Is chewing gum vegan?
From the Vegetarian Resource Group:
“Most chewing gums innocuously list 'gum base' as one of their ingredients, masking the fact that petroleum, lanolin, glycerin, polyethylene, polyvinyl acetate, petroleum wax, stearic acid, and latex (a possible allergen) may be among the components. Because of standards of identity for items such as gum base and flavoring, manufacturers are not required to list everything in their product.
According to Dertoline, a French chemical manufacturer, their adhesive 'dercolytes' are used as a label and tape adhesive, as well as a chewing gum base. Many brands also list glycerin and glycerol as ingredients on the label. Both of them CAN be animal derived, so you would have to write to the manufacturer."
But there is help for vegan gum-chewers?
Yes! A friend of mine wrote to me about one gum which appears to be vegan,
"Epic". My friend wrote: "I called and asked as to what "gum base" was in their ingredients
list. I was told it is plant based and that they use no animal products in their gums.I ordered some and am enjoying it."
I previously posted that Glee Gum was not vegan. However, here is some new information from the company:
" Glee Gum has recently been certified vegetarian by the American Vegetarian Association. Our resinous glaze is made from the secretions of the Lac insect, accrued in a manner which does not harm the insect. I am attaching a copy of a recent email the American Vegetarian Association sent a curious customer about this very issue. If you wrote us in the past, we may have been under the impression that our resinous glaze WAS harmful to insects -- we have since learned (happily!) that we were mistaken. Therefore, though our gum is NOT vegan, it is indeed vegetarian."
Here is a letter from the American Vegetarian Society:
From: amerveg@aol.com
January 2, 2008 3:45:54 PM EST
Subject: Glee Gum Inquiry
Regarding your inquiry about the resinous glaze ingredient in Glee Gum; this particular ingredient is treated similarly as honey from a bee. The glaze 'shellac' is harvested from trees, and the insect is not specifically harmed as a result of this collecting process. Therefore, a 'vegetarian' status is the universally accepted claim for this product. Thank you for your inquiry,
Regards,
Len Torine
Executive Director
American Vegetarian Association
Why do you always call for organic chocolate and cocoa? Is non-organic not vegan?
Good question! It's not that the non-organically-grown is not vegan, but there are ethical issues around the production of chocolate and cocoa. For more about this, see the article by John Robbins here. Organic is not necessarily fair-trade (see the article), but, if you can't find fair-trade chocolate and cocoa, organic at least does not endanger the workers with pesticides.
Alot of us use chocolate chips for for cooking and baking. Cocoa butter is vegan. If the chips are not vegan, they will have milk powder, whey or milk solids in them.
Here is some information I have gathered:
Check out Cloud Nine chocolate chips-- they are featured on the Sunspire website http://www.nspiredfoods.com/cloudmn.html
They are definitely slavery-free, according to John Robbins, whereas it is unclear about the Sunspire ones.
http://www.nspiredfoods.com/nsprbkmn.html
Another brand that I have found in healthfood stores that is quite reasonably priced AND dairy-free (may have traces from the equipment, though) AND organic, GMO-free, AND slavery-free is Endangered Species.
Dark Chocolate Bug Bites and Semi-Sweet Baking Chips: "These products contain no dairy ingredients and are casein free, but are processed on the same machinery as our milk chocolate. Although we thoroughly clean all equipment between uses, there is the slight chance that there may be traces of dairy and casein in this chocolate." (This is true of alot of vegan chocolate. BCG)
"Fair Trade Cocoa
We have always supported and only purchase our cocoa through the Fair Trade Initiative. The Free Trade Initiative was created in an effort to support smaller farm co-operatives. In supporting the smaller farm co-ops we encourage the indigenous people to harvest what is naturally grown in the area rather then clear-cutting the rainforest to make way for more destructive uses of land. Fair Trade also stipulates that equal money be paid to the smaller co-ops as would be to larger cocoa plantations, thus insuring that the co-op is not being taken advantage of. All of our chocolate comes from sources that support Fair Trade and our suppliers assure us that absolutely no child or slave labor is used in the harvesting of the cocoa Endangered Species Chocolate Company uses."
You can check their website at:
http://www.chocolatebar.com/
Other slavery-free chocolate companies:
Newman's Own:
http://www.newmansownorganics.com/food_chocolate.html
Rapunzel:
http://www.rapunzel.com/
Green and Black's:
http://www.greenandblacks.com/home/
Denman Island Chocolate;
http://www.denmanislandchocolate.com/
Rapunzel, Ah!Laska, Cocoa Camino, and Green and Black's make organic baking cocoa.
I notice that you don't call for many bananas, and, when you do, you specify organic now. Why?
Well, not only for health reasons, but also for ethical reasons. For more information go to the following articles;
What about sweeteners?
This is complicated and won't be solved overnight. There are a whole raft of articles on sugar in New Internationalist #363, December 2003; go to http://www.newint.org/ and go to "Back Issues" to find it.
There are two issues (besides the health and environmental issues): the issue of sugar being vegan or not, and the issue of human right abuses in the sugar industry. There are quite a few sugars now being produced organically and unbleached (cane sugar is bleached with beef bone ash; beet sugar is not, so it is always vegan) and fairly traded, though that is the toughest area. If it's organic, at least the workers are not being poisoned. Go to http://www.transfair.caor http://www.transfairusa.org for information on fair trade sugar. It should be more available as time goes on.
Alot of beet sugar is produced in the USA and Canada. I have not researched beet sugar workers in these countries, but they probably are superior to those in Third World Countries. I don't know if any beet sugar is organic yet.
I personally do not think sugar is any worse for you than other so-called "natural sugars", and I will give you my reasons in an essay below. You may wish to avoid sugar altogether, or use stevia another plant substance, but there may be some health problems associated with that, too, plus many people (including me) don't like the taste, and also using other sugars requires different recipes (sugar affects the structure of baked goods, etc., as well as the taste). So, moderation in all things is the best way to go! Humans like sweets, and always will. The main thing is not to eat them on a daily basis.
A FEW WORDS ABOUT SUGAR AND OTHER SWEETENERS
By Bryanna Clark Grogan
I know that many in the vegetarian and health food movements will disagree with me, but I think that depending upon so-called "natural" sugars is a mistake. Many consumers think they can eat large quantities of dessert foods made with fruit and grain syrups, but researchers have found that ingesting ANY type of sugar, even that in orange juice, leads to a significant drop in the white blood cell index of the body, reducing the effectiveness of the immune system. All sugars, indeed all refined carbohydrates, can effect insulin levels.
In fact, the worst case of low blood sugar I ever experienced, shaky legs included, was after eating maple butter, which is just cooked-down natural maple syrup. Actually, maple syrup isn't necessarily a better choice than sugar, although I love it. You may prefer it because it can be locally produced. There are many reasons for our choices. But, if it is a health choice, please read on:
I have been reading up alot on sugars because my husband has a high triglyceride level, which is complicated, but suffice it to say that he has "blood sugar challenges" as registered dietician Brenda Davis puts it, similar to someone worried about diabetes.
