NKCP :

NKCP, a purified filtrate of Bacillus subtilis var. natto culture is a food based extract of “natto”, a Japanese traditional fermented food made from soybean. Purification to remove most of distinctive odor of natto and its vitamin K2 yields an easy-to-eat food that has a wide variety of uses as a functional food. NKCP contains proteolytic enzymes secreted by Bacillus subtilis var. natto (Bacillus subtilis var. natto-produced protein), which balance clotting mechanisms in the blood. 

In vitro and clinical studies have demonstrated that the consistent intake of NKCP over a prolonged period helps to maintain normal circulation. The safety of NKCP has been demonstrated in safety studies. *In vitro (Latin for "within the glass") refers to the technique of performing a given procedure in a controlled environment outside of a living organism.

Patents (Production process for purified filtrate of Bacillus subtilis var. natto culture)
Japan (No.3532503)

NKCP stands for Purified Natto Culture Filtrate. NKCP tablets launched April 2001. Daiwan Health Development Inc. (DHD) began export of NKCP on November 2001.

Development Background

The “People's Health Promotion Campaign for the 21st Century (Healthy Japan 21)” was launched in 2000 by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. The purposes of this campaign are to reduce premature death, prolong optimal health, and improve the quality of life. Simply put, it focuses on longevity accompanied by optimal health. Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases account for about 30% of causes of death in Japan, about 25% in the world. To lower mortality rates while in the prime of life, it is very important to prevent cardiac and cerebrovascular diseases. 

A patient with cardiovascular disease may evade a fatal cardiovascular event, but eventually their quality and duration of life will be compromised.

Contemporary lifestyles choices are associated with an increased risk of thrombus formation and subsequent ischemic heart disease and cerebrovascular disease. It has recently been demonstrated that the etiology of travel induced thrombosis, also known as “economy class syndrome”, is Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), which may result in a pulmonary embolism. DVT may develop as a result of prolonged sitting in cramped quarters related to both air and auto travel. Additionally, common ailments such as stiff shoulder muscles and leg edema may be caused by insufficient peripheral circulation, caused by excess blood viscosity. The key to preventing DVT and insufficient peripheral circulation is to balance coagulation and fibrinolysis, to prevent thrombus formation and to enhance overall cardiovascular health and longevity. NKCP may be a critical component to achieve such balance.

Development

NKCP was developed based on the traditional Japanese food, natto. Natto contains constituents that enhance the fibrinolysis system in favor of clot lysis. Naturally occurring proteolytic enzymes produced by Bacillus subtilis var. natto dissolve clots in a balanced manner, without causing excessive blood thinning. Recent research has shown that other additional constituents from Bacillus subtilis var. natto produce a substance that acts to inhibit blood coagulation, thereby complementing the known fibrinolytic activity to improve blood viscosity. Based on these insights, it is probable that consistent consumption of natto may lower the overall risk of thrombus formation. However, compliance of such a recommendation may be poor, due to natto's potentially objectionable odor and flavor. Additionally, natto consumption may be contraindicated for patients on anti-coagulant therapy due to its high vitamin K2 content. Furthermore, the proteolytic enzyme content may vary greatly in commercially available natto, resulting in inconsistent anti-coagulant activity.

NKCP was therefore developed to provide a raw material for food products which corrects the drawbacks of natto. NKCP is produced by fermenting the bacillus in a liquid medium containing soybean extract and then partially purifying the peptidase. The odor, bacterial body and vitamin K2 content are reduced to a negligible level. NKCP is designed to contain a constant amount of peptidase.

Characteristics of NKCP

•　NKCP is extracted from Bacillus subtilis var. natto and it is free of the undesirable odor and viscous texture of natto.
•　NKCP's purpose is three-fold.
To function as (1) an anticoagulant (2) thrombolytic and (3) decreases blood viscosity.
•　The majority of the vitamin K2 has been eliminated, therefore it is less antagonistic to other drugs such as warfarin.
•　NKCP is standardized to contain specific levels of proteolytic enzymes secreted by Bacillus subtilis var. natto.
•　The principal functional enzyme (protease) is stable at pH 6.0-10.0 and at temperatures 60℃ or below.
•　The safety of NKCP has been confirmed in many animal and human studies.
•　The production process for this purified filtrate of Bacillus subtilis var. natto culture is registered under Patent No. 3532503 in Japan.

Suggested daily dose


125-500mg/day


Mechanism of Action

NKCP is shown to have the following effects:
a. Inhibiting thrombus formation in vitro and in vivo. 
b. Decreasing the viscosity of blood in vitro and in vivo. 
c. Lysing thrombi in vitro and in vivo. 
*In vivo (of processes) performed or taking place in a living organism."fluid transport was measured in vivo"

The coagulation/fibrinolysis system is comprised of a series of complicated reactions designed to maintain the balance between healthy circulation and prevention of excess bleeding. Many factors can influence this system, however, it is not easily disrupted. In the event that the system shifts towards excess thrombus formation, it is challenging to return the system back to balance. Because it is difficult to lyse a formed thrombus, the emphasis should be placed on prevention of thrombus formation rather than on thrombolysis.

By inhibiting thrombus formation and decreasing blood viscosity, orally administered NKCP helps maintain balance, shifts blood away from clot formation, and enhances circulation throughout the body.



Scientific Data

1. NKCP Actions

Reduced risk of thrombus formation requires: 1) clot formation prevention 2) maintenance of normal blood viscosity and 3) lysing blood clots (thrombi).
NKCP, derived from Bacillus subtilis var. natto, has been shown to perform these three functions.

2. Supporting Scientific Data

(1) Anticoagulant effect

▶Anticoagulant effect of NKCP in human blood.
▶Anticoagulant effect of NKCP in rat model of thrombosis formation.

(2) Action of preventing increase in blood viscosity.

▶Effect of NKCP on the viscosity of human blood

(3) Thrombolytic effect.

▶Thrombolytic effect of NKCP on artificial thrombi.
▶In vivo thrombolytic effect of oral NKCP in experimental thrombolysis model.
▶Identification of proteases derived from Bacillus subtilis var. natto related to thrombolysis.

