What You`re Not Eating Could Hurt You

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For the Health Conscious Individual
volume 15 • N o 9 • September 201 2
What You’re Not Eating Could Hurt You
T
ypically, when we see
the emergence of certain
diseases throughout our society, they have been preceded by
changes in our diet. Granted, we’ve
seen isolated pockets of disease,
and those might be from local
environmental
issues, food
contamination,
or a lack of a
particular mineral in the soil
of that region.
For example,
in the past
we’ve seen
higher rates
of cancer in areas where the
local water supply was severely
contaminated, and an increased
incidence of thyroid problems in
the “goiter belt,” where there was
Inside
What You’re Not Eating
Could Hurt You. . . . . . . . . . . . 1
This Month Online. . . . . . . . 8
You will observe with concern how
long a useful truth may be known,
and exist, before it is generally
received and practiced on.
— Benjamin Franklin
volume 15 • N o 9 • september 201 2
a lack of iodine in the soil. But
when we see widespread issues
like increased rates of obesity,
depression, inflammatory arthritic
problems, diabetes, and heart
disease that aren’t isolated to any
particular area, we have to ask
what has changed to cause these
problems. And more often than
not, they have a direct link to a
change in our diet.
Why We Should Bring
Back Liver, Gizzards,
and Chitlins
One very significant difference in
our diet that has occurred over the
last hundred-plus years has to do
with something we’ve eliminated,
as opposed to added.
From the beginning of civilization, when man consumed an
animal, he consumed pretty much
the entire thing. That’s typically
not the case now, particularly in
more advanced societies. Over the
years, we’ve come to associate
the consumption of animal offal,
oxtail, joints, skin, etc., as primitive…something that occurs in
third world countries, not ours.
When you go the grocery store
or meat market, more than likely
you pick out certain cuts of meat.
When it comes to beef, you might
favor steak, roast, or hamburger.
The offal, oxtail, joints, skin, and
brain are probably not on your list.
Even chicken is typically separated and sold in either white or dark
cuts. It used to be that whenever
you bought a whole chicken, it included the skin, heart, gizzard, and
liver, but not any longer. Skewered
gizzards and hearts used to be
tasty little treats when we grilled a
chicken.
About the only offal that remains
somewhat popular in our culture is
liver. But when is the last time you
saw liver and onions on the menu
at a restaurant? As chain-operated
franchise restaurants replace the
local hometown eateries, this dish
seems to be fading into history.
Most people in this country
haven’t experienced the rich
taste of delicate sweetbreads
(thymus and pancreas). I used to
frequent a small rural restaurant
several miles outside of Managua,
Nicaragua, that served the most
delicious beef tongue I’ve ever
tasted.
And what about chitlins (intestine)? If you’re not from Louisiana,
that dish is probably something
you’ll never experience. It’s about
as rare as eating tripe (stomach
lining). I recently read this summer that Nelson Mandela celebrated his 94th birthday with his favorite dish of samp and tripe. Samp is
like a cornmeal mush popular in
parts of Africa. It was also popular
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with the Native American population in this country.
And, the real heartbreaker…believe it or not, right here in the heart
of Texas, it’s even getting harder
to find a restaurant that serves calf
fries or turkey fries (testicles).
Consuming a variety of animal
tissues, instead of “cherry picking”
as we do today, provides a certain
balance of nutrients that we are
lacking in our current diets. And
it’s becoming evident when you
look at many of the diseases from
which we suffer.
We’re Becoming
Collagen Deficient
Our bodies consist primarily of
water, protein, fat, and bone. From
a metabolic point of view, fat and
bone are fairly stable, whereas protein and water levels tend to fluctuate considerably. Proteins are made
up of amino acids that are used as
building blocks for everything from
hormones and neurotransmitters
to tissue growth and repair. And
as you know, glucose is the body’s
primary energy source, but when
glucose is low, protein is broken
down into amino acids, which, in
turn, can be used to produce additional glucose.
Collagen makes up 50% of all the
protein in the body. Collagen is the
primary protein in connective tissue
found in tendons, ligaments, bone,
cartilage, and skin. It is the matrix
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of joint cartilage and skin. You find
less collagen in more “active” or
metabolic tissues such as the brain,
heart, liver, etc. Based on the types
of diseases we’re seeing throughout
our society, it’s becoming more and
more apparent, at least to me, that
collagen is one of those items that is
severely lacking in our diet.