In her new book, "Defeating Diabetes" (an excellent book!), she explains sugars. Sugar is about 50% fructose and 50% glucose (commercial fructose is extracted from sugar). Frustose registers low on the Glycemic Index and sucrose higher. Table sugar is about middle on the Index, lower than white flour! Commercial fructose is nasty-tasting in my opinion and highly refined. Also, fructose can adversely effect blood lipid levels, so it shouldn't be used by those worried about cholesterol levels! (Talk about complicated!) (see articles about fructose below this one.)
Anyway, maple syrup is 90-100% sucrose! It only contains trace amounts of minerals and vitamins and registers about the same as sucrose on the GI.
Blackstrap molasses is the only sugar with any significant nutritional value, but is obviously limited in the ways it can be used. It provides lots of calcium and iron, though.
"Natural" sweeteners with a glycemic response similar to sucrose:
"raw", turbinado or unbleached sugar:
Sucanat (which I was surprised to hear is made by mixing refined cane juice and molasses!)
Barley malt (very small amounts of nutrients and only 40% as sweet as sugar)
Brown rice syrup (ditto for the nutrients, only half as sweet as sugar)
Is there anything else we can use?
Well, date sugar is very expensive and doesn't dissolve, and dates are pretty high on the GI too.
Rapadura is what Sucanat USED to be-- dehydrated cane juice. It can be used cup for cup with sugar, is the most nutrient dense of cane sugars (still not high in nutrition like molasses, but some nutrients) and "may provide a slightly lower glycemic response compared with sucrose" (Brenda Davis). Tastes more like light brown sugar.
For people concerned about blood sugar response, the answer might be agave syrup. It has some vitamins and minerals and is 90% fructose, so it has a very low GI. 1/2 a cup replaces 1 c. sugar (reduce liquid by 1/4 c.). It is not cheap and can be hard to find in some areas (I'm still looking for it around here, so I haven't experimented with it yet). CAUTION: because it is mainly fructose, it could adversely effect blood lipids (fats) if used alot!
So, you see, there is no ideal. Even excess natural fruit juice as a sweetener could adversely effect someone with cholesterol problems because of the fructose! My take on the whole thing remains this-- use sugar of any kind moderately and save desserts for a once a week and celebration treat. I use whatever kind of (vegan) sugar fits the bill. We eat desserts probably less than that, and we have a little sugar in our tea and on our oatmeal, and use low-sugar jam. That's the compromise I have made.
It stands to reason that such a concentrated, refined carbohydrate as sugar, stripped of its natural ingredients, may not be particularly good for us, but I don't believe that you are contributing to good health by eating desserts made with "natural" sugars every day. Boiled-down fruit juice, maple sap, or grain syrup are all very concentrated sugars, and the origins of them are no more natural than sugar cane (and usually not organic, either).
Furthermore, so-called “natural” sweeteners are not powerhouses of nutrition—one should not depend on ANY sweetener (except perhaps blackstrap molasses, a good source of both iron and calcium, but so strong-tasting that it cannot be used in many desserts) for nutrition. The nutrition in your desserts will come primarily from fruits and whole grains, as well as perhaps nuts and seeds. Just to illustrate this, let’s compare 1/4 c. serving of various sweeteners and their calorie, iron and calcium contents (information from Secrets of Fat-Free Baking, by Sandra Woodruff, RD [Avery Pub., Garden City, NY, 1994]):
SWEETENER (1/4 C.) CALORIES CALCIUM IRON
Brown rice syrup 256 3 mg 0.1 mg
Brown sugar 205 47 mg 1.2 mg
Date sugar 88 10 mg 0.4 mg
Fruit juice concentrate (apple) 116 14 mg 0.6 mg
Fruit juice concentrate (orange) 113 23 mg 0.3 mg
Fruit Source (granules) 192 16 mg 0.4 mg
Fruit Source (syrup) 176 15 mg 0.4 mg
Honey 240 0 0.5 mg
Maple sugar 176 45 mg 0.8 mg
Maple syrup 202 83 mg 1.0 mg
Molasses, blackstrap 170 548 mg 20.2 mg
Molasses, light 172 132 mg 4.3 mg
Sucanat 144 41 mg 1.6 mg
White sugar 192 1 mg 0
(There’s not a lot of difference in the nutrient content between brown rice syrup and white sugar!)
Sugar is the easiest and most affordable sweetener to work with and is now available in a variety of forms unbleached. This is a concern for vegetarians because most cane sugar is bleached by filtering through bone ash, and brown sugars like demerrara may be simply bleached sugar with molasses added. Consequently, I, as a vegetarian, use only cane sugar products that state on the package that they are unbleached, or for which I have the assurance of the particular company that they are unbleached, no matter what the color. Or, I use beet sugar, which I can get (for a price) at my health food store (I live in the West, where cane sugar is the norm.) The most common unbleached sugars are turbinado and granulated sugar cane juice (Rapadura is one brand, and it is similar to brown sugar—some varieties are organic and some are not), but there are other products with different names that specify they are unbleached. A light unbleached sugar that is commonly available in bulk is called turbinado, but the lightest-colored unbleached sugars that I have seen are Florida Crystals and various brands of organic unbleached granulated sugar (I have seen Richdale, Rogers and President’s Choice, all Canadian brands, very light and very finely granulated). Taikoo is a brand of unrefined sugar from Hong Kong which makes light, medium and dark unbleached sugars, and also unbleached sugar cubes.
Here in British Columbia, where I live, Rogers best Brown Sugar is unbleached and available everywhere. They also have unbleached sugar cubes, as does Taikoo.
If you can get beet sugar (we have to pay a higher price for it here in the west, but it's common east of the Rockies), that type is NOT bleached with bone ash, so should be vegan. You can contact the manufacturer to find out what type of sugar it is if it's not on the package.
"Raw" sugar is a misnomer. No truly raw sugar is allowed in North America for health reasons and it usually refers to a light golden sugar, which may or may not be bleached, so you have to do your homework.
Re: the confectioner's sugar question. If it's made from beet sugar, it's vegan. If it's made from cane sugar it's not. If you live west of the Rockies, your sugar (of all types) is probably cane sugar; if you live east of the Rockies, it's probably beet, but maybe phone the manufacturer to make sure if it doesn't say on the package.
You can make powdered sugar (not as fine, but it works pretty well) out of turbinado sugar or unbleached light-colored granulated sugar. Grind it in a DRY blender (preferably a good one with nice sharp blades-- and keep the lid on) with a little starch of some kind (I use cornstarch, but you could try others)-- about 1 T. starch to 1 c. sugar. Grind it as fine as you can. (One poster wrote in that she uses a small electric coffee grinder and that this works even better.)
Wholesome Foods or Florida Crystals are two brands of unbleached powdered sugar found at most health food stores in the U.S.. Hain makes organic powdered sugar and organic brown sugar, available at veganessentials.com and differentdaisy.com.
