Citric Acid Derived from Black Mold

Just what is your food made of, anyway? Try industrial synthesis, genetically modified mold secretions, hydrochloric acid, mercury-contaminated caustic soda, ferrocyanide… and, of course, lots of GMO corn.

If common ingredients like “citric acid” and “ascorbic acid (vitamin C)” sound normal and familiar enough that you practically conjure up an image of the flourishing orchard they were grown in – then think again.

Picture instead an industrial factory, carrying out protocols developed in a lab, produced with enough winding nozzles, tanks, valves, pipes and other thinga-ma-jiggers to create a meandering and disorienting Dr. Seuss story. Because, after all, these common –nearly ubiquitous – ingredients don’t come from where you might assume (i.e. simply, citrus fruits).

Instead, mass produced citric acid and ascorbic acid are hidden GMO ingredients that reportedly set off allergenic responses for some sensitive consumers. Further, both are known accomplices to the creation of benzene – a known human carcinogen – inside food and drink products alongside sodium benzoate.

Feel free to peruse these blogs and forums for complaints about citric acid from those allergic or intolerant to citric acid itself, mold & yeast and/or corn. Food intolerance to citric acid, or the components of its production, can trigger such symptoms as: stomach pain, reactions in the mouth, headaches, diarrhea, vomiting, cramping, hives, dark circles under the eye and/or blotchy skin.

Nevertheless, most people are not allergic to citric acid, and have no identifiable negative effects from eating it. But it does serve as a poignant reminder that what we eat comes from food products – constructed as if from tinker toys, with multiple, highly processed ingredients that virtually no one would recognize and few know anything about.

Otto Von Bismarck famously quipped back in the 1800s that “Laws are like sausages, it is better not to see them being made.” But today there is an endless array of foods that would baffle or disgust consumers if they saw them made. Industrial food processes have rendered entire grocery stores filled with food products whose ingredients would be even less recognizable than the contents of sausage.

Citric acid: in practically everything on the shelf

Citric acid is common enough to find in foods of virtually every kind, due to its use as a preservative – extending shelf life and preventing spoilage – as well as to enhance flavor with its acidic and slightly sour taste, which gives all manner of “natural”-ish and completely artificial foods and beverages a “refreshing” kick. Despite being a known hidden GMO, it is even frequently found in certified “organic” foods – and the USDA and FDA allow it to be in there.

Citric acid isn’t becoming a controversial foodie’s food-to-avoid, but instead trending for its ability to bring out the pucker-inducing and tangy tastes in popular foods. It is increasingly celebrated for helping to bring a balance of “all five flavors” to countless restaurant dishes and prepackaged processed foods – indispensable to even celebrity and TV contestant chefs.

Like MSG, the widely used ingredient that enhances ‘savory’ flavors and induces cravings, citric acid is widely used not only as a preservative but as a “fairy dust of flavour amplification” by enhancing and intensifying other flavors present in the recipe.

MSG and citric acid are essentially enablers to modern America’s food frenzy addiction – making even bland foods not just palatable and tasty, but downright delectable and captivating. With so many ingredients raising red flags, piling on sugar, synthetic chemicals and calories while contributing to obesity, diabetes, heart conditions and even cancer – MSG, citric acid and their peers make manufactured food products possible.

Both are used industrially to make even bland foods taste better and last longer on the shelf, regardless of nutritional value. But like many other common food additives, the science behind their production would probably take away from their (artificial) palate appeal.

Manufacturers and distributors of citric acid – as well as the larger food industry who use it as an ingredient in practically everything – benefit from the public’s assumption that citric acid comes from fruit. While this natural appeal is frequently used in food marketing and product imagery (as this chemical manufacturer clearly does), the reality of large scale, mass production of citric acid bears little to no resemblance. Ignorance-based marketing: This chemical company uses the “fresh” image of citrus fruit to market its citric acid – with no mention that it is most likely derived from genetically modified black mold grown on GMO corn syrup.

As the Globe and Mail succinctly puts it:

Citric acid occurs naturally in such fruits as limes, pineapples and gooseberries. The dry, powdered citric acid used as an industrial food additive since the early 19th century, however has a less appetizing source; it is manufactured using a mould that feeds on corn syrup glucose.

Citric acid does in fact occur naturally in citrus fruits like lemons, oranges, grapefruits in significant quantities … in fact, as a product of the Kreb’s Cycle, it is present in most living things. But industry would find it simply too costly and … well, simple to derive their preservative ingredient that way.

Actually, a cornered citrus market was already making this form of citric acid too expensive by the mid-to-late 19th century, making an alternative economically desirable even then. Authors Michael Mattey and Bjorn Kristiansen argue in their introduction to Citric Acid Biotechnology that “the science, though important, is secondary to the economics and politics of production” of citric acid.