In the past, our ancestors would
slow cook collagen-rich items for
long periods of time until the collagen was broken down into a more
edible form.
Broths made from animal bones,
joints, and skin were common.
These broths are rich in the cooked
form of collagen called gelatin. At
one time, it was thought that gelatin
was the only nutritious component
of meat and once it was extracted,
the residual meat had no nutritional
value at all.
Boosting Collagen
with Gelatin
Today, in the field of nutrition,
most of the research tends to focus
on the importance of vitamins. Few
people realize, however, that in the
early 1800s, most of the nutritional
research focused on gelatin. There’s a
lot of confusion and misinformation
about gelatin that still persists today,
so let me give you a brief history.
The Napoleonic Wars were underway in Europe and success depended
on finding new and efficient methods of feeding the armies. A famous
chemist named Jean-Pierre Joseph
d’Arcet, discovered how to commercially extract gelatin from bones.
Based on his discovery and initial
findings, other researchers worked
for years to develop better techniques of extracting gelatin and stabilizing it into various food products,
like bouillon, that could be safely
stored and easily transported. Gelatin
was a way to provide a great deal
of nourishment in a form that took
up little space. Gelatin powders and
tablets became a meat substitute in
soups and gravies, and it was added
to biscuits. It was utilized extensively
on war ships and battlegrounds, in
hospitals and poorhouses, and as
survival food for besieged soldiers.
Since gelatin was so economical, its popularity quickly spread to
Germany and England. If you read
the history of that time period, it becomes obvious that the public went
a little overboard in their enthusiasm
for gelatin. It was being served everywhere and many were trying to use it
as a replacement for all foods.
Worse, instead of following the
strict manufacturing procedures
outlined by d’Arcet, every institution
began to make their own gelatin,
which often resulted in poor quality,
foul-smelling, rancid products.
At about that same time, there
were some studies where dogs were
fed nothing but gelatin and dry bread.
Needless to say, the dogs didn’t fare
too well (particularly when they
stopped eating altogether), and that
Author: Dr. David Williams; Editor: Larissa Long
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The approaches described in this newsletter are not offered as cures, prescriptions, diagnoses, or a means of diagnoses to different conditions.
The author and publisher assume no responsibility in the correct or incorrect use of this information, and no attempt should be made to use any
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Dr. Williams works with Healthy Directions, LLC to develop his unique formulations that supply many of the hard-to-find nutrients he
recommends. Dr. Williams is compensated on the sales of these nutritional supplements and health products, which allows him to continue
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only lessened gelatin’s popularity. The
public soon got sick of gelatin and it
fell out of favor.
Gelatin was pretty much forgotten
about until the early 1900s, when it
began to be researched again. Once
again the misguided claims of it being the perfect protein and the elixir
of health caused it to quickly fade
in popularity.
The Essential vs. NonEssential Controversy
Much of the criticism surrounding gelatin stems from the idea
that it is composed of amino acids
considered to be non-essential.
Amino acids, the building blocks of
protein, have routinely been placed
into two categories—essential and
non-essential.
An essential amino acid is defined
as one that cannot be synthesized
from other materials normally available to the cells at a speed commensurate with the demands for normal
growth. Therefore, it needs to be
supplied in the diet.
Non-essential amino acids are
those that the body can synthesize
in quantities necessary to keep
up with growth. Based on this
definition, non-essential amino
acids aren’t required in the diet.
However, good solid research in
this area is lacking, to put it mildly.
Most of the research was done
in the early 1900s when researchers fed test animals various forms
of protein. They fed rats diets
that included only one source of
protein such as casein from cow’s
milk. Survival, weight gain, and
growth rates were evaluated. By
manipulating diets, researchers
determined whether an amino acid
was essential or non-essential.
Since those early studies, most
of the subsequent research has
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been from within the agricultural
industry. For economic reasons,
there has always been a desire to
get the maximum growth rate in
the shortest period of time. This
has led to very sophisticated and
precise methods of feeding cattle,
pigs, chickens, lambs, and practically every other farm animal. Now
we’re even seeing it in fish farming.