Food grade molasses is not bleached through bone char. Sucanat makes organic molasses.
Grade A light maple syrup is used in some recipes where even light unbleached sugar leaves a faint molasses taste where a liquid sugar is preferable. It is expensive, but easily available and still cheaper and sweeter than brown rice syrup. Grade B maple syrup is darker and less expensive, and the best choice when you want a nice, mapley flavor. You can use brown rice syrup in place of corn syrup, which many people prefer not to use now because of it may originate from genetically-modified corn. Brown rice syrup is expensive and not as sweet as many sweeteners, but it has a pleasant caramelly taste—I like to use it in Latin American desserts instead of “dulce de leche” (also known as “manjar blanco”), the cooked down sugar and milk product used frequently in Latin America.
Let's use some common sense when it comes to sugar and desserts. I have heard sugar referred to as ”toxic”, but sugar and other refined, concentrated sweeteners have been consumed by healthy populations in many parts of the world for centuries-- it is only when they are OVER-consumed, as they are in the modern North American diet with so many processed foods, that they become a problem.
COOKING NOTE: Sieve dark unbleached sugar and mix it (or any coarse sugar, like turbinado) with the liquid ingredients, preferably in a blender or with a hand blender. If you want to mix coarse sugar with the dry ingredients, it should be blended in a DRY blender with a little of the flour from the recipe, until it is more powdery and will mix well with the dry ingredients. Otherwise, it may sink to the bottom of a thin batter.
ABOUT FRUCTOSE:
Think fructose is a good “natural” substitute for sugar? Think again:
Here is what Dr. Andrew Weil says about fructose,:
"Fructose is fruit sugar, a simple sugar that makes up one-half of the molecule of sucrose or table sugar. (The other half is glucose, usually called grape or blood sugar.) Fructose tastes sweeter than sucrose but has fewer calories because the body does not metabolize it well. This has led some people to recommend crystalline fructose as a low-calorie alternative to regular sugar. I do not agree with that recommendation.
The body doesn't handle large amounts of fructose well. You can maintain life with intravenous glucose, but not with intravenous fructose; severe derangement of liver function results. There's also evidence that a high intake of fructose elevates levels of circulating fats, (serum triglycerides), increasing the risk of heart disease. I never use fructose in my home."
PS from BCG: I tried it one time and found that everything taste kind of like bubble gum!
Another article:
http://www.nutritionreporter.com/fructose_dangers.html
I read that Emes Kosher Jel is not vegetarian. Is that true, and, if so, what can I use as a substitute?
Yes, contrary to what I first thought, I'm afraid it is true! Here is the original article:
http://www.vegparadise.com/news53.html
There is a follow-up article here:
http://www.vegparadise.com/news55.html and another:
http://www.vegparadise.com/news56.html
Emes seems to have disappeared from the face of the earth, BTW!
However, there are other brands of kosher jel that ARE vegan. See here for more information. They do tend to be much more expensive than Emes was, though, as they are not available in bulk.
BE WARNED: follow the directions with the jel you purchase-- not all of them work the same, or work like Emes did.
A GOOD SUBSTITUTE, especially for vegan "cheeses", etc.:
The common vegan, seaweed-based gel, agar agar, by itself, will not really do the trick. Instead of 3 Tablespoons of Emes, I use a combination of 2 tsp. agar powder and 2 tsp. carrageenan powder (Irish moss, another seaweed-based gel, in a powdery white form), possibly a little more, depending on the firmness you want. You can read about carrageenan and where to get it, etc. here.
Agar does not melt, and carrageenan melts to a puddle, so the combination is the best substitute for Emes.
You can make a nice jelled dessert by mixing agar-agar with a starch, such as cornstarch (organic is available), so that it is not overly firm. Below is a basic recipe.
BRYANNA’S VEGAN FRUIT JELL
© Bryanna Clark Grogan 2005
Using agar alone makes a kind of rubbery jell. If you add some starch it makes a more delicate jell.
4 c. sweet fruit juice of choice
OPT: sugar or other sweetener to taste if juice isn't sweet enough
pinch salt
OPT: some grated citrus rind. 1/2 tsp. vanilla or other flavoring , if desired
2 tsp. agar powder (OR 1/4 c. agar flakes)
1 T. cornstarch dissolved in 1 T. water
OPTIONAL: fresh fruit to add to jell
Sprinkle the agar over the juice (with sweetener, salt and any flavoring). Let soak a few minutes. Then cook over medium heat til boiling. Agar powder just needs to simmer for a minute; flakes should simmer at least 5 minutes. Add dissolved starch and stir in. Boil cornstarch for 30.
Pour into a bowl or small bowls. Place in refrigerator. When half-jelled, you can stir in fruit. Let set until firm and cold.
I'm allergic to soy, so how can I get natural phytoestrogens to help with menopause symptoms?
It looks like the next best thing to soy in terms of phytoestrogens is flaxseed (or linseed). Here is aPDF article about it:
There is good material about this subject in an excellent book called The Okinawa Program, pps. 123- 129, including a chart of the "Top 50" foods containing healthful phytoestrogens (see also the sister book The Okinawa Diet Plan). Besides soy, flaxseed, kudzu, carrot leaves, onions, cranberry juice, kale, celery, snow peas, broccoli, turnip greens, black tea, green tea, jasmine tea, green beans, fava beans, applesauce, srtawberries, pintos, lentils all have 2mg or more phytoestrogens per serving.
Here are some values per serving of a small sampling from the chart:
soybeans, cooked, 38.2 mg/ 1/2 cup
onion, 35.8
applesauce, 3.0 mg/1/2 cup
kale, 11.2 mg/1 cup
pinto beans, cooked, 1.9 mg/1/2 cup
garbanzos, cooked, 3.6 mg/1/2 cup
flaxseed, 28.9 mg/ 1 Tbsp
cranberry juice, 44.3 mg / 3/4 cup
Other foods that contain phytosterols (some with "estrogenic" qualities, and some with "progesterogenic" qualities) are:
Most seeds and nuts and their oil;, most legumes; green leafy vegetables; sea vegetables; common vegetables such as asparagus, beets, cabbage family, carrots, celery, corn, onion family, garlic, nightshade family (peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes), squash, yam, turnip, cucumber, parsley, and more "exotic" ones such as bamboo shoots, okra, and Jerusalem artichokes; naturally-fermented beer; most common spices and herbs; sprouted seeds and grains; most fruits and whole grains.
These foods have not been studied sufficiently to know what how much phytoestrogen or other phytosterols they contain. Soyfoods have been studied exhaustively and it is now easy to figure how much isoflavone there is in a serving of one soyfood or another. One tablespoon of flaxseed has about an equal portion of isoflavones to one portion of soyfood.
(And, by the way, cooking, baking, and frying do not seem to effect the viability of phytoestrogens.)
