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Chapter 1
No Wonder
Everyone is Ill
It
is a well‑known and tragic fact that in the formulation of the great
majority of today’s processed foods, the primary considerations of the
manufacturer are taste, mouth‑feel, appearance, shelf life and profit.
Sadly, the all‑important considerations, these being the nutritional value
of the product, and the effect that the product will have upon the health
of the consumer, are not always given the attention that they deserve.
This sad oversight has resulted in the
proliferation of very attractive, very tasty, very long-lasting food products
that have as their main ingredients, refined sugar,
highly refined grains, and highly refined,
hydrogenated fats. Whatever else is included will usually amount to little
more than a wonderful combination of chemicals that are used to
preserve the product, to enhance the flavour, to improve the colour, and/or
to modify the texture.
If
such foods were used only on rare occasions, the situation would not be as
serious as it is, but the sad fact is that the majority of families are
now using such foods as their primary source of nourishment ‑ with
devastating results. As the remainder of this book should convincingly
prove to you, this is one major reason why so many people complain of a
lack of energy, why so many are constipated, and why so many are plagued
by ever‑recurring illnesses.
Diet and Disease
Figure 1. is a diagrammatic representation of a cross‑section of a grain
of wheat. It shows the many elements of this life‑giving, energy‑giving
grain. Notice carefully that most of the nutritive elements, as well as
the bran and the fibre, are situated in the outer layers of the grain.
What is most tragic, however, is that when wheat, or any other grain, is
refined, the outer layers of the grain are removed ‑ along with most of
the nutritive elements that are so essential to the maintenance of life.
This leaves a refined end‑product that is, at best, hopelessly deficient
in nutritional value and sadly lacking in essential fibre.
In
the refining process, the germ of the wheat is also removed. The following
is a list of the many vital elements that are found in this little
power‑house of natural goodness. These include: vitamin A, vitamin E,
vitamin C, niacin, riboflavin, thiamine, inositol, folic acid, folinic
acid, biotin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, choline, para amino benzoic acid,
pantothenic acid, alpha‑lipoic acid, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium,
sodium, potassium, iron, copper, manganese, cobalt, molybdenum, and zinc.
Obviously, therefore, when we use refined foods, as in the case of refined
white flour products, we are using food that has been deprived of much
that is essential to the body’s energy needs and to the maintenance of
good health.
We
certainly cannot deny that the process of refining has distinct advantages
for both the manufacturer and the retailer in that, once refined, the
product will have a longer shelf life but, as far as the consumer is
concerned, he now has to make use of a food that is seriously lacking in
vitamins, minerals, trace elements, bran, fibre, and natural oils ‑ and he
will surely suffer as a result.
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`During World War II Denmark stopped refining
flour, an action which was not accompanied by any other marked changes in living
habits. Later it was found that the death rate had dropped and that there had
been a marked decline in cancer, heart disease, diabetes, kidney trouble, and
high blood pressure.' (Mental And Elemental Nutrients, Carl C. Pfeiffer, Ph.D.,
M.D. p.72) |
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Refined foods now make up the bulk of our Western diet, with white flour,
white sugar, white rice, processed oil and margarine being the main
culprits. Is it any wonder, therefore, that our immune systems can no
longer counteract infection? Is it any wonder that so many people suffer
from nutritional deficiencies?
Food refining is good for the food business ‑ but it is also good for the
vitamin business. There certainly is no mystery as to why so many people
are desperately turning to nutritional supplements. Yet, surely, is it not
more beneficial, wiser, and far more economical, first to do all in our
power to obtain our nutrition from organic, unrefined foods rather than
rely solely on expensive, inorganic tablets and/or tonics?
In
Scripture there is a passage that reads, `Why spend money on what is not
bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?’ (Isaiah 55:2). Thinking
people the world over are asking this very question and, on the evidence
of science and simple logic, they are turning their backs on refined
foods. These people have realised and accepted that life simply cannot be
sustained on a diet that is high in fat, high in sodium, high in sugar,
high in preservatives, highly acid‑forming, highly refined, and low in all
of the vital nutrients that are so essential to the functioning of the
living organism.
