By Jennifer Townes

A Date is a sweet fruit from the Date Palm (scientific name: Phoenix dactylifera). Originating in the desert oases of northern Africa and southwest Asia, Middle Eastern peoples have included dates as a part of their diet for centuries. The date is thought to be one of the world’s oldest cultivated fruits.

The date palm has been referenced to as a “tree of life,” probably due to its excellent health benefits as well as its high nutritional value.

The surface of a date can be rather sticky, and as such lends itself to the harboring of dust and various impurities. It is advisable to purchase dates in good packaging conditions. Thoroughly wash dates prior to consumption.

Dates are best eaten when they are fresh, in season and water rich. You may also find raw dried dates at your organic market and these will be more concentrated and should be treated like all other dried fruits.

History of Dates

As a staple of Middle Eastern countries, dates have been cultivated since ancient times, likely as early as 6000 BC. Date Palms produce bunches of oval drupes that are at least 3 cm long and 2 cm in diameter. These drupes are called dates.

Evidence from archeologists reveals that dates were likely first cultivated in ancient times in the eastern Arab region, later, spreading around northern Africa, Italy, Spain and South East Asia.

Spanish peoples introduced dates to the people of Mexico and California around 1765. The fruit has a large variety and more than 400 varieties are produced in the palm groves of Iran.

Today dates are cultivated in Arizona and southern California in the United States.

Dates are incorporated in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine and desserts, and are often eaten whole. Frequently they are found stuffed with sweet fillings after removing its seed.

Ramadan is celebrated during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and Muslims fast each day, from sunrise to sunset, in order to gain a higher level of spiritual enlightenment. The tradition of eating dates during Ramadan, in order to break the fast at the end of each day, spans the course of history back to the time of the Prophet Mohammed (570-632 CE).

Naturally, a depletion of energy can be experienced as a result of fasting, and consuming dates is thought to be a gentle way in which to ease the body back into the act of eating. Dates, it is said, prevent metabolic, digestive, and other physical issues that may be caused by the practice of fasting.

Proported Health Advantages of Eating Dates

· Dates are digested very easily therefore they are good for supplying quick energy.

· They are known to be an excellent cure for intestinal disturbances.

· Regular consumption of dates has been found to check the growth of pathological organisms and help in the growth of friendly bacteria in the intestines.

· Being a laxative food, dates have been found to be beneficial for those suffering from constipation, as well dates generally help the elimination of waste. They can be immersed in water at night and taken after making them into a fine syrup the next morning to secure laxative effect.

· Studies have shown that consumption of dates, soaked overnight and crushed, is good for those who have heart problems.

· Researchers have revealed that dates are effective in preventing abdominal cancer.

· One of the key benefits of dates is its ability to regulate a healthy nervous system, thanks to the rich potassium content. Research has recommended that higher intake of potassium (about 400 mg) can cut the risk of stroke by 40 percent.

· Ability to lower LDL cholesterol.

· Dates are rich in iron and can be beneficial to those who suffer from anemia.

· Israeli research has found that eating dates daily for four weeks can improve the quality of lipids (fats) in the blood without raising sugar levels.

Additional Benefits to Pregnant and Nursing Mothers

Some experiments have shown results that point to the strengthening of the uterine muscles due to consumption of dates. This is beneficial particularly in the last months of pregnancy. As well it is said dates can help dilation at the time of delivery. It should also be mentioned that research has found a link between dates and a reduction of bleeding postpartum.

With this information it is concluded that dates are a real benefit to women in pregnancy and those who are breast-feeding.

Dates are believed to contain elements that assist in alleviating depression in mothers and enriching the breast-milk with elements needed to make the child healthy and resistant to disease.

Health Benefits of Teeth in Regard to Eating Dates

By consuming dates, which contain an element called fluorine (this is responsible for the fruits enamel building) it is probable that they will assist in cavity prevention.

However care should be taken when partaking in all dried fruits, as well they should be enjoyed in moderation. Rinsing your mouth with water during and after meals should help prevent tooth decay. After eating high sugar fruits that leave residue on teeth (such as dried dates) you should always brush your teeth.

Suppliers of Raw Organic Dates

An excellent source that I recommend for purchasing high quality dates is the DATE PEOPLE.

They provide raw dates that are never frozen or heated. Using sustainable growing they provide forty different varieties of dates.

www.datepeople.net
The Date People P.O. Box 808,
Niland CA 92257 Phone 760-359-3211

Recently I created some controversy with a video on a particular product of “unprocessed water” that some people took personally, which was not the point of the video. The essence of the discussion however revolves around water and finding a pure source that still fits within your budget while maintaining a health lifestyle.

