Open from 9am to 8pm January 2009 Issue

n Nutrients Help Life Phases

n Keys to Brain Health in B12

n Hexane In Infant Formula

n New Product

n Organic Ingredients

n Pain Free Knees & Anti Oxidents

n Calcium and Growing Girls

n Herb of the Month: Chili Pepper

News & Research This Issue

What’s in the Allowed 5% Non-Organic Portion of Organic Labled Products?

When organic food shoppers first dis-cover that the federal organic standards allow some non-organic ingredients in multi ingredient product labeled organic a frequent reaction is why?When the organic standards went into effect in 2002 the availability of a number of minor ingredients in an organic form was unreliable or non-existent. Good examples being leci-thin and baking yeast. Both of these represent a very small percentage of a final product and yet are cru-cial to the commercial production of whole groups of food categories.Thus an industry founded in a vision of purity decided it was worth the cre-ation of some temporary loopholes to allow these products to brag about there predominantly organic makeup.This policy although not the fi-nal solution allows for the con-tinual development of organic products and markets which is a good thing for us all and has there-fore been supported by Good Earth.Obviously safeguards need to be in place so that this temporary loophole does not turn into a permanent lower-ing of organic standards, and they are.-These ingredients must be demonstrated to be reasonably unavailable as defined by

the National Organic Standards Board, the organic industry advisory board to USDA.-As ingredients become available in

an organic form, as is now occurring with lecithin, food producers will be required to use the organic versions.-These approved non-organic in-gredients must be agricultural prod-ucts or supplements or minerals (not chemical food additives) and they

may not be Genetically Modified.Details of these ingredients can be found at http--www.ams.usda.gov-AMSv1.0-

getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5068682&acct=nopgeninfo.webloc Of course when one of these non-organic 5% ingredients is processed with a solvent, as is most non-organic oil consumed in America today, you get what we call a grey area. (See accompanying article on Page 7).The only way to get your head around this is to realize that- Even if you buy a bottle of cooking oil from Wesson that has been solvent extracted, the level of hexane remaining is miniscule (they say none) so if the non-organic oil makes up only a couple of percent of the finished product, the solvent should not be much of a concern.That said, we should all be push-ing for all those temporarily al-lowed non-organic ingredients in the 5% to become organic so we no longer have these grey areas.

The Non Organic Ingredients in Organic Products

Calcium Supplements Benefit Growing Girls

In a calcium and bone study, researchers explained that about 35 percent of adult bone mass forms

during puberty. Doctors recruited 96 girls, average age 12, who did not get enough calcium from diet, who took 792 mg of calcium citrate malate per day, dissolved in a fruit drink, or a placebo. After 18 months, girls who had taken calcium had significantly greater bone mineral density (BMD) throughout the entire skeleton compared to placebo. Two years later, after stopping calcium supplements, the girls who had taken calcium had lost the BMD benefit.

In a review of bone mineral content (BMC) studies covering more than 3,800 children, scientists noted that kids with the lowest calcium levels benefited the most from taking calcium supplements and dairy products with calcium and vitamin D, and that 70 percent of boys and 90 percent of girls do not get enough calcium to maintain strong bones.

In a bone fracture risk study, 670 men and 260 women, average age 61 and generally healthy, took 1,200 mg of

calcium per day, or a placebo. After four years, those who had taken calcium were

72 percent less likely to have had a bone fracture compared to placebo. Participants then stopped taking calcium. Doctors

followed up for another six years and found that, without calcium, the fracture risk benefit disappeared.

In a BMD study, investigators measured blood levels of folate in 117 healthy postmenopausal women who were not taking calcium or vitamin D supplements and found that women who had the highest levels of folate retained more BMD over five years than women with low folate levels. Folate is a form of folic acid, or vitamin B9.

Beginning in 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will allow food manufacturers to claim that vitamin D is good for bone health and reduces risk for bone disease (osteoporosis), adding to the current bone health claim for calcium

.Reference: Bone; 2008, Vol. 43, No. 2, 312-21

Pain-Free Knees With Anti Oxident Nutrients

Three new studies show nutrients reduced pain, increased movement, and lowered risk

for osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee.In one study, 75 participants with

OA of the knee took 100 mg or 250 mg of Boswellia serrata extract, or a placebo, for 90 days. Doctors measured blood and urine levels of an enzyme that destroys joint cartilage and found that, as early as seven days into the treatment, those who were taking 250 mg of Boswellia serrata reported significantly less pain and better movement and had lower levels of the destructive enzyme. There were no safety issues or side effects.

