Botanical Nutrition

by Rob Seeman official blogger of the health food movement

Category Archives: Sustainable Agriculture


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Asian demand for Maca root disrupts international natural products trade

It really pains me to type that title, folks. I’m a big fan of Maca.  It is one of the best ‘tonic’ super foods – meaning that it is safe enough to eat every day and provides continual body strengthening benefits.  It is a member of the Cabbage family that only grows in the Andes mountains on the coast of South America.

When the Food Movement project first began bringing Red and Black Lepidium preuvianum (Maca root) from Peru into the US health food store market, I was ecstatic that we were able to bring this international superstar to folks at a fair price, and were able to work with our supplier partners to obtain verifiable certified organic plants in a raw form.  Now international demand has pushed prices sky high and made good materials more scarce.

So here’s the long a short of it; if you see a Maca you like on the shelves right now – especially at prices consistent with what they were earlier in the year – buy it all.  If you liked Maca at $13.99 for an 8 oz (retail price on TFM Red Maca before the recent disruption) you can expect to buy quite a bit more as the overall market absorbs supply-side price increases of 400 to 500%!

Consider this recent report from America TV

While price increases can cause problems for retail and wholesale suppliers, as well as importers (not to mention consumers!) the real problem may end up being one of supply. For a crop that only grows properly in a certain part of the world, there can be only a certain amount of supply without sacrificing quality.  At this moment I’d rather pay too much for Maca than have none at all!  It seems that it may be the only option we have.

As far as blaming Asian markets for this problem – if anyone is to blame it  might just be the Chinese government.  Because they had state-controlled limits on birth rates, recently lifted, their people were not concerned with procreating at the rate they are in the free world.  China’s one-child policy from 1979 to 2009 may have averted as much as 200 million births, although ethnic minorities within China were not limited by the single child rule and other exceptions were actually made to this limit.  Even so, since the change in China’s family planning policy, their demand for products ranging from Prenatal Vitamins and EFAs to aphrodisiacs such as Maca root, have skyrocketed.  As these pressures impact our global market, we can only do our best to keep our eyes on the prize in regards to sustainability, fair trade principles, and environmental footprint.  Good Maca will likely continue to be available, but we will always struggle with increased levels of inferior products as Maca poaching and other tactics become more profitable than ever.


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Alkalize 55 : the product formulation and importance of humic fulvate minerals

Sort of a long title for a blog entry isn’t it? Well, admittedly so, but I wanted to let you know specifically what this post is going to be about because it is so important.

ALKALIZE 55 60.1glamour shot

You see, Alkalize 55 is a dietary supplement I have been lucky enough to have a hand in developing.  To be totally transparent it is the NAME I have mainly to take credit for. As part of the Medicatrix naturae consortium which developed the product, my greatest contribution was helping to create a name and presentation that people would remember (and of course with a good deal of significance!)  The credit really must go to Dr Michio Kushi and his formulation of over 50 triple-fermented super food ingredients grown on the biodynamic Anew farm in Brazil.

Dr Kushi and his wife Aveline have been leaders in the macrobiotic world for many years.  I consider him to be one of the founding fathers of health food in the modern era, and there can be no doubt that his work has helped countless thousands.  With Alkalize 55 his work on fermented foods and acid-alkaline balance has been encapsulated in supplement form (and in foods) in a way that can help a really broad number of folks who desperately need it.

But what I wanted to focus on, as my wordy title implies, is the other part of Alkalize 55, the over 70 humic/fulvic trace minerals which are so absorbable and potentially beneficial to the human machine.geodesic mineral_wheelsphere_3The above chart shows some of the mineral synergies at work when we take a broad spectrum of trace minerals.  The mineral complex in Alkalize 55 is a proprietary blend called Whole Earth Minerals which is mined from a fresh water source in the United States which is tested for safe levels of heavy metals.

