SOURDOUGH RYE

Health Benefits of 100% Whole Rye Sourdough Bread

 

100% whole rye bread, slowly fermented for many hours, was the basic food eaten in Northern Europe from Ireland to Russia, including France and Switzerland, for thousands of years. The early American colonists brought rye, not wheat, to America. Sourdough rye bread is low in gluten and low in the inflammatory omega 6 fat linoleic acid, but high in nutrients that support sugar metabolism, brain function, and a calm, happy mood: B vitamins, zinc, manganese, the amino acid lysine, and a special fiber. These nutrients actually quell sugar cravings, for they provide a continuous supply of energy, plus they aid in digestion.  Thus, sourdough whole grain rye bread is recommended for diabetics, alcoholics, people with gluten intolerance and other digestive problems, for people who need to lose weight, and for healthy people who want to enjoy their food but also stay healthy while they do it! 

 

RECOMMENDED FOR DIABETICS AND ALCOHOLICS

 

Both diabetes and alcohol abuse are growing problem in America: nearly 10% of our population has diabetes, and 30% of Americans abuse alcohol.  Diabetes and alcohol abuse have certain issues in common which are helped by sourdough rye bread. These include blood sugar control, cholesterol, essential (omega) fats, zinc/copper balance, enough vitamin B1 and manganese, and the essential amino acid lysine vs. the non-essential amino acid arginine.

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A LOW GLUTEN, VERY DIGESTIBLE BREAD-NO BLOATING!

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Bread made by traditional fermentation has fed people, not just in Europe, but throughout the world, for thousands of years, and it is much healthier than yeast-raised bread or baking powder-raised bakery. This is because grains, as well as legumes, nuts, and seeds, contain "anti-nutrients", such as phytates, oxalates, and inhibitors of digestive enzymes-protease, trypsin, and amylase! Phytates and oxalates prevent the absorption of iron, zinc, calcium and magnesium, which are all calming minerals that are needed for a good mood. Oxalates also contribute to kidney stones. The digestive enzyme trypsin is needed to digest protein, but modern wheat has been bred to increase trypsin inhibitors (because they are one of the plant's natural pesticides). 24 hour fermenting destroys much of the phytates, oxalates, and trypsin-inhibitors. Thus, the time-honored process of making sourdough bread or soaking beans before cooking is critical, then, to enable us to absorb the rich store of minerals, protein, and other nutrients contained in these foods.

 

The gluten in grains is hard to digest, but rye has much less gluten than wheat. In fact, it has so little gluten that 100% rye bread usually isn't kneaded, because there's so little gluten to develop! Plus, long fermentation breaks down gluten.  So, some people with gluten intolerance are able to eat sourdough rye bread.

 

Yeast began to be used for bread-making in the mid-1800’s, for a quicker rise and lighter breads. However, another issue is that the amino acid (protein) profile in grains, as well as in legumes, nuts and seeds, is unbalanced, and sourdough fermentation helps to balance the amino acids lysine and arginine. So, these modern breads are low in calming lysine, an essential amino acid needed to make a complete protein. Lysine is particularly important for diabetics, for it was found to increase the enzyme activity for the insulin receptor. Lysine is also critical for heart health, our immune and repair system, reproduction, energy, a calm mood, our connective tissue, DNA, and to fight cancer. At the same time, these foods are high in the non-essential amino acid, arginine, which competes with lysine for absorption.  One problem with too much arginine and too little lysine is that, when the inflammatory immune system is activated, excess arginine produces large and continuous amounts of inflammatory nitric oxide, which amplifies the inflammatory response, and causes free radicals (HODE's) to form.

 

Nitric oxide is found in excess in Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes and heart failure, shock, inflammatory bowel disease, and other chronic inflammatory and neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer's. NO also forms the free radical peroxynitrite. This damages tissue, lowers dopamine (see "Happy Neurotransmitters", below), is the key problem leading to death from the flu, and is a major problem in inflammatory diseases. Furthermore, inflammatory nitric oxide in the mitochondria, thought to be enhanced by salicylates, lowers mitochondrial function. Notably, lysine, which induces arginase, was found to "selectively" and "profoundly" lower inflammatory nitric oxide (it lowers only inflammatory NO, not beneficial NO).