Instead, since the early 1900s, the black mold Aspergillus niger has been used to ferment starches to derive citric acid. In 1893, a chemist named C. Wehmer discovered that citric acid could be produced with penicillium mold and sugar. Wartime disruptions in the Italian citric acid market paved the way for full-scale industrial production, after a food chemist named James Currie discovered that Aspergillus niger was even more efficient at producing citric acid. Currie also developed new methods for fermentation, and Pfizer hired him and launched a plant in 1917 to mass produce citric acid grown from mold in a sugar medium. Currie’s methods were also used by Pfizer to drastically increase the production of penicillin, credited with saving countless lives.

Today, it is not only true that nearly all citric acid is made through mold fermentation with GMO corn, but that it is produced by some of the biggest of Big Ag food producers, both in the U.S. and in China.

The three biggest domestic producers of citric acid – Archer Daniels Midland, Cargill and Tate & Lyle Americas (actually a British company) – have been recently involved in suits over import duties and trade turf against Chinese firms, including Shandong TTCA Biochemistry, battling for market share in America.

Think of all the times citric acid shows up on the ingredients label in things that you or those you love eat. We already know it isn’t as simple as squeezing a lemon or lime, but what the hell is it, anyway?

Judge for yourself, with a glance over this “simple” formula:

THE PROCESS: How Citric Acid is Synthesized from Genetically Modified Black Mold

Citric acid production has become a refined and highly prized industrial process. Numerous scientific studies discuss revisions and improvements to the efficiency. But there are definitely some constants to this often competitive and secretive process:

Engineering the mold: Aspergillus niger is a naturally occurring black mold that commonly appears on fruits and vegetables, as pictured on the onion above (source: S.K. Mohan, Creative Commons license). However, significant modification of A. niger has taken place over the past several decades to increase production of citric acid and decrease the production of unwanted byproducts. This has resulted in countless generations of genetically modified mutant variants, now specialized for industrial-scale economics. Two of the main types of modification are:

• Gamma radiation has been used to modify strains of A. niger mutants, resulting in multiplied or increased production through genetic improvement.
• Further genetic modification in the lab has taken place through the engineering of the glycolytic pathway, resulting in a metabolic-streamlining that facilitates greater citric acid production from sugar, while shutting off side avenues of glycolysis.

Further genetic modification and “improvement” of A. niger are an object of ongoing study and industrial practice.

Producing the Sugar Medium: Nearly all industrial citric acid begins with a highly processed glucose corn syrup that is derived from corn wet milling (other parts of the corn residues go to other processes). Other industrial sources include beet sugar and cane molasses, and occasionally also fruit waste.

But it’s hard to beat the economics of subsidized corn – the vast majority of which is the unlabeled, genetically modified, high starch (yellow dent #2) variety – that can synergistically contribute to ingredients like citric acid as well as ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, dextrose (corn sugar), maltodextrin, corn oil, corn meal, ascorbic acid (labeled as vitamin C), MSG and other free glutamates (such as ‘hydrolyzed vegetable protein’), malic acid, baking powder, vanilla, xantham gum and perhaps hundreds of others. Often times, hydrochloric acid is employed in the corn-conversion process.

To transform corn or other plant starches into by-products that can be used to create these ingredients, some serious chemistry must be employed. (click on images to enlarge)

After wet milling corn to separate the starch, the production of many of these ingredients then involves a bath in strong bases, where lyes are used to break down the plant material further. Sometimes this means autolysis, when yeasts or bacteria ferment the material, and other times hydrolysis is used – which vary depending upon the type of additive, and the most efficient and cost effective established processes.

As with other common food ingredients, there is an ongoing issue with mercury cell technology – an outdated model still used in several major chlor-alkali plants – that have a known issue with mercury contamination during the application of caustic soda (to neutralize work with acids). Among hundreds of food ingredients that are potentially contaminated by mercury, studies show the three most common are high fructose corn syrup, sodium benzoate and, yep, citric acid.

A 2009 study published in Environmental Health analyzed the level of mercury contamination from the chlor-alkali process, resulting in numerous grabbing headlines warning about the mercury content in high fructose corn syrup. Although citric acid didn’t make the news, it too is processed in the same way:

Mercury cell chlor-alkali products are used to produce thousands of other products including food ingredients such as citric acid, sodium benzoate, and high fructose corn syrup. High fructose corn syrup is used in food products to enhance shelf life. A pilot study was conducted to determine if high fructose corn syrup contains mercury, a toxic metal historically used as an anti-microbial. High fructose corn syrup samples were collected from three different manufacturers and analyzed for total mercury. The samples were found to contain levels of mercury ranging from below a detection limit of 0.005 to 0.570 micrograms mercury per gram of high fructose corn syrup.

