Richard Phethean
Nutrition — A Threefold View
What I want to share about nutrition falls into three distinct but interconnected realms:
Part 1: The moral aspect of food
the way our food choices are interrelated with spirit, nature and society at large, this involves taking
responsibility.
Part 2: The aspect of the human soul
feeling, desire and intuition—this involves the sharing of food, our appetite but also our cravings.
Part 3: The science of food
how what we know about nutrition can guide us in eating more healthily.
These three aspects may be loosely related to religion, art and science.
Once more of a unity, religion, art and science have been gradually separating in humanity’s development over
the course of the last few hundred years. Anthroposophy has the task of bringing these three disciplines back
together in a new and conscious way. So, although I am attempting to address three separate aspects of health and
nutrition, it should also become clear how the three are connected and are in fact interdependent.
Part 1:
Re-connecting to the whole (religio)
This morning the sun is shining
The sky is blue,
The birds are singing.
I go for a walk.
I stand in a field and turn to the sun
I let the sun’s rays warm my face,
I send my love and gratitude to the sun,
I let the birds’ songs fill me,
I embrace the world
I breathe the fresh morning air deeply and gently
I allow my gaze to widen,
I take in the whole field of vision
I eat some wild herbs and blades of grass
I feel at one with nature
I take in her forces
I take in her nourishment
In my deeds, I will use my energy to give something back to the world.
In gratitude I strive to do the good.
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Nourishment is giving and receiving.
I am part of nature’s household of energy.
The plants transform sunlight into food,
I transform food into energy,
The energy is transformed into human deeds.
Nourishment is transformation
We live in challenging times. We need health and strength to cope with the stresses and battles of modern life. If
we don’t preserve our health through proper nutrition, we may open ourselves to toxins, micro-organisms and
other conditions that pave the way for illnesses of body and mind. Good nutrition and positive mental attitude are
our best defenses. I believe if we do not make efforts to protect our health, we may lose it sooner or later.
According to Rudolf Steiner, without proper nutrition we cannot effectively bring our ideals to reality:
This is a problem of nutrition. Today’s nutrition does not supply the strength necessary for manifesting the
spirit in physical life. A bridge can no longer be built from thinking to will and action. Food plants no longer
contain the forces people need for this.
Correct nutrition enables us to be an effective instrument for bringing God’s will (our higher aims) down to the
earth.
Rudolf Steiner also emphasised that earthly nutrition is complemented by cosmic nutrition. We may think of
cosmic nutrition as the content that feeds our soul through our senses; this includes truth, beauty, goodness, love,
community, music etc. Cosmic nutrition is also connected to the inner quality of our food and includes the
atmosphere and conversation of our mealtimes as well. Cosmic nutrition is as important as earthly nutrition. They
work together to form our body and mind.
The gospels are full of references to food. Think of the Last Supper, the bread and wine, or the Feeding of the
Five Thousand. What kind of ‘feeding’ is meant here? After meeting the woman of Samaria, Jesus says to his
disciples ‘I have meat to eat that you don’t know about. My meat is to do the will of Him who sent me.’ His
cosmic nutrition consisted of fulfilling His mission. So, nourishment also comes from being inspired and doing
what you really want to do, i.e. giving something rather than consuming something. Are we capable of living like
that?
The reality of cosmic nutrition can be appreciated when we realise that throughout history, and even today, there
are people who are able to live without the need for physical food, and are able to survive from cosmic nutrition—
light and air—only. Today, such people call themselves breatharians.
Cosmic nutrition might possibly be what Herman Melville was referring to in Moby Dick:
…the great negro was wonderfully abstemious, not to say dainty. It seemed hardly possible that by such
comparatively small mouthfuls he could keep up the vitality diffused through so broad, baronial, and superb a
person. But, doubtless, this noble savage fed strong and drank deep of the abounding element of air; and
through his dilated nostrils snuffed in the sublime life of the worlds. Not by beef or by bread, are giants made
or nourished. (author’s emphasis)
Can we learn to breathe in the “sublime life of the worlds”?
However, I believe it is not simply a question of returning to the state of the “noble savage”, but to develop and
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learn a higher form of light-breathing in full consciousness. Developing enthusiasm is probably the best way to
start.
From the crisp juicy apple to the MacBurger, all food contains invisible, imponderable qualities that are inherent
in every event and attitude and every step along the way of food production. Imagine! We take all that in too.
When food is cooked with love, those who eat it take in the love as well. That is nourishment! What inner
qualities are in a mass-produced food that has never been the object of any human interest? Good nutrition in its
widest sense brings about physical and mental health and happiness. For me, these are inseparable. It has to do
with being part of the energy household of the world.
It is often said, ‘You are what you eat’, but is this really true? No, we have to overcome what we eat! The
opposite is probably more appropriate: ‘You eat what you are’—your food choices reflect who you are.
Morality in food choices—how individual food choices impact on the greater society and world around
us.
We do not act in isolation; we are part of society and part of nature. Everything you choose to eat affects the earth,
other people and even whole communities. As an example: If the chocolate you eat is not organic and fairlytraded, what conditions for third-world farmers are you helping to continue? Conventional cocoa plantations are
very heavily sprayed with chemical pesticides that not only harm the health of indigenous peoples and pollute
their land, they also increase you and your family’s toxic load. Most of the big cocoa companies do not seem to
care about protecting their third-world workers or giving them a fair deal. So, by choosing to eat these foods we
may be helping to keep these people in poverty and ill health.
Another example: When you eat eggs or chicken or pork, in what conditions did these creatures live? Was it in
the open air, eating grass and clover or was it in huge, dark sheds, squashed into tiny cages with no room to move
for months on end, breathing putrid air and eating only antibiotic-laden grain pellets? One question leads to
another here:
o
Do we want to support these conditions?
o
What is the effect on us when we consume products that come from
these sick animals?
o
Do we consume their suffering?
o
Are we making ourselves ill with such food?
The choice is ours and our conscience must live with our choices. We create the future. What this means is that
our choices reflect our responsibility and intention towards the earth and its creatures, including the farmers and
gardeners, the use of transport, and the pollution of the earth, as well as the power of big corporations that control
an ever increasing proportion of the world's food supply chain. Food affects our body and our mind, our health,
our family's health, our community; it affects the health of the earth, the economy and the balance of power.
