Nexus - 0904 - New Times Magazine-pages

Page Content (OCR)

refers to the fact that different people require different nutrients suited and accustomed to them. One cannot change evolution in a based on their unique genetic make-up. Ethnic and racial back- few years. grounds figure in this concept as well. A diet that works for one Dr Abrams said it well when he wrote this: may not work as well for someone else. Humans have always been meat-eaters. The fact that no As a practitioner, I've seen several clients following a vegetari- human society is entirely vegetarian, and those that are an diet and having severe health problems: obesity, candidiasis, almost entirely vegetarian suffer from debilitated conditions hypothyroidism, cancer, diabetes, leaky gut syndrome, anaemia of health, seems unequivocally to prove that a plant diet must and chronic fatigue. Because of the widespread rhetoric that a be supplemented with at least a minimum amount of animal vegetarian diet is "always healthier" than a diet that includes meat protein to sustain health. Humans are meat-eaters and or animal products, these people saw no reason to change their always have been. Humans are also vegetable-eaters and diet, even though that was the cause of their problems. What always have been, but plant foods must be supplemented by these people actually needed for optimal health was more animal an ample amount of animal protein to maintain optimal foods and fats and fewer carbohydrates. health.'* Further, due to peculiarities in genetics and individual biochem- oo istry, some people simply cannot have a vegetarian diet because of such things as lectin intolerance and desaturase enzyme deficiencies. Author's Notes: ¢ Thanks to Sally Fallon, MA, Lee Clifford, MS, CCN, and Dr H. Leon hont fentre of vewetasian dicts promi Further, due to peculiarities Abrams, Jr, for their gracious assistance > . a e Indivi in preparing and reviewing this paper. tolerated by many people. Others mn genetics and individual ¢ This paper was not sponsored or paid have grain sensitivities, especially to biochemistry, some people for by the meat or dairy industries. gluten, or to grain proteins in general. . | D t h Again, since grains are a major feature simply Cannot have a Editor's Notes: of vegetarian diets, such people cannot vegetarian diet because of * Due to space limitations, we are not thrive on them.'* . . able to publish the endnotes accompa- Desaturase enzyme deficiencies are such things as lectin nying Dr Stephen Byrnes's article. usually present in those people of 9 Instead, we have posted these on our Innuit, Scandinavian, Northern intolerance and desaturase website, http://www.nexusmagazine. European and sea coast ancestry. enzyme deficiencies. com, but we can also email and snail- mail them upon request. : Soren . ¢ The full text of the article, including linolenic acid into EPA and DHA, two endnotes, is also available on the omega-3 fatty acids intimately involved author's website at http://www.power- in the function of the immune and nervous systems. The reason _health.net/selected_articles.htm. for this is because these people's ancestors got an abundance of ¢ Dr Stephen Byrnes's article was originally published in the EPA and DHA from the large amounts of cold-water fish they ate. Townsend Letter for Doctors & Patients, July 2000, and was Over time, because of non-use, they lost the ability to manufac- revised in January 2002. ture the necessary enzymes to create EPA and DHA in their bod- ies. For these people, vegetarianism is simply not possible. They | Recommended Reading/Research must get their EPA and DHA from food, and EPA is only found in ¢ The Weston A. Price Foundation: They lack the ability to convert alpha- animal foods. DHA is present in some algae, but the amounts are tt /hwww.westonaprice.org much lower than in fish oils.'*° ¢ Why | am Nota Vegetarian: a ; It is also apparent that vegan diets are not suitable for all people ttp://www.acsh.org/publications/priorities/0902/vegetarian.html ¢ Beyond Vegetarianism: ttp://www.beyondveg.com ¢ The Cholesterol Myths: ttp://www.ravnskov.nu/cholesterol. htm ¢ The Paleolithic Diet Page: due to inadequate cholesterol production in the liver, and cholesterol is only found in animal foods. It is often said that the body makes enough cholesterol to get by and that there is no reason to consume foods that contain it (i.e., animal foods). However, recent research has shown otherwise. Singer's work at ttp://www.panix.com/~paleodiet/ the University of California, Berkeley, has shown that the ¢ The Great Fallacies of Vegetarianism: cholesterol in eggs improves memory in older people.'” In other ttp://www.vanguardonline.f9.co.uk/00509.htm words, these elderly people's own cholesterol was insufficient to ¢ National Animal Interest Alliance: improve their memory, but added dietary cholesterol from eggs ttp://www.naiaonline.org/ was. * PETA Sucks: Though it appears that some people do well on little or no meat ttp://www.petasucks.cc ¢ Animal Rights.net: and remain healthy as lacto-vegetarians or lacto-ovo-vegetarians, : ttp://www.animalrights.net the reason for this is because these diets are healthier for those people, not because they're healthier in general. However, a total About the Author: absence of animal products, whether meat, fish, insects, eggs, but- Stephen Byrnes, PhD RNCP, enjoys robust health on a diet ter or dairy, is to be avoided. Though it may take years, problems hat includes butter, cream, eggs, meat, whole milk, cheese will eventually ensue under such dietary regimes and they will and liver. He is the author of Diet & Heart Disease: It's NOT certainly show in future generations. Dr Price's seminal research What You Think and Digestion Made Simple (Whitman Books unequivocally demonstrated this. 2001), and The Lazy Person's Whole Foods Cookbook The reason for this is simple evolution: humanity evolved eat- (Ecclesia Life Mana, 2001). He is based in the USA. Visit his ing animal foods and fats as part of its diet, and our bodies are —_ website at http:/Avww.PowerHealth.net. suited and accustomed to them. One cannot change evolution in a few years. Dr Abrams said it well when he wrote this: Humans have always been meat-eaters. The fact that no human society is entirely vegetarian, and those that are almost entirely vegetarian suffer from debilitated conditions of health, seems unequivocally to prove that a plant diet must be supplemented with at least a minimum amount of animal protein to sustain health. Humans are meat-eaters and always have been. Humans are also vegetable-eaters and always have been, but plant foods must be supplemented by an ample amount of animal protein to maintain optimal health.'** Further, due to peculiarities in genetics and individual biochemistry, some people simply cannot have a vegetarian diet because of such things as lectin intolerance and desaturase enzyme deficiencies. Recommended Reading/Research ¢ The Weston A. Price Foundation: ttp://www.westonaprice.org ¢ Why I am Nota Vegetarian: ttp://www.acsh.org/publications/priorities/0902/vegetarian.html ¢ Beyond Vegetarianism: ttp://www.beyondveg.com ¢ The Cholesterol Myths: ttp://www.ravnskov.nu/cholesterol. htm ¢ The Paleolithic Diet Page: ttp://www.panix.com/~paleodiet/ ¢ The Great Fallacies of Vegetarianism: ttp://www.vanguardonline.f9.co.uk/00509.htm ¢ National Animal Interest Alliance: ttp://www. naiaonline.org/ ¢ PETA Sucks: ttp://www.petasucks.cc ¢ Animal Rights.net: ttp://www.animalrights.net About the Author: Stephen Byrnes, PhD, RNCP, enjoys robust health on a diet that includes butter, cream, eggs, meat, whole milk, cheese and liver. He is the author of Diet & Heart Disease: It's NOT What You Think and Digestion Made Simple (Whitman Books, 2001), and The Lazy Person's Whole Foods Cookbook (Ecclesia Life Mana, 2001). He is based in the USA. Visit his website at http:/Mwww.PowerHealth.net. 40 ¢ NEXUS JUNE - JULY 2002 www.nexusmagazine.com