OILS AND FATS – THEIR ROLE IN DEGENERATIVE DISEASES
In the search for contributory causes of gout, arthritis, cancer, multiple sclerosis, liver trouble and other serious diseases, investigators always discover something new after years of research. Almost all experts agree that hereditary factors play an important part in the predisposition to certain diseases. Mental and physical strain, overwork, constant hurry, irritations, fears and worries cannot be ignored as contributory causes, or they may even trigger the diseases. Poisons finding their way into the system through drugs and unnatural foodstuffs, preservatives and additives, must be recognised as detrimental to health. Modern refined and nutrient-deficient foodstuffs also share considerably in the blame and invariably undermine our health. We are thinking especially of canned foods that are prepared in such a way that they retain none of their original nutritional value. Then there is a particular substance that has so far received little attention, but the absence of which may lead to degenerative diseases. I am referring to the polyunsaturated fatty acids that are contained in natural oils and fats but are destroyed by heating, refining, hardening and other factory processes. A lack of these acids gives rise to disturbances in the metabolism of the cells, and it is obvious that this must have a bearing upon other pathological processes as well. A few years ago, little was known about the unsaturated fatty acids and few, if any, references were made to the importance of natural oils and fats in a balanced diet. Only recently has it become possible to see what part these substances play in degenerative diseases or their prevention.
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