Dear Doctor,
It was my esteemed partner Dr. Bob Hoffman who first pointed out to me how the
popular press tends to provide a perspective on the direction of health trends,
slightly diluted perhaps but still reflective of the movement our society is
currently experiencing. In fact, people will tend to accept the commentary from
newspapers, books and TV shows more readily than they do from health
professionals, making the media the primary form of public health education.
But zooming past the penetration of newspapers and TV, the Internet is now
regarded as the voice of truth and reason and the avenue for discovery for a
majority of people. It’s fascinating to see the health and wellness information
that is presented on the various web browsers, as an indicator of today’s
trajectory of health awareness.
For example, last week msn.com published a list of twelve food additives to
avoid. Not long ago, such an article wouldn’t have even been considered
newsworthy, not to mention the politics of besmirching advances in food
chemistry, but the tone of this particular column is decidedly
wellness-oriented.
At the top of the list are sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite, meat additives
that stabilize color and add flavor, but have been linked to cancer when heated
(as in cooking.) BHA, BHT and propyl gallate are designed to keep oils and fats
from going rancid, like in potato chips, cereals, chicken soup base and
vegetable oils. But when the body processes them, the breakdown products are
also suspected of being carcinogenic.
MSG, monosodium glutamate, is a flavor enhancer, but has been traced to damaging
nerve cells. Trans fats are proven to cause heart disease. The sweetener
aspartame, the facts about which are still being collected, is connected to
methanol toxicity and serious neurological disease. Acesulfame-K, another
artificial sweetener, caused cancer in lab rats, and lacks sufficient testing to
demonstrate safety for human consumption. Food colorings, like Blue 1 and 2, Red
3, Green 3 and Yellow 6, and volumizers like potassium bromate, have all been
associated with cancer in laboratory animals. And don’t forget Olestra, intended
to prevent fat from getting absorbed by your body, but which may actually lead
to digestive stress, interfering with normal absorption of vital nutrients.
But the most revealing substances on this list are not obscure chemicals with
science-fiction names at all – they are, simply, white sugar, and common table
salt. These frequent food additives are also deleterious to your health, not
only for their contribution to overweight and fluid retention, but also because
they interrupt normal body metabolism, especially when used to excess.
When you see articles like this, pull them out and copy them for distribution to
your patients. They look up to you as a resource for health and wellness
information – go the extra mile, and educate them about the many challenges they
face in navigating the rocky waters of today’s wellness decision-making. Your
guidance can have a profound impact on your sphere of influence, so be smart, be
well-informed, and be generous with what you know – it could make a huge
difference for those you touch and serve.
Dr. Dennis Perman, for The Masters Circle
PS If you want a steady stream of popular press articles to share with your
patients, consider subscribing to the Chiropractic Clipping Service, providing
fifty fresh articles each quarter for a very modest price -- for info or to
order, please call 800-451-4514, or go to
www.themasterscircle.com.
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