Chapter 3-5 of
Healing Foods by Walter Last
What to use and how to take
it? See how nutritional supplements can help you
Most
individuals on conventional diets with much refined and processed food have
either outright deficiencies or a shortage of various vitamins, minerals,
enzymes and hormones. Generally, the intake of essential nutrients is less than
optimal, making us susceptible to disease. Deficiencies are even more
widespread in those who suffer already an acute or chronic disease. Sometimes
individuals have had to suffer for years and have had large expenses for
conventional treatments while a few simple supplements could correct the
problems.
Supplements
are most important for individuals with malabsorption and those who still
retain processed and refined food as part of their diet, or who cannot
regularly obtain vegetables and fruit grown organically in good soil. The more
serious the disease or the health deterioration, the more are supplements
likely to be beneficial and the greater should be the dosages and range of
supplements.
Calcium
supplements are commonly used with conventional diets and many are apprehensive
of obtaining sufficient calcium when abstaining from milk products. This
concern is unfounded. Calcium is not well absorbed from milk as can be seen in
the high incidence of osteoporosis developing on conventional Western diets
while this is not a problem in milk-free Asian countries. Vegetables, sprouted
and fermented seeds, on the other hand, are high in useable calcium. The
calcium content in juice from cereal grasses is higher than in milk. Cows
obtain their calcium from grass.
Similar
considerations apply to iron, which can easily become harmful as an inorganic
supplement; anyway, much more widespread than calcium and iron deficiencies are
deficiencies in chromium, magnesium, selenium, and zinc.
Generally,
health authorities promote pharmaceutical drugs as beneficial and natural
remedies as harmful. To denigrate natural remedies they are officially called
drugs, and the doctrine has been invented that synthetic products are the same
as natural ones. Negative or harmful research results using synthetic products,
such as vitamins A, D, E or beta-carotene, are then used as ‘scientific’ proof
that natural remedies are either useless or dangerous.
Many
supplements are concentrated health foods; taking these is not the same as the
'pill-popping' of medical drugs. While I believe that supplements are
unnecessary if one is healthy and lives on a high quality diet in an unpolluted
environment, I also feel that it is very difficult to remain healthy in present
times and even more difficult to heal an 'incurable' disease. Carefully
selected supplements can make a great difference in these endeavors, especially
for those who are just starting to improve their diets.
I
am not in favor of using multivitamin tablets as they often contain synthetic forms
of vitamins A, D and E. Instead, if required, it is better to use a low-potency
B complex in addition to vitamin C and cod liver or halibut liver oil. Mineral
supplements are often more important than vitamins and may contain
approximately 15 mg zinc, 5 mg manganese 100 to 200 mcg selenium and 200 mcg
chromium, also 500 mg of magnesium and up to twice this amount of calcium if
the blood pressure is low. Much higher doses, especially of selected vitamins,
may be used where indicated for therapeutic effects.
In
addition, you may use general supplements to increase overall well-being and
vitality. Of special benefit for those lacking energy are ginseng, coenzyme
Q10, royal jelly, bee-pollen and freeze-dried liver. Pollen is my favorite as well as spirulina or chlorella. Even more
beneficial than dried algae are frozen ones such as those marketed as E3
because they still contain all of their enzymes.
Digestive
enzymes and hydrochloric-acid supplement can help those with weak digestion.
For those in conditions of debility, amino acid and nucleic acid supplements
can also help. The most important amino acids are generally lysine, tyrosine,
methionine and glutamine. Various herbs can be used to tone up the whole body
or to strengthen specific organs or functions.
Many
supplements such as vitamin B12 and the freeze-dried glands are much more
effective if partly absorbed under the tongue, chewed lightly, and kept in the
mouth for as long as possible.
Lecithin
is beneficial for most individuals; you may mix a teaspoonful with meals.
Lecithin can be mixed with ground linseed in the same jar. If lack of omega-3
fatty acids is indicated, linseed oil or cod-liver oil and other fish oils may
be taken; in case of malabsorption the oil may be rubbed into the skin. These
oils help to reduce inflammations, pain and allergic swellings. On a diet low
in iodized salt and seafood we may become iodine deficient. Kelp tablets or
granules are excellent for supplying iodine as well as many other minerals.
