DIET AND HEALTH

New Zealand Listener, Volume 13, Issue 323, 31 August 1945, Page 5

DIET AND HEALTH

Sir,-I have just read with very great interest your reviewer’s remarks on Guy Chapman’s little book Prevention and Cure of Common Ailments. His opening sally as to the book being good and bad in parts can be applied (I hope I am not being unkind) forcibly to his own review. To be very brief, may I point out two outstanding faux pas. Vitamin D: He agrees with Chapman’s advice as to the advisability of going to the bottle for this vitamin-at any rate during the present period of rationing. Can he show me any normal diet (liberal amounts of butter, eggs, and meat thrown in) which will supply enough D for optimum nutrition. And then he says it is probably very sound using unsaturated fats for certain types of eczema, though perhaps too early*to make a definite pronouncement. Now the fact that medical men.haven’t been awake to the possibilities of curative dietetics, and are shamefully behind in this branch of |

science does not meari that there are not others applying this new knowledge and obtaining cures with monotonous regularity. A balanced diet, with stress placed on the hygiene of the liver and thyroid, and partial or total replacement of saturated fats by the unsaturated (need not be dripping or lard, I find peanut and olive oil better) has been found 100 per cent. curative in hundreds of cases passing through Dr. Chapman’s hands and those of his co-workers. Finally, may I offer up a plea for "stereotyped" diets -give me monotony and regimentation every time, if variety means the sort of ghastly recipes published in your column by "Aunt Daisy."

PENROD

TERRY

(Avondale),