Soy and Breast Cancer Should Women with Breast Cancer Eat Soy

There is probably no more controversial area related to the health effects of soy than the relationship between soy intake and breast cancer risk. Concern over the possibility that soy consumption could actually stimulate breast tumor growth has led to much confusion among oncologists and other health professionals, and to frustration and even trepidation, among breast cancer patients. This is particularly ironic, because unarguably, it was excitement over the hypothesized anticancer effects of soy, an area first funded by the National Cancer Institute in 1991, which initially drew attention to the health effects of soyfoods (1).
This article attempts to briefly highlight those studies most pertinent to this controversy so that dietitians are better able to advise their clients about this issue.

Background

The low breast cancer mortality rates in soyfood-consuming countries, particularly Japan, combined with the knowledge that weak estrogens, such as the soybean isoflavones, can exert antiestrogenic effects in some situations, logically led to speculation that soy might reduce breast cancer risk. Isoflavones, which are found in nutritionally relevant amounts only in soybeans, have a similar chemical structure to estrogen but have traditionally beenconsidered to be weak estrogens. Early support for the protective effects of soy against breast cancer came in the form of an animal study published in 1990, which reported that rats fed diets containing soy developed approximately 50% fewer chemically-induced mammary tumors than control rats (2). One year later, a case-control study conducted in Singapore reported that soy intake was associated with an approximate 50% reduction in premenopausal breast cancer risk (3).

The Case against Soy

There is a clear consensus that greater lifelong exposure to estrogen increases breast cancer risk. The estrogen-like properties of soybean isoflavones therefore provide a basis for concern about soy consumption by breast cancer patients. In fact, although often overlooked, early on it was established that at low concentrations, genistein, the main isoflavone in soybeans, actually stimulates the growth of estrogen-receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer cells in vitro (4). The growth of ER+ breast cancer cells is stimulated by estrogen. Breast cancer patients can have a mix of estrogen receptor negative (ER-) and ER+ cells, but typically, one type of cell predominates and this determines treatment (5). ER+ breast cancer patients respond well to tamoxifen, an antiestrogen, which is the most widely prescribed breast cancer drug (6). Survival rates of ER+ breast cancer patients generally exceed those of ER- patients (7,8). Genistein does not stimulate the growth of ER-cells, and at high concentrations, the growth of both ER+ and ER- cells is inhibited by genistein (9). The proposed explanation for this biphasic effect is that at low concentrations the estrogenlike properties of genistein stimulate growth, whereas at higher concentrations, the ability of genistein to influence molecules that control cell growth, differentiation, and survival, results in growth inhibition. However, it is the lower concentrations that more closely reflect the serum genistein concentrations in people who eat soyfoods. The one animal study that markedly raised awareness of the potential detrimental effects of soy was published in 1998 by Helferich and colleagues, and found that in ovariectomized immune-compromised rats implanted with ER+ breast cancer cells, mammary tumor growth is stimulated when animals are fed diets to which genistein has been added (10). Although a pharmacological dose of genistein (750 ppm) was used in this study, serum genistein levels in these mice were comparable to those found in people eating soyfoods. However, for several reasons, the applicability of this particular experimental model to humans has been questioned. One element of the study design that brought criticism from nutrition scientists was that isolated genistein, rather than soy, or even a combination of isoflavones as found in soy, was added to the diet. However, this criticism has been directly addressed in a follow-up study. In recently published research, Helferich and colleagues found that soy protein isolate containing varying amounts of genistein stimulated tumor growth to the same extent as comparable amounts of isolated genistein (11).
Two human studies, one published in 1996, and the other in 1998, made it difficult to ignore concerns about soy, because both studies suggested soy exerts weak estrogenic effects on breast tissue. In the first study by Petrakis et al., breast nipple aspirate fluid secretion increased over a 5 month period during which time women had consumed 38 g of soy protein isolate per day (12). Furthermore, soy intake was associated with a higher percentage of hyperplastic cells in these women. Both results suggested a possible increased breast cancer risk based on previous epidemiologic observations. In the second study, after two weeks of consuming 60 g textured vegetable protein per day, McMicheal-Phillips found that breast cell proliferation (based on biopsies) increased markedly in premenopausal women (13). However, this initial report was a preliminary analysis and involved only 48 subjects. In the final analysis by Hargreaves et al., involving all 84 subjects, no effects on cell proliferation were noted nor were there changes in several other markers of estrogenicity (14). But levels of pS2, a protein upregulated by estrogen, did significantly increase. Consequently, the investigators concluded that soy exerted weak estrogenic effects on breast tissue but that the long-term implications of this effect were unclear.