With infections use high levels of vitamins C, A and E, zinc, propolis and
echinacea.
Sulfur
compounds detoxify and remove from the body heavy metals, harmful chemicals and
drugs. MSM is especially good for this (see the separate article in this
chapter). Sulfur is also a main component of connective tissue, and
supplementation is beneficial with all connective tissue diseases (for example,
arthritis). Even simply taking powdered sulfur has been shown to increase the
formation of useful sulfur compounds. You may just take a gelatin capsule
filled with sulfur once a day or mix a pinch of it with each meal. The main
sulfur amino acids are taurine, L-cysteine and L-methionine, the main sulfur
foods are egg and onion.
Generally,
increase and decrease high levels of supplements, especially vitamins,
gradually and interrupt or greatly reduce supplement intake during fasting or
cleansing periods. Most vitamin-mineral supplements are best absorbed and cause
less gastro-intestinal irritation if mixed with the meal as powders, crushed
tablets or opened capsules. The next best way is to swallow tablets near the
middle of the meal and avoid slow-release tablets. However, take amino acids
before the meal. This applies also to calcium as it is not well absorbed and
tends to form insoluble soaps with fatty acids during digestion.
Selection of Vitamin Supplements
Commercial
growing and processing and traditional Western cooking methods reduce the
vitamin and mineral content of food to only a fraction of that in fresh, raw,
organically grown foods. As an example, methyl bromide, a widely used fumigant
for grains, destroys all the pantothenic acid (a B vitamin).
Unfortunately, these
days many vitamins (especially vitamin C and the B vitamins) are simply not
available in sufficient amounts in foods or natural supplements, and synthetic
supplements are sometimes necessary in order to improve or maintain health.
However, vitamins that are available as natural concentrates (A, D and E)
should be avoided in synthetic form. Natural vitamin E is d-alpha tocopherol;
dl-alpha tocopherol is synthetic. Even better is the whole vitamin E complex in
the form of mixed tocopherols or a combination of alpha tocopherol and mixed
tocopherols.
Store vitamin supplements in a dry, cool and dark place. Oil-filled
capsules should be taken during a meal containing oily or fatty food and
lecithin. However, many individuals most in need of these vitamins have
absorption problems and for them oil-filled capsules are not suitable.
Therefore, I generally recommend using tablets of natural vitamin E rather than
oil-filled capsules. If in doubt about your digestive abilities take a few
halibut oil or other fish oil capsules at bedtime and keeping them in the mouth
to be slowly absorbed over night. Otherwise take all supplements during meals
or mixed with food. Small amounts with several meals are better absorbed than a
large amount in a single dose. Increase and decrease high-dosage supplements
gradually.
Chewing vitamin and mineral supplements together with food produces much
better results than just swallowing them. Appreciable amounts of vitamin B12
can be absorbed by keeping a tablet under the tongue, even if it cannot
be absorbed in the stomach, because of a lack of 'intrinsic factor' (a
substance usually present in the stomach that is involved in the absorption of
vitamin B12). However, more recent studies show that vitamin B12 is
even better absorbed through the nasal mucosa. At bedtime you may just put a
drop from an opened vitamin B12 ampoule into each nostril.
If there are signs of
increased requirements for individual nutrients, you may use separate
supplements for the B group and the vitamins A, C and E, in addition to the
indicated deficient nutrients.
The acid form of
vitamin C (ascorbic acid) may be used with protein meals, especially if you are
too alkaline or lacking in gastric acid. If more than 3-5 g per day is taken
regularly, those with high blood pressure may partly neutralize the ascorbic
acid with an equal amount of milk of magnesia, or with one-third the amount of
potassium bicarbonate or magnesium carbonate. With low blood pressure and
possible overacidity you may take calcium ascorbate instead.
Antioxidants are of
greatest importance for minimizing oxidative tissue damage and, with this,
avoid diseases and delay aging. In a more recent development a high intake of
antioxidants has also been found to be crucial in preventing and overcoming
viral infections. The major antioxidants include the vitamins A, C and E, the
minerals selenium and zinc as components of antioxidant enzyme systems, the
plant pigments beta-carotene, bioflavonoids and anthocyanins as well as phenols
and catechols (e.g. Pycnogenol, grape seed extract, green tea). Other powerful
antioxidants are alpha lipoic acid and negative hydrogen as in Microhydrin or
electrolytically reduced water (ERW) produced with water ionizers. Whether you
take antioxidants as supplements or as part of a high-quality diet, just make
sure that you get plenty.