Medium preparation: Various proprietary combinations of acids and heat are used to remove impurities and sterilize the corn syrup or other substrate, including: decationization (to alter the charge of ions), thermodynamic hexacyanoferrate clarification (pertaining to an ion exchange using an iron/cyanide compound) as well as boiling – that’s right, they use cyanide.

Meanwhile, the sugar substrate is diluted in preparation for fermentation.

Inoculation, itself a complicated step: Through a careful process, the spores or cultures of the fermenting agent is introduced, mixed and multiplied. In nearly all current industrial processes, a genetically modified mutant strain of Aspergillus niger (black mold) is then used to ferment the corn sugar syrup into citric acid over the course of several days. (click pictures to enlarge)

Careful control is applied to the pH of the mixture; in various modifications to the process, different types of acids (including hydrochloric acid) are used to increase the productivity of Aspergillus niger and prevent other unwanted products, such as oxalic acid. Subsequent genetically mutated strains of A. niger have been developed to allow the “non-production” of oxalic acid at a higher pH of 5 with the presence of manganese, whereas some production facilities have required a pH as low as 2 to prevent the formation of oxalic acid at the expense of citric acid production. 

Fermentation in the Reactor: The mold-glucose solution is fermented inside in an industrial reactor, generally constructed of stainless steel tanks or towers (to mitigate past manufacturing issues that have occurred in the industry with corrosion and leaching [p. 4 submerged process] and also contain manganese [useful in controlling the production of citric acid]). The reactor includes a sophisticated aeration system that maintains the desirable level of dissolved oxygen, which fluctuates during different stages of the fermentation process.

The process of fermentation leads to the catabolism of glucose sugar by the Aspergillus niger, leading to its secretion of citric acid into the culture broth.

Spore levels, temperature and pH are all tweaked over the course of several hours or days as production of citric acid increases, peaks, then planes off.

Broth separation: After fermentation, the “culture broth” must be separated so the citric acid can be obtained. The processes vary and, again, are closely guarded trade secrets. Some processes cut the fermented broth using a solvent extraction method, while most modern citric acid production utilizes a process known as “calcium citrate precipitation.”

Calcium citrate precipitation: The fermented broth is neutralized by calcium hydroxide, converting/precipitating much of it to calcium citrate. This is then filtered out of the solution, and sulfuric acid is then used to convert the calcium citrate to citric acid and calcium sulfate. The calcium sulfate is filtered out and evaporation for crystallization begins.

Crystallization: Another secretive step is the exact process for converting the final substrate of citric acid into the crystalline white powder that is sold to food manufacturers and consumers. An entry in Volume 17 of Biotechnology and Bioengineering published in 1975 describes the process: “The filtrate is concentrated under vacuum at a low temperature to give crystals of citric acid. Details of both fermentation and crystallization procedures are closely guarded trade secrets.”

The process is likely even more refined, specialized and high tech today. A Wikispaces entry for Citric Acid describes putting the isolated citric acid through additional steps with “activated carbon, cation and anion exchange resins in fixed bed reactors” before evaporation. It then describes both a hot and cold process of crystallization, with the former producing anhydrous citric acid, and the latter producing monohydrate citric acid.

Finishing for Market: The products then can undergo centrifuging, fluidized bed drying and classification (by grain size) before reaching the market.

Sodium Citrate: A related ingredient that is commonly used in foods as an acidulant, as citric acid is, and as an emulsifier in cheese products, is sodium citrate. It is typically created in the same facilities where citric acid is produced, by adding caustic soda (sodium hydroxide, a.k.a. lye) to citric acid, neutralizing it into a weaker citrate salt. Cargill, Archer Daniels Midland and Tate & Lyle are all major producers of sodium citrate.

If the use of caustic soda involves a mercury-cell chlor-alkali plant (see above diagram), further mercury contamination could occur, though membrane-cell technology is replacing it in most plants.

An additional issue with citric acid pertains to its use as a common preservative alongside other ingredients that could cause known carcinogens, like benzene, inside food products:

Citric Acid and Sodium Benzoate “Fizz-ion”: A Carcinogenic Contaminate 

the Soda Companies Have Known About For Decades

Academic studies emerged in the early 1990s about a potent combination of ingredients that was frequently showing up in soft drinks, sports drinks and artificially flavored citrus beverages: the presence of sodium benzoate had the known potential to break down in benzene, a known human carcinogen, when in the presence of heat, or in particular, either citric acid or ascorbic acid. Studies proved that this could happen right inside the drink containers – while in transport, on store shelves or waiting for consumption in consumers’ homes.

Yet nothing was done about it, until the scandal reemerged in 2005 when the FDA was confronted with studies conducted by a private citizen! Numerous European studies in Germany, Belgium and elsewhere backed up the data, and things slowly began to change.

