Page 14 - Fall2020

Caustic Commentary

The start-up has received over three million dollars from therapies proved very effective. In the 1890s up to the 1930s,
an investment fund co-founded by Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, tuberculosis patients received phototherapy and sunshine;
Richard Branson and Mark Zuckerberg. According to the in the 1940s, TB patients got cod liver oil or high doses of
press release, an estimated 10 percent of the global milk vitamin D. All, of course, involve vitamin D, either taken
production goes into the manufacture of baby formula, and orally or stimulated in the skin. In fact, in 1903 the Nobel
that’s bad for the environment. “BIOMILQ aims to provide a Prize in Medicine or Physiology was awarded to a physician
greener alternative for formula milk” with a smaller carbon who cured hundreds of patients suffering from chronic lupus
footprint. Moreover, the artificially-produced milk will be vulgaris (TB of the skin) with refracted light rays from an
“easier for babies to digest than formula.” The manufactur- electric arc lamp. The authors of a paper published in the
ing process allows the company “to create the full sequence Journal of Steroid and Biochemical Molecular Biology (2018
of intricate components in perfect proportion.” With their Mar;177:21-29) describe the success of these treatments and
lab-produced product, BIOMILQ co-founder and cell biolo- wonder why these therapies are no longer in use. Of course
gist Leila Strickland claims that the company will “create we know the answer: there’s no money in natural, common-
a better Earth for future generations” (Science Times, June sense treatments such as these.
20, 2020). You just can’t make this stuff up.
PASS THE RHIZOMES
PESTICIDE SMUGGLING Paleodieters insist that our primitive ancestors didn’t eat
Lots of products are smuggled—drugs, diamonds, counter- starchy foods, but archeologists from the University of
feit money—but along the largely unpoliced border of Brazil Witwaterstrand have discovered evidence that inhabitants of
and Paraguay, one of the largest and most lucrative criminal the Border Cave in the Lebombo Mountains, South Africa,
enterprises involves smuggling pesticides. A recent catch, were cooking starchy plants one hundred seventy thousand
hidden under a few sacks of grain, was a haul of twelve years ago. Researchers found fifty-five charred, whole rhi-
thousand pounds of the pesticide emamectin benzoate, with zomes identified as a small and tender version of Hypoxis,
a street value of more than two million dollars. Emamectin commonly called the yellow star flower. The rhizomes are
is widely used to control insects in larvae form in a number rich in starch and highly digestible when cooked. A wooden
of crops including pine trees. It’s also added to fish feed to digging stick, used to extract the rhizomes from the ground,
control lice in farmed salmon; vets prescribe it in the form was also found in the cave. Other discoveries over the years
of ivermectin for the treatment of heartworm in dogs. The include a baby buried in a Conus seashell, bone tools, an
smuggled pesticides sell for less than those produced by ancient counting device, ostrich eggshell beads, resin and
agricultural chemical companies, and come without the a poison probably used on hunting weapons (sciencedaily.
requirement for oversight. At least 10 percent of the ag- com/releases/2020/01/200102143424.htm).
rochemical trade—currently valued at over two hundred
billion dollars—is illegal, and many consider that to be a
vast underestimate. In addition to Brazil, Ukraine and India
produce large amounts of these chemicals. Yet another reason FOR SCIENTISTS AND LAY READERS
to eat organic and to know your farmer! (The Washington Please note that the mission of the Weston A. Price
Post, February 9, 2020.) Foundation is to provide important information about diet
and health to both scientists and the lay public. For this
TB AND VITAMIN D reason, some of the articles in Wise Traditions are necessarily
While reports about Covid-19 monopolize the news, tuber- technical. It is very important for us to describe the science
that supports the legitimacy of our dietary principles. In
culosis (TB) continues its silent rampage throughout the articles aimed at scientists and practitioners, we provide a
developing world, killing something like three thousand summary of the main points and also put the most techni-
people per day. Treatment often forces patients and their cal information in sidebars. These articles are balanced by
families into poverty, but historically, several low-cost others that provide practical advice to our lay readers.
12 Wise Traditions FALL 2020