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Hypoglycemia means a state of low blood sugar. A vigorously fit, well-nourished person never experiences this condition as the liver constantly provides blood sugar as required to maintain proper levels.

With low blood sugar, people feel tired, lethargic and depressed. That’s what a hangover is. A severe condition of hypoglycemia leads to a variety of neurological and psychiatric disorders such as giddiness, slurred speech, blurred vision, confusion, bizarre behavior, coma and apparent epilepsy.

Low blood sugar may result from long periods without food, and the hunger pangs which occur are a genuine distress signal to eat some food. In modern society, however, hypoglycemia is usually caused not by the absence of food but by excesses of it.

The condition is very prevalent and is caused mainly by the intake of refined carbohydrates such as processed and sweetened breakfast cereals, sugar—white, brown or raw—sweets, chocolate, health food sugar substitutes, soft drinks, alcohol etc. These are composed of simple molecule carbohydrate and as such are not digested in the normal way. They enter the bloodstream too rapidly and upset the sugar balance. The body’s control system goes into action and the pancreas pumps out insulin to reduce the sugar by converting it to fat. However, because this is an unnatural condition, the pancreas over-responds, excess insulin is released, and this results in too low a blood sugar level which is hypoglycemia. A sugary pep drink or an "energy bar" will quickly lift the blood sugar again and the person is refreshed—but only briefly until the confused body repeats the process.

In addition to the foodstuffs already mentioned, other unsuspected foods have been found also to rapidly raise blood sugar levels. Dr David Jenkins, of the University of Toronto, in 1983 rated various foods on a "glycemic scale" of zero to 100, with glucose, the most rapidly absorbed raiser of blood sugar being rated at 100. Surprisingly, cooked carrots rated 92, wholewheat bread 72, and pasta 50, compared to honey 87, table sugar 59, orange juice 46 and ice cream 36. Thus once again the cooking process stands condemned. Interestingly enough, in a paper entitled "Health Research" (July 1936) Dr Edward Howell of Chicago (see Enzymes ) described the rapid increase in blood sugar after eating wholewheat bread and in another paper, "More About Food Enzymes" (1941) said: "Many sufferers from diabetes sacrifice the admirable nutritional qualities of fresh fruit juices because of an exaggerated fear of the sugar content. They mistakenly place fruit sugar in the same low category as ordinary table sugar. The fact of the matter is that the sugars in fresh fruit juices are tolerated by the diabetic organism far better than cooked starches or sucrose. Research findings of medical authorities indicate that raw potato starch does not elevate the blood sugar appreciably, while the same starch, cooked, increases the blood sugar level markedly. Diabetics may take comfort in these facts and expect an improvement in health".

Hypoglycemia has also been linked with fluoridated water, inasmuch as fluoride has the effect of blocking aconitase which is a key enzyme in the metabolism of sugar for energy. Thus, as with diabetes, the symptoms of hypoglycemia may exist in the presence of high blood sugar levels simply because the body cannot utilize the sugar. Hypoglycemia can also be caused by excess insulin levels resulting from eating excess protein. Excess insulin levels in the blood is called hyperinsulinemia. Quoting from the Longevity Research paper on the subject:

"Rabinowitz tested eight normal women using three different meals. The high protein meal consisting of 27% protein, 31% fat and 42% carbohydrate produced a peak insulin level 200% higher than a 100 gm glucose drink. Such a meal is not unlike the high protein recommendations for hypoglycemic diets. Grasso confirmed Rabinowitz’ results in tests using glucose and amino acids with premature infants, obtaining peak insulin levels 400% higher on a 50% amino acid--50% glucose infusion than on glucose alone.

"Hyperinsulinemia can readily bring glucose levels down to hypoglycemic levels, but even more catastrophic, in Stout’s animal tests, elevated levels of insulin have stimulated cholesterol synthesis in the arterial wall, and have resulted in the formation of atherosclerotic plaques" ‘

Similar findings on the relationship of high insulin levels to hypoglycemia have recently been published by Drs J. Best, D. Chisholm and F. Alford of St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne. They call the condition insulinoma but apparently do not know the reason for its occurrence. In an article they wrote on the subject the doctors said they were disturbed that the condition was frequently incorrectly diagnosed. They described two specific cases in which women suffered from years of coma, epilepsy etc, while being treated unsuccessfully with drugs.