The Case For Soy

Epidemiologic studies conducted in Asia generally do not show that the adult consumption of soy reduces postmenopausal breast cancer risk but the low rate of breast cancer mortality in Japan and the superior prognosis of Japanese breast cancer patients in comparison to patients of other ethnic groups are observations often cited as support for soy intake being beneficial, or at the very least, not being harmful, for breast cancer patients. However, these kinds of data do not specifically address the effect of soy. Arguably, breast cancer rates might be even lower, and prognosis even better, if soy was not part of the Japanese diet. Furthermore, women in Japan consume soy throughout their lives, which may have a very different effect than first consuming soy only after having been diagnosed with breast cancer.
Animal studies generally show that the addition of soy protein or isoflavones to a typical laboratory diet reduces chemically-induced mammary tumorigenesis, although the effects are somewhat inconsistent and often not particularly robust (15,16). No studies show increased mammary tumorigenesis when soy is fed to adult animals. However, with few exceptions, the animal studies address tumor development, not effects on existing tumors. Thus, their relevance to breast cancer patients is unclear. An important exception is a study by Shao et al. They found that when intact (with a uterus) immunecompromised mice were implanted with ER+ breast cancer cells, genistein injections actually decreased mammary tumor development (17). These findings are in contrast to those by Helferich and colleagues cited previously (10,11). Shao et al. did inject genistein, which raises questionsabout extrapolating the results to humans, but recent data by Zhou et al. show that in intact mice, dietary genistein also inhibits mammary tumor growth (18).
The primary difference between the two studies in which genistein was protective, and the studies by Helferich and colleagues in which genistein and soy protein isolate were tumorigenic (10,11), is that in the latter studies, mice were ovariectomized. This suggests that in a low-estrogen (ovariectomized mice) environment such as may exist in postmenopausal women, genistein has proliferative and possibly estrogenic effects, whereas in a high-estrogen environment, such as may exist in premenopausal women, it is antiproliferative and possibly antiestrogenic. Overall however, the antiestrogenic effects of soy have not been easy to demonstrate. Furthermore, Shao et al. found that genistein inhibited the growth of ER- cells in vivo, which suggests that the antiproliferative effects of genistein may not be due to antiestrogenic effects even in the case of ER+ cells (17). In any event, it is unlikely that the results of animal studies can resolve the complex issue of soy consumption by breast cancer survivors.
Recently, two studies looked at the effects of isoflavone supplements on breast tissue density. Breast tissue density is an excellent marker of breast cancer risk. Density is increased in response to stimuli that increase risk, such as hormone replacement therapy HRT), and is decreased in response to compounds that decrease breast cancer risk, such as tamoxifen and raloxifene (19). In one yearlong study, isoflavone (100 mg/day) supplements had no effect on breast tissue density in premenopausal women (20), and in the other yearlong study, isoflavone 40 mg/day) supplements actually decreased breast tissue density in women 56-65 years of age (21). Thus, these studies suggest soy does not increase, and may decrease, breast cancer risk. Of course, both studies were conducted in healthy women, not breast cancer patients.

Lessons from HRT

The relationship between HRT and breast cancer risk is unclear. Fortunately, the results from several recently conducted prospective studies have done much to clarify this relationship. These studies indicate that the combination hormones (some form of estrogen in combination with a progestin) markedly increase risk, as much as 2-3fold over the course of a women’s lifetime, whereas estrogen by itself, raises risk only slightly (22). This suggests that soy, which at most only possesses estrogen-like activity (23), and may even lower serum progesterone levels (24), is not likely to increase breast cancer risk in healthy women. But again, the question arises as to whether this conclusion is relevant to breast cancer patients. However, the HRT data may provide some answers to this question as well. Although many oncologists recommend against their patients using HRT, this position is not without controversy and recent studies have been unable to demonstrate that HRT decreases survival in breast cancer patients (25). Thus, since there are no convincing data that HRT has a detrimental effect on the survival of breast cancer patients, it seems highly unlikely that soy would.

Conclusion

Only intervention studies in which the effect of soy consumption on the survival of Western breast cancer patients is examined can definitely determine whether soyfoods are contraindicated for such women. Because this type of research is difficult and expensive to conduct, and may not be approved for ethical reasons, it is unlikely that such trials will be forthcoming. Furthermore, even if this research was undertaken, the results would not be known for many years. Alternatively, some insight may be gained by studying the effects of soy on markers of breast cancer risk in both healthy women and breast cancer survivors. Unfortunately, Asian epidemiologic studies focused on diet and the survival of breast cancer patients may not help to resolve this issue because these studies would involve subjects who have consumed soy throughout their life, not beginning as an adult after having been diagnosed with breast cancer. Until further data are available, in the opinion of this author, the evidence does not justify recommending that breast cancer patients who enjoy partaking of soyfoods stop doing so, nor do they justify recommending that breast cancer patients specifically begin soy consumption solely for the purpose of preventing recurrence and enhancing survival. Therefore soy intake recommendations for breast cancer patients are similar to those for healthy women. Overall the evidence suggests that the intake of approximately 15 g (range, 10 to 25 g) of soy protein and 50 mg (range, 30 to 100 mg) of isoflavones per day is safe and has the potential to exert health benefits. This amount of soy protein and isoflavones is provided by approximately two servings of traditional soy foods.

