| Alcohol, coffee, and diuretics, or medication given to | | | | non-drinking heavy smokers whose cholesterol was |
| stimulate urine production, appear to increase the | | | | difficult to reduce. |
| urinary losses of all nutrients which dissolve in water, | | | | "Sudden" Heart Attacks |
| Of the 40 nutrients required for health, all but | | | | Investigators, thinking that early heart damage may be |
| five-vitamins A, D, E, K, and linoleic acid are readily lost | | | | caused by a lack of essential fatty acids, fed baby |
| in the urine. For example, when volunteers were given | | | | monkeys prepared infants' formulas with and without |
| a carefully measured amount of fluid daily including | | | | adding vegetable oil. The blood cholesterols of the |
| orange juice (70 cc) and later 95 per cent alcohol was | | | | monkeys not receiving oil were higher than those given |
| substituted for the juice, the magnesium excretion | | | | oil, but in both groups all arteries were severely |
| increased fivefold;105 and symptoms of a magnesium | | | | diseased by the end of a single year. Yet such |
| deficiency -nervousness, tension, and hangover | | | | formulas invariably claim to be "identical" to breast milk. |
| jitters-are common in social drinkers. | | | | Regardless of nationality, infants throughout the world |
| Persons having abnormally high blood fat and | | | | are born with approximately the same amount of |
| cholesterols have been found to obtain almost twice | | | | cholesterol in their blood. That coronary disease is now |
| as many calories daily from alcohol as normal | | | | being produced from birth on in the majority of |
| individuals. Alcohol (196 calories per ounce) readily | | | | American children is tragic though scarcely surprising |
| changes into saturated fat, often causing the amount | | | | when one realizes that most diets given to babies and |
| of blood fat to double. It slows the blood flow, inhibits | | | | growing youngsters are woefully deficient in vitamin E, |
| the utilization of fats, supplies no nutrients except | | | | cholin, inositol, pantothenic acid, magnesium, essential |
| calories, satisfies the need for food, and increases the | | | | fatty acids, iodine, and other nutrients. |
| requirement for vitamin B1, pantothenic acid, and cholin. | | | | The blood fat and cholesterol may be high for many, |
| One study of 2,000 men observed over a seven-year | | | | many years before heart disease manifests itself, yet |
| period revealed that individuals who developed | | | | little attention has been paid to these warnings. For |
| coronary disease drank five cups or more of coffee | | | | instance, a survey-one of many-showed that almost |
| daily. Even a single cup of coffee, acting as a stress, | | | | everyone of a group of executives and businessmen |
| causes a prompt rise in blood fats and cholesterol; and | | | | who considered themselves to be in excellent health |
| when both coffee and benzedrine were given to | | | | had blood fat and cholesterol levels far above normal. |
| patients with heart disease, their blood fat and | | | | Diet analyses revealed that some executives obtained |
| cholesterol tripled over previous levels. Strong coffee | | | | 60 per cent of their calories from saturated fats; death |
| given to rats and dogs caused loss and graying of hair, | | | | from heart disease has been repeatedly produced in |
| convulsions, paralysis, watering eyes, and many more | | | | animals given only 40 per cent saturated fat and an |
| symptoms, none of which occurred in animals receiving | | | | otherwise ideal diet. |
| decaffeinated coffee. These abnormalities could be | | | | Coronary deaths are often spoken of as "sudden," a |
| largely prevented by giving liver. | | | | strange adjective to apply to a condition which has |
| Diuretics frequently cause deficiencies of magnesium, | | | | been perhaps years in forming. The attack itself, |
| potassium, the B vitamins, and many other nutrients. | | | | bringing an abrupt end to ignorance concerning an |
| Potassium and magnesium are vital in helping to | | | | abnormality of long standing, can indeed be sudden. |
| prevent heart attacks, and a lack allows clots to form | | | | One post-mortem study of coronary patients under 50 |
| in the heart and brain alike. The loss of the vitamin B1 | | | | years of age showed that 63 per cent had died during |
| and pantothenic acid can result in decreased circulation | | | | the first hour of their first attack, 85 per cent during the |
| (a condition conducive to clotting) and degeneration of | | | | first 24 hours, and only 23 per cent had lived long |
| the heart muscles; and the excessive excretion of | | | | enough to be attended medically. Nearly half had had |
| iodine and other B vitamins can be disastrous. | | | | no previous symptoms except-undoubtedly-excessive |
| The only people I have worked with whose blood | | | | blood fat and cholesterol of which they were probably |
| cholesterols have remained persistently high have | | | | unaware. |
| been individuals who have not wished to decrease | | | | To prevent such tragic loss of life, I believe that |
| their coffee and/or alcohol intake or who were being | | | | industry should make annual tests for blood cholesterol |
| given diuretics. In other respects these persons have | | | | and perhaps blood fat compulsory for all employees; |
| followed their diets carefully. One social drinker, whose | | | | that schools should require such tests for their athletes; |
| opening remark was, "Don't get any funny ideas about | | | | and that each individual who values his health should |
| lowering the alcoholic content of my blood," still has a | | | | know his blood cholesterol level. If either the blood fat |
| cholesterol of 330 milligrams. Another man, whose | | | | or cholesterol is found to be high, an adequate diet can |
| cholesterol is above 500, is being given a diuretic daily. | | | | usually rectify the condition. A heart attack, however, is |
| When diuretics have been withdrawn and/or the | | | | perhaps the most severe stress a human can endure; |
| coffee or alcohol avoided, cholesterols have dropped | | | | hence the anti-stress formula and, when possible, the |
| quickly without alterations in the diet. After a heart | | | | entire anti-stress program should be followed until |
| attack, many men will give up smoking or social | | | | convalescence is advanced. |
| drinking, but not both. I have not worked with any | | | | |