As a raw foodist I still believe the best source of water for proper hydration and mineral content is from fresh fruits and vegetables including juicy fruits and fresh coconut water. When you are consuming water rich foods your body will obviously require less actual drinking water as well.

Right now my fiancee and I are in Costa Rica, as we have been for the past 4 months, enjoying local produce and young coconuts daily.

I want my readers and viewers to take the responsibility of health into their own hands and not rely solely on others to tell them what to buy and how to live.

Critical thinking is key with regard to a healthy lifestyle and mind.

I’m releasing an interview I did recently below with my friend Wayne Gendel from Forever Healthy in Toronto. We covered some interesting points about water, including:

- Is spring water safe?
- What is the best way to purify water?
- Can you assimilate rock minerals in spring water?

Wayne and I will be doing a teleconference soon for people who want to know more about water and the best purification methods, so stay tuned for that. Make sure you’re subscribed to the list for an announcement.

Listen to the Interview Below

Click the play button. Click here if you’d like to download the audio to your computer.

Have you heard of the 80-20 rule? You probably have. If you haven’t, it’s pretty simple and powerful:

An Italian economist named Vilfredo Pareto came up with what is known as the “Pareto principle” in the 19th century.

What he found was that:

80% of the land in Italy was owned by 20% of the population

He discovered that this disparity was widespread. For example, he observed that 20% of the pea pods in his garden contained 80% of the peas!

———————————-
Quick Update:

I’m currently giving away $1200 worth of products as part of my Raw Vegan Mentor Club introductory offer.

This includes my book “Healthy Salad Dressings” and five other recipe books, hundreds of dollars worth of videos, over 12 hours of interviews with raw food gurus with transcripts, and more.

This offer will be changed or removed within the next few days. Make sure you get your own package at:

http://www.fredericpatenaude.com/mentorclub.html
———————————-

Later the Pareto Principle has been expanded to business, and it’s commonly understood in business that:

- 80% of your sales will come from 20% of customers

Or computer programmers know that if they fix 20% of the most commonly reported bugs, they in turn fix 80% of the crashes.

In health and in life, I’ve also found the Pareto principle in action. But instead of being 80-20, the proportion seemed to be even more extreme, more like 95-5.

Here are some observations:

- Only 5% of the things you can do could bring you 95% of your long-term health and happiness.

- We generally spend 95% of our time on things that bring us no real long-term results!

Generally, we spend too much time on little things that don’t matter that much, and not enough time on things that REALLY matter.

And what’s crazy is that almost every single health author out there wants you to believe that this 95% that only brings you 5% of your results is SO important. And they make you forget about the 5% that really matters.

What’s this 5% that really matters? Here are some of my finding:

- Your diet. Mostly or all raw. Low fat, fruits and vegetables —  avoiding grains, meat, dairy, refined foods, oils and salt.

- Your exercise program — getting in at least 30-45 minutes a day on average and paying attention to all elements of fitness (cardio, strength, flexibility, etc.)

- Your sleep — Getting enough (usually 7+hours for most people).

- Access to clean water, pure air, getting enough sunshine, etc.

- Avoiding drugs and stimulants —- prescribed, or illegal. Including coffee, cacao, alcohol, etc.

Emotional poise, healthy relationships, love, etc.

- Eliminating stress from your life

- Expressing your creativity, your talents, doing something you love

There are a few more — these are called the “essential aspects of life”. And these are the things that really count! This is the 5% that gives you 95% of your results.

But what do other authors want you to spend your time on? Largely on unproven practices and techniques, and little things that can bring you tiny benefits, but nothing in comparison to the “big guns”.

Here’s a few of these possibly time-wasting health practices:

- Seeking a particular kind of “special” water

- Many superfoods and supplements

- Insisting on consuming all-organic foods, while taking other drugs and stimulants

- Walking barefoot on the grass at dawn

- Eating clay

- Seeking organic beef, organic fish, organic dairy (instead of not consuming these products in the first place)

- Drinking wheatgrass juice, without changing the rest of your diet

- Drinking your own urine

- Using colloidal silver

- Getting your mercury fillings removed (for the most part, it can be more dangerous to remove them)

- Ear candling

- Powdered vegetable mixtures

- Supplemental enzymes

- Colonics and enemas

The list is endless actually. Most of these practices are either unproven, and some can be downright dangerous. Some of them can be beneficial, but the benefits are so small compared to the essential elements of life I mentioned previously.

But the main thing is that they distract you from what’s *really important*, which is the 5% that makes all the difference!

Are you getting distracted?

Are you spending your time and energy researching things that don’t really make a difference?