Afterwards, many diet soda brands, sports drinks and citrus-flavored beverages voluntarily removed the troubling ingredient sodium benzoate (though some laughably replaced it only with potassium benzoate, which has the same potential to create benzene).

However, many other brands have done nothing at all, and the FDA allows them to continue using this dangerous mixture of ingredients, despite clear data on the matter. Foods and drinks containing the potentially harmful combination of sodium benzoate and citric acid can STILL be commonly found on store shelves, perhaps especially with generic brands.

Start reading ingredient labels on the brands that you shop for – and those you already know best to avoid – and take note of just how many products contain the hidden GMO ingredient citric acid. We recommend simplifying your diet by eating fresh produce – better if they are grown by someone you know/trust or are “organic” – and foods with as few ingredients as possible.

How many times have you glossed over this seemingly natural ingredient – despite the fact that it is a highly processed and synthetic food additive?

Nevertheless, the FDA has –like practically everything else – “Generally Recognized [it] as Safe” (GRAS). For the record, here is the FDA’s chapter on the oversight of the process of citric acid fermentation by Aspergillus niger:

TITLE 21–FOOD AND DRUGS
CHAPTER I–FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
SUBCHAPTER B–FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION (CONTINUED)
PART 173 — SECONDARY DIRECT FOOD ADDITIVES PERMITTED IN FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION 

Subpart C–Solvents, Lubricants, Release Agents and Related Substances
Sec. 173.280 Solvent extraction process for citric acid. 

A solvent extraction process for recovery of citric acid from conventional Aspergillus niger fermentation liquor may be safely used to produce food-grade citric acid in accordance with the following conditions: 

• (a) The solvent used in the process consists of a mixture of n-octyl alcohol meeting the requirements of 172.864 of this chapter, synthetic isoparaffinic petroleum hydrocarbons meeting the requirements of 172.882 of this chapter, and tridodecyl amine.
• (b) The component substances are used solely as a solvent mixture and in a manner that does not result in formation of products not present in conventionally produced citric acid.
• (c) The citric acid so produced meets the specifications of the “Food Chemicals Codex,” 3d Ed. (1981), pp. 86-87, which is incorporated by reference (Copies may be obtained from the National Academy Press, 2101 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20418, or may be examined at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of this material at NARA, call 202-741-6030, or go to: http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/code_of_federal_regulations/ibr_locations.html.), and the polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon specifications of 173.165.
• (d) Residues of n-octyl alcohol and synthetic isoparaffinic petroleum hydrocarbons are removed in accordance with good manufacturing practice. Current good manufacturing practice results in residues not exceeding 16 parts per million (ppm)n- octyl alcohol and 0.47 ppm synthetic isoparaffinic petroleum hydrocarbons in citric acid.
• (e) Tridodecyl amine may be present as a residue in citric acid at a level not to exceed 100 parts per billion.

Source: Eat Local Grown

Foods with Good Fats

The word is out. Fat—or at least “good fat”—is not something you should shun from your diet. Monounsaturated fat, a staple in the Mediterranean diet, is the “good fat” that may actually help you lose weight, whittle your middle, keep blood sugar levels in check, lower harmful LDL-cholesterol and much more. According to the American Heart Association, no more than 25%-35% of your total calories should come from fat–and in an ideal world all those calories should be from “good fats.” Following are a dozen good-for-you fats that you could incorporate into your diet.

Pine Nuts (1 oz): Approx 5.3 grams of Good Fat  

Most commonly associated with pesto, pine nuts are also delicious when added to salads, vegetable dishes or baked into bread. With 5g of monounsaturated fat per one-ounce serving, pine nuts help to lower bad LDL cholesterol and prevent heart disease and strokes. They’re also rich in iron—great news for those following a vegetarian or vegan diet. Looking to shed a few pounds? Pine nuts may help, since they contain pinolenic acid, a specific fatty acid that helps you to eat less by suppressing your appetite.

Olive Oil (1 tablespoon): Approx 9.85 g of Good Fat

Just one tablespoon of olive oil contains about 10g of monounsaturated fat, and only 2g of saturated fat. Due to its high monounsaturated content, olive oil is a terrific option for boosting heart health. Use regular olive oil to sauté a variety of colorful veggies or you can even bake with it. Extra virgin olive oil is made from the first pressing of the olives and contains the highest antioxidant levels, but these also start degrading sooner when exposed to heat and light. To make the most out of your purchase, use the more expensive extra-virgin kind for drizzling and homemade salad dressings.

Peanut Butter (1 tablespoon): Approx 3.3 g of Good Fat

With close to 4g of monounsaturated fat per 1-tablespoon serving, peanut butter provides a hearty dose of fiber, as well as other important vitamins and minerals. Studies have shown that people who regularly include nuts or peanut butter in their diets are less likely to develop heart disease or type 2 diabetes—compared to those individuals who rarely eat nuts. Spread natural, unsalted peanut butter on crunchy apple slices or add it to a smoothie. A word of caution: Peanuts are grown underground and are known to be highly moldy and inflammatory. People with candida should avoid these nuts.