 

Arginine has a bitter taste, while lysine has a sweet taste. The protein in grains is incomplete, due to their low amount of lysine, but fermentation both raises lysine and lowers arginine, so it is more nourishing than yeast-raised bread. More lysine and less arginine also makes the bread sweeter, plus it helps to make sourdough rye bread close to a complete protein. (See www.tendler5.wix.com/highlysinediet for more information).

 

So, for many reasons, ever since grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds were eaten, they have been prepared by long fermentation.

 

BLOOD SUGAR/CHOLESTEROL-At ten grams of fiber per two ounces, whole rye may contain more fiber per serving than any other food! Whole rye has more than twice as much fiber than whole wheat, and just two ounces of rye contains over three times as much fiber as a cup of cooked quinoa. Fiber is important for digestion, heart health, and detoxification of heavy metals and other toxins. Fiber also removes excess cholesterol, and it makes you feel full. This bread also contains barley, which is particularly high in the special fiber beta-glucans (also in rye), which has many good effects on blood sugar and cholesterol.

 

Researchers studied the effects of whole rye versus whole wheat or white bread on diabetics. In the group that ate whole rye bread, the sugar and insulin levels in the blood were significantly lower than the other groups, plus they felt greater satiety. Whole rye also lowered bad cholesterol, LDL, and raised good cholesterol, HDL, while whole wheat did not. In addition, whole rye decreased inflammation more than whole wheat (rye has more ant-oxidant activity). Thus, "whole rye breads, especially bread from 100% whole rye flour, are extremely recommended for pre-diabetic and diabetic patients."

 

Notably, blood sugar control is not just a problem for diabetics. Low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, is a major problem for people who eat a lot of refined carbohydrates, alcoholics, and for other drug addictions and depression. Whole grain sourdough rye bread is an excellent food for hypoglycemics, for it provides an even level of blood sugar, and prevents blood sugar from dipping too low.

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LOW IN FAT, HIGH IN ZINC-Whole rye bread is lower in fat, particularly in the omega 6 fat linoleic acid, than whole wheat bread, and it has less than a third of this fat than quinoa (seeds, peanut butter, soy and nuts are also high in linoleic acid). In addition, rye is a good source of zinc. Being low in linoleic acid but high in zinc is important for diabetics for a number of reasons. Zinc is a component of insulin, so high blood sugar depletes zinc. Low zinc is a problem regarding omega fat digestion because zinc is needed for the enzyme (D6D) that converts omega fats from plants into essential fats DHA, GLA and arachidonic acid. Insulin (from eating carbs), alcohol, transfats (from linoleic and oleic acid), and coffee also deplete zinc. Not surprisingly, both diabetics and alcoholics are low in zinc and in arachidonic acid.

 

Blocking this enzyme is a very serious problem because DHA, GLA, and arachidonic acid, which are available only in animal foods like liver, fish, eggs, poultry and pork, are needed for many critical functions, including the brain and nervous system, to resolve inflammation, for a healthy heart and normal blood pressure (via arachidonic acid hormone prostacyclin), and to fight infections. DHA and arachidonic acid are so important that they are added to infant formula, even though it already contains linoleic acid. Notably, supplementation with arachidonic acid brings down high blood pressure, via prostacyclin, and zinc was found to control blood sugar and blood pressure in diabetics.

 

Both alcoholics and diabetics (and obese people) develop fatty liver, which can develop into cirrhosis and the need for liver replacement.  Linoleic acid is a major problem with fatty liver, for free radicals are formed from the unconverted fat in the presence of inflammatory nitric oxide from excess arginine. The free radicals are called HODE's. HODE's "contribute to the progress" of diabetes, as well as to cardiovascular and many other diseases, including cancer. HODE's are so prevalent with diabetes that they are proposed for use as a marker to identify people who will develop diabetes. HODE's also are used to measure the extent of damage in non-alcoholic and alcoholic fatty liver disease, for HODE's play a "critical role in the initiation and progression" of liver disease. Furthermore, the consequence of high levels of HODE's from linoleic acid is "significant weight gain."