Is it a matter of dose and form of soy?

Often statements about breast cancer patients and soy emphasize that only large amounts of soy or pills are likely to be harmful. However, the evidence does not appear to be consistent with this perspective. In the study by Petrakis et al. cited previously in the case against soy, subjects consumed 38 g of soy protein isolate per day, which provided about 80 mg of isoflavones. This is certainly a significant amount of soy protein, far more than the approximately 8-10 g Japanese women typically consume (26). However, the more relevant issue is the 80 mg of isoflavones. This amount is found in only about 2-3 servings of soy, and is only a little more than twice the average daily intake in Japan. Thus, this would not be considered excessive isoflavone exposure. Furthermore, in the other human study that raised concerns by Hargreaves et al., subjects consumed 60 g of textured vegetable protein that contained only 45 mg (the amount found in about 5 ounces of tofu) of isoflavones per day, a rather modest amount (14). Also, as already mentioned, in vitro, higher genistein concentrations inhibit the growth of ER+ breast cells, whereas lower concentrations are stimulatory. Therefore, if soy is problematic, the problem is not specifically a result of excessive consumption. In regard to pills versus soyfoods, as noted above, the two human studies raising most concern used soy protein, not isolated isoflavones. Furthermore, in ovariectomized mice, soy protein was shown to stimulate tumor growth to a similar extent as isolated genistein (11). Conversely, isolated genistein (not soy protein or foods) inhibited tumor growth in intact mice (17,18), and isoflavone supplements (not soy protein or foods) had a favorable effect on breast tissue density in postmenopausal women (21). Although the use of pills can be debated on several grounds, the evidence suggests that in regard to breast cancer risk, equivalent amounts of isoflavones from pills and foods will produce similar effects.

Soy and Tamoxifen?

There is ample reason to speculate that soy might be contraindicated for women on tamoxifen. However, Gotoh et al. found that tamoxifen and a diet containing 10% miso synergistically inhibited the development of chemically induced mammary tumors in rats (15). Miso is a fermented soybean paste. Furthermore, in a follow up experiment, when treatment was delayed until tumors had been allowed to grow for several weeks, the combination treatment inhibited growth by approximately 50% whereas tamoxifen alone was ineffective (15). Recently, Constantinou found that a diet containing approximately 16% soy protein and tamoxifen additively inhibited the development of chemically induced mammary tumors (27). Clinical decisions shouldn’t be based on animal data, but these two studies suggest research examining the effect of soy on the efficacy of tamoxifen should be rigorously pursued. Isoflavones:

More than Phytoestrogens

Isoflavones are often referred to as phytoestrogens because they bind to estrogen receptors. It is clear however that not all ligands that bind to estrogen receptors have similar physiological effects. Receptor binding is only one small part of the story. The shape of the ligand-receptor complex and how this complex interacts with activation factors in the cell, and DNA, determines the overall effect on cells (28,29). Thus, it may be more appropriate to refer to the estrogen-like, rather than estrogenic effects, of isoflavones. Furthermore, two very important observations are that isoflavones bind with much greater affinity to estrogen receptor beta (ER-ß) than estrogen receptor alpha (ER-a), and stimulate transcriptional activity with much greater potency when bound to ER-ß than ER-a (29,30).
Until recently, the scientific community understood there to be only one type of estrogen receptor. But in 1996, Swedish researchers identified a second estrogen receptor, which they named ER-ß, to distinguish it from the original estrogen receptor, ER-a (31). These receptors have different tissue distributions, so for example, ER-ß predominates in injured coronary vessels whereas ER-a predominates in the uterus. This suggests that isoflavones are natural selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs). In contrast to estrogen, which exerts estrogenic effects on all tissues and as a result dramatically raises endometrial cancer risk, SERMs, such as the drugs tamoxifen and raloxifene, have estrogenic effects in some tissues, but either no effects or antiestrogenic effects in other tissues.
The ideal SERM would have antiestrogenic effects on the breast, estrogenic effects on the bone, and either no effects or antiestrogenic effects on the uterus. Isoflavones have estrogenic effects on coronary vessels (32) but not on the endometrium (33).Therefore, isoflavones do qualify as SERMs. But their effect on breast tissue is still unclear.
Bear in mind though that as noted previously, isoflavones also possess nonhormonal properties; for example, they exert antioxidant effects under some experimental conditions and influence the activity of enzymes involved in the metabolism of estrogen, and that regulate cell growth and differentiation (34,35). Thus, isoflavones are more than phytoestrogens and may exert biological effects that have little to do with binding to the estrogen receptor. Consequently, even referring to isoflavones as SERMs doesn’t fully describe their potential biological actions.
Used with permission from the Vegetarian Nutrition DPG.