The main point here is that we really need a WHOLE SPECTRUM of trace minerals, rather than just say – large amounts of Zinc or Magnesium.  All of these elements work in concert, so if we upset the balance there can be dire consequences for the body. Having a broad spectrum of trace minerals promotes the type of inter-related mineral synergy you see depicted above.I think that in order to understand this kind of synergy, we have to have a good philosophical understanding of nature and the way things fit together. Just what is synergy? Why do things appear together in nature? Usually there is some purpose.  For example, if humic acid and specifically fulvic acid have a way of breaking oxygen to the cells of the body, and helping to transport waste products out of the cell there must be some reason?  The answer is that these organic acids helped with the transport and assimilation of trace minerals, as well as the removal of dangerous toxins and heavy metals.

In summary, some of the most important dietary supplements are well-known; fish or algae DHA & EPA Omega-3 (more on this soon!), probiotics, digestive enzymes, not to mention vitamins and macro-minerals. Yet a growing body of evidence suggests we should start to focus more on these trace minerals and the way they interact – in the natural world, and in our bodies.  The spectrum of whole foods and humic fulvate minerals in Alkalize 55 can have unique benefits for the human machine – even beyond what we understand about dietary requirements for nutrients and co-factors.

If you want to do more research on humic and fulvic acid you can visit http://www.livingorganicearth.com

 


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Moringa : Whole Leaf Super Food Nutrition

Moringa oleifera is  a tree native to the southern foothills of the Himalayas in northwestern India and widely cultivated in Africa, Central and South America, Sri Lanka, India, Mexico, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Moringa The Food Movement

I’ve been really interested in Moringa for a number of years. It has quite a reputation internationally as one of the world’s most nutritious foods. As an herbalist, I’ve been intrigued by the possibilities of a food that offers so much benefit to anyone ingesting it, and also hope to those looking for dynamic botanical solutions to the problems of world hunger.  There are so many aspects of Moringa oleifera to consider.  For now, we are looking primarily at the leaf as a dynamic source of nutrition, though the ‘drumstick’ fruit pods are  very commonly eaten as well.  The roots and the seeds, when harvested, provide other diverse benefits.

This is an extremely important plant! It is a complete protein, contains a good deal of nutrients including calcium, iron, magnesium, is a complete protein source and contains many different vitamins and unique phytochemicals.  It would be ridiculous to ‘standardize’ or extract this plant, it is a leaf vegetable used across the world for many years.

Yet it has been virtually absent from the U.S. market. Unfortunately what little I myself have found on the market has been of very low quality.  As I’ve worked with the Food Movement to find a premium raw  material internationally (which we have finally secured – more on that to come) I have come to appreciate why it is so easy to get it wrong with Moringa.

(The Food Movement biodynamic freeze-dried Moringa whole leaf powder will be available here in September.)

Initially, suppliers of Ayurvedic herbs would offer Moringa leaf powder at a surprisingly low price.  Then, we found that some suppliers would only offer it as an extract, because the fresh raw material was often easily contaminated with potentially harmful microbes.  I myself believe that the only preparation one should consider is the whole leaf.  It is, after all, a food.

There is definite misinformation out there causing some to consider something other than whole leaf Moringa.  Just look to the wiki page on Moringa oleifera and you find this nugget of (mis)information

“Some of the calcium in moringa leaves is bound as crystals of calcium oxalate[14] which may inhibit calcium availability to the body. It is not clear whether the calculation of the reported amount of calcium in moringa leaves includes such non-bioavailable calcium.”

However, the reference they provide only documents that Moringa contains calcium oxalate (which it does, and many plant sources of calcium do) not that calcium oxalate is a non-bioavailable calcium. A study published in 1999 in The Journal of Nutrition found that calcium oxalate indeed was a bioavailable form of calcium. The researchers concluded “Thus, calcium bound as a small, neutral, calcium salt such as calcium oxalate does not have to be dissociated prior to absorption. Possibly other small compounds would be similarly absorbed. These results alter our current understanding of calcium bioavailability from foods and therapeutic agents.”

Anybody good at doing wikipedia edits?  I believe many people who have a negative opinion of calcium in plants as “non-bioavailable” would benefit from seeing this study.