Instead of spending your afternoon researching on the Internet about the latest supplement that could *possibly* improve your health, why not go for a hike?

Instead of spending $300 a month on “superfoods”, why not hire a personal trainer to get you in shape? Or spend that money on fruits and vegetables?

Why not actually make some changes that will *really* make a difference?

And by the way, the reason why these things are not popular is that most people already know about them, but are not doing them!

Focus on the 5% that matters, and health will follow.

Yours for health and success,

Frederic

PS: Did you get your hands on our “Raw Food Package?” I’m currently giving away $1200 worth of products as part of my Raw Vegan Mentor Club introductory offer.

This includes my book “Healthy Salad Dressings” and five other recipe books, hundreds of dollars worth of videos, over 12 hours of interviews with raw food gurus with transcripts, and more.

This offer will be changed or removed within the next few days. Make sure you get your own package at:

http://www.fredericpatenaude.com/mentorclub.html

The first time I heard of “raw water”, I must honestly say that the first thing that went to my mind is “Are you kidding me? Do they really think people are that stupid?”

In the video below, you’ll see me debunk claims made about raw water, a new product being promoted in the raw food movement.

Keep in mind that I’m not saying that their water is bad, or that there wasn’t any genuine efforts put into this. I just think that it’s not worth the $6-10 a bottle they are asking for, and that the claims made to promote are downright wrong. What do you think? Let me know below and feel free to pass this video along to your friends.

Interview With Dr. Graham, Part 2

NOTE: The best way to get started with the 80-10-10 Diet is with the Perfect Health Program. It contains over 12 hours of information and interviews with me and Dr. Graham on the 80-10-10 Diet, and more!

As you probably know, there are many different possible approaches to the raw-food diet. The most popular approaches focus heavily on nuts, seeds, avocados, “superfoods”, supplements, etc. — while forgetting about the most important aspects of the diet: fruits and vegetables.

I call this, the “high-fat raw diet” or the “hollywood raw diet!”

Why? Because it’s very common as a fad with Hollywood stars, and because of this undereating of fruits and vegetables, most raw-foodists end up consuming very large quantities of fat — often 50 or 60% (or more) of total calories.

The idea of “eating anything raw, as long as it’s raw” simply doesn’t work. I tried it for many years, ever since I first started on the raw food diet in 1996, and it never worked. I’ve been saying this since 2002, when my book “The Raw Secrets” was published and exposed the common fallacies in the raw food movement.

What’s the solution?

Making fruit the most essential part of the diet (in terms of total calories), while eating enough green vegetables to insure sufficient mineral intake, is one of the keys to success.

I call this diet the “low-fat raw diet” or the “fruit-based raw diet”.

The champion of this approach at the moment is Dr. Doug Graham, with his book “The 80-10-10 Diet”.

You’re probably familiar with the approach, and if you haven’t read the book, I highly recommend that you do so. Instead of trying to tell more about it myself, I did a little interview with Dr. Graham itself, check out it below.

Note: You might have to jack up the volume because the insects were pretty loud by the jungle in Costa Rica, where I interviewed Doug!

In my next post, I will tell you where my philosophy is slightly different than Doug’s. I have a few different opinions when in comes to:

1) Vitamin B12 supplementation

2) Steamed vegetables vs. high-fat raw meals

3) The actual percentage of fats in the diet

4) Calories

Stay tuned for that!

NOTE: The best way to get started with the 80-10-10 Diet is with the Perfect Health Program. It contains over 12 hours of information and interviews with me and Dr. Graham on the 80-10-10 Diet, and more!

By Gabriel Cousens, M.D. MD (H)

The work at the Tree of Life and in all my nutrition books, Spiritual Nutrition and the Rainbow Diet, Conscious Eating and Rainbow Green Live Food Cuisine is to provide an optimal situation for everyone to be successful vegan and live food practitioners. To that end, we address every single issue that is connected with being successful. The B-12 issue is one that is critical to a successful and healthy vegan and live food way of life.

To understand the significance of this issue, we need to understand a little about the importance of B-12 in the diet. The average non-vegetarian stores between 2,000 and 3,000 picograms (pg., same as micrograms) of B-12 and loses about 3 pg. per day.

About 60 percent of the total amount of the B-12 in the body is stored in the liver and 30 percent is stored in the muscle. The body has a special circulation pattern between the digestive tract and the liver. Through the bile, we secrete 1.4 pg. per day of B-12 into the small intestine, and healthy people reabsorb about 0.7 pg.

Research suggests that if people have a low B-12 intake, the absorption increases to even draw more B-12 into the system. However, there is still a general potential for slow loss, depending on the variation in this special, what is known as enterohepatic circulation, before we develop the potential of B-12 deficiency symptoms.

