Page 86 - Spring2018

All Thumbs Book Reviews

excretion pathways, means that levels of toxic B family; minerals including zinc, selenium and magnesium; and the
elements in hair will not reflect the actual body omega-3 fats—and he recommends cod liver oil per Weston A. Price
burden. Foundation guidelines.
Hammond recommends the chelation pro- As they work their way through the book, readers may well ask
tocol known as low frequent-dose oral chelation themselves, “How can this be?” Indeed, a separate book could be written
(or rational chelation, or the Cutler protocol), on the political, technical and sociological barriers to recognizing the
which involves taking specific chelators every still-mostly-hidden epidemic of mercury toxicity. Hammond explains
few hours around the clock to keep blood levels that when researchers rely on blood and urine mercury levels (which only
stable. (Note: See interview with the late An- capture recent exposures and not body burden or toxicity), it is like trying
drew Cutler and article on the Cutler protocol to determine how much money someone has in the bank by examining
in this issue). Incidentally, alternative health his wallet. In the clinical domain, most physicians are unfamiliar with
practitioners often use the word “chelation” the variety of symptoms that mercury can cause, the potentially long
inaccurately, which is unfortunate since chela- latencies or the difficulties of testing for mercury body burden, much
tion is not a risk-free undertaking and requires less treating it. As a result, the medical system is able to diagnose only
extreme care. Chelators increase mercury ex- the most severe cases of mercury poisoning, while less blatant illnesses
cretion and thus lower body burden, but they remain mysterious.
also inevitably cause redistribution of toxic The book leaves some questions unanswered. For example, the
mercury to the brain. The low frequent-dose young Hammond also had a mouthful of amalgams—did this increase
oral chelation protocol is a way to minimize his susceptibility to his occupational exposure? Did his birth mother have
this inevitable damage. amalgams that produced in utero exposure? Would a nutrient-dense diet
For those who choose not to chelate, the have conferred some resistance? Can one regain one’s health at any age,
book offers other valuable chapters on dealing or does a longstanding body burden of mercury cause some level of per-
with mercury toxicity, although Hammond manent damage? Nonetheless, Hammond packs his book with carefully
unfortunately fails to discuss dietary issues. stated and efficiently delivered information.
Cutler, on the other hand, clearly acknowledged As this article goes to press, Amazon reviewers give Hammond’s
that people with mercury toxicity need nutrient- book five stars, but only thirty-six people have rated it. This mirrors
dense, easy-to-digest foods. Hammond covers the mercury issue in general—few people are aware, but those who are
sulfur intolerance but does not discuss mercury- usually consider it to be extremely important. Anyone who appreciated
related food intolerances to gluten, casein, soy, Eric Gladen’s film Trace Amounts will enjoy this book; both Gladen and
yeast, phenols, grains, oxalates, histamines Hammond used their mercury-related illness as a motivator to extract
or others. He does describe key nutrients that and organize reams of high quality information into a top-notch, user-
mercury depletes—vitamins A, C, E and the friendly product. Review by Kristin G. Homme, PE(ret.), MPP, MPH

FAT HEAD KIDS: STUFF ABOUT DIET AND HEALTH I WISH I KNEW WHEN I WAS YOUR AGE by Tom Naughton
Many of you have seen Tom Naughton’s hilarious documentary Fat Head; now you can get a thousand laughs from
Fat Head Kids, written with teenagers in mind (but just as interesting for adults) and delightfully illustrated by his wife
Chareva Naughton. In it you will ride on the amazing space ship The Nautilus (your body), piloted by Mr. Spot, the ship’s
science officer (your brain) with help from medical officer Dr. Fishbone and chief engineer Marty Metabolism. Dr. Fishbone
explains that if you give your ship less fuel, especially less fat, Marty Metabolism just slows down the ship’s metabolism.
As in his documentary, Naughton takes aim at the dietary guidelines, which today encourage us to eat processed
food—food incapable of fueling your ship. Back in the 1940s, the U.S. Government recommended “protective foods,”
namely eggs, butter, meat and whole milk, and just two servings of starchy food each day. The food industry soon took
care of this sensible advice, and today we live on the Planet of the Preposterous Pyramid, eating industrial fats and oils
that do a lousy job of keeping our space ship healthy and strong. They cause the build-up of visceral fat in the liver, and
this fat produces chemicals that convert testosterone into estrogen—something every teenage boy should know. There’s
lots more for them to learn in this delightful book. Thumbs UP. Review by Sally Fallon Morell

84 Wise Traditions SPRING 2018