Oh, and if the waters weren’t all ready murky enough for you… now Dr Oz has entered the arena…

Stay tuned to this bat channel for more examinations of the many healing aspects of Moringa to come.  Harvest time is now!


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The Food Movement to Release Plant-Based Vitamin D-3 to US Health Food Stores

Vitamin D is an essential nutrient which has become more and more popular in recent years as a nutritional supplement.  However, those following a pure vegetarian (vegan) diet have been left out in the cold because all of the vitamin D-3 (cholecalciferol) on the U.S. market is derived from animal sources (either fish oil or sheep’s wool lanolin.)  Those looking for a non-animal-derived vitamin D have been forced to accept vitamin D-2, which has been shown to be much less bioavailable to the human body.

The Food Movement Co., based in the Chicago, IL area, has announced that they will soon release one of the first completely vegan vitamin D-3 products.  Plans to produce a 5,000 i.u. 60 softgel capsule and 1,000 i.u. 120 spray bottle are currently under way.

The vitamin D-3 is derived sustainably from a unique Lichen species found high in the mountains of Asia.  This product is very unique, and represents a hallmark for those following a pure vegetarian diet and seeking greater health. For more information on the various health benefits of vitamin D-3 check here.

The Food Movement has a mission to bring human beings greater health through nutrient-dense plant foods.  Additionally, their agenda is to alleviate hunger and to encourage environmental sustainability and greater biodiversity.


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High Vibrational Foods

If you’ve been exploring natural health and healthy eating principles, you may have come across recommendations that you eat “high vibrational foods.”  It is an interesting turn of phrase, causing one to wonder perhaps what frequency the REST of our diet is vibrating at?  And what precisely does this mean?

One thing we can infer rather quickly is that high vibrational foods are full of good energy.  If we’re moving UP, we are ascending into higher levels of understanding and higher levels of behavior, including what foods we eat.  A subject like this would seem to unify the ideas of spiritual practice and proper nutrition.

Yet, as with anything physical, there has to be some empirical answer.  What are high vibrational foods exactly?

Author Lorraine Shea identifies high vibrational foods as  those which grows close to the sun and are packed with nutrients.  She also identifies Raw Cacao, Goji Berries, nuts as well as some meats.

Susan Lavery, writing for noted Cancer survivor Lance Armstrong-founded Livestrong foundation also lists Organically grown food as top of the list of things which are high vibrational.  This is consistant with the observation that pesticides and other chemicals which are toxic to the body can lower the body’s natural vitality and therefore the body’s overall vibration.  She quotes wellness coach Kathleen Kalil who opines, “When we eat high-vibrational foods, our energy is high and our life force is strong. We have better focus, emotional balance, and plentiful energy to handle whatever the day brings.”

These are probably not new pieces of information to you, dear reader, that you should be seeking out organic nutrient-dense foods!  However, the quantum metaphor of “high vibrational foods” does bring into focus some other areas of interest, such as how food can remain vital as best as possible, and how to talk about the energy of foods beyond the gross measure of kilocalories and marker compounds.

So, it is interesting – once we have discovered some examples of things which are identified as high vibrational we can see that they are all things which are beneficial to the human body.  Furthermore they are often things which are also beneficial to our environment, such as eating organic and buying local.  In some ways, this frequency thing may be some key to measuring our enlightenment on the path to better health and a higher consciousness.

There seems also to be a connection between the discussion of high vibrational foods, and the use of essential oils.  A Vibrational Blog gives us more on this indicating they have measured Rose oil vibrating at 320 mHz (essentially the top end of the spectrum). Much of this research was based on the work of Bruce Taiinio.

“During his work with plants, soil, and water in his agricultural projects, Bruce Tainio of Tainio Technology invented and built a machine called a BT3 Frequency Monitoring System. This device – modified and perfected over the years – used a highly sensitive sensor to measure bio-electrical frequencies of plant nutrients and essential oils. To summarize how it worked – As a Hertzian wave is generated and travels out from its source, it transfers energy to the objects it passes through. The frequency monitor’s sensor measures the nano voltage of that wave, using the predominant frequency in the megahertz range, filtering out the lower and higher ranges. The BT3 measures the composite frequency of the vibratory emissions in electrical voltage – MHz – of the elements and enzymes remaining in the oils.”