B-12 has two functions: one, methylocobalamin is used by the enzyme methionine synthase to change homocysteine into methionine. When this enzyme is not working, we increase the homocysteine in our system, which recent research has associated with the increased potentiality of heart disease and deterioration of the arteries and nerves. When the homocysteine is high, it appears to be a nerve toxin, as well as a blood vessel toxin. The second function of B-12 is as a coenzyme is using 5′-deoxyadenosylcobalamin in the enzyme methyl malonyl-CoA mutase in the conversion of methyl malonyl-coA to succinyl-CoA.

Elevated homocysteine also happens with deficiencies in B-6 or folic acid. One of the major symptoms of B-12 or folic acid deficiency is macrocytic anemia. Folate, also called folic acid, is needed to turn the uracil into thymidine, an essential building block of DNA. This DNA is needed for production of new red blood cells and for red blood cell division. B-12 is involved because it is involved in the pathway that creates methyl cobalamin. This B-12 also produces a form of folate needed to make DNA. So, if there is no B-12, folate can become depleted and DNA production slows down.

Another little side part of the methyl malonyl-CoA to succinyl-CoA conversion is that when the B-12 is not available, the methyl malonyl-CoA levels increase and are converted to methyl malonic acid, which accumulates in the blood and urine.

Since the B-12 is the only co-enzyme required in this pathway, methyl malonic acid levels are considered the gold standard as an indicator of B-12 deficiency. Other causes of high methyl malonic acid (MMA) are genetic defects, kidney failure, low blood volume, dysbiosis, pregnancy and hypothyroid. The MMA test is important because the progressive medical community no longer considers serum B-12 levels an accurate measurement of appropriate amounts of B-12. In other words, a normal serum B-12 may not mean that B-12 levels are healthy.

We need a urinary assay of methyl malonic acid to really determine that. This is an important point, because when I first wrote about this issue in Conscious Eating, the establishment of the methyl malonic acid assay as the gold standard had not taken place yet. I based some of my statements at that time on the world research, which was using serum B-12. A serum B-12 of 200 pg. or less was considered deficient. As a result of the new gold standard and what we know about MMA and homocysteine, the B-12 serum levels should be around 450 pg. to maintain a normal homocysteine level. Therefore, serum B-12 levels less than 450 pg. may be considered as indicating a B-12 deficiency.

There are a variety of symptoms of B-12 deficiency, which are important to vegans and live fooders. The first is actually low energy. It could be a reason why some people just don’t feel well on these diets, besides not getting the right protein/carbohydrate/fat mix for their constitutional type.

There are specific neurological symptoms, often described as “subacute combined degeneration”. Some of this damage can be almost irreversible, if it becomes chronic. This nerve system degeneration affects peripheral nerves and the spinal cord. Some of the typical neurological feelings include depression, numbness and tingling in the hands and feet, nervousness, paranoia, hyperactive reflexes, impaired memory and behavioral changes.

With a B-12 deficiency, one can also have diarrhea, fever, frequent upper respiratory infections, impotence, infertility, sore tongue, enlargement of the mucous membranes of the mouth, vagina, and stomach, macrocytic anemia, low platelets, increased bleeding, low white blood cell count. Some of the causes of B-12 deficiency are low dietary intake of B-12 and/or poor absorption, which usually comes through loss of intrinsic factor and/or a lack of stomach acid.

Consistent research over the last decade has shown that vegans and live food people of all ages and sexes have a much higher risk of becoming B-12 deficient. This does not mean that everyone becomes B-12 deficient. This deficiency is particularly true with newborn babies, especially babies of vegan live-food nursing mothers who are not using B-12 supplementation.

In contrast to the average adult storage of 2,000-3,000 pg. of B-12, newborns of mothers with normal B-12 have about 25 pg. Studies have shown that the milk during the first week of life does contain large amounts of B-12. This means that the B-12 storage in infants at birth is normally adequate to last the first few weeks of life. Afterwards, they must get it from breast milk or other sources. If a vegan or live-food mother is already B-12 deficient during pregnancy, the baby may be born with seriously low B-12 levels and develop clinical signs of deficiency as soon as two weeks.

The general research suggests that even among non-vegetarians, B-12 can be insufficient in infants, and that perhaps all breastfeeding mothers should consider B-12 supplements for themselves and their infants during the time of breastfeeding. This lack of B-12 in the mother’s diet during pregnancy has been associated with a lack of myelin production, which is the coating of the nerves. It takes somewhere between one to twelve months to develop, and manifests as failure to thrive and slow developmental progression. The babies are often lethargic, lose their ability to use muscle adequately, and even their sensory attunement decreases. They also have irregular macrocytic anemia.

