Controversies in Nutrition

"Alternative medicine works. The natural treatment of illness can be accomplished safely, inexpensively, and effectively." Saul

"There is enough in the world for everyone's need, but not enough for everyone's greed."
Mahatma Gandhi

Introduction

One of the most controversial nutrition experts was the late Linus Pauling (1). Pauling had a chapter in Ref. 2 also. Refs. 3-8 are about what Pauling called "orthomolecular psychiatry".

Serotonin

One of the controversies is over whether serotonin is high or low in psychiatric disorders and neurological disorders with psychiatric symptoms. If serotonin was low, then tryptophan, an amino acid, is a possible treatment. However, Ref. 9 reports that serotonin is high in the serum in these disorders as was tryptophan.

Hoffer

Hoffer influenced Pauling and later supported Pauling's views (10, 11). Unfortunately both are now deceased.

Cholesterol

According to Ref. 12, niacin lowers your cholesterol. This has long been maintained by Hoffer.

Substance Abuse

Ref. 13 is about treatments ofr substance abuse.

The Low-Salt Diet

This is not as controversial as the other topics, yet it is of tremendous importance. There is some controversy because there are theories that it should be low-fat as well as low-sodium. I support this point of view because if you are overweight, that is a risk factor for heart disease (as well as for cancer and diabetes). Dr. Weil feels that there are healthy fats, which is true. However, these healthy fats have a lot of calories, unfortunately.

Atkins was even worse. Atkins, who died grossly overweight at 230 lbs, was shown only in pictures of his head. His pictures did not show his whole body because they would have shown that he was fat. Atkins allowed people to eat all the fat that they wanted, which was a mistake. Atkins was like Jack Spratt's wife. Pritikin and Ornish were like Jack Spratt.

Atkins was strict about carbohydrates.

Foods High in Sodium (Avoid)

Often canned goods have sodium added to them as a preservative. The exception to this is canned fruits, which are OK. Meats such as ham are high in sodium. Packaged lunch meats are very high in sodium. Even cheeses or yoghurt can be high in sodium.

Part of the problem with meat is that sodium is often added to the meat as a preservative. This can happen in soup.

Read food labels. Many processed foods are high in sodium. Frozen TV dinners, frozen snack foods such as pizza rolls and eggrolls, canned vegetables, and instant hot cereals are high in sodium (14).

Potassium

Foods high in potassium include avocados, bananas, broccoli, cantaloupe, dried fruits, etc.(14). Oranges are particularly good because they (and bananas) are also low in sodium and fat. Oranges are high in vitamin C and fiber. Oranges can be either eaten as the fruit or drank as the juice. There has been a lot of controvery over vitamin C. Pauling felt that we don't get enough vitamin C. I support Pauling on this matter. Cooking can destroy vitamin C.

Conclusions

A lot of people die every year from prescription drugs, but you don't see this from vitamin C. Vitamin C is high in the following foods (15):

Acerola fruit, aloe vera juice, black currant, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, capsicum, cauliflower, citrus fruits, citrus fruits, collards, currants, grapefruit, guava, kale, lemons, mango, oranges, papayas, parsley, potatoes, rose hips, spinach, strawberries, sweet peppers, sweet potatoes, tangerines, tomatoes, watercress. Fermentation of sorbitol.

According to Ref. 15, vitamin C gives strength to blood vessels. It fights against cancer and does many other good things. It resists infection.

Ref. 15 reports that vitamin D is necessary for "normal heart action".

In conclusion it can be said that vitamins are extremely valuable. Sodium, on the other hand, can be a curse to the heart as well as to the kidneys.

References

1. How to Live Longer and Feel Betterby Linus Pauling

Corvallis, OR : Oregon State University Press, 2006. 300 pages, plus index, notes and extensive bibliography.

2. A Physician's Handbook on Orthomolecular Medicine, Roger J. Williams and Dwight W. Kalita, eds., Pergamon Press, New York, 1977.

3. Cleckley, H.M., Sydenstricker, V,P., Geeslin, LE-: Nicotinic acid in treatment of atypical psychotic states associated with malnutrition. JAMA 112:2107-2110, 1939.

4. Sydenstricker, V.P., Cleckley, H.M.: The effect of nicotinic acid in stupor, lethargy and various other psychiatric disorders. Am I Psychiatry 98:83-92,1941.

5. Kubala, A.L., Katz, M.M.: Nutritional factors in psychological test behavior. J Genet Psychol 96:343-352, 1960

6. VanderKamp, H: A: biochemical abnormality in schizophrenia involving ascorbic acid- Int J Neuropsychiatry 2:204206, 1966

7. Herjanic, M., Moss-Herjanic, B.L. Ascorbic acid test in psychiatric patients. J Schizophrenia 1: 257-260, 1967

8. Pauling, L., Robinson, A.B,, Oxley S.S., et al: Results of a loading test of ascorbic acid, niacinamide, and pyridoxine in schizophrenic subjects and controls, in Orthomolecular Psychiatry: Treatment of Schizophrenia. Edited by Hawkins, D., Pauling, L San Francisco, W.H. Freeman and Co., 1973, pp 18-34.

9. Int J Neurosci. 2003 Dec;113(12):1705-17. Schizoid neurochemical pathology-induced membrane Na(+)-K+ ATPase inhibition in relation to neurological disorders. Kurup RK, Kurup PA.

10. Hoffer A: Orthomolecular Medicine for Physicians. Keats Pub., New Canaan, CT, 1989.

11. Hoffer A & Osmond H: How To Live With Schizophrenia. University Books, New York, NY,1966.
12. Parsons WB Jr: Cholesterol Control Without Diet. The Niacin Solution. Revised, Expanded, Second Edition, Lilac Press, Scottsdale Arizona 85252-1356, 2003.

13. Hoffer A & Osmond H. New Hope For Alcoholics. University Books, New York , 1966.

14. www.hfsa.org.

15. www.orthomolecular.org.