher) and zinc (25% higher). It also contains numerous trace minerals. Kamut contains more riboflavin, thiamine and niacin than common wheat, as well as much higher amounts of vitamin E. Of the 18 amino acids usually found in wheat, 16 are higher in Kamut. For example, threonine, cystine, arginine, histidine, aspartic acid and serine range from 34% to 65% higher in Kamut than common wheat. Alfalfa Alfalfa, with its mature, bluish-purple flowers, has been known for centuries by the Arabian peoples as Al-Fal-Fa, which translates to the "father of all foods." Alfalfa is one of the most nourishing foods available; even though it is a forage crop, it's roots are known to travel deep into the earth, capturing vital nutrients from the soil. This ancient green food contains abundant chlorophyll, beta-carotene and other members of the carotenoid family as well as vitamins D, E, K, and the B complex. It also contains an abundance of protein, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and numerous trace minerals and essential fatty acids. Spirulina Spirulina is a blue-green algae that has been living on the planet for 3.6 billion years. As one of the oldest living plants on the planet, spirulina has been a source of food for some cultures for millennia. Spirulina is 60% protein, perhaps higher than any other food. Spirulina also has the highest level of the protective antioxidant, beta carotene, which is good for the eyes, and (natural forms of which) protect against cancer. To receive the amount of beta carotene obtained from 10 grams of spirulina, you'd have to eat about one-half pound of raw carrots. Rich in Vitamin B12 and iron, this chlorophyll-rich food contains rare essential fatty acids, including gamma-linolenic acid. Green Super Foods Make Comeback Until the 1930s, barley, alfalfa and wheat grasses were sold commercially in health food stores as "vitamin" supplements. Then, pharmaceutical and nutritional companies discovered how to isolate individual vitamins and synthesize them in the laboratory. The emergence of vitamins and minerals in a "pill" became all the rage (don't we know!) and green foods were out of vogue until the 1970's. However, green food popularity is again reaching a zenith. Naturally sourced vitamin and mineral supplements are critical to health in our modern world but, green foods provide a whole array of nutrients and growth factors, essential to human health and reproduction, which scientists are still working to identify and isolate so that someday they can be put into pill form. Importance of Growth Factors Many multiple vitamin and mineral formulas today rely heavily on synthetic or isolated synthesized vitamins; much of the beta-carotene and vitamin E sold today, for example, is synthetically derived. The fact is, our bodies sense these differences at the molecular level. They simply do not metabolize synthetic vitamins as completely and properly as naturally sourced nutrients; this is, in part, because the best naturally sourced nutrients come packaged with related molecules we call bio-enhancers. There are thousands of unidentified health molecules in green foods that our bodies require for vital health. Take barley greens. One such phytochemical in barley greens is known as the "grass juice factor." What little we know about this water soluble growth molecule is that it is markedly different from all other vitamins and that, without this molecule, deficiency symptoms including poor growth, lethargy and dull hair and coat are easily induced in experimental studies. Today, even though some of this molecule's chemical properties are known, it's availability is still limited to whole grasses. Additional experimental studies have shown dehydrated alfalfa contains growth factors that scientists have not yet been able to isolate and synthesize, but veterinary studies show these poorly characterized, reproductive factors in alfalfa improve egg production and hatchability of eggs. Scientists also are discovering unusual molecules in spirulina. Scientists in North Carolina as well as Asia (Japan and China) now know that, when added to animal feed, spirulina is a low-cost safe alternative to veterinary drugs and helps farm animals resist infections naturally.  Think Green for Vital Health