There must be countless people suffering in varying degrees of hypoglycemia, being miserable and causing unhappiness to others for whole lifetimes. All because of a diet high in protein and refined carbohydrates.

Dr Mary Jane Hungerford, director of the Santa Barbara (California) branch of the American Institute of Family Relations reported:

"Nutrition is involved in 99% of my cases and in 75% of them it is the major . or factor. Almost all of my patients complain of fatigue, and fatigue is one of the first signs of poor nutrition. It certainly is the basis of a great many fights."

Dr David Hawkins, director of psychiatric research at Brunswick Psychiatric Hospital, Amityville, New York, estimates that 50% of couples applying for marriage counselling have serious nutritional problems. "All the couples were amazed at the fantastic difference a simple change in diet made to their lives, often in just a week," he said. The most common disorder was hypoglycemia, causing apathy, irritability, leading to arguments and resentment and displays of temper and poor sex life. He blamed primarily sugary foods and refined carbohydrates.

Arthritis

Like other metabolic disease, arthritis is the product primarily of poor diet, but exacerbated by stress, smoking, lack of exercise and lack of sunshine. Many tests since 1940 have shown that arthritics display low blood serum levels of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) and that in many cases their condition was improved or eliminated by large doses of Vitamin C. This does not mean that Vitamin C deficiency is by itself the cause of arthritis, but that it is often a factor involved along with other malnutrition factors.

Gouty Arthritis: Gouty arthritis is associated with high uric acid levels and high levels of blood fats. High uric acid levels are caused by:

1. Food high in nucleic acid which converts to uric acid (animal protein foods and some cereals).
2. High fat levels which impede the clearance of uric acid from the body.

Yeast contains 40% nucleic acid, and 5 mg per day for 15 days has been shown to raise the uric acid level from 4.9 mg% to 9.4 mg%. The causes of high blood fats have been discussed earlier.

When uric acid levels are high, the blood can no longer contain it all in solution and the uric acid forms tiny sharp crystals. The lymphocytes, the white blood cells whose job it is to destroy invading foreign matter, attack the crystals. However, the lymphocytes are not capable of digesting the crystals and are instead killed by them, whereupon the cells’ highly corrosive digestive juices are released, and it is these juices which attack the joints and cause the damage which is arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis: Poor circulation due to high fat levels causes edema (tissues swell with fluid), and the already poor oxygen supply in the joints is further inhibited. Deprived of oxygen, the white blood cells swell and finally burst and again the destructive juices attack the joints. A blow to the joint can trigger edema and induce arthritis but will only do so in association with high fat levels. "Housemaid’s Knee" is an example, and men working with hydraulic jack hammers have their fingers affected. Tight gloves can have the same effect.

Dr K. Lund-Oleson in 1970 reported that when the synovial fluid from the knees of rheumatoid arthritis patients was examined, the fluid samples contained on the average, only 30% of normal oxygen levels. Those with only 25% or less could not bear weight on their joints.

Emotional stress is often a major factor in rheumatoid arthritis as it is in many other diseases, by its disruptive effect on the hormonal system and its effect of elevating blood fats. Dr Stephen Black in his book Mind and Body (William Kimber, London, 1969), states that the incidence of this disease is seven times greater among women than among men, and described how in the majority of cases the women are the intelligent active type frustrated by the role in life in which they find themselves, and unhappy in their relationships with men.

Osteoarthritis occurs when the damage takes place to cartilage.

If an arthritic person is placed in a pressure oxygen chamber, his pain is relieved because oxygen is forced through to the white cells.

Stress can induce arthritis because adrenalin causes a rapid rise in free fatty acids in the blood as described in Heart Attack. Refined carbohydrates, deficient in vitamins, produce an effect on the body the same as stress and when eaten are often responsible for triggering an attack of arthritis. White bread is bad, even wholegrain bread and other acid-forming cereal foods are conducive to arthritis. Salt and oral contraceptives adversely affect the blood and can induce edema with consequential arthritis.

The relationship between mental stress and various inflammatory ailments, such as skin rashes and arthritis, is being investigated by Dr Loris Chahl at Queensland University. She said her research was "getting somewhere" and that if a connection was proved, it would help to explain a lot of clinical problems. "Many people unsuccessfully sought treatment for skin complaints, such as soreness and redness, which appeared at times of stress," she said. The connection that Dr Chahl seeks to prove has already been explained and it is unfortunate that in this computer age duplication of research is still unavoidable.

