Importance of Nutrition

The nutritionists on the staff of America's leading university use all the publicity media available to expound the falsehood that the United States is the best fed nation on earth. This is a positive and deliberate lie, widely publicized to enhance the interest of those who contribute to their salaries. If they said that the United States was the most fed nation on earth, then I would not quarrel with them .... but it is definitely not the 'best' fed nation.

To try to illustrate how ridiculous these great professors are I want to quote from an article that appeared in the press, under the heading, "Malnutrition Near Universal, Six Year Survey Indicates. Only 2 persons in 2,511 have perfect diet":

"Only one person in a thousand escapes malnutrition — that is the conclusion of a survey published today by the Ellen H. Richards Institute at Pennsylvania State College.

"The survey took six years and is one of the most thorough ever made. It included both adults and children. The report is made in the college's chemistry bulletin, by Dr. Pauline Beery Mack, director of the institute, and her associates.

"The study covered 2,511 Pennsylvanians. Just two rated high in all tests. All others showed deficiencies, the poor worse off than the rich, but both classes below the best rating.

"Only eight were free of tooth decay, a trouble ascribed partly to deficient diet.

"The majority were deficient not just in one nutrition test, but in several. The survey indicated that if one diet deficiency exists, other essentials are likely to be low.

"There were many long-time lacks of adequate vitamins, proteins and minerals. Weight of 17 per cent of persons studied was under par. Sixty per cent of growing children were more than six months retarded in skeletal growth.

"The bones of a large majority, both adults and children, were not satisfactorily mineralized.

"Bone defects are linked with deficiencies in proteins, calcium, phosphorus, Vitamin D and other vitamins and minerals.

"More than half were below the desirable standard in hemoglobin, or red blood content. This is evidence of under par protein and iron intake. Many were low in Vitamin A ratings.

"'These findings,' said the report, 'suggest conditions which may be expected to prevail in other states, many of them less prosperous than Pennsylvania.'

"In one city where depression had been acute, one child out of every three examined gave evidence of having had rickets, an under-nutrition bone trouble.

"Twenty-five per cent had gingivitis, inflammation of the gums, which is a forerunner of scurvy due to lack of Vitamin C. More than half had iron and protein deficiencies, which resulted in anemia.

"Only 7.1 per cent of these children had good Vitamin A ratings.

"In all communities, regardless of economic status, the average diets of the children were far below the daily intake levels of protein, vitamins and minerals recommended by the National Research Council. The adult diets were no better than the children's.

"Most of the people in the study were not aware of any actual illness due to food deficiencies.

"'The borderline deficiencies,' said the report, 'are nevertheless serious because prolonged deficiencies build up into major disorders in later years. As science applies more refined methods for detecting obscure signs of deficiencies, it becomes apparent under-nutrition in some degree is almost universal.'"

Through diligent searching I managed to come up with some information about the two persons who had the perfect diet out of the 2,511. Here are some of the pertinent details as quoted from "The Chemistry Leaflet, July, 1944," published by The Ellen H. Richards Institute at the Pennsylvania State College, State College, Pa.:

"Take two young brothers, as an example. These two boys hold the highest nutrition test records of any children who have been in the Pennsylvania mass studies in human nutrition. They are Lawrence and James Canan of Altoona, Pennsylvania. The older boy, Lawrence, was 12, and the younger, James, was 10 years old when they were selected as a part of a routine sampling of representative school children in their city. The samples of children were chosen in 1937 as a part of the study under consideration. Both boys had the highest degree of maturity and mineral density of the skeleton found for boys of their respective ages in the study. They had teeth which were perfect in shape and without any carious lesions (decayed areas). Their medical examinations showed that they were both superior in skin texture, musculature, muscle tone, skeletal build, and all other observable evidence of good physical well-being. Their hemoglobin values were high; their dark adaption function was superior; and they showed no marks in any respect which would indicate that they had at any time in the past experienced a period of inferior nutrition.

"Lawrence and James were tested again at the ages of 16 and 14 years, respectively, and were found to have maintained their excellent nutrition records ....

"Their parents were not exceptional in physical well-being; they were like most other American adults — not particularly high and not particularly low in nutritional status. Both had the minor ailments which beset most of us, and both had teeth which were far from perfect. In fact, the poor dental status of the mother led the family to consider before Lawrence was born, that expert help in dietary matters was desirable if the children in the family were to be strong in all respects. Professional advice was sought; after which the parents emphasized natural, unrefined foods in their own dietary, and placed the children when they were born on a rigorous dietary regimen. Numerous experts were consulted on dietary matters, but particular credit is due to Fred D. Miller, D.D.S., for constant advice through the years on the foods which he believed to be related to a good dental status, and incidentally to general well-being.

"Here is the dietary history of Lawrence and James. Besides milk, they received orange juice and cod liver oil from birth. At two months they began to receive the juice of raw vegetables — beet greens, turnip tops, carrots, and green celery, chiefly. They started with one teaspoon daily, and worked up to a daily cup of this mixed juice by the time they were five months old. This continued until they were old enough to eat raw vegetables."

I wrote to Dr. Pauline Beery Mack for an exact copy of her report but she refused to give it to me, stating this information had been published without her consent. This puzzled me and caused me some distress because I could not envisage why anyone would not wish such vital information to be published and widely disseminated.

This true record of the health of these two growing young people has still never been broadly published. Why? Even though the health of our young people today is deplorable, like a conspiracy this important information is kept hush-hush. Why? Is the news media not interested? Or are they afraid to offend the big advertising spenders from whom they derive a great portion of their billions of dollars of advertising revenues? I will not dwell on the subject but will let you think for yourself about who benefits most when people are sick.

To quote Harvey W. Wiley, M.D., "I believe I would not be far out of the way to say that diet may be said to be a factor in every disease to which man is heir."

Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, who is well known for his famous Battle Creek Sanitarium, said, "The juice of the blackberry, grape, pear, the raspberry and the strawberry and even the pineapple exceed whole milk in nutritional value."

The medical profession likes to bury its head in the sand and thus, most doctors refuse to even consider the possibility that nutrition is a factor in the cause of most diseases. However, the evidence is so powerful that one would have to be motivated by other things than reason to deny the role of nutrition in maintaining good health. Importance of nutrition can never be overestimated.

Adam Brookover

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