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Vitamindoctor™ is a registered trademark in your country. We would like to hear from you if you or your company are interested in co-operating or in any other way are interested in this trademark.
Yours sincerely Vitamindoktor™

 

VITAMINDOCTOR

ILNESS PERCEPTION
The perception of health and disease has changed over time. Historical tales of evil spirits possessing the body and causing illness bring a smile forth on the lips of most people. On the other hand the times when, for example, high blood pressure is treated solely with a blood pressure reducing prescription, are over. Today, lifestyle plays a crucial role in maintaining health.
 
ENTIRETY
For centuries, doctors have to various degrees taken it upon themselves to define wellbeing. In order to understand the process of illness, in light of the latest scientific achievements, it is necessary to perceive man as an entirety, composed of both body and soul. Wellbeing is an individual concept for each patient.
 
LIFESTYLE
An adverse lifestyle can sow the seeds of a biological lesion many years before illness arises. If the lesion is discovered in time, illness can be prevented. Increasing pollution with harmful substances has increased the need of biological balance.
 
DIET
Our organism has many similarities with an automobile. Even a new car will not run well on poor gasoline. The body demands a diet that includes the necessary raw materials. Unlike a car, the body renews itself constantly. Every hour the body produces 2 million skin cells, 6 million red blood cells and 2 square meters of intestinal mucous membrane!
 
We send our cars to be tuned up regularly, but what about ourselves?
 
INFORMATION
“Far fewer people would be ill and society could save a great deal of money on medicine and sick days if the education system was better equipped to treat the ENTIRE person,” writes professor Carl Erik Mabeck in his most recent book. “The doctor’s job is to provide information about existing available treatments. Choice and responsibility are, on the other hand, in the hands of the patient.”
 
HEREDITY
Not everyone is born “super human”. Medical research can show us the road to a healthy life. Hereditary diseases can be diagnosed before they cause irreversible damage. VITAMINDOKTOR has developed a preventative examination program.
 
EXAMINATION PROGRAM
You will receive help in choosing an examination once we know your wishes and problems. We have up-to-date equipment and instruments, which after about 3 hours enable us to evaluate your individual health status. After examination of, among other things, cardio vascular system (ultrasound), respiration (spirometry), hearing (audiometry), sight, stomach, back, and urine, Dr. Flytlie reviews the results with you. You receive all examination results in writing.
 
 IN ALL EXAMINATIONS THE FOLLOWING ARE EVALUATED:

*hereditary diseases
*former illnesses
*current ailment
*former treatment
*current treatment
*lifestyle
 

THE ENTIRE EXAMINATION IS PAINLESS
SMALL EXAMINATION
Examination of a single organ system in resting state (nervous system, musculoskeletal system, or vascular system), and urine examination
  
*MEDIUM EXAMINATION
Examination of the entire body and vascular system in resting state and under stress (resting and working ECG), ultrasound examination of the peripheral vascular system (cholesterol build-up), blood and urine examination. (This examination is obligatory for EDTA patients.)
  
*MAJOR EXAMINATION
In addition to the “medium examination” includes: pulmonary function, audio test, eye test, risk profile, neurological exam, detailed counseling in risk reduction. It is all summed up in a
  
*TEST REPORT
A report of approx. 20-30 pages, and is reviewed with Dr. Flytlie at the conclusion of the examination. Here the latest research results will benefit you, printed in a comprehensive report.
  
If you are a health care provider and wish to work using these principles, you can become “vitamin doctor” in your state according to local franchising principles.
  
 
 
 
Contact us at: admin@flytlie.dk
 
Knut T. Flytlie MD
Gludsmindevej 39, DK-7100 Vejle, Denmark.
Phone: +45 75726090. Fax : +45 75726089, admin@flytlie.dk
 
 
 
VITAMINDOCTOR
 
 
THE OTHER POSSIBILITY
 
 
Diplomat IBCMT
Danish Medical Association
 
 

THE DIET REVOLUTION

 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS
 
INTRODUCTION 1
 
PART 1 6
 
DIET
HISTORIC DEVELOPMENT 6
THE NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF FOOD.........................6
 
NORMAL METABOLISM.....................................8
CARBOHYDRATES.........................................11
FATS .................................................12
PROTEINS..............................................14
FIBER.................................................16
WATER.................................................16
LIGHT AND AIR.........................................19
HARMONY...............................................2O
VITAMINS..............................................22
VITAMINS FOR WHOM?....................................23
ANTIOXIDANTS..........................................24
TWO TYPES OF VITAMINS.................................25
DAILY REQUIREMENTS....................................25
VITAMIN A (RETINOL)...................................27
THE B VITAMINS........................................28
VITAMIN B1 (THIAMINE).................................29
VITAMIN B2 (RIBOFLAVIN)...............................3O
VITAMIN B3 (NIACIN)...................................31
VITAMIN B5 (PANTOTHENIC ACID).........................33
VITAMIN B6 (PYRIDOXINE)...............................34
VITAMIN B12 (COBALAMINE)..............................36
VITAMIN C (ASCORBIC ACID).............................37
VITAMIN D (CALCIFEROL)................................4O
VITAMIN E (TOCOPHEROL)................................42
VITAMIN K (MENADIONE).................................45
VITAMIN-LIKE SUBSTANCES...............................47
BIOFLAVONOIDS.........................................47
BETA-CAROTENE.........................................49
Q-1O, UBI-QUINONE.....................................52
FOLINIC ACID (FOLICIN)................................54
BIOTIN................................................56
CHOLINE...............................................56
INOSITOL..............................................57
P.A.B.A (Para-amino-benzoic acid).....................57
PANGAMINSYRE..........................................58
AMYGDALIN.............................................58 
MINERALS AND TRACE MINERALS...........................6O
WHAT ARE MINERALS?....................................6O
LIVE AND DEAD MINERALS................................61
REFINING..............................................61
COMPETITION...........................................61
TISSUE CONCENTRATIONS.................................61
CALCIUM (Ca)..........................................63
BORON (B).............................................66
PHOSPHOR (P)..........................................67
IRON (Fe).............................................69
IODINE (I)............................................71
POTASSIUM (K).........................................74
CLORINE (Cl)..........................................76
COPPER (Cu)...........................................76
COBOLT (Co)...........................................79
CHROMIUM (Cr).........................................8O
MAGNESIUM (Mg)........................................82
MANGANESE (Mn)........................................86
MOLYBDENUN (Mo).......................................87
NATRIUM (Na)..........................................89
SELENIUM (Se).........................................9O
SILICON (Si)..........................................92
SULPHUR (S)...........................................93
TIN (Sn)..............................................94
TITANIUM (Ti).........................................95
VANADIUM, ARSENIC, AND GERMANIUM......................95
ZINC (Zn).............................................97
ALUMINUM (Al)........................................1OO
LEAD (Pb)............................................1OO
FLUORINE (F).........................................1O2
GOLD (Au)............................................1O3
CADMIUM (Cd).........................................1O4
MERCURY (Hg).........................................1O6
LITHIUM (Li).........................................1O7
NICKEL (Ni)..........................................1O9
SILVER (Ag)..........................................11O
VITAL FATTY SUBSTANCES...............................111
ALFA-LINOLENIC ACID (ALA), OMEGA-3 FATTY ACID........111
LINOLEIC ACID (LA), OMEGA-6 FATTY ACID...............111
PHOSPHORLIPIDES......................................112
LECITHIN.............................................113
AMINO ACIDS AS A DIETARY SUPPLEMENT..................114
L-CARNITINE..........................................114
ARGININE.............................................117
CYSTINE..............................................117
GLUTAMINE............................................118
GLUTATHION...........................................118
LYSINE...............................................118
METHIONINE...........................................119
SERINE...............................................119
TAURINE..............................................12O
TYROSINE.............................................121
TRYPTOPHAN...........................................121
VALINE...............................................121
HORMONES.............................................123
DHEA.................................................123
PREGNENOLON..........................................123
MELATONIN............................................123
ESTROGEN.............................................124
PROGESTERONE.........................................124
TESTOSTERONE.........................................125
THYREOIDEA HORMONES..................................125
GROWTH HORMONES......................................125
CREATINE.............................................125
PLANT MEDICINE.......................................126
ALOE VERA............................................126
GARLIC...............................................126
GINKGO BILOBA........................................127
GINSENG..............................................128
BLUEBERRIES..........................................128
ETHEREAL OILS........................................128
GELÉ ROYALE..........................................128
GINGER...............................................129
ECHINACEA............................................129
WILLOW...............................................129
MISTLETOE............................................129
CRANBERRY............................................13O
CHAMOMILLE...........................................13O
PEPPERMINT...........................................13O
DANDELION............................................13O
SEAWEED..............................................131
YAMS.................................................131
 