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`The three major killers in modern society,
Coronary Heart Disease, Cancer and Strokes, can all be linked to what
people eat and drink.' (Dr B. Hertzel, Chief of the C.S.I.R.O. Division of
Human Nutrition and Foundation Professor of Social and Preventive
Medicine, Monash University) |
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Nobody ever questions the fact that we must feed our horses balanced
rations, that we must correctly fertilize our plants, and that we must
give the correct octane fuel to our motor cars. Yet, strangely, so many
people seem to have extreme difficulty in understanding that our bodies
have the same uncompromising energy requirements as do horses, plants and
motor vehicles. None of us would dream of running our cars on 23‑octane
fuel, yet, by using a diet that is high in refined foods, we are
attempting to run our lives on what we might term `23‑octane’ food ‑ with
costly, painful and often tragic consequences sure to follow.
Figure 2. demonstrates the incidence of certain diseases in Western
nations as compared to developing nations. You will notice that in
developing nations, where the basic diet is still natural and unrefined,
the scourges of the West have hardly made any inroads. The evidence is
clear that while the refining of food has been a boon to industry, it has
not been of any physical benefit to the unsuspecting man in the street.
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Relationship Between
Fiber Intake and Disease |
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Disease
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Incidence in Western
Nations Where The Diet is Highly
Refined
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Incidence in Developing
Nations Where The Diet is Largely Unrefined
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Ischemic Heart Disease,
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High
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Almost Non-Existent
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Diverticular disease
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High
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Very Rare
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Hiatus Hernia
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20% of Population
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Less Than 5%
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Gallstones
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10% of Population
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Non-Existent
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Polyps of the Colon
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20% of Population
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Very Rare
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Cancer of Colon/Rectum
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2nd to Lung Cancer
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Very Rare
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Varicose veins
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15% of population
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Less than 2%
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Obesity
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20% of population
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Rare
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Hemorrhoids
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50% (age 50 plus)
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Rare
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Figure 2. |
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`The use of white flour has become so
common that a real nutritional problem has arisen on a national scale and
medical and governmental authorities have truly viewed the situation with
real alarm. Not only does refined flour lack the bulk producing bran, but
about three fourths of the mineral content of the wheat berry is removed
in the milling process . . . In addition extremely valuable protein and
fat components are lost in the milling. The remaining protein is really a
poor grade protein.' (Dr. L. & D Rosenvold, Science and Modern Manna,
p.60) |
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With this introduction, therefore, let us delve further into this matter
by considering a few of the major ailments that scientific research has
positively linked to the use of refined foods ‑ namely,
As
we consider these ailments, our intention is not to present an exhaustive
study on any one topic, but to demonstrate to the reader that refined
foods are a major causative factor in many of the diseases that are
sweeping our civilized world ‑ not only diseases of a physical nature, but
even some of a social and a mental nature.
The
technical director of a local milling machine supply company once shared
with me his conviction that food refining `is all one big hoax.' The sad
truth, however, is that this big hoax is causing havoc in our systems,
heartache in our homes, and intense suffering throughout society.
When will man ever learn that we cannot take apart what God saw fit to put
together ‑ without causing suffering? When will `so‑called science' ever
concede that there is no alternative to the superlative plan of Nature?
Warning Re Deceptive Advertising
Manufactures of harmful foods are turning
to the deceitful practice of focusing their advertising on a single natural component in their
otherwise harmful food product. Then they will blow the health benefits of that isolated
component out of all proportion - with no mention whatsoever of the
damaging properties of the other components in the product.
This practice is currently all the vogue
amongst certain chocolate, tea, wine and coffee producers. These manufactures
will promote the "health" benefits of isolated components in their
product, or pay a "scientist" to do so, but will make no mention of the
fact that these products also contain a high proportion of extremely
harmful ingredients such as caffeine and/or
theophylline and/or tannin and/or cocoa and/or
sugar and/or alcohol.
Please be warned - this practice
will become more and more common in future.
Proceed to Chapter 2:
Read how refined foods give rise
to constipation, how constipation poisons the entire body, and how these
poisons give rise to a multitude of illnesses.
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