It is very likely that malnutrition is the main cause of overweight.  When there is inadequate intake of all essential nutrients, fat is not readily or efficiently burned.  Fat is burned only if sufficient energy is produced.  Energy production depends upon almost every known nutrient.  The B vitamins are important for energy production.  Fat is burned at a greatly reduced rate if pantothenic acid and protein are under-supplied.  Vitamin B6 is necessary for the energy conversion of stored fat.  It is also a factor in the utilization of protein and fat.  Proteins are needed for the proper functioning of many energy-producing enzymes.  Protein itself cannot be effectively used without many other nutrients including choline and vitamin B6.  Sufficient vitamin E doubles fat utilization.  Lecithin aids the cells to burn fat; any deficiency of the nutrients necessary for lecithin production, specifically choline and inositol, results in poor fat utilization.

Liver damage is common in overweight persons.  When the liver is injured, sufficient amounts of energy-producing enzymes are unable to be synthesized.  A diet including complete proteins, the vitamins B complex, choline, B12 C,  E and lecithin aid the restoration of the liver.

Some individuals who experience an uncontrollable hunger may have damaged brain cells in the hypothalamus, the area that regulates the desire to eat.  This damage can occur from certain food, or foods or environmental substances to which the person is allergic.  Certain medications such as tranquilizers, viral infections, nutritional deficiencies, or other brain injuries can also adversely affect these cells.  Other persons may have the desire for a specific food to which they have an allergic addiction.  If they do not obtain this food, they experience typical withdrawal reactions.  In both situations, a diet high in all essential nutrients and avoidance of the offending substance can gradually result in weight reduction.

Calories and exercise are essential considerations in losing weight.  Fat is metabolically formed in the body when more food energy or calories are consumed than the body is able to use.  One pound of fatty tissue is equal to 3500 calories.  When the number of calories used during the day exceeds the amount consumed, the body oxidizes its supplies of fat to produce energy, and thereby a reduction of body weight results.  A daily decrease of 1000 calories results in approximately 2 pounds of weight loss per week.  Calories may be burned up by the basal metabolism, which includes normal body function such as breathing and digestion.  All activity, such as walking, talking, working or playing baseball, uses p additional energy and calories.  For example, one hour of average office work probably used up only 10 to 15 calories, whereas moderate housework may require 70 calories per hour more than basal metabolism requirements.  Brisk walking uses up about 110 calories per hour, driving a car uses about 40.  Strenuous exercise and hard physical labor may require more than 400 calories per hour.

Research appears to indicate that it is not entirely the amount of food eaten that adds weight buy the kind of food eaten.  Unrefined foods contain all nutrients that are necessary for efficient energy production.  Refined foods, however, not only lack most of these nutrients but tremendously increase the body’s requirement for them.

In order to lose weight safely, a person must set up a sensible long-range diet plan that includes all the essential nutrients and minerals.  Diets that lack or greatly reduce one or another of the nutrients, notably carbohydrates, can possibly be injurious to the body by inducing an abnormal metabolic state that could cause innumerable complications leading to permanent cellular damage.  Carbohydrates should be chosen from the best nutritional sources, such as whole grain products and fruits that contain essential nutrients.  Fat intake should come primarily from sources of unsaturated fatty acids and from such animal fats as butter and whole milk, which are good sources of fat-soluble vitamins.  Excess fat is hr to metabolized and can upset liver and kidney functions.  In general, losing weight is a matter of consciously curbing the amount of food eaten, regulating the types  of food eaten, and increasing daily activity.

NUTRIENTS THAT MAY BE BENEFICIAL IN TREATMENT OF OVERWEIGHT & OBESITY:

Vitamin B complex, B2, B5, B12, Choline, Folic Acid, Inositol, Pantothenic acid, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Protein, Lecithin, Unsturated fatty acids.

Information obtained from the Nutrition Almanac, Third Edition, Lavon J. Dunne

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Glaucoma is characterized by an increase in pressure of the fluid within the eyeball and a hardening of the surface of the eyeball.  The cause of glaucoma is currently unknown, but usually it occurs after age forty and it may be due to tumor, trauma, infection, and in one type, heredity.  Glaucoma is often associated with anxiety and stress, allergy or hormone disorders.  Symptoms include eye discomfort or pain, especially in the morning, blurred vision, halos around lights, inability to adjust to a darkened room, and loss of vision at the sides.  Early detection of glaucoma can substantially reduce the incidence of blindness resulting from it.

Glaucoma cannot be cured, but it can be controlled through the use of prescribed eye drops.  The diet of those affected should be rich in vitamin A, essential for eye-tissue health.  If the symptoms of anxiety are related to a deficiency of the B vitamins, then correction of this deficiency would decrease the susceptibility of an individual to glaucoma.  Alcohol, tobacco, coffee, and tea should be avoided.