The industrial livestock industry focuses on what compounds
produce the quickest growth at the
least amount of expense. I recently
reported on research documenting how antibiotic use increased
weight gain (in both humans and
animals). That’s why we see such
widespread antibiotic use in livestock. The latest figures show that
farm animals get 80% of the antibiotics sold in the United States.
Rapid growth and weight gain are
also the reasons why growth hormones and polyunsaturated fatty
acids are being used extensively in
animal feed.
The dietary research on
agricultural livestock is typically
done for different reasons than
human research. It doesn’t focus
on preventing degenerative
diseases or depression. The goal
is not to increase an animal’s
longevity, slow its aging process,
or improve its cognitive abilities
or overall happiness. It’s about
rapid growth and adding weight as
quickly as possible. Although these
aren’t the same goals generally
sought in optimizing human
nutrition, these same research
data have now been incorporated
into the current nutritional
recommendations for humans.
Based on these data, the government, food industry, and most health
professionals now believe there is a
set minimum of specific nutrients,
vitamins, amino acids, etc., that, if
taken daily, will keep one healthy.
We see it on our food labels as
Daily Values, or DVs (which used
to be called Recommended Dietary
Allowances or RDAs). We hear
doctors and nutritionists tell us that
taking vitamins that exceed the basic amounts are a waste of time and
money…and may even be dangerous. The government has websites
and advertisements, food pyramids,
charts, and nutritional committees
to convince us that even the most
processed foods can be healthy, if
they have the right DV figures. (The
overall health of our society, however, paints a somewhat different
picture.)
The Rise of Fake Foods
Based on this false premise, in
the next few years you’ll start to
see “foods” that are made not using
meat, fish, vegetables, or fruit but
instead compounds or simple mixtures of compounds from which
chefs formulate all aspects of the
various dishes: shape, consistency,
color, odor, and taste. It’s called
“molecular cuisine” or “molecular
gastronomy,” and it’s been the buzz
among high-end chefs and the food
industry.
Like most food trends, it has
started at the most expensive restaurants but it will eventually work
its way down to fast-food chains
and into grocery stores.
One of the fathers of molecular gastronomy, Professor Herve
This, a chemist at AgroParisTech
(Paris Institute of Technology for
Life, Food and Environmental
Sciences), recently compared
cooking methods like cracking
eggs and using real food ingredients to “living in the middle ages.”
Fake foods are coming. Under the
guise of combatting food poisoning,
improving food safety, improving
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shelf life, preserving the planet, preventing starvation, stopping global
warming, saving the oceans, etc.,
fake, chemically produced food will
be here sooner than you think.
Do You Want Real Health,
or to Simply Survive?
I’ll admit there is some value to
this research, but it must be put
into perspective. Trying to achieve
optimal health and longevity is a far
different goal than just surviving.
We seem to be straying from the
insight of nutritional pioneers like
Roger Williams, who explained that
every individual has unique, inborn
differences, which gives him/her
“biochemical individuality.” In other
words, no two people are identical
and no standardized, fixed-nutrient
diet will ensure health for everyone.
We seem to have also forgotten
the pioneering work of Weston
Price, who, through his extensive
travels and research, showed that
degenerative illnesses are the diseases of civilization. Degenerative
diseases become commonplace
when highly industrialized societies produce foods that are processed, fractionated, and lacking in
nutrients.
If you look at history, the more
industrialized our society has
become, the more simplified our
diet has become. And the more
simplified our diet has become,
the more degenerative diseases we
experience.
We’re seeing the health of our
society literally degenerate before
our very eyes. Our simplistic view
on what constitutes a healthy diet is
killing us. The dated research classifying amino acids as essential or
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non-essential is a startling example
of this.
“Conditionally” Essential
Amino Acids
Some researchers are starting to
realize that some amino acids are
“conditionally” essential. In other
words, they may not normally be
required in the diet, but some individuals may not be able to produce enough to keep them healthy.
Several factors (age, health, digestion, diet, stress, injury, etc.) can
limit production. This goes back to
Roger Williams’ discovery of biochemical individuality.
Amino acids that are now being
considered conditionally essential
are arginine, cysteine, glycine, and
proline.
If you want to know how widespread the deficiencies of these
conditionally essential amino acids
are, a reasonable place to start
would be to look at the prevalence
of conditions caused by their
deficiencies.