Avocado (1/5th medium avocado): Approx 3 g of Good Fat  

They’re delicious, creamy and luscious, so what’s not to love about avocados? A 1-oz. serving contains approximately 3g of fat, and 75% of that fat comes from the “good” monos and polys. Avocados also contain nearly 20 different vitamins, minerals and beneficial phytonutrients including vitamin E, folic acid, fiber and carotenoids like lutein and zeaxanthin. Avocados have been shown to act as a nutrient-booster, so you can absorb more of the fat-soluble beneficial carotenoids in plant foods. In addition to your favorite guacamole, try fresh avocados on salads, sandwiches or toast, on top of your tomato or in veggie soup.

Hazelnuts (1 oz): Approx 12.9 g of Good Fat

With nearly 13 grams of monounsaturated fat per ounce, hazelnuts may help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Besides being a heart-healthy choice, hazelnuts are also rich in manganese and copper, vital minerals for iron absorption and bone formation, respectively.

Flaxseed Oil (1 tablespoon): Approx 2.5 g of Good Fat

A rich source of soluble fiber, with almost 3g of monounsaturated fat per tablespoon, studies suggest that flaxseed oil may benefit individuals with heart disease and aid in cancer prevention. Use this slightly nutty tasting oil to make salad dressings, add to soups and smoothies for an extra boost of nutrition, or stir into your favorite pasta sauce for an added dose of good-for-you fat. Since flaxseed oil turns rancid rather quickly, be sure to refrigerate it after opening, and avoid exposure to light. When purchasing flax seed oil, look for the cold-pressed variety, since it has been processed at a minimum temperature to preserve its integrity. Flaxseed oil is not heat stable, so try to eat it raw.

Pistachios (1 oz): Approx 6.7 g of Good Fat  

About 90% of the fat in pistachios is healthy unsaturated fat, and research shows that when individuals with elevated cholesterol ate pistachios as a daily snack, their blood levels of antioxidants increased and harmful LDL-cholesterol levels declined, compared to those who did not eat pistachios. A serving of pistachios has 7g of monounsaturated fats, 4g of polyunsaturated fats and just 1.5g of saturated fat. Because nuts are calorie-rich, keep portions in mind: There are 49 pistachios in a 1-oz serving, and 30 pistachios contain about 100 calories. Enjoying pistachios as a snack instead of carb-rich options like crackers or pretzels is a smart swap. Pistachios provide more fiber and may also keep you feeling fuller longer. A word of caution: Pistachios are said to quite moldy and therefore inflammatory. People with candida probably should avoid these nuts.

Olives (10 large olives): Approx 3.4 g of Good Fat

Whether you are partial to green, black, purple or brown — all olive varieties are rich in monounsaturated fat. In fact, recent research shows that the monounsaturated fat found in olives can help to decrease blood pressure. As an added benefit, olives are also loaded with antioxidants, which may offer protection against heart disease, cancer, and other chronic conditions. Consider whipping up an olive tapenade as a sandwich spread or baguette topper, sprinkling chopped olives into a salad or adding olives to a tasty marinade for chicken or fish. A word of caution: People with candida should avoid the olives in vinegar or a brine (which is the majority of olives) as may trigger candida growth.

Walnuts (1 oz): Approx 2.53 g of Good Fat  

With nearly 3g of healthy monounsaturated fat per 1-oz serving, walnuts are also nutritional dynamos, packing a powerful punch of protein, fiber, magnesium, and phosphorus — all important nutrients for optimal health.

Sunflower Seeds (1 oz): Approx 3.07 g of Good Fat

Sunflower seeds are a true nutritional powerhouse packed with healthy fats, protein, fiber, minerals and phytochemicals. And, since almost 90% of the fat in sunflower seeds is the good unsaturated fat, they are a terrific choice for individuals suffering from high cholesterol or high triglycerides. Just 1 ounce of sunflower seeds provides 76% of the recommended daily allowance for vitamin E. Sprinkle sunflower seeds on top of a salad or simply roast in the oven for 5 minutes, until lightly browned. Sunflower seeds heaped on freshly steamed broccoli or salads is quite the treat. They also make good pate-dips for celery and carrot sticks or spreads for breads.

Almonds (1 oz): Approx 8.9 g of Good Fat

Reaching for a small handful of almonds will supply you with a tasty, protein-packed snack that contains 9g of monounsaturated fat per 1-oz serving — that’s about 23 whole almonds. This nutrient-dense nut is also a terrific source of vitamin E, magnesium and manganese, as well as a good source of fiber, copper, phosphorus and riboflavin. A 1-oz serving of almonds has a similar amount of antioxidants to one cup of green tea or ½ cup of steamed broccoli.