Source : vegetarianism & vegetarian nutrition

Mango Sticky Rice

4 servings
Preparation time: 1 hour
Recipe: San Jose Center, USA
Picture: Ohio Center, USA
Category: Breakfast
Country: Aulac

Ingredients(Pic 1)

2 cups uncooked sweet rice *, soaked in warm water about 3 hours and drained (or 5 cups cooked sticky rice) 1 can (14 oz. or 1 ¾ cups) coconut milk 1 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon salt 4 ripe mangos (or 6 small ripe mangos) *

* Available in Asian Markets

Directions

1. Steam the sweet rice in a steamer about 30-40 minutes or until fully cooked. 2. Cook the coconut milk, the sugar, and the salt in a small saucepan on low heat for about 10 minutes. 3. Add the coconut milk mixture to the cooked sticky rice about 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving. 4. Before serving, cut the mangos into “bite-size” chunks.

Decoration

Place the sticky rice on a medium-sized plate, add the mangos in the middle, and some mint leaves on top for garnish.

Source : godsdirectcontact

Little Secrets Vegetarians Know

Most people who don’t know anything about the vegetarian lifestyle think that is must be pure drudgery being a vegetarian and giving up meat. That is a misconception because even though meat is not a part of a vegetarian diet, it isn't about what you are going without, it is what is in your diet and in your life that makes a vegetarian lifestyle work so well. If you actually interviewed a vegetarian, the last thing they would say is that they are all about not eating meat. Instead they are about living in healthy way in a way that is at peace with the environment and with their own bodies.

The body of knowledge about vegetarians that most people don’t know is pretty astounding. Most people do understand the basic three reasons someone becomes a vegetarian which are health, animal rights and spiritual or moral reasons. But there are a number of side benefits and little secrets only vegetarians know that if they became popularized, the flood of converts to vegetarianism would be overwhelming. Some of those little secrets include…
. Vegetarians are not depressed as much as others because they know some secrets to overcoming depression naturally.
. Vegetarians do not struggle with weight issues as much as others.
. Vegetarians are better informed about nutrition and know how to make the most of what they eat.
. Vegetarians sleep better, are more energetic and need less sleep than meat eaters.
. Vegetarians have a much reduced incidence of cancer, heart disease and digestive disorders.
. Vegetarians live longer than meat eaters.
One secret vegetarians know that gets almost no press is the power of walnuts. There is a little known chemical in walnuts called serotonin that is a powerful antidepressant. Now you can get your doctor to prescribe an artificial anti depressant which can cost you a lot of money and put you at risk for chemical dependency. Or you can make a nice hot cup of tea with walnut as part of the mix. About half a walnut shell mixed in with your regular tea brew fills the drink with serotonin. Taken regularly, you will feel the effects of a chemical pick me up that can combat depression very effectively.

Another little secret of vegetarians runs against the normal rules of dieting to get the full value of nutrients you might expect from eating a salad. Diet theory would have you use no salad dressing or at very least a zero fat or low fat salad dressing. Vegetarians who are more in touch with the effects of foods in their bodies know that the real value of eating salad are the natural nutrients in leafy vegetables called carotenoids. But science has shown us that the best way to pull cerotenoids from green vegetables is to use a higher fat salad dressing. So enjoy that fatty dressing because your vegetarian lifestyle will deliver plenty of weight loss value to you even with this small indulgence that can do you so much good.

Speaking of tea, green tea is often a staple of a vegetarians diet because of the little health secrets buried in this amazing drink. Green tea has powers to help your digestive system, help combat depression and to accelerate weight loss that ancient cultures like the Chinese and India have known for centuries. Vegetarians have caught up on this secret of health knowledge ahead of us so its time well learned from their wisdom.

These are just a few of the wisdom of the ancients that have been rediscovered by the modern vegetarian "craze". But it really isn't a craze because once you start living a healthy life cashing in on these many benefits a vegetarian lifestyle will give you, you will never want to go back.

Source : Vegetarian Info

Probing the link between slaughterhouses and violent crime

To author Upton Sinclair, the hellish world of factory slaughterhouses was as dangerous to human beings as it was to pigs. He filled his 1906 novel The Jungle with meat-packing images that seem ripped from a slashed movie:

"... and as for the other men, who worked in tank-rooms full of steam, and in some of which there were open vats near the level of the floor, their peculiar trouble was that they fell into the vats; and when they were fished out, there was never enough of them left to be worth exhibiting -- sometimes they would be overlooked for days, till all but the bones of them had gone out to the world as Durham's Pure Leaf Lard!"

Sinclair's abattoir laborers get so desensitized to violence that rates of murder, rape and brawls among them rise. The book cemented the link between slaughterhouses and crime for decades to come -- long before pig farmer and serial killer Robert Pickton haunted headlines.

More than a hundred years later, a University of Windsor researcher may have proven the literary classic right. Criminology professor Amy Fitzgerald says statistics show the link between slaughterhouses and brutal crime is empirical fact.

