THE H UNDRED-YEAR LIE

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1 THE H UNDRED-YEAR LIE HOW FOOD AND MEDICINE ARE DESTROYING YOUR HEALTH RANDALL FITZGERALD DUTTON

2 APPENDIX TWO MODERN SCIENCE AFFIRMS ANCIENT CURES Our rediscovery of ancient healing wisdom, typically called folk remedies, and using the laboratory tools of modern science is revolutionizing our understanding of the naturally occurring food, herbal, and plant treatments. What Western medicine really seems to be rediscovering is its own traditional wisdom roots. The founding father of modern medicine, Hippocrates, the ancient Greek in whose name all new physicians in the United States swear an oath, was himself a practitioner and teacher of Unani Tibb, the traditional medicine of the Middle East in the ancient world. Every civilization and tribal culture that perpetuated itself in any form up to the present day maintained some structure of traditional medicine based on the healing properties of plants, shrubs, and trees native to its land. Through trial and error and intuition each society over the generations isolated and codified lists of botanicals that either worked individually or in synergistic combinations with proven healing powers for a wide range of illnesses and diseases. That entire collective body of accumulated knowledge was mostly discarded as irrelevent by Western countries during the twentieth century in their mad rush of enthusiasm to embrace the scientific method and the synthetics paradigm. Traditional medicines and the ancient wisdom traditions that utilized them have always been based upon observations about the laws of nature. For a broad and in-depth description of natural remedies addressing at least 160 health problems, may I recommend the book Alternative Cures,

3 248 MODERN SCIENCE AFFIRMS ANCIENT CURES by an expert in the field of natural healing, Bill Gottlieb. In the meantime, the following list provides a foundation for understanding the extent to which modern scientific methods have already demonstrated the effectiveness of ancient remedies. Aging Gotu kola is an herb used in both Chinese and Indian folk medicine to promote longevity; during the twentieth century several clinical studies found that it improves circulatory functioning and enhances antioxidant activity. Alzheimer s A spice used for many centuries in the Indian ayurvedic tradition, called curcumin, was reputed to increase mental clarity and boost overall immune system health; a study appearing in 2005 in Journal of Biological Chemistry found that curcumin was effective in breaking up Alzheimer s disease-causing plaques. It is also under study as a treatment for multiple sclerosis and cystic fibrosis. Anesthesia Many pre-medieval and Medieval cultures in Europe used hemlock as an anesthesia for surgical procedures; clinical studies of the twentieth century demonstrate that chemical substances in hemlock have value as an anesthetic. Angina Traditional medical practitioners of most cultures used the power of personal beliefs usually in connection with goddesses or other deities to activate the human body s own defense mechanisms to fight illness and disease. In 1994, a study in Clinical Psychology Review found this placebo effect to be far more effective than portrayed in the medical literature. At least 70 percent of patients studied had experienced good or excellent results from bogus (placebo) treatments for ailments ranging from angina to herpes to asthma. Arthritis Amazon tribes have used ant venom as a treatment for arthritis for hundreds of years; laboratory analysis in the twentieth century found the venom to contain complex sugar molecules that are effective against pain and inflammation.

4 MODERN SCIENCE AFFIRMS ANCIENT CURES 249 Asthma In ancient China bark from the root or branch of the magnolia tree, known as hou po, was widely used for digestive problems, asthma, and diarrhea; twentieth century pharmacological research finds its sedative and muscle relaxant properties to be a safe and natural substitute for synthetic tranquilizers. Blood Pressure During the first century AD, the Greek herbalist Dioscorides wrote about the health benefits of hawthorn berries from the hawthorn tree as a cardiac tonic; two millennia later the the journal Phytotherapy Research described a clinical trial in Britain that found hawthorn effective in lowering blood pressure and providing the body with a rich influx of flavonoids. Cancer Ginseng has played many healing roles in ancient Chinese herbal medicine; in 2004 the journal of the American Heart Association, Circulation, reported a study from MIT revealing that ginseng can promote the growth of blood vessels (a key to wound healing), while another form of ginseng with a preponderance of two key ingredients can halt the formation of blood vessels, which can help to kill cancerous tumors. Researchers at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center reported in the October 2005 issue of Clinical Cancer Research how curcumin, the main ingredient of tumeric, repels the spread of cancer to lung tissue and shuts down a protein active in the spread of breast cancer. Curcumin, a member of the ginger family, has been a mainstay in both traditional