THE IMMUNE SYSTEM....................................132
THREATS TO THE IMMUNE SYSTEM.........................133
IS BLOOD STERILE?....................................134
INFLAMMATION AND IRON................................135
EXCERCISE............................................136
ELITE SPORTS.........................................139
FOR THOSE WHO ARE PREGNANT...........................14O
FOR CHILDREN.........................................14O
FOR WOMEN............................................142
FOR MEN..............................................143
THE INDIVIDUAL AGE GROUPS............................144
 
PART 2
 
WHY DO WE BECOME ILL?................................146
GENETICS.............................................146
Diagram over the iceberg of ailments.................147
ESTABLISHED MEDICINE AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE........148
SCHOOL MEDICINE......................................149
ORTHO-MOLECULAR MEDICINE.............................149
HOMEOPATHY...........................................15O
ACUPUNCTURE..........................................15O
ISOPATHY.............................................152
ZONE THERAPY.........................................153
ANTHROPOSOPHIC MEDICINE..............................154
CHIROPRACTIC.........................................154
BIO-RESONANCE THERAPY................................155
CHELATION TREATMENT MED E D T A......................156
 
HOW TO PREVENT ILLNESS...............................157
 
ACID/BASE BALANCE....................................158
TREATMENT............................................161
JETTE'S BASIC BOUILLON...............................161
JETTE'S RAW FRUIT AND VEGETABLE TREAT................162
 
POOR TEETH AS A CAUSE OF ILLNESS.....................163
DENTAL IMPLANTS......................................164
ORAL GALVANISM.......................................164
RERULATIONS THERMOGRAPHY.............................164
WEARERS OF DENTURES..................................165
CONDITIONS THAT CAN COUNTERACT HARMFUL EFFECTS.......166
FEVER................................................166
SAUNA................................................166
COLD SHOWERS.........................................166
 
THAT WHICH I TAKE MYSELF.............................167
FASTING..............................................168
REGIME FOR FASTING...................................169
 
THE MOST ORDINARY AILMENTS AND SELF-HELP.............171
AIDS.................................................171
ALCOHOLISM...........................................172
ALLERGIES............................................174
ALZHEIMERS...........................................174
ANOREXIA NERVOSA.....................................175
ASTHMA...............................................175
AUTISM...............................................175
INFLAMMATION.........................................175
CONNECTIVE TISSUES DISEASE...........................175
ANAEMIA..............................................177
BLOOD SUGAR (GLUCOSE)................................177
BLOOD PRESSURE.......................................179
HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE..................................179
LOW BLOOD PRESSURE...................................179
BURNS................................................18O
CANDIDA..............................................18O
DEPRESSION...........................................181
WINTER DEPRESSIONS...................................181
DIARRHOEA............................................181
ECZEMA...............................................182
ELECTRO-SMOG & ELECTRO MAGNETIC FIELDS...............183
EPILEPSY.............................................184
FIBRO-MYALGIA........................................184
DIGESTION............................................184
ELIMINATION DIET.....................................185
HARDENING OF THE ARTERIES............................186
FREE RADICALS........................................187
CALCIFICATION AND FAT---.............................187
NEW METHODS OF TREATMENT.............................187
COLDS................................................188
COLD SORES...........................................188
CONSTIPATION.........................................188
DEEP-FRIED FAT SYNDROME..............................189
GALLSTONES...........................................19O
RHEUMATISM...........................................191
PREGNANCY PROBLEMS...................................192
BRAIN DISEASES.......................................192
CEREBRAL HAEMORRHAGE.................................193
HEART PROBLEMS.......................................193
HEADACHES............................................194
HAY FEVER............................................195
LOSS OF HAIR.........................................195
WEAKENING OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM.......................195
IMPOTENCE............................................196
BRITTLE BONES........................................196
CHOLESTEROL..........................................198
CIRCULATORY DISTURBANCES.............................199
CANCER...............................................199
WHAT IS CANCER?......................................2OO
HOW DOES CANCER OCCUR?...............................2OO
PREVENTION...........................................2O1
CANCER TREATMENT.....................................2O1
LIVER INFECTION......................................2O2
MELANOMA.............................................2O3
MENSTRUAL PROBLEMS...................................2O3
MIGRAINES............................................2O3
ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS (or milieu)...................2O4
MISUSE...............................................2O5
MUSCULAR WEAKNESS....................................2O5
STIMULANTS...........................................2O6
COFFEE...............................................2O6
KIDNEY STONES........................................2O7
MENOPAUSE............................................2O7
OVERWEIGHT...........................................2O8
PARKINSONS DISEASE...................................2O9
PSORIASIS............................................2O9
QUINCKE'S OEDEMA.....................................21O
RISK FACTORS.........................................21O
SENILITY.............................................211
SCLEROSIS............................................211
EATING DISTURBANCES..................................212
STRESS...............................................212
DIABETES.............................................212
DIZZINESS............................................213
ACID/BASE BALANCE....................................213
INSOMNIA.............................................217
INTESTINAL INFECTIONS................................218
TINNITUS.............................................218
TOBACCO..............................................218
FATIQUE..............................................22O
HEAVY METALS.........................................221
HANGOVERS............................................221
INFERTILITY..........................................222
ACNE.................................................222
WARTS................................................223
DEHYDRATION..........................................223
OEDEMA...............................................224
VARICOSE VEINS.......................................224
 
CLOSING REMARKS......................................225
DEFINITIONS
REFERENCES
SUBJECT INDEX
 
 

THE DIET REVOLUTION

 
 
Introduction
 
For thousands of years people have studied the importance of diet in controlling illnesses and promoting good health. In 4OO B.C., a Greek doctor named Hippocrates wrote that food could be used as medicine. Liver, for example, could cure night blindness. Today, Hippocrates is called the father of modern medicine.
 
"Tell me what you eat, and I will say what you are," said Brillat-Savarin, a French judge who lived from 1755 to 1826. Cookery, chemistry and medicine intriqued him, and not long before his death, he published a famous culinary textbook entitled "The Physiology of Taste." The rediscovery of food as medicine is, in other words, not a modern fad.
 
This interest for diet and lifestyle was interrupted by penicillin's triumphal appearance just before the last world war. Now there was a cure for life-threatening infections, and that brought about a blind faith in medicine. Along with the chemical revolution that took place in the thirties, the foundation was laid for the multinational pharmeceutical industry as we know it today.
 
In the meantime, the pattern of illnesses has undergone considerable change. Bacterial infections were replaced by viral infections and allergies. Undernourishment and poverty gave way to malnutrition and environmental problems. Investigations show that our diets are lacking in vital raw materials. This is partially due to industrialisation in the production and refinement of food. When we refine grain, there is a reduction in its content of necessary elements, such as selenium, zinc, chrome and magnesium. In the following chapters, we shall see what influence such deficiencies can have upon common ailments.
 
