The food of which we partake has far-reaching consequences to our well-being. Depending on what goes into our bodies, we may have healing and increased good health or we may have a withering up and a tendency toward disease. We all daily have choices to make.
I know there are people who believe food has basically nothing to do with health. But there are some who may be interested in the following information which offers some insights into the effects of eating certain foods.
“Many of the elderly in the United States—and quite a few of the not so elderly—experience terrible pain in their joints. Their fingers may become twisted and swollen, and they may be unable even to button a coat without large doses of anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin. Many come to feel crippled and useless.
“By the age of 35, 35 percent of Americans have diagnosable arthritis in their knees. At least 85 percent of those over the age of 70 have it, and many have it severely. There are 180,000 people in the country today who are bedridden or confined to a wheelchair because of this disease.
“The official position of the Arthritis Foundation is that diet and arthritis are not related. But, astoundingly, there has been very little research done to justify this assertion. Up until now, virtually all arthritis research money has gone to test drugs.
“At Wayne State University Medical School, however, there were a few medical researchers willing to investigate the heresy that diet might have something to do with arthritis. They put six rheumatoid arthritis patients on a fat-free diet. The results were startling. In seven weeks, all of the subjects showed total disappearance of their symptoms. When fats were reintroduced into their diets, it took only three days for the symptoms to reappear.
“In 1981, the British Medical Journal reported another instance that suggests the Arthritis foundation’s conclusions might be premature. It involved a 38-year-old woman who for 11 years had been suffering from steadily worsening rheumatoid arthritis. Three weeks after doctors removed all dairy products from her diet she showed signs of improvement. In four months, her arthritic symptoms had completely disappeared. She remained free of symptoms until, in the interests of scientific curiosity, she once again ate some cheese and milk. The next day her joints were swollen, stiff, and painful. Fortunately, her symptoms again disappeared as she resumed her abstinence from dairy products.
“In parts of the world where the diets are low in fats and cholesterol and moderate in protein, and where the consumption of processed and junk foods is minimal, even old people who have done hard physical work their whole lives are essentially free of arthritis. This presents quite a contrast to United States, where so many are crippled by the disease that it is rare to find an older person who is not affected.
“One study found not a single case of rheumatoid arthritis in a rural black South African community of over 800 people who ate no meats or dairy products. Another study found that black South Africans who ate significant amounts of meat and other high-fat foods had almost four times the incidence of arthritis as those whose diet was very low in meat and fat. …
“Gouty arthritis is acknowledged even by the Arthritis Foundation as being diet related. In fact, gout is one of the most easily controlled of all diseases when proper dietary guidelines are followed.
“Gout occurs when uric acid in the body forms needle-like crystals that become deposited in a joint. When that happens, there is severe pain and swelling in a joint, often the big toe.
“Avoiding foods that are high in either purines or protein has been shown to be of enormous benefit to gouty arthritis sufferers. Shellfish, fish, poultry, beef, pork and legumes are all high in purines.
“Some people, particularly Filipinos, are especially susceptible to gout. But on a low-purine, low-protein diet, gout is almost nonexistent, even among those people most genetically disposed toward it. During World War II, when gout sufferers in occupied European countries were suddenly forced to consume fewer meats and dairy products, the incidence of gouty arthritis plummeted.
“There are many kinds of arthritis, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout … The connection with diet and gout is crystal clear, but far more work needs to be done … The evidence strongly suggests that diets very low in saturated fat, low in protein, high in fiber, and without any cholesterol would be best for the prevention of arthritis and as an important element in treatment.”
Excerpts from Diet for a New America, John Robbins, pages 267–269.
What you eat does make a difference on how your body reacts.
Spirit of Prophecy states: “The eating of flesh meats has made a poor quality of blood and flesh. Your systems are in a state of inflammation, prepared to take on disease. You are liable to acute attacks of disease, and to sudden death, because you do not possess the strength of constitution to rally and resist disease. …
“Meat eating deranges the system.” Healthful Living, 99. [Emphasis supplied.]
Colorful fruits and veggies – the darker or more brilliant the color, the more antioxidants it has. Good ones include blueberries, cherries, spinach, kale and broccoli. Beans are an excellent and inexpensive source of protein. Our Lord has given to us such a wide variety to choose from. Feed your body healthfully and you will have a healthful response.