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From: bch@unc.UUCP (Byron Howes )
Newsgroups: net.med
Subject: Re: A Brief Description of a Macrobiotic Diet
Message-ID: <5999@unc.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 12-Oct-83 02:36:13 EDT
Article-I.D.: unc.5999
Posted: Wed Oct 12 02:36:13 1983
Date-Received: Thu, 13-Oct-83 20:59:15 EDT
References: wivax.18781
Lines: 45

As Steve Bellovin has already pointed out, burnt food, especially bacon
or other cured meats, is very likely to contain nitrosamines -- known
and potent mutagens.  This is most likely the causative agent in the higher
than normal rate of stomach cancer among families using recycled bacon
grease after World War II.  While technically frying ddoes not 'mutate
cells' it does produce compounds that have been linked with higher-than-
normal incidences of cancer.

I suspect that breaking a capsule of vitamin E into your cooking oil
isn't going to do a whole lot one way or the other.  While vitamin
E is indeed an anti-oxidant in its normal environment, its use as a
cooking preservative has been neither tested nor proven.  The best technique
I know of for keeping oils from going rancid is to buy smaller amounts
at more frequent intervals -- paying careful attention if possible to the
product dating codes.

<FLAME ON!!!>

This business of advertising unproven techniques as cures for cancer,
myopia, bunions or bad breath is a practice which is at best unethical
and at worst illegal.  Although macrobiotics may seem on the face of
it to be a rather benign therapy, for persons suffering from certain
metabolic or intestinal disorders it could be extremely harmful.  While
I share the general unease about the actions and philosophy of the AMA,
and would heartily agree that a large proportion of the MDs in this
country are less competant than I would like them to be, I would urge
that people considering any form of self-medication in the form of
diets, "trendy" chemicals or unusual exercises consult a physician
before doing so.

The results of medical and epidemiological research are quite within the
reach and intellectual grasp of anyone on the net.  "Science News" for
one, regularly reports the state of research into the relationship between
diet and cancer and into the environmental causes of various diseases.
It is an 8 to 16 page magazine, written for the layman, that is relatively
inexpensive and comes out once a week.  If you are interested in the
subject, read.  Don't believe and transmit what may be misinformation
gathered from people who only dimly know what they are talking about.

<flame off>


					Byron Howes
					UNC - Chapel Hill
					decvax!duke!unc!bch