Sesame Seeds (1 oz): Approx 3 g of Good Fat

A delicacy in Asian cuisine, just one ounce of sesame seeds supplies 3 grams of heart smart monounsaturated fat, not to mention 35% of the recommended daily requirements for calcium. In addition to being a top source of monounsaturated fat, sesame seeds also contain two strains of beneficial fiber—sesamin and sesamolin—which have been shown to have a cholesterol-lowering effect. Sesame seeds are a terrific source of zinc, an essential mineral for producing collagen. Add protein-rich sesame seeds to baked chicken, fish or salads for a nice, nutty flavor and texture, use them to make homemade tahini, or incorporate sesame seeds into a unique spice blend, like this Middle Eastern Za’atar. A word of caution: People who have polyps, gastric disorders or other GI disorders probably should avoid sesame seeds as they are known to stick to the GI track.

There are many nuts and seeds that are available in the market and are rich in good-for-you fats. Here is a useful chart to refer to when trying to alternate nuts (and flavors) and trying to pack in those nourishing fats.

Modified from 18 Fat-rich Foods that Are Good for You

Fancy a Fungus?

More info on mushrooms being "from the gods"

In ancient Egypt the Pharaohs prized mushrooms as delicacies. They became the preserve of the royal family. The Romans called mushrooms food of the gods and served them only on special occasions. The ancient Greeks held mushroom feasts and believed that mushrooms empowered their warriors for battle. Today, however, mushrooms are not just for the elite; people are enjoying them all over the world and they are easily available in stores and produce stands. 

The following is an interview of an Australian and his wife from Sydney, Australia who drove to Mittagong a picturesque town in the southern highlands of New South Wales to search out Noel Arnold's mushroom farm and interview Noel on the cultivation of mushrooms.

Mushroom Cultivation

Noel is a microbiologist and mushroom expert, who studied mushroom cultivation in several countries before returning to Australia to grow them commercially. "Mushrooms are fungi, a family of organisms that includes mildews and molds," he explains. "Biologists formerly thought that fungi were plants, but we now know that they are very different from plants. For example, fungi do not make their food from photosynthesis as do nearly all plants. They can grow in the dark. Their bodies secrete powerful enzymes that convert organic material into basic nutrients, which they absorb as food. This unique digestive process also distinguishes fungi from animals. Since fungi are neither plants nor animals, biologists now classify them in a realm of their own - the fungi kingdom."

"In the wild, mature mushrooms release millions of tiny spores that mix with other mushroom spores and germinate. If the spores land in a cold, damp place with plenty of food, they can grow into new mushrooms. Commercial mushroom growers aim to replicate this process using controlled conditions to improve crop yields and quality."

Noel further explained about how different mushroom varieties require different growing conditions. For example, while white, or button, mushrooms, the world's most popular variety, grow best on pasteurized farm compost, other varieties flourish in bags of plant waste, bottles of cereal grains, whole wooden logs, or logs of compressed sawdust. Of the thousands of known mushroom species, only about 60 are commercially cultivated.

Noel allows his mushrooms to mature and fruit in an old abandoned railway tunnel near Mittagong. "It's cool, damp, and perfect for growing mushrooms," he states. There in the tunnel are an array of bags, pots, and bottles sprouting thousands of mushrooms of all shapes and sizes. Some evoke memories of blooming roses, others resemble fluted lilies or look like floral bouquets or squat umbrellas. In total, it was a splendid color display.

Tasty and Versatile

"Many people love the look of exotic mushrooms but may not know how to prepare them. Yet, they are easy to cook. Some people chop them up for stir-fries, soups and salads, or they cook them whole for a barbecue. Personally, I enjoy oyster mushrooms crumbed and fried in oil. And shiitake mushrooms have a rich, meaty flavor that tastes great in omelets."

Shiitake mushrooms

Edible mushrooms are highly nutritious and are a valuable source of fiber, protein, minerals and vitamins. Some 2,000 varieties are also known to have medicinal properties. According to one medical review, mushroom extracts have more than 100 medicinal uses, including combating cancer, hepatitis, AIDS, Alzheimer's disease, and high cholesterol.

It can be very dangerous to gather mushrooms in the wild, however. The death cap mushroom (Amanita phalloides), among others, closely resembles edible varieties yet is deadly. So follow the rules: NEVER eat mushrooms from the wild unless a mushroom expert identifies them as safe to eat.  

This article was taken (and slightly altered) from the Jehovah's Witness monthly magazine Awake! March 2012 issues, article entitled "Fancy a Fungus?" I post here on the article because the various forms of candida are in the fungi family and Noel gave some interesting commentary on the characteristics of the fungi: it grows in moist, dark places that has a food supply for supporting them (translated to mean, they feed off a host). They do not need photosynthesis to reproduce. Every mushroom likes feeds off a different environment, and in a different temperature controlled zone ... Valuable information for knowing the enemy and being better able to use countermeasures for eliminating it.