3. Clinical Study Results

▶Effect of Bacillus subtilis var. natto-derived protein on the human blood coagulation/fibrinolysis system.

Safety

Single-dose:
LD50＞5,000mg/kg

Repeated-dose:
NOAEL
Males: > 1,325mg/kg body weight/day.

Females: > 1,541mg/kg body weight/day.

Mutagenicity:
Negative (± metabolic activation).

Antigenicity (guinea pigs): Negative for active systemic anaphylactic reaction (ASA) and passive cutaneous anaphylactic reaction (PCA).

Effect on bleeding time (rats):
In rats orally given NKCP, a 0.5mm incision was made in the tail tip after 1 hour to measure bleeding time. NKCP at 300mg/kg did not prolong the bleeding time.

Interaction with warfarin (rats):
NKCP at 250mg/kg was administered into the duodenum by the in situ loop method in rats, in which bleeding time was delayed by treatment with warfarin, and blood collected after 6 hours was measured for coagulation time. The warfarin treatment significantly prolonged the coagulation time in comparison with the control group, but no added delay of coagulation was observed in the warfarin + NKCP treatment group compared with warfarin treatment group.

Long-term administration (humans):
Twenty-three healthy adults were given NKCP at 250mg/day for 12 weeks, and no clinically significant adverse events were observed. There were no statistically significant changes in hematological or biochemistry tests.

Five healthy adults were given NKCP at 750mg/day for 6 consecutive weeks to study and observe changes in laboratory test values (hematological tests, biochemistry tests, and blood coagulation/fibrinolysis parameters) and adverse events. As a result, ELT shortened, t-PA decreased, and thromboplastinogen activity test (TAT) increased but all values were within normal range. In addition, no adverse events were observed, suggesting NKCP safety.

High dose administration(humans):
Eight healthy adults were given NKCP at 1,250mg/day for 7 consecutive days. Observation of clinical signs and laboratory tests were utilized to evaluate NKCP safety. There were no clinically significant adverse events. There were no abnormal changes in hematological or biochemistry tests.

Assays

1. Peptidase Activity (synthetic substrate method)

The sample solution is warmed at 37°C with the synthetic chromogenic substrate S-2251 (H-D-valyl-L-leucyl-L-lysine-p-nitroanilide dihydrochloride) as a substrate and the absorbance at 405nm is determined. The enzyme activity is defined as 1 unit when 1nmol of p-nitroaniline per minute is released.
*An assay is an investigative (analytic) procedure in laboratory medicine, pharmacology, environmental biology and molecular biology for qualitatively assessing or quantitatively measuring the presence, amount, or functional activity of a target entity (the analyte).

2. Bacillus subtilis var. natto-produced Protein

ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) uses rabbit-specific antibodies to the Bacillus subtilis var. natto-produced protein, responsible for the peptidase activity, to measure the amount of antigen reacting with the specific antibodies.

▶Anticoagulant effect of NKCP in human blood

Thirty micro litters of the test substance, NKCP, was added to 3mL of venous blood collected from healthy volunteers who had given informed consent, followed by inversion for mixing. The mixture was warmed at 37°C for 250 seconds and centrifuged, and the supernatant was measured for fibrin monomers (FM) indicative of thrombus formation, using a latex immunity analyzer. The concentration of FM was 160 ± 29.3μg/mL after addition of the control physiological saline and 6.0 ± 1.1μg/mL after addition of heparin sodium (0.5IU/mL). After addition of NKCP at concentrations from 0.005mg/mL to 0.5mg/mL, the concentration of FM decreased dose-dependently, but plateaued at 0.05mg/mL.

The 54th Study Meeting of Rheology 2006;
Department of Legal Medicine, Dokkyo Medical University School of Medicine

▶Anticoagulant effect of NKCP in rat model of thrombosis formation

The anticoagulant effect of NKCP was studied in a rat model of thrombus formation. In this model, platelet aggregation was caused by injuring endothelial cells of the abdominal descending aorta to induce thrombus formation. NKCP was administered into the duodenum 2 hours after producing the thrombus formation model using in situ loop method. Blood was collected from the abdominal aorta 6 hours after administration to determine activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and prothrombin time (PT) as indicators of endogenous and exogenous coagulations, respectively. APTT was 33.5 ± 2.4 seconds for the control group (administered physiological saline), 52.0 ± 4.5 seconds for the NKCP 100mg/kg group, and 63.3 ± 2.9 seconds for the NKCP 250mg/kg group. A significant coagulation delay was observed in the NKCP treatment groups as compared to control. PT was 16.7 ± 0.5 seconds for the control group, 20.6 ± 0.9 seconds for the NKCP 100mg/kg group, and 21.3 ± 1.7 seconds for the NKCP 250mg/kg group. As with the APTT, a significant coagulation delay was observed in the NKCP group as compared to control. These results suggest NKCP inhibits thrombus formation.

Research and Development Department, Daiwa Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 2001

▶Effect of NKCP on the viscosity of human blood

Eight healthy male adults who had given informed consent were given a single dose of placebo or NKCP at 1,250mg, and blood was collected at various points over 240 minutes to measure changes in blood viscosity. The viscosity of blood was determined by Hitosugi et al.'s method using an oscillating viscometer.
In the NKCP group, there was a significant decrease in blood viscosity at 105 and 180 minutes as compared to baseline. There was a significant decrease in blood viscosity in the NKCP group as compared to placebo at 180 minutes.



Effect of NKCP on the viscosity of human blood:
Department of Legal Medicine, Dokkyo Medical University School of Medicine.

▶Thrombolytic effect of NKCP on artificial thrombi

A small amount of NKCP was added to test tubes containing an artificial thrombus in physiological saline. The thrombus began to lyse within several minutes and was almost completely lysed at 3 hours. To lyse is to cause dissolution or destruction of cells by lysins. Lysis is the disintegration of a cell by rupture of the cell wall or membrane.



Thrombolytic effect of NKCP on artificial thrombi:
J. Pharmacol Sci 2005; 99: 247-251.

