David Holland, MD

Common Sense--Probiotics and Red Meat

These are two rather unrelated topics, but recent news and conversations have led me to purge my thoughts on paper, and I believe I won't even need to reference anything in this article!

ON PROBIOTICS

I was speaking with a gentleman by phone not too long ago about probiotics. I cautioned him to be sure to purchase the refrigerated kind. His concern shocked me. "Aren't those the bad kind?" he asked me.

"Where did you here that?" I said. Good thing this was a phone conversation, because my facial expressions must have been appalling.

"On a health talk show, on T.V.," he explained.

As in all things, the Lord instructs us to guide with gentleness, so I talked to this man a bit about live and dead bacteria and why probiotics such as the Natren® brand are preferred, if you're going to spend money on a probiotic at all.

Now, gentleness aside, let's back up a minute, ladies and gentlemen. As many of you recall, the refrigerator is used primarily to: (please select one)

A)    display children's homework

B)     keep food from spoiling

C)    heat our homes  

In all humor, we know in our hearts that keeping food cool keeps it from spoiling. Why? Because the cooler temperature prevents bacteria from multiplying. Sure, there are bacteria present on most food. That chicken wrapper that reeks outside in the garbage after a few days didn't smell so bad in the fridge--because the bacteria couldn't grow and multiply at the cooler temperature in the fridge.

If you're dealing with a live, probiotic bacterium, the only way to keep it alive, and in suspension, and worth its weight as a valuable health food supplement, is to cool it down. Normally, bacteria multiply like crazy, but ideally at body temperature--98.6F degrees. Once you swallow the capsule or powder, you place the bacteria back in their familiar habitat and off they go, multiplying across your bowels and doing their job.

Do you get the picture? Now imagine placing a "live" bacteria product--advertised as a probiotic supplement--on a warm shelf in a health food store. If it has a food supply (in the capsule, or in the product, let's say), then it's going to grow as much as it can inside that capsule and then die. By the time you purchase it, you've got a supplement full of dead bacteria. You should get a discount on that product! Now, which is the "bad" product: the shelved product or the refrigerated one? I've even heard a physician say that since the bacteria live at body temperature anyway, then it's no big deal to buy them warm, too. This guy should not be giving health advice. He hosts a health talk show, by the way. Why don't we store our yogurt in the pantry, too, and keep the frozen turkey in the cupboard, instead? Please.

Some stores receive probiotic supplements in plain, un-cooled boxes and then put them up for sale in their refrigeration section. This is a practice called nothing other than consumer fraud. Unless they can prove that they received their product with ice packs in the boxes, or can show a statement of continuous refrigeration for their product, these stores have no right to sell shelved, "probiotic" supplements in the refrigerated section. Perhaps they're trying to extend the shelf-life of these products…but how do you revive a dead bacterium?

No doubt, some people have benefitted, in some way or fashion, from taking almost any type of probiotic supplement. My point is, if this is you, then you should have gotten a 75% discount on that product. Or, that product should have been sold as a "probiotic by-product", and not a live bacteria supplement. Thus, if you want a live, reliable probiotic supplement, then get one that has remained cool from the time of manufacture to the time it hits the back of your throat. There are very few products out there that would qualify. Natren® is one of the few, and so far, for the quantity of bacteria (displayed in Colony Forming Units, or CFU's, on the label) in their capsules versus the price, they've got the competition beat all around.

So let's keep that refrigeration thing about bacteria in mind, and keep science and knowledge clear and moving in a forward direction.

ON RED MEAT

Ted Slanker, I can picture your face turning red at this one: I got a glimpse of a health talk on the news last week, and the expert and host were talking about the risks of red meat: increased cancer, increased levels of omega-6 fatty acids (the bad ones), gout, etc., etc. Does this make sense to you, any of you?

If I ate my bicep, as small as it is and as grotesque and wrong as that sounds, does it make sense that I would be putting myself at risk for cancer? It's red meat, isn't it? But it's silly to think that it would put me at risk for cancer or heart disease.

If this doesn't make sense, then perhaps we need to ask some questions when we hear about the "dangers" of red meat. What did that cow eat, for example--the cow from whence that restaurant steak came. In other words, if it doesn't make sense to you that consuming a physiologically natural item such as red meat would put your health at risk, then ask yourself, what would? Would mold-contaminated grain? You bet! Mycotoxins, which are harmful, mold and fungal byproducts, cause cancer. Corn is extremely high in omega-6, pro-inflammatory, fatty acids, and as commonly contaminated with mycotoxins as well. Does it make sense that feeding a cow a tainted product like mold-infested grain, thereby creating a sick cow, could make us sick? Could we excuse "red meat" from the danger list, then?

I have a medical lecture, on CD, talking about the benefits of grass-fed meat. I suppose, in all fairness, we really should create separate categories of meat: Grass-fed and Grain-fed. But that's been done already. From here out, please just know that if you hear the words "RED MEAT" in the news, they are by default speaking about GRAIN-FED meat, i.e., from a sick cow. Most people talking about grass-fed meat make that distinction and don't lower it to the level of "red meat".

May I please repeat that? From here out, please just know that if you hear the words "RED MEAT" in the news, they are by default speaking about GRAIN-FED meat, i.e., from a relatively sick cow. Most people discussing grass-fed meat point out the huge difference between grass-fed and grain-fed, and don't lower the grass-fed product to the level of "red meat".

Okay, that's off my chest now. Thank you. I pray you have great health, but whether you do or not, I pray that you at least know the Lord. Have a blessed day!

 Websites to check out:

 www.truthaboutprobiotics.com

www.texasgrassfedbeef.com 

I don't receive money or kickbacks from these guys--just good information