The following five statements are either true or false.  Please understand that answers I give are not necessarily the politically correct ones but they are conclusions I have come to, slowly, over a thirty-year period.  The other five true or false statements are found at the end of the last ISSUE.

 Statement: “Vitamins, minerals and other supplements are not necessary. We get everything we need in our food.”

              Answer: False. One cannot depend on the food we eat to supply us with all the vitamins and minerals that the body needs. A large amount of the food we eat is grown in California, Texas, Florida, Mexico and South American countries. Shipping takes quite a long time to transport fruits and vegetables to the market and into our homes. Every day until it is consumed, the produce loses fresh enzymes which should be nourishing the body and keeping it in good condition.

             Secondly, the soil does not contain everything that plants and trees should be absorbing for our nutrition. Selenium, for example, is not available in the soil in many parts of the United States. Many farms use artificial fertilizers that contain a few ingredients, rather than natural, complete fertilizers, such as cow and horse manure, which contain many more nutrients that lead to good nutrition.  These farms also use pesticides that damage the plants and trees, reducing the quality of nutrition derived from the produce.

             If one were to live on an organic farm, growing and eating a wide variety of organic foods, then it probably would not be necessary to supplement the food with extras. Most of us, however, live elsewhere and thus need to add nutritional supplements to our diet. Those who eat highly refined food are eating baked goods with white flour as the main ingredient, made white in color because all of the 23 or more vitamins and minerals have been removed, and six have been added back in during the milling process so it can be called “fortified.” Pure deception, but it is another reason why we must take extra vitamins and minerals.

             Finally, the degree that we supplement our food depends on our age and the state of health we are in. You will find this information in this and other issues of Joel’s Newsletter.

 Statement: “Anything in moderation is O.K.”

             Answer: False. We learned a long time ago that murder, incest, rape, adultery, theft, smoking and eating or drinking poisons damage our whole way of life. Unfortunately, many people still haven’t learned this lesson, so the individual, the family, the community, the nation and the whole world suffers.

             What is “moderation” to one person is quite different to another. One or two drinks of alcohol appears to be quite tolerated by an individual, whereas this quantity will put another person “under the table.” We continue this answer to the next two questions.

 Statement: “There’s nothing wrong with drinking one cup of ‘decaffeinated’ coffee a day.”

           Answer: False. Nothing wrong-- with whom, the coffee grower, manufacturer or distributor, or the person who drinks it? If it’s the latter, there’s quite a bit wrong. This reduced caffeine beverage (it still contains caffeine), as well as its big brother, the regular strength kind, release deadly chemicals throughout the body, damaging the liver, the endocrine gland system, the brain, the cardiovascular system, the kidneys, the heart, the lungs and all other parts in-between. As we reach the particular diseases, we will mention the damage that caffeine causes in them.

   Statement: “Chocolate has lecithin and anti-oxidants in it. Therefore, it’s healthy to eat.”

            Answer: False. Chocolate’s main ingredient is theobromine, a first cousin to caffeine, part of the substances chemically known as “xanthine derivatives.”  The third drug, also a cousin of caffeine, is theophylline, widely used in medicine to treat asthma and other diseases, but it too is dangerous to the body and must be used in low doses to prevent toxicity.

             “But chocolate tastes so good– it must be the fruit of the gods!” Sugar also tastes good, but it is also toxic, contributing to various mental illnesses, bad complexion, cancer, cardiovascular problems, obesity, diabetes, etc.

             What about lecithin? True, there is a small quantity of lecithin in chocolate, but that quantity is far insufficient to undo the damage caused by the chocolate.  When we discuss cardiovascular problems, we will mention the fantastic ability of lecithin to help reverse these diseases, if given half a chance to do so.

     Statement: “Science can be ‘bought.’”

             Answer: Oftentimes true. Let me say this in defense of those who work diligently in science for the betterment of humankind. This is the very nature of the way they make their living, just like doctors, ministers, and everyone else gainfully employed------ but, there is an honest way and also a shady way to earn this pay. Several years ago, The Washington Post wrote an editorial entitled, “Double Dipping at NIH,” in which it revealed how some scientists at the National Institute of Health receive considerable sums of money from drug manufacturers and others, presumably to intercede for them favorably when policy decisions are made.

             Often, manufacturers sponsor scientific research programs to test one item or another, anticipating that favorable conclusions will result. A good example of this was the research done by scientists which “proved” that coffee does not cause pancreatic cancer, reversing a conclusion, reached over twenty years earlier, that it does cause that disease. The latest research was sponsored by, you guessed it, the American Coffee Institute!

             It has also been disclosed that drug companies do not publish the results of research done which have unfavorable results for their products. In this manner, governing bodies and the public are confused and duped into believing that these drugs are safe and effective, whereas they may not be.

             Some years ago, a research scientist disclosed that he was paid by the fast-food industry to lend authoritative credence that high-fat, high-protein junk food is “good for you.”  He went on to say that “he’s the best scientist that money can buy.” With such friends, no one needs enemies!

               I believe that we should figure out some other way to sponsor research projects than forcing scientists to go out and find sponsors for their work.  The Federal Government spends vast sums on research at NIH and related organizations to prove whether drugs can help safely to relieve symptoms of various diseases, or whether they are too toxic to be used. One would think that some of the money would be spent in order to do research on nutritional items that would improve the health in general, as well as bring those particular diseases into remission. After all, it is called the National Institute of Health! Never better has it been stated that “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”