Instead
of taking vitamin and mineral supplements it is often more effective and cheaper
to use special foods high in vitamins, minerals and enzymes, such as sprouted
seeds and juices of young grasses and colored root vegetables. The only
disadvantage is that this requires greatly increased time and energy. Very high
levels of vitamins and minerals are often needed because the body has become
inefficient in absorbing and using them, and also because of allergies, chronic
inflammations, low gastric acid levels, parasites, stress and chemical
contamination
These
problems can usually be improved or rectified on a predominantly raw-food
cleansing diet based on fermented food, purple food, grass and vegetable juice
and sprouted seeds. Despite the fact that someone on such a diet has a much
lower vitamin and mineral intake than the person on high potency tablets,
overall healing is much more effective.
After
sufficient health improvement, you may feel that most nutritional supplements
are no longer needed. With a good maintenance diet, I recommend to continue
indefinitely using the following health foods, or equivalent ones: several
teaspoons each of bee pollen, ground linseed, and spirulina or chlorella; half
a teaspoon of kelp, and one tablespoon of cod liver oil (emulsified with
lecithin and fresh juice); also some lecithin and magnesium chloride with meals
will be helpful.
Generally,
health authorities promote pharmaceutical drugs as beneficial and natural
remedies as harmful. They tend to call natural remedies “drugs”, and the
doctrine has been invented that synthetic nutrients are the same as natural
ones. Negative or harmful research results using synthetic products, such as
vitamins A, D, E or beta-carotene, are then used as ‘‘scientific proof” that
natural remedies are either useless or dangerous.
While
numerous trials have shown significant health benefits for individuals with
higher levels of beta-carotene in their blood, clinical trials with synthetic
beta-carotene and synthetic vitamin E have shown increased rates of death due
to cancer.
Vitamin A has been portrayed
as the most dangerous supplement, largely based on studies with synthetic
vitamin A. There are dire warnings that it can easily cause death in amounts
higher than the RDA (5,000 IU). However, many people take 25,000 IU or more
daily without problems, and as far as I can ascertain, there has never been a
death recorded due to vitamin A supplements in the
I am
not aware of any pharmaceutical drug having such a good safety record. Even one
of the safest drugs, aspirin, has been stated to cause about 100 deaths a year,
and many more cases of toxicity. In comparison the reported cases of (usually
easily reversible) vitamin A toxicity in the
Similar unfounded attacks
have been made against vitamins C and E. For more detailed information on this
subject see The Life Extension Foundation at www.lef.org, for articles on
megavitamin therapy also www.doctoryourself.com.
Imagine
the mass media if there were actually some fatalities due to vitamin A. Yet
there is no concern at all about thousands of patients dying, in my view
unnecessarily, due to prescription drugs. In the public the perception has been
generated that fatalities due to prescription drugs are a small price to pay
for their overall benefit. This benefit has never been shown in the long term.
Drug approval is based on short-term trials, and only by accident may the truth
of long-term harm occasionally emerge as in the case of hormone-replacement
therapy. I believe that in the long-term all drugs become harmful, and a burden
on the liver or kidneys by increasing our load of toxic chemicals, and
accelerate our health deterioration. Therefore, with any health problem, inform
yourself about all available options.
I
believe that there are at most a handful of medical drugs that may be
beneficial for the user while all the thousands of other drugs are only
beneficial for the prescriber and the pharmaceutical industry. Almost all drugs
are designed to alleviate only symptoms without really improving our health. On
the contrary, in addition to numerous side effects, they commonly become a
burden on the liver or kidneys by increasing our load of toxic chemicals, and
with this accelerate our health deterioration. Many also tend to become
addictive and when withdrawing the drug produce the same symptoms that they
originally made to go away.
Herbs
are not completely harmless either but damage due to commonly used herbs is
extremely rare while benefits are usually more genuine and lasting. In contrast
to culinary herbs medicinal herbs should be used on a long-term basis only if
there is a reason for using them and not just in case they may do some good.
