Argan tree at the entrance of the cooperative.
Pierre sent our interview to Zahra, the manager of the cooperative that produces argan oil:
"For us, your support is a ray of light in the dark."
Live with Pierre Haddad, pharmacologist, scientific researcher, teacher.
3:40 - Can there be side effects with natural health products?
There may be some, but they are usually of lesser magnitude than with medications. The medications are very powerful and very targeted. However, there are also plants that can be dangerous. That is why Pierre Haddad teaches that medicinal plants, or natural health products, are pharmacologically active. Therefore, it is necessary to follow the dosage because taking more, for example, can lead to significant side effects.
5:30 - What does it take to be a scientific researcher?
First, you need a doctorate. Then, a postdoctoral training during which one specializes further and which can last another 2 to 4 years after the doctorate. During this postdoctoral training, we will normally go to another laboratory to learn new techniques and new concepts. It is only after these 2 to 4 years (and sometimes even more) that one prepares and presents a research project in order to obtain grants. People wishing to remain in the academic field can at this point look for a university position. It is also possible to become a researcher in a company, whether in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, for the government. There are several possibilities
* Pierre Haddad adds a nuance: "Sometimes, it is not supported by modern science, but it is by the science of plants."
8:52 – The argan forests
In Morocco, in the Essaouira region, we find forests of argan trees, argan groves. Argan trees are trees that grow in a semi-arid environment. They play a very important role in protecting against desertification. These trees produce fruits that contain an almond. It is from this that a very high-quality vegetable oil is extracted.
There are two types of oil: the cosmetic one, for which the almonds are not roasted and has a more neutral scent. The one that is for food, on the other hand, has the almonds lightly roasted, which gives it a particular smell and flavor.
11:39 – Pierre Haddad's research on argan oil
With one of his students, Pierre Haddad studied the effect of argan oil on metabolic diseases, particularly in relation to obesity and diabetes. It was studied alone, then compared with fish oils. It is not quite as powerful as fish oil, but it has a different, interesting profile, particularly in terms of lipid control, as it was seen that the good fats in the body increased (the HDL, the famous good cholesterol), while the bad fats, namely triglycerides (the LDL) and total cholesterol, decreased. This has been confirmed by several other studies.
Argan oil is 80% monounsaturated oil, meaning it contains good fats.
13:20 – Fatty Liver
Fatty liver doesn't just come from eating fatty foods, but also from eating sugar. When we eat too much sugar, the body uses what it needs and stores the rest as fat in fatty tissues, which are tissues made for storing fat.
Abdominal fat being the most "dangerous," the one associated with significant metabolic disorders.
Although these adipose tissues are made to store fats, there can be an overflow. That is to say, adipose tissues can swell and multiply. Thus, the volume increases either by the size of the cells themselves or by the quantity. It is at this moment that an overflow and accumulation can occur, especially in the liver (let us remember here that the liver is our important metabolic factory). This is what causes insulin resistance.
The liver is one of the only organs that is capable of producing sugar (glucose) when we need it.
The liver can store sugar in the form of glycogen, an animal starch. We therefore have enough sugar in the liver to survive 24 hours without eating. Thus, the sugar reserve, in the form of glycogen, can be enough for us for an entire day.
The liver can store sugar, but it can also produce it from amino acids or fatty acids, which it can transform into sugar, and thus produce sugar. Normally, insulin puts a brake on this production because it is a hormone that tends to calm sugar when it rises.
15:30 - How does it work?
The pancreas produces many of our digestive enzymes, but also important hormones like insulin and glucagon, which are like the "yin and yang" to keep glucose balanced. Thus, after eating, the pancreas reacts. It has "detectors" with which it perceives that glucose levels are rising. He then sends insulin into the system. Insulin acts on receptors, cells (like a key in a lock) and this increases the uptake of glucose by the cells, especially in the muscles which make up a large part of the body mass.
Normally, insulin puts a brake on sugar production. However, when the liver becomes overloaded with fat, it becomes sluggish and does not respond well. It will therefore produce too much sugar.
The same thing happens at the muscles level, meaning that fats also accumulate in the muscles when it overflows. Thus, there is less glucose entering the muscles because insulin does not work as well as it should, and too much glucose is produced by the liver. This is what leads to hyperglycemia, the glucose that is elevated in the blood (when we really have diabetes).
17:20 – Diabetes
Diabetes is a disease that is gradual, progressive, and takes several years (between 10 and 20 years) before, unfortunately, complications arise.
During this period, healthcare professionals will talk about healthy lifestyle habits: increasing physical activity and maintaining a healthy diet. Which is actually the basics of good health but also of preventing cardiometabolic diseases.
19:10 – The importance of fats
At the time, healthcare professionals suggested cutting fats when we were dealing with health issues (such as high cholesterol, for example).
Today, that has evolved a lot. We know that it is the quality of fats that is important and not just the quantity. Moreover, the ketogenic diet, which has garnered a lot of attention and sparked much debate, is based on significantly reducing carbohydrates, consuming a lot of protein, and good fats, including monounsaturated fats, which are found in argan oil.
19:45 - Does argan oil offer the same benefits as olive oil (as seen in the study cited in the book La Longévité)?
