When oligarchy masks as nutrition science
I’m histamine intolerant. It turns out, about 1% of the human population is as well. Given that the world’s population is slightly more than 8 billion humans, 80 million people share this issue. If this group were a country, we would be the 20th largest country in the world. So, the implications of not being able to manage histamine in our sistem is a rather significant thing to consider.
With this in mind, many of us manage quite well by limiting the types of food we eat. It’s not as simple as going vegan or vegetarian. Hardly. Some of the most “healthy” foods are full of the compounds that produce the histamine response in our bodies. No spinach, aubergine, or tomatoes. No legumes (beans, peas, soy, lentils, etc.). No processed meats. Whilst corn isn’t usually one of the foods doctors will tell you to avoid, many people who come from cultures without a long history of corn use have an allergy to it that causes histamine production as a byproduct of the immune response. Potatoes are also problematic not for their internal histamine content, but rather for the things that must be combined with them and the preparation methods needed to get them to an edible state. Eating citrus fruits can cause a ton of problems in the GI tract of the histamine intolerant.
Are you seeing a pattern here? All of the “healthy foods” that 4 out of 5 doctors recommend humans eat are off-limits to me and 80 million others on this spinning rock.
So what do we do to fuel our bodies?
Take a step back and consider that there are two basic ways to fuel the human body: with energy from carbohydrates or with energy from fats. Now, consider that most of the world gets the majority of its calories from carbohydrates. Take a look at the modern food pyramid or the healthy eating plate. With these US government approved guidelines in mind, how is a histamine intolerant person supposed to get enough calories to make it through the day?
For my size, age, and exercise level, my total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) is roughly 3500 kcal. The government, however, wrongly suggests that I consume 2000 kcal/day to maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle. Were I to follow their guidelines, I would actually gain weight slowly as my body shifts into the crisis mode that is caused by a large calorie deficit. But, I digress.
With the healthy plate in mind, the government of my country wants me to eat a plate of food that is “balanced” with “healthy foods.” But, given what I’ve just shared, less than 25% of what’s on that plate is actually good for ME or the 80 million others just like me. It’s important to remember that whilst much of nutrition can be generalized to the global human population, things like genetic intolerances and allergies are highly personal. That is to say, you - with the ability to manage histamine in your system - might be able to live the vegan lifestyle, but I simply can’t.
For me, I’ve managed to be quite healthy existing on a diet that gives me less than 100 grams of carbohydrates per day. I get 85% of my TDEE from animal fats, 13% from animal proteins, and ~2% from carbohydrates.
I’ve lived this way now for about 6 years and I’ve never been healthier. My blood chemistry is near optimal. My A1C is 4.5. My triglycerides are normal, as is my cholesterol. My large platelet LDL cholesterol is high, which is a good thing for my brain and tissue health. My small platelet LDL is low, which is good for my heart. Yes, your doctors, in their collusion with BigPharma’s statin sales regime, probably forgot to mention there are two types of LDL cholesterol. Small, dense LDL (type-B) is generally bad. Large, fluffy (type-A) is generally good. It’s the type-B cholesterol that likes to cling to things and clog things up, as well as to oxidize. It’s the high oxidated type-B cholesterol, along with it’s propensity to clog, that leads to the increased risk of heart attack. But again, the BigPharma oligarchs have convinced most that cholesterol is bad so they can profit of the sales of the worse than useless statin drugs.
So, again, I get most of my calories from animal products. Thus, it is highly distressing that the current global elites have targeted animal foods for elimination to “save the planet.” We’re told by our betters that a vegan life is the best chance we have to stave off global climate change.
The elites want to remove cattle from our food chain. Here, I will focus on cattle as pork is one of the foods that we histamine intolerant people avoid, along with most fish. Some oily fish can be tolerated. But, it’s the humble Bos taurus, domesticated cattle, that provides me with the vast majority of the calories that I need to live on this spinning rock.
Here, an important point. It is important to place humans in nature and the food web. We are not at all separate from nature. We’re natural and have a vital part to play in the stewardship of the planet. Cattle, as ruminants, also play a vital role in that plan.
However, modern corporate interests have targeted cattle for elimination. We’re told that the methane produced by ruminant digestion is responsible for climate change. The “experts” ignore regenerative / restorative agricultural practices as a sustainable way to feed our population.