▶In vivo thrombolytic effect of oral NKCP in experimental thrombolysis model

The thrombolytic effect of NKCP on rat model was observed in a 14 week study. The NKCP was evaluated in two groups, in a mix of 0.2% and 1% in feed, as compared to a control group. Thrombolysis was evaluated using a He-Ne laser induced thrombosis model in mesenteric microvessels. The size of the artificially produced thrombus was measured from the time of formation to evaluate the thrombolytic effect of NKCP.

Thrombolytic activity clearly increased dose-dependently in the NKCP treatment groups compared with the control group. There was an 82% decrease in thrombus volume in the control group, as compared to 67% decrease in the 0.2% NKCP group, and a 51% decrease (statistically significant) in the 1% NKCP group. The extent of thrombolysis in the 1% group was equivalent to that seen in animals treated with a bolus intravenous infusion of 0.2mg/kg of tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA). Based on the body weight and feed intake of rats used in the study, the dose of NKCP was calculated to be about 160mg/kg/day for the 0.2% NKCP feed and 800mg/kg/day for the 1% NKCP feed.



In vivo thrombolytic effect of oral NKCP in experimental thrombolysis model:
Pathophysiol Haemost Thromb 2003; 33: 138-143.

▶Identification of proteases derived from Bacillus subtilis var. natto related to thrombolysis

The thrombolytic effect of NKCP is attributable to a proteolytic enzyme named bacillopeptidase F, produced by Bacillus subtilis var. natto. Bacillopeptidase F is shown to be one of five proteases produced and secreted by Bacillus subtilis var. natto (Table 1).



Identification of proteases derived from Bacillus subtilis natto related to thrombolysis:
1)Journal of Bacteriology 1990; 172: 1019-1023
2)The Journal of Biological Chemistry 1990; 265: 6845-6850
3)Journal of Bacteriology 1990; 172: 1470-1477
4)Experientia 1987; 43: 1110-1111
5)The Journal of Biological Chemistry 2001; 276: 24690-24696
6)Mol Gen Genet 1990 May; 221(3): 486-490

▶Effect of Bacillus subtilis var. natto-derived protein on the human blood coagulation/fibrinolysis system

A total of 23 adults, including patients with metabolic diseases related to thrombosis, were given 250mg NKCP for two consecutive months. Coagulation/fibrinolysis parameters and symptoms were evaluated 1 and 2 months after starting treatment.

Euglobulin lysis time (ELT) significantly decreased from the baseline value at 1 and 2 months, and t-PA significantly increased at 2 months, showing the accelerated fibrinolysis system. However, the measured ELT and t-PA values were within the normal ranges. Fibrinogen degradation products (FDP) significantly decreased 1 month after starting ingestion but returned to the baseline value at 2 months.

Symptoms of shoulder stiffness significantly improved from baseline at 1 and 2 months.



Effect of Bacillus subtilis natto-derived protein on the human blood coagulation/fibrinolysis system:
Journal of the Japanese Society of Biorheology 2004; 18 (1).

Iron in the Blood

Males of average height have about 4 grams of iron in their body, females about 3.5 grams; children will usually have 3 grams or less. These 3-4 grams are distributed throughout the body in hemoglobin, tissues, muscles, bone marrow, blood proteins, enzymes, ferritin, hemosiderin, and transport in plasma.

What should be the iron level?

According to the Mayo Clinic, normal hematocrit levels, or the volume of red blood cells to the total volume of blood, should range between 34.9 and 44.5 percent in women; in men, healthy levels are from 38.8 to 50 percent. Low iron levels usually indicate anemia.

What causes iron overload in the blood?

Blood loss means iron loss. Iron overload disorder can be either: Passed on genetically; this is known as primary hemochromatosis, hereditary hemochromatosis, or classic hemochromatosis. The result of some condition, such as chronic liver disease, that causes the body to absorb excessive amounts of iron
What causes high iron levels?

High blood iron is usually the result of hemochromatosis, a disease in which the body absorbs too much iron from the diet. Secondary hemochromatosis is a complication arising from certain diseases, and can also result when multiple blood transfusions are used in treating certain diseases.

What is it called when you have too much iron in your blood?

Hemochromatosis is a condition that causes the body to absorb and store too much iron. Some iron is essential for carrying oxygen in the blood to organs and tissues, but too much is toxic. Hemochromatosis is a common cause of iron overload.


THE IRON CONTENT OF THE WHOLE BLOOD OF
NORMAL INDIVIDUALS
BY 0. M. HELMER AND CHARLES P. EMERSON, JR.
(From the Lilly Laboratory for Clinical Research, Indianapolis City
Hospital, Indianapolis)
(Received for publication, November 15, 1933)

During the course of an investigation involving the determination
of blood iron values in normal subjects, it became evident
that the results were consistently higher than the figures recently
reported for human blood by Murphy, Lynch, and Howard (1)
and Reich and Tiedemann (2). Furthermore, hemoglobin values
calculated on the basis of their iron determinations differed considerably
from values obtained by them, with the Sahli and Newcomer
methods. Oxygen capacity figures calculated from their
iron determinations were also lower than those generally considered
normal in the literature. Since the oxygen capacity
method is the standard method of determining the hemoglobin
content of blood, simultaneous determinations of oxygen capacity
by the Van Slyke and Neil1 method (3) and iron determinations
by the Kennedy method (4) were made on the blood of a series of
normal men and women. Since the completion of this work,
Sachs, Levine, and Appelsis (5), using the Wong method (6), have
reported iron values for the blood of normal men that are in accord
with the data recorded in this paper, although their figures for
normal women are definitely lower.

In order to determine whether the discrepancies in the iron
values quoted in the papers above might be explained by the
methods used for estimating t,he iron content, a comparison was
also made between the Kennedy and the Wong methods.

Methods

The subjects used for these experiments-doctors, nurses, students,

and technicians-were all apparently normal individuals between the ages of 20 and 40 years. Samples were obtained for
analysis by withdrawing approximately 10 cc. of venous blood
from the large arm vein of each individual and transferring the
blood to a bottle containing iron-free sodium oxalate. All collections
were made between the hours of 8.30 a.m. and 10 a.m.
during the months of July and August.
TABLE I
Results of Analyses for Iron Content and Oxygen Capacity on Blood of Ten Normal Men and Ten Normal Women with Oxygen Capacity Also Calculated from Total Iron Content and Protein Iron Content

The oxygen capacity was then determined by the method of
Van Slyke and Neil1 (3). Iron was determined by the Kennedy
method (4). The blood was digested without difficulty in 25
X 200 mm. Pyrex glass test-tubes instead of the Kjeldahl flasks
recommended by Kennedy.