The Value of Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar (not just any apple cider vinegar but the raw organic that still has the "mother", the beneficial sediment) is said to be a natural remedy for many ailments and a powerful cleansing agent and legendary weight reduction catalyst.

Traces of apple cider vinegar (ACV) has been discovered in Egyptian urns as far back as 3000 B.C. Babylonians used it as a condiment and preservative, while Julius Caesar's army used an apple cider vinegar tonic to stay healthy and fight off disease. The Greeks and Romans kept vinegar vessels for healing and flavoring. In Babylonians times apple cider vinegar was used an as antiseptic and a healing agent, and it is mentioned in the Bible. In 400 B.C. Hippocrates (the father of modern medicine) knew about apple cider vinegar's antibiotic properties and recommended it to his patients for its healing properties. In Paris in the Middle Ages it was sold from barrels by street vendors as a body deodorant, healing tonic and delicious vinegar drink to keep the body healthy and ageless. Even Christopher Columbus on his voyage to discover America in 1492 had vinegar bottles for prevention of scurvy as did Captain James Cook on his ships to the South Seas. During the Civil War it was used to disinfect and heal the US soldiers' wounds. For centuries in Japan, the feared Samurai warriors drank it for power. The Chinese call vinegar a "friend" because they have used it for centuries to process herbal medicines. For thousands of years, apple cider vinegar has been used not only for health reasons, but as a cleansing agent to remove bacteria, germs, mold, odors, even stains and spots.

Apple cider vinegar has known anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral properties. Among the ailments it is said to cure are allergies, acne, high cholesterol, joint pain, weight loss, rheumatism, arthritis, gout, dandruff, chronic fatigue, candida, sore throat, gum infection, sinus infection, flu, acid reflux, leg cramps and ear infections. It is also used to help dissolve kidney stones, lower high blood pressure, and has been shown to help with type 2 diabetes by improving insulin sensitivity.

Even though vinegar is acidic, ACV has an alkaline effect on our bodies when taken internally and this alkalinizing of our blood pH could play a large part in its reputed curative powers. Our bodies need a slightly alkaline pH balance to be healthy; however, the typical western diet creates an acidic pH in our bodies, which results in many health problems. Therefore, taking a tonic containing apple cider vinegar can help restore alkalinity, and therefore assist the body in getting rid of some of the health problems listed above.

ACV also reacts to some toxins in our bodies, converting them to less toxic substances. Much of the evidence to support the healing powers of ACV is lacking scientific corroboration and is just anecdotal - Internet sources, testimonies in Apple Cider Vinegar: Miracle Health System by Bragg and Bragg. With such widespread testimony, even with the lack of scientific evidence, there seems to be something of value here worth looking into!

ACV contains acetic acid, great for controlling insulin and helping to control blood sugar. It also contains malic acid which positively affects metabolism and energy production. Being made from apples, ACV is also rich in pectin, rich in soluable fiber for lowering cholesterol, as well as potassium, which promotes cell and tissue growth. ACV also has almost all of the minerals, vitamins and trace elements that our bodies need, which raises the question why ACV can't be proven scientifically to be beneficial for fighting diseases, etc.

Benefits of raw apple cider vinegar with "mother"

Beneficial ingredients in raw apple cider vinegar give it its power to make us feel better, look better and feel energized. Just look at some of the beneficial ingredients in raw apple cider vinegar:

• Potassium – helps to prevent brittle teeth, hair loss and runny noses as well as cell and tissue growth
• Pectin – rich in soluable fiber, helps to regulate blood pressure and reduce bad cholesterol
• Malic Acid – gives ACV the properties of being anti-viral, anti-bacterial & anti-fungal; positively affects metabolism and energy production
• Calcium – helps create strong bones and teeth
• Ash – gives ACV its alkaline property which aids the body in maintaining proper pH levels for a healthy alkaline state
• Acetic Acid – slows the digestion of starch which can lower the rise in glucose which commonly occurs after meals

Other benefits

• 1 tablespoon of raw ACV mixed in 4 ounces of purified water after a meal has been used as a natural remedy for heartburn and as a replacement for toxic heartburn medications (although it is usually not a good idea to dilute gastric juices after eating with liquids as digesting is greatly disturbed)
• may help improve bowel irregularity, thereby removing toxins from the body at a faster rate
• helps clear up skin conditions and blemishes giving a smoother texture and complexion
• may also help with joint pain and stiffness.
• helps to break down fats so the body can use them rather than store them - for this reason, ACV is included in many diets
• helps reduce levels of glucose, as published by Arizona State University in a preliminary study in the Diabetes Care journal

Click on the picture to enlarge

More on the benefits of raw apple cider vinegar with "mother"

1. Diabetes
In 2007 a study, published in Diabetes Care, found that Type II diabetes patients who consumed two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar at bedtime showed favorable changes in blood sugar levels the following morning.

