Page 20 - Winter2014

Caustic Commentary

Sally Fallon Morell takes on the Diet Dictocrats

FEAR-BOLA FALLING BEHIND
It's hard to know what to believe when reading or hearing Americans are falling behind in the getting older race. Back in
about Ebola. Will it wipe out a large portion of the world's the 1960s, American women were among the longest-lived in
population or is that idea a media invention? (Probably the the world, but between 1980 and 2006 female life expectancy
latter since deaths from Ebola have averaged forty-one per grew at about 60 percent of the rate for comparative countries
year over the thirty-seven years since its discovery, most of and we are now ranked 28th. Women in France, Germany,
them occurring in central Africa.) Is it spread by contact with Sweden, Italy, Japan, England, Holland and Canada live longer
an infected person's bodily fluids or simply by proximity? than we do. Top of the pile is Japan where the average Japa-
Do only people with obvious symptoms transfer the disease nese woman lives to just short of eighty-six years. American
or can nonsymptomatic people spread men are also falling behind. The
it? Are Ebola cases in Africa limited longest lived males are Australians
to those who have received treatments (79.27 years on average), followed
and injections from the Red Cross? Or by Japanese (79.2) and Swedes
is Ebola just a form of malaria, which (78.92). The average lifespan for
has been a scourge in Africa for mil- American men is 75.64 (www.npr.
lenia? We hear all of these viewpoints org/blogs/krulwich, October 21,
in the news and on the Internet, plus a 2013). Even more worrisome is an
huge amount of scaremongering. But "unheard of" drop in life expectancy
one thing no one is talking about is for uneducated white women in
nutrition. Ebola is caused by a virus the U.S. According to a new study
and the main thing viruses do is de- published in the Journal of Health
plete vitamin A. Vitamin A-rich foods Affairs (August 2012 31(8)1803-
such as liver, grass-fed butter, and 1813), white women who dropped
cod liver oil—or even just vitamin A out of high school experienced a
capsules—should serve as the basis of five-year decline in life expectancy
prevention and treatment. Vitamin D, from 1990 to 2008, "an unheard-of
vitamin K, vitamin C, zinc and even drop for a wealthy country in the age
LDL-cholesterol play a role in helping of modern medicine," according to
the body fight infection. An interesting one writer. Maybe the problem is
article by Bill Sardi points out that the A typical school lunch under the modern medicine, which, with its
major drugs given to Ebola patients new Michelle Obama program. emphasis on lowering cholesterol,
deplete one or more of these critical has turned Americans, especially
nutrients. Acetaminophen—sometimes up to three grams uneducated women, away from whole foods like butter and
daily—given to Ebola patients depletes the body of glutathi- eggs and into the arms of the vegetable oil industry. Then,
one and indirectly of vitamin C as this nutrient is required to when they develop chronic disease, a cocktail of conventional
maintain glutathione levels. Antibiotics such as amoxycillin, drugs carries them off.
ciprofloxacin (Cipro) and ceftriaxone (Rocephin) deplete
vitamin K. Anti-malaria drugs such as quinine also deplete TASTES LIKE VOMIT
vitamin K (and increase death rates up to 100 percent). As Describing her family's eating habits as a "bacon-and-eggs"
Sardi points out, vitamin D (and vitamin A) pills cost pen- diet when her husband first took office, Michelle Obama
nies, yet they are not offered to Ebola patients. One thing for then took a wrong turn and used her influence to promote a
certain, eating a WAPF diet rich in nutrient-dense foods is lean diet based largely on fruits and non-starchy vegetables
a prime defense against all illness, including Ebola. (www. for school children. Under the three billion-dollar National
knowledgeofhealth.com, July 29, 2014) School Lunch Program, participating schools can only provide

16 Wise Traditions WINTER 2014 Wise Traditions

145881_text.indd 16 12/23/14 12:16 AM