So, it looks like a healthy plant-based diet, even without soy, would be helpful.
After reading all the negative stuff about soyfoods, I'm scared to use them!
Inform yourself! I have a whole page called "Soy Concerns", which I keep updated.
I see your link about making soymilk in a machine, but what if I don't have soymilk maker?
You can make soymilk, for drinking, or for making tofu or soy yogurt, with a heavy-duty blender or Vita-Mix Blender. Below are two methods for cooking the soymilk (which is a necessary step) either on your stovetop, or in a microwave oven.
© Bryanna Clark Grogan 2008
No reproduction of the following material without permission from the author. If you would like to share any of my recipes with others, or on a forum, or another site, let me know, and please credit me, my website and the book the recipe appeared in, if I note that in the recipe. You are welcome to link to this page from your site. Thanks!
NOTE: CONSERVING WATER WHILE MAKING SOYMILK
If you are concerned about all the water used in the process of making soymilk, always drain your soybeans and rinse them in a colander over a large pot or basin, so that you can re-use the water for watering plants (they love it!) or for use in cooking, such as in soups. Scald your equipment in a basin and re-use the water (I only use about 1 qt of boiling water for scalding everything). You can even wash your soymilk-making equipment and rinse out your cloth in a basin and save the water for watering plants, etc..
To conserve water while rubbing the skins off of the beans before making the soymilk, strain the water in which you are floating off the skins through a seive into a pot or bowl. Discard the skins and re-use the water for each round of rubbing off and floating off the skins. Use the water for water plants, etc.
Links:
**Making soymilk in a soymilk-making machine. (This page has more information cost and nutrition.)
**Making soymilk on your stove-top.
**What to do with the leftover soybean pulp (okara)? (Also okara nutrient info.)
BRYANNA'S SOYMILK IN THE MICROWAVE
Makes about 2 quarts.
It is easy to make soymilk by doing the cooking in the microwave. The recipe seems long, but I wanted to give exact details. When you know how to do it, it goes very quickly, and you have no sticky, scorched pot to deal with, nor do you have to watch the pot for boil-overs.
The "secret" to non-beany-tasting soymilk is to blend the soaked beans with BOILING water. This can be hard on blenders after a while, so make sure you have a good one! A Vita-Mix is good for this.
EQUIPMENT:
You need a large (3-4 qt.) microwave-safe bowl for this task--Pyrex is good. You need at least twice as much room as the milk takes up-- preferably three times-- because of the milk boiling up. I use a Pyrex pie pan as a lid, but if you have a Pyrex casserole lid with a handle that fits over the bowl, that's even better.
Also have ready:
a heavy-duty blender or Vita-Mix;
a colander lined with a clean square of cotton sheeting (that overlaps the colander by several inches) that fits in the microwave-safe bowl;
clean heavy-duty kitchen gloves;
2 sterilized quart-size heavy glass storage containers with tight lids (see pictures here);
a whisk;
oven mitts;
and a 1 qt. Pyrex measuring pitcher or wide-mouth pitcher.
THE NIGHT BEFORE OR SEVERAL DAYS EARLIER:
Soak AT LEAST overnight in plenty of water:
1 c. dry soybeans
NOTE: As soon as I make one batch of soymilk, I always put another batch or two of soybeans directly into the
refrigerator in a covered container to soak for several days. This has two benefits-- 1.) I always have some ready at a moment's notice, and 2.) the longer soaking seems to make the soybean skins come off more easily [see step just below].)
OPTIONAL (BUT RECOMMENDED) STEP FOR ELIMINATING THE BEANY TASTE EVEN FURTHER: NOTE: The following step is NOT necessary if you are making soymilk for tofu-making.
BEFORE MAKING THE SOYMILK, most of the skins need to be rubbed off of the soybeans-- this is what gets rid of the beany taste. ( The skins contain some of the bitter flavours and also some inhibiting enzymes, so removing the skins can positively affect the taste, while some "gas forming" or "digestion inhibiting" compounds may be reduced or eliminated.) This procedure isn't as arduous as it sounds and only takes a few minutes. NOTE: As soon as I make one batch of soymilk, I always put another batch or two of soybeans directly into the refrigerator in a covered container to soak for several days. The longer soaking seems to make the soybean skins come off more easily.)
Place the drained soaked soybeans in a deep bowl in the sink. Run very hot tap water over them to cover and let soak for a few minutes. The hot soak seems to help loosen up the skins. Remove the skins (or husks) by rubbing the soaked soybeans between your hands with a back and forth motion, OR by plunging your hands into the beans and rubbing them with your fingers. Add lots of water from the tap. Stir the beans in a circular motion, then run off the water into the sink, leaving the beans behind. Rub some more and repeat. The skins float to the top and you can float them away while you drain off the water. You need to do this several times until most of the skins have come off (leaving a few behind is okay). NOTE: you may find it easier to skin the soybeans in 2 batches.
NOTE: As soon as I make one batch of soymilk, I always put another batch or two of soybeans directly into the refrigerator in a covered container to soak for several days. This has two benefits-- 1.) I always have some ready at a moment's notice, and 2.) the longer soaking seems to make the soybean skins come off more easily
****
Whichever way you prepare the beans, drain the soybeans and cover with hot water (to get the chill off)-- then drain as you use them. Cook the milk in two batches.
NOTE: All equipment that will touch the soymilk should be scalded with boiling water, including the gloves and cloth.
EXTRACTING THE SOYMILK FOR EACH BATCH:
Bring 3 c. water to a boil. Pour this, boiling, into the blender or Vita-Mix. Add 1/2 of the drained (skinned) soybeans. Place the blender lid on the blender or Vita-Mix (IMPORTANT: leave the plastic center piece of the blender lid out and cover with a folded tea towel to avoid burns-- if steam builds up inside a closed container it will explode!). Blend on HIGH for about 1 minute. Pour this into the cloth-lined colander set into the bowl. Pour about 1/2 c. cold water into the blender, swish it around and pour it also into the lined colander.
With kitchen-gloved hands, twist and squeeze the towel to squeeze all the milk you can out of the soy pulp/okara into the bowl. Knead the lump of soy pulp/okara until as dry as you can get it. Place the okara into a storage container and rinse the towel out for the next batch (to make it easier to squeeze the next one).
Remove the colander and rinse it and the cloth off well for the next batch (soymilk sticks!). Repeat with the second batch of soybeans.
COOKING EACH BATCH:
Cover the bowl with one batch of soymilk and place in the microwave. Set on HiGH for 4 minutes at 50 percent power for 7 minutes. With oven mitts, CAREFULLY remove the lid and pour the soymilk into the scalded pitcher (THE BOWL AND MILK WILL BE HOT—be careful!).
FLAVORING EACH BATCH:
To each batch (1 qt.) of cooked soymilk add:
3/8 tsp. salt
1 and 1/2 T. sweetener of choice (maple syrup is good, but expensive-- unbleached sugar works)
(I don't add vanilla because I don't like that flavor in everything-- if you add it, be conservative!)