In a recent study, Fitzgerald crunched numbers from the FBI's Uniform Crime Report database, census data, and arrest and offence reports from 581 U.S. counties from 1994 to 2002.

"I have a graph that shows that as the number of slaughterhouse workers in a community increases, the crime rate also increases," she says. Fitzgerald says she was inspired by The Jungle to study crime records in U.S. communities where slaughterhouses are located.

She became fascinated by studies of the environmental effects of slaughterhouses that mentioned crime rates, without explanation, seemed to go up when the factories opened in communities.

Fitzgerald carefully weighed the figures in order to see whether a link really existed. She found that an average-sized slaughterhouse with 175 employees would annually increase the number of arrests by 2.24 and the number of reports by 4.69. The larger the abattoir, the worse the local crime problem.

Source : Vegsource

Creamy Vegan Carrot Soup with Coconut Recipe

This creamy carrot soup recipe uses coconut milk instead of dairy or soy milk for a creamy soy-free tropically flavored soup. This carrot soup recipe is so good; I literally couldn't stop taking bites as I was trying to photograph it! If you're looking for a nutritious vegan carrot soup recipe, you won't be disappointed with this yummy vegan, dairy-free and soy-free carrot soup. Serve hot for a meal, or, chill and serve as a simple yet elegant appetizer soup.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 large carrots, chopped small
• 1 onion, chopped small
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1 3/4 cup vegetable broth
• 1 14 ounce can coconut milk
• sea salt, to taste

Preparation:

Simmer the carrots, onions, ginger and curry powder in vegetable broth for 20-25 minutes, until carrots are soft.

Allow to cool slightly, and then puree in blender, working in batches if needed.

Return to heat and stir in coconut milk until well combined.

Season generously with sea salt, to taste.

Serve hot, or, chill until cold and serve as a gourmet vegetarian and vegan appetizer soup. This carrot soup will thicken as it cools, so if serving this vegan carrot soup cold, you may want to add a bit extra liquid.

Source : vegetarian.about.com

Cows Used for Their Flesh

Cattle raised for their flesh spend the first year of their lives grazing. In fact, they are the only farmed animals other than sheep who are ever allowed to do anything natural, like breathe fresh air or feel sun on their backs.

However, cattle are still subjected to abuses that would warrant felony cruelty-to-animals charges if they were dogs or cats. To mark cows for identification, ranchers restrain the animals and push hot fire irons into their flesh, causing third degree burns, as they bellow in pain and attempt to escape. Male calves’ testicles are ripped from their scrotums without pain relievers, and the horns of cows raised for beef are cut or burned off.

While “on the range,” most cows receive inadequate veterinary care, and as a result, many die from infection and injury. Every winter, cattle freeze to death in states like Montana, Nebraska, and North Dakota. And every summer, cows collapse from heat stroke in states like Texas and Arizona. After about a year of facing the elements, cows are shipped to an auction lot and then across hundreds of miles to massive feedlots—feces- and mud-filled holding pens where they are crammed together by the thousands. Many arrive crippled or dead from the journey.

Cattle on feedlots are fed a very unnatural diet to fatten them up. This diet causes chronic digestive pain—imagine your worst case of gastritis never going away—and some of their innards actually become ulcerated and eventually rupture (the industry calls this condition “bloat”). According to a study published in the Journal of Animal Science, this diet also causes potentially fatal liver abscesses in as many as 32 percent of cattle raised for beef.²

The feedlot air is saturated with ammonia, methane, and other noxious chemicals, which build up from the huge amounts of manure, and the cows are forced to inhale these gasses constantly. These fumes can give the cows chronic respiratory problems, making breathing painful.
Cattle raised for food are also pumped full of drugs to make them grow faster and keep them alive in these miserable conditions. Instead of taking sick cattle to see a veterinarian, many feedlot owners simply give the animals even higher doses of human-grade antibiotics in an attempt to keep them alive long enough to make it to the slaughterhouse.

Source : Goveg

Prisoned Chickens, Poisoned Eggs 2009 – Preface

By Karen Davis,

I wrote Prisoned Chickens, Poisoned Eggs in the mid-1990s in order to bring attention to the billions of chickens buried alive on factory farms. At the time, neither the animal rights movement nor the public at large knew very much about chickens or about how the poultry industry originated and developed in twentieth-century America to become the model for industrialized farmed-animal production around the world. Some informative articles and book chapters had appeared, but the poultry industry’s own detailed and glowing account of its transformation of the chicken, from an active outdoor bird scouring the woods and fields to a sedentary indoor meat-and-egg “machine,” filled with suffering, diseases, and antibiotics, remained largely unknown.

The purpose of Prisoned Chickens, Poisoned Eggs was to bring this story to light in a way that would reveal the tragedy of chickens through the lens of the industry that created their tragedy without pity or guilt. The book became, as I’d hoped it would, a blueprint for people seeking a coherent picture of the U.S. poultry industry, as well as a handbook for animal rights activists seeking to develop effective strategies to expose and relieve the plight of chickens.