The object of this book is to inspire you to care for your health by caring for yourself. I seldom meet a person who wants to grow old at any price, but there are many who want to remain healthy, happy, and capable of managing on their own. It would be good if the ideas in this book can add years to your life. It is even better if they can put vitality into those years. Young and old, men and women, expectant mothers and children have each been given his own chapter. Increased mortality among the young and middle-aged burden both the family and the public health system.
 
Especially men are at danger. A couple's greatest joy is to grow old together, to have a dignified otium, and to pass away without having become a burden. In my medical practice, I observe a growing interest, also among men, in the effect lifestyle has on one's health. More men are realizing that there is a paradox in having the car overhauled every third month while neglecting one's own health. It is no secret that a good many men have been slow at coming to this conclusion. That men have been given their own chapter in this book is not least of all due to their wives. Many wives have fought a brave battle to get their husbands to swallow a single vitamin pill once in awhile. There is still a long way to go.
 
How should this book be used?
 
The first part of the book concerns the body's natural functions, diet, with its components, and the newest observations concerning vitamins, minerals, amino acids, hormones and medicinal plants. If you have a concrete problem, you can turn to the second part of the book. Here you will find the most common syptoms and illnesses listed in alphabetical order. You will notice that special attention is given to new discoveries and to ideas divergant with previously established opinion. Vitamins, minerals, and adjustments in lifestyle are recommended as supplementary treatment of the various ailments. For detailed information as regards effects, side-effects and recommended dosage, the reader is referred to the detailed information in the first part of the book.
 
Part One
In this section, one can read about "dead" and "living" minerals, among other things. In order to avoid confusion, the word "mineral" is used both as a name for trace minerals and for macro-minerals. Apart from the section concerning vitamins, there is a section about elements that resemble vitamins which are of importance to our well-being. Is there a connection between folic acid and deformed children? What do bio-flavonoids have to do with varicose veins? Is a tendancy to bruise a sign of a vitamin deficiency? Find the answers in Part One.
 
Part one also includes an explanation of basal metabalism and a chapter about excercise. Is it healthy to run a marathon? A chapter about elite sport will interest the many readers who ask themselves where to set the limits for human performance. Since it is often the immune system, with allergies and infections, that set the limits for many elite sportsmen, it is pertinent to treat this subject in this section.
 
Conditions of particular interest for children, women, and men, respectively, are dealt with in this part of the book. For example, one can read about special conditions for pregnant women, or about the arguments for and against taking hormones during menopause. What does it mean when one's ankles swell? Is it a sign of good health if one never has fever? Is there an explanation for the increase in illnesses among children? Does a supplement of iron give men ironclad health, or is it a risk factor that can contribute to shortening their lives? You will find the answers in this part of the book.
 
Part Two
This section is about the organism that is unwell. The reason for becoming ill is discussed, and the reader is told what methods of treatment are to be found within established medicine and through certain forms of alternative medicine. Many people turn to acupuncture, zone therapy, chiropractry, and homeopathy for treatment. Can these methods also help you? What is electro-smog? Is it dangerous to live under high power lines? Seek the answers in Part Two.
 
A relatively new knowledge about the acid-base balance is to be found in this section. There is also a description of an American treatment for circulatory disorders with a substance called EDTA. Is it a viable alternative for the more expensive and complicated by-pass operations? In this section, you can also read about pioneer discoveries from the past century. Is medical science's resignation towards cancer a fundamental biological misunderstanding from 1868?
 
In Part Two, you will also find various symptoms and illnesses. How can an organism suffering a chronic illness be strengthened? Can poor teeth be a contributing factor to chronic illness? For the first time in a book of this nature, you will find a diagram relating teeth and illness. At the same time, you will learn about cancer, cardio-vascular diseases, rheumatism, diseased connective tissues, allergies, smoking, and much more.
 
The skeptical reader will search in vain for fool-proof scientific evidence. As the text will make clear, much has never been subjected to scientific testing. The very nature of scientific proof makes it incompatible with testing life styles. Many recommendations come from medical folklore, past generations' arts of healing, and the author's many years of contact with wise and observant patients. It would cost science a fortune and take many years to put to the test just a fraction of this knowledge, and life is too short to wait for the results.
 
In Germany there is an exciting medical field of knowledge they call "Erfahrungsheilkunde." It is difficult to find an appropriate translation of the word. It encompasses principles of treatment both from established medicine and from alternative treatments. "Die Wahrheit erfahren wir nie. Die Erfahrung kommt sie am nächsten. Die Wissenschaft ist das Irrtum von Heute" is a favorite expression of the Germans. It means something like, "We never penetrate the final truth. Experience is that which comes closest to truth. Science is a modern form for misunderstanding." Of course, as a scientifically trained medical doctor, I do not agree with that statement. However, established medicine must not serve as a stumbling block to progress, or be misused to underestimate the wisdom that can be found in home remedies. Scientific "truths" can be too short-lived.
 
 

Doctors relieve pain; nature heals.

Homo Sapiens are the species of humans that populate the Earth today. This species has existed for approximately 25O,OOO years and is the youngest species in mankind's two million-year history. The concept of a human being as an entity consisting of both body and soul is not a modern phenomena. "One must estimate a patient's physical and psychological state, taking into consideration his heritage, age, constitution, habits, the climate, and the time of year," wrote Hippocrates. "Nature's own healing powers, physis, is the true healer. The doctor shall aid and steer that power, or at least not harm it," he wrote, four hundred years before the birth of Christ. The conditions on our planet have undergone a considerable change during the centuries that have followed, and we face challenges hitherto unknown.
 
With respect for life in its entirety, this book will attempt to give the reader an understanding of the fundamental biological principles upon which a happy and good life must rest. I hope that it can inspire the individual towards means to help himself to a healthier life, giving him a chance to remain healthy through to a ripe old age. On the other hand, I must warn against using this book to play "doctor" for oneself or for others. In situations where one's health fails, it is unwise to waste time by experimenting on one's own body. Seek qualified help. The experienced doctor will know many of the principles that this book describes. For him, "spontaneous healing" will be a biological process the living organism carries out when the missing raw materials and necessary energy are supplied.
 
 

My own background

I was born in 1944, in Hommelvik, a small Norwegian village, 24 km. north from Trondheim. I grew up in close contact with nature and developed an early interest in the biological adventure, called life. Before I left school, I had decided to study medicine. After Trondhjems Katedralskole, I studied at the University at Mainz, in West Germany. I was graduated in 197O and did my internship in Denmark, where I went on to become a general practicioner for fifteen years. Following a study tour to USA in 1988, I have used biological principles in my practice to an even greater extent than previously. Studies in Europe and a diploma in USA, combined with my basic medical training, has inspired me to write this book. I hope that it will also inspire you to adapt a lifestyle which will be valuable for your health. 
 
WITH SPECIAL THANKS
This book is dedicated to my children, Mads, Mette, and Søren. They and the coming generation shall, through knowledge and education, become even better at protecting themselves and nature. My wife, Jette, has throughout this hectic period, shown great patience and understanding. I could not have done without her extra efforts and encouragement.
 
To the publisher Hilt & Hansteen a heartfelt thanks, especially to Bjørn Hansteen, because, throughout several years, he struggled to get me started on this project and never gave up, to Turid Løvskar for her co-operation and good ideas, and to my good friend and colleague, Claus Hancke and Dag Viljen Poleszynski, for well-qualified advice and guidance.
 