 

One of the HODE enzymes is actually a crucial anti-inflammatory enzyme, because it normally acts on arachidonic acid to make hormones, called lipoxins, that are needed to resolve inflammation. However, when arachidonic acid is low, this enzyme acts on linoleic acid, and creates HODE's, rather than on arachidonic acid to make lipoxins. So, inflammation can become chronic when linoleic replaces arachidonic acid in the diet. Researchers pointed out the need to lower linoleic acid in the diet to reduce HODE's in the liver, in order to improve liver health. Furthermore, the ketogenic diet, which increases arachidonic acid and DHA in the liver and brain, has been shown to improve and even reverse diabetes. This may be because arachidonic acid has "an important regulatory and protective (pancreatic) β-cell action" and "enhances insulin secretion".

 

Alcohol is detoxified in the liver by a zinc enzyme, which is why alcohol depletes zinc, and alcoholics are low in zinc. In a study comparing linoleic acid with saturated fat, the free radicals from unconverted linoleic acid contributed to the damage of the alcoholic's liver. However, saturated fat, which is stable, did not contribute to the damage. Researchers stated "the protective effects of dietary saturated fat and deleterious effects of dietary unsaturated fat on alcohol-induced liver pathology are well recognized." Interestingly, beef tallow is most effective in preventing alcoholic liver disease. Notably, juvenile diabetes type 2 was first diagnosed in the 1990's, after restaurants and processed food companies changed their fat from beef tallow, butter or lard to modern vegetable oil, which greatly increased consumption of linoleic acid and its transfats.

 

Importantly, the D6D enzyme is deficient in people with Northern European ancestry, especially in Irish, Scottish and Scandinavians, and in Native Americans and Mexicans. Ancestors of these people traditionally ate animal sources of omega 6 fats-meat, fish, and eggs, rather than plant sources, like the margarine, olive oil, peanuts, soybeans, nuts, seeds, and modern oils that we eat today. Transfats, large amounts of linoleic acid, caffeine, high blood sugar and alcohol all block this enzyme even further, causing many problems. Thus, the change in fat from animal omega fat to plant omega fat may explain current high rates of both diabetes and alcoholism in these groups, and is a good reason for these groups to eat their traditional foods.

 

Zinc must be present in our diet in much larger quantities than copper, at a ratio of about eight to one. A high copper diet can cause excessive emotions, depression, brain fog, and fearfulness, and it contributes to many problems that are found with diabetes, like yeast infections, psoriasis, and liver, heart, and thyroid problems. Excessive emotions and depression also lead to excessive drinking. Plant foods, such as nuts, seeds, chocolate, avocado, and most grains, are very high in copper, with regard to zinc. This is true about wheat and spelt, as well as quinoa, which far exceeds a healthy copper to zinc ratio.

 

Rye is a happy exception to this rule, for the proportion of zinc to copper actually exceeds eight to one! Rye also supplies about twice as much zinc as wheat or quinoa, and nearly three times more zinc than brown rice. In addition, the sourdough process releases the zinc for absorption by the body. So, unlike other plant proteins that lower zinc by supplying excess copper, sourdough rye bread is actually a good source of zinc!

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MANGANESE-Rye is one of the top food sources of manganese, and it has far more than wheat or quinoa. Manganese is very important, for it is the anti-oxidant of our mitochondria, where carbohydrates are brought in so they can be converted into energy. Furthermore, a deficiency of manganese causes copper to accumulate, which lowers zinc.  Diabetics are low in manganese, and experimental manganese-depleted diets have been shown to lead to high blood sugar, with diabetes-like symptoms.

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VITAMIN B1-Vitamin B1, working together with manganese, is the key vitamin for the synthesis of acetylcholine (needed for proper blood flow) in the nerve endings. B1 (thiamine) levels are low in diabetics, and this contributes to blood vessel complications found with diabetes. Special B1 supplements have reversed or helped many complications of diabetes. Alcoholics are particularly low in B1, because it is depleted by alcohol, and B1 deficiency plays a central role in alcoholic brain disease. B1 is particularly important for the functioning of our mitochondria.