Organic or not organic?
Leaving aside the scientific evidence for the health benefits of organic food, which I will discuss later, is it not stating
the obvious that, after polluting the earth over the last century, mankind needs to change attitude and work with
nature, not against it? ‘I can’t afford organic and biodynamic food. It cost too much,’ is a common retort. Fair
enough, but it also depends on your priorities. I have heard some people say, ‘We can’t afford not to eat organic.’
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Modern Fishing
It is devastating to realise what is happening to the seas in terms of pollution, destruction of the sea beds and
diminishing fish stocks because of modern fishing methods. If you are to believe the reports, there will be hardly
any fish left in 50 years time. Yet fish is one of the healthiest foods we can eat, and the major source of long chain
omega 3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA), one of our most important nutrients, as well as high quality protein. We
could try to avoid fish that have been depleted due to over-fishing.
Food Economy—global or local?
Do we have a real connection with the source of our food? In most cases we are disconnected. Considering that
arguably the best food for us is fresh and local and organic, how has it come about that such food is hardly
available to most consumers? How is it that can we find seemingly endless shelves full of ‘stale’, over -packed,
preserved and non-organic food that has come thousands of miles, but it is much harder to find fresh local
food? What is going on? Isn’t it about time that we get serious about supporting local organic agriculture? We
need to feel confident about the quality of our food, and feel good about our relationship with nature and how
food is produced.
We need to create a ‘win-win-win’ situation—producers win, consumers win and nature wins. It is not difficult
to see that the way the economy of the world is organised today, there are big time winners and big time losers.
Did you know that, year-by-year, worldwide, the gap between the income of the rich and the poor gets steadily
wider? The few have grabbed the power from the many. The few include the board members and shareholders of
such companies as Monsanto, one of the creators of GM organisms, terminator crops and producer of the
herbicide Round-up. The horrifying power of Monsanto has been exposed in the film, The Future of Food. This is
a ‘must see’ for anyone who is concerned about the future of our food supply.1
The many poor include the millions in the Third World who, due to the policies of the World Bank and the
International Monetary Fund, have been evicted from their land, and are now living in cities, food-dependent and
no longer self-sufficient.
When faced with the growing situation of becoming ever more at the mercy of fewer and fewer, ever b igger,
ruthless, global corporations that are threatening to control the world’s agriculture and food supply, we can feel
the need to create a more enlightened way forward, where we can maintain our connection with the source of
our food. I believe this can be achieved by supporting local consumer-producer associations, Community
Supported Agriculture (CSA) schemes and the like. By supporting these initiatives and buying food locally, we
are choosing the way we want the world to be. This is why we need to create new traditions, perhaps building
on the ancient food traditions that we are in danger of losing in an age where seductive advertisements, gaily coloured packaging and supermarket tactics are controlling our lives.
Part 2: Food and Soul
What I want to explore here is how we can listen to our feelings, instincts and intuitions with regard to food, and
how, by understanding the science of food biochemistry we can find the tools to tackle the problem areas such as
our personal desires.
We are attracted to eat certain foods because of their visual beauty, smell and taste; these senses also tell us to
avoid other foods. Our senses and feelings are pleasantly stimulated by enjoyable food. Eating is enjoyable and
should be enjoyable. So why do we often want things that we know are ‘bad’ for us? Eating is also a major source
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of guilt feelings accompanied by resolutions...and broken resolutions! One scientist has shown that feeling guilty
about eating a nice food has a detrimental effect on the immune system, which does not occur when the people
took the same food but did not feel guilty. We try to be ‘good’ boys and girls, yet it is part of human nature to be
led astray by our desires.
When we prepare a meal, we want to please people; we want to give them what they like and what they are used
to. We don’t want to cook ‘healthy’ food that no one likes. Can the healthy option also be tasty? Can we change
our taste buds or our thinking about the problem foods?
Eating is also one of the most social things we do. A shared meal is the heart of family or community life, an
opportunity for social as well as physical nourishment. Eating, therefore, also involves accepting what is prepared,
eating what others eat. But here is a potential tension for our feelings. Because everyone is different, there is no
such thing as a good diet for everyone. One man’s meat is another man’s poison. When I listen to my body, it will
tell me what kind of food it needs. This may be different from what is on the table.
Metabolic Types: Nowadays there are many systems about how different types of people need to eat differently.2
You can study the books, though you may end up confused or else sticking to one theory that works for you. The
basic idea is that each of us needs a different proportion of the three main food types, carbohydrates, proteins and
fat, on our plates. So, if one person piles their plate with meat and eggs covered in butter, and another eats only
vegetables, then this may be what their bodies are telling them works best. There are metabolic reasons for this
difference. The bottom line is, ‘listen to your body’. You may call it intuition or instinct, but only you know what
nourishes you best, what gives you energy. Listen to what your body wants for breakfast; it may be quite different
from what it needs in the evening. However, more than ever, we also need to know more about the essentials of
nutrition if we are to make informed choices in the supermarket. Knowledge must complement intuition.
Food combining: Older people or those with compromised digestive systems may benefit from avoiding certain
combinations of foods. There are some interesting books on this subject. Again, the answer is to listen to what
your body is telling you. For most people, eating proteins, carbohydrates and fats together is normal and not a
problem. I personally sometimes get discomfort if I eat fruit after a main meal. A simple meal is often best.
Addictions: Most of us are addicted to a greater or lesser degree to foods and stimulants. The use of the word
‘addiction’ is emotive, however, the aim here is to encourage us to identify and think about foods that we may be
dependent on. What is your addiction?
When you are listening to your body’s needs, don’t let your addictions fool you into thinking that what you crave
is what your body needs. I am talking about foods like sugar, alcohol, coffee, tea, chocolate and junk foods,
especially those containing aspartame and MSG—monosodium glutamate. Have you noticed that when you eat a
crisp or a piece of chocolate, you straight away reach for another and another? Why? How do you feel after eating
a packetful?
We come into conflict with ourselves. Deep down we know that what we are addicted to is usually not best for
us. We know that for our spiritual development as well as for our bodily health, it is worth getting free of