(NOTE: don't eliminate the salt and sweetener unless it's just for cooking-- dairy milk is naturally high in sodium and milk sugar; these flavors have to be added to soymilk.)
If you like, whisk in 1/2 T. calcium carbonate powder (buy from your pharmacist). (This adds about 300 mg of calcium per cup, or about the same as regular milk.) Shake well before pouring.
Pour into your sterilized storage container and cap tightly. Refrigerate immediately.
Repeat the same procedure with the second batch.
STORING THE SOYMILK:
If the containers are tightly sealed (and not opened until you need them), kept cold, and generally treated like any milk, the soymilk will keep for 1 and 1/2-2 weeks. If the milk separates after cooling, shake the container well.
If it goes sour, it can be used in cooking and baking like buttermilk. If the jar is left open, it will solidify like yogurt and can be used as such.
The soy pulp/okara can be added to granola, or used in cooking, or used for compost-- since it not cooked with the soymilk, as it does in a soymilk-making machine, it must be cooked before eating.
BRYANNA'S STOVE-TOP HOMEMADE SOYMILK
Makes 4 qts.
The "secret" to non-beany-tasting soymilk is to blend the soaked beans with BOILING water. This can be hard on blenders after a while, so make sure you have a good one! A Vita-Mix is good for this. The recipe seems long, but I wanted to give exact details.
EQUIPMENT:
You need:
a heavy-duty blender or Vita-Mix;
clean heavy-duty kitchen gloves;
4 sterilized heavy glass quart storage containers with tight lids (see pictures here);
a whisk;
oven mitts;
a 1-2 qt. Pyrex measuring pitcher or wide-mouth pitcher;
a large (at least 5 qt.-- preferably larger) stainless steel pot with an aluminum bottom; a colander that fits inside of it; a square of clean cotton sheeting that overlaps the colander by several inches;
and a "flame-tamer" (round metal burner cover with holes in it and a handle-- purchase at hardware stores or camping stores).
THE NIGHT BEFORE OR SEVERAL DAYS EARLIER:
Soak AT LEAST overnight in the refrigerator:
2 c. soybeans in a generous amount of water (2 qts. or so)
OPTIONAL (BUT RECOMMENDED) STEP FOR ELIMINATING THE BEANY TASTE EVEN FURTHER: NOTE: The following step is NOT necessary if you are making soymilk for tofu-making.
BEFORE MAKING THE SOYMILK, most of the skins need to be rubbed off of the soybeans-- this is what gets rid of the beany taste. ( The skins contain some of the bitter flavours and also some inhibiting enzymes, so removing the skins can positively affect the taste, while some "gas forming" or "digestion inhibiting" compounds may be reduced or eliminated.) This procedure isn't as arduous as it sounds and only takes a few minutes. NOTE: As soon as I make one batch of soymilk, I always put another batch or two of soybeans directly into the refrigerator in a covered container to soak for several days. The longer soaking seems to make the soybean skins come off more easily.)
Place the drained soaked soybeans in a deep bowl in the sink. Run very hot tap water over them to cover and let soak for a few minutes. The hot soak seems to help loosen up the skins. Remove the skins (or husks) by rubbing the soaked soybeans between your hands with a back and forth motion, OR by plunging your hands into the beans and rubbing them with your fingers. Add lots of water from the tap. Stir the beans in a circular motion, then run off the water into the sink, leaving the beans behind. Rub some more and repeat. The skins float to the top and you can float them away while you drain off the water. You need to do this several times until most of the skins have come off (leaving a few behind is okay). NOTE: You may find it easier to skin the soybeans in 2-4 batches,
NOTE: As soon as I make one batch of soymilk, I always put another batch or two of soybeans directly into the refrigerator in a covered container to soak for several days. This has two benefits-- 1.) I always have some ready at a moment's notice, and 2.) the longer soaking seems to make the soybean skins come off more easily.
****
Whichever way you prepare the beans, drain the soybeans and cover with hot water (to get the chill off)-- then drain as you use them.
EXTRACTING THE SOYMILK:
Blend the soybeans in 3 batches.
FOR EACH BATCH:
Bring 4 c. water to a boil. Pour this, BOILING (this is important) into the blender or Vita-Mix. Add 1/3 of the drained (skinned) soybeans (about 1 1/2 cups per batch). Place the blender lid on the blender or Vita-Mix (IMPORTANT: leave the plastic center piece of the blender lid out and cover with a folded tea towel to avoid burns-- if steam builds up inside a closed container it will explode!). Blend on HIGH for about 1 minute. Pour this into the cloth-lined colander set into the pot. Pour about 1/2 c. cold water into the blender, swish it around and pour it also into the lined colander.
With rubber-gloved hands, twist and squeeze the towel to squeeze all the milk you can out of the soy pulp/okara into thepot. Knead the lump of soy pulp/okara until as dry as you can get it. Place the okara into a storage container and rinse the towel out for the next batch (to make it easier to squeeze the next one).
Remove the colander and rinse it, and the cloth, off well for the next batch (soymilk sticks!). Repeat with the next 2 batches of soybeans.
COOKING THE SOYMILK:
Place the pot with ALL of the soymilk over the "flame-tamer" on a burner and bring JUST to a boil, watching for boil-overs. As soon as it boils, turn down to a low simmer, cover, and cook 30 minutes (soy protein has to be cooked). Stir frequently.
FLAVORING THE SOYMILK:
Whisk into the pot:
4 1/2 T. sweetener of choice (maple syrup is good, unbleached sugar works)
1 and 1/8 tsp. salt
(I don't add vanilla because I don't like that flavor in everything; if you use it, be conservative!)
(NOTE: don't eliminate the salt and sweetener unless it's just for cooking-- dairy milk is naturally high in sodium and milk sugar; these flavors have to be added to soymilk.)
If you like, whisk in 3/4 T. calcium carbonate powder (purchase from your pharmacist). (This adds about 300 mg of calcium per cup, or about the same as regular milk.) Shake well before pouring.
STORING THE SOYMILK:
Pour the hot, flavored soymilk into your scalded storage containers. (If it has cooked down and does not fill the containers, top them off evenly with water.) Cap tightly and refrigerate immediately.
If the containers are tightly sealed (and not opened until you need them), kept cold, and generally treated like any milk, the soymilk will keep for 1 and 1/2-2 weeks. If the milk separates after cooling, shake the container well.
If it goes sour, it can be used in cooking and baking like buttermilk. If the jar is left open, it will solidify like yogurt and can be used as such.
The soy pulp/okara can be added to granola, or used in cooking, or used for compost-- since it not cooked with the soymilk, as it does in a soymilk-making machine, it must be cooked before eating.
What is the nutrient content of okara (soy pulp leftover from making soymilk or tofu) and where can I find recipes for using it?
NOTE: OKARA IS REFERRED TO AS "TOFU LEES" IN MANY ASIAN RECIPES.