Arginine
Arginine is broken down into
nitric acid (NO). NO relaxes the
muscles that line blood vessels, resulting in an increase in blood flow.
This effect is best observed in two
areas—the heart and the penis.
NO can stop angina pain; that’s
why nitroglycerin tablets are so
effective. Like arginine, they also
break down into NO.
NO in the penis allows males
to achieve an erection. Studies
have shown that taking L-arginine
can help with impotence. In fact,
drugs like Viagra and Cialis work
by enhancing the effects of NO.
The incidence of impotence has
been increasing in the last 50 or
60 years, and it certainly increases
with each passing decade of life.
And skyrocketing problems like
heart disease and diabetes are only
adding to the problem.
Cysteine
Cysteine deficiencies are considered relatively uncommon. But
cysteine is a key constituent of the
compound glutathione, which is
one of the body’s most potent antioxidants and detoxifiers. Research
continues to show a direct correlation between glutathione levels and
longevity. Individuals who maintain
higher blood levels of glutathione
live longer and healthier lives.
You can’t get glutathione from
your diet. Your body has to make
it. And, glutathione production is
limited by the amount of cysteine
present.
The best ways to increase your
glutathione levels are to:
1)Take the supplement N-acetyl-Lcysteine;
2) Increase your consumption of the
cysteine-rich, sulfur-containing
cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, kale, and
collard greens; and
3)Regularly consume a bioactive
whey protein powder.
This is exactly why I’ve made a
daily whey protein shake a part
of my regular routine and include
lots of cruciferous vegetables in
my diet. (Get my protein shake
recipe at drdavidwilliams.com/
lecithin-power-shake-recipe.)
Glycine and Proline
Cysteine and arginine tend to get
quite a bit of coverage in health
circles. Glycine and proline don’t.
They seem to be the redheaded stepchildren of amino acids.
If you look at a few of the most
common diseases we associate with
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aging, many have a strong connection to glycine and proline levels.
I don’t think it’s coincidental that
we’re seeing the proliferation of
these diseases that started about the
same time we began to eliminate
gelatin (one of the richest sources
of these two amino acids) from our
diet.
I think relative deficiencies in glycine and proline may be one of the
most overlooked and under-reported
threats to our health. And unless we
make some changes soon, the threat
can only get worse. Let’s take a look
at some of the diseases.
Diabetes
There are numerous factors
contributing to the stratospheric rise
in diabetes cases, and one of those
may be a shortage of glycine in the
diet. Early texts and medical writings
report that gelatin (or the glycine
component) attenuates diabetic
complications and improves insulin’s
ability to lower blood sugar levels as
well as serum triglycerides. (Pharm
Biol 03;41(6):449–453) (Indian J
Physiol Pharmacol 21(2):85–93)
Cancer
Overall cancer rates have also
been on the rise. Again, there
are many contributing factors,
but a relative shortage of glycine
could very well be an overlooked
one. Dietary glycine has an antiangiogenic effect. In other words,
it inhibits the formation of new
blood vessels. This is only one
of the reasons why dietary glycine has been shown to prevent
or inhibit the growth of liver and
melanoma tumors—both of which
are on the rise. (J Gastroenterol
Hepatol 07;22(Suppl 1):S62–S64)
(Carcinogenesis 99;20(5):793–
798) (Carcinogenesis
volume 15 • N o 9
99;20(11):2075–2081) (Biol
Pharm Bull 07;30(11):2031–2036)
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
(BPH or Enlarged Prostate)
Studies have shown that supplementing the diet with additional
glycine can reduce urgency and
frequency, and lessen the delay in
starting urine flow. The exact mechanism isn’t fully understood but is
believed to be a reduction in prostate
tissue swelling. (J Am Geriatr Soc
62;10:426–430)
Insomnia and Hyperactivity
Glycine is arguably the most
important inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system.
Inhibitory neurotransmitters are
the body’s natural tranquilizers
that help induce sleep, promote
calmness, and decrease aggression. Excitatory neurotransmitters
perform the opposite functions like
promoting wakefulness, activity,
and energy. There’s obviously a
need for both, and the key is to
keep them in balance.