In another study, 100 participants with OA of the knee took 150 mg of Pycnogenol® per day with meals, or a placebo. After three months, those who had taken Pycnogenol reported significantly less knee pain, better movement, and were taking less prescription anti-inflammatory medication than before the

study. The placebo group did not improve, and took more anti-inflammatory drugs.

In a knee bone and cartilage study, researchers analyzed the amount of antioxidants in the diets of about 300 healthy men and women, average age 58, who did not have knee pain or injury.

Ten years later, doctors took a magnetic resonance image (MRI) to determine knee bone and cartilage health. Those who consumed the most vitamin C, and those who consumed the most fresh fruit, had healthier knee bone and marrow than did those who consumed less vitamin C or fresh fruit. Those who consumed the most lutein and zeaxanthin had healthier knee cartilage than those who consumed less lutein and zeaxanthin.Reference: Arthritis Research & Therapy; 2008, Vol. 10, No. 4, electronic pre-publication

The Chili pepper (Capsicum spp.) is a berry shrub in the Solanaceae or nightshade family. The Capsi-

cum genus gives us a huge array of edible and medicinal peppers, from the sweet bell pepper to the fiery habanero. Interestingly, the thousands of varieties of chilis are re-ally only a few species. In fact the bell pepper, cayenne, jala-peño, anaheim, poblano and many more are all just cul-tivars of one species, Capsi-cum annuum. Native to the Americas, chili peppers have been consumed as food, spice and medicine here since at least 7500 BC, and over the millennium they were domesticated independently several times from Peru to New Mexico. When Christopher Columbus arrived in the new world, he tasted the native chi-lis and called them peppers, due to the similarity in pungency to black pepper (although the two plants are not related). Columbus brought them back to Spain in 1493, and their popularity and cultiva-tion soon spread around the world. It is thought that it took as little as 50 years for chili peppers to be cultivated on all coasts of Africa, India, Asia, China, the Middle East, the Balkans, Central Europe and Italy. It is hard to imagine Indian, Thai or Chinese food without the famil-iar piquant burn, but in-deed the chili pepper did not reach the east until around the 16th century. As the chili pepper spread, people were quick to recognize its medicinal uses. Chi-lis were (and are) used widely around the world

to aid digestion, stimulate appetite, in-crease circulation, and to treat pain and inflammation. In China, chilis were originally called fan jiao or “barbarian’s

spice” and, in ad-dition to the uses above, they were also used topical-ly to treat frostbite and chilblains. The spiciness of peppers is due to a chemical called capsaicin, which affects pain receptor sites in a way that causes the body to think it has been burned. Although there is no actual damage to the tissues, the body responds with an increase in blood flow to

the affected area and a release of endor-phins. When ingested, it also increases the secretion of gastric juices. Modern medical uses for capsaicin are mostly focused on pain relief and anesthesia. Applied topically it has an ability to overload pain receptor sites, creating a temporary relief of pain. This effect is being investigated currently for treating post-surgical pain. Additionally, capsai-cin has been shown to kill certain kinds of cancer cells, perhaps evident in the fact that Thai people have much lower rates of gastrointestinal cancers than the Chinese or Japanese, and there is direct correlation to the higher consumption of chilis. Nutritionally speaking, peppers are a good source of vitamin C, Carotenoids, B vitamins, potassium and magnesium.

The Good Earth carries cayenne pepper tinctures and capsules, which are excellent for increas-ing circulation to the extremities. For topical pain relief preparations, check out the Badger Balm or Dragon Balm in our bodycare section.

Herb of the Month: Chili Pepper

This is an excellent remedy to in-crease circulation to the extremi-ties. Also provides immune support for the cold/flu season. Can be taken straight, in a little water, or on food.

½ teaspoon cayenne or 1 teaspoon crushed chili1 clove of garlic, minced1 teaspoon horseradish, minced.1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced.1 teaspoon onion, minced

Combine with 1 pint apple cider vinegar.Store in a cool dark place for 1 week, shaking vigorously daily.

Liniments like this one are traditionally used for arthritic pain, bruising or other inflammation. It should be rubbed in vig-orously, and a little goes a long way. Make sure to avoid the eyes and sensitive tissues.

2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced1 teaspoon ground cardamom1 teaspoon ground rosemary1 teaspoon angelica or dong quai1 teaspoon myrrh powder1 teaspoon frankincense ½ teaspoon cayenne

Combine all ingredients in ½ pint of vodka, everclear or 70-80 % tincturing alcohol.Store in a cool dark place, shak-ing regularly for 3 to 4 weeks. Ad-ditional aging will increase po-tency. Strain through a cheesecloth.