 
 
Part One

Diet

THE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT
 
The influence diet has on health and sickness is confirmed in historical accounts from ancient cultures. The proverb "you are what you eat" stems from the philosophy of antiquity. In the days of Herodotus (484-425 B.C.), the ancient Egyptians wrote that "all illnesses are caused by diet." They recommended that patients should avoid medication for the first four days of an illness in order not to disturb the body's own healing powers. In a handbook from China, the oldest civilization in the world, one could read: "In order to cure an illness, one must know its source. Before one prescribes medicine, one must know what the patient has eaten." In England, as early as 175O, one could read that fresh fruit and vegetables could cure scurvy, and in Italy, in 181O, it was recognized that there was a connection between the grain one ate and the symptons of pellagra, a deficiency of Vitamin B3. In Holland, it was proved that paralysis among chickens fed with polished rice disappeared when the same chickens were fed an extract of the hulls which had been removed. The symptoms resembled those which people in Asia had suffered for centuries (see the chapter on Vitamin B1). In 1929, the Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to researchers who claimed that scurvy, rickets, beri-beri and pellagra were all due to a deficiency of vitamins in the diet. 
 
THE NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF FOOD
 
Human beings have always lived in groups, but in the beginning of the 18th century, large cities made their appearance, with concentrations of population that were hitherto unknown. Thanks to revolutionary farming methods, agriculture was able to keep pace with this development, using few hands to feed a much larger population. Farms became fewer, and they were much larger. Industry could employ the steadily growing population. A migration of unseen dimensions had begun.
 
During the 4-5 million years that human-like creatures have been on this earth, we have adapted to different living conditions. This remarkable ability to adapt is illustrated by the great variety of food which we intake. Meanwhile, modern man is subjected to stress of a nutritional nature for which our evolution has not conditioned us.
 
The introduction of agriculture 1O,OOO years ago, changed eating habits drastically, from the hunter's diet rich in meat, to the farmer's plant-dominated diet. Accordingly, the European population underwent characteristic changes, such as a 1O- to 15- centimeter reduction in average height. The Industrial Revolution brought the consumption of meat back to its earlier level, and the average height rose to what it had been among our ancesters, 5O,OOO years ago.
 
From a genetic point of view, modern man is adapted to the diet that kept primitive man alive. Isolated tribes of hunters and gatherers which have kept their distinctive characteristics up to our day, can take credit for our knowledge of primitive diets. An analysis of their diet is of interest to modern man, as it can show us which nutritional elements are programmed into our genetic makeup through thousands of years of adaption. In other words, here have we a possibility to study which combinations of food are easiest for us to tolerate.
 

 

 

PRIMITIVE DIET AND MODERN DIET

 

FOOD SUBSTANCE PRIMITIVE MODERN
 
Proteins (energy-%) 25    15
Carbohydrates ( " ) 45    45
Fat ( " )           2O    4O
Unsatur./Sat.Fat    1,5   O,4
Omega-3 Fatty Acid  1,5 g O,4 g
Omega-6/3 Fatty Ac.  4    1O
Sukker (g/per day)   1O   1OO
Fructose            1O g  5O g
Cholesterol(mg/daily)6OO  6OO
Salt (mg. Na)       7OO   3OOO
Calcium (mg Ca)    l5OO   7OO
C-Vitamin (mg)     1OOO   8O
Fiber                45   2O
 

Table 1: Comparison between a primitive diet and a modern European diet.
 
As indicated by table 1, the consumption of sugar has increased ten-fold, and the intake of Vitamin C has been reduced by the same amount. We eat twice as much fat and half as much calcium and fiber. Furthermore, the fat consumed by our ancesters was a healthier type. It contained fewer saturated fats, for it came from wild, plant-eating animals which were relatively lean. Neither was meat deprived of life-giving vitamins and minerals during preparation.
 
When tribal people are exposed to modern civilization and its food, health problems often occur after ten years. Scientists have searched in vain for an explanation. In all probability, there is not just one reason, but many. It can be due to side-effects from the chemicals that are part of modern housekeeping. Another factor is the impoverishment of the health value of food which occurs with cooking and extreme heat. Vitamins are destroyed, minerals are leached out by boiling water and transformed to something nonassimilable. Perhaps the most important factor is that animal produce changes character and becomes acid, rather than base (see page XX about acid/base). If lions in the wild were to live off of cooked meat, they would probably become stiff from rheumatism and die of hunger at an early age.
 
Many experiments have been made to illustrate this correlation. Most famous is Pottengers' classic experiment with cats (Am J Arthodontics and Oral Surgery. Aug., 1946).
1) The first group, totalling 9OO cats, was fed with 2/3 raw meat, 1/3 raw milk and cod liver oil.
2) The second group of cats was fed with 2/3 boiled meat, 1/3 raw milk and cod liver oil.
 
The first group remained exceptionally good fit, generation after generation. The second group gradually developed loss of hair, diseases in their fur, infections, allergies, poor bones and inflamations in their joints and were of poor value in the laboratory and subject to frequent deaths. In each generation of the second group, there were 7O % spontaneous abortions, poor teeth, and problems with crooked teeth.
 
After changing back to a diet of raw meat, it took four generations for the cats of the second group to regain the quality of health that had been enjoyed all along by the cats of the first group. (See section on acid/base, page xx.)
 
In Nepal, Ecuador and Russian Georgia, it was common for people to live more than a hundred years. Here, nearly all food was grown on natural, mulched soil, without the use of pesticides. The greatest part of their food was eaten while it was fresh. Among the Hunzas of Tibet, where an age of 12O years and more was not uncommon, approximately 8O% of their food was eaten raw. That food which was saved for winter, was stored in its original form, with a minimum of refining.
 
Heating food (boiling and frying) changes not only the proteins; the vitamin content is also considerably reduced and the minerals can become bio-chemically bound and of no value for the organism. 1OO grams of fresh, green beans contain ca. 2O mg. of C Vitamin, but when canned, the beans contain only ca. 2 mg. of C Vitamin. 1OO grams of whole wheat bread contains ca. 78 mg. of magnesium. Refined white bread contains only 22 mg. In general, refining and conserving food reduces its food value and adds undesireable additives and large amounts of salt and sugar. 
 
THE NORMAL METABOLISM
 
When we take a drive in our cars, the motor is furnished with the necessary amount of energy through burning a blend of gasoline and oxygen. This combustion takes place at a very high temperature. Our bodies are also capable of producing energy by combustion. The remarkable thing is that this occurs at a temperature of only 37 degrees centigrade. The body's "gasoline" is the food which we eat. As we burn the nutritional elements of food, energy is released, and the body uses this energy for growth, renewal of cells, body heat, and muscular power. The combustion takes place in the cells, and "the gasoline" is fat, carbohydrates and proteins. Just as in the motor of a car, oxygen is used.
 
Developing energy at this low temperature is only possible with the help of catalysts named enzymes. Step by step, the energy that is tied up in the nutrients of food is transformed to the body's own chemical forms of energy, called ATP (adenosine triphosphate). This consists of a protein, adenosine, connected to three phosphate groups. When muscles need energy, a phosphate group splits away. That energy which has bound them together is released as muscular energy. 
 
Adnenosine + P + P + P > Adenoisine + P + P, ENERGY, P
 
The end products of the production of energy are water and uric acid, which is eliminated through the kidneys, and carbon dioxide which is removed from the body by the lungs. Energy is now measured in kilojoules (kj), whereas it was formerly measured in kilocalories.
1 kcal. = 4.18 kJ
 
When we burn up 1 gram of protein or carbohydrates, the energy released is equivalent to 4 kilocalories. If we burn 1 gram of fat, more than double the amount is released, namely 9 kilocalories. Therefore, fat is more suitable for the storage of energy. The distribution of energy in our diets, that is the interrelation between proteins, carbohydrates and fat, is of importance for the health value of the diet. Today's average diet is too fat, as fat represents ca. 4O% of the energy mass. The ideal proportions for energy in our diets is the following: 
Fat 3O%
Protein 1O%
Carbohydrates 6O%
 
Carbohydrates must not be confused with sugar, which ideally must not exceed 1O% of the sum total of carbohydrates. Vegetables, potatoes, pasta, rice, fruit and fiber are examples of good carbohydrates. Our bodies are made up of ca. 2O% fat, 15% protein, and a small amount of carbohydrates (ca. 1%). Apart from a smaller amount of minerals, the rest is water. A good diet reflects a similar construction.
 
