Page 54 - summer2016

ramifications. Moreover, DBR syndrome is of the skulls” (page 100), and remarked on the superior skull development
11
only one component of a lengthy roster of neu- of other primitive groups, particularly those who made abundant use of
rological disorders that characterize our modern sea-animal life—noteworthy for its especially high content of minerals
era and reflect diminished brain resilience, in- and fat-soluble activators (page 495). Examining a collection of ancient
cluding, notably, Alzheimer’s disease, but also and modern skulls in Rome, Price found that whereas “only four skulls
other forms of dementia, Parkinson’s disease out of 4,000 [0.1 percent] belonging to the pre-Christian era…showed
and other disorders. Neurological disorders and serious malformations, approximately 40 percent of the skulls…of people
deaths have increased disproportionately in the who died in the last fifty years [in mental institutions] showed gross im-
context of declining total mortality. In 2010, for perfections and abnormal formations.” To endow modern-day children
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example, the U.S. ranked second among twenty- with the thick, strong skulls that Price once encountered and that surely
one high-income countries in deaths from neu- represented protection against the adverse effects of concussion, modern
rological disorders, up from seventeenth place parents-to-be and parents cannot afford to neglect sacred foods such as
in 1991. One in nine Americans (11 percent) cod liver oil, raw milk and other raw dairy products from pastured cows
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has Alzheimer’s disease (AD)—the sixth lead- and egg yolks from pastured chickens. For the more adventurous eaters,
ing cause of death in the U.S.—and AD-related small fish such as anchovies and sardines, fish roe, liver and bone marrow
mortality rose by 68 percent between 2000 and are also excellent sources of minerals and fat-soluble activators. 27
2010. 26 Unfortunately, it is impossible to eliminate fully our toxic exposure
In light of these dire trends, what are we to to pernicious substances such as glyphosate, but there is much that we can
do? The first step is to ensure that mothers-to- do to limit the damage that such toxins cause. In addition to eating the
be and growing children, especially, consume type of diet just described, we clearly should stay away from GM foods
nourishing foods with the high levels of min- and ingredients, improve and maintain our gut health through regular
erals (including good sources of calcium) and consumption of fermented foods and avoidance of antibiotics, make
fat-soluble activators needed to support optimal sure that we consume adequate omega-3 fatty acids (seafood and organ
skeletal development. The fat-soluble activa- meats are superb sources of DHA) and avoid sunscreen and sunglasses
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tors—that is, the animal forms of vitamins A, to ensure that we get enough sunlight to support sulfate synthesis and
D and K —are essential for enabling the body vitamin D conversion. Avoiding aluminum exposure—and particularly
3
2
3
to absorb and use minerals. As documented in injected aluminum—is also critical. More broadly, there is no doubt that
Weston A. Price’s masterpiece, Nutrition and we should all be working to encourage a societal shift away from the
Physical Degeneration, the quality of skeletal chemical- and toxin-dependent agricultural and medical practices that
material is wholly dependent on adequate and are diminishing brain resilience.
appropriate nutrition that features these key
components. Price noted, for example, that Merinda Teller, MPH, PhD is a freelance writer specializing in the areas
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“the excellent nutrition of the pre-Columbian of nutrition and holistic health.
Indians is indicated in the comparative thickness

TRUE STORIES OF CONCUSSION

• A boy grew up eating a junk food diet and drinking large quantities of soda. One day, while waiting for his carpool,
he fell off of a two-foot-high wall and hit his head, resulting in a concussion. The boy died the following day.

• Another boy was small and had difficulty gaining weight. His pediatrician recommended that he be allowed to eat
whatever he wanted, as long as he was consuming calories of any type, even candy. As a result, candy bars and other
junk food were his mainstays. By his teenage years, he had had half a dozen repeat concussions and, despite a great
love of athletics, was not allowed to play further sports, for his own safety.

• A third boy grew up eating a Weston A. Price style traditional foods diet. One winter, he lost control of his sled going
down a steep hill and slammed head first into the side of his house. After a short rest, he was perfectly fine.
54 Wise Traditions SUMMER 2016 Wise Traditions