Naturally Speaking

Sam Graci is an internationally renowned lecturer, consultant, researcher, and formulator in the field of optimal human health and nutrition. A graduate of the University of Western Ontario in adolescent psychology and chemistry, Sam has additional degrees in education, special education, and counseling. He is the founder and president of Graci Research Ltd., a company dedicated to nutritional research and development. Sam has traveled extensively throughout the world interviewing researchers, reviewing studies, and collecting information about medicinal plants, vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, sea vegetables, and organic growing techniques.

As a result of his work, and after seven years of research, Sam created and introduced greens+ to the US market in 1991 and to the Canadian market in 1993. The award-winning "green drink" is comprised of 23 synergistic foods designed to supplement a healthy diet. The success of greens+ and Sam's research have spawned the development of a whole category of products known as green ‘superfoods’. Sam was also instrumental in the development of the newly enhanced greens+ formulations, including greens+ daily detox and greens+ extra energy.

Sam remains North America's leading authority on nutritional superfoods as well as a key expert on acid-alkaline chemistry and its connection to optimal health. His work and his products continue to be supported and endorsed by leading holistic practitioners.

Residing in beautiful Salt Spring Island, Sam continues to write many progressive articles on nutrition and health for magazines and newspapers. He has also authored the following books: The Power of Superfoods, The Food Connection, The Path to Phenomenal Health, and his latest: The Bone-Building Solution.

Savvy Question: You are quite a legend as the formulator for greens+. What inspired you to create it?

I was inspired when I began my career working in high schools as a guidance specialist. When I graduated from University I was hired to be head of guidance at a high school in Southern Ontario in a school that specialized in high risk kids – including alcohol, drugs, breaking the law, etc. When I worked with those young people I realized they were nutrient deficient. I contacted Dr Abrahm Hoffer who was head of psychiatry at the University of Saskatchewan because I had read an article by him stating people that were depressed had the tendency to also be nutrient deficient. I saw first hand that they were just drinking coffee, eating chocolate and consuming foods with few nutrients. As I started to change the diet of the kids I started to see tremendous improvements so I knew there was a link between nutrition and behavior.

I didn’t know what was causing the improvement so went to work with Dr Linus Pauling, who was also investigating the link between nutrition and wellness. He encouraged me to create a product that would give people a nutrient boost.

At the same time I had a sister-in-law that was a quadrapelegic and she was looking for a nutrient-rich supplement for her diet. I wanted it to be alkaline, convenient and cost-effective. I realized people just don’t have the time or the desire to cook nutrient dense foods. That is why we made greens+ the equivalent of 6 servings of fruits and vegetables so we could at least get that area of nutrition covered.
Savvy Question: How is greens+ bone builder different from other calcium supplements on the market? Also, can someone take this if they are on medication for osteopenia or osteoporosis?

Most people take 1000-1500mg of calcium at one time. The reason is because the government charts show we should have 1500mg of calcium a day after the age of 30. So manufacturers have made supplements that contain 1000, 1200 and 1500 so that people can get all the structural minerals they need at one time. The dilemma: Dr Leticia Rao of the University of Toronto conducted research showing the body can’t absorb and or use more than 500 mg of elemental calcium at one time. When we take more than 500mg at one time, every mg over 500 affects the age-related osteoblast replicative capacity (which means the additional calcium speeds up the osteoblasts ) which is counter-productive because they die much younger. If a person requires 1000mg a day, it is best to take it 2 times per day with at least 6 hours in between.

After 30 we need to keep our bones strong, pliable, fluid and straight. Yet calcium after the age of 30 is the hardest to absorb. So we looked for most absorbable form of calcium and found 3 forms which include calcium-bisglycinate, formate and citrate malate. All three forms have been found to get absorbed at a rate of about 78% at any age.

If you are on medication, I highly encourage you to take greens+ bone-builder as Osteoporosis drugs prevent the break down of bone but do not build bone, which greens+ bone builder does do. On page 317 of the Bone Building Solution, Dr DeMarco writes about the new blood/urine test that doctors can now do (covered by OHIP) that will allow you to see the quality and integrity of the bone. The test measures how much bone is building up and how much is breaking down and at what speed.

We have shown in the lab that in 3 months of taking greens+ bone builder we can build micro-architectural strength of the bone –so it won’t break and will prevent us from stooping.
Savvy Question: How long would someone have to stay on greens+ bone builder to start seeing a difference? What kind of results can one expect to see by being on it?

In 3 months you will be able to see an improvement with the blood/urine test. If you are using a bone density test you will need to wait a year to two years.
Savvy Question: What bone density tests would begin to show postitive markers?

The blood/urine test
Savvy Question: We heard that vitamin K can play a large role in the prevention of osteoporosis, is this true?

The biggest discovery that Dr Rao, Dr DeMarco and I found was that when most of us get older we tend to calcify, meaning calcium goes into soft tissues like our veins, arteries, heart, joint. We get stiffer, harder and shorter. It is only vitamin K2 that chaperones the calcium into the bone. We get vitamin K from green foods.
Savvy Question: How do you maintain balance in your life?

- I try to get 8 full hours of sleep a night
- I meditate and pray 2 hours a day
- I am extremely simple with my diet – lots of colorful salads
- 1 use one serving of greens+ extra energy, greens+, greens+ daily detox, greens+ bone builder
- 1 exercise 6 days a week