Glaucoma is often an indication of adrenal exhaustion; therefore, nutrients necessary for the adrenals should be taken.  The nutrients that meet the demands of stress should also be emphasized.  Italian physicians have significantly reduced the intraocular pressure in the eyes of glaucoma patients by administering large doses of vitamin C (500 milligrams per 2.2 pounds of body weight).

Information obtained from the Nutrition Almanac, Third Edition, Lavon J. Dunne

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A research psychologist in San Diego, California, Dr. Bernard Rimland, has had positive results in treating autism with mega-vitamin therapy.  In his study, 50 percent of the children tested improved significantly by showing a reduction in tantrums, increased alertness, improved speech, better sleep patterns and greater sociability.  The vitamins that were most prominent were niacin, pantothenic acid, B6, and C.  For the children not responding to the treatment, the doctor suggested an increase in the dosage of vitamin B6.  Improvement was then noted.  Three percent of the children in the study got worse with the treatment with noticeable side effects such as extreme sensitivity to noise and bed-wetting.  Because B6 in large quantities, can deplete magnesium from a person with a marginal supply of the mineral, the children were given a magnesium supplement and the side effects disappeared.  When the vitamin treatment was discontinued, a regression of the illness resulted.

Prevention Magazine, October 1978, reports information on pangamic acid and autism that was related by Dr. Allan Cott, a New York psychiatrist, during an informal talk at the International Academy of Preventive Medicine.  An autistic seven-year-old child, who had never spoken, was given 200 milligrams of pangamic acid daily.  He soon began to use single words, then pairs.  He began to play games, tried to dress himself, and became more gregarious.  Another non-verbalizing and hyperactive child, after administration of pangamic acid, began to talk and was able, for the first time, to sit still.  When the supplement was withdrawn, he reverted to hyperactivity, gaze aversion, fright, and hostility.  The child began to improve 24 hours after the administration of pangamic acid was resumed.  In 72 hours, there was full recovery.  After nine months, the child began to answer questions and talk to himself.

It must be noted that not all autismm stems from vitamin deficiency.  Some behavioral problems result from diseases of the brain.  Allergies may be a possibility.  Lead, copper or aluminum intoxication can cause autism.

Information obtained from the Nutrition Almanac, Third Edition, Lavon J. Dunne

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Epilepsy occurs in both sexes and at all ages.  An individual may experience only one seizure in his lifetime or several seizures per day.  Factors that may precipitate a seizure are fatigue, overeating or over drinking, emotional tension or excitement, fever, new environmental stresses, or menstruation.

The epileptic should maintain a well-balanced diet and should avoid taking in excessive amounts of food or fluid at on time because these may bring on an attack.  Alcoholic beverages should also be avoided.  Regular exercise and rest should be encouraged.  If the proper nutrients are given, anticonvulsant drugs can often be discontinued.

Dr. Yukio Tanaka of St. Mary’s Hospital in Montreal, Canada, through recent research has demonstrated a link between manganese deficiency and convulsions in humans.  He also states that pregnant women with a deficiency of manganese may give birth to epileptic children.  Pregnant rats maintained on a low-manganese diet delivered young with poorly coordinated movements and a susceptibility to convulsions.

Excellent results have been obtained by the administration of vitamin B6.  If there are no results from this vitamin, its poor absorption may be the reason.  When large doses of B6 are given alone, the other B vitamins should accompany it, especially vitamin B2 and pantothenic acid, so further harm is not done.  A lack of vitamin B6 and magnesium is closely associated with convulsions which may often be prevented by an adequate supply of these nutrients in the diet.  Sensitivity to noise, irritability, twitching and perhaps bed-wetting and tremors are early warning signs of epilepsy.

Information obtained from the Nutrition Almanac, Third Edition, Lavon J. Dunne

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Repeated studies have shown that 80 to 85 percent of criminal offenders have hypoglycemia, with the usual symptoms of dizziness, cold sweats, nervousness, and fatigue.  Hypoglycemia results from a diet too high in refined carbohydrates and often in caffeine.  Sugar consumption in excess can cause behavioral problems such as depression, hyperactivity, and antisocial behavior.

Many offenders have been found to be deficient in vitamin B1.  A lack of this vitamin can result in irritability, anger and aggressiveness.  Refined carbohydrates lack vitamin B1.  The more carbohydrates eaten, the more vitamin B1 is needed.  Unrefined foods contain sufficient B1 for the body; refined foods do not.