While much has happened since Prisoned Chickens, Poisoned Eggs first appeared in 1996, little has changed for the chickens themselves, except that their lives have become, as a global phenomenon, even more miserable. Instead of 7.5 billion chickens being slaughtered in the mid-1990s in the United States, nearly 10 billion chickens are now being slaughtered, with parallel rises in other countries reflecting the expansion of chicken consumption and industrialized production into Latin America, China, India, Africa, Russia, Mexico, and elsewhere. Throughout the world, over 40 billion chickens are now being slaughtered for meat each year, and over 5 billion hens are in battery cages, many of them in egg-production complexes holding up to a million or more birds.

U.S. per capita consumption of chicken went from 42 pounds in 1972 to 48.4 pounds in 1995 to 86 pounds in 2007, and the number of “meat-type” chickens being crammed into filthy, dark sheds has risen from 20,000 up to as many as 50,000 birds in a single metal building. Chickens forced to gain five pounds in six weeks in the mid-1990s are now being forced to gain eight pounds in the same amount of time. Chickens raised for meat are in such crippling pain, their bodies are so abnormally large and disproportioned, their skin, joints, and intestines are so rotting with ulcers and necrotic diseases, that they can barely stand, let alone walk—not that there is anywhere for them to go, being raised as they are without room to move except onto an adjacent bird’s back. When you pick up a chicken on the road who has fallen off a truck on the way to the slaughter plant, the huge white bird with the little peeping voice and baby blue eyes feels like liquid cement.

When I decided to start an advocacy group for chickens in the late 1980s, I was told by some that people weren’t “ready” for chickens. This proved to be false. The point, in any case, was to make people ready. Between 1996, when Prisoned Chickens, Poisoned Eggs first appeared, and the start of the present century, up to the time of this writing in 2008, chickens have become a primary focus of the animal advocacy movement. United Poultry Concerns’ campaign in the 1990s to expose the U.S. egg-industry’s practice of starving hens for weeks at a time, to force them to molt their feathers and reduce the cost of egg production, had a decisive effect in shifting attention toward chickens.

Most notably, activists in the United States and Canada have joined with their European and Australian allies in waging a high-profile campaign to get rid of the barren battery cage system for laying hens, though the European ban set for 2012 is not without problems, as I show in Chapter 3. Farmed-animal sanctuaries and stories about rescued chickens have become an important part of the animal advocacy movement, along with shocking, well-publicized, undercover investigations documenting the appalling cruelty to chickens and turkeys by poultry industry workers.

Recently, a number of celebrity chefs, environmentalists, and sectors of the food industry have come on board with animal welfare groups calling for an end to industrialized poultry and egg production in favor of “humane,” “free-range” methods of production. These alliances have spawned concern and anxiety among those animal advocates who consider it a betrayal to work for welfare reforms that involve the duplicity of encouraging people to eat animals and animal products under the illusion that the animals involved were somehow raised and butchered “humanely.”

Instead, it is argued that animal advocacy programs should be mainly directed at getting people off animal products altogether. Farmed-animal advocates should invest their resources in campaigns designed to in increase the demand for vegan foods—the delicious mock meats, soymilks, egg substitutes, and other vegan items that are now readily available.

The following chapters tell the story of chickens and the poultry industry and where things stand as we move toward the end of the first decade of the new century in a world in which avian influenza, food poisoning, global warming, vegan cuisine, genetic engineering, animal welfare campaigns, and the expansion of poultry and egg production and consumption jostle together. At the heart of this story is the chicken, to whom this book is dedicated, and on whose side, and at whose side, I remain steadfast.

To order Prisoned Chickens, Poisoned Eggs, visit the United Poultry Concerns.

Source : all-creatures.org

Black bean vegetarian chili

I have to confess, chili is not my favorite of vegetarian meals, but even I couldn't stop eating this vegetarian and vegan black bean chili, it was just so flavorful! The sweet potatoes and carrots match perfectly with the spiciness of the fresh chili flavor. This is my new favorite vegetarian chili recipe!

Ingredients:

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2 medium carrots, sliced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped (optional)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 15 ounce can black beans
• 1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes or tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp cayenne (or to taste)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Preparation:

Sautee onions and garlic in olive oil for a minute or two, then add sweet potatoes, carrots and bell pepper until onions are soft, about 5-6 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low, and add remaining ingredients, stirring to combine well.
Simmer, partially covered and stirring occasionally, for 20-25 minutes, until flavors have mingled and vegetables are cooked.
Makes 5 servings of homemade black bean chili.
Nutritional information (per serving):
Calories: 427, Calories from Fat: 67
% Daily Value:
Total Fat: 7.5g, 12% / Saturated Fat: 1.2g, 6% Trans Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 368mg, 15%
Total Carbohydrates: 72.0g, 24%
Dietary Fiber: 17.3g, 69%
Protein: 21.4g
Vitamin A 289%, Vitamin C 65%, Calcium 15%, Iron 31%

Source : Vegetarian info

Vegetarian Nutrition

Vegetarians can rest assured. Plant-based foods are loaded with nutrients including ample protein, iron, calcium, vitamin D, iodine, omega-3 fatty acids, and zinc. Vegans require a reliable source of vitamin B12.