Herbs for a wide range of health problems have been listed in Specific Health Problems. Here I just like to
enlarge on a few herbs and conditions that I regard as being particularly
important on the road to better health.
A
good combination to cleanse the gastro-intestinal tract is a mixture of chilies
with a sufficiently large quantity of gingerroot. Blend or crush these in lemon
juice and olive oil and refrigerate. Use this as a salad dressing or generally
for flavoring meals. Gradually increase the intake to just below your tolerance
level for several weeks. Then you may continue to use it just in normal amounts
for flavoring your food. With serious infections, inflammations or cancer of
the gastro-intestinal tract you may also add fresh garlic for a limited period.
Peppermint
tea is especially good to stimulate the digestion and uplift the spirit while
slippery elm powder soothes the digestive tract. Sage is highly esteemed. An
ancient saying is: 'Why die (of a disease) when sage grows in your garden?' It
may be combined with other herbs and is prepared by adding 2 teaspoons of dried
sage to 1 pint of boiling water. After 3 minutes take off the heat and let draw
for another 10 minutes. Other fragrant or leaf herbs such as peppermint or St
Johnswort may be added while drawing. The latter, of course, is very effective
against depression. In a comparative clinical trial it has been found to be as
effective as antidepressant drugs.
The
immune system may be strengthened with echinacea, propolis, European mistletoe
(viscum album), Easter lily, Reishi and other oriental mushrooms. Echinacea may
be added to all other herb combinations. However, there are some findings that
echinacea can cause problems if taken uninterruptedly for several months.
Therefore it may be preferable to interrupt its use after a month and then take
it again a few weeks later.
Wormwood
and garlic are excellent against all kinds of parasites as well as Candida. A
combination of golden seal, ginger and slippery elm powder is good with
gastro-intestinal inflammations and also multiple sclerosis. In addition to
being an excellent wound healer, comfrey is also a good detoxifier. You may drink
a cupful of comfrey tea two or three times a week.
To
aid digestion it is generally beneficial to drink half a cup of bitter herb tea
after a large or cooked meal. Suitable are centaury, dandelion (not roasted),
devil's claw, gentian and others. These also help to restore liver functions.
With any lung conditions, including lung cancer, have a daily steam inhalation
(with a towel over the head) of hot chamomile tea, possibly with the addition
of eucalyptus or tea tree oil or some onion.
Maca
is a root vegetable from the Peruvian Andes. It is by far the best remedy for
balancing the activities of our endocrine glands and hormone systems. It
appears to act directly on the hypothalamus and pituitary systems to regulate
especially the thyroid, adrenals and sex glands. It is especially effective
with underactive thyroid, as an alternative to hormone replacement therapy,
including hysterectomy, for age-related decline in the production of sex
hormones and with general lack of energy. An average daily intake is about 10 g
but start with less.
Licorice,
too, has some effect on sex hormones but is most useful as a stimulant of
adrenal functions. With this it can raise low blood pressure and energy levels
and is useful for chronic fatigue syndrome, peptic ulcers, skin inflammations
and HIV/AIDS, it also increases pancreas secretions. However, it causes
retention of sodium and low potassium levels and should not be used with high
blood pressure, kidney disease or during pregnancy. The normal therapeutic
range is from 2 to 6 g daily.
For
an overview of herbs in cancer treatment see Overcoming Cancer Part 6: Remedies.
Aloe
Vera
Aloe
vera is excellent for all skin conditions and beneficial in the treatment of
cancer, AIDS and other infectious diseases. It is also good for
gastro-intestinal irritation, inflammation and ulcers. However, not all
commercial brands of aloe on the market are effective. If nothing seems to be
happening, try another brand.
Preferably
use fresh aloe vera gel straight from the garden, as much as you have and can
take without getting diarrhea. Normally you slice off the green skin and ingest
just the gel but you may also blend a small whole leaf with suitable additions
and some fruit juice or other flavoring. Also for wounds it is usually better
to slice part of a leaf in half and leave the skin on top. Normally avoid the
base of the leaf with its yellow sap, as this is a strong irritant and
laxative. Aloe vera is most beneficial for those with blood group A, with other
blood groups check for compatibility or observe effects.
