This issue will be devoted to problems of the nervous system, the brain and the mind– alcoholism, anorexia nervosa, autism, bipolar (manic depressive state), bulimia, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, drug habituation, facial pain, fibromyalgia, headache, hypochondria, insomnia, migraine, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, myasthenia gravis, nervousness, Parkinson’s disease,  schizophrenia, senility and suicide. ( ADHD< /a> has been discussed separately in ISSUE 4, and Alzheimer’s disease was discussed in ISSUE 6 .)
    Strangely enough, the most common cause of all these diseases is bad nutrition, or not following the concepts of the ABC Diet. When junk food is consumed, the first system affected is the nervous system, long before the physical manifestation of a disease appears. The occurrence of mental problems should immediately tell our physicians and ourselves that improper nutrition has been going on. At that point, we should be instructed on how to improve the diet, in addition to being warned about the dangers of further consuming junk food.
   What are the elements of a good diet which are destroyed by junk food? The vitamins of the B Complex group– thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxine (B6), choline, inositol, para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), biotin, folate and cyanocobalamin (B12)– along with Vitamin C, are the water-soluble vitamins; that is, they dissolve in water. Because they do dissolve in water, they tend to be washed out from the body by diuretics, those chemicals which increase the flow of fluids out of the body through the kidneys.
   What are the effects of Vitamin B Complex and C?
B1 –regulate the heart and other muscles of the body, is necessary for proper digestion, especially carbohydrates, and for the functioning of nerve tissue, providing energy by helping to use sugars properly. B1 is deactivated in the presence of antacids, causing numbness of the fingers. Eating white rice only can cause a disease called beriberi, if no other source of B1 is present.
 
B2 –needed to break down carbohydrates and proteins into substances the body can use at the cellular level. A deficiency will show sore, cracked lips and loss of eyesight through development of glaucoma and cataracts. A lack may also result in bedsores in inert patients. People who take phenothiazine-derivative tranquilizers often show B2 deficiency symptoms.
 
B3 – stimulates the blood flow throughout the body besides preventing pellagra, which affects the skin, gastrointestinal tract and nervous system. It is used to lower the blood serum cholesterol and deposits in the walls of blood vessels. It has also been used in large quantities in treating arthritis, schizophrenia and senility.
 
B5 – essential to the manufacture of the 45 hormones of the adrenal cortex, including cortisol, which relieves inflammation, especially of the joints It also aids the body in utilizing fats, carbohydrates and proteins, helps to regulate blood sugar, serving to modify diabetes, hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. It enhances, along with Vitamins B6 and C, to prevent and treat infections.
 
B6 –also called the anti-nausea or anti-dizziness vitamin because of its action on the specific areas of the brain and the inner ear to prevent these symptoms. It is effective in treating Meniere’s disease. Women, who become pregnant, take estrogens or birth control pills, need this vitamin in greater quantity. Acts as a diuretic in preventing premenstrual tension and bloating. Helps to prevent Herbeden’s nodes on the fingers of arthritic patients. It is the only effective non-surgical treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. Vitamin B6 is needed to break down proteins into amino acids. Tryptophan, an amino acid, needs Vitamin B6 to be metabolized. Methionine cannot be broken down beyond homocysteine (a toxic by-product appearing in atherosclerosis and other heart diseases) to a harmless, non-toxic end product without an adequate amount of B6. It helps to prevent nausea when chemotherapy is given, to prevent B6 deficient deterioration in alcoholics, prevents and dissolves gallstones, bladder stones and kidney stone, helps Vitamin A to eliminate acne, assists A and C in fighting infections, helps prevent tooth decay, aids in the manufacture of lecithin from choline and inositol, thereby lowering cholesterol levels and preventing heart attacks, and it helps iron to be utilized in the manufacture of red blood cells.
 
Folate –essential in preventing macrocytic or megaloblastic anemia. It is important in manufacturing red blood cells, preventing and treating severe depression, senility and mental retardation, such as Alzheimer’s disease, treating suspected spinal cord injuries, spina bifida, mouth and leg ulcers, aiding in slow wound healing, and decreasing the susceptibility of infants to illness by administering sufficient amounts of it to pregnant women. Folate is responsible for normal cell division.
 
Biotin –important in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. A deficiency may cause trouble in the form of poor growth, skin problems, diabetes, and nerve problems including depression, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, muscular cramps and various sexual gland disorders. Nursing mothers, who have insufficient biotin in their diet, pass the deficiency on to their offspring, thus causing seborrheic dermatitis and desquamative erythroderma in the infants. The use of antibiotics in cattle and poultry to ward off disease and increase yield, has decreased the amount of biotin available from beneficial intestinal bacteria.
 
