Column #93

The Department of Health and Human Services projects that the growth of healthcare spending will exceed the national economy’s growth rate over the coming decade. For 2016, it projected national health expenditures would hit $3.35 trillion, which is $10,345 for every man, woman, and child.

Now compare the “healthcare” expenditure with that of food. In 2016 Americans will have spent about $1.46 trillion or $4,492 for every man, woman, and child on food. Just slightly over half of that expenditure was for eating out! Keep this in mind for the remainder of this short column.

By 60 years of age, most folks realize that chronic diseases, which cause most of the reported deaths in our country, are ubiquitous amongst their peers. When they go to their doctors, they are tested extensively, given drugs, and/or recommended to have operations. Amazingly, most folks follow that advice even though rarely will those steps cure their afflictions.

On the other hand, for over four decades nutritional scientists have shown how nearly every chronic disease has a powerful relationship with diet. Yet during all these years, the medical community has downplayed rather than studied and embraced peer-reviewed nutritional science. Consequently, the pockets of the big medical/pharmaceutical companies are overflowing because their first time chronic disease patients usually become regular customers for the rest of their lives.

People with heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, intestinal issues, multiple sclerosis, stroke, inflammation, obesity, mental issues, cancer, asthma, acne, allergies, etc. can gain significant improvement and often total remission by simply changing the foods they eat. To learn more, read the peer-reviewed research that medical professionals refuse to read or heed. Start with these scholarly reports that are easily accessible on the internet:

●    Essential Fatty Acids in Health and Chronic Disease
●    Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Inflammation and Autoimmune Diseases
●    The Importance of the Ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids

There are thousands of similar peer-reviewed reports with more appearing daily. But they do not make for sensational, highly entertaining, or motivational reading. They are just facts and figures explaining the results of thousands of experiments and anecdotal evidence. The authors are not marketing products nor attempting to gain fame and fortune from speaking engagements. But they do indicate the need for big changes, which is not something the general public, food producers, the media, nor the medical/pharmaceutical industries want to hear.

What is the fundamental chemistry of the healing foods scientists suggest? After analyzing the foods, at the top of the list are green leafy vegetables, wild-caught seafood, grass-fed meats, and Omega-3 meats. The studies indicate the foods that the cause the most damage to human health are all grains, seeds, nuts, some vegetables, oils, grain-fed meats, and many fruits. But you won’t understand why unless you study nutrition and food chemistry. For clarity there’s my free eBook: “The Real Diet of Man.” It explains food chemistry and the importance of the diet.

The bottom line is that when consumers focus on healing their chronic diseases with food rather than medical intervention, their food cost may go up slightly but their medical costs will plunge.

To your health.

Ted Slanker

Ted Slanker has been reporting on the fundamentals of nutritional research in publications, television and radio appearances, and at conferences since 1999. He condenses complex studies into the basics required for health and well-being. His eBook, The Real Diet of Man, is available online.

Don’t miss these links for additional reading:

Four Legendary Nutritional Research Reports by Artemis P. Simopoulos, M.D.

Chronic Diseases: The Leading Causes of Death and Disability in the United States by CDC

New Peak for US Health Care Spending: $10,345 Per Person by AP

Food Prices and Spending by USDA