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tolerance for these poisons, just as it adjusts gradually to an intake of heroin. But, says Shelton, "the discomfort from accumulation of gas, the bad breath, and foul and unpleasant odors are as undesirable as are the poisons". tolerance for these poisons, just as it adjusts gradually to an intake Clinical research with hyperactive and psychotic children, as of heroin. But, says Shelton, "the discomfort from accumulation well as those with brain injuries and learning disabilities, has of gas, the bad breath, and foul and unpleasant odors are as shown: undesirable as are the poisons". "An abnormally high family history of diabetes—that is, par- ents and grandparents who cannot handle sugar; an abnormally SUGAR AND MENTAL HEALTH high incidence of low blood glucose, or functional hypoglycemia In the Dark Ages, troubled souls were rarely locked up for in the children themselves, which indicates that their systems can- going off their rocker. Such confinement began in the Age of not handle sugar; dependence on a high level of sugar in the diets Enlightenment, after sugar made the transition from apothecary's of the very children who cannot handle it. prescription to candymaker's confection. "The great confinement "Inquiry into the dietary history of patients diagnosed as schizo- of the insane", as one historian calls it,'’ began in the late 17th phrenic reveals the diet of their choice is rich in sweets, candy, century, after sugar consumption in Britain had zoomed in 200 cakes, coffee, caffeinated beverages, and foods prepared with years from a pinch or two in a barrel of beer, here and there, to sugar. These foods, which stimulate the adrenals, should be elim- more than two million pounds per year. By that time, physicians inated or severely restricted." in London had begun to observe and record terminal physical The avant-garde of modern medicine has rediscovered what the signs and symptoms of the "sugar blues". lowly sorceress learned long ago through painstaking study of Meanwhile, when sugar eaters did not manifest obvious termi- nature. nal physical symptoms and the physicians were professionally "In more than twenty years of psychiatric work," writes Dr bewildered, patients were no longer pronounced bewitched, but Thomas Szasz, "I have never known a clinical psychologist to mad, insane, emotionally disturbed. Laziness, fatigue, debauch- report, on the basis of a projective test, that the subject is a nor- ery, parental displeasure—any one problem was su mal, mentally healthy person. While some witches may have sur- for people under twenty-five to be locked up in the firs vived dunking, no 'madman' survives psychological testing...there mental hospitals. All it took to be incarcerated was a complaint is no behavior or person that a modern psychiatrist cannot plausi- from parents, relatives or the omnipotent bly diagnose as abnormal or ill.""* parish priest. Wet nurses with their So it was in the 17th century. babies, ant sters, retarded . . al Once the doct th cist had nae eg mms el Dy Tinfera finally insisted that all J Orta" oon lytics, epileptics, prostitutes or raving his patients submit to a four-hour sure to do something. When he tried lunatics—anyone wanted off the streets glucose tolerance test to find out and failed, the poor patient had to be and out of sight was put away. The put away. It is often said that sur- mental hospital succeeded witch-hunting whether or not they could handle geons bury their mistakes. and heresy-hounding as a more enlight- sugar. The results were so startling Physicians and psychiatrists put ened and humane method of social con- . them away; lock 'em up. trol. The physician and priest handled that the laboratories double- In the Tod0s, Dr John Tintera the dirty work of street sweeping in checked their techniques... rediscovered the vital importance of return for royal favours. the endocrine system, especially the Initially, when the General Hospital adrenal glands, in "pathological was established in Paris by royal decree, mentation"—or "brain boggling". In one per cent of the city's population was locked up. From that 200 cases under treatment for hypoadrenocorticism (the lack of time until the 20 century, as the consumption of sugar went up adequate adrenal cortical hormone production or imbalance and up—especially in the cities—so did the number of people among these hormones), he discovered that the chief complaints who were put away in the General Hospital. Three hundred years of his patients were often similar to those found in persons whose later, the "emotionally disturbed" can be turned into walking systems were unable to handle sugar: fatigue, nervousness, automatons, their brains controlled with psychoactive drugs. depression, apprehension, craving for sweets, inability to handle Today, pioneers of orthomolecular psychiatry, such as Dr alcohol, inability to concentrate, allergies, low blood pressure. Abram Hoffer, Dr Allan Cott, Dr A. Cherkin as well as Dr Linus Sugar blues! Pauling, have confirmed that mental illness is a myth and that Dr Tintera finally insisted that all his patients submit to a four- emotional disturbance can be merely the first symptom of the hour glucose tolerance test (GTT) to find out whether or not they obvious inability of the human system to handle the stress of could handle sugar. The results were so startling that the labora- sugar dependency. tories double-checked their techniques, then apologised for what In Orthomolecular Psychiatry, Dr Pauling writes: "The func- they believed to be incorrect readings. What mystified them was tioning of the brain and nervous tissue is more sensitively depen- the low, flat curves derived from disturbed, early adolescents. dent on the rate of chemical reactions than the functioning of This laboratory procedure had been previously carried out only other organs and tissues. I believe that mental disease is for the for patients with physical findings presumptive of diabetes. most part caused by abnormal reaction rates, as determined by Dorland's definition of schizophrenia (Bleuler's dementia prae- genetic constitution and diet, and by abnormal molecular concen- cox) includes the phrase, "often recognized during or shortly after trations of essential substances... Selection of food (and drugs) in adolescence", and further, in reference to hebephrenia and catato- a world that is undergoing rapid scientific and technological nia, "coming on soon after the onset of puberty". change may often be far from the best."" These conditions might seem to arise or become aggravated at In Megavitamin B; Therapy for Schizophrenia, Dr Abram puberty, but probing into the patient's past will frequently reveal Hoffer notes: "Patients are also advised to follow a good nutri- indications which were present at birth, during the first year of tional program with restriction of sucrose and sucrose-rich foods . Continued on page 79 24 - NEXUS DECEMBER 1999 — JANUARY 2000