Bruce Tainio has since passed away, and the BT3 is no longer in production.  His legacy appears to live on in an interesting company called Coherent Resources.


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Red Maca : Physical Vitality and Hormonal Balance from a Natural Whole Food

People think I’m down on drugs.  It is true, I have been critical of the medical industry, and of ‘big pharma’ hijacking science. But I know there are some pharmaceutical drugs which are important and life-saving; I would never dispute that.

The contrast for me is between the mediocre results most folks get from their pharmaceuticals, say antibiotics, corticosteroids or hormone replacement, without any diet or lifestyle changes.  Conversely, using whole foods as therapeutic agents, we see more general vitality being restored, rather than the body being forced into a limited chemical pathway.  Nowhere is this contrast between isolated chemical and dynamic whole food agent more striking to me than with Maca.

Maca Root, scientific name Lepidium meyenii, has been used in the Andes mountains for thousands of years.  It is a staple food for villagers, as well a reputed medicinal tonic and dynamic endocrine system balancer.  It is a member of the Brassica vegetable family, also shared by Kale, Broccoli, Cabbage, etc.

You may have heard of Maca, or even tried it in smoothies or other preparations.  Perhaps you are one of its devotees, as I am, who starts your morning off with healthy doses of it on a daily basis.  It is really excellent when combined with Raw Cacao… the pungent high notes of the Red Maca combine very nicely with the bitter finish of the raw Cacao (or even regular Cocoa powder).

Researchers at Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia in Lima Peru did research and concluded “Maca is a plant with great potential as an adaptogen and appears to be promising as a nutraceutical in the prevention of several diseases.” When those same researchers tested a variety of Maca, called Red Maca, they found that it was extremely effective for reducing prostate size in animals with an enlarged prostate.

Surprisingly, though, fewer of us in the States are as familiar with Red Maca (Lepidium meyenii), which is known in its native Peru to be among the highest grade of Maca available. If you are interested in ordering certified organic Red Maca from Peru please consider the Food Movement, a company that donates 11% of its sales to hunger relief around the world.

Dating back to the ancient Incans, Maca has been known to increase sexual libido. Published scientific research has demonstrated that of all of the ecotypes of Maca are spermatogenic, meaning that they increase semen quality in males.

Another study done at the Department of Psychology at Massachusetts General Hospital found that Maca root did have a beneficial effect on libido.  The list of published research goes on and on, here, folks.

A study in Australia at Victoria University found that “Preliminary findings show that Lepidium meyenii (Maca)[3 .5 grams per day] reduces psychological symptoms, including anxiety and depression, and lowers measures of sexual dysfunction in postmenopausal women independent of estrogenic and androgenic activity.”

What all of the effects are suggestive of, from a naturopathic point-of-view, is that Maca promotes hormonal balance.  Unlike drugs, or even many nutriceuticals, which can push the body in a specific direction and therefore have only a limited effect.  Maca’s position as a whole food adaptogen gives it a really amazing profile of being very safe to take, yet very effective in correcting hormonal imbalances.

Foods which promote balance in the endocrine system, rather than synthetic hormone replacement therap are inherently safer. Furthermore, because all of the hormones in our body act in a feedback loop, hormone therapy can have the opposite ffect that is desired therapeutically, long term.  If we want to achieve balance in the endocrine system, we would do well to consider a therapeutic food like Red Maca.

Because adaptogenic whole superfoods are nourishing, therefore naturally supporting the body’s own processes, the results of consuming them can be tonifying to the entire body. By giving it the building blocks it needs to reach its own homeostasis, adaptogenic effects do more to benefit more different systems.   Increased energy, vitality, better hormone balance in our bodies, antioxidant protection… these are the kind of ‘side effects’ I think we can all get behind!