Page 17 - Fall2010

Caustic Commentary

his theory, rather than objectively analyzing the China survey raw milk consumers. Researchers at the University of California
and the scientific literature. He seems particularly averse to of- Davis have found that in addition to promoting the growth of
fending his fellow Whole Foods consultants Joel Fuhrman, Rip beneficial bacteria, these complex sugars serve as decoys for
Esselstyn and John McDougal. Says Campbell: “No diet or any noxious bacteria. The sugars are very similar to those found
other medical strategy comes close to the benefits that can be on the surface of human cells, and are constructed in the breast
achieved with a whole foods, plant based diet.” by the same enzymes. Many toxic bacteria and viruses bind to
human cells by docking with the surface sugars. The team has
BREAKTHROUGH FROM also found that the proteins in raw milk have special roles, one
AMERICAN FAMILY PHYSICIANS of which, called alpha-lactalbumin, can attack tumor cells and
Yes, the organization called American Family Physicians has those infected by viruses by restoring their lost ability to commit
finally figured out what kinds of fats we should eat! Here we cell suicide (New York Times, August 2, 2010). Spurred by these
go—we are sure you have never heard such advice before. What findings, the researchers urge all mothers to breast feed, but they
a wonderful way to keep our physicians happy and prosperous! stop short of the other obvious conclusion: the next-best thing to
Note carefully the mixture of good advice with bad, the better breast milk is raw milk from other species, not only for infants
to deceive the hapless consumer. but for growing children and adults.
• Avoid fast foods that contain unhealthy trans fats.
• Don’t eat too much red meat. Instead, opt for leaner sources SILVER LINING
of protein such as fish, poultry and vegetables. Insured Americans are using fewer medical services. Insurers,
• Bake with canola oil, and cook and season with olive oil. lab-testing companies, hospitals and doctor-billing companies
Use olive oil to top a salad or in place of butter on bread. report that patient visits, drug prescriptions and procedures are
• Avoid too many potato chips in favor of soy or peanuts down in the second quarter from year-ago levels. Blaming a weak
without salt. economy, health care officials have noted that “People just aren’t
• Top a salad with avocado, nuts or garbanzo beans. using health care like they have. Utilization is lower than we
• In place of butter, opt for margarine that’s liquid or in a soft expected, and it’s unusual.” They are predicting that utilization
tub container. Choose margarine that is low in saturated fat of health care services will rise again as “Americans exhaust
and doesn’t contain trans fat. their deductibles and insurers start paying for services” (Wall
Street Journal, July 29, 2010). Might there be another reason for
WHERE’S THE BEEF? the decline in operations and doctor visits? As a silver lining to
What happens when our food is prepared by food engineers the economic turndown, perhaps Americans are thinking more
rather than cooks? We get “vegetarian protein options” made carefully about their health, and turning to diet and alternative
from soy. Soy protein-based meat analogs are showing up in the treatment rather than expensive conventional care.
deli cases of stores like Whole Foods. The industry claims that
“palatability has been improved with a high-moisture extrusion
process.” Fu-Hung Hsieh, professor of biological engineering and
food science at the University of Missouri, has been working for
a number of years to produce a soy product that simulates the
fibrous qualities of a chicken breast, rather than one that simply FOR SCIENTISTS AND LAy READERS
adds flavor and color to soy protein. And efforts are underway to
turn peas, wheat, potatoes, sweet potatoes and algae into meat- Please note that the mission of the Weston A. Price
like substances that can be promoted as “healthy” alternatives Foundation is to provide important information about diet
to meat and dairy (foodnavigator-usa.com, August 17, 2010). and health to both scientists and the lay public. For this
reason, some of the articles in Wise Traditions are neces-
NEW APPRECIATION FOR RAW MILK sarily technical. It is very important for us to describe the
Breast milk and the milk of other mammals contain a large science that supports the legitimacy of our dietary prin-
fraction of indigestible sugars consisting of a lactose molecule ciples. In articles aimed at scientists and practitioners, we
onto which chains of other sugar units have been added. Hu- provide a summary of the main points and also put the
mans lack the enzymes to break down these sugars, but they most technical information in sidebars. These articles are
serve as the perfect foods for the bifido subspecies of bacteria, balanced by others that provide practical advice to our
allowing this beneficial bug to thrive in the digestive tract of lay readers.

FALL 2010 Wise Traditions 17