The biologically active constituent of vinegar is acetic acid, also the source of the liquid’s lip-puckering pungency. Nobumasa Ogawa, Ph.D., of Tokyo University in Tokyo, discovered that the acetic acid inhibits the activity of several carbohydrate-digesting enzymes, including amylase, sucrase, maltase, and lactase. As a result, when vinegar is present in the intestines, some sugars and starches temporarily pass through without being digested, so they have less of an impact on blood sugar.

[This is very insightful as to WHY the apple cider vinegar helps lower blood sugar levels. For me, according to blood tests I have very low amylase production, that is the ability to digest carbohydrate starches, and so I wonder about the value of ACV for me because the outcome might be that I have even lower digestion rate increasing my malabsorption problem as shown by many lines on my fingernails.]

2. Weight Loss
A study published in 2009 found that obese people who consumed acetic acid (found in apple cider vinegar) daily for 12 weeks experienced significant decreases in body weight, abdominal fat, waist circumference, and triglycerides.

Most apple cider vinegar weight loss home remedies, like the one investigated in Vermont by Dr D. C. Jarvis, M.D., call for the taking of one or two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water before each meal. Patricia Bragg recommends adding 1 or 2 teaspoons of raw honey to this mixture.

Whichever way you take it, don’t expect a rapid weight loss, the weight will be lost gradually, as it should be to allow the body’s fat cells to adjust to their new size.

3. Blood Pressure & Cholesterol
High blood pressure can lead to major health problems including heart attack, stroke, aneurysms, congestive heart failure and kidney damage. A normal blood pressure reading is considered to be 120/80. If yours is higher, consider apple cider vinegar as a normalizing agent.

Studies conducted on rats found that acetic acid may help lower blood pressure and cholesterol.

4. Alkaline-Acid Balance

The theory behind the alkaline diet is that our blood is slightly alkaline (with a normal pH level of between 7.35 and 7.45) and that our diet should reflect this pH level. Proponents of the alkaline-acid theory believe that a diet high in acid-producing foods leads to lack of energy, excessive mucous production, infections, anxiety, irritability, headache, sore throat, nasal and sinus congestion, allergic reactions, and increased risk of conditions such as arthritis and gout.

Despite being an acidic solution, it is believed that apple cider vinegar has an alkalinizing effect on the body. One to two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar in water as a daily is recommended.

Take only raw unfiltered ACV with the "mother"

The health benefits of apple cider vinegar will vary depending on the ingredients and process used in making it. Commercial production can use wood shavings, and other vinegars as the base (speeding fermentation), but changing the makeup of the end product. Therefore, the apple cider vinegar with its natural acetic acid, malic acid, pectin and potassium and which is made from organic apples, fermented using traditional methods (raw/unpasteurized and unfiltered) is supportive and balancing to the human body.

Clear vinegar has none of the benefits of raw organic apple cider vinegar. Through its processing and distilling, it’s been stripped of everything beneficial and can be detrimental to one's health due to the fact that it is dead instead of alive. Only raw organic apple cider vinegar has the “mother of vinegar” that makes the vinegar so beneficial. The “mother” is made up living nutrients and bacteria. You can actually see it settled in the bottom of the bottle like sediment.

http://www.fitlife.tv/featured/4-benefits-of-apple-cider-vinegar/

http://thehealthyeatingsite.com/benefits-of-apple-cider-vinegar/

http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/the-benefits-of-apple-cider-vinegar/

Apple Cider Vinegar: Miracle Health System by Bragg and Bragg

 

 

COMMENTS: I am still very unsure that this raw organic apple cider vinegar is benefiting me. Some sites say 'no vinegar' if a person has a bacteria and many, many other sites say that raw apple cider vinegar (only that vinegar) can help battle against candida. Well, I've tried it daily for 2 months now and am still not sure. It doesn't affect me negatively like other fermented things do, but then there have been subtle changes and tiny crampings in my left hand and left foot again ... but I can't honestly link them to the vinegar, so I'm still stymied. Anyway, I'm not supporting raw organic apple cider vinegar for fighting against candida yet. I'm still trying to make my very informed decision. 






In March and April, for three weeks, I went for a  serious raw food and therapy detox at Hippocrates Health Institute in West Palm Beach, Florida. Day 1 I learned DO NOT TAKE ANY VINEGAR, NOT EVEN THE RAW ORGANIC APPLE CIDER VINEGAR!!! IT HAS BEEN FERMENTED AND WILL FEED CANDIDA!!! And so I have my answer, the one I suspected all along.