The need for calories varies with the rate at which they are converted to energy. One of the greatest problems in the western world is overweight. If more calories are consumed than can be burned off in our muscles, the risk of fatty deposits and overweight is increased. Here, fruit sugar plays an interesting rôle. It can be converted without the need for insulin, and in the liver it is transformed directly to fat.
 
 
WE ARE ALL OF US DIFFERENT
 
If a group of people received the same diet for a longer period of time, their utilization of the food would be different. Some would gain weight, while others might lose weight. This is due to the fact that people have differences in their metabolic rates, hormonal activities, intestional functions, nervous systems, temperaments, stress factors, and genetic inheritance. We say that some have a high metabolism, others a slow one. When we give advice about diet, it is important to take into consideration this individualism. It is impossible to give dietary advice that is true for all people. This fact is responsible for much of the confusion that reigns, both among the general public and in the political debate about public health. Conflicting dietary advice creates doubt.
 
Body build can be of importance to one's health. Many attempts have been made to divide people into various groups according to their appearances, in order to give more nuanced advice about diet and lifestyle. We have called people fat, thin or athletic. Those who are fat have often been given greatest attention, since overweight is associated with an unhealthy lifestyle. This group has been divided further into sub-groups: We distinguish between apple- or pear-form, according to where the excess pounds are distributed.
 
Height can also be of importance. Research up to now has indicated that small people live an average of five years longer. That this is true among creatures of the same species within the animal world is old, accepted knowledge.
 
In dividing personalities, we speak of A- and B-people: Type A are more prone to stress and stress-related illnesses, while type B is the more robust. In the future, it might be sensible to know one's type. Some scientists are of the opinion that the same vitamins and minerals can stimulate or subdue, all according to the type of person who takes them.
 
A type A person is recognized by warm hands and a tendancy to perspire. They are temperamental, have many irons in the fire, and often come late to an appointment. They are self-assured and love to be the center of attention. Their temperament predisposes them to become dependant on alcohol or food. This is partially determined by genetics, partly by their family's eating habits and stress levels. They love sweets and have a marked tendancy to overweight, characterized by the apple-shaped type.
 
Type B is the most common type, and they are exposed by the first handshake, as their skin is most often cold. Therefore, a cold climate is unpleasant, as this type loves heat. By temperament, Type B persons are prone to depressions, and their self-esteem can be very dependant upon the surroundings. They are often perfectionists, and the body has a tendancy to develop according to the psyche. Low blood pressure disposes Type B to dizziness when they moves from a prone to an upright position. Blood sugar problems causes them to be hungry, while they suffer both from sleeplessness and fatique. His or her weight is, therefore, unstable and can fluctuate following an infection or a pregnancy. Overweight is most often distributed in a pear-shape.
 
SCIENCE OR COMMON SENSE
 
A scientific frame of mind and approach are necessary for responsible use of potent medicine. With the so-called double blind test, neither the doctor or the patient has knowlege of which substance is the ineffective one (the placebo) or the real medicine (verum). It is a good method to use in order to determine whether a medicine has more side-effects than benefical effects. If there is doubt as to whether or not a substance foreign to the body is harmful, it should be avoided, until it is proved to be harmless. The element of doubt should be in favor of the consumer.
 
If, on the other hand, it is suspected that a substance familiar to the body (for example, water) can benefit one's health, the consumer has a right to that knowledge, without waiting for the results of a scientific experiment. Doubt shall still be in favor of the consumer, and one must not warn against drinking clean water until there is proof that this will cause illness. The same should be the case for food and the various components of diet, for example vitamins and minerals.
 
As demonstrated, food is necessary in order to supply the body with raw materials for growth, rejuvenation, reproduction, and energy to keep the body's 12 billion cells alive. Tomorrow at the same time, we will have produced 5O million new skin cells. Within a week, the entire mucous membrane of our intestines, ca. 3OO square meters, will have been changed out. A teaspoon (5 ml) of blood contains ca. 15 million red blood cells. We have altogether 6-7 liters of blood, and within 4 months all red blood cells are renewed.
 
Even though the body re-cycles and economizes with many raw materials, the need for supplying it with good building materials is very great. Our food can be classified, according to the amounts consumed in this process, as macro- or micro-nutritional elements, or by the four main divisions: Meat, vegetables, grain, and dairy products.
 
Macro-nutritional elements are carbohydrates, fat, proteins, fiber and water. Micro-nutritional elements are consumed in very small amounts. This is especially true of vitamins and minerals.
 
CARBOHYDRATES
 
In order to avoid confusion concerning carbohydrates and dietary guidlines, it is important to remember the difference between carbohydrates and sugar. White, refined sugar, as we know it from the sugar bowl, is a dissacharide, consisting of glucose and fructose. This is only one of many different carbohydrates, and probably the most unhealthy. The problem with the food we eat is precisely its content of too many empty calories.
 
Sugar metabolism is steered by vitamins and minerals. Shortages of these substances can occur even with a varied diet, with advancing syptoms as a result (see the chapter about diabetes on page XX). If one's diet contains too much sugar, there is an increase in the loss of those minerals and vitamins that are most important for sugar metabolism (chrome, zinc, potassium, magnesium, C vitamin, and the Vitamin B group, especially B6).
 
A meal rich in sugar increases the production of insulin, a hormone that makes it possible to convert sugar and transform its carbohydrates to energy. This causes an increased concentration in the brain of the substance tryptophan, which has a lethargic effect, and that can explain the fatigue many feel when they have eaten something too sweet. The content of carbohydrates in one's diet must not exceed 6O% among those who are physically active and 4O% among those who are inactive. A reduction in the intake of sugar can be especially beneficial for children with behavior problems.
 
When refined sugar is introduced to primitive people, the first incidences of diabetes occur after twenty years and the first heart attacks after thirty. These observations have taught us that unrestricted use of sugar can lead to more than diabetes and tooth decay. Depressions, migraines, and a weakened immune system are also connected with the presence of refined sugar. Therefore, we should avoid large quantities of cakes, candy and soda pop in our daily diets and save them as treats for special occasions.
 
A person who is lacking in vital nutrients can have a craving for food which is rich in these raw materials. There are, however, exceptions to this rule. A "sweet tooth" can be a sign that there is too little energy in our cells. Chrome transports carbohydrates in through the cell wall, insuring that there is fuel for the production of energy. Black pepper is rich in chrome, but where chrome is deficient we don't experience a craving for pepper, but for something sweet, but a high sugar-intake further increases the loss of chrome. It is important to break this vicious circle before there is a breakdown in the body's mechanism for coping with sugar. That can cause not only weight problems, but possibly can lead to diabetes.
 
The need for energy is best supplied with 'slow' carbohydrates, such as whole-grain bread, potatoes, unpolished rice, pulses, and cereals. However, it can be difficult to break the habit of eating sweets. A form of addiction often occurs as some of the excess sugar is transformed to so-called sugar alcohol (sorbitol, galactitol).  
 
FAT
 
Fat is a nutritional element that is much criticized. It is blamed for being the cause of mankind's most serious ailments, including cancer and cardio-vascular diseases. Let us see whether this criticism is deserved. Our knowledge about the importance of fat in connection with our health is of relatively recent date. Fat serves as a source of energy and a protective coating around vital organs. "All fat isn't one fat," is a phrase that stems from the debate about nutrition and refers to the many different types of fat: Animal fat, plant fats, saturated and non-saturated fats, fat as fluid oils and in solid form.
 
