Unfortunately, this is long email - probably longest we have ever done, but after critical report regarding vitamins and minerals from Food Standards Agency that was printed in The Times, newspaper has been doing a debate on issue, as they were inundated with letters.

From our own point of view, a letter that was sent in by a Doctor really puts things into perspective and felt a need to share this and other points with you..

"As senior partner in an NHS general practise, I am very disturbed at recent publicising of information purporting to show dangers of nutritional supplements.

I would like to point out that nutritional supplements are generally a great deal safer than prescribed drugs. Their dangers have been grossly and, I fear, wilfully exaggerated for commercial reasons.

There is overwhelming evidence that our current Western diet does not give us adequate nutrition and that we need to take active steps to protect ourselves from damaging effects of environmental toxins.

Both of these major health problems can be significantly reduced by appropriate use of nutritional supplements, including minerals, vitamins and antioxidants."

Dr Stephen Brooke, Swindon, Wiltshire

Well, we definitely agree with that, and let's face it, there were so many flaws with report, that if like us, you read into things, we are sure you will agree that there does seem to be a hidden agenda for large pharmaceuticals. But, if we are taking care of our own health, surely it would be better for NHS?? Yet of course, they wouldn't earn as much in drugs being prescribed - we know!

However, we thought you may like to see just a few (yes! Only some) research points and quotes on different nutrients that we have come across.

Evidence is constantly being provided by ongoing research, that Antioxidants may have an important role in prevention of some of most degenerative diseases in world today, for example, arthritis, heart disease and cancer. References: A Good Health Guide "The Antioxidants", R A Passwater, PhD, 1985. A Good Health Guide "The New Superantioxidant - Plus", R A Passwater, PhD, 1992. Getting To The Heart Of It, Bill Davison, G W P Davison Pty Ltd, Australia, 1987. Heart Disease, Stroke, Oral and Intravenous Chelation Therapy, Dr K W Donsbach, 1993.

"patients with Angina and those at risk of heart disease, should be given supplementary vitamin E at a level, far higher than what we get from our dietary intake." Professor Morris Brown, Cambridge University, England

"we now have substantial evidence implicating Beta Carotene with low rates of breast and lung cancer as well as heart disease." Dr Meyskens, Clinical Cancer Centre, University of California. Annual Conference of Nutritional Society of Australia.

A clinical trial was conducted on men aged between 20-30 who smoked at least one pack of cigarettes per day. They were either given a placebo, or a vitamin c supplement in form of ascorbic acid. After only one week there was a decrease of 81% in blood-lead levels for those taking nutritional supplement.

"in order to obtain identical results as supplements, one would have to consume up to 1.2kg of carrots per day. The reason for this, is that Beta Carotene is not always efficiently or consistently absorbed from food." Dr Phillip Gaffney, Research conducted by Brisbane Hospital, Australia.

"In future, we will not be able to rely any more on our premise that consumption of a varied balanced diet will provide all essential trace elements, because such a diet will be very difficult to obtain for millions of people." As told to Congress in 1977 by Dr W Mertz, US Department of Agriculture.

******************************************** Publishing Guidelines: Thank you for publishing this article in its entirety including resource box. When possible, please notify me of publication by sending either a website link or a copy of your ezine upon publication via email to Marilyn@SpiritualJava.com. Thank you! ********************************************

Let’s Go Nuts and Fight Cancer©2003 Marilyn Diamond and Donald Schnell

America loves wars. Currently, we are so busy fighting “War on Terrorism” that we’ve forgotten about thirty-year long “War on Cancer.”

The “War on Cancer” was declared in 1971. It has cost taxpayers billions of dollars, and only outcome is that cancer statistics have climbed from one out of eleven in 1970’s to one out of two in 2002.

“From about 1 in 11 in 1970, to 1 in 7 in 1980, to 1 in 4 in 1990, to about 1 in 2.15 people in U.S. who are expected to develop cancer in their lifetime in 2002. When will it reach 1 in 1 ... if we let it?” Don Weaver, To Love and Regenerate Earth In just one year, 1996, more Americans lost their lives from cancer than from war in entire 20th century. Ten million had died by 1996 since War on Cancer was first declared. One in two families will be presently touched by cancer, and one out of four babies will die of disease.

This is a “WAR” we are certainly losing. This is a war we must wage.

In 1986, three professors at prestigious Cornell University Medical Center were certain they’d discovered a natural weapon to fight cancer. They announced a naturally occurring remedy to stem rising tide of killer disease. Realizing that we were in middle of an epidemic they announced their “cure” to world.

The press conference never made front-page news.

We never heard about it.

We ask whole auditoriums of people if they’ve ever heard this news.

Essentially no one raises a hand.

Do you know about this?

The Cornell doctors recommended that each of us should be sure to consume more selenium then RDI suggests. Selenium is a naturally occurring mineral. It should be found in soil. It should be available from our foods.

The RDI is recommended daily allowance. It is set at 70 mcg of selenium a day for both men and women.

But research claims we need not lower than 200 and as high as 600 mcg for antioxidant effect and to help prevent cancer.

Ask average doctor if you need to take a selenium supplement. The answer will probably be, “No, just eat a balanced diet and you’ll be fine!”

Typically, average doctor’s twelve hours of nutrition in medical school hasn’t kept pace with thousands of studies in nutritional science. Unfortunately, many physicians are as overweight and under-exercised as their patients. Their rates of cancer are as high and in some cases even higher than average population. Doctors need this information as much as lay public.

The information is here.

The experts at Cornell University had proof that America could stem rising tide of cancer, if each individual would consume about 600 mcg of selenium a day. Not 70 mcg, as RDI erroneously suggests. Nearly 10 times amount of RDI!

This is potentially life saving information. One out of two Americans is now struck with cancer.

Now here’s problem. Is selenium in our soils? Is it in our foods?

Selenium occurs most abundantly in soil containing volcanic ash. The soil in northeastern, Pacific, southwestern, and extreme southeastern regions of U.S. are all deficient in selenium. In Canada, north central and eastern regions are deficient. Food grown in these areas will also be deficient in selenium.

In fact average American diet contains about 33 mcg of selenium a day. This is about one half of what is minimally required and 1/20th of Cornell recommendation for cancer prevention.

Selenium has been shown to improve efficiency with which DNA can repair itself after being exposed to damaging substances. This means your body can fight poisons better when adequate amounts of mineral are available.

Poisons? What kind of poisons?