Page 21 - Winter2009

Caustic Commentary

Sally Fallon and Mary Enig take on the Diet Dictocrats

YELLOW FATS REPORT 2009 outcome (International Journal of Environmental Research
According to this industry document, consumers are turning Public Health 2009;6:2626-2638). Meanwhile, findings from
away from “active healthy spreads” like cholesterol-lowering a large European study indicate that animal fats from meat,
margarine to more “balanced diet management and natural eggs and dairy products do not increase a woman’s risk of
ingredients.” Or to put it another way, people are eating more breast cancer (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2009
butter, especially those over fifty-five years of age. Sales for Sept;90:602-612).
the “total functional spreads category” in the UK remained
flat, complained the manufacturer of the “functional” choles- MORE TRAGEDY TO COME?
terol-lowering spread Benecol, in spite of a recent EU health Health official are mystified about reports of seemingly
claim ruling, which confirmed that plant stanol esters in the healthy young people dying from the flu. One case involved
product can lower cholesterol. While food manufacturers six-year-old Heaven Skyler Wilson. The child had rarely been
try to figure out which functional food ingredients “will sick, received annual check-ups and “was current on her vac-
triumph,” consumers cinations.” The day after
are increasingly turning coming down with a sore
to real foods like butter, throat and a 103-degree
which in the UK grew 19 temperature (for which her
percent in sales in 2009 doctor prescribed “Tylenol
(article.com, December and chicken broth”), she
2, 2009). Unfortunately, was rushed to the emergen-
the choice that educated cy room, unable to breathe.
consumers are making Two weeks later, ravaged
is denied to families in with double pneumonia and
the WIC program or a staph infection that de-
children participating in prived her brain of oxygen,
USDA-approved school she was disconnected from
lunches. the respirator. Eighteen-
year-old Walter Brooks
BUTTER THOSE died within two weeks
VEGETABLES! of coming down with a
Sweden seems to be the slight fever. He developed
main source of icono- a severe staph infection
clastic research these days. Researchers in rural Sweden and had both of his legs amputated before his organs shut
followed coronary heart disease morbidity and mortality down. According to Beth Bell, an associate director of CDC’s
in a group of over seventeen hundred rural men. The men National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease,
filled out a dietary questionnaire and were then followed many of the children who have died had no underlying medical
for twelve years, during which one hundred thirty-eight condition but succumbed to a secondary bacterial infection.
were hospitalized or died owing to coronary heart disease. “Scientists are at a loss to explain why perfectly healthy young
Daily intake of fruit and vegetables was associated with a people might die from the flu” (Washington Post, November
lower risk of coronary heart disease only when combined 11, 2009). However, anyone but a trained public official or a
with high dairy fat consumption, but not when combined major media science writer can connect the dots. Dead sterile
with a low dairy fat consumption. Eating wholemeal bread food, lack of beneficial gut flora, lowfat and wrong-fat diets,
or fish at least twice a week showed no association with the vitamin A and D deficiencies, vaccination after vaccination

WINTER 2009 Wise Traditions 19