In particular, deficiencies of vitamins of the B complex, C, E and B12 in the diet inhibit oxygen transport in the bloodstream. Such deficiencies are conducive to arthritis. On poor oxygen transport—to quote again from Dr Dintenfas:

"It would be worthwhile to note that osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are associated with an elevation of plasma viscosity (Houston et al, 1949--Gasen et al, 1970) and an elevation of the degree of aggregation of red cells (Laine and Zilliacus 1950, Redioch et al, 1970). High blood viscosity always leads to a slow-down of circulation and to reduced oxygenation of tissues."

That the heart attack which killed Pope Paul was preceded by an attack of arthritis was no coincidence but a clear demonstration of impaired oxygen transport. As with many heart attacks, it is significant that attacks of arthritis frequently occur in the middle of the night, after a hearty dinner which has elevated the victim’s blood fats.

Medical treatment for arthritis is quite useless. In gouty arthritis sometimes gold salts are injected as treatment. The white cells which envelop the gold particles instead of uric acid crystals, cannot digest them either and so are immobilized, but do not burst. In some cases relief maybe felt by the patient.

Cortizone will destroy white blood cells and perhaps relieve some symptoms but is other-wise harmful. The body vitally needs white cells. Aspirin may relieve arthritis too, by its effect on suppressing the white blood cells. X-rays can also kill white cells. With inactive white cells, colds and infections will persist.

On the other hand, the adoption of correct diet reverses arthritis. There was a case at the Pritikin Center of a young man, a professional skier who, having injured his hip, was crippled with arthritis and eventually his femur (the large thigh bone) deteriorated and was apparently dead. He was given no alternative but to have an artificial hip joint but decided against it. When he arrived at the center, he looked lean and fit but his blood test showed the highest fat level they had ever recorded. It was because he used to eat only one meal a day, that being a 16 oz steak, no complex carbohydrate, followed by sweets. On the center’s diet, for three weeks he could walk only 100 feet with pain. After five weeks he increased to half a mile, then a mile, without pain, and after six weeks progressed to three miles and straight away walked a whole 20 miles with no pain! An x-ray showed that the femur had regenerated with new bone tissue!

Jean Halewyn, 52, of Avalon Beach (Sydney), was a sad girl back in March 1979. She had arthritis throughout her body and could not bend her ankles or knees. She was in constant pain and had not been able to wear shoes for two years. Her own story appears in Chapter 2.

It was thrilling to see her in July, after about four months on the Pritikin diet and a gradually increased walking program, wearing shoes and gleefully dancing a little jig. It should be noted that the Pritikin diet encourages the too liberal intake of grain products which in many cases actually exacerbates arthritis. Jean Halewyn’s recovery was due to her towered intake of fat and protein.

Thus the cure for arthritis lies, as with other metabolic diseases, in—

1. Adoption of a very low fat, low protein diet mainly of fresh, ripe fruit. Acid-forming cereals and legumes, as well as meat, eggs and dairy products, should be avoided. Unpolished rice is the best cereal because it is nourishing but contains less protein. Meals should be small but frequent, preferably uncooked.
2. Adoption of a moderate exercise program.
3. Elimination of emotional stress factors.
4. Elimination of smoking, alcohol, drugs etc.
5. Exposure to natural sunlight without spectacles or sunglasses.

The prostate is an organ, partly glandular, partly muscular, involved in male sexual and urinary functions.

Along with the degeneration of the rest of the body which starts becoming apparent in middle-aged men in our society, the prostate too declines in function and eventually becomes diseased. It has been estimated that at least 70% of men over 50 suffer from prostate trouble to some degree, and almost all men over 70. In many cases, cancer eventuates.

Early evidence of prostate trouble is increased frequency of urinating, sometimes with discomfort, difficulty in urinating, and lessening of sexual drive, these sometimes accompanied by aches and pains around the groin and lower back. Feelings of depression which sometimes also accompany these symptoms are, of course, another indication of body degeneration.

Whereas (as with other degenerative conditions) vitamin therapy alone has been shown to achieve alleviation of prostate problems, Dr Herbert Shelton, the famous nutritionist, has been for many years successfully treating patients by natural hygiene methods, which are based on a diet of raw fruit and vegetables, except that he recommends fasting in some cases. The elimination of stress, overwork, alcohol, coffee, tea etc. is important.

Enlarged prostates, he reported, are normalized in size and function in as short a time as seven days.