CHIROPRACTIC INTERNIST
ROBERT W. SMITH, D.C., DABCI
Baton Rouge Chiropractic and Nutrition
225-291-2626
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MISSION STATEMENT: HEALTHY IS NO ACCIDENT  

Prevention is not Just the name of a magazine, it is KNOWING HOW TO LIVE WELL

 

 The following is the introduction to a text titled: “Drug-Induced Nutrient Depletion Handbook” Lexi-comp ISBN 1-930598-45-9

By Ross Pelton   RPh, PhD, CCN

Life is the only game in which the object of the game is to learn the rules

   When you purchase a new car, a computer or any other piece of expensive equipment, you are given a detailed operation manual that tells you how to trouble shoot key problems that might develop. However, when we are born we come into this life with this amazingly complex, wonderful machine called the human body.  Nobody gives us an operating manual that tells us how to care for it.  And, unfortunately, many people do not think about learning these rules until something breaks down.  My life’s work is to try to teach as many people as possible some of the simple, basic fundamental rules of health, which will ultimately make the Game for Life much longer, much healthier, and more enjoyable.

   I would like to take this opportunity to discuss the importance of taking nutritional supplements, and I want to comment on the nutritional standards our government has promoted for many years called “Recommended Dietary Allowances” RDAs.

   The Food and Nutritional Board, a division of the National Academy of Sciences, first published the RDA’s in 1941.  Over the years, these values have been periodically revised and updated.  Recently, the Food and Nutritional Board created a new set of standards called the Dietary Reference Intakes DRIs, which consist of four separate reference ranges.  These include the old RDAs, which the Board says are still to be used as the goal for individuals. Next is the Tolerable Upper Level (UL), which represents nutritional levels that could be harmful if regularly exceeded.  The third value is the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR), which is an intake level that only meets the needs of approximately 50 percent of the people with that level of consumption.  And last, the Adequate Intake (AI), a value similar to the RDA that is primarily based on the judgment if there is not enough scientific data to create an RDA.  Its all pretty confusing, isn’t it?

   I want to make the following point.  For over 50 years now, the government and many health professionals have promoted the “eat a well-balanced diet” line and the RDA’s as nutritional guidelines that will meet the needs of almost every healthy individual.   These values have been ingrained into the American psyche, (Almost as if Moses had them chiseled on the backside of the 10 commandments). The RDA’s are the levels of nutrients that we have been led to believe are adequate.  Adequate for what reason and who is this amount an adequate nutrition level?  Adequate to prevent outright nutritional deficiency diseases, such as scurvy (Vitamin C deficiency) , (beriberi (thiamine B1 deficiency) , and pellagra (niacin and tryptophan deficiency ), which are serious

end of life stage diseases.  ( Politics is nothing new in the field of vitamins. ) ( In fact one mans gruel is another mans polenta. ) The line I have drawn below represents what I call the Health Lifeline, going from death on one end to optimal health and wellness at the other end.  On one hand the government is telling us the truth.  The RDA’s are sufficient to prevent most people from getting these severe nutritional deficiencies diseases, which falls on the Health-line about where the X is marked, down close to death by a nutritional deficiency disease.

Death by Disease         ….    X   ……………………Optimum Health

   However, does it make sense to consume just enough nutrients to keep you slightly beyond the X point on the Health Lifeline? This is what has been promoted for the past 50 years as GOOD  MEDICINE

It could be one of the reasons why the United States of America has the highest rate of chronic degenerative diseases in the world.  And consumes about 48 Percent of ALL the prescription medications in the WORLD!!!

   We have the highest level of technology and are also one if the wealthiest nations in the world, yet we also have the highest rate of disease and spend the largest amount and percentage of our national budget on health care.

In essence, we have not developed a sense of true “health” care.

   I think the RDAs represent the minimum wage of nutrition.  It is important for people to relize that the RDAs have NOTHING to do with optimum health and wellness.  The minimum wage of nutrition has been raised, from Oliver Twist’s Charles Dickens day.  Quoting from Mr. Bumble: "Meat, ma'am, meat," replied Bumble, with stern emphasis.  "You've over-fed him, ma'am. You've raised an artificial soul and spirit in him, ma'am, unbecoming a person of his condition: as the board, Mrs. Sowerberry, who are practical philosophers, will tell you. What have paupers to do with soul or spirit? It's quite enough that we let 'em have live bodies. 

If you had kept the boy on gruel, ma'am, this would never have happened."

   "Dear, dear!" ejaculated Mrs. Sowerberry, piously raising her eyes to the kitchen ceiling: "this comes of being liberal!"

the value placed on life and the hope of a soul.  Regardless of the shape or color of a person, their quality of life can and should be given a chance to flourish. on survival is not a political position.  It is a statement long term health and individuals pointed to higher needs for nutrients, such as Vitamin D, avoiding corn syrup and much more can have a significant impact on the has began publishing studies in 1969, which reported … Find a copy of the book.   Also remember that calling it liberal to mention that volumes of recent research McCully.  Dr. McCully Kilmer provide significant health benefits. The tide is already changing the area of scientific research.  But it has traditionally taken decades for scientific research to filter down through health professionals and finally to the general public.  A good example of this is the work of Dr. RDAs. In the past decade, there have been hundreds, maybe thousands of studies published, which report that doses of nutrients substantially higher than the RDAs In most cases, nutrient intakes for optimum health are far beyond the just getting the minimum for many.