In comparing the Kennedy and Wong methods, the same pipette
was used to measure both blood samples, 1 cc. samples being used
for both methods. We found better results could be obtained in
the Wong method when 4 cc. of distilled water were added to the
blood before the concentrated sulfuric acid was added. 

The red blood cell counts were made on the samples obtained
from the arm vein. Standard pipettes and counting chambers
were used.

Results

The results of the analyses are shown in Table I. The iron
values are converted into oxygen capacity figures by multiplying

TABLE II

Results of Determination of Iron in Whole Blood of Normal Individuals by

Kennedy and Wong Methods

the mg. per cent of iron by 0.400. (Since 1 mole of oxygen occupies
22,400 cc. at 0”, 760 mm., the molal ratio Fe:O, = 1: 1
corresponds to a ratio of gm. of Fe to cc. of O2 = 56:22,400 =
1:400, or mg. of Fe to cc. of O2 = 1:O .400.) McIntosh (7) has
shown that normal blood contains 1.02 mg. .of non-protein iron
per 100 cc. Therefore we have also converted the iron values to
oxygen capacity after subtracting this figure from the total iron

values. 

In Table II are shown the mg. of iron in 100 cc. of the same blood
analyzed by the Kennedy and Wong methods.

DISCUSSION

The data presented in this paper show that there is a close agreement
between the hemoglobin cont’ent of normal human blood as
determined by the oxygen capacity method and the Kennedy iron
method. Therefore, the determination of iron offers an easy
means of estimating the hemoglobin content of blood or of standardizing
calorimetric methods of estimating hemoglobin. If we
add the figures of eight of the cases from Table II, which were not
included in Table I, the average iron content of the blood of eighteen
normal men, determined by the Kennedy method, varied from
49.3 to 57.2 mg. per 100 cc., with an average of 52.5 mg. per 100 cc.
of blood. For the ten normal women the iron content varied from
42.0 to 49.8 mg. per 100 cc. of blood, with an average of 45.8 mg.

In Table III the results of the recent iron determinations in
human blood and the oxygen capacity and hemoglobin figures
calculated from the iron content are compared to the hemoglobin
figures recorded in the literature for normal men and women.
The data of Reich and Tiedemann are not included in Table III
because their normals can hardly be called that in the strict sense
of the word. The iron values reported in this paper agree with
the values of hemoglobin reported on larger series of cases by
Haden (8), Osgood (9), and Wintrobe and Miller (10). The results
of Murphy and coworkers are definitely lower than would be
expected for blood with normal hemoglobin content.

As shown in Table II, the Kennedy method gave distinctly
higher results than the Wong method. Although the simplicity
of the Wong method recommends its use, in our experience the
Kennedy method proved to be more satisfactory.

SUMMARY

1. There is a close agreement between t.he hemoglobin content
of blood as determined by its iron content and oxygen capacity.
2. The blood iron content of eighteen normal men, determined
by the Kennedy method, varied from 49.3 to 57.2 mg. per 100 cc.,

with an average of 52.5 mg. 

TABLE III

Results of Recent Iron Determinations in Ilunlan Blood, and Oxygen Capacity
and Hemoglobin Values, Calculated from Iron Content, and Normal
Values oj Hemoglobin and Oxygen Capacity As Recorded in
Recent Literature

3. The blood iron content of ten normal women varied from 12.0

to 49.8 mg. per 100 cc., with an average of 45.8 mg.

4. Higher iron values were obtained with the Kennedy method

than with the Wong method.

The authors wish to thank -Miss Dorothy Schaefer, Miss Betty

Goss, and l&L-. Clyde Ford for their assistance. 

http://www.jbc.org/content/104/1/157.citation

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Chapter 6 DIET, THE SLOW KILLER

Chapter 6 

DIET, THE SLOW KILLER

Once, you've cleaned out and repaired your food processing and waste removal system, you're ready to begin the process of rebuilding your body. Keep in mind that your body is rebuilding itself all the time. The actual life cycle of a blood cell, for example, is approximately four months. That means you end up replacing your entire blood supply every 120 days. The question is: what
will determine the quality of that blood? What are you going to be building that new blood from—Cocoa Puffs and beer?

  Understand, it's not only your blood, but every cell and organ in your body that's being replaced. For the most part, you get an entirely new body every seven years. It doesn't take a genius
to realize that the better your nutrition, the better "quality" your new body will have.

Unfortunately, it's not so simple. Any attempt to optimize the nutrition we take into our bodies must address five key problem areas.

The Five Problem Areas

1. The Question of Meat

2. Milk. It Doesn't Necessarily Do a Body Good

3. Plastic Fats

4. Refined to Death

5. What's the Big Deal about Organic (which will be covered in Chapter 7)

1. The Question Of Meat

Probably no topic has been more discussed (and is more confusing) than what constitutes the optimum diet. There's the:

Caveman diet
The blood-type diet
The Hi-carbo diet
The Low-carbo diet
The High-protein diet
The Low-protein diet
The Steak Lover's diet
The Vegetarian diet
The Vegan (or pure vegetarian) diet
The Hollywood diet
The Scarsdale diet
The Twinkie diet
etc.

Heck, I'm getting confused just writing them down. So let's step back, take an objective view of the situation, and do a little reality check.

Let's begin by cutting through all of the nonsense and just taking a look at what kinds of food our bodies were designed to handle—then figure out what that means for us today. And the best
way to do that is by first identifying the key characteristics of our "eating and digestive" systems, then seeing which animals we match up with and what they eat. The key "indicators" that we're
going to look at are:

The teeth
The stomach
The length of the digestive tract

The Human Eating Machine


>Teeth. All of our teeth are nearly of the same height. Our canines are projected only a small amount, and our molars are broad-topped

>Stomach. The human stomach is slightly elongated, approximating the shape of a kidney bean

>Digestive tract. The average adult has a digestive tract (measured from mouth to anus) of about 30-33 feet long. This means that the ratio of the length of a person's digestive tract as compared to their height (also measured from mouth to anus) is approximately
10-12 times the length of their body.