The good news that one major study in the United Kingdom in 1988 showed, in studying 37 vegan children was that there was normal growth and development in children who were breastfed for 6 months at a minimum, when there was B-12 supplementation.

Young children and teenage children who were supplemented with B-12 were found to grow normally. Adults who were vegetarian without B-12 supplementation for greater than six years usually had a lower B-12 than non-vegetarian adults in the general research. In one study of adults in 1994, 81% of the vegan adults had a B-12 lower than 200 pg. That is approximately the percentage of adults on a live food diet who are low in B-12.

In my clinical experience, meat eaters, vegans and live-fooders tend to have a fairly high percentage of B-12 deficiency, although meat eaters do have less incidence. My experience is that cooked food vegans have a higher incidence of B-12 deficiency than live fooders, but there is still a significant occurance in live fooders. In vegetarians and vegans, there is also a high percentage under 200 pg., about 54%.

A study in 1982 by Dunn and Scott of raw food vegans with 83 subjects from the Natural Hygiene Society showed that 92% of the vegans had a B-12 less than 200 pg., and in 53% it was less than 100 pg. The World Health Organization (WHO) considers B-12 deficiency to be less than 200 pg. The percentages of B-12 deficiency tend to increase over time on a natural hygiene diet. Another study in Finland in 1995 that examined B-12 status of long-term 100% raw vegans found that 66% of the people had a B-12 lower than 200 pg. One study done in 2000 by Donaldson at Hallelujah Acres on primarily live food diet people, but with some B-12 supplementation via nutritional yeast, showed only about 15% of the people were less than 200, and none of them less than 160. The supplementation with nutritional yeast was 5 pg. of B-12 from one tablespoon of Red Star Vegetarian Support.

Up until this time, many of us have felt that additional supplementation for live fooders with sea vegetables or probiotic formulas was sufficient for protection against B-12 deficiency. This does not seem to be the case. In macrobiotics, who primarily cook their food, we see a very high percentage of children actually having growth retardation due to low B-12 intake. Many of us have felt that spirulina, Klamath Lake Algae, all the sea vegetables had enough active B-12 to avoid a B-12 deficiency.

Although the research is not fully in, we do know that, as I pointed out in Conscious Eating, these substances do have human active B-12. The problem is they also have a significant amount of analog B-12 that competes with the human active B-12. This analog amount was not measured in my studies. Using the methyl malonic acid reduction approach, which is now the gold standard, research showed that when people used dry and raw nori from Japan, the dried nori actually made the methyl malonic acid (MMA) status worse, which means it actually reduced the B-12 status.

Therefore it could possibly worsen a B-12 deficiency. Raw nori seemed to keep the methyl malonic acid at the same level, meaning it did not harm the B-12 status, but the research showed it did not particularly help it either. No food in Europe or the U.S. has been tested for lowering methyl malonic acid. Research absolutely has to be done to answer this question fully.

There is one exception to this lack of vegetarian B-12 active food, which is that we do produce B-12 from bacteria in our large intestine, but since this B-12 is produced in the area below where B-12 is reabsorbed, it is really not available for absorption. Some people have argued that a lot of species of lower mammals do not need B-12. The reason why this is true is that a lot of species that are primarily vegetarian animals eat their feces.

Human research also has shown if you eat your feces, you will get enough B-12. Dr. Herbert sponsored research in England where vegan volunteers with a documented B-12 deficiency were fed B-12 extractions made from their own feces. It cured their B-12 deficiency. So, there is a natural vegan way to do it. It may not be the most tasteful way, however.

Some have theorized that organic foods, in various regions, would improve the B-12 tests by lowering the serum malonic acid, but again, the research has not shown that washed or unwashed organic food has made a difference.

Many animals, aside from eating their own feces, will ingest a variety of eggs, insects, small vertebrates or soils. For example, gorillas, who are the closest to vegan of all the species, will eat insects and sometimes their feces. So there are ways to do this for vegans, but again, they may not be the most aesthetic or tasteful. I would love, at this point, to come up with an alternative to this, however it doesn’t seem to be the case.

There are many ideas of vegan foods that have active B-12, but few are proving to actually raise B-12 or prevent its loss. The research has shown, for example, that tempeh does not supply human active B-12. Research in both the U.S. and the Netherlands has confirmed this. There was one paper that showed that tempeh from one particular source in Thailand did have some B-12, but what they basically found was that fermented soybean did not contain B-12.