Studies have shown that the deepest, most beneficial form of sleep
occurs in the later part of the nonrapid eye movement stage called
slow wave sleep (SWS). Although
it accounts for only 10–20% of the
total sleep cycle each night, it is the
time when growth hormone is produced, cell tissue regenerates, and
the metabolic system resets itself.
It is most prominent in youth and
begins to decline with age. Studies
and clinical trials have found that
2,000–3,000 mg of glycine taken
before bedtime is an effective way
to increase SWS. And unlike drugs,
it’s safe, non-habit-forming, and
inexpensive.
Bruising or Purpura Senilis
This is the intense bruising on
the forearms and hands that is so
common in the elderly. It happens
because the connective tissue in
the skin loses its elasticity and the
blood vessels just under the surface
of the skin lose their matrix support
(connective tissue) and become
fragile and easily break. Bruising
is the result of the blood that has
leaked from the broken blood vessels. The leakage increases with
blood thinning medications like
NSAIDs, blood thinners, and antidepressants (SSRIs).
Current medical suggestions
for the problem are to stop taking
the above medications, start taking antioxidants, or resort to laser
therapy, which is just treating the
symptom and not the problem. I’m
not sure why gelatin isn’t the top
recommendation other than the fact
that it is non-patentable and there’s
no money to be made in doing so.
Spontaneous bruising is a direct
sign that the connective tissue holding the blood vessels together is
weak and fragile. The components
in gelatin are needed to provide the
strength again.
Gelatin isn’t the cure-all for
purpura senilis. Aging does take
its inevitable toll on connective
tissue, but it’s never too late to
start supplying the body with the
raw materials it needs to help
repair itself.
And, it’s very important to keep
in mind that bruising only represents the bleeding you can see.
Some people also experience
spontaneous nosebleeds, bleeding of the gums, or sclera bleeding (subconjunctival hemorrhage
where a tiny blood vessel in the
eye bursts). But, if the problem is
occurring spontaneously in any of
these areas, it’s almost certain that
it is occurring elsewhere in other
tissues throughout your body.
When leakage occurs in the
capillaries of the brain, the result
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might be anything from a ministroke, also called transient ischemic attack (TIA) to a full-blown
stroke. Bruising is a telltale indicator that shouldn’t be ignored.
Improving connective tissue integrity through the use of gelatin is a
way to help improve the situation
without interfering with any other
forms of therapy or treatment you
might be undergoing.
Joint Problems
The fastest-growing age group
for joint replacements is 45 to 55.
In the U.S., more than 1 million hip
and knee replacements are done
every year. Thanks to obesity, inactivity, and our diet, those numbers
will only continue to climb.
Arthritis is the most common
cause of pain and disability in the
United States. Over 21% of adults
have arthritis. It was once thought
of as “an old person’s disease,” but
that seems to be changing since
roughly 2/3 of those with arthritis
are younger than 65. More than 60%
of those are women. By the year
2030, the number of adults with
arthritis is expected to increase by
40%. (To learn more about this condition, visit drdavidwilliams.com/
what-is-arthritis.)
On numerous occasions, I’ve
discussed techniques you can use
to help prevent arthritis, including
such things as moving each joint
through its complete normal range
of motion each day. You can read
much more about these exercises
at drdavidwilliams.com/range-ofmotion-exercises-for-arthritis.
Based on the increases we’re
seeing in arthritis, it’s pretty obvious we’re experiencing widespread
amino acid imbalances, with
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deficiencies in glycine and proline
in particular.
I’ve been researching joint problems for decades. I am constantly
looking out for compounds and
methods that will help preserve
and restore joint health.
My work with racehorses in
Australia led to my original joint
product Joint Advantage. With
continued research, that product
continues to evolve and become
more and more effective. I found
out early on that to be effective 1)
the amino acids need to in balance;
2) the proteins involved must not
be denatured; and 3) the complete
complex must be present for the
best results.
This same background and
research has also helped me understand why adding something as
simple and inexpensive as gelatin
to the diet and to a supplement
can trigger even more phenomenal
results. Gelatin provides the raw
ingredients (the collagen) that the
body needs to sustain and rebuild
cartilage.
Remember, gelatin is the cooked
form of collagen. Gelatin consists
of 35% glycine, 16% proline, 14% hydroxyproline, 11% alanine, and other
amino acids. The only other animal
product that contains hydroxyproline is elastin, and it has much lower
concentrations.