Circulation Cider

Circulation Liniment

Doctors say we may be able to save our memory by increasing vitamin B12.

In a study of brain size, doctors explained that the brain can shrink (atrophy), and as it does, risk for Alzheimer’s disease and other mental decline rises. Researchers measured blood levels of vitamin B12 in 107 men and women, aged 61 to 87, who functioned well physically and mentally, and found that those with low vitamin B12 levels were six times more likely to have brain atrophy than were those with higher vitamin B12 levels. Doctors noted that, “Many factors that affect brain health were thought to be out of our control, but this study suggests that by simply

Vitamin B12 Key to Brain Healthadjusting our diets to consume more vitamin B12, we may be able to prevent

brain shrinkage and perhaps save our memory.”

In a mental health study, r e s e a r c h e r s measured vitamin B12 blood levels in more than 1,600 older adults and followed up for 10 years. Mental function declined in some younger participants, but remained healthy

in some older ones. Doctors found that as the level of vitamin B12 rose, mental decline slowed, and when a sign of inflammation—called homocysteine— was high, mental decline accelerated.

Genomics is a new area of science

where researchers explore, among other things, how our genes affect diet and health. In a study of genetic cancer risk factors, the National Cancer Institute collaborated with researchers from Harvard and Tufts Universities, Boston and Medford, Massachusetts, respectively, to analyze the entire gene code of over 2,800 women and unexpectedly found a gene (FUT2) that may, depending on its form, help or interfere with the ability of the body to digest, absorb, and use vitamin B12. Investigators explained that vitamin B12 separates from food while in the stomach, and that the good form of FUT2 may protect vitamin B12 from stomach acid and harmful bacteria until the nutrient can safely enter the small intestine and absorb into the bloodstream.

It is beneficial to add enzyme rich foods such as Miso, repasturized sauerkraut, pickles, and sprouts to maximize B12’s use in the digestive tract.Reference: Neurology; 2008, Vol. 71, 826-32

Nutrients Help Women Manage Life Phasesmg of omega-3 fatty acids per day or a placebo. After six and eight weeks, those who took omega-3 had significantly less depression compared to placebo, with nearly 40 percent in the omega-3 group

reporting no symptoms (remission). There were no side effects for mothers or babies. Omega-3s make up nearly 70 percent of the developing infant brain, nervous system, and retinal eye tissue.

In a study of severe menstrual pain (dysmenorrhea), 116 women with or without dysmenorrhea, aged 18 to 48, took 60 mg of Pycnogenol, or a placebo, for two menstrual cycles.

Participants could take pain medication; non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs called NSAIDS, as long as they kept a diary of doses. Women with dysmenorrhea had

nearly 40 percent fewer painful days while taking Pycnogenol, and used significantly fewer NSAIDS. During a third menstrual cycle without Pycnogenol, women who had taken Pycnogenol in the first two cycles had less dysmenorrhea and were able to take fewer NSAIDS. Study authors noted that NSAIDS generally do not relieve the painful spasms in dysmenorrhea, and have side effects.

In a cancer immunity study from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, 30 postmenopausal women who had been successfully treated for breast cancer took a range of doses of beta-glucan extract from maitake mushroom. Doctors drew blood after one, two, and three weeks and found that women who had taken about 1 mg of beta-glucan per pound of body weight had the greatest increase in immune cells including cancer-fighting natural killer cells (NKC) and mature white blood cells. Reference: Journal of Clinical Psychiatry; 2008, Vol. 69, 644-51

Omega-3 eased depression in pregnancy, Pycnogenol® cut menstrual pain and pain

medication, and beta-glucan boosted cancer-fighting cells in three new studies.