Other foods such as barley, malted syrup, sourdough bread, parsley, shitake mushrooms, tofu, and soybean paste, had some B-12 in them. Amazake rice, barley miso, miso, natto, rice miso, shoyu, tamari, umeboshi, and a variety of nuts, seeds and grains did not contain any elements or even any detectable B-12 analog. My study using the earlier gold standard test for B-12 active bacteria did show indeed that arame, dulse, kelp, kombu and wakame had significant human active B-12. Other studies have shown that dulse did have a certain amount of B-12 analog per serving.

Until research is done to see if it actually lowers the methyl malonic acid levels, the question has to be raised that we can’t assume that because a food has human active B-12 it will help avoid a B-12 deficiency, because the actual non-human active analogs may be blocking the human active B-12. The same question arises now with the aphanizomenon flos-aqua and spirulina, as well as chlorella. So, until we actually do the gold standard test of these, through the methyl malonic test, to see if it actually lowers the methyl malonic acid, I think it is reasonable to eat these foods, but not expect that they are actually going to raise your human active B-12.

My serum B-12 of 600 pg. may have thrown off my conclusions when I wrote my summary in 1990. I may have been in that 20% of vegans and live food people that don’t seem to be affected. But I am more concerned about the other 80% that are B-12 deficient and that 50% whose B-12 levels go down to less than 100 pg. A study done in 1991 by Miller found that serum B-12 appeared to be unrelated to consumption of wakame, kombu, and other sea vegetables or tempeh in macrobiotic children. Other researchers feel that it is possible that raw nori, not dried nori, is a source of active B-12. Some of these conclusions are not finalized. This brings me to the next issue, which is, what is a normal level of B-12?

Now the next question really is, what is a healthy level of B-12 in the serum? The answer is that a serum level of 450 pg. keeps the homocysteine level within normal levels. Some might just say that dulse and raw nori and an algae called cocolithophorid algae, also known as pleurochritias cartera, may provide sufficient human active B-12. They have not been fully tested with the gold standard. The normal serum homocysteine level is 2.2 – 13.2 micromoles/liter. The normal adult urine MMA is .58 – 3.56 micromoles/mmol/cr. The normal level of B-12 for breast milk is 180 – 300 pg. per ml. The normal urine level for children is 820 – 11,200 micromoles/mmol/cr of MMA. The normal serum B-12 level of children is 160 – 1300 pg. per ml.

Using the methyl malonic acid study as the gold standard, elevated methyl malonic acid was found in subjects with a B-12 up to 486 pg. This is a really important statement, because up ’til this time, most of the studies in the world health basically say that 200 pg. and above is not considered deficient. That was somewhat how I based my ideas that B-12 in many vegans and raw foodists was low normal, but still within normal.

Using the gold standard methyl malonic acid test, studies show that without supplementing with B-12, vegans have higher homocysteine levels than lacto-ovo vegetarians and non-vegetarians, which means they are deficient in B-12. The good news, of course, is that B-12 supplementation will decrease these high homocysteine levels back to normal range. High homocysteine levels are connected with the potential for heart disease, arterial destruction and neurological pathologies.

Other diseases associated with an elevated homocysteine are: Alzheimer’s, age related hearing loss, neural tube defects, recurrent loss of pregnancy, increased mortality. Many non-vegetarians also have a poor B-12 status because there are many factors that can cause B-12 deficiency. They include malabsorption or inadequate intake of protein or calories or B-12, radiation exposure, drugs, and a variety of toxins, paraminosalicylic acid, alcohol, pancreatic tumors, failure of the small intestine to contract and move food associated with bacterial overgrowth, oral contraceptives, fungal infections, liver and kidney disease, tobacco smoking and B-6 or iron deficiency.

The research conclusion is that: it is a reasonably safe bet that about 80% of the vegan and live food population, over time, runs the risk of a subclinical or clinical B-12 deficiency and increased homocysteine levels. An even higher percentage of newborns run this risk. My suggestion, out of my concern for all of my clients, for my fellow live fooders and vegans is that it is well advised to supplement with an actual B-12 human active supplement. There are vegan B-12 supplements, which allow us to be totally successful vegan live fooders.

My general recommendation is that if you have symptoms of B-12 deficiency, you can even start with a 100 pg. injection, or according to the research, an oral administration of 1,000 pg. per day for two to four weeks is equal to repeated monthly injections. After about a month of the oral, the dose can be cut in half. One can even cut that in half again. I don’t really recommend nutritional red star yeast, because of the fungal potential; I think that the safest and healthiest approach is via supplementation.