 

50% of Americans' current intake of this vitamin comes from baked goods and cereals that are enriched with synthetic B1. This is unfortunate, because B1 taken as vitamins is very poorly absorbed. Whole rye is a good source of most of the B vitamins, including B1, and barley is one of the top plant sources of B1. Each loaf contains barley grits, so four or five slices of sourdough whole grain rye and barley bread supplies nearly half of our daily requirement of B1, in an absorbable form.

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SOURDOUGH BREAD HAS A NATURAL PRESERVATIVE-NO NEED FOR BHA AND BHT!

 

Fermentation is acidic, which is a natural preservative, keeping the bread mold-free for a longer time than yeast-raised breads.

 

UNLIKE WHEAT, RYE CULTIVATION IS ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE.

 

Rye is easily grown without pesticides because of its vigorous growth. In fact, the yield of rye grown organically exceeds that of rye grown with pesticides!  Rye is even used for weed control due to an anti-weed chemical that it produces, and it requires little or no insecticides or fertilizer. In contrast, wheat requires many pesticides to get a good harvest, plus it is a "heavy feeder", so it depletes soils. Also, quinoa grown at high elevations doesn’t need pesticides, but it’s heavily pesticided when grown at lower elevations. One problem with pesticides is that they lower the critical neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is needed for learning, proper blood flow, and for the all-important alpha state of "rest, digest and repair". Pesticides also lower dopamine, serotonin as well as calming lysine, which are all needed for a calm and happy mood. 

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Rye is more drought-tolerant than wheat, so it requires little to no irrigation. Rye is also very cold-tolerant and is easily grown in cold climates-it can even grow under snow cover, when temperatures are just a few degrees above freezing! In contrast, wheat is native to warm climates, so when wheat is grown in colder climates, like northern United States, they have to hasten the harvest. So, they spray it with Glyphosate (Round-up) just before harvest, and residues of Glyphosate are found on wheat. This problem may be a major reason people have become gluten intolerant. Rye grows well in marginal soils, like sandy or peat soils, and actually improves the soils, due to its extensive, fibrous root system, which also controls erosion. In contrast, wheat is a heavy feeder, and needs richer soils or heavy fertilizing. In fact, for many years, rye was considered to be a weed, growing in the wheat fields, it grows that easily!

Thus, unlike wheat and quinoa, which require many specific growing conditions, rye can be grown virtually anywhere. So, rye is more easily grown and obtained locally, as the rye for this bread is, thus avoiding the environmental problems of long-distance shipping.

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So, eating sourdough rye bread is a definite win-win for our health and for the environment-best for our health, and best for the planet!

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Be healthy and happy-eat traditional foods!

 

In addition to their whole grain sourdough rye bread, the Northern European traditional diet includes a good balance of very nutritious foods, which are nearly all locally produced. This diet is a very ecological diet in many ways. For example, Northern Europeans eat fish, pork, lamb, poultry, and a little beef. However, rather than eating large portions, the meat was often made into long-cooked soups and stews, and included peas or beans, and root vegetables. Wild game, such as reindeer stew, is also eaten regularly in Scandinavia. These soups and stews are perfect for dipping sourdough rye bread into! Some favorites are pea soup with ham, chicken and barley soup (made with gelatinous chicken broth), navy bean and ham soup, seafood chowder, creamy baked fish, all garnished with a generous sprinkling of fresh parsley.

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Besides  the bread, and meat and legume soups and stews, traditional foods of Northern Europe include milk, cheese, and fermented dairy products like sour cream, from goat and sheep milk as well as cow's milk. Dairy products were unpasteurized, which retains the digestive enzymes, and raw milk cheeses are still widely eaten in Europe. Raw cheeses are also available in the United States. Vegetables include carrots, beets and other roots, onions, crucifers, especially cabbage and sauerkraut, mushrooms, asparagus, and buttercrunch (Boston) lettuce, with parsley garnishing many dishes. Wild berries and plums were eaten seasonally, or dried and eaten during the winter, along with pears and apples, for their sweets. Early greens were made into cream soups and eaten as a Spring tonic.