Carnivores, the Meat Eaters: Lions, Tigers, Etc.

The first thing you notice about carnivores is that their teeth are nothing like those found in humans. They have huge canines for striking and seizing prey, pointed incisors for removing meat
from bones, and molars and premolars with cusps for shredding muscle fiber. In carnivores, the teeth of the upper jaw slide past the outside of the lower jaw so that prey is caught in a vicelike grip. In general, carnivores don't chew much; mostly, they just tear chunks off and swallowing them whole.

  An examination of the carnivore intestinal tract reveals a short (relative to the length of their body) bowel for fast transit of waste out of the body[1]. (The actual length of the carnivore bowel is
approximately 3 to 5 times the length of the body—measured from mouth to anus—a ratio less than half that found in humans.)

  Most of the digestive process occurs in the carnivore's stomach (which is a round, sackshaped, simple structure with a very high concentration of acid salts for digesting animal muscle and bone). Food usually remains for days at a time in a carnivore's stomach while it is digested (to a large extent) by enzymes present in the RAW meat itself (a process called autolytic digestion). In addition, carnivores are adapted to process huge amounts of food at a time (up to 25% of their body weight or more), then eat nothing for days at a time.

  Again, this doesn't sound very much like us.

Herbivores, the Plant Eaters: Cows, Deer, Etc.

  Herbivores have sharp chisel-shaped incisors for cutting, no upper incisors in some cases, and small incisor-like canines. Their diastema molars and premolars are flattened with ridges. Their
teeth and upper jaw meet the lower jaw so that lateral movement of the lower jaw produces the ...

[1 Fast transit of waste for carnivores is important for two reasons. One, the faster the transit, the less opportunity
for parasites to take hold. Two, meat tends to putrefy in the intestinal tract. Fast transit, therefore, limits exposure

to the byproducts of putrefaction.]

...grinding actions to break down plant materials. In herbivores, the incisors are dominant, the canines usually depressed, and the molars broad-topped.

  As for the herbivore bowel, it usually runs almost 8 times longer than a carnivores (20 to 28 times the length of the body, from mouth to anus) since, unlike meat, plant matter is not prone to
putrefaction, thus rendering quick elimination moot.

  Herbivores also tend to have extended, compound stomachs.

  Again, not much like us.

  Omnivores (Roots, Berries, Meat, Etc.): Bears, Wild Pigs, Etc.

  No animal is really adapted to eat all things; but if any animal comes close, it would have to be the bear. Typical foods consumed by bears include: ants, bees, seeds, roots, nuts, berries, insect
larvae such as grubs, and even flowers. Some meat, of course, is eaten by bears including rodents, fish, deer, pigs and lambs.[1]
 Grizzlies and Alaskan brown bears are well-known salmon eaters. And of course, anyone who has read Winnie the Pooh knows that many bears relish honey.

  Other than the ants and grubs and rodents, the bear diet sounds a lot like the typical American diet; and, it's for this reason that many people conclude that the natural human diet is that of an omnivore. But remember, we're stepping back and taking a look physiologically where we fit in, and on those counts, we don't match the omnivores.

  The biggest difference is in the teeth. Omnivores have the sharp canines of the carnivore AND the pronounced incisors of the herbivore. They also have molars that are BOTH pointed and
broad-topped.

  That's not even close to a human set of teeth.

Frugivores, Fruit and Nut Eaters: Gorillas, Etc.

  In the frugivore, all the teeth are nearly of the same height. The canines are little projected and the molars are broad-topped. (Sound familiar?) Unlike the carnivore jaw, which as we have seen is vertically mobile for biting or tearing, the jaw of the typical frugivore is laterally mobile to allow for chewing.

  As for the bowel of the frugivore, it runs about 10 to 12 times the length of the body from mouth to anus—the same as found in the human body.

  The stomach of the frugivore is typically long and extended—a complex structure—containing 1/10 of the acidic salts and pepsin found in a carnivore's stomach. Again, the same as in us.

  So, here we have our match, but what does it mean? Are we restricted to fruits and nuts?

[1 Polar bears feed almost exclusively on seals and an occasional human; but then, what vegetation is there for them to eat in the frozen wastes of the Arctic.]

   No. In fact, the frugivores we most closely resemble, the wild chimpanzees, periodically do indeed eat live insects and raw meat. Among the great apes (the gorilla,[1]the orangutan, the bonobo,
and the chimpanzee) and ourselves, only humans and chimpanzees[2] hunt and eat meat on a frequent
basis. But make no mistake, chimpanzees are largely fruit eaters, and meat comprises only
about 3% of their diet—far, far less than is found in the typical American diet.

   So Should We, or Should We Not, Eat Meat?

   Is a vegetarian diet automatically better?

   No. In fact, depending on blood type, some people actually do better when they include meat in their diet. Other factors in our diet affect our health to a much greater degree than whether or not we eat meat.

   So??

   The bottom line is that eating small amounts of meat, chicken, or fish probably comes down mostly to a personal choice. If you choose to, you can eat 3 oz a day, or less, of meat without any
significant health problems—with the following provisos:

  Keep the amount small—3 ounces a day or less.

>Heavy consumption of meat significantly compromises beneficial bacteria in the colon resulting in a 1,000% increase in the levels of harmful bacteria in the colon and a concomitant 90% drop in the levels of the beneficial bacteria as measured in fecal matter.

>High consumption of meat also tends to push the body's pH levels into the acidic range, which as you'll see in Chapter 12 presents major health risks including cancer and osteoporosis.

>Epidemiological studies at Harvard Medical School showed that, "Men who eat red meat as a main dish five or more times a week have four times the risk of colon cancer than men who eat red meat less than once a month." They are also "more than twice as likely to get prostate cancer."

[1 Gorillas have never been observed hunting or feeding on any animals other than invertebrates such as termites and ants.]


[2 Wild chimps love fresh baby monkey meat.]

   If you're going to eat meat, buy only organic meat to avoid exposure to the wholerange of chemicals,[1]growth hormones, and parasites present in beef and chicken, or the high levels of toxic metals present in most fish. If it isn't available locally, pressure
your supermarket to carry it as an option.

