Almond Milk 'Stresses' Immune System

By Nidhi Patil

Commercially sold almond milks are full of synthetic chemicals that stress your immune system and contribute to chronic disease.

Here are just some of the harmful ingredients in store-bought 'almond milk' carton:

Vitamin A Palmitate – This is a synthetic version of vitamin A that is associated with birth defects and bone fractures while providing zero health benefits. Other side effects of this isolated chemical form of vitamin A include tumor enhancement, joint disorders, osteoporosis, extreme dryness of eyes, mouth and skin, enlargement of liver and spleen, irritability, drowsiness, fatigue, insomnia, abdominal pain, blurred vision, headache, hair loss, muscle pain with weakness, menstrual abnormalities, seizures, nausea, and immune suppression.

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Furthermore, vitamin toxicity, known as hyper-vitaminosis, commonly results from consuming too much synthetic “purified” vitamin A and not from naturally occurring vitamin A (from real food sources). A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports that “the acute and chronic effects of vitamin A toxicity are well documented in the literature. Emerging evidence suggests that subtoxicity without clinical signs of toxicity may be a growing concern, because intake from preformed sources of vitamin A often exceeds the recommended dietary allowances (RDA) for adults, especially in developed countries [emphasis is mine]”.

Vitamin D2 – This is the synthetic form of vitamin D. Numerous recent studies have demonstrated that vitamin D supplements are highly ineffective at preventing disease, and potentially harmful. Even in amounts considered safe, taking vitamin D over an extended period of time has been shown to contribute to a wide range of health issues, including gastrointestinal symptoms, increases in LDL cholesterol, prostate cancer, kidney disease, and calcium stones.

This is especially a concern for children who consume many products that are fortified with this chemical. The immediate effects of toxicity include abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, headache, muscle weakness and bone pain. As toxicity continues over time, the result could be a build-up of irreversible deposits of calcium crystals in the soft tissues of the body that damage the heart, lung and kidneys.

Calcium Carbonate – This is derived from non-organic, non-living mineral sources such as chalk and eggshells. That’s right, you are consuming chalk- the same stuff you use to write on a blackboard! Even more worrisome, however, is the fact that calcium supplementation is associated with serious health risks such as cardiovascular disease, prostate cancer and kidney stones. Recent studies are finding that it may even increase the rate of hip fractures in older women. 

Unfortunately, many foods, such as almond milk, breakfast cereals and orange juice, are fortified with supplemental forms of calcium. This should alert you to the fact that people are commonly consuming large amounts of dangerous supplements without even realizing it. It’s just another part of our SAD Standard American Diet which leads us down the path of our “disease-care system”. My video, The End of Osteoporosis, exposes the truth about calcium supplementation and osteoporosis.

Dl-Alpha Tocopherol Acetate (vitamin E) – Included in some brands of almond milk, this synthetic petroleum derived version of vitamin E has been shown to increase the risk of prostate cancer in healthy men. 

Dr. Marc Garnick, a clinical professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, an oncologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and editor in chief of Harvard’s Annual Report on Prostate Diseases, warns all of his patients to completely avoid any dietary supplement containing vitamin E. Hopefully, he also teaches them to avoid this ingredient by reading the label on all of the “fortified” processed foods they consume, such as almond milk.

Studies have repeatedly shown that the human body prefers whole, natural Vitamin E because it retains it at healthful levels as opposed to working to quickly excrete it as it does with synthetic versions. After absorption, a protein in the liver recognizes only the naturally occurring forms of Vitamin E, while the unrecognized synthetic forms are excreted. A list of the numerous health problems related to synthetic Vitamin E includes skin rashes, GI irritation, blurred vision, breast enlargement in males and females, diarrhea, dizziness, flu-like symptoms, headache, nausea, stomach cramps and  weakness.

Your body does not always recognize synthetic (man-made) ingredients in vitamins and supplements, and reacts differently than when provided with real food. When you ingest a synthetically produced vitamin, such as the ones found in “almond milk”, your body reacts as if you have swallowed some foreign toxic chemical. This means that your immune system must combat the enemy invasion. If you keep stressing your immune system in this way it will eventually become too weak to protect you from illness or disease.

Since the very beginning of the boom in the supplement industry which included “fortified” and “enriched foods”, the scientific community has known, researched, and clearly shown with numerous studies that synthetic supplements weaken your health. In fact, these chemicals found in your “almond milk,” bread, and cereal boxes are not properly absorbed nor utilized by your body – instead they act as a burden to your health, even causing withdrawal symptoms when you eliminate them from your diet. Nothing replaces whole food, naturally occurring nutrients that your body recognizes, absorbs, and utilises as nourishment.