 

Whole grain porridge, long-soaked to make it creamier and more digestible, has been eaten for breakfast for centuries. It's made from oats, rye or barley, and served with cream. It may be surprising that Northern Europeans traditionally eat a lot of whole grains-there is even a restaurant in Denmark that is devoted exclusively to porridge! Before wheat became popular, whole grain barley was used to make flatbread, and barley is still added to many soups. Traditional drinks included a low alcohol beer which as unfiltered, so it retained the B vitamins that are very high in barley.

 

The foods eaten in Northern Europe were all based on what could be locally produced in a cold climate, and then stored over the winter. Although it is a limited diet, the food is very satisfying, strengthening, and delicious! Very importantly, it contains all the nutrients that we need for mental and physical health, especially for those with Northern European ancestry.

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GOOD MOOD NUTRIENTS

 

The nutrients in traditional Northern European foods may play a large part in creating that up-beat, cozy feeling of hygge, for these foods are very high in the vitamins, minerals, and amino acids which are needed for mental health and a good mood. At the same time, many of these important mood nutrients are missing from the typical American diet, or are easily depleted. Northern European traditional foods are also low in salicylates, which are compounds in many plant foods and common food chemicals that must be detoxified in the body. When they are in excess, salicylates block many critical enzymes, including those needed for mitochondrial function and oxygen utilization. Others maintain and repair damaged tissue throughout the body, including brain myelin (PGI2 from arachidonic acid), to lower excess excitatory glutamate, for detoxification, and for downregulating the inflammatory immune response (PGE2 from arachidonic acid). Thus, a low salicylate diet, such as the Northern European diet, is very helpful, especially for inattention, fatigue, restlessness/insomnia, paranoia, anorexia, breathing problems/congestion, hypoglycemia, arrhythmia, chronic pain and inflammation, leaky gut, rashes, or hearing loss. Capsaicin is the anti-dote to salicylate sensitivity, and important Northern European foods and flavorings horseradish, ginger, and radishes have capsaicin-like compounds in them.

So, adding more of these foods could be very helpful for many Americans, especially those with Northern European ancestry. Some of the major good mood nutrients are vitamin B1 (especially important for well-functioning mitochondria) and other B vitamins, the amino acid lysine, and minerals zinc, magnesium, calcium, manganese, and molybdenum.

Northern European foods also provide omega fats that the body cannot produce in adequate quantities, which are thus called essential fats. These fats are essential for brain health and a good, stable mood. They include DHA and EPA (in fish and pastured meat and eggs), GLA (in organ meats), and arachidonic acid (in organ meats, eggs, poultry, pork, butter, lard, and fish). As you can see, eggs are a particularly important way that we get our essential fats. In America, we eat eggs mainly for breakfast but, in Northern Europe, eggs are used to thicken soups, hard-boiled eggs are often eaten as a garnish for sandwiches, salads and soups, or in many kinds of custards. Also, eggs have a special place in French cuisine, with their classic quiches and omelets.

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Arachidonic acid is particularly important for a relaxed mood and for pain relief, for it is the precursor to the cannabis-like hormone anandamide and other very powerful cannabinoids. Also, in a study on schizophrenia, researchers wrote that dietary arachidonic acid "appears to be beneficial for promoting neurogenesis” and for lessening the “age-related decline in neural stem cells”. Notably, arachidonic acid is high in chicken, so much so that it's the arachidonic acid that gives chicken its flavor, and our brains seem to know that if a new food "tastes like chicken", it's a healthy food for them!

 

The Northern European diet includes saturated fat, which may be of concern to some people. However, recent studies have shown that saturated fat in foods does not raise risk for heart problems. The main harmful saturated fat is palmitic acid, but the body makes palmitic acid out of excess carbohydrates. So, rather than saturated fat, it is our excess carbohydrates that increase risk for cardiovascular disease and raise LDL cholesterol, as studies have shown. Furthermore, a big advantage of following the Northern European Diet is that these foods help to reduce cravings for refined carbohydrates by providing adequate vitamin B1 and by avoiding the serotonin-lowering effect of linoleic acid, which causes sugar cravings. Plus, these foods supply an adequate amount of usable omega fats, which are necessary for heart health, so it is a very heart-healthy diet!