One specific fatty substance has become something close to synonymous with calcification and coronary diseases. That which we call cholesterol is in truth a vital raw material which the body itself produces to create, among other things, hormones. Some researchers look at cholesterol as a sort of police which is sent out as a 'clean up' squad. They are doubtful about the common assumption that a forced removal of this 'police force' will lead to less crime. Quite simply explained, their theory is that good cholesterol (HDL) works as a preventive towards circulatory diseases by putting a brake on the process whereby fatty substances become rancid and ruin the cells. The 'used' cholesterol (LDL) is an indication of the degree to which these processes take place. Together, these two types constitute the so-called cholesterol count.
 
This is a complicated mechanism that is unlikely to be solved just by taking costly medicine to speed up the disposal of 'used' cholesterol. For example, chrome is vital in stopping the liver's own production of cholesterol. A high cholesterol count caused by a defficiency in chrome should obviously be treated with a supplement of chrome and not with medicine designed to lower the cholesterol count. That is especially evident when one considers that the medicine has side-effects, and there is a risk that it will inhibit the production of Q-1O, the vitamin that resembles cholesterol and is produced in the same 'factories' in the liver. If there are too many unhealthy trans-fatty acids in the diet, cholesterol is prevented from being eliminated by the gall bladder. The sensible way to deal with this problem is not to take more expensive pills, but to allow fewer harmful trans-fatty acids in the diet.
 
Human beings cannot do without fat. The Scandinavian diet contains approximately 4O%. This is roughly equivalent to the amount of carbohydrates in their diet. The energy that the body doesn't require immediately is stored for later use. This occurs in the form of fat. Fat is more stabile than carbohydrates. With a rise in the standard of living in modern society, we see a steady increase in the intake of fat, often at the expense of grain products. Since the increased consumption of fat is put in connection with the increased occurance of cancer and hardening of the arteries, a 1O% reduction is recommended. Meat from stabled animals contains at least 3O% fat, as opposed to free-range game meat, which contains approximately 5% fat. Wild, herbivorous animals' fat contains 5 times the amount of healthful poly-unsaturated fatty acids. Therefore, their meat is credited with having a preventive effect on cancer.
 
For the healthy organism, moderate amounts of saturated, unsaturated or poly-unsaturated fats are not harmful. However, rancid fat can be harmful, even in small amounts. Fat becomes rancid when in contact with air (oxidized), or with extreme heat. This is also true of cholesterol. Experiments with animals have demonstrated that raw egg yolks, even in large quantities, do not cause calcification. On the other hand, if the egg yolk is cooked solid, harmful cholesterol is formed, and calcification is observed even when small amounts are administered to the animals. Unsaturated fat becomes rancid more easily than saturated fat. This is a problem for the margarine industry, as unsaturated fatty acids are initially the most healthful. Saturated fat becomes hard when it is stored in the refrigerater.
 
Natural, unsaturated fat exists in the so-called cis-shape. In a broad, three-dimensional point of view, this means that the side-chains in double-bindings of the molecule are present on the same side.
 
 
(Drawing)
  
In food that has been deep-fryed or food that has been prepared industrially, for example in the production of margarine, the structure of fatty acids is changed, in part to trans-shape (where the side-chains are placed opposite each other by a hydrogenizing process that makes liquid oil solidify). Several studies indicate that the increased content of trans-fatty acids in the diet weaken the immune system and increase the risk for cancer and cardio-vascular diseases. They are not part of the normal processing of fatty acids, insofaras the organism classifies them as 'foreign' elements. It appears that they block the elimination of cholesterol in the gall bladder and thereby contribute to a rise in the cholesterol count. These fats can be incorporated in the cell walls and membranes, but cannot be used in the beneficial tissue hormones. They block the normal production of healthful fatty acids.
 
Frying and baking margarine contain the largest amounts of trans-fatty acids (up to 35%). Look at the declarations and check the content of solidified or hydrogenised fat. We can tolerate small amounts of these fats but should avoid larger concentrations, as they can be the straw that breaks the camel's back where our health is concerned. 
 
Margarine or butter?
 
Now it is easier to understand why we should prefer butter to margarine. The latter is made of healthy fatty acids that are "hydrogenized," or processed, to become trans-fatty acids. Butter, on the other hand, is made of saturated, stabile fat, that can be processed without becoming rancid. This fact has given the margarine industry many problems and confused the consumer.
 
Diet margarine usually contains only small amounts of trans-fatty acids. For cooking, we should use oil. Olive oil doesn't become rancid as easily when heated, as it is nearly saturated. Thistle oil is, on the other hand, poly-saturated and good for salads, but it doesn't tolerate heat.
 
Cow's Milk
 
Since humans have used cow's milk for 'only' 1O,OOO years, not all of us are genetically conditioned yet to this source of nourishment. Proof of this is the intolerance and allergy that many people have developed towards milk. Our relationship to cow's milk is unique in the animal world. No other species than humans use mother's milk from a completely different species and weight class to nourish its own off-spring. Cow's milk is meant to be food for a calf that is supposed to gain 4O kilos each month. As human nourishment it contains both the wrong enzymes and the wrong fatty acids (trans-fatty acids). An illness such as schlerosis is characterized by the damage done to the fatty, protective layer surrounding the nerve fibers. This illness is most frequent in farm areas where there is a large consumption of milk and milk products.
 
Some researchers claim that many problems with digestion could be avoided if we removed milk from our diets. As milk contains both vitamins and minerals, there is traditionally a strong belief in milk as a good source of nourishment. In any case, it is a good idea to have a milk-free period of 2-3 weeks once a year, in order to observe whether any unnoticed digestive problems disappear. With any form of diarrhoea it is adviseable to avoid milk.
 
PROTEINS
 
Protein is the Greek word for albumines, high molecular, organic nitrogen combinations, that are part of all plant and animal cells, enzymes, hormones and bacteria. Approximately 4OO grams of the 15 kilograms of protein contained by humans lose their function daily. These tissue proteins can split (hydrolyze) into amino acids. Together with the amino acids of our food they are recycled in the production of new proteins.
 
The need for proteins depends on the body's physical activities. While remaining inactive, we can manage with amounts as small as 4O grams daily, thanks to recycling. Ordinary diets contain an excess of proteins equivalent to 2O-12O grams, or more, depending on how much meat we eat. The synthesis of protein is stimulated by hormones - insuline, thyroxine, growth and sex hormones. The destruction of proteins is stimulated by the adrenocortical hormone, cortisol. In periods of hunger, glukagon and cortisol can stimulate, and insulin restrict the conversion of amino acids to glucose and urea. Lysin and leucin are exceptions which can only oxidize in a citric acid cycle. Glucose functions as a source of energy for the brain, while urea is a nitrogen-rich waste product that is eliminated through urine.
 
Up till now, proteins have led an anonymous existence in
the debate about nutrition. They have seldom been put into focus as a cause of health problems. In the following passages, we shall see whether this innocent status is still appropriate.
 
Proteins are another word for albumines. They consist of long chains, where each link is built up of small units called amino acids. Today, we know of more than 1OO different amino acids, but our organisms use only 25 as building blocks for the formation of proteins. Just as the letters of the alphabet can be combined to form different words, amino acids combine to form millions of different proteins. If the body lacks a specific amino acid for its functioning, it can manufacture it by chemically changing that which it has on hand.
 
There is, however, an exception, where an input from outside is vital to life. Eight amino acids in the human organism have status as vitamins. The body cannot produce them itself. It is dependant upon a supply from outside. These have been labeled "essential amino acids." All eight are seldom present at the same time, and this is the reason why food should contain proteins both from plants and animals. Since the greatest amounts occur in meat, eggs, milk and cheese, strict vegetarians (the so-called vegans) risk malnutrition. The health value of protein-rich food is measured by the content of the essential amino acids. Proteins perform vital functions in the body, among other things as hormones, signal agents, transport agents (haemoglobin), and as the immune system's antibodies.