NUTRIENT CONTENT OF OKARA from http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/:
About 3/4 c. of okara (the amount left over from one batch [6 cups fluid] of soymilk) contains:
Kcal 70.5
protein 2.95 g
Total fat 1.56
Carbohydrate 11.46 g
Calcium 73.5 mg
Iron 1.3
magnesium 24 mg
sodium 8.1 mg
zinc .58mg
selenium 9.6 mcg
Thiamin 0.018 mg
Riboflavin 0.018 mg
Niacin 0.915 mg
vitamin B6 .105 mg
folate .24 mcg
fiber is not listed
History of okara.
FOR RECIPES USING OKARA (some of these recipes will need "veganizing"):
http://japanesefood.about.com/od/tofu/r/okara.htm
http://www.ellenskitchen.com/clearlight/okara/okara.html
http://realfoodliving.com/soymilkrecipes.htm
http://www.soyclub.com/history.htm
http://veganfeastkitchen.blogspot.com/2008/06/okara-miso-pt.html
http://veganfeastkitchen.blogspot.com/2008/05/practical-way-to-use-okara.html
http://veganfeastkitchen.blogspot.com/2008/09/dark-fudgy-okara-brownies.html
http://okaramountain.blogspot.com/
http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2006/07/okara-crab-cakes.html
http://www.soymilkquick.com/okara.php
http://www.grouprecipes.com/1803/tropical-okara-granola.html
http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=24366.0
http://homecooking.about.com/od/cookierecipes/r/blcookie30.htm
http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2008/05/02/mini-okara-vegetarian-meatloaf-recipe-2/
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/1983-09-01/Okara-A-Meal-for-the-Asking.aspx
http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2008/09/09/vegetarian-okara-chicken-balls/
Okara Tempeh
Peanut Butter Okara Brownie
http://www.chinesefoodmore.com/html/Dim-Sum/Steamed_Okara_Buns_936.html
Okara Bran Biscuits
http://www.homesteadharvest.com/soyrecipes.html
http://www.vegetarian.co.uk/blogs/2008/02/making_soya_milk_okara_croquet.html
http://thebakehouse.blogspot.com/2006/05/quinoa-burgers.html
Check out also the classic, "The Book Of Tofu" by William Shurtleff and Akiko Aoyagi -- there's a whole chapter of okara recipes!
What is a serving of soy and what is the isoflavone count in a serving?
Many experts believe that it is better to obtain isoflavones from foods, instead of isolated in pills or supplemental foods, because it isn't known yet whether other components of foods have an effect on the way isoflavones work in the body.
1 SERVING= (one serving contains about 40 mg. of isoflavones)
1 c. soymilk (regular or low-fat)
1/4 c. dry textured soy protein
4 oz. firm tofu (about 1/2 c.)
3 oz. extra-firm or pressed tofu
1/2 c. cooked soybeans, or green soybeans
4 oz. soybean tempeh
3/4 c. soy yogurt
1/3 c. roasted soybeans (soynuts)
1/3 c. soy flour
Isolated soy protein powder (soy protein isolate) can contain from 15 to 103 mg. of isoflavones per oz., depending upon the brand, so you may have to check the label or even write to the manufacturer to find out how much your favorite brand contains. Solgar Iso-Soy Powder, GeniSoy Natural Protein powder, and Take Care Soy Protein Powder all have high levels of isoflavones.
Tests are being done now on the isoflavone content of meat analogs. Some experts say that you can count 1 soyburger or 2 soy hot dogs as a soy serving, but we're not sure of the isoflavone content yet. Don't depend on soy oil, soy cheese, soy sauce, soy bacon bits, tofu "yogurt" powders, or miso for isoflavones. (Miso contains about 40 mg per 1/2 c., but that is alot of miso for one person to eat! Miso, a fermented food, does have a number of protective qualities, however, and should not be overlooked.)
What is the nutritional information for homemade soymilk?
I came to these numbers by subtracting the nutrients from 3/4 cup of okara (the amount of okara or soy pulp left after making 1 batch-- 6 cups-- of homemade soymilk) from the nutrients in 100 g of raw soybeans, which is how much you use in a batch. I added calories for 1 and 1/2 Tbs. of sugar and sodium for 3/8 tsp. of salt (raw soybeans contain virtually no sodium) for the whole batch. I used nutrient info from the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference.
1 cup of all-soy homemade soymilk made from my recipe=
71 calories; 5.6 g protein; 3.05 g total fat; 3.11 g total carbohydrate; 34 mg calcium; 2.41 mg iron; 42.6 mg magnesium; 130 mg sodium; .71 mg zinc; 1.36 mcg selenium; .143 mg thiamin; .142 mg riboflavin; .25 mg niacin; .045 mg vitamin B6; 62.45 mcg folate
NOTE: If you add 3/4 Tbs. calcium carbonate powder to each batch of 6 cups, add 300 g of calcium per cup of soymilk to the nutrient count.
Isn't the growing of soy responsible for massive deforestation in Latin America and elsewhere?
Actually, yes-- but what you are not often told is that MOST OF THIS SOY IS GROWN TO FEED ANIMALS WHICH ARE GOING TO BE SLAUGHTERED FOR MEAT, MOSTLY IN NORTH AMERICA AND EUROPE!! Increasingly, deforestation is being caused also by soy,corn, and palm oil grown for bio-fuel (for the same market). (More on deforestation for biofuel. Another excellent article.)
From ourfood.com, a German database of food and related sciences:
“Soy and feed: According to Jörg Michael Greef from the German from the Bundesforschungsanstalt für Landwirtscaft. The world production of soy is 220 million tons. Germany imports 40 million tons. Three million tons are used for the production of edible oil and other applications. The main core of 37 millions tons are transformed in animal feed.
Soy farms built monocultures in USA, Argentina and Brazil, where they invade the tropical forest and savannahs. Centralised animal breeding, depending on soy are an environmental false step.
Palm oil: According to the Environmental Program of the United Nations UNEP, 83% of palm oil comes from Indonesia and Malaisia. The consumption of Palm oil increases deforestation of these countries.”
" Mon, 05/28/2007
Production of soy worldwide has, in the past three decades, grown from 55 million tonnes (1975) to 223 million tones in 2006, a growth of 324%. The demand made a sudden jump in the 1990's when bones and other leftovers from the meat industry were no longer allowed to be used as a protein source in animal feed. A third of today's soy harvest comes from South America, while the US is still one of the world’s largest soy producer. But while the US mostly uses its soy for its own meat production, countries in South America export theirs' to Europe and China.
Argentina exports 94% of its soy production (2004), and Brazil exports 76%. In the past years, the area of soy plantations in South America increased with 3.5 million hectares yearly (the size of the Netherlands). In Argentina and the US, almost all soy is genetically modified. In Brazil, where GM-soy was officially forbidden until President Lula came in power, around 44% is now GM.