Among the important monounsaturated fats, we find oleic acid. There is about 70% of it in olive oil. Thus, practically three-quarters of the fats in olive oil are oleic acid.
In argan oil, half of the fats are oleic acid, which is not so bad!
Argan oil, after olive oil, is among the vegetable oils richest in oleic acid.
Argan oil also contains linoleic acid, which is another monounsaturated fat.
21:50 - Monounsaturated
In chemistry, monounsaturated means that there is only one double bond. Fats are like a long carbon chain. There can be double bonds between two carbons, which makes the structure more rigid. Saturated fats are those that do not have this double bond, whereas unsaturated fats are those that have double bonds.
There is a link between saturated/unsaturated fats and the propensity to create atherosclerosis (when fats accumulate in blood vessels). It's not so bad when it just forms a small bump, but when the diameter of the vessel narrows too much, that's when health problems like heart attacks can occur because the blood doesn't flow well to the heart.
That's why a lot of attention is given to cholesterol because we are trying to prevent. The most dangerous are the LDL, the bad cholesterol, because it is the one that accumulates in the blood vessel walls and creates inflammation, leading to the "clogging" of the arteries. Studies show that argan oil helps reduce these LDLs.
24:00 - Argan oil offered at MJ: a bit of its history
This is a traditional production that Pierre Haddad and his wife Chantal visited.
A colleague of Pierre, who has spent her life studying argan oil, established cooperatives in Morocco, more than 20 years ago, to support women and help them in this very demanding production.
The work was already done by women, but it was the men who held the purse strings...
Crushing is not mechanized. So, they really sit on a cushion, with a small stone on a big stone, breaking one nut after another to extract the almonds.
To make 1 liter of argan oil, 32 kilos of these almonds extracted from the nuts are needed! It takes about 13 hours of work to make 1 liter of oil.
25:30 - What quantity to consume to enjoy the benefits of argan oil?
Consumption must be regular to have the effects. The studies were conducted with regular consumption. For example, in these studies, butter was replaced with argan oil in the diet of the studied group and compared with the control group that consumed butter. The studies have shown that regular consumption of argan oil significantly improves the fat profile in the blood.
26:00 - How long will it take before we see a difference?
We are talking in terms of months, because it obviously doesn't happen overnight! We can therefore think of 3 or 4 months. Studies even mention 6 months to 1 year. You have to give it time. When we make dietary changes, we should not expect instant effects.
26:40 - In the product sheet here, you will find the pictures taken by Pierre and his wife Chantal of the community of women who produce the argan oil that we offer at MJ.
28:00 - Fatty liver, an epidemic
Fatty liver disease has unfortunately become the most common liver disease, and it follows the trends in metabolic diseases with obesity and diabetes. Looking at the maps of the disease's progression, we see that it is truly a global epidemic. The World Health Organization considers diabetes and obesity to be global epidemics of non-communicable diseases that can be prevented and even reversed.
We are increasingly talking about the possibility of reversing them, depending on the stage the disease has reached. If it is very advanced, it will obviously be more difficult to turn back.
30:30 – Natural health products, tools
Pierre Haddad also works a lot with Western herbalists. He is also a member of the board of directors of the Guild of Herbalists of Quebec. For along time, he has been interested in this field!
At the time, he conducted a survey in Morocco to identify the most recommended plants for diabetes. Of course, there was the famous argan oil, but also black seed oil, which is found in Metabzen and Gluconig products.
Upon returning to Quebec, he conducted the same investigation with herbalists here, and it was at that time that he identified the blueberry, which he also worked on extensively. It is not at the level of the fruit itself but at the levels of the roots, leaves, and stems, the latter of which were until then considered waste but have also demonstrated interesting effects on par with the rest of the plant. It is a beautiful secret that is unfortunately little known.
33:00 - If we take omega-3s, can we also take argan oil?
There is no problem, it fits well.
35:35 - Argan oil is a beautiful oil to add to the lovely choice of oils we already have, such as olive oil, avocado oil, and coconut oil, depending on everyone's tastes.
36:30 - Sharing fabulous testimonials about Metabzen and Gluconig, the goal being to help people.
38:30 - Nature is here to help us!
Modern pharmacopoeia owes a great deal to traditional pharmacopoeia. Many medications are derived, developed, and derived from natural substances that have been traditionally used. This is often an overlooked fact, but it is estimated that 40 to 60% of medications are derived from plants and other uses that come from nature.
41:00 – Metabzen & Gluconig
Metabzen : Modern pharmacopoeia owes a great deal to traditional pharmacopoeia. Many medications are derived, developed, and derived from natural substances that have been traditionally used. This is often an overlooked fact, but it is estimated that 40 to 60% of medications are derived from plants and other uses that come from nature.
Gluconig : Contains a blend of brown seaweed, developed by a Quebec company, combined with Nigella. Supported by a lot of scientific data, the brown algae it contains help reduce the impact of sugars by slowing down their digestion, so we absorb less of them. Combined with Nigella, which helps insulin function better. A beautiful combination, more specifically to be taken before the two most important meals of the day.
Warning: The summary of the interview with Pierre Haddad was created solely to help you easily find the information you are looking for. Under no circumstances can the information you find there be considered personalized medical advice. Moreover, we invite you to watch the video to get complete and accurate information on the topic discussed and, of course, to consult your healthcare professional.