Whether you eat a vegetarian or non-vegetarian diet, the key to health is simple. Include a wide variety of different foods in your diet – no one food source is nutritionally complete by itself. Vegetarians choose foods from grains, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and fruits. Whole unrefined foods are best. Eggs and dairy are optional. On a plant-based diet, you will have the distinct advantage of obtaining nutrients from sources high in fibre, and low in saturated fat and cholesterol.
For a print version open VegNutriton.pdf (250 Kb)

Protein

It was once thought that foods had to be combined within a single meal to provide complete protein. The latest research indicates that an assortment of plant foods eaten over the course of a day can provide all of the essential amino acids you need. This is the postion of the Dietitians of Canada and the American Dietetic Association. Most people can easily meet their protein needs by eating a variety of whole grains, legumes, and vegetables on a daily basis. Although there is somewhat less protein in a vegetarian diet, this is actually an advantage, as excess protein has been linked to heart disease, cancer, kidney disease and osteoporosis. Foods high in protein include tofu, tempeh, TVP, beans, nuts, seeds, soy milk, some vegetables (such as broccoli, asparagus, spinach, snowpeas, Brussels sprouts), eggs, and dairy products.

Iron

The American Dietetic Association's Position Paper on Vegetarian Diets says, "Incidence of iron deficiency anemia among vegetarians is similar to that of non-vegetarians. Although vegetarian adults have lower iron stores than non-vegetarians, their serum ferritin levels are usually within the normal range."

The richest plant sources of iron are fortified breakfast cereals, soy products and legumes, whole grains, dark green vegetables, dried fruits, nuts and seeds, potato with skin, and blackstrap molasses. Cooking with cast-iron pots (especially water based acidic foods like tomato sauce) also contributes to dietary intake. Adding fruits and vegetables high in vitamin C (ascorbic acid) to your meals (such as citrus, peppers, cabbage, broccoli, tomatoes, and greens like kale and collards) enhances iron absorption. The same is true for other organic acids in fruits and vegetables. Calcium supplements, black or green tea, coffee and chocolate inhibit iron absorption if eaten at the same time as iron. Dairy products contain very little iron.

Only about one fifth of the iron in a standard diet comes from meat, but plants contain non-heme iron which is not as easily absorbed as the heme iron that makes up two thirds of the iron in meat. Because of this the RDA for iron has been set higher for vegetarians. In Canada and the US it is 33 mg per day for vegetarian women verses 18 mg per day for meat-eating women. For meat-eating men and postmenopausal women it is 8 mg of iron a day, but for vegetarians in this group it is 14 mg. According to Jack Norris, RD, this is controversial because the recommendations were not based on studies of vegetarians, but instead on vegetarian diets designed to reduce iron absorption. The RDAs for vegetarians don’t properly take into account the benefits of adding vitamin C and avoiding tea and coffee at meals. Also, Norris has observed that some women have trouble getting enough iron on a vegetarian diet initially, but over time their bodies become efficient at absorbing non-heme iron. Due to blood loss during menstruation, iron deficiency anemia is more of a concern for adult women than it is for men.
There are some advantages to having a lower iron intake: Lower iron levels are associated with higher glucose tolerance and might help prevent diabetes, and high iron levels have been linked to cancer.

Calcium

Dairy products are high in calcium, but needs can also be met on a well-planned vegan diet. Rich plant food sources include dark green vegetables such as broccoli, bok choy and kale, beans, tofu (made with calcium), tahini, sesame seeds, almonds, figs, seaweeds, unrefined molasses, and fortified soy milks. Since the consumption of animal protein increases calcium requirements, a person following a vegan diet may have much lower needs. Although some plant foods contain oxalates and phytate which can inhibit calcium absorption, the calcium in plant foods is generally well absorbed.

Vitamin D

This vitamin is essential for the absorption of calcium and is formed in the presence of direct or indirect sunlight. Your body stores vitamin D during the summer for winter use. On average, about 10 to 15 minutes a day of sun on the face and hands for light-skinned people should suffice. Darker-skinned people, the elderly, and those at higher latitudes may need more sun exposure. Sunscreen lotion rated SPF 8 or above prevents vitamin D synthesis. Dairy products and some rice and soy milks are fortified with vitamin D. People getting insufficient sun or not eating fortified foods should consider taking a daily multiple vitamin that includes 400 IU of vitamin D.