Choline and inositol –With the help of a liver enzyme and Vitamin B6,
these two B vitamins form lecithin, which prevents and removes cholesterol and plaque buildup in the walls of blood vessels and, with the aid of unsaturated oils such as safflower oil, reduces serum cholesterol significantly. This reduction would be extremely helpful, in conjunction with the ABC Diet and exercise, in heart disease and in cases of diminished blood supply to the brain due to clogged arteries, thus making it useful in preventing stroke and various diseases of senility. Lecithin would also help in circulatory problems of the kidneys, prostate, uterus and limbs. These two B vitamins are important factor in treating liver diseases, reducing fatty infiltration of the liver and treating cirrhosis and amyloidosis. They inhibit certain cancers, help to repair or prevent nerve damage in muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy. Choline is the essential ingredient of acetylcholine, the substance transmitting the impulse from the nerves to the muscles which stimulate the latter to contract. Indeed, it may be the lack of acetylcholine, due to the lack of choline in the diet, which may be responsible for the vast increase of these nerve disorders. Lack of inositol may cause insomnia and speed up the process of balding. Both of these B vitamins play an important part in the functioning and repair of both the liver and the kidneys. In conjunction with the ABC Diet and exercise, they may well prevent the increasing need of dialysis and kidney transplants. Finally, I recommend mother’s breast milk because it contains lecithin, and cow’s milk does not. The choline is helpful in establishing babies’ immune systems, protecting them against disease.
 
PABA – enables folic acid and B6 to be used, helps proteins to break down into amino acids, assists in the production of red blood cells, helps to prevent or relieve sunburn, helps, along with the ABC Diet, in the treatment of a skin disease called vitiligo, which is characterized by loss of pigmentation over increasingly larger areas of the skin.
 
B12 – helps to prevent pernicious anemia, increase energy, aid growth and appetite in children and maintain the nervous system.
   All these B vitamins are most effective if taken together, called Vitamin B Complex. I really don’t expect people to take them separately. Skin diseases such as lichen planus or tinea versicolor are successfully treated by the B Complex, provided that the ABC Diet is adhered to.
 
Vitamin C – necessary to maintain body cells, connective tissue, blood vessels, wound and burn healing, along with resistance and recovery from infectious disease. It serves, along with calcium, to protect us from harmful substances in our environment, such as heavy metals, tobacco, alcohol, solvents, insect sprays, toxic chemicals, excessive sunshine, and side effects from drugs such as aspirin, cortisone, anticonvulsants, pyschotherapeutic agents, sulfa and antibiotics. C helps to strengthen tooth enamel, converts blood sugar into energy, helps to prevent blood clots in the heart, lungs and brain, and it helps to prevent gall bladder, kidney and urinary bladder trouble. C also helps the utilization of iron in the manufacture of hemoglobin, strengthens the entire endocrine gland system, including the pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, pancreas, adrenal and sex glands. In this manner we are guarded against diabetes, obesity, cancer, impotence, stunted growth, arthritis and many other diseases. C relieves the symptoms of colds and cough if given in large doses immediately upon the onset of symptoms. Vitamin C should always be taken with other members of the C Complex family, namely, hesperidin, bioflavonoids, rutin and acerola, because these help to prevent capillary fragility in the blood vessels, including stroke, heart disease, aneurysms, phlebitis, hemorrhoids, broken blood vessels in the eyes, arms or legs due to cortisone therapy and leukemia.
   What diuretics are found most commonly associated with the body? Water, drinks which contain caffeine or theobromine and certain drugs which are used in the treatment of high blood pressure and other cardiovascular diseases. People, because of “scientific studies” which never were done, have been programmed into thinking that they must drink 8 glasses of water a day. This much water, even if caffeinated drinks and diuretic drugs were not used, would be more than enough to cause the water-soluble vitamins, found in food or in a supplement, to be washed out of the body before they have the opportunity to nourish it. Secondly, if coffee, tea, soft drinks, chocolate, hydrochlorthiazide and other drugs are taken, there is a strong diuretic action, again prematurely ridding the body of the water-soluble vitamins. When caffeine drinks are taken, the diuretic action can remain in the body for as much as four days, starving the cells of proper nutrition.
     What minerals are destroyed by junk food? Magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, chromium, copper, potassium, phosphorous, manganese, iodine, selenium and sulfur. What are the uses of these minerals and the harmful results to the body that occur with a deficiency of each of them?
 
Magnesium – lack of magnesium-based enzyme systems, resulting in hundreds of problems in the body, including the enzymatic breakdown of carbohydrates and proteins in digestion; dental decay; gall stones, bladder stones and kidney stones. If alcohol is consumed, five times as much magnesium is excreted from the body compared to water, which can lead to heart attacks, coronary thrombosis, tremors, nervousness, diarrhea, nausea, sleeplessness and bad dreams. If calcium is supplemented, or large quantities of milk products are consumed, without supplementing half as much magnesium, the same problems can occur (see ISSUE 12) due to more magnesium being excreted than it should.
 