addictions. Fasting or going on a cleansing diet for a few days is a good way to improve our health. One gains
a certain mastery over the body’s cravings, and detoxifies the body so that it works better and feels better. (The
need for control can however go too far, and may lead to anorexia.)
So what is wrong with addictions? Put simply, a stimulant gives you a pleasurable high for a while, but the
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trouble is, when the substance disappears from the bloodstream after a few hours, the opposite appears, a low
feeling, which creates the craving for the same substance again. In the long run, the body’s metabolism ad justs
to the substance, this creates a kind of fatigue, which means that the ‘high’ has gone and the body constantly
needs the substance to experience some kind of normality. Withdrawing the substance causes unpleasant feelings,
cravings, which may take some days to go away. That is why many of us say ‘Oh, I couldn’t live without my....’
However such thoughts may become self-fulfilling prophecies. They are patterns we get used to. Actually we can
live without tea and coffee, and most people usually feel better and have more energy and are less irritable when
they do so. The trouble is one feels worse than usual during the first 3 days after giving up, so will-power is
needed to get free from the addiction. Regular consumption of caffeine-containing drinks has been shown to
reduce mental performance and memory function in the long term and increase levels of stress, anxiety and
depression.
However, we have to be careful not to make judgments. Most people can’t live the life of saints, and need some
‘sinful’ indulgence in order, perhaps, to feel more at home in the world, to feel more grounded. Perhaps the best
way to look at it is that we are all on a path, and we will change our habits when our spiritual state changes. These
things can’t be forced, but we have to keep trying.
Sugar: Many people crave sugar, or foods containing it. Sugar is hidden in most packaged foods that we buy and
is difficult to avoid. There are 76 known ways in which sugar can ruin your health.3 Cutting out sugar is one of the
most effective moves anyone can make to improve their health.
Why do we crave sugar? Put simply, the problem is that high-glycaemic foods, such as refined carbohydrates,
sugar, white flour as well as stimulants such as colas, coffee and tea, alcohol, cigarettes and even stress, all
cause a rapid rise in glucose in the bloodstream. For a while this gives us a temporary boost of energy. This
causes the pancreas to over-produce insulin in order to get the glucose (blood sugar) levels down. The trouble
is it overshoots the mark and results in the glucose levels becoming too low, which causes a feeling of
tiredness, lack of concentration and even depression, a couple of hours later. So the body again craves the
high-glycaemic foods, and that starts the vicious cycle over again. Blood glucose levels yo-yo all day long,
which can eventually lead to pancreas exhaustion, possibly diabetes, obesity, insulin tolerance, chronic fatigue,
adrenal exhaustion, and a host of mental problems from depression to ADHD. Thus, the long -term result of
sugar eating is the opposite of what we use it to achieve—our energy is drained. Sugar is also an ‘antinutrient’, meaning it robs the body of some essential B vitamins and minerals like zinc, thus further compromising our health.
The solution? Stabilise blood sugar levels by eating low glycaemic foods, such as whole grains, whole foods,
vegetables, proteins and fats. Your energy levels will be much higher and stable throughout the day, and your
pancreas will thank you for it. For more information read The Holford Low-GL Diet.4 As one person put it, ‘It is
the only sensible way to eat.’ Some people, especially those with mental health problems, have more problems
with balancing sugar levels than usual. This can often be helped by giving extra chromium or using cinnamon as a
remedy.
Understanding this process is the first step to remedying the situation. The next step is often a question of will
power—it is not easy to give up sugar, white flour products and stimulants.
Artificial sweeteners and flavour-enhancers: Many people wanting to reduce their sugar intake are lured into
thinking that eating foods containing artificial sweeteners is the answer. (Diet Coke, sugar-free foods, etc.) One of
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the worst sweeteners, Aspartame is an excitotoxin that disturbs the appetite control mechanism and makes you
even hungrier! Most so-called ‘diet foods’ just do not work! Once upon a time, aspartame was listed by the
Pentagon as a biochemical warfare agent. Today it's unfortunately an integral part of the modern diet. Some
people become addicted to this and various other excitotoxins present in savoury snack foods containing yeast
extracts, hydrolysed vegetable protein and monosodium glutamate. They are only added to food to ‘improve’ the
taste. These compounds all excite certain processes in the nerves, causing stimulation (that is why they are
flavour-enhancers), but can lead to nerve damage and ultimately death of nerve cells. Excitotoxins can all produce
a variety of unpleasant symptoms such as hyperactivity or aggressive and impulsive behaviour. If you are
regularly drawn to Chinese food (often containing monosodium glutamate), tangy foods such as marmite,
flavoured savory snacks and strong cheeses, and you drink lots of diet drinks you may be damaging your nervous
system and storing up some nasty health problems for yourself such as ALS, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s
or Huntington’s disease.5 There is a huge amount of concern about the ever increasing amounts of aspartame and
MSG finding their way into pre-packaged foods, as researchers are linking excitotoxins to the explosion of
incidence of autism, ADHD and diabetes.
Wheat and Milk: Some people are even addicted to gluten in wheat or casein in milk products. This often
happens in people with autism or mental health problems, who, because of a damaged gut and shortage of
beneficial intestinal bacteria, cannot adequately digest these proteins. This allows long amino-acid sequences
(foreign peptides) into the blood, which act like opiate narcotics in the brain, as well as causing havoc to the
immune system.11
Part 3:
The Science of Nutrition and Health
Science is about what is measurably true. Because the science of nutrition is such a vast subject, I can only give
some pointers to what I believe to be the best understanding at this time.
At the physical, biochemical level, what you eat builds the substance of your body, supplies raw materials for the
countless bodily processes and gives us our energy. Food, therefore, fundamentally influences our health, and
even how we feel in our body. Many studies have conclusively shown that insufficient vitamins, minerals and
omega 3 fats in our diet, apart from lowering our level of physical health, can also make us restless, aggressive,
irritable, depressed, and forgetful and may therefore contribute to antisocial behaviour.17
Science or Politics? I have spent a considerable amount of effort over the years trying to sort out the hype from
the truth in nutrition. We are presented with a lot of conflicting ‘truths’ in the daily media, which leaves most
people quite confused. Unfortunately, some of these so-called scientific truths coming from “experts” are, in many
cases, deliberate lies put out by unscrupulous groups often funded by large corporations who are trying to protect
their markets. In other words, much of what appears in the media as science has been hijacked by politics and
commercial greed.
Recent examples from the media include “research” that has demonstrated that:

Vitamin C does not reduce the incidence of colds.

Fish oils do not have any effect on the heart.

Echinacea does not work against colds.
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
Vitamin A, vitamin E and beta-carotene supplements can be harmful.

Vitamin B6 is dangerous in doses above 10mg daily.18

Organic food is no better for health than conventionally-grown food.

Organic agriculture is bad for the environment.
All these examples have appeared in the media in the last few years, some of which are endorsed by the
government, but when examined more carefully, they can be shown to be flawed or biased, or that some valid
concern has been deliberately overstated. Invariably, the studies only use data that prove the point they are trying
to make and ignore data that shows the opposite effect. In some cases, the report summary states the exact
opposite of the findings of the study! Pharmaceutical companies have the most to gain by spreading doubts about
methods of achieving health through God-given, natural nutrition, vitamins and herbs. This maintains the illusion
that artificial drugs are the only effective treatment for diseases. (The distortion of science for the purpose of
propaganda is widespread, not only in the realm of nutrition.)
Progress in Food Biochemistry: We now know that, apart from vitamins and minerals, animal and plant foods
also contain countless types of active health-giving nutrients with wonderful long names such as salvestrols,
antioxidants, bioflavenoids, phytosterols, glyconutrients, polyphenols, omega 3 fatty acids, anthocyanidins, (the
list is endless) that have remarkable health-giving, cholesterol-lowering, anti-cancer, anti-fungal, anti-viral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, blood-alkalising properties. It is mind-boggling what we now know about
these substances and their effects on human biochemistry. Just saying their names makes you feel important!
It has been shown that by taking adequate amounts of these vital nutrients particularly from plant but also animal
sources, our health will be improved and disease tendencies reduced. Antioxidants are particularly important. A wide
variety of antioxidants are found in plant foods. They limit the damage caused by oxygen free radicals within the
body, which contribute to aging and disease. Good sources include most fruits and vegetables, especially broccoli,
bilberries, blackberries, prunes, garlic, cocoa (especially raw) and grape seeds. Many of these compounds are
particularly beneficial for the cardiovascular system.
No one can understand all the details. In fact, the more you try, the more there is the danger of getting lost in all
the details and not seeing the big picture. We realise how little we know. The wisdom in nature and human body
fills one with awe. We are more than the sum of the parts, and nutrition is more than just science.
How can we get enough of the good compounds in the right balance from food (or supplements) while restricting
the unhealthy ones?
Eat more fresh and organic (or biodynamic) food:
The proven advantages of eating organic and biodynamic food are that it tastes better, is healthier for you, gives
better ‘energies’ (bio-photons) with more vitamins and minerals and has no chemicals. By eating organic, we are
encouraging growers who use responsible, sustainable treatment of the earth. Artificial fertilisers destroy the soil
and deplete trace minerals. Organic and biodynamic agriculture avoids these chemicals, and works with nature not
against it.
Over the last 60 years, the measured vitamin and mineral levels in various foods have consistently declined as
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our soils have been depleted through modern agricultural practices. As an example, the levels of magnesium in
fruits and vegetables in 1980 were 65% of the levels in 1930. Plants grown by organic or biodynamic methods are in
harmony with nature and use methods that replace essential minerals in the soil—this has to be better for us.
According to the Soil Association, a review of 41 studies from around the world showed that organic crops have
higher levels of magnesium and iron, both important minerals. Studies have also shown that organic foods contain
more of other health-giving nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, flavenoids and omega 3 fatty acids.
Research from California has shown that corn and berries grown without the use of pesticides contained 50%
more flavenoids. A study cited by the Soil Association showed that the antioxidants vitamin A and beta-carotene
were twice as high in organic milk. Lutein, another carotenoid, was 6 times higher in organic milk. Organic full
fat milk contains at least 65% more omega 3 fats. In other words, fresh organic food is medicine. (Hypocrates:
‘Let food be your medicine and medicine your food.’)
The amounts of these good chemicals are generally higher in freshly-picked produce (i.e. local) that is organic or
biodynamic. The further produce has travelled and the more processed the food, the less ‘goodness’ is in there. What
it boils down to is this: If we eat a variety of real, fresh, local, whole organic or biodynamically grown food, we will
be consuming the maximum amount of these health-giving nutrient chemicals, enhancing our health, preventing
disease processes and slowing down the negative effects of aging. People also tend to eat less if the food is more
nourishing.
Box schemes are a good, and less expensive option. Also, remember to eat your weeds! Nettle and dandelion,
and later in the season, raspberries and blackberries are good examples.
Pesticides are toxic chemicals with well-documented adverse effects, particularly on the hormonal system. They
can lead to infertility and cancer. No one knows their effects on humanity after several generations.
Supermarkets, as well as selling many devitalised, nutrient-poor foods, also do have some good foods, but some
of those nice looking plastic packs of fruit and vegetables are often not as fresh as they seem thanks to various
gases and other wonders of modern food technology. They fool our eye, but they may have been on the road for
weeks and contain hardly any vitamins and the rest of the goodies (mineral levels though should not be depleted.)
Did you know that fresh food gives out light that scientists call bio-photons? The longer the time since the food
has been harvested, the less bio-photons they emit. Such food is more or less dead and does not have the same
enlivening effect on us as real, fresh food.
Traditional versus modern nutrition: According to the dentist and researcher, Weston Price, who wrote
Nutrition and Physical Degeneration way back in 1939, indigenous, tribal peoples who lived off the land
naturally consumed far higher levels of vitamins, minerals and essential fats than our modern diet provides8. He
calculated, for example, that in comparison to western diets, (in America, in the 1930’s) indigenous people on
average consumed:
4 times as much calcium
4 times as much phosphorus
5 times as much iron
15 times as much magnesium
At least 10 times the amount of fat-soluble vitamins.
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The amounts they ate are much higher than today’s recommended allowances. Remember that levels of nutrients
were higher in foods in the 1930’s than they are today. He observed that these populations from Eskimos to
African tribes, from Scottish islanders to Australian Aboriginals were largely free from the degenerative chronic
diseases that are killing modern society, (cancer, heart disease, diabetes) and that tooth decay was not the
ubiquitous problem it has been since the industrialisation of food. His cry was, ‘Eat nutrient-dense foods, not
devitalised convenience foods’. Our bodies work best when the vitamins and minerals are in far greater supply
than the average modern diet provides. In most of the western world today, a large percentage of people have less
than adequate amounts of zinc, magnesium and selenium, to name just 3 of the most commonly deficient
nutrients.
The following comes from Dr Matthias Rath’s website:
‘Applying scientific knowledge in the fight against diseases, Dr. Rath and his research team have identified the
following common health conditions as being primarily caused by chronic deficiencies of micronutrients:

Arteriosclerosis (the cause of coronary heart disease and stroke)

High blood pressure

Heart failure

Irregular heart beat

Diabetic circulatory problems

Osteoporosis

Many forms of cancer

Immune deficiencies as a precondition for a variety of infectious diseases, including AIDS’.14
In other words, by consuming foods (or supplements) containing all the necessary nutrients, the body will function
optimally and so many diseases can be avoided.
Keep as close to nature as possible
Nature is our teacher. Nature offers us foods on her plate that are just what our bodies need. Our bodies are also a
product of nature. This was believed by the Essenes at the time of Christ. So, it stands to reason that fresh whole
foods must be better for our bodies than refined, processed foods. For example, whole grain contains many of the
vitamins, minerals, protein, fibre and essential fats that we need. Refined white flour contains substantially less.
Refined, partial foods ultimately lead to ill health. Whole foods nourish us.
Most freshly-picked raw foods are obviously healing. Overcooking, boiling in lots of water and deep fat frying
can damage food, destroy and leech out vitamins. High temperature frying damages the fats, producing toxic
compounds. Research has shown that less cooking and cooking slowly at a lower temperature produces more
nutritious food. Vegetables that have been steamed for a short period and are still crisp are more nutritious than
boiled until mushy. Processing and preserving methods often reduce the vitality of the food. Cooking food in a
microwave oven must be the most unnatural, violent and harmful method ever devised. Life forces are completely
destroyed, vitamins are considerably reduced and toxic compounds are formed that cause changes in the blood
indicative of a developing pathological process that is also found in cancer. 19 20
What would you rather eat: live food or dead food?
Enzymes in raw food: Clinics, particularly in America, but also in other countries, have successfully cured many
people of diseases such as diabetes and cancer by giving them only raw food and fresh juices for one or several
months. One reason is that fresh raw food and juices are rich in enzymes that relieve the pancreas and other
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digestive organs from having to produce so many enzymes. Enzymes are destroyed at 60 degrees C., well below
the temperature of cooking. There is evidence to show that consuming adequate enzymes is one of the key factors
in retaining health and vitality into old age.
However, certain foods are better cooked than raw. Members of the cabbage family for example are known
goitrogens when eaten raw. This means that they reduce the activity of the thyroid gland and can cause it to swell
(goiter). Cooking cabbage reduces this effect, as does making it into sauerkraut.
Ways of preserving food that increase enzymes and life forces include yogurt-making, lactic acid fermentation,
for example sauerkraut making and sour dough bread making, and the sprouting of seeds and grains. Using these
methods, one can have inexpensive foods all winter long.
Most nuts and seeds contain ‘enzyme inhibitors’ that work against our body’s own enzymes. These are reduced
by soaking or sprouting. Have you tried soaking almonds in water for some hours before eating them? Not only
do they taste better, they are also easier to digest. Sprouted grains and seeds are full of enzymes, vitamins and life
forces that make them one of the easiest and cheapest living ‘super foods.’
Would it not be better if more people could find more time in their lives for caring about food production and
preparation, rather than relying on big businesses to provide us with ready-made, microwave-ready foods?
Glyconutrients: Naturally-ripened fruit and vegetables often contain more essential ‘glyconutrients’ than those
that have been ripened after picking. Glyconutrients are a group of rarer simple sugars such as mannose, xylose
and fucose that the cells of the body need to communicate with each other. Without going into the details, this is
just another example of how modern research, in this case, the study of glyconutrition, confirms what our
common sense could have told us, i.e. fresh naturally-ripened fruit is better for us. Glyconutrition is an exciting
new science that examines how these eight essential sugars help our cells communicate with each other, and so,
for example, help the immune system to function properly and avoid autoimmune problems such as allergies and
arthritis. Fenugreek, oats, seaweeds and Aloe vera are examples of beneficial plants containing some of these
essential, rarer sugars. Other glyconutrient-rich foods include chicken broth. Research indicates that people with
auto-immune diseases and some genetic syndromes may benefit from consuming foods or supplements containing
recognised glyconutrients. Many people take glucosamine and chondroitin for joint problems; these are also
important glyconutrients. Eating a varied diet will help to provide glyconutrients.9
Don’t eat poisons: Am I stating the obvious? Perhaps you don’t even know that you may be eating or giving your
family poisons. Here are some examples hidden in everyday foods:
Artificial preservatives, artificial flavours, flavour enhancers, artificial sweeteners (e.g. aspartame, saccharine
etc.), colourings, GM foods (GMO’s, GE) and trans-fats (trans-fatty acids) present in hydrogenated vegetable oil.
Non-organic produce will be more likely to contain pesticide residues. Most of these chemicals have no place in
our food. They are not safe, and the health effects of combinations of many different chemicals have not been
tested. Unrefined sea salt (containing a wide range of mineral salts) is better for the body than refined table salt,
which is pure sodium chloride plus additives. Read the labels and make your choices.
The seas contain mercury, largely due to air pollution produced by coal power stations; fish concentrate the
mercury in their bodies thousands of times higher than the surrounding water. Some fish have more mercury than
others. The highest levels are found in fish higher up the food chain such as tuna, swordfish and marlin. Mercury
is very bad news for our health being one of the most toxic poisons known. (Amalgam fillings are another source
of mercury.) However, I have just read a report showing that, on the whole, the benefits of consuming oily fish
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(containing omega 3 fatty acids) outweigh the risks associated with increased mercury intake.
According to data released by Patrick Holford, the fish with the highest ratio of beneficial omega 3 oils to
mercury, and therefore the most beneficial to eat, are fresh, wild salmon, canned sardines, canned and smoked
salmon, fresh mackerel and herring (kipper).