Some people eat according to their philosophy and belief of what is natural, and this may be an impediment. For example, the black Hebrews, a group of African-Americans who have migrated to Israel, have horrendously high levels of infant B-12 deficiency, as well as adult B-12 deficiency. They did not believe in taking supplements.

Data in a 1982 study showed that of the infants who were breastfed for three months, and then were given diluted homemade soymilk for three months to one year, 25 of them (a significant percentage) had protein deficiency, iron and B-12 anemia, as well as zinc deficiency. In the 1982 study, three of the infants were dead on arrival, five more died within a few hours of hospital admission, despite treatment. Serum levels were low in 9 of 15 cases and undetectable in three of them. I don’t feel this is a very good example of what we want to show to the world in the way we want to treat our children. We can make those choices. We have a theory of natural, and we also have a theory of what it means to be healthy.

This is the first time in history that we can be completely successful live food vegans. What I mean by being successful is completely healthy, including no B-12 deficiency and no elevated homocysteine levels. It is my medical opinion, as a vegan since 1973 and live fooder since 1983, and as a person committed to supporting all those who choose to become healthy live food vegans, that it would be wise to incorporate some B-12 supplementation in your diet. I believe it is more natural to be healthy than it is to be anything less than that.

B12 UPDATE March 2004

Iwas pleased by the general positive response to the B12 article. It was nice that so many people understood the integrity of my intent, which is to create the understanding and support for everyone to be successful on a live food diet. The ethics of live food lifestyle are wonderful, but we need to remember that we are still in the first few generations of a worldwide live food movement. We need to give honest feedback so we can attain the highest level of health and make this a truly successful worldwide movement.

Contrary to what a few people wanted to interpret from my article, there was more than one study that showed live food people were B12 deficient. There were at least three studies on adults and two on children. All five of these published live food studies showed the participants had serious deficiencies. These are no studies that show live food vegans do not get B12 deficient overtime. There are at least fifteen vegan studies on adults that have shown identical results. Cooked food and live food vegans show the same results…approximately 80% of those who do not use B12 supplements or B12 fortified foods sooner or later develop symptoms of B12 deficiency. These may include physical symptoms such as the inability to walk, tremors, weakness, fatigue, diarrhea, fever, upper respiratory infections, impotence, infertility, anemia as well as neurological symptoms such as depression, anxiety, panic attacks, hyperactive reflexes, numbness and tingling in the hands and feet, impaired memory, and paranoid delusions. These appear in children as well, but in children if they are not caught in time, they often result in death. Sickness and death due to B12 deficiency do not support the expansion of the vegan live food movement. These symptoms are not just “a misunderstood healing crises or poorly functioning colon or a poor live food diet.”

Although bacteria in the colon do produce B12, it is not reabsorbed into the system. Published research has shown that if people eat an extract of their feces they will not get a B12 deficiency. Although this may be considered natural, it is not something that I recommend. There are far easier and tasteful ways to build the B12 such as taking a supplement or eating B12 fortified foods. Whether one’s colon is clean or not, B12 does not get absorbed from the colon.

A reasonable dose is 10-100 micrograms per day. Research shows that a daily intake best approximates the natural intake pattern. Vegan tablets are available from a variety of companies; Twin Labs has gelatin in its tablet and therefore is not vegan.

There are three forms of B12: cyanocobalamin, methylcobalamin, and hydroxycobalamin. Although all three forms work, but cyanocobalamin probably should not be used in people with kidney problems or who smoke. In some studies with people with severe B12 deficiencies oral doses of 1000 micrograms per day for two months worked as well as 1000 microgram injections repeatedly given.

A published report cites a man in his eighties who had been in excellent health as a vegan for 38 years, when suddenly he began to suffer from mental disturbances, developed confusion and sadness, lost bowel control, and lost motor control skill to the point where he could marginally stand up. After one shot of B12 his physical and mental health began to rapidly return and by one week many of his symptoms had disappeared.

A personal communication with Nazariah Owen who developed weakness, fatigue and impaired motor and nervous system symptoms including the loss of the ability to walk following a seven year history of lacto-vegetarian diet followed by a five year history of a pure raw vegan diet tells of a too common story.

His symptoms disappeared after starting B12 supplementation and eating B12 fortified foods. He found many people who had similar B12 deficiency symptoms, but who were afraid to share publicly. An additional health problem associated with a low B12 is elevated homocysteine which is associated with an increased incidence of heart attacks, neurological problems, neural tube defects in children especially if the folic acid is low, increased incidence of hearing loss with age. In one study women with higher homocysteine levels had 170% chance of two or more pregnancy losses in the first trimester.