As recently as 400 years ago, estimates suggest that there were over 250 million ruminant animals in the territory now considered to be the United States. This includes millions of Bison, Deer, Elk, Pronghorn and Sheep that grazed throughout the grasslands from sea to sea. When these animals live freely, they exist as part of an elegantly orchestrated ecosystem within nature’s web of life. Bison, Elk, Deer and other ruminants partially eat grasses in a particular area and then migrate to another location before returning to their original grazing lands. This rotational grazing pattern allows plants to regrow in soils now fertilized by animal urine and manure so that when these animals return, the land can again provide food and soils remain healthy. - Dr. Paul Saladino, Heart & Soil
Compare the estimated ruminant population of the US just prior to colonization to today. Today, there are less than 100 million ruminants on the continent. There were approximately 30 million bison here before they were rendered almost extinct by the US Army in its effort to starve out the native populations (aka, genocide). Now, rather than roaming about and assisting in sustaining small organic farms, these cattle are mostly concentrated in industrial farms that are quite harmful to local ecosystems. The oligarchs hope that you see the effects of large industrial farms and will be convinced to ditch cattle in favor of bugs and algae. It’s a false premise.
Yes, indeed. It’s a false premise. It’s driven by an industry that lives via balance sheets and seeks to drive profit growth from quarter to quarter. They don’t have humanity’s interests in mind - only the growth of profits for their shareholders. So, they collude with the BigTech and BigMedia oligarchs to drive a narrative that's anti-human.
As regards algae, we’re now being told that spirulina will save us and the planet. We’re being sold stories about how the Aztecs farmed this blue / green algae to serve their population, as if this fact alone is relevant. What is relevant, what is the most important to consider when swapping one food source for another is what is lost / gained in the process. In other words, to replace my 225 grams of beef per day (and the macro / micro nutrition it provides) how much spirulina must I consume? Given that spirulina is an algae, is the swap safe for consumption or will it make me sick?
225 grams of beef provides a wide range of nutrition beyond simple kcals. For this small portion of meat, I get:
~650 kcals
~40 grams of good fats
~65 grams of highly bioavailable protein
0 grams of carbohydrates
I also get:
Vitamin B12: 210% DV
Niacin (vitamin B3): 79% DV
Vitamin B6: 50% DV
Choline: 40% DV
Riboflavin (vitamin B2): 40% DV
Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5): 30% DV
Thiamin (vitamin B1): 8% DV
Folate: 5% DV
Vitamin E: 3% DV
Vitamin K: 3% DV
Zinc: 110% DV
Selenium: 85% DV
Phosphorus: 35% DV
Iron: 25% DV
Potassium: 15% DV
Magnesium: 12% DV
Copper: 20% DV
Sodium: 8% DV
Calcium: 5% DV
Manganese: 1% DV
Beef is also a great source for L-carnitine. L-carnitine is a health-promoting compound that the body synthesizes in the liver from the amino acids lysine and methionine. L-carnitine, from external sources, is best consumed from foods as opposed to supplements. Most of all, L-carnitine is a essential element for the production of energy from fats. Your body does make some of it, but that 225 grams of beef helps us get what we need.
Nevertheless, the climate alarmists shout:
For every kilogram of beef meat replaced with a kilogram of Spirulina, one can save nearly 100 kilograms of greenhouse gas emissions, 340 square meters of land and 1,400 liters of water.
Again, a false equivalent. It’s not an even swap, as we’ll see in a moment.
We looked at beef’s nutritional profile. Here’s a profile of spirulina (based upon a 50 gram serving):
145 kcals
29 grams protein
12 grams of carbohydrates
Calcium >1% DV
Iron ~50% DV (too much iron is not really a good thing for most people)
Magnesium ~20% DV
Spirulina is a simple organism. Nutritionally, it’s kind of all over the place. The vitamin and mineral component is not really balanced. Thus, a spirulina-centric diet would have to be substantially supplemented. Nevertheless, taking them at their central premise, that we could get our calories and protein from spirulina, let’s set our benchmarks. Just how much spirulina would I need to replace my 225 grams of beef.
To replace the protein we get from 225 grams of beef, we’d need roughly 125 grams of spirulina. To replace the kcals we get, we’d need roughly 200 grams of spirulina. There’s no fat to get, so you’d have to get that elsewhere. Here, given we need energy to live, we’ll focus on the larger number - 200 grams - to continue our exploration.
First, what would it cost us to consume 200 grams of spirulina per day.
At US$0.77 / oz, 1 kg of Carlyle spirulina powder at Amazon is US$26.99. The manufacturer recommends a serving size of 8 grams. With that serving size, there are 125 servings per kg. But, remember, we need 200 grams per day to replace our beef. So, we’d need 25 of Carlyle’s servings per day. That means, the 1 kg tub would last us only 5 days. At that pace, we’d spend US$161.94 / month on spirulina. Compare this to roughly US$90 per month for beef at the current average price of US$625 / lb. Additionally, you’d have to add the costs of the supplements for the things that you get in beef but lose in spirulina.