Fascia—An Extension of
Our Connective Tissue
Oftentimes when we talk about
joint aches and pains, it may not be
our joints at all. It may be related
to the fascia, an extension of our
connective tissue, or collagen.
Fascia, like ligaments and
tendons, is also made of collagen.
Fascia is the thin, protective sheet
that covers muscles, nerves, and
blood vessels, protecting them and
allowing them to slide smoothly
over other tissues. Fascia envelopes each of our organs and holds
them in place.
There is some amazing research
now on how this fascia webbing is
intricately connected without separation from head to toe and from
our skin to the deepest recesses of
our body. Your Achilles tendon is
part of this web, just as the ligaments that bond your skull to your
spine.
The fascia webs are referred
to as “anatomy trains” and have
been explained in great detail in
an excellent book by the same
name written by Thomas Meyers.
If you could somehow separate all
of the fascial webbing, intact from
the rest of the body structures, it
would be a perfect outline of our
body and depict the exact shape of
every structure inside and out.
This collagen webbing remains
with us throughout life. During our
lives it gets stretched, torn, and
even cut if you undergo any type
of surgery. Most of the injuries you
sustain throughout life are from
damage to connective tissue.
Trauma can cause it to lengthen,
just as immobilizing part of your
body or scar tissue formation can
cause it to shorten. The integrity
of this webbing and other collagen structures in your body are
reflected in your posture. Most
people still think our posture and
awareness of movement are based
on feedback from nerve endings in
our muscles. In reality, however,
we have 10 times as many sensory
receptors in the fascial tissue as
we do in the muscles.
The degradation of collagen impedes your ability to move, causes
wrinkles in your skin, destroys
September 201 2
your sense of balance, and is often
responsible for your painful joints
and your need for glasses. Collagen
eventually loses its elasticity.
It’s called aging. But, if you look
around, we have an epidemic of
premature aging. We’re accelerating the aging process with inactivity and dramatic changes in the
diet that are creating these amino
acid imbalances.
synthesis of hemoglobin, bile salts,
as well as DNA and RNA.
definitely something you should
consider doing.
Again, glycine is necessary for
the formation of glutathione, one
of the body’s most important
detoxifiers and antioxidants. Since
our exposure to toxins has been
increasing dramatically in our
environment, food, and water supplies, our need for glutathione has
increased as well.
Other Factors That
Deplete Amino Acids
Unlike our ancient ancestors, our
society has increasingly been turning to a more grain-based diet. This
trend, which continues to accelerate, is also contributing an imbalance in amino acids.
Gelatin is sold as a dry, coarse
powder. There are several suppliers and, honestly, it’s the type
of product where production
methods are standardized and it’s
pretty much a commodity. In other
words, as long as you purchase
from a quality supplier, I don’t
think there is much difference in
the end product.
Although I talked extensively
about how changing our diet
has contributed to a shortage of
collagen-forming components like
glycine and proline, there are additional lifestyle changes that are
contributing to the imbalance and
creating an even greater demand
for these amino acids.
Our amino acid requirements
change, not only as we grow older,
but also in response to other challenges our body has to deal with.
In our earlier years of life, much
of the focus and resources go to
growth. As growth begins to slow
and we grow older, our requirements change. Unfortunately, very
few studies have been undertaken
to determine various amino acid
requirements during the aging
process.
Again, most studies concerning
protein requirements have been
focused on growth. A few studies, however, do indicate that the
body’s need for the amino acids
tryptophan and cysteine drops very
significantly in adults. On the other
hand, it appears that the need for
glycine and proline increases.
Also, many of the amino acids
synthesized by the body require
glycine. It is required for the
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Various digestive and intestinal
disorders are almost universal today and are another major contributor to our amino acid imbalance.
For example, decreased digestive
enzymes and stomach acid production inhibits the proper breakdown
of proteins into their amino acids.
Plus, studies have shown that
alterations in intestinal microflora
and its metabolism have a critical
bearing on our ability to synthesize amino acids. (Am J Physiol
99;276:E223–E232)
How to Add Gelatin to
Your Diet
As I mentioned, one of the very
best ways to fix many of these
problems is to add gelatin to your
diet. You can do this with meat
and bone broths. I routinely make
these broths, and hope you do as
well. If not, you can start by using
this easy recipe: drdavidwilliams.
com/bone-broth-recipe.