In an omega-3 study, researchers explained that pregnant women often become depressed due to physical and emotional demands, but need an alternative to anti-depressant medication which may harm the baby. Doctors noted that prior studies have linked low levels of omega-3 to depression and theorized that the baby depletes mothers’ omega-3. Twenty-four pregnant women with major depressive disorder took 3,400

Organic Infant Formulas and the 5% Exemption

Some critically valuable infant for-mula additive nutrients -- DHA and ARA, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty

acids -- have become a hot button issue for The Cornucopia Institute. The Wis-consin-based farm policy advocacy group is challenging the details of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s organic standards that allow for 5% of a certified organic product’s ingredients to be non-organic if they are not reason-ably available as organic (see related article on the front page of this newslet-ter). Isolated DHA and ARA that are commonly found in some organic infant formulas are not or-ganic, falling within the 5% loophole, and have been extracted using hexane as a solvent. Hexane is pro-duced from crude oil and is then used to separate the specific nutrients, in this case DHA and ARA from algae and soil fungus. According to the Hain Celestial Group, manufacturers of Earth’s Best Organic Baby Formula that contains the supplements in question, the regula-tions “do not prohibit the use of solvents for the ex-traction of these nutrients. The solvents are removed following the extraction process and pose no dan-ger to the consumer.” Organic products that contain the fatty acid supplements include Horizon Organic milk with DHA and most organic infant formu-las, including Similac Organic, Earth’s Best and Bright Beginnings Organic. The nutrients DHA and ARA are con-sidered critical for eye and brain develop-ment in infants under the age of 1 year old. Formulas lacking these nutrients are only recommended for toddlers who are re-

ceiving these nutrients from other sources. Baby’s Only Organic Toddler For-mulas do not contain supplemental DHA/ARA. According to their packaging, the

formula contains the building blocks nec-essary to make the supplements. This for-mula is labeled a “toddler formula,” ac-cording to their website, because Baby’s Only believes “breast milk is the best organic choice for the first 12- months of life.” Everything an infant needs, devel-

opmentally, is contained in an ideal way in breast milk. Although the FDA states that these particular nutrients, which are contained in breast milk, are neces-sary for an infant, iso-lated supplemental ver-

sions of them are not as ideal as the nutritional synergy of breast milk. However, since these nutrients are of-ficially recognized, most infant formu-las contain the supplemental versions. The Good Earth carries both the Baby’s Only (fatty acids not added) and the Earth’s Best formulas (fatty ac-ids added). While we consider hexane use as a solvent to be a deplorable practice by the industry, we recognize

the complexity of negotiating nutritional needs, especially in the category of infant formula. Although hexane as a solvent is completely removed from the additives

before it is used in an organic infant formula, the Good Earth continues to advocate for the food industry to function with-out such methods as hexane extrac-tion. We also give credence to the fact that the DHA and ARA supple-ments make up a very small portion of the permitted 5% of non-organic ingredients in the product as a whole. The Good Earth also recog-nizes that while there is no sub-

stitute for breast milk, situations arise wherein formula is an extremely neces-sary and important substitute. We strive to provide you the customer with enough information to make the best, most in-formed decision possible for your dietary needs and for those of your children.

Melatonin Reduces Alzheimer Effect

Melatonin, a natural hormone in the body that regulates sleeping and waking energy, helped

those with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) sleep less during the day and have more energy.

Researchers explained that those with AD, p a r t i c u l a r l y those in nursing homes, often do not get enough natural daylight, which disrupts nighttime sleep and increases daytime sleepiness. Fifty nursing home participants with AD, average age 86, took one hour of light therapy with or without 5 mg of melatonin, five days a week, or had normal indoor light without melatonin.

For the light therapy, scientists used natural sunlight when it was bright

outside, and added artificial sunlight lamps when skies were overcast. After 10 weeks, those who had the light therapy plus melatonin were less sleepy during

the day, had more daytime energy, and had a better balance in the alternating rhythm of resting and waking energy, called circadian rhythm, the biological clock of the body.

D o c t o r s explained that restoring the

circadian rhythm helps those with AD participate in more daytime activities and social situations, which can reduce some of the effects of the disease. The scientists are not sure if melatonin alone, or combined with daylight, created the improvement, and suggest more study.Reference: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society; 2008, Vol. 56, No. 2, 239-46

Printed on Recycled Paper

Good Earth Natural Foods1966 Sir Francis Drake Blvd.Fairfax, CA 94930415-454-0123ge@genatural.comwww.GoodEarthNaturalFoods.netwww.GoodEarthOrganicLunches.com

New Product

The Good Earth is pleased to intro-duce a new herbal product line: Sahaj Integrative Botanicals.

Sahaj is a renaissance herbal company rooted in the aincient wisdom of the world’s great healing traditions. Their handcraftd botanical elixers unite the highest quality Western, Chinese, and Ayurvedic herbs into formulas rooted in the energetic and constitutional model of traditional Ayurveda. The Good Earth now carries a selection of digestive chur-nas or herbal powders, and medicinal ghees made with “Ancient Organics’ ghee and the highest quality organic herbs.