Many people choose to take their omega 3 fats in capsule form or as fish oil. This is not a bad idea because some
of these products have been cleverly purified to remove mercury and a nasty group of chemicals called PCB’s.
Nowadays, good quality fish oils (including cod-liver oil) are the cleanest ways of getting adequate amounts of the
important omega 3 fatty acids DHA and EPA. (See below.)
Fatty foods (e.g. meat and cheese) wrapped in cling film are often contaminated with chemical plasticisers.
Cooking in aluminium pans is not a good idea, as this increases the amount of this toxic metal in the body, which
has been shown to increase the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Tap water may contain chlorine and fluoride,
both of which may have detrimental health effects. Many countries now use ozone or UV light for purifying water
instead of chlorine. Some groups are campaigning to stop the addition of fluoride to tap water as being unethical
and unhealthy.
If you have health problems, find out your food allergies: (The word allergy is used here to include all types of
food intolerances.) It is a strange fact that we often crave the things we are allergic to and which are making us ill. It
is also often difficult for us to find out what we are allergic to. This is because the allergic effect of the food may only
come on slowly, and we are usually eating many foods at the same time.
The cheapest way to find out is to fast for five days then introduce foods one at a time. This method works very
well, but needs a lot of will power. The next best way is to invest in an ELISA (IgG) blood test such as is
available from York Nutritional laboratories,6 or the newly-available ‘Food Detective’ Test7, which is cheaper.
Cutting out the offending foods can have a very beneficial effect on the health. This need not be a life sentence, as
many people can slowly reintroduce the food after a while. The most common culprits are wheat, milk products
(but usually not butter), tea, coffee, soya and yeast, but you can be allergic or intolerant to almost anything. It
seems that foods we eat most are likely to cause allergies, which is a good enough reason to give them a break and
vary the diet. Giving up wheat, dairy, yeast, soya, sugar, coffee and tea often has a very beneficial effect on a
person’s overall physical and mental health and energy levels. There may be an unpleasant withdrawal period
though.
A problem here is the social and practical impact of restricted diets, not to mention the question of will power.
There is, in our times, a very real tension between the ever-increasing individualisation of diet and the social
aspect of sharing a meal together. Many people need to try out ‘weird and wonderful’ diets in order to get more in
tune with their bodies and experience the effect of different types of foods.
However, it is worth asking why we are becoming more and more intolerant to everyday foods. What is causing
our immune systems to over-react and even to attack our own bodies? I believe the answer has to do with a
combination of chemical and heavy metal toxicity, drug effects, including antibiotics and vaccinations, lack of
essential nutrients, especially omega 3 fats (see later) and gut dysbiosis (more on this important topic later.)
Detoxify yourself: We live in a very toxic world, and are surrounded by hundreds of thousands of artificial
chemicals, a lot of which end up in our bodies. Toxins undermine our health and cause a predisposition for many
diseases. Regular detoxification will bring very real health benefits.
There are many ways to detox: drink lots of good spring water; eat lots of fruit and vegetables and herbs; breathe
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deeply and properly; give yourself an enema (colonic irrigation); exercise; have a sauna; sunbathe (sensibly—be
careful of the mid-day sun, and rather sunbathe during the morning and late afternoon); brush your skin; take
detoxifying herbs (dandelion, nettle, gentian, psillium, chlorella, seaweeds, wheatgrass, birch—there is really a
huge range to choose from.) Plants that are detoxifying are also alkalising to the blood. As most bodily toxins are
acidic they are detoxified and excreted more effectively when the blood is alkaline. In fact, keeping the blood
alkaline is the best way to slow down aging of the body.
For best results, go on a weeklong regime of your chosen method. However, expect to feel below par for the first
few days as your body flushes out accumulated toxins. Springtime is a good time to do this. Eating seaweeds is a
method to remove heavy metals from the body. Chlorella is often used for this. (However taking too much
seaweed is not recommended because of the high iodine content in some types.)
Getting the fats right: Eating the right fats is essential if we are to have optimum mental and physical health. The
main degenerative diseases that have arisen in the western world since the beginning of the 20th century are
cardiovascular disease, cancer and maturity-onset diabetes. These are largely caused by faulty diet, in particular an
imbalance of fats and by the consumption of fats that have been damaged by heat and refining, which result in a
build up of damaging toxins and free radicals. Other ailments that are aggravated by fat imbalance include
depression, poor memory and concentration, allergies, eczema, tiredness, low stamina, obesity, rheumatism, and
arthritis, all of which may be helped by eating the right fats.
According to extensive research in recent years (especially by Japanese researchers at Nagoya City University)
the main causes of the chronic diseases that have arisen in the western world in the twentieth century is the overconsumption of polyunsaturated omega 6 fatty acids in relation to too little omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 oils
present in fish oils and linseed oil have many proven health benefits and numerous books have now been written
on this subject.
In addition, polyunsaturated fats are easily damaged by heat during refining and when used for frying. A
professor of food chemistry, Saari Csallany, showed that when polyunsaturated oils (which includes most cooking
oils such as sunflower oil) were heated to frying temperature (172 degrees C.) the compound HNE (4-hydroxytrans-2-nonenal) forms. It is a highly toxic compound that has been related to several diseases.
We are often told that margarines are healthier than butter. Margarines were invented in the early 1900’s. They are
made by heating polyunsaturated vegetable oils to high temperatures in the presence of hydrogen and nickel. This
produces a type of saturated fat and also trans-fatty acids with an unnatural spatial structure, which are particularly
harmful to the body, and prevent the correct functioning and formation of the membranes of our cells. Unfortunately,
these unhealthy fats are found in many commonly available convenience foods.
So, to improve health:

Do not consume margarines or shortenings or any product containing hydrogenated fats or trans-fatty acids or
other refined polyunsaturated omega 6 oil. (i.e. many packaged snacks, biscuits, crisps, etc.)

Do not consume any other vegetable oils than organic cold-pressed oils.

Do not cook polyunsaturated oils at high temperature (e.g. by frying).

Drastically reduce omega 6 oils (see below for details).10

Increase intake of good quality omega 3 oils (see below for details).

Organic and biodynamic butter, eggs and other animal foods may be beneficial, but do not cook them at
too high a temperature.
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
Do not eat too little fat; it is important to eat enough good-quality fats.

Low fat diets may be damaging to health.
Omega 6 (polyunsaturated) oils: the following oils contain a surplus of omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acids and so
should be strictly limited: sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, safflower, peanut, soya oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, in fact
most commonly available vegetable oils. If the label does not say ‘cold-pressed’, then assume it is highly refined
and already damaged by refining and heat treatment, i.e. unhealthy for your body.
Omega 3 (polyunsaturated) oils: take 1–2 tablespoonfuls a day of cold-pressed organic flax seed oil (also called
linseed oil.)
Eat oily fish—herring, mackerel, sardines, tuna, wild salmon, trout, shellfish, anchovies. Take one teaspoonful a
day of good quality fish oil or cod liver oil (contains the omega 3 oils DHA and EPA). The best ones are low in
pollutants—Cytoplan, Healthspan, Cardinova’s Eskimo-3 and Higher Nature products are among the purest and
some are reasonably-priced.
Organic and biodynamic meat, butter and eggs taken from grass-fed animals usually contain far less saturated fat
and omega 6 fatty acids and more omega 3 than the conventional products—this is one of the reasons to choose
wild or else organic / biodynamic animal products.
Dark green vegetables and some salad greens such as purslane contain omega 3 fats. 10
Omega 9 (monounsaturated) oils: Olive oil is mostly omega 9 oleic acid. Use organic cold-pressed extra virgin
olive oil as your main cooking and salad oil. It protects the heart and has many health benefits.
Saturated fats are present in animal products, lard, coconut and palm oil. They are usually solid or semi-solid at
room temperature. They are not as bad as we have been led to believe, and are essential for health when taken in
moderation. See Sally Fallon’s book for details.8 Butter and coconut oil are antimicrobial and help prevent
infections. Vitamins A and D are usually found together with saturated fats. Fats in general improve the
absorption of minerals. (As many grains block the absorption of minerals, a diet high in grains and low in fats can
lead to mineral deficiencies.)
If you must fry or cook with oils or fats, never use polyunsaturated oils as they are easily damaged and become
toxic to the body. The fats which are least damaged by heat are the saturated fats; for example lard, coconut fat
and butter. Olive oil, being predominantly monounsaturated omega 9, is also a good choice. Try to keep the
cooking temperature as low as possible.
Following the above guidelines will usually result in lower cholesterol levels and improved health on all levels.
Cholesterol: Some scientists are now questioning the accepted wisdom about cholesterol.12, 13 They are saying
that there is no evidence that cutting out saturated fats and cholesterol has any benefit on your heart health. High
cholesterol is not a cause of heart disease, merely a symptom of cell damage caused by faulty diet. Cholesterol is
essential for the body.
The right diet, exercise, good social support and relaxation or meditation have a much more beneficial effect on
your cardiovascular system than either cutting out supposedly ‘bad’ saturated fats or dietary cholesterol. For low
cholesterol levels, doctors often give statins, which have not been shown to prolong life and may have dangerous
side effects. For a natural treatment for heart conditions, start off by cutting out sugar and all hydrogenated oils
and eating more fruit and vegetables.
If you really want to know how at risk you are from cardiovascular disease, don’t bother with a cholesterol test,
get your homocysteine levels checked. If the homocysteine level is high then it can probably be reduced with a
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few vitamin pills, including B vitamins, folic acid and trimethylglycine, a natural compound found in beets.15
Take ‘superfoods’ for added health: Examples of so-called ‘superfoods’ are beetroot, wheatgrass, barley grass,
spirulina, chlorella, seaweeds, most herbs and herb teas, especially nettle and dandelion, ginseng (good for
exhausted adrenals), goji berries, in fact all red and blue berries, garlic, grape seed extract, acerola cherry extract,
raw sauerkraut, fish oils, yogurt, organic dark chocolate and cocoa (or for an even healthier superfood try raw
cacao), green tea—without milk so my newspaper tells me, (a very rich source of antioxidants), aloe vera, most
spices, but especially turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, chilli, cayenne. Don’t forget raw pumpkin seeds, for magnesium, and essential fats, and ground linseeds and linseed oil. Some consider organic butter to be a superfood,
especially if it is from animals eating fresh grass and clover. The latest to hit the headlines is watercress. It is
purported to have cancer inhibiting properties.
Green superfoods, like all green vegetables help to make the blood alkaline, which, it is believed is our best
resistance against bacterial and viral infections. Bitter salads and herbs such as chicory are considered to be good
digestive tonics.
Take Probiotics: It is now realised that the hundreds of trillions of bacteria present in our gut have a major
impact on our digestion, and are essential for the absorption of food, the integrity of our gut lining, and for the
proper functioning of our whole immune system. Scientists now consider the colony of gut flora as acting as a
‘virtual organ’ of our body, equivalent in its metabolic effect to other organs such as a kidney or liver. The trouble
is our modern lifestyle contrives to kill off the ‘good’ bacteria and create conditions for unpleasant, diseaseforming organisms to grow and get the upper hand. Candida, a type of yeast, is a particularly nasty one if it gets
out of control. It is recognised that gut dysbiosis (too many bad guys, not enough good guys) can be a contributing
factor to inflammation of the gut wall, leaky gut and a whole spectrum of metabolic, immune and mental
dysfunctions including asthma, eczema, urinary-tract infections, fungal infections such as thrush, and even autism
and schizophrenia.
So what causes the damage? Taking a course of antibiotics effectively wipes out most of the colony of beneficial
bacteria that may have taken many years to become established, thus paving the way for pathogenic bacteria and
yeasts to propagate without their natural predators (the good guys) that are there to keep them in check.
Consumption of sugar, alcohol, having some vaccinations, the contraceptive pill and some drugs also reduce the
numbers of good bacteria and encourage the bad ones. Further, the gut flora profile is passed on from mother (and
even the father) to the newborn child, and so the situation can deteriorate from generation to generation. (See Dr.
Natasha Campbell-McBride’s book Gut and Psychology Syndrome11). Most people would benefit from a course
of a high strength, broad-spectrum probiotic that contains good strains of acidophilus as well as bifidobacter
species. An excellent product is Bio-Kult.11 A good-quality probiotic product should contain several billion
organisms per dose—equivalent to several pots of yogurt. Unfortunately, most yogurts contain only one type of
bacteria, usually lactobacillus acidophilus
Veganism: The vegan diet may not be healthy for everyone. According to Weston Price, there were no groups
that he discovered that remained healthy on a vegan diet. All healthy ‘primitive’ groups ate a large proportion of
animal products. Fish, seafood, eggs and dairy products, especially organic butter taken from grass-fed animals
are all rich in important vitamins, minerals and long chain omega 3 fats that are not readily available from plant
foods.
15
Vegans need to consider how to get adequate sources of omega 3 fats, particularly EPA and DHA and vitamin
B12, as a plant-based diet is very low in these essential nutrients. Taking flax seed oil (for omega 3) and reducing
omega 6 oils is particularly recommended. Meat, especially if organic, and consumed in moderation is not
associated with ill health, and does contain valuable nutrients, for example an easily absorbable form of iron.
Eating meat is, of course, also a moral and spiritual question, and many people on a spiritual path prefer not to eat
meat.
Supplements: This is a personal choice. Ideally we should try to get everything we need from food, but there are
many reasons why supplementing may be advisable, particularly as we get older and our bodies become less
efficient. People on unhealthy, nutrient-depleted diets usually show definite benefits from supplementation—
particularly in the realm of behaviour and learning, as many studies have shown.17 The bottom line seems to be
that it is probably better to get adequate essential nutrients by adding supplements than not getting enough.
Chocolate: If you love chocolate and can’t do without it, switch to organic, dark chocolate for zero pesticides,
zero trans-fats and less sugar—it is also rich in healthy antioxidants that are good for the heart.
Green Tea: Switch to green tea (without milk) instead of black tea or coffee—again, it is rich in antioxidants and
contains less caffeine. It may be taken with rice milk.
If you want to lose weight: Follow the Holford Low-GL Diet4
Chewing well: To overcome allergies and improve digestion, chew your food thoroughly.
Water: Drink plenty of spring water—between meals—it hydrates the cells and helps detoxify the body.
Vitamin C: try to get lots of vitamin C, it prevents infections, calms and strengthens the immune system, supports
the heart and blood vessels, and has even been used to cure cancer and AIDS. A good natural source is acerola
cherry extract. Many take ascorbic acid as tablets or powder. Magnesium ascorbate is a good way to take a nonacidic form of vitamin C as well as getting more magnesium. Some scientists believe that because humans are one
of the very few mammals that cannot manufacture their own vitamin C, our bodies are in a constant state of
vitamin C deficiency (scurvy), and that we need an intake of about 7 grams a day to compensate. My suggestion
would be 1 to 3 grams a day in divided doses; it certainly helps to reduce the number of colds you catch. Vitamin
C is very detoxifying and has also been used in some clinics to help with addictions.
Dairy products: If you are not allergic to dairy, then the best products are made from milk that is not pasteurized,
has come from healthy, local, organically-reared animals that have not had their horns removed and have been
eating fresh grass. (However, you may need to milk your own because it is not allowed to sell unpasteurised
milk.) For many people, however, regular consumption of the bog-standard dairy products may be contributing to
ill health. Yogurt and butter are probably the healthiest dairy foods for most people. Yogurt is essentially
composed of millions of living bacteria that will colonise the intestines, thus greatly benefiting gut health. Organic
butter contains beneficial fats and very little of the milk protein that causes allergies.
16
Summary:

Nutrition is not just about eating what you like, or eating what you think is good for you, it is about discovering
a real relationship to your body and soul and the nourishment they need, and it is equally about becoming
responsible towards our fellow human beings and the earth.

It is about finding a balance between understanding the science and listening to the body.

Enjoying beauty and finding our mission in life are also aspects of nutrition.

Nutrition is about sharing a meal together

It is about taking the next step towards a future where humanity and nature can live in harmony—for mutual
benefit.
Nutrition is about much more than just eating.
Questions? E-mail the author at:
richard@beannachar.org
References:
1 The film: Future of Food: http://www.futureoffood.com DVD available from Beannachar Herb Workshop.
2 The Metabolic Typing Diet, by Wollcot and Fahey Also: The Adam and Eve Diet: The Unique Diet That’s Biologically Tailormade for Your Shape, by Roderick Lane and Sarah Stacey
3 Lick the Sugar Habit, by Nancy Appleton
http://www.nancyappleton.com —gives 76 known reasons why sugar can ruin your health
4 The Holford Low-GL Diet, by Patrick Holford
5 Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills, by Russell L. Blaylock
http://www.dorway.com/blayenn.html
6 York Nutritional laboratories, http://www.allergy.co.uk—telephone: 01904 410 410
7 Food Detective Test: http://www.food-detective.com should be done by a health practitioner.
8 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, by Weston A. Price
see also: Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon
9 Glyconutrition: Sugars That Heal: The New Healing Science of Glyconutrients, by Emil I. Mondoa and Mindy Kitei
http://www.glycoscience.com and http://www.sugars4life.co.uk
10 http://www.barleans.com/literature/flax/104-primary-cause.html
11 Gut and Psychology Syndrome, by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, available from http://www.bio-kult.com
12 The Cholesterol Myths: Exposing the Fallacy that Saturated Fat and Cholesterol Cause Heart Disease,
by MD, PhD, Uffe Ravnskov
http://www.ravnskov.nu/cholesterol.htm
http://www.thincs.org/
13 The Great Cholesterol Con, by Anthony Colpo
14 Food is better medicine than drugs, by Patrick Holford and Jerome Burne
15 The H-Factor Diet: Homocysteine, the Best Single Indicator of Whether You Are Likely to Live Long or Die Young, by James
Braly and Patrick Holford
16 http://www4.dr-rath-foundation.org
17 They are what you feed them,
17
by Dr Alex Richardson. Also see her site http://www.fabresearch.org an amazing resource of nutrition research.
18 www.parliament.uk/post/pn105.pdf
Other good books:
The Fourfold Path to Healing, by Thomas S. Cowan
Nutrition, by Rudolf Hauschka
The Healing Power of Flax,
by Dr. Herb Joiner-Bey B.A., N.D.
Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill, by Udo Erasmus
Dr Mercola’s Total Health Program, by Dr Joseph Mercola
Brain Food, Lorraine Perretta from the Brain Bio Centre,
http://www.mentalhealthproject.com
The Biodynamic Food and Cookbook, and Foodwise by Wendy Cook
The New Optimum Nutrition Bible, by Patrick Holford
Web resources:
http://www.mercola.com
http://www.mercola.com/2002/aug/17/saturated_fat1.htm web version of Sally Fallon’s chapter on fats.
http://www.barleans.com/literature/flax/104-primary-cause.html
http://www.cbn.com/health/NaturalHealth/drsears_depression.asp
http://www.omega pure.com/research_fish_oils_iva.html
http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/omega 3-omega 6.html
http://www.softecare.com/Ingredients/omega_3_benefits_and_facts.cfm
http://ods.od.nih.gov/news/conferences/w6w3_abstracts.html
http://www.omega3sealoil.com
http://www.patrickholford.com
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