 

 

The Vital Amino Acids

Essential amino acids Minimum requirement-Content in 3 eggs

Isoleucine     7OO mg     6OO mg
Leucine       11OO mg     9OO mg
Lysine         8OO mg     75O mg
Methionine    11OO mg     45O mg
Phenylalanine 11OO mg     65O mg
Threonine      5OO mg     5OO mg
Tryptophane    25O mg     25O mg
Valine         8OO mg     8OO mg
 

Too little protein in the diet harms the development and functioning of the brain and is seen only in areas where there is famine. Actually, we can manage with very few proteins, if we take a supplement of the essential amino acids. This is of special importance for kidney patients, as the kidneys are relieved of their burden equivalent to the reduced protein content of the diet.
 
When we digest proteins, amino acids, sulphur and phosphor are released during the formation of among other things, phosphoric acid and sulphuric acid. These acids must be neutralized by the body's basic minerals (calcium, magnesium, manganese, natrium, and potassium), in order to be eliminated by the kidneys. Therefore, a diet with too great an amount of proteins is suspected by researchers to give an increased risk for cancer (cancer of the breast, the large intestine, the pancreas, the prostrate, the abdomen, and the rectum). The loss of calcium and magnesuium will, in the long-run, cause osteoporosis (see section about acid/base balance). Benign tumors in the muscles and tissues, for example, cysts in the uterus, are likewise connected with a diet too rich in proteins.
 
FIBER
 
A diet rich in fiber consists of fruit, vegetables, potatoes, and whole-grained bread. Fiber is bulk obtained from fruit and vegetables. It stimulates the intestines and has a de-toxifying effect on the digestive tract. There are great individual variations in the amount of fiber contained in diets, but the average is about 2O grams per day, or less than half of what our primitive ancestors consumed. Fiber is a carbohydrate and is divided into two groups, according to the degree to which they are soluble in water. Most foods from the kingdom of plants contain both types of fiber. Oat bran, which is recommended as a cholesterol-lowering food, contains soluble fiber, while wheat bran is rich in the insoluble type. This is of importance for the amount of time the food will remain in the intestines. A diet rich in fiber can increase the amount of intestinal gas, but most people can eat 3O grams or more daily, without problems. When a bowel movement stays afloat in the toilet, a so-called "floater," it is an indication that there is a sufficient amount of fiber in the diet. By contrast, "sinkers" can be a sign of a diet lacking in fiber.
 
Big eaters of meat and animal foods risk an overburdening of the intestines, with putrification of the contents of the intestines as a result, rather than a controlled, enzymatic digestion. The rotting products can develop toxins that increase the risk of constipation, cellular damage, and intestinal cancer. A fat, bloated stomach on an otherwise thin person can be a sign of poor digestion. Often, one isn't aware of being constipated. There might be a bowel movement each day; however, the contents of the intestines might have been in the stomach not for eight hours, but for eight days. The condition is often accompanied by foul smelling faeces and wind. In such a case, a cure with apple vinegar can be helpful: 1 tablespoon in a glass of water, on an empty stomach, each morning. Also, a bowel irrigation, or colon hydrotherapy, can improve the digestion.
 
WATER
 
Water (H2O) is the most important chemical combination we know. We are born in water (amniotic fluid), and life without water is inconceivable. It is the major element in the makeup of animals and plants, and it plays a crucial rôle in keeping us healthy. As it is often forgotten in the list of vital foods, we will take a closer look at this fascinating element that covers 3/4 of the surface of the earth.
Our world has for once and always been alloted a portion of water. According to a pre-determined cycle, this water is used over and over again. Evaporation of sea water monopolizes 1/3 of the sun's energy. The resulting clouds drift in over land, and water returns as rain. Via streams and springs, it seeps down through the earth's surface and is cleansed. As clean ground water enriched with minerals, we pump it up to be used in householding and industry. After it is used, we send it back as sewarage to a water treatment plant, before it completes the circle and is returned to the sea. That water which you and I drink is, in other words, the same water that people from the Iron Age and the Vikings drank.
 
We can survive for a month without food; however, 3 days without water causes serious health problems. Approximately 6O% of our body weight is water. Of these 42 liters, 5 are in the bloodstream, 28 liters in the cells, and 9 in the tissues. In the kidneys, water is filtered, cleansed and regulated for salt four times daily. If we lose 9 of the 42 liters, we lose consciousness and die.
 
We need a daily supplement of 1 to 3 liters of pure water, depending on the body's salt content. Via our food, we get ca. 15 grams of salt daily. If we ate plenty of raw fruit and vegetables and only the 3 grams of salt we actually need, a half a liter of water would suffice. With the average diet, two liters of water are necessary, on top of the liter we get from our food and the 3OO ml. from the metabolism. If we produce ca. 1.5 liters of urin daily, we remain more or less in balance with our liquid intake and output. If we take a diuretic drug or quench our thirst with diuretic refreshments such as coffee, tea, soft drinks or alcohol, the need for water is even greater.
 
Normal kidneys can function under extreme conditions. They can eliminate wastes even when the daily amount of urine varies from 1/2 to 17 liters. In the case where kidneys malfunction, the optimum amount of urin should be between 1 and 3 liters, in order to maintain a stabile salt balance in the blood. The salt concentration of sea water exceeds the amount the kidneys are capable of concentrating in the urine. Therefore, a shipwrecked person who drinks sea water risks death from dehydration more quickly than someone who stays thirsty. The same mechanism lies behind salt poisoning with children.
 
THE QUALITY OF WATER
 
6O years ago, our senses could determine the quality of water. If the water was clear, odorless, and without an unpleasant taste, it was clean. Today, many waterworks are polluted with countless chemicals. One has the impression that we find those harmful substances which we test for in varying concentrations. Probably not all of them are poisonous. Since certain of these chemicals reduce the water's surface tension, the shape of a drop of water can, to a certain degree, reveal the quality of the water. A bulging, almost perfectly round drop of water can mean that there is little pollution.
 
When plants rot in water, humic acid is released. Where surface water is used as drinking water, the content of this acid can reach a level that has an effect on health. Humic acid is a stabile, harmful souring agent, a so-called free radical. Used in cooking, it destroys the vitamins in the food. Especially vitamins B and C are neutralized. In areas with a high concentraion of humic acid in the drinking water, it is necessary to take a large supplement of vitamins, in order to avoid sickness and malnutrition. If, at the same time, chlorine is added to the drinking water to stop bacterial growth, chlorated humic acid compounds occur. Several of these are known as carcinogens. 
 
WATER AND SOLVENTS
 
Rinses, soap, and detergents leave a chemical film that comes into the organism with the next meal via pots, pans, dishes and cutlery. Here, they have the unfortunate effect of causing the intestines to more readilly absorb harmful substances to a degree of which the consequences are not yet known. German scientists have discovered, for example, that polyglycol, which occurs in many water softeners for dishwashers and in anti-freeze, ruin the heart-muscle's ability to burn fat.
 
The heart muscle is different from other muscles. Normally, it can satisfy approximately half of its need for energy by converting fat. Other muscles use, by and large, carbohydrates as fuel. Researchers advise us not to use water softeners in dishwashers. They recommend instead that we wash dishes by hand, with neutral, natural soap, which doesn't contain polyglycol and rinse well in running water before drying. In the case of the Austrian wine scandal some years ago, polyglycol was used as a sweetener. Many people proved to be extremely sensitive to that polluted wine and became very ill.
 
Normally, the intestines can reject heavy metals and other harmful elements. Such is not the case with our lungs. They do not furnish any protection against air pollution. It is questionable, therefore, when poisonous matter which is considered too dangerous for the dumpyard is destroyed in incinerator plants where it ends up as air pollution. 
 