These results are relevant to human health for adults and children. Spirulina Aids in Detoxification If you are on doctor-prescribed medication or exposed to environmental pollution, the green super foods may be even more essential to your health. For example, spirulina appears to contain specific detoxification factors. Heavy metals and pharmaceutical drugs are toxic to the kidney. In one experimental study, the effect of spirulina on acute kidney disease caused by inorganic mercury and pharmaceutical drugs was examined. Although a high mercury dosage caused kidney toxicity (measured by rising blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, and specific urinary enzymes), a 30% spirulina diet significantly reduced these indicators, showing kidney detoxification. Spirulina also mediated the effects of highly toxic drugs used by humans including the chemotherapeutic agent cisplatin. "The study suggests spirulina may have a beneficial effect for humans suffering from heavy metal poisoning and that kidney side effects may decrease when spirulina is taken with the administration of drugs. Side effects limit the dosage of drugs and slow down recovery, so shorter recovery times may be possible." Green Foods & Ancient Wisdom These are some of the reasons that consuming super greens everyday is important to your health. To be fully alive is to be fully awake. Only when we enjoy perfect wisdom in body and soul can we be fully awake to the miracle of life. The wise among us seek ancient wisdom and, found in these foods is part of the answer for your body to be fully alive and endowed with limitless health. If your vision is vital health, green foods are critical. Do not think of green foods as a cure for disease, that's the realm of medicine, but you can't beat a quality super green foods formula for supporting vital health and helping your body to maintain itself in a disease-free state for as long as possible. If you want to feel great, then you need to have your super green foods drink daily. Mix with orange juice or in a smoothie or enjoy the wonderful taste with only water added. Many report that a glass of greens in the morning helps them to lose weight. Because green foods are so nutritionally complete, they are great for appetite control. Prescription for Healthy Living Be sure to enjoy a super green drink everyday. It is not only great for a mid-afternoon pick-me-up, it's detoxification powers will help your body to cleanse itself daily of potentially dangerous pollutants and toxins. You will literally feel the difference within minutes. Smart Shopping Tips for Selecting a Quality Green Formula The problem with fillers is they can makeup far too much of a formula, crowding out more beneficial green foods. Read labels carefully or you may end up with a product that is more filler than anything else. We have found, however, many green formulas base their advertising on the total number of ingredients (many not greens at all) listed on the label. One company claims to provide more than 40 biologically active ingredients. Some consumers may believe they are receiving more for their money. We don't. Small fractions of many different ingredients may look good on the label to some consumers, but none of these ingredients is being provided in a high enough dosage to be of therapeutic value; there's no point in consuming a trivial amount bilberry, green tea, ginseng or ginkgo. These trace amounts are approximately thirty to forty times or more below therapeutic dosages. Consumers need a specialty supplement to receive therapeutic benefits from these nutrients. Look closely at the green content and amount of filler in the product you're using, especially lecithin and apple pectin. Putting a few hot selling herbs on the label like bee pollen, royal jelly or other herbal extracts looks impressive but achieving real benefit is unlikely. Optimal potency of a few select ingredients produces optimal results. Keep in mind, the purpose of a green food is to get your greens! Quality formulas also contain green antioxidants such as rosemary, green tea and curcumin extract with mixed carotenoids, acerola juice, natural vitamin E, and plant enzymes.  References:
1.footnote*Kay,R.A."Microalgae as food and supplement." Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr,1991;30(6):555-73. 2.Nenonen,M.T.,et al."Uncooked,lactobacilli-rich,vegan food and rheumatoid arthritis." Br J Rheumatol,,1998;37(3):274-81. 3.Yonghuan,W.,et al."The study on curative effect of zinc containing spirulina for zinc deficient children," China Department of Pediatrics,, hospital attached to Capital Medical College,Beijing,China.Presented at the 5th International Psychological Congress,Qingdao,China,June 1994. 4.Ren,M.J."Spirulina in Jiangxi China." Academy of Agricultural Science.. Presented at Soc.Appl.Algology,Lille France,September.1987,China. 5.Hirayama,T."Epidemiology of breast cancer with special reference to the role of diet." Preventive Medicine,,1978;7:173-195. 6.Wynder,E.L."Dietary habits and cancer epidemiology." Cancer supplement,1979;43(5):1955-1961. 7.Kagawa,T."Impact of westernization on the Japanese.Changes in physique,cancer longevity and centerians." Preventive Medicine,,1978;7: 205-217. 8.Fujimoto,I.,et al."Descriptive epidemiology of cancer in Japan:current cancer incidence and survival data." National Cancer Institute Monographs,, 1979;53:5-15. 9.Nomura,A.,et al."Breast cancer and diet among the Japanese in Hawaii." American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,,1978;31:2020-2025. |