2. What About Dairy?

   The average American typically eats close to 600 pounds of dairy products a year, which makes it the single largest component of their diet. Unfortunately, this may not be as healthy asthe milk ads you see on TV would lead you to believe. Even if the cow's milk you get is free of chemicals, growth hormones, allergenic proteins, blood, pus, antibiotics, bacteria, and viruses typically found in milk, you still have major problems. Cow's milk is not designed for people. For one thing, it has 20 times the casein of human milk.[2]
 (Human milk is designed to take an infant from 8 pounds to 40 pounds in 18 months. Cow's milk is designed to take a calf from 90 pounds to 1,000 pounds in about 24 months. Although they are both white, mother's milk and cow's milk are totally different beverages.) And for that matter, the cow's milk you buy in the store and the cow's milk that comes from a cow are not similar substances.

> First, homogenized milk is not natural and presents serious health risks. The theory behind homogenization sounds simple: break up the fat particles in milk until they are so small that they stay suspended in the milk and don't rise to the top and form the
layer of cream that used to be the trademark of all bottles of milk. Unfortunately, there's a side effect to this process. Once you make the fat particles so small that they don't rise, you've also made them so small that they easily get absorbed into the body and clog your arteries.

> Second, there's the problem of the growth hormone used in dairy cows to increase milk production. This growth hormone, called bovine-somatotropin3(BST), was developed by Monsanto. It was supposed to be identical to the actual growth hormone found in cows, and in fact, as part of their 55,000 page application to the FDA, Monsanto submitted a chart identifying the 191 amino acids contained in BST showing that they absolutely matched the amino acid chain found in natural growth hormone.
Unfortunately, it seems, the application is inaccurate. The problem occurs at amino acid #144, which was supposed to be lysine in both the natural growth hormone and in Monsanto's BST. As it turns out, it isn't. In the July 1994, issue of Protein Science(3:1089-97, 1994), Bernard Violand, a Monsanto scientist published evidence that
amino acid #144 in Monsanto's growth hormone is, in fact, epsilon-N-acetyllysine, a freak substance. Whoops! Ah, but then you probably think that once this problem...

[1 Just as an example, over 90% of today's chickens are fed arsenic compounds. And while we're on the subject of chickens, it's probably worth mentioning that according to a government study, over 90% of the chickens sold in this country are infected with leukosis (chicken cancer). As for those chickens with too much cancerous tissue to be sold, well . . . they're destroyed, ground up, and fed back to the chickens that we ultimately buy and eat!]

[2 The high levels of casein are just one of several reasons that humans do not digest milk proteins very well, leading to numerous allergic reactions and high levels of mucous in our noses and bowels. Incidentally, Elmer's® glue is made from cow's milk casein; that's why you see Elsie the cow on each bottle of Elmer's® glue.]


[3 Also called rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone).]

...came to light, totally nullifying the Monsanto application, that BST was recalled.
Nope, not in the United States![1]

   And then there's the fact that the body digests milk (any milk) differently once gastric juices begin to flow (at around 18-20 months old). Before gastric juices flow, milk is alkaline and non-mucous forming in the body; but once gastric juices enter the picture, they turn the milk acid, forming mucous, causing sinus problems, allergies, colds, etc. That's why every animal except man weans its young off milk! Think about that for a moment.

  In addition to all of that, milk has been implicated in:
>Heart disease[2]
>Cancer[3]—particularly breast cancer
>Diabetes[4]
>Allergies and colds
>Colitis
>Colic and earaches in young children

   And finally, milk has played a major role in the development of the "super bacteria" that have recently emerged to plague our health. How? In 1990, the USDA allowed the dairy industry to increase the one part per hundred-million antibiotic residue standard for milk by 10,000% to one part per million. The problem is that at this level of constant intake, the antibiotics actually destroy the probiotic colonies normally found in the intestinal tract, which then allows harmful bacteria to flourish and develop resistance to a whole range of antibiotics.[5]

   If you must have dairy, use organic. Avoid homogenized milk at all costs. Also, there are a number of grain and rice-based milk alternatives; some of which are spectacular.

[1 The FDA gave its approval for the sale of Monsanto's BST product back in 1993, but in Canada and the European Union, BST remains uapproved because of strong circumstantial evidence that it may promote cancer in cows and humans. Understand, this change in one amino acid is not insignificant. The replacement of one amino acid can change the configuration of a protein significantly; and configuration determines the properties and effects of a protein. Although the chemically detectable difference between true BGH and Monsanto's BST creation may be slight, the effects of the two hormones on the human body may be quite different indeed.]
[2 If you do drink milk, it is essential that you take a folic acid supplement to neutralize the xanthine oxidase found in milk. Xanthine oxidase, which attacks the arteries, is a major factor in heart disease. Interestingly enough, this problem seems only to occur with homgenized milk. When non-homogenized milk is consummed, the body excretes the xanthine oxidase.]
[3 It's worth noting that 60% of America's dairy cows are infected with the leukemia virus.]
[4 One particular protein, beta-caseine, found in cow's milk, can literally trick the immune system into attacking and destroying the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas.]

[5 There are 52 different kinds of antibiotics and 59 bioactive hormones found in milk.

   Note: milk is often pitched as a great source of calcium. It is not. Yes, it has a high calcium content, but the body is able to utilize very little of it; and, in fact, because of the way the body deals with milk, consumption of milk actually leaches calcium from the bones.[1] If you have any doubt about this, just consider the fact that Americans are among the highest consumers of dairy in the world, eating an average of 600 pounds of dairy a year per person—and yet we have one of the highest incidences of osteoporosis in the civilized world!

   3. Unnatural Fats: The Number 1 Dietary Problem

  Food manufacturers love hydrogenated oils because hydrogenation makes those oils thicker, creamier, and more appetizing to the consumer. Unfortunately, hydrogenation also saturates the oils' fatty acids, changing them into trans-fatty acids. Trans-fatty acids are the number one killer in our diets, and a major contributor to:

>Cancer

>Heart Disease

>Diabetes

   Hydrogenated (and partially hydrogenated) oils are absolutely unnecessary and have no place in your diet or in any of the foods you eat. The number one dietary prescription from this chapter
is to totally eliminate all hydrogenated oils from your diet. Unfortunately, it's not as easy as it sounds. Food manufacturers have put them in almost every food they manufacture. The good
news is that if enough people refuse to buy foods that contain trans-fatty acid oils, manufacturers will stop putting them in their foods.

