by nofriendofYale » Wed Dec 08, 2010 10:54 am
From what I have read about Fuhrman it seems like he is a product of the obsession with micro-nutrients that has spanned most of the last century. Micro-nutrients (vitamins and minerals) were discovered when researchers in the Far East and in the American South noticed that the poor populations, who were living on a diet of refined grains (white rice in Asia and bolted corn in America), and very little else, were getting sick. When fed whole grains instead, the sick folks had their health restored.
Thus it was discovered that the parts of the grains that were being refined out has some mysterious property that human health was dependent on. Thus vitamins were discovered.
The proper lesson to be learned from this was to stop refining grains. But that was not a profitable lesson. Too much money already invested in the refinery apparatus. Also there were at least two ways that refining grains increased profits:
-longer shelf live with less spoilage, and
-the ability to sell off the bran and germ as separate products to health food nuts and for animal feed.
So instead of learning the common sense lesson of producing only whole grains, the business folks came up with a new product which quickly became a big winner: VITAMIN PILLS. For at least the last 70 years (my life span) vitamin pills have been a multi-billion dollar industry.
Back in the 60's I was reading and following the health food guru of the day, Adele Davis. Her two big messages:
-eat as much protein as you can stuff down your gullet with the help of soy flour, wheat germ, powdered milk, and (ugh!) brewyers yeast, and
-take a pill for every known vitamin or mineral in existence.
Wrong on both counts!
Luckily I eventually turned my back on this nonsense before it did too much harm. One of the turning points occurred when Adele, my guru, announced that she had cancer, and, shortly after, died.
Fuhrman's thinking seems to be a holdover from this kind of mentality. At least he goes for vitamin-rich FOOD rather than pills. But there is the same fundamental mistake in emphasis. We easily fulfill our vitamin needs, with the possible exception of B12, when we satisfy our caloric needs on whole plant foods, especially starches.
Allan Brison
Party for Socialism and Liberation
Hamden, CT
Occupy New Haven / Occupy Wall Street
Green Party