If the live food movement is to mature, it requires that we do not suppress honest feedback so we can solve the problems that do arise in this young mass movement. Yes…there are 20% who may not get an immediate or even a deficiency after 20 years. There are one million four hundred thousand genetic variations in our DNA. Some people are going to get B12 deficient sooner than others or not at all because of their particular enzyme systems and metabolic patterns. For some it may be like the man in his eighties who took thirty-eight years before becoming deficient.

For those who do not want to risk the eighty percent chance of becoming deficient, oral supplementation is the simplest way to avoid a B12 deficiency and elevated homocysteine levels. The personal physical, moral and spiritual reasons for succeeding at live food vegan diet, the shift in world consciousness and healing of the planetary ecology brings is a far greater gift than the ego gratification of holding on to a concept of naturalness.

- Frederic’s Update

- Frederic Kisses a Tucan (video)

- Vitamin B12 (article)

Greetings from Costa Rica!

I have an important article today about vitamin B12 on the raw food diet.

But first, you can enjoy this quick video that I recently shot at the La Paz Waterfall Gardens in Costa Rica with Veronica. You’ll see me kiss a Tucan (the beautiful tropical bird), and more! Check it out below.

Make sure to comment on the B12 article, as we need to turn this into an open discussion to get as many opinions as possible on the topic. This is important.

Important News

Yesterday we started using a new support desk for all of our customer service. If you used our previous desk, you will now need to register again with this new service. We’re sorry about that but we feel this new support desk is a big improvement and will help us serve you better. For any customer service, go to www.replytofred.com to see the best way to contact us. Please make sure you refresh the page to see our link to the new customer support desk. The direct link to the support desk is http://fredericpatenaude.zendesk.com

Fred Kissing a Tucan

I found that fasting is one of the very best ways to “reset the system” and get back on track on the path of ultimate health. I have found that a short 72-hour water fast is the very best way to kickstart your health whenever you’ve fallen off the wagon.

I found the short 3-day water fast to be great for:

- Going through a tough period of life when you have a lot on your mind (including handling difficult situations such as grief)
- Get back on track with the raw food diet
- Improve digestion
- Eliminate depression
- Eliminate short-term pains such as headaches, bad sleeping habits, etc.

Note: This is my personal experience. Not everyone can benefit from a short 3-day fast, and you should ask your licensed health practitioner if you have any doubt. Fasting is not advised for many health conditions. Ask your doctor first.

Enjoy this video where I talk more about the benefits of water fasting, and go through a three-day fast on the camera for you!

Notes from Video Blog:

- I have a correction to make. On the video I said that intermittent fasting extends life 40% more than calorie-restricted diets. I meant to say, extend the life more than on a 40% calorie-restricted diet. The studies I referred to can be found here and here.

Paul Bragg, who was a pioneer of the health food movement, used to fast four times a year for 7 days.

He claimed that this fasting regimen was the foundation of his superior health. He did live to be 81 years old, and people report he was surfing and being active at a fairly advanced age.

But I find that Bragg’s program is far too extreme and would be too depleting for most people.

However, I do think that there’s something behind this idea of periodic cleansing.

So, instead of a fast, try a cleanse!

Most people, myself included, don’t always stick to low-fat raw vegan, organic, freshly picked fruits and vegetables, 100% of the time.

Most people, myself included, don’t always get enough exercise, or enough sleep.

Most people, myself included, are exposed to some dose of environmental pollution, often without being aware of it.

The big difference between the cleanse and the water fast is that you’ll still be eating food. But instead of your regular diet, the cleanse will be more restrictive and allow the body to restore its energy and eliminate toxins.

For example, eating only one type of fruit for a week is a form of cleanse.

In my experience, the body needs a cleanse about four times per year.

When was the last time you cleansed?

The periodic cleansing allows you to “correct” any excesses or “cheating”. For example, by going at least 4 weeks a year without any fats, you compensate for the days you’re eating more fats or “cheating”.

You can do this on your own, or you can participate in organized cleanses.

I find that whenever people try to cleanse on their own, they generally don’t stick with it because there is no coaching and no accountability.

That’s why several times a year I organize and lead the Green for Life Cleanse. This is my favorite cleanse to restore your health and energy and feel amazingly rejuvenated by the end of the 7 days.

Our next cleanse is scheduled for February 20^th (in just over a week!).

This also happens to be the best time to cleanse, after the Holidays when you really need it, and at the start of a new year, when you want to set a good start for the rest of the year.

Join us for this next Green Cleanse, and you will get to participate in all upcoming cleanses we organize… for life!

There are just 50 spaces total to for this cleanse.

Find out more and sign up at:

www.fredericpatenaude.com/greenforlife.html