   You also want to eliminate refined oils and manufactured polyunsaturated oils from your diet. What oils are good? Virtually any raw natural oil is good. Olive oil is the best. Use lots of extra
virgin olive oil in your cooking. Surprisingly, butter is cool—provided that you can get butter that doesn't contain antibiotics and bovine growth hormone and all the rest of the nonsense that many
dairy farmers use.

  "Wait a second! Isn't butter high in saturated fat?" Absolutely, and let's put that bugaboo to rest. Natural saturated fats in moderation are not a problem. They do not raise cholesterol levels. They do not lead to heart disease. In fact, there is actually a diet that helps people lose weight, and lower cholesterol levels while eating as much meat and eggs and natural saturated fat as they like.[2]
 The two reasons this diet works are (1) natural saturated fats do
not cause heart problems, and (2) all versions of this diet call for the elimination of snack foods, processed foods, sugared foods, foods containing any trans-fatty acids, and foods high on the glycemic index.

[1 It is a myth that we need milk for calcium. There are many far superior sources of calcium—such as sesame seeds. The problem with milk is that because of its high acidity, your body needs to buffer it with even more internal calcium than you get from the milk itself. Also, the 10 to 1 ratio of calcium to magnesium found in milk is insanely high and devastating to the body.]

[2 I've already discussed my concerns with too much meat in the diet; nevertheless, these programs do demonstrate the health-building power of just eliminating the bad things from our diet.]

 4. Refined Carbohydrates: The Number 2 Dietary Problem

   This includes all refined and processed foods, including:

>Everything made with white flour

>White rice

>Cold cereals

>Most hot cereals

>Most snack foods

>All sugar foods, including cakes, candies, and soda pop[1]

   They negatively affect the body in a number of ways. They are all acid forming in the body, which we'll talk more about in Chapter 12. They are all converted to triglycerides in the body and
stored as fat. And they all rank high on the glycemic index (with no redeeming nutritional value such as the fruits and vegetables that are also high on the glycemic index).

The Glycemic Index

   The glycemic index, and identifying high-glycemic foods, is one of the hot areas of nutritional science right now. Not to make light of it, it is an extremely important dietary consideration, but with one huge HOWEVER. First, though, a quick discussion of the glycemic index.

   Diabetics have been using the glycemic index for years to help in controlling their insulin levels. Quite simply, foods that adversely affect blood sugar by elevating insulin levels are termed "high glycemic" foods, and foods that do not elevate insulin levels are "low glycemic." High glycemic foods can:

>Cause your body to store fat

>Make you fatigued

>Cause your brain to go "fuzzy"

>Lead to heart problems such as elevated LDL cholesterol levels and high blood pressure

   Obviously, these are conditions to be avoided. High glycemic foods that cause elevated insulin levels and the concomitant problems I just mentioned include:

Bananas

Raisins ...

[1 Soda pop, particularly colas, may be the single worst "food" ever invented. First, soda contains approximately 1 teaspoon of sugar per ounce of soda. (Aspartame is even worse—once having been considered by the military for possible use as a battlefield neurotoxin.) That works out to about 12 teaspoons per can, or 32 teaspoons per Big Gulp. Many sodas, particularly colas, are high in phosphoric acid, which leaches calcium out of your body at an astounding rate. And all sodas "feature" CO2 bubbles, which when you think about it, is the body's main waste product!]

... Carrots

Potatoes

Corn

Breads, cereals, pastas, and rice of all kinds

Virtually all snack foods

Sugars of all kinds and soda pop

   Earlier, I mentioned that there was a big HOWEVER to the glycemic index. What is that however? It's called chewing. If you chew your food well enough, the saliva neutralizes almost all of the glycemic response. So how much do you need to chew your food?

   There's an old saying that says, "You should drink your solids and chew your liquids." What that means is that you should chew the dry food you eat until it turns to liquid in your mouth (about 40 chews per mouthful), and that you should swish liquids back and forth in your mouth (chew them as it were) an equal number of times.

   As we've already discussed when we talked about refined foods, you should give up snack foods and refined flour products and sugar sweetened foods for a number of reasons. On the other
hand, for most people, if chewed enough, it's still okay to eat all of the fresh fruits and vegetables you want—even if they are high on the glycemic index.

   General Recommendations

>Diet. Clean up your act.

 Eliminate as much of the processed and cooked food from your diet as possible. Instead of canned or frozen, eat fresh.

 Eliminate as much of the refined flours, grains, and sugars as possible. Instead of white bread, eat REAL whole wheat. Instead of cake and ice cream for dessert,
eat fruit.

 Replace low-value foods such as potatoes and iceberg lettuce with high value foods such as sweet potatoes and almost any of the richly colored vegetables (particularly, spinach, brussels sprouts, broccoli, and beets).[1]

  As much as possible, eliminate all snack foods and fast foods. Replace with prunes (no kidding, an extremely powerful antioxidant), raisins, and all of the berries.

  Eliminate all hydrogenated oils and trans-fatty acids. Replace with olive oil and fresh butter.

[1 For those with arthritis, it might be useful to forego vegetables from the nightshade family, including: tomatoes,

spinach, and eggplant.]

     Cut back on the quantity of meat, pork,[1]chicken, and dairy in your diet. And make sure that what you do consume is organic.[2]
 Fish, of course, is okay—okay that is, if you can be sure it's free of heavy metals and toxins and hormonal "modifications."

> So what does that leave you? Actually thousands of choices. Virtually, everything that we've talked about eliminating is easily replaced with a healthier version. If you can't find the organic meats and dairy you want, or the whole grain foods you're looking for, talk to your supermarket. In most cases, they will get it if you ask.

>Of course, if someone is in an advanced state of illness, they better clean up their act TOTALLY, and eat no meat and no cooked food. In fact, ideally, they should go on a raw juice fast[3]—at least, until they get well. Once you're well, you can bake up a potato, or grill yourself a nice piece of organic beef (if that's your bent).