The European soy import is 39 million tons yearly, or a line of 23,000 kilometers with loaded trucks. Around 90% of the European imports are used as animal feed.
sources:
'Soja Doorgelicht' (brochure from the Dutch Soy Coalition)
the Oil Mill Gazetteer, Volume 110"
"The sprawling state of Mato Grosso, in central west Brazil, could be thought a paradise of sorts, at least from a distance. The lush rainforest of the Amazon basin, often called the “lungs of the world,” straddles the state, as does the grassy Brazilian savanna or cerrado. Parrots, jaguars and pumas are just a few of the abundant species found in the savanna, considered one of the most biodiverse in the world, along with endangered species like the maned wolf, anteater and river-dwelling giant otter.
The landscape, however, is rapidly being altered as vast fields of soybeans and cattle ranches replace grasslands and forests. Soy rules Mato Grosso and it's not the soy that much of the world associates with the ostensibly eco-friendly, vegetarian diet, either.
In the wake of the Mad Cow disease scare, soy producers have benefited from increased demand in affluent countries for meat from cows that are fed soy meal, rather than animal-based feed. This is only the latest in a series of factors that have allowed a company named the André Maggi Group to spearhead, along with the Brazilian government, the expansion of soy in Mato Grosso and adjacent states over the last two decades, with disturbing consequences."
"The basic problem is the occupation of Paraguay's agricultural land by soy, destined for export to Europe and China in order to produce meat in livestock factories. This problem is precisely what is not addressed by the Roundtable. They want to solve problems, by trying to unite all interest groups (multi stakeholder process) through market mechanisms.
Very few participants in the Round Tables are interested in questioning the model of industrial livestock production in Europe. As long as we eat lots of cheap poultry and pork in Europe, without producing our own feed for this industry, the pressure on South America's agricultural lands will be kept up."
" Take India for example. Mareka Gandhi, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment in the Government of India states:
"In a country where millions of people go hungry 37% of all arable land is being used to grow fodder for animals that are being raised and killed for export. As if that were not enough we are exporting soy beans to feed European livestock, who will in turn be murdered for meat. These kinds of figures cry out against any kind of meat production at all, compassionate or otherwise. I see no reason why India should feed the world at the expense of her own land, her water, her people, her hunger.""
More to read on this subject:
What about the high protein diets for weight loss? Are they safe? Do they work?
They work for the short term, but any diet which restricts your food intake will cause you to lose weight.
Here is an article about weight loss and protein from vegan registered dietician Virginia Messina.
Here is an explanation of what happens when you severely restrict carbohydrates, from the book "The New Glucose Revolution"(p. 17) by Jennie Brand-Miller, PhD; Thomas M.S. Wolever, MD,PhD; Kaye Foster-Powell, M.Nutr.and Diet; and Stephen Colagiuri, MD (Meadow and Co, NY,2003):
"There is little scientific evidence to back up or refute low-carbohydrate diets. One reason for the popularity of low-carbohydrate diets for weight loss is that initial loss is rapid. Within the first few days, the scales will show a weight loss of 4 to 7 pounds. That's an encouraging sign to anyone trying to lose weight. The trouble is that most of that weight loss isn't body fat, but muscle glycogen and water.
When carbohydrate is no longer being supplied in sufficient amounts by your diet, the body uses its small carbohydrate reserves (glycogen) to fuel muscle contraction. One gram of carbohydrate in the form of muscle and liver glycogen binds 4 grams of water. So when you use up your total reserves of 500 grams of glycogen within the first few days, you lose 2 kilograms of water, for atotal loss of 2.5 kilograms, none of it fat. Conversely, when you return to normal eating, the carbohydrate reserves will be rapidly replenished, along with the water.
People who have followed low-carbohydrate diets for any length of time observe that the rate of weight loss plateaus and they begin to feel rather tired and lethargic. That's not surprising, because the muscles have little leftin the way of glycogen stores. Strenuous exercise requires both fat and carbohydrate in the fuel mix. So, in the lon term, these low-carbohydrate diets may discourage people from the physical-exercise patterns that will help them keep their weight under control."
And, about the role of carbohydrate in human nutrition (p. 12):
"...carbohydrates hold a special place in human nutrition. Glucose, the simplest carbohydrate, is essential fuel for the brain, red blood cells, and a growing fetus, and the main source of energy for the nuscles during strenuous exercise. Carbohydrate is a vital energy source, and you can't afford to leave it out....
about the role of carbohydrate and the brain, p. 18;
"Except during starvation, carbohydrate is the only source of fuel that our brains use. The brain is the most energy-demanding organ in the body-- responsible for over half our obligatory energy requirements. Unlike muscle cells, which can burn either fat or carbohydrate, the brain does not have the metabolic machinery to burn fat. If you fast for twenty-four hours or decide not to eat carbohydrate, the brain relies initially on small stores of carbohydrate in the liver, but within hours these are depleted and the liver begins synthesizing glucose from non-carbohydrate sources (including your muscle tissue!). It has only a limited ability to do this, however, and it it is now clear that any shortfall in glucose availability has consequences for brain function.
Recent medical literature shows that intellectual performance is improved following the intake of a glucose load or carbohydrate-rich food. Demanding mental tasks are most improved, while easy tasks are not affected...The improved mental ability following a carbohydrate meal was demonstrated in all typesof people-- young people, university students, people with diabetes, healthy elderly people, and those with Alzheimer's disease. these new studies give us all the more reason to avoid a low carbohydrate intake."
Unfortunately, there are problems associated with eating too much protein (and most North Americans already eat far more than they need!) Read on!
HIGH-PROTEIN DIETS:
A View from National Health Organizations:
Here is the introductory paragraph from this article:
"The American Heart Association has joined the American Dietetic Association, the American College of Sports Medicines, the Women's Sports Foundation, and the Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research in agreeing that 'high protein diets are not the way to go.' According to position papers of these organizations, high-protein diets are based on the assumption that certain carbohydrates are bad for a person. Often, these diets tend to be high in fat and low in calcium and fiber. It is well known through years of research that the potential long-term effects of a high-protein diet are heart disease, bone loss, and kidney damage."
The actual statement from the AHA,that is cited in the above article.
"A study released Monday gave support to high-fat, low-carbohydrate diets such as the Atkins diet. But the American Heart Association is voicing concerns about the study, which was funded by the Robert C. Atkins Foundation and was presented at an AHA meeting.... The study is very small, with only 120 total participants and just 60 on the high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet. This is a short-term study, following participants for just six months. There is no evidence provided by the study that the weight loss produced could be maintained long term. There is no evidence provided by the study that the diet is effective long term in improving health. A high intake of saturated fats over time raises great concern about increased cardiovascular risk -- the study did not follow participants long enough to evaluate this risk. "
Quote about water vs. fat loss on Atkins diet, from the book "Controlling Cholesterol for Dummies" by Carol Ann Rinzler and Martin W. Graf, MD (Wiley Pub., NY, 2002): "Your body uses up more water burning fats than burning carbs. As a result, the first burst of weight loss on the Atkins diet isn't body fat; it's water. Yes, you wiegh less, but when the induction phase ends and your carb consumption goes up, however slightly, you'll hold onto more fluids and weigh more."