 

FOCUS ON B VITAMINS

 

It is necessary to get a full complement of B vitamins every day because they aren't stored in the body for very long. B vitamins have many critical functions for mental and physical health: they work together to convert food into energy, to activate critical neurotransmitters, to detoxify, and for many enzymes that keep our brains, and our entire nervous system, operating smoothly. All B vitamins are water-soluble, so the body does not store them and we need a full supply daily. Furthermore, refined carbohydrates, caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, and common medications like birth control pills deplete B1, B6, and other B's. The Northern European diet has a good balance of high quality animal foods, legumes, whole grains, and vegetables that, taken together, provide enough B vitamins to keep us energetic, focused, satisfied, and in a good mood.

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VITAMIN B1 GIVES US ENERGY FROM CARBOHYDRATES Because of it's role in carbohydrate/energy metabolism and digestion (B1 is needed for adequate stomach acid), adequate vitamin B1 is particularly important to quell cravings for caffeine, sugar, white flour, chocolate, nicotine, beer, wine, cannabis, etc. B1 is also needed to build and repair myelin. For example, the main meat in the traditional Northern European diet is pork, and pork is the top source of vitamin B1! We get a full one third of our daily requirement in three ounces of ham or the classic Danish roast pork, while other meats are very low in B1. The other major sources of B1 are fish, navy beans, and peas, which are all staples of the Northern European diet.

 

HAPPY NEUROTRANSMITTERS Sourdough rye bread is a good source of a wide range of B vitamins-B1, B2, B3, B5 and B6, and it provides more B2, B5, and B6 than whole wheat. In addition, the lacto-bacteria that ferment the rye bread dough produce even more B vitamins.

 

B vitamins are vital for a happy mood. For example, dopamine, the pleasure neurotransmitter, is lowered by a deficiency in B1, B6, folate, B12, zinc, arachidonic acid, and tyrosine, the precursor to dopamine. Dopamine receptors are lowered by a high carbohydrate/low protein diet, because carbohydrates (including alcohol) raise serotonin, which competes with dopamine, and tyrosine is in protein. People who are depressed, apathetic, unsatisfied, lack a sense of purpose, and engage in risky behavior are low in dopamine. Addictions of all sorts induce dopamine, so people who are low in these nutrients, or are low in dopamine receptors, are very vulnerable to addiction to drugs, shopping, gambling, pornography, food, etc. Refined carbohydrates are also converted into palmitic acid, the dangerous saturated fat, which raises LDL and increases risk for fatty liver, diabetes and heart disease. But, before the 1900's, refined carbohydrates were eaten only as special treats in Scandinavia.

 

The Northern European diet maintains healthy levels of dopamine through adequate tyrosine (plentiful in fish and meat, especially liver), B vitamins, zinc, lysine, and omega fats DHA and arachidonic acid. Tyrosine is very high in well-aged cheese, especially Alpine cheeses like Swiss, Gruyere, and Parmigiano Reggiano, which contain tyrosine crystals. In fact, the word tyrosine comes from the cheeses of the Tyrol basin of southern Germany. Arachidonic acid increases dopamine via the its pain-relieving hormone, marijuana-like anandamide. In sharp contrast, Increased sensitivity to pain “may be particularly dependent on oxidation of LA (linoleic acid)”, the plant omega 6 fat. 

 

GABA and acetylcholine are other "happy" neurotransmitters. B1, B6, arachidonic acid and manganese are needed to make GABA-for mind and muscle relaxation (alcohol induces GABA). Wild-caught salmon, poultry, liver, and pork are the best sources of vitamin B6, providing about one third of our requirement of B6 in a serving. Prunes are also a good source of B6, and are commonly used to sweeten desserts, like Finnish Christmas pinwheel cookies. Prunes are served with the quintessential Danish pork roast, along with red cabbage.