>The bottom line is that the worse you eat, the more often you will need to cleanse and detox and make use of supplements.

   So After All That, What Do I Eat?

   At one time, I was totally vegetarian, primarily for ethical reasons. Anyone who has any awareness of how cattle, poultry, and pigs are treated in our modern "superfarms," must think twice about consuming products produced by this system. It is incredibly cruel.
Unfortunately, after years of speaking engagements in numerous places around the world, I got tired of eating iceberg lettuce with second-rate Italian dressing for lunch, and white rice and dead vegetables for dinner. I broke down and started eating small amounts of chicken and fish.

   My diet now consists of:

>Fresh juices, superfoods, and ground flaxseed (see next chapter) for breakfast.

>Large fresh salads with a variety of greens and vegetables4
 with the occasional small piece of chicken or fish for lunch.

>Dinner is light. Sometimes a bowl of slow cooked whole-grain cereal so the enzymes are still active. Sometimes a small bowl of soup. Sometimes fresh fruit, etc.

[1 And no, pork is not "the other white meat." In fact, it's probably one of the more indigestible meats.]
[2 Incidentally, pesticide levels are far more concentrated in the animal flesh and dairy we eat than in the fruits and vegetables sprayed with those pesticides. Think about it for a moment. The animals consume these pesticides day after day, steadily concentrating all of the pesticides they eat through their entire lives in their flesh. The bottom line is that the higher up the food chain you go, the more concentrated the pesticides are. A cow eats hundreds of pounds of clover to make a few gallons of milk—concentrating the pesticide in that milk. Then again, it takes 21 pounds of milk to make 1 pound of butter, and 10 pounds of milk to make 1 lb of cheese—concentrating the pesticides even more.]
[3 See Chapter 13.]

[4 Sometimes I'll substitute a plate of lightly steamed or baked vegetables for the salad.]

 > On the other hand, I still have an occasional slice of pizza. When I was young, I'd eat pizza 2-3 times a week. Now it's once a month. And more often than I should, I still indulge a sweet tooth and have dessert.

Chapter 5 ENZYMES = LIFE

Chapter 5

ENZYMES = LIFE

Anyone who has any understanding of health has got to be taking enzyme supplements with every single meal they eat. Unfortunately, most people think of enzymes (if they think of them at all) as necessary only if they have some kind of digestive problem. And, yes, it's true that people suffering from digestive problems, hiatal hernias, ulcers, and the like, have benefited greatly from using enzyme supplements. But if that's all you think enzymes are for, you've missed the point. Dr. Howell, in his book on enzyme nutrition, puts it quite clearly when he says that a person's life
span is directly related to the exhaustion of their enzyme potential. And the use of food enzymes decreases that rate of exhaustion, and thus, results in a longer, healthier, and more vital life.
Now that pretty much says it all. But just to drive the point home, let's go into the enzyme story in a little more detail.

The Enzyme Story

Enzymes are proteins that facilitate chemical reactions in living organisms. In fact, they are required for every single chemical action that takes place in your body. All of your tissues, muscles,
bones, organs, and cells are run by enzymes.

  Your digestive system, immune system, blood stream, liver, kidneys, spleen, and pancreas, as well as your ability to see, think, feel, and breathe, (in fact, the very functioning of each and every cell in your body) all depend on enzymes. All of the minerals and vitamins you eat and all of the hormones your body produces need enzymes in order to work properly. In fact, every single metabolic function in your body is governed by enzymes. Your stamina, your energy level, your ability to utilize vitamins and minerals, your immune system—all governed by enzymes.

  But where do enzymes come from? As it happens, they are produced both internally (in every cell in your body, but most notably in the pancreas and the other endocrine glands), and they are present in all of the RAW foods that we eat. At birth,we are endowed with a certain potential for manufacturing enzymes in our bodies, an enzyme “reserve,” if you will. Nature intended that we
continually replenish that reserve through proper nutrition and eating habits. Unfortunately, that just doesn't happen. Let's take a look at why.

  Most people believe that when you eat a meal it drops into a pool of stomach acid, where it's broken down, then goes into the small intestine to have nutrients taken out, and then into the colon
to be passed out of the body—if you're lucky. Not quite.

  What nature intended is that you eat enzyme rich foods and chew your food properly. If you did that, the food would enter the stomach laced with digestive enzymes. These enzymes would
then "predigest" your food for about an hour—actually breaking down as much as 75% of your meal.

  After this period of "pre-digestion," hydrochloric acid is introduced. The acid inactivates all of the food-based enzymes, but begins its own function of breaking down what is left of the meal.
Eventually, this nutrient-rich food concentrate moves on into the small intestine. Once this concentrate
enters the small intestine, the acid is neutralized and the pancreas reintroduces digestive
enzymes to the process. As digestion is completed, nutrients are passed through the intestinal wall
and into the blood stream.
That's what nature intended. Unfortunately, most of us don't live our lives as nature intended!

  Processing and cooking destroy enzymes in food. (Man is the only animal that cooks his food.) In fact, any sustained heat of approximately 1180 degree Fahrenheit  - 1290 F destroys virtually all enzymes.
This means that, for most of us, the food entering our stomachs is severely enzyme deficient. (Actually, there are some enzymes present from our saliva. The amount, however, is minuscule
since we only chew our food about 25% as much as is required.) The result is that most of our meals enter our stomachs woefully devoid of enzymes.

  The food then sits there for an hour, like a heavy lump, with very little pre-digestion taking place. Even after the stomach acid has done its work, the meal enters the small intestine largely undigested.

  At this point, the pancreas and the other organs of the endocrine system are put under tremendous stress since they have to draw reserves from the entire body in order to produce massive amounts of the proper enzymes. The less digestion that takes place before food reaches the small intestine, the greater the stress placed on the endocrine systems. Recent studies have shown that virtually 100% of all Americans have an enlarged pancreas by the time they are 40. Is it any wonder that the incidence of diabetes is exploding in the developed world?[1]

[1 The ever increasing intake of refined carbohydrates such as sugar is also a major contributing factor.]