However, I’ve also added gelatin,
which is inexpensive and readily available, to my supplement
program. Based on the health
trend I see developing, I think it’s
As long as it’s kept dry, it has
an almost indefinite shelf life. It’s
not considered a “complete” protein, but that’s a good thing. With
gelatin, we’re primarily trying to
increase glycine and proline in an
effort to balance the other amino
acids in our diet. The purpose
isn’t to use it as our only protein
source.
I consume gelatin powder several different ways. Sometimes I
add it to soup stock, herbal tea,
or other hot liquids. You can’t add
much to tea. It tends to thicken
it to the point you’d have to eat it
with a spoon. I have mixed it with
just hot water and then added a
little bouillon to give it flavor and
offset the aftertaste.
I’ve had the best luck adding
it to my morning protein shakes.
However, since the melting point
of gelatin is around 95 degrees, it
doesn’t blend that well and just
makes the shake thicker and a
little gritty. But that’s ok because
the shake masks the flavor and it
breaks down as soon as it hits my
stomach.
The Great Lakes brand, which
I am currently using, seems to
impart less taste and I guess you
might be able to consume it like
7
Alternatives
you would Jell-O, but I haven’t
tried that.
strength, and skin tone. I’ll admit
You can use it several different
ways, but just don’t microwave
it and risk denaturing the protein
structures. I’m still working on the
best way to take it, so please share
any ideas or methods you have.
vations and something hard to
Since I’ve been adding gelatin
to my nutritional program, I’ve
noticed a very significant improvement in my SWS and overall sleep.
This morning I noticed that I had
slept through two phone calls and
three text messages during the
night, which would have never
happened before I started taking
gelatin. I’ve been waking up early
without any help, and I feel totally
refreshed.
these are only subjective obserquantify. Frankly, I take these types
now I’m routinely taking about
Visit Dr. Williams’
website at
drdavidwilliams.com,
where you’ll find information
and recommendations for
many of your health concerns
ranging from arthritis and
joint health to gastrointestinal
concerns and much more.
Here are a few of the articles
you’ll find this month:
■T
reating arthritis with diet
25 grams a day (two tablespoons).
■ Nutrients to relieve arthritis
I’ve tried several brands. Two
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of improvements as bonuses. I understand the most valuable benefits
are probably the ones I can’t see.
My dosage levels have varied.
Many of the studies incorporated
10 grams a day (which is about 2½
teaspoons; one teaspoon of gelatin
is just over 4 grams). I would say
of the most popular seem to be
Great Lakes Gelatin (847-223-8141,
Don’t get me wrong—gelatin
isn’t like some sleeping pill that’s
going to knock you out and increase your deep sleep patterns,
even if you leave the television on
all night, have lights on in your
bedroom, or consume alcohol
prior to bedtime. Instead it seems
to turn down the volume of your
“inner noise” level and allows you
to relax. And, you won’t wake up
with a sleep “hangover” commonly
associated with insomnia drugs.
greatlakesgelatin.com) and NOW
From the early research I obtained on gelatin, I found it was
used as an overall anti-stress
remedy. It was reported to have
a quieting effect throughout the
entire nervous system that could
improve learning and memory.
It was even used to help prevent
epileptic seizures and alleviate the
muscle spasms associated with
multiple sclerosis.
methods of increasing glycine and
I’ve noticed I have far less stiffness and joint soreness after either
working out or inactivity.
I’ve experienced positive changes
in my energy levels, hair and nail
8
This Month Online
Foods (888-669-3663, nowfoods.
com/Foods/Real-Food/Products).
Throughout our society, the
metabolic demand for glycine
and proline is exceeding the rate
at which most of us can produce
them. From what I’ve seen and experienced, meat broths and gelatin
are not only the easiest but also
the most effective and inexpensive
proline and restoring this amino
acid imbalance we’re experiencing
today.
I urge you to give it a try. After
about a month or maybe even less,
I think you’ll experience some
major changes and agree.
Until next month,
■ G
o barefoot for better
balance
■P
rotect your GI tract with
this summertime veggie
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September 201 2