Zinc

Zinc is readily available in many plant foods such as whole grains (breads, pasta, rice), wheat germ, tofu, tempeh, millet, quinoa, miso, legumes, sprouts, nuts and seeds, as well as eggs and dairy products.

Vitamin B12

Very low B12 intakes can cause anemia and nervous system damage. Meat-eaters acquire B12 through micro-organisms living in the animal flesh they eat. Lacto-ovo vegetarians receive B12 through eggs and dairy products.

The only reliable vegan sources are foods fortified with B12 (including some rice and soy milks, some breakfast cereals, and Red Star nutritional yeast vegetarian support formula), B12 supplements and some multi-vitamins. In the past some non-animal items such as spirulina, tempeh, miso, and soil were considered as possible sources, but these have proven to be unreliable.

In the absence of any apparent dietary supply, deficiency symptoms usually take five years or more to develop in adults, though some people experience problems within a year. Long term studies of vegans have detected a very low rate of B12 deficiency. Some people (including meat-eaters) have problems absorbing B12. It’s especially important for women to ensure B12 intake when pregnant or breastfeeding.

Iodine

Regular iodized table salt is fortified with plenty of iodine, but if you use sea salt instead, be sure your diet includes a reliable source. Sea salt contains very little iodine. The best sources are seaweed, vegetables grown near the ocean, and many vitamin and mineral supplements. Also some breads use dough stabilizers that contain iodine. Iodine is needed for the normal metabolism of cells.

Omega-3 fatty acids

Omega-3 fatty acids include ALA, EPA and DHA. Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is found mainly in the oil of flaxseeds, hemp seeds, walnuts, rapeseed (canola oil), and soybeans. ALA reduces blood clotting, and is good for the heart. The body converts some of the ALA into two other essential omega-3 fats called EPA and DHA. These two are also found to a small degree in seaweeds, and there are vegan DHA supplements available made from micro-algae. Low levels of DHA have been associated with depression. A tablespoon of ground flaxseeds or a teaspoon of flax oil per day will meet the needs of most people.

All other essential vitamins, minerals, fats and carbohydrates are widely found in the plant kingdom. These nutrients can be easily obtained by maintaining variety in a plant food diet.

See the Vegetarian Position Paper (view as a 20-page pdf), by the Dietitians of Canada and the American Dietetic Association, for more information on vegetarian and vegan nutrition. The paper covers all stages of the life cycle (including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence, and old age).

If you have difficulty adapting to a vegetarian diet it may be that your body needs a few months to adjust and detoxify. Try experimenting with a variety of foods and cooking methods. If you have concerns about a nutrient deficiency, you can always have your blood tested, but rest assured that a varied vegetarian diet lacks no nutrients and is proven to be a powerful health promoting choice. Bon appetit!

Reviewed by Anne-Marie Roy R.D. except for the iron section which was recently updated in Oct 2009.

Source : veg.ca

Mushroom and Sweet Peppers Sandwich

Ingredients

600g (20 oz) portabella mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 each red, yellow and orange sweet bell peppers, cut into strips
2 medium size onions, cut into strips
5-6, 6” French rolls
½ stick butter (or as needed), sliced
2 Tbsp olive oil
As needed Mrs. Dash Seasoning (mixture of dried herbs without salt)
As needed garlic salt

Directions

1. Heat oven at 400°F(205°C).
2. Melt butter in pan and place mushroom slices in pan, sprinkle dry herb mixture and garlic salt to taste. Pan- fry both sides of mushroom until soft. Put aside.
3. Heat olive oil in pan, stir-fry onions and sweet peppers until soft. Season with garlic salt and dried herb mixture. Put aside.
4. Heat French Rolls in oven for 3 minutes. Cut open side ways.
5. Layer Mushroom Slices and Sweet Bell Peppers.

Provided by Los Angeles, USA

Vegetarian Baked Pasta

Ingredients

200g Spiral Pasta
2 Courgetts
4 Tomatoes
6 slices Soy Ham
Broad Beans
2 Capsicum (1 red and 1 green bell pepper)
1 can of Dolmio Cheese & Onion Pasta Bake Sauce
Spanish Black Olives
Basil Pesto
Vegetable Oil

Seasonings

Salt Pepper & sugar - as required to taste
Vegetarian chicken powder - as required to taste

Preparations

1. Cut the soy ham into cubes and fry until slightly crispy, set aside.
2. Slice the courgetts and capsicums, chop the tomatoes in cubes.
3. Stir fry the tomatoes first, then add in courgetts & broad beans and stir fry for another 3 mins.
4. Add the soy ham in and stir fry for another minute and set aside.
5. Boil the pasta in a pot until soft, drain the water and place the pasta in an oven dish and layer the fried ingredients with creamy pasta bake sauce, olives and pesto (as required to taste).
6. Sprinkle with grated cheese on top and decorate with sliced red and green bell peppers.
7.Bake in 180°C for 15 minutes.
8. Serve while it's hot!

Recipe Provided by Auckland Center, New Zealand