Allergic reactions to particular foods and food additives have been also found to be a factor in criminal behavior.  Allergies can cause pressure on certain nerves in the brain, activating aggression.  The symptoms may range from mild irritation to sever psychosis.

A change to unrefined foods plus vitamin and miner supplementation can effectively reduce re-arrests and improve behavior, morale, mood, and self-motivation.

Information obtained from Nutrition Almanac, Third Edition, Lavon J. Dunne

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Muscles are largely made up of protein and essential fatty acids; however, almost every nutrient is involved in their contraction, relaxation and repair.  For example, potassium, very low in diets of high fats and refined foods, is necessary for the contraction of every muscle in the body.  Besides a poor diet, a potassium deficiency can be brought on by stress, diarrhea, kidney damage, diuretics, or cortisone therapy.  The results of insufficient amounts of the mineral are fatigue, gas distention, spasms or twisting of the bowel, constipation, and possibly inability to pass urine.

Vitamin E is essential for the formation of the muscles of muscle cells and of enzymes that are needed for muscular contractions.  A deficiency of the vitamin increases the need for oxygen in the muscles, interferes with the metabolism of certain amino acids, and causes the loss of phosphorus in the urine and the B vitamins by rancidity.  In addition, too much calcium is left to settle in muscle tissue.  Pregnant women often have difficult deliveries because of the lack of enzymes needed for muscle contraction.  A deficiency can also be suspected if a child cannot sit up well at three months old.

Nutrients that may be beneficial in the treatment of muscle weakness:  Vitamin E, Manganese, Potassium, Zinc, Unsaturated fatty acids, Protein and all essential nutrients.

Information obtained from the Nutrition Almanac, Third Edition, Lavon J. Dunne

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Kwashiorkor is a severe malnutrition disease caused by a diet which supplies adequate calories through its carbohydrate content but which is seriously lacking protein.  Kwashiorkor commonly developes in children who are between the ages of one and five and who are weaned from milk to a diet of primarily starches and sugars.

Symptoms of kwashiorkor include changes in the skin and hair, retarded growth, diarrhea, loss of appetite, nervous irratability and edema.  Sever infections and many vitamin deficiencies often accompany kwashiorkor.

The initial treatment for the disease is aimed at correction the protein deficiency.  Because of the patient’s poor ability to tolerate fat, a skim-milk formula is often used in treatment.  Gradually, additional foods are added until the patient progresses to a well-balanced diet.  Vitamin deficiencies, if they exist, must be corrected.

Nutrients that may be beneficial in the treatment of kwashiorkor:  Vitamins A, C, D, E, Folic Acid, Chromium, Copper, Iron, Magnesium, Selenium and Protein.

Information obtained from the Nutrition Almanac, Third Edition, Lavon J. Dunne

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Venereal disease is usually acquired through intimate contact with the sexual organs of an afflicted individual.  The most frequent vehicle of the disease is the act of sexual intercourse or intimacy associated with sexual intercourse.  Gonorrhea and syphilis are the two most common types of venereal disease.

Gonorrhea is transmitted through sexual intimacy or from the mother to the newborn infant as it passes through an infected birth canal.  Within 3 to 14 days after contact, males experience burning, pain, and discharge of pus upon urination.  Complications of gonorrhea in males may include prostatitis and testes infection.  Females may have increased urinary frequency and a yellowish discharge from the vagina, but there are usually no immediate symptoms until the infection has included all of the reproductive organs of the pelvic region.  Complications of gonorrhea may result in sterility in both sexes.

Syphilis is most commonly spread through sexual intimacy, but it may also be received through a break in the skin that has come in contact with a chancre, or open sore, fresh blood, semen or a vaginal discharge from an infected individual.  Syphilis can also be transmitted from the mother to the fetus via the bloodstream during pregnancy.

There are three distinct stages of syphilis.  First, a chancre appears 10 to 28 days after contact at the point where the infecting organism entered the body, but it disappears in 2 to 5 weeks.  Other possible symptoms of this stage include fever, weight loss, and anemia.

Six weeks to six months after appearance of the chancre, the second stage begins.  It is characterized by skin rashes, hair loss, warts near the mouth or anus, fever, headache, sore throat, and possibly bone pain.  The next one to several years my be without symptoms.

During the third stage, the disease is no longer contagious.  In this stage the organisms settle in specific body organs and destroy them.  Commonly, the circulatory system and nervous system are attacked, often resulting in death.

Treatment for venereal disease includes massive injections of antibiotics usually penicillin, to rid the body of the venereal organism.  Early treatment is essential to prevent complicating tissue damage.  To prevent the spread of venereal disease, an afflicted person should abstain from sexual intercourse and intimacy until the disease has been cured.  In addition to obtaining medical treatment, an afflicted person should maintain a well-balanced diet high in protein to help repair the tissue damage that has occurred.