The American Kidney Fund Warns About Impact Of High-Protein Diets On Kidney Health.
High-Protein "Miracle" Diets: Three reasons why they fail.
The Great Debate: High vs Low-Protein Diets
High Fat, Low Carbs, What's the Harm?
High Protein Diets may Affect Your Mood
Deadly Dieting: The Truth behind the Atkins Plan
Proof that the Atkins Diet Works Like Chemotherapy
By Sickness-Induced Starvation
ATKINS-FUNDED STUDY CONCERNS HEART ASSOCIATION
STUDY RELEASED MONDAY TOUTED BENEFITS OF HIGH-FAT DIET
Teens and the Atkins Diet, an article by Sue Gilbert, M.S. Sue Gilbert is a consulting nutritionist. For many years she worked with Earth's Best Organic Baby Food, integrating nutrition and product development. She has written numerous articles on children's health and nutrition for parenting publications.
An extreme case of a teenage girl on a high-protein weight loss diet.
Low-Carb Diets Unhealthy and a Ripoff, Experts Say
Atkins "Nightmare" Diet (lots of articles and links to good material)
Partnership for Essential Nutrition: Here is their "Mission Statement"-- "The Partnership for Essential Nutrition is a broad-based group of non-profit consumer, nutrition and public health organizations formed in 2004 to promote programs, policies and research that will advance public understanding about the essentials of a nutritionally balanced diet.
Created in response to new opinion research which finds that many consumers hold a stigmatized view about carbohydrates and other essential macronutrients, the Partnership for Essential Nutrition is dedicated to providing guidance regarding the important contribution that all three macronutrients -- carbohydrates, protein and fat -- play in promoting good health and successful weight loss and to present the latest scientific evidence describing a healthful range for each. As such, the Partnership will help to address the many misperceptions resulting from the recent "craze" towards no-and low-carbohydrate diets for weight loss, so the public will have complete, authoritative information upon which to make their food purchasing decisions."
I'm eating more beans and vegetables. What can I do about intestinal gas?
The oligosaccharides, raffinose, and stachyose in the carbohydrate portion of beans are what cause gas in the intestine, because humans lack an enzyme called alpha-galactosidase, which is necessary to hydrolyze these. Instead, they enter the lower intestines intact, where they are metabolized by bacteria, producing gases such as carbondioxide, hydrogen and even methane.
Fermentation of bean products (like tempeh, miso, and soy sauce) renders them almost devoid of gas-producing qualities ( see Virginia Messina's article below about introducing foods gradually). There is considerable variability in how different beans affect different people. Individuals may have no problems with certain beans and yet are very uncomfortable with others. (Anasazi beans, adzuki beans, mung beans, and lentils are reputedly eaiest for most people to digest). This may be because of different levels of bacterial flora in the lower intestine. The more you eat beans, the better your body seems to handle them, so increase your intake slowly if you are not used to eating beans.
For intestinal distress, some people swear by cooking the sea vegetable kombu with their beans (about a 4” strip per pot of beans), or using digestive spices such as ginger, cumin, and fennel when cooking beans. The Mexican herb epazote is also reputed to ease digestion. I swear by a cup of fennel tea after a bean meal! (For bloating and painful gas that cannot be passed, use anise tea instead of fennel.) Soaking beans and discarding the soaking water, along with sufficient cooking in fresh water, will help reduce gas.
The surprising benefits of flatulence: Bifidobacteria, a "friendly" and naturally-occuring bacteria in the human gut,is believed by many scientists to play a very important role in the health of the colon, which effects or general well-being. Breast-fed babies have high levels of bifidobacteria in their intestines, which may be one reason that they are more resistant to infection than bottle-fed babies. Some Japanese scientists believe that people with high levels of bifidobacteria in their colons live longer. High numbers of bifidobacteria may be linked to reduced carcinogens in human feces. Bifidobacteria use raffinose and stachyose, those two sugars that cause flatulence in humans, as a source of nutrition, so they can give bifidobacteria a good chance of surviving over harmful bacteria.
(And by the way, beans are not the only foods that can trigger what is often called “bean bloat”—cabbage family vegetables, carrots, grapes and other high-fiber foods can trigger a similar reaction.)
NOTE: Beano, an enzyme product that helps you digest gassy foods, is not vegetarian anymore, since it now contains a fish product. I just heard about a similar product called Bean-Zyme, which appears to be vegan.
See advice from vegan registered dietician Virginia Messina here.
Some friends swear by "The Blood Type Diet", but I'm type O and that means eating lots of meat. My wife is a type B and is supposed to eat more dairy foods. What can a vegan do in this case?
Do your research! I don't recommend this "diet" for anyone. Here is an article by a doctor and another by two naturopaths regarding this fad:
Challenges to the Blood Type Diet by Michael Klaper, M.D. (see the follow-up messages under this , too). (This also includes The Blood Type Diet: Latest Diet Scam by Deirdre B. Williams, N.D. and John J. McMahon, N.D. )
I've been told that I have "candidiasis" and I have to go on a very strict diet. It's very hard to stay vegan on this diet. What can I do?
I really hate to see people putting themselves through this when there are reasonable grounds for skepticism. I know that it has been the fashion for the last several years to blame many types of ills on something called "candidiasis", and alot of alternative health practitioners immediately put patients on a very strict diet of no sugar, no fruit, no bread, no fermented things, etc.
What first made me skeptical was when several people told me that they were on this diet and yet could eat sourdough bread. But sourdough is still a yeast, a fungus! And, what does it matter anyway, since the yeast (of any kind) in bread is DEAD at over 120 degrees F (gets alot hotter than that in an oven!). As well, nutritional yeast is not a live yeast and cannot make anything grow. Fermented products, such as soy sauce, that are pasteurized also do not contain any live yeast cells. How can dead yeast spread? And yeast doesn't feed yeast, anyway-- sugar does. Fermented foods actually help us utilize certain nutrients in our bodies and also help reduce blood glucose levels.
It has been my observation that most of the people I have known who went on this diet (most didn't stay on it very long) didn't eat very well to begin with, so they were a.) not eating junk and sugar; and b.) out of necessity, eating lots of vegetables. Of course they would feel better!
I really believe that we should study things thoroughly and that we have a right to know if there is scientific basis behind diets like these. There might be other reasons for symptoms that are being overlooked by lumping everything under the umbrella of "candidiasis". This can be dangerous, in my opinion.
Here is some information from Dr. Andrew Weil, a very well-respected medical doctor who also espouses and teaches alternative methods of medicine. He also has information on alternative methods to get rid of oral candida overgrowth; how to deal with recurrent vaginal yeast infections;. Here is something from Dr. Weil about probiotics.
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