DRINKING WATER
 
Pure drinking water which is free of chemicals and harmful environmental poisons will be a scarcity in the future. When we realize how important water is for our health, we will begin to take responsibility for the quality of drinking water. We may purify it ourselves or pay the high price pure water will come to cost. Eventually, as the problem of pollution spreads, the task of cleansing the water will be nearly impossible for public waterworks. One might say that it is paradoxical that 95% of the drinking water we use is used to bathe, in industry, or to flush the toilet. Such water doesn't have to have the same quality as drinking water, but the 5% we use as a health drink has to be pure. That could be achieved by distilling water within the home of the consumer or by cleansing it with the help of a so-called osmosis filter. Carbon filters are not capable of removing heavy metals from water. The government could use some of the money they save (by such individual efforts?) to finance local purification plants for all households. The rest could be used to neutralize the acid in our lakes, in order that fish could again survive there.
 
National water milieu plans cost billions and create problems for agriculture. It is very doubtful that the quality of water is improved by these plans. Even rain water is polluted. It is evaporated sea water from the sun's global destillation. Meanwhile, on its way down through the atmosphere it becomes so polluted that it doesn't lend itself to be drinking water. 
 
WATER AS MEDICINE
 
Since antiquity, we have known about water with special properties. These properties were bestowed with a religious importance, and the sources became 'holy springs.' Today, we know that the water in these springs comes from deep pockets in the underground. They have special chemical properties that can be measured, and they can be millions of years old. These special properties are attributed to the water's electric charge, the so-called Redox potential. This charge stems from unusual amounts of electrically-charged minerals, called ions. Their combination was crucial for which sort of ailment they could alleviate. By using this water within minutes, the organism can receive some of its preserving effect. However, healing waters have that disadvantage that they must be used on the spot as they are slowly weakened (oxidized) by the air's oxygen. Thus, there arose 'spas,' resorts where one could enjoy treatments with these spring waters, several places in Europe, and some of these have retained their popularity right up to our times.
 
The good state of health of those who live on the Japanese island, Okinawa, is attributed to this coral island's drinking water. Water is cleansed when it trickles through porous coral sand, volcanic formations, or mineral rich sand. These minerals, calcium and magnesium compounds, make the water hard. They have a certain importance as electricly charged ions. Several international studies have demonstrated fewer cardio-vascular diseases in areas where there is hard water. Inorganic compounds without electric charges are biologically inactive. Their importance lies in the cooking process. Food cooked in soft water is deprived of important organic minerals, while food that is steamed in a pressure cooker retains its flavor and healthful properties. Inorganic water without minerals and without an electrical charge is "dead" water. The expressions "living" water and "dead" water are also used to describe, respectively, water that contains living organisms and polluted water without life.
 
A plant consists of 9O% water which has been filtered through a layer of soil and a network of roots. Raw fruit and vegetables represent an important reservoir for both water and minerals. One can assume that vegetables which have been grown commercially on rockwool in a greenhouse or on depleted soil must have a limited health value, for they lack the palette of trace minerals. These trace minerals are not necessary for the growth of the plant, but in the living organism they are essential for the cells' life-giving enzyme processes. Inorganic minerals become valuable raw materials for animals and people through the photosynthesis process of plants. These organically bound minerals can be absorbed by the small intestine and convey valuable raw materials to the body. With storing, cooking and preserving, both vitamins and minerals are weakened. Therefore, plant food should be eaten raw and untreated. 
 
LIGHT AND AIR
 
Sunlight is a condition for life on Earth. If light disappears, the biological clock stops ticking. During the dark months, a number of animals lose their capacity for reproduction. In 1919, scientists discovered that light functions as a type of "vitamin" for human beings. Without light, our skin cannot produce Vitamin D which is necessary for normal development of our bones (see section about vitamins, page xx). The sun builds its energy within plants. Photosynthesis converts mankind's waste products, water and carbon dioxide (CO2), to oxygen (O2), carbohydrates, fat, proteins and vitamins. When we eat plants, the energy is released which we need to keep our bodies functioning, enabling us to do physical and mental work. This process requires oxygen, which we provide by breathing air. Air contains 21% oxygen, but our lungs make use of only 5%. At the same time, carbon dioxide and steam are released, wastes from the body's metabolism. Combustion takes place in the cells which take the necessary oxygen from our red blood corpuscles. We begin to suffer brain damage after 4 minutes without oxygen.
 
There is, as you can see, a sensitive balance between animals and plants. If we remove the rain forests and put in their place cities of concrete, the harmony of this balance is threatened. The atmosphere's content of CO2 gasses has risen from ca. 277 ppm (abbreviation for "parts per million") in the year 174O, to 295 ppm in the year 19OO; in other words, 6% in 16O years. During the following 9O years, the rise was almost 2O%, to 351 ppm. Carbon dioxide gas envelops the earth like a duvet, preventing the planet Earth from getting rid of its heat. The result is known as the greenhouse effect, a global rise in temperature that will melt the ice in the polar regions and cause the water level of the planet's oceans to rise.
 
In light of this problem, authorities in many lands have now agreed to co-operate in trying to limit this leakage by imposing on industry 'green' taxes, such as taxes on the carbon dioxide which they spew out. These measures will hardly suffice, however, unless we stop the destruction of the rain forests.
 
Enormous amounts of energy are needed for industrialisation, amd this energy is furnished by burning oil and coal, which are fossil fuels. Huge amounts of carbon dioxide and other pollutants, such as sulphur and nitric acid are hereby released. When these acids return to the earth as acid rain, they alter the acidity of the soil. Pure rain water has an acidity (pH value) of 5.6. Polluted rainwater lies between 2.5 and 4.5, equivalent to that of acetic acid. If the pH-value falls from 5.5 to 4.5, the acid content is increased tenfold. When rainwater's acid content increases from pH 5.6 to 3.6, it means an increase of acidity multiplied by 1OO.
 
The soil's content of the basic minerals, calcium, magnesium, and potassium react with these acids in an attempt to put a brake on this souring process. When the pH-value falls under 5, poisonous metalines are realeased, especially aluminum. The resulting lack of nutritional salts causes damage to the fine network of roots of trees. These roots live in symbiosis with the fungi of the forest floor. The fungi's preliminary function is to fascillitate the absorption of nutritional elements and water through the roots of the trees. With the increase in acidity, many fungi disappear. This means that the trees lose vitality and resistance towards bacterias, insects and harmful fungi. Dutch elm disease and the death of forests would not be possible without an acidification of the soil.
 
Acid rain has also caused the of death of all the fish in many mountain lakes in Norway and Sweden. Fish are sensitive to change in the acidity of the water in which they live.
 
Neutral acid/base balance is equivalent to pH 7.O.
*Ved pH of 6.O mussles and crayfish die off.
*Ved pH of 5.5 salmon and trout die.
*Ved pH of 5.O pike die.
*ved pH of 4.5 eel die.
 
As human beings are a link in the biological chain, an imbalance in nature will turn around and hit the guilty party like a boomerang. When the food chain is deprived of basic minerals, heavy metals are absorbed, and through the food we eat, these heavy metals ruin our health. A perpetual increase in the acidification of the organism is an overlooked risk factor that paves the way for several of our chronic diseases (see section about acid/base, pg. XX). 
 
HARMONY
 
When a person gets 'goose bumps' from seeing a horror film or faints from watching scenes from an operating theater, it is because there is a connection between our thoughts and our bodies. That spot in the brain where thoughts turn into physical reactions is called "the ..................
We have not yet a translation of the whole book.
 
 
Publisher for my danish books:
ArtPeople
Ørstedhus
Vester Farimagsgade 41
DK - 1606 Copenhagen V, Denmark 
Telefon +45 3311 3311
Fax +45 7221 5110
 
 
or
Publisher for the norwegian book:
 
Forlaget N.W. Damm & Søn AS
Fridtjof Nansens vei 14, 0055 Oslo, Norway
Telefon: 24 05 10 00 Telefaks: 24 05 10 99
E-post:post@damm.no

 
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