NUTRIENTS THAT MAY BE BENEFICIAL IN TREATMENT OF VENEREAL DISEASE:

Vitamin B Complex, Protein and Acidophilus

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Information obtained from Nutrition Almanac, Third Edition, Lavon J. Dunne

Cirrhosis of the liver is a chronic disease characterized by degeneration and hardening of liver cells.  Scarring of the liver tissue causes improper functioning and may result from alcoholism, malnutrition, viral hepatitis or chronic inflammation or obstruction of certain ducts in the liver.

Early signs of the disease include fever, indigestion, diarrhea or constipation and jaundice.  Later symptoms include edema, anemia, and bleeding disorders characterized by the presence of spider-shaped bruises.  A deficiency of the B complex and vitamins A, C, and K may also occur.

Optimal nutrition provides the key to recovery from the disease.  A high-protein diet (1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight, or approximately 75 to 100 grams of protein per day) is prescribed to promote regeneration of the liver cells.  In the case of coma, however, protein should be restricted.  A high-calorie (2400 to 3000 calories per day) and high-carbohydrate (300 to 400 grams per day) diet is needed to increase the storage of glycogen to ensure that protein is used for regeneration, and to compensate for weight losses caused by fever.  If nausea is present frequently, small meals are better tolerated than three large meals.

A common complication of cirrhosis is the failure of the liver to make vitamins available in an active form in the body.  For this reason, the diet should be high in the B complex and vitamins A (not in the form of carotene), C,D, and K.  If jaundice is present, special attention should be paid to the fat-soluble vitamins, A, D, E, and K because some kinds of jaundice interfere with the absorption of these nutrients.  If edema is present, sodium, which causes the body to retain water, should be restricted.  All alcohol should be strictly avoided.

Alcohol greatly reduces the absorption of vitamin B1 and other nutrients.  A deficiency state can result leading to liver injury despite and adequate diet.  A B1 deficiency produces confusion, memory loss, heart irregularities, and gastrointestinal problems.  Damage to the liver from long-term excessive drinking is irreversible; however, further damage can be prevented by abstaining from alcohol, eating a nutritious diet and taking vitamin and mineral supplements.

Information obtained from the Nutrition Almanac, Third Edition, Lavon J. Dunne

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Flatulence is the most common digestive disturbance.  Most people have some gas; however, if the gas begins to cause discomfort, it may be an indication of a more complex problem.

Two causes of flatulence are swallowed air and gases liberated by putrefactive bacteria that are living on undigested food.  Both often occur simultaneously.  Excessive swallowing of air can occur while eating or drinking, eating too fast, or eating when anxious or upset.  The air passes into the stomach and becomes trapped in the intestines where it expands and stretches nerve endings, causing discomfort.  Eating too much food overwhelms the digestive enzymes.  The undigested food becomes a breeding ground for putrefactive bacteria which form gas.  Efficient digestion depends upon hydrochloric acid, bile, and other digestive secretions and enzymes.

Other causes of flatulence are milk products (because of a deficiency of lactase, an enzyme necessary for lactose absorption), beans (because several of their sugars cannot be split by intestinal enzymes) and certain vegetables and fruits such as cucumbers, cabbage, and apples; whole grains may also be a problem for some people.  The high fiber in these foods remains undigested, fermenting in the intestine.  Fried foods and the concentrated sugars of dried fruits can cause gs.  (The sugars can be diluted by boiling or soaking the dried fruits.)  If no reason can be found for digestive disturbances, psychological problems may be the factor.

Pantothenic acid has been shown to relieve intestinal gas and distension when there is no physical cause.  The B vitamin aids in bowel motility and efficient digestion.  Without pantothenic acid, acetylcholine cannot be produced.  This chemical transmits messages to nerves that control the motor and secretory activities of the intestine.  Gas pains were relieved in postoperative patients and prevented in others when they were give 250 mg of pantothenic acid daily.

Fermented foods such as yogurt and buttermilk aid in the digestion of high-fiber and other foods by increasing friendly bacteria in the colon.  They are also well tolerated by persons who have a lactase deficiency.  Other foods that may be helpful are lemon juice and cider vinegar.  Carminative herbs stimulate digestion by increasing gastric juices, decreasing the amount of putrefactive bacteria and stimulation intestinal motility.  These include garlic, anise, fennel, and caraway.  Exercise stimulates intestinal peristalsis and helps break down large gas bubbles.

Information obtained for the Nutrition Almanac, Third Edition

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