By Dr. Michael Wald
1. Why can the addition of supergreen powders/pills be a benefit to ones diet/ health?
Answer: Very few people are successful at meeting the governmental requirements of minimal intake of vegetables – approximately 4-5 per day! Science has proven that the higher one’s diets of green’s, the less heart disease, cancers and degenerative diseases. Consuming supergreen powders is a reliable way to get in the minimum daily intake of greens and then some…and one cannot eat too many greens (with the exception of those on blood thinning medications).
2. With so many Americans coming up short in the daily fruits and veggies department, can green products provide a good way to make up for deficiencies?
Answer: Absolutely! Supergreen powders are high in vitamins, minerals, fibers (soluble and insoluble), enzymes, and other, anti-cancer compounds, anti-inflammatory compounds, detoxification compounds and other important nutritional items.
3. What should consumers look for and what should we be wary of in a green foods product?
Answer: Make sure that the product does not contain food concentrates that you have known allergies or sensitivities to. The product should have a wide variety of foodstuff with different tastes. These products should be free of excessive bacterial and yeast organisms and heavy metals such as lead and mercury.
4. What is chlorophyll and what are the benefits of it? Is it is similar to hemoglobin in blood? Is it true that algae such as spirulina will have much more chlorophyll than green grasses such as barley?
Answer: Chlorophyll has a chemical structure that has similarities to human (mammal) hemoglobin, but chlorophyll is not hemoglobin and does not have the same functions in the human body. However, chlorophyll does seem to have weak detoxification properties and thus blood cleansing properties, but not in cases of serious toxicity. Also, chlorophyll cannot effectively detoxify heavy metals. Depending upon the toxins in question, certain nutritional compounds are more appropriate than others. The amount of chlorophyll in a food depends on the food and the amount consumed. Chlorophyll is a type of fiber and is not absorbed. Algae are higher in chlorophyll per gram compared to barley, but one would need to alter their intake for equivalent amounts. It is best, in my opinion, to consume a variety of algae containing foods.
Stay tuned for part 2 of this article shortly…..
– Dr. Michael Wald, aka The Blood Detective, is the director of nutritional services at Integrated Medicine of Mount Kisco, located in Westchester New York. He has appeared on ABC World News Tonight with Diane Sawyer, Channel 11 PIX, Channel 12 News, CNN, The Food Network and other media outlets. Dr. Wald earned the name Blood Detective for his reputation to find problems that are often missed by other doctors. He earned an MD degree, is a doctor of chiropractic and a certified dietician-nutritionist. He is also double-board certified in nutrition. He has published over a dozen books with three additional titles due for release late 2013 including: Frankenfoods – Genetically Modified Foods: Controversies, Lies & Your Health and Gluten-A-Holic: How to Live Gluten Free and the Blood Detective’s Longevity Secrets. Dr. Wald can be reached at: www.intmedny.com or www.blooddetective.com or by calling: 914-242-8844.