Page 13 - summer2016

Caustic Commentary

vaccine are approximately 88 percent effective at preventing that is associated with benefit not show any benefit?” asked
mumps and one dose is 78 percent effective”—a claim for Dr. Stephen Nicholls, the study’s principal investigator
which no research is provided. Of course, the best protec- (New York Times, April 4, 2014). Of course, readers of Wise
tion against lifelong infertility from the mumps is to get the Traditions know the answer—that LDL levels are not good
disease when you are young—we need mumps incubation predictors of tendency to heart disease, and even if they
parties for our boys, not vaccinations to delay getting mumps are, the answer is not to force them lower but to change the
until adulthood. conditions known to raise cardiovascular risk—especially
the consumption of processed foods based on vegetable oils
VITAMIN A FOR ENTERIC PATHOGENS and refined sweeteners.
You can always count on hearing the latest on vitamin A
in these pages, so we are happy to present the results of a MASSIVE RECALL
2015 study on vitamin A deficiency in mice. Mice deficient A massive recall involving millions of packages of frozen
in vitamin A and exposed to a pathogen developed severe fruits and vegetables shows the folly of trying to regulate
gut infection, lethal in 40 percent of the cases. Vitamin outbreaks with new regulations such as the Food Safety
A-sufficient mice survived and cleared the infection in Modernization Act (FSMA). The frozen foods—over four
twenty-five days. The data suggest that vitamin A regulates hundred products selling over forty brand names from DRF
T cell function to limit inflammation following chemical and Frozen Foods in Pasco, Washington—were shipped to all
infectious injury to the gut—important findings for anyone fifty U.S. states, Canada and Mexico. The outbreak so far
suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Crohn’s has sickened eight and caused two deaths. Many of the food
disease or other types of intestinal inflammation. The find- items could be lingering in people's freezers—and could
ings also explain why it is so important to drink whole milk, be there for years. In addition, forty-seven million pounds
because the vitamin A carried in the fat will protect against of vegetables from the CRF plant went into seventy Asian-
any possible infection from the milk (Infection and Immunity style products produced by Tokyo-based Ajinooto Windsor,
July 2015;83(7):2984-2991). which had to recall its products as well (yahoo.com, May
20, 2016). It's doubtful that any of the provisions in FSMA
DASHING HOPES could have prevented an outbreak like this; meanwhile the
The main problem doctors have with cholesterol-lowering regulations fall heavily on small producers that do not pose
statin drugs is what they call “non-adherence.” People have any threat for widespread illness and death. The solution?
side effects when they take them, most often muscle pain, but Hold producers responsible for the safety of their food while
also memory and cognitive problems and new-onset diabetes. encouraging Americans to eat fresh, local and artisan.
Something like 50 percent of all patients put on statins have
discontinued them after one year. So the pharmaceutical
industry had high hopes for a drug called evacetrapib, which FOR SCIENTISTS AND LAY READERS
reduces LDL-cholesterol and raises HDL-cholesterol by Please note that the mission of the Weston A. Price
inhibiting something called CETP (cholesterolester trans- Foundation is to provide important information about diet
fer protein). In a recent study, patients taking the drug saw and health to both scientists and the lay public. For this
their LDL levels fall about 37 percent and their HDL more reason, some of the articles in Wise Traditions are neces-
than double. Yet these encouraging numbers did nothing sarily technical. It is very important for us to describe the
for the participants. The number of heart attacks, strokes science that supports the legitimacy of our dietary prin-
ciples. In articles aimed at scientists and practitioners, we
and deaths from cardiovascular disease were practically the provide a summary of the main points and also put the
same in the treatment and placebo groups. The researchers most technical information in sidebars. These articles are
naturally are scratching their heads. “It’s the most mind- balanced by others that provide practical advice to our
boggling question. How can a drug that lowers something lay readers.
Wise Traditions SUMMER 2016 Wise Traditions 13