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From: darragh@calgary.UUCP (John Darragh)
Newsgroups: net.med
Subject: Re: Life Extension
Message-ID: <482@calgary.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 22-Jul-84 18:21:29 EDT
Article-I.D.: calgary.482
Posted: Sun Jul 22 18:21:29 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 24-Jul-84 03:55:37 EDT
References: <2400001@iuvax.UUCP>
Organization: U of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta
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"The search for nutrients is an excellent way of wasting time and money."
					(source unknown--I've forgotten)

    I can't comment on the ideas presented in the Life Extension book as
I haven't read it (yet), though I strongly support any movement
that encourages people to take responsibility for their own health and
eating habits.

    The concept of searching for *optimal* nutrition worries me a bit.
It assumes that there is such a thing as "*optimal* nutrition"
and that it is possible to discover it.  In my (admitted unresearched)
opinion it is a very complex problem and not worth the effort
for the average person.  For those who insist, it's useful to know
about the seven Index Nutrients: vitamin B6, vitamin A, folacin,
pantothenic acid, iron, calcium and magnesium.  If you eat a variety
of *foods* containing these you should get the other 38 or so other
nutrients as well ("Gardeners: the crucial 7", Gardens For All News,
pp 13, July, 1983.)

    It is conceivable that a person could spend considerable time
searching for unproven--or worse, useless or even detrimental--putative
life extending "optimal nutrition" with a net effect of reducing their
*effective* life span even if they *do* live a little longer.  Of
course if they enjoy the search (say, as a hobby), and had nothing they
thought was better to do with their time then more power to them.  

    *Good* nutrition on the other hand can be achieved by concentrating
on food--NOT nutrients.  A well balanced diet, based on one of the
many food guides, is all the average healthy person needs.  I have
found it useful to break my weekly grocery list template down by
Canada Food Guide headings.  Together with dayly serving recommendations
(also on my list template) it it easy to buy a good balance of
foods each week.

    NEW(?) TOPIC: Does anyone know anything about the neuropsychological or
psychobiological effects of different foods and what the active ingredients
are?  There have been several articles on these effects in the popular
press over the last few years, but precious few references.

John J. Darragh