Parasites
Parasite
infestations combine with fungi, such as Candida, to greatly undermine our
long-term health. Examples of common parasites are intestinal worms and
protozoa. Malaria and Giardia are protozoa. Most of these parasites can be
eliminated with wormwood (Arthemesia absinthium), best combined with other
herbs.
In
her book, The Cure for all Cancers Hulda Clark claims that the human intestinal
fluke is involved with all cases of cancer, AIDS and other diseases, especially
when it lodges in the liver. Many individuals claim that eliminating parasites
with the 3 recommended remedies, green tincture of black walnut hulls,
wormwood, and ground cloves, has greatly helped them. In addition, one should
avoid propyl alcohol, propanol or isopropanol as in cold cereals, cosmetics,
shampoo, lotions, sprays and shaving supplies.
The
cloves should be freshly ground; you may order 200g in addition to 100g of
wormwood. In a modified program I recommend taking 4 drops of Black Walnut 4 x
in liquid during the first day. If this is all right, take 4 x 8 drops the next
day, then 4 x 12 drops, 4 x 16 drops and on the 5th day 4 x 20 drops. Then
continue taking 20 drops once a day for several weeks.
Wormwood
is very bitter. You may put the ground wormwood into empty gelatin capsules
size 00. Start with 1 capsule before supper and increase by 1 capsule per day
to 7 capsules on the 7th day and for 2 more days then continue for several more
weeks taking 7 capsules twice a week. Alternatively, you may take it just with
a spoon and wash it down; 1-heaped teaspoon is equivalent to about 7 capsules.
With
cloves you take 1 capsule 3 x before meals on the 1st day, 3 x 2 capsules on
the 2nd day and after that 3 x 3 capsules until day 10. Finally take 3 capsules
only once a day for several weeks. If you want to take ground cloves directly
on a teaspoon use half a level teaspoon instead of 3 capsules and wash down
with plenty of liquid. If you have a sensitive stomach you may proceed much
more slowly increasing either one of these remedies. You may repeat this or a
similar program twice a year to prevent re-infection.
There
are now tinctures available which contain all three ingredients in one
convenient preparation. However, I believe the dry herbs to be stronger and if
you know to have parasites or a serious health problem, then take the
individual herbs initially and the combination remedy for maintenance or
repeats. During any parasite or Candida cure have a high intake of water or
diluted liquids to flush out toxic residues. In addition to any herbal remedies
an electronic zapper is recommended to keep the blood clean. The relevant book
by Hulda Clark is The Cure for All Diseases (ProMotion Publishing).
Papaw
Leaf
Papaw
(papaya) leaf tea or extract is highly regarded as a tumor destroying agents
but is also good as a liver cleanser and digestive aid. However, I believe that
the main healing agent is in the white sap that is more in the leaf stems,
twigs and skins of green papaws than in the leaf itself. Dried preparations may
be less potent, especially as it is so much easier to dry leaves rather than
stems. Fresh leaves and stems may be supplied by parcel mail from a papaw farm
and refrigerated or frozen for several weeks. You may also prepare a
concentrated tea or juice and freeze that.
The
usual instruction is to cram as many papaw leaves as possible into a saucepan
and cover with water. Bring to a boil and then let simmer for 2 - 3 hours.
Drain and refrigerate the liquid. Drink one large glassful or about 200ml three
times a day. Continue until recovery.
In
addition, you may eat some cooked green papaws and ingest the water in which
they have been cooked. You may also use peeled green papaw for juicing or in
salads and simmer the skin with or instead of leaves to make the bitter tea.
Papaw leaf juice is also available commercially but I cannot comment on the
effectiveness of these preparations.
However,
I believe that the fresh juice of green papaws, leaves and stems is even more
effective than boiled reparations. This is a concentrated solution of the
protein-digesting enzyme papain. A spoonful of it in diluted form is excellent
to be taken with or after meals. It is, of course, rather bitter. A recommended
way of preparing it is to freeze the juice in ice-cube trays. This may be used
in addition to the boiled leaf juice.
Chapter 3: HEALTH FOODS AND NUTRIENTS
·
Vitamins
·
Minerals
·
Herbs