Page 24 - Spring2010

cur in the human body until they have scrubbed rye and soy indicate that phytates cause more
their way around the many twisting loops of the calcium binding than oxalates, such foods are
small intestine to arrive in the large intestine. 73 high in both anti-nutrients. Increased calcium
How else might saponins be useful? In ad- excretion and increased oxalic acid excretion
dition to marketing them as cholesterol reducers, ride tandem and have been linked to osteoporo-
bile binders and cancer preventers, Big Pharm sis. Finally, health practitioners treating autism
has singled out saponins for their ability to in- have found that oxalate-containing foods must
crease the body’s levels of immune response and be eliminated from the diet, as well as products
proposes adding saponins to vaccines! Finally, containing gluten, casein and soy, before any
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there may be big profits in using saponins as a real progress can be made in treating this tragic
component of spermicides. Seems hemolysis condition. 79
damages the mucosa of the vagina, providing
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an inhospitable environment for sperm, not to SALICYLATES
mention women feeling pain and unlikely to be “When in doubt, eat fruits and veggies.”
hospitable to sex anyway. Might seem like good advice except for the fact
that fruits and vegetables are not only high in
OXALATES: CASTING STONES carbs but also contain all-natural phytochemicals
Oxalates are indigestible compounds in known as salicylates. As with other plant foods
foods that prevent the proper absorption of cal- that bite back, salicylates evolved to fight preda-
cium. Contrary to popular belief, oxalates are tors. And organic fruits and vegetables seem to
not significantly neutralized by cooking. The have more of them. These are not-too-distant
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foods highest in oxalates are soyprotein, spinach chemical cousins of the salicylates found in hun-
and rhubarb. Years ago, these rarely posed a dreds of over-the-counter (OTC) medications and
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problem because soy protein isolate had yet to be prescription drugs used to relieve minor aches
Fruits and invented, and few people other than Popeye ate and pains, reduce fever and inflammation, thin
vegetables are much spinach. Fewer still ever ate rhubarb. But the blood, dry up diarrhea and treat skin condi-
as William Shaw, PhD points out (see page 40) tions such as acne, warts and psoriasis. The most
not only high many health conscious people now eat a gigantic famous OTC members of the salicylate family are

in carbs but spinach salad every day, thinking it’s the ticket to aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid), Ben Gay (methyl
also contain good health. Instead, it can be a ticket to kidney salicylate), Pepto Bismol (bismuth subsalicylate)
Salicy-
stones, vulvodynia and other oxalate-related and Doan’s (magnesium salicylate).
81,82
all-natural health problems. lates are also increasingly found in alternative
phyto- Other oxalate-containing foods likely to medicines and Chinese herbs, particularly topical
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chemicals be eaten to excess are peanuts and chocolate. oils.
Given that these popular and addictive foods can
Many people today are so salicylate intoler-
known as represent whole food groups to vegans, caution ant that they experience adverse reactions not
salicylates. is warranted. Although studies on rice, wheat, only to drugs but also to salicylate-rich foods like

AGAVE ANGUISH

In the human diet, people tend to think of beans as the likeliest source of saponins. But one plant food that is sur-
prisingly high in saponins is agave. This industrial sweetener is currently the darling of health conscious crowd but is best
avoided for a multitude of reasons as discussed in “Worse than We Thought: The Lowdown on High Fructose Corn Syrup
and Agave ‘Nectar’” (Wise Traditions, Spring 2009).
One problem is that it contains a particularly nasty form of saponin in the cell sap of its roots and leaves. This was
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identified in the Journal of Biological Chemistry back in 1922. Experiments on fish showed that agave saponin caused
the fish to become greatly excited, swim about rapidly, calm down, come to the surface of the water gasping for air, lose
their equilibrium, then turn over on their backs, often to die within just three to five minutes. Bleeding from the gills and
fins was also observed, a result of saponin’s hemolysis effect. In contrast, the researchers reported other types of saponins
took a full fifteen minutes to two hours to exert these adverse effects. Interestingly the addition of cholesterol delayed and
inhibited the fatal action of the saponin.
24 Wise Traditions SPRING 2010