At US$0.89 / oz, 2 lbs of Nutricost spirulina powder at Amazon is US$28.45. You might be tempted to purchase this product as it boasts a 1 gram serving size. It’s packaging notes that there are 907 one gram servings per container. But, remember, we need to consume 200 grams per day. Thus, this product would last us just 4.5 days. We’d need 6.6 containers per month, costing us US$187.77.
Is it safe to consume 200 grams of spirulina per day?
The short answer is …. probably not. Whilst there is no generally recommended dose of spirulina, most manufacturers recommend taking 3-3.5 grams of this supplement per day on their labels. The USDA recommends following manufacturers’ recommendations. Plus, there hasn’t been a study of the effects of consuming roughly 100x the RDA of this algae. A recent meta analysis concluded the following:
Spirulina can be possibly administered as a safe and efficient supplementation in the case of metabolic syndrome components, although determining the optimal dosage and period of supplementation still needs further investigations.
In other words, there is no study that says spirulina is a safe and efficient replacement for your daily protein intake. The world considers it a supplement, not a primary source of protein or energy.
Beef is such a vital part of true balanced nutrition. Spirulina is not.
Want more evidence? Let’s talk vitamin B12. It’s absolutely necessary for a normally functioning nervous system. (Many in the “cures” space administer B12 shots to autistic people to help “treat” our autism). This is where the vegan diet often goes off the rails and leads to malnutrition. As B12 is mostly found in meat, milk, and eggs, it’s hard for vegans to get. Of the minuscule amount of B12 found in spirulina, most of it is “pseudovitamin B12.” The pseudovitamin B12 in spirulina is a competitor to the real vitamin B12.
It will compete for the receptor sites with the real vitamin B12. And that competition happens at the level of the small intestine meaning the real vitamin B12 will not get absorbed into the bloodstream. The reason for this competition is the pseudovitamin B12 in spirulina being an analogue means the structure of both the pseudovitamin B12 and the real vitamin B12 are similar. The competition for receptor sites doesn’t end there. Even in target sites in tissues where vitamin B12 is needed, there will still be competition between the two vitamin B12 molecules.
So, not only do you not get the right amount of B12 in your protein source, what little you get will compete with the supplements that you will need to take. Still think it’s a superfood?
Bottom line
All of the reportage on this issue focuses on the climate costs of factory farming of beef vs. factory farming of algae. They say that for every kilogram of beef meat replaced with a kilogram of Spirulina, one can save nearly 100 kilograms of greenhouse gas emissions, 340 square meters of land, and 1,400 liters of water.
What they don’t say is how much it will cost YOU and I to make that switch. As I’ve shown, your food costs will likely triple. Not just from the cost of spirulina vs. beef (how much you’d have to consume), but also the cost of supplementation to get the nutrition that you’d normally receive from beef and animal fats. Plus, your quality of life would likely plummet as your daily intake of nutritious foods is severely decreased to supplement corporate profits.
Remember, they want to get rid of cattle altogether. This means we’d lose butter and milk products (like heavy cream) as well. You’d have to replace the nutrition you get from these as well.
These forces really want a complete end to all animal consumption, including foods like eggs. In my day, every day, I eat 6 eggs. Eggs a are nutritional powerhouse. Eggs are the most nutritious foods on the planet. Humans have been eating eggs since before time was time. But, to the modern oligarchs, they’ve got to go. We need to be switched to bugs and algae. We’ve got a climate to save!
Conclusion
I hope that this article has sparked something inside of you. When you read about the World Economic Forum recommending that we switch to eating bugs or algae, take them seriously. Take them at their word. Their balance sheets reflect their interests, and they’re investing in bugs and algae whilst consolidating and then reducing the number of meat processing plants around the world.
The oligarchs that regularly fly solo in their private planes to meetings in resorts around the world have likely found a way to make bug / algae farming quite profitable. Their pursuit of endless profit growth is all that they have in mind. They care not a wit about your health and happiness. To hear their own words, the majority of us just aren’t needed anyway. So, who actually cares if we live or die. Well, I do.
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— December 16, 2023 Note —
Some of the materials herein have made it into my book, No Place for Autism? It was released in February 2023 from Lived Places Publishing and is available at Amazon and other major book retailers worldwide.