Calcium – used with Vitamin C and PABA to protect the skin against sunburn and certain skin cancers. With magnesium, Vitamin D and phosphorous, in the right proportions, calcium builds healthy bones and teeth and prevents osteoporosis. With magnesium it helps to maintain the integrity of the heart and blood vessels. With Vitamins B6, C and E, it enables iron to be used in red blood cells. With zinc, it helps to maintain enzyme systems including pancreatic and reproductive function. With magnesium, B Complex, C and D it relieves symptoms of pre-menstrual tension, nervousness, insomnia and headache. With Vitamins C and E, it relieves muscular cramps in the legs, finger tremors and bone pain in the neck and back. With lecithin, safflower oil, Vitamins B complex and C, calcium helps to reduce cholesterol and plaque deposits in the blood vessels– provided that the poisonous substances in the “A” group of the ABC Diet have been deleted from the diet. Remember that when calcium is supplemented, half as much magnesium must also be supplemented, as in CalMag tablets, and an above average multiple vitamin and mineral preparation containing Vitamins A, B Complex, C, D and E must also be taken.
 
Iron – when taken with Vitamins B Complex, C, E, calcium, copper, molybdenum and cobalt, it serves as the main ingredient in red blood cells which transports oxygen from the lungs to all other parts of the body, including the skin, other organs and muscles. Iron is poorly absorbed in the absence of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, or in the presence of antacids or other alkaline material, coffee, tea, soft drinks, chocolate, tobacco and alcohol.
 
Zinc – enhances the action of Vitamins A, B Complex, C and E and the minerals manganese and selenium, makes up part of the molecule of many enzyme systems needed by the body for proper digestion, breathing, liver metabolism, pancreatic function and proper maintenance of both the male and female reproductive system. Sufficient intake of zinc, along with listed the vitamins and minerals, would reduce the number of glaucoma, cataract, hysterectomy and prostatectomy operations presently being performed. Drinking alcohol and preparations containing caffeine causes the excessive excretion of zinc, as well as magnesium, causing fatigue; depression; loss of sense of taste, smell, appetite, sight and hearing ; sterility; poor growth; body odor; stretch marks; white spots in the fingernails; atherosclerosis; sickle cell crisis; juvenile and adult diabetes; cancer; A.I.D.S, acrodermatitis enteropathic and slow healing. However, an excess of zinc can cause a loss of copper from the body, resulting in an anemia due to incomplete iron metabolism. Conversely, too much copper in the body can cause a zinc deficiency. Taking an excess of calcium can block zinc absorption, resulting in the conditions listed above.
 
Chromium and copper – act with insulin in the area of the glucose metabolism of carbohydrates, in amino acid metabolism of proteins, and in the fatty acid and cholesterol synthesis in fat metabolism. These two minerals are in short supply in our diet because of the high consumption of products containing white flour and sugar, so they should be supplemented, in addition to following the ABC Diet, in order to prevent high blood sugar (diabetes) and high blood pressure (hypertension). A chronic lack of chromium can cause stunted growth in children, mental retardation and general weakness in adults.
 
Potassium – an element found inside every cell, regulates water balance in the body. A deficiency can be caused by intake of alcohol, refined sugar, coffee, tea, soft drinks, excessive salt, diarrhea or vomiting, thiazide diuretics, and cortisone therapy. This results in irregular heartbeat, loss of muscle motor control, diabetes, allergies, high blood pressure, heart conditions, impaired brain function and dry skin. However, too much potassium can result in loss of sensation in the arms and legs, paralysis, mental confusion, weakness, heaviness of the legs, a fall in blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal discomfort. If the diet is well-balanced, including fruits such as oranges and bananas, and green leafy vegetables and unpeeled potatoes, we will receive sufficient potassium for proper body functioning.
 
Phosphorous -- stored in the teeth and the bones, this mineral is necessary for the utilization of carbohydrates, fats and proteins, for muscular contraction, metabolism of certain B Complex vitamins and for hormone production. Aluminum and magnesium antacids, excessive iron and refined sugar interfere with the proper absorption and utilization of phosphorous. Protein foods such as meat, eggs and nuts are rich in it. Eliminating eggs from the diet can lead to insufficient phosphorous intake, upset of the calcium-phosphorous ratio (2.5:1), leading to such diseases as arthritis, dental problems, rickets, osteoporosis and osteomalacia, unwanted weight loss, nervousness and weakness. Without eggs, the serum cholesterol level will still remain high, unless lecithin and Vitamin B6 are added to the diet.
 
Manganese – plays an important role in carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism, in proper nerve function and bone development, muscle coordination, and utilization of certain vitamins and hormones. It is used, along with Vitamin A and selenium, in reducing eye pressure in glaucoma. A lack of manganese may lead to diseases in which there is loss of muscle motor co-ordination, such as multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, muscular dystrophy, back pains and disk trouble. Adhering to the ABC Diet and taking sufficient manganese will often help to relieve many of these conditions.
 
Iodine – plays an important role in metabolism. It is indispensable in the normal-functioning thyroid gland because it makes up an integral part of the hormone thyroxine. This hormone is responsible for proper energy level, growth rate, mental and speech ability, metabolism regulating fat deposition. A lack of iodine, characterized by retarded physical and mental development called cretinism, also causes arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), rapid pulse, heart palpitation, nervousness, obesity and slowed metabolism. Iodine was used by Max Gerson, M.D., in curing cancer patients. He discovered that table salt encourages the growth of cancer and iodine represses it. The age of highly salted “fast foods” seems to back him up– statistically, cancer has gone up from one in twenty-five deaths to one in three, just in the past fifty years or so.