 

Acetylcholine is needed for calm mood, focused and organized thinking, and proper blood pressure. Production of acetylcholine needs B1, B3, B5, choline (another B vitamin), lysine, and arachidonic acid. B5, which is also a vital stress vitamin, is very high in fish, eggs, pork and poultry, and mushrooms and the Norwegian whey cheese, brunost, are the top sources of B5! Acetylcholine is the neurotransmitter of the alpha state-our steady state of the parasympathetic nervous system. Acetylcholine is also used to repair myelin, the covering of the nerves that is thin or damaged with mental and neurological disorders. Liver supplies more choline, per ounce, than egg yolks. Shrimp and cauliflower are also excellent sources of choline, and they are combined in traditional Northern European cuisine, such as in cauliflower with shrimp in a cream sauce. Choline is needed to produce acetylcholine, to activate calming serotonin (for impulse control) and melatonin (for sleep), and to inactivate inflammatory, stimulating histamine. Choline also is needed for detoxification, processing fats, repairing myelin, for normal water retention in the cell, and fir healthy DNA, so it is extremely important.

 

Betaine, which is high in beets and in rye, can substitute for some of the functions of choline. Wheat is often said to be the best source of betaine, but cooked rolled rye porridge has almost twice as much betaine than the same amount of bulgar! These foods also help to raise dopamine, because we need tyrosine to make dopamine, and betaine prevents the harmful action of peroxynitrite, a common free radical made in the body, on tyrosine.

 

GABA and acetylcholine counterbalance excitatory glutamate, which stimulates the nervous system and amplifies pain. As a pre-biotic, this rye bread also feeds our healthy gut bacteria, and our gut bacteria make B vitamins, as well as more GABA and acetylcholine! This is especially helpful because many people have too much toxic gut bacteria, due to antibiotics and other chemicals. With all these B vitamins and neurotransmitters working away, sourdough rye bread gives a feeling of satisfaction that lasts for hours.

 

MOST POPULAR LUNCH IN DENMARK

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Sourdough rye bread with liver and pickled beets (also lacto-fermented) is the most popular smørrebrød in Denmark. Liver, a very popular Northern European food, is an especially good source of all of the B vitamins. Just two ounces of chicken liver provides more than 100% of the minimum requirement of vitamin B12, about 75% of B2 and folate, about a third of B3 and B5, 25% of B6, and 10% of B1. Two ounces of liver also provides a third of our need for lysine, plus liver is the best source of arachidonic acid.

 

Beets are one of the top sources of nitrate, which lowers very harmful inflammatory nitric oxide by increasing beneficial nitric oxide. Beets are very high in oxalates, which are harmful in excess. So, traditionally, beets were lactofermented and eaten as part of the very popular beet salad. Lacto-fermentation also increases B vitamins and vitamin C considerably. Boston lettuce (also called buttercrunch or bibb) and celery root are also some of the top sources of beneficial nitric oxide. Boston lettuce is the kind of lettuce eaten in Northern Europe, and both Boston lettuce and celery root are popular in France, Germany, England, often eaten as pureed soups. Notably, celery root and buttercrunch lettuce are low in both oxalates and salicylates, while other high nitric oxide greens, such as spinach and most other greens, are very high in both oxalates and salicylates. So, lettuce or celeriac soups make very healthy and energizing accompaniments to the sandwiches.

 

So, with brain-supporting and calming vitamins, arachidonic acid, lysine, dopamine, minerals, and fiber for detoxification, Denmark's most popular lunch is a major powerhouse of "rest, digest, and repair" nutrients! But, if you're not crazy about liver, there is a great variety of other highly nutritious foods to put on your smørrebrød rye bread, for many amazing meals!

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TIME FOR A CHANGE

 

Many Americans consume too much sugar, wheat, caffeine, chocolate, beer, wine, peanut butter, nuts, margarine, and modern oils, so we often don't get enough "good mood", detoxification, and energy nutrients for mental and physical health. This, in turn, makes us vulnerable to viruses, bacteria, pesticides, heavy metals, medication side effects, etc. This problem may play a big part in the current rise in anxiety and depression, mood disorders, chronic pain, diabetes, and the vicious cycles of alcoholism and drug abuse.

 

In contrast, with a steady supply of nutrients from their highly nourishing and satisfying traditional foods, it's easy to see why the Danes are so happy. So, maybe it's time for a shift in the American diet, back to our ancestral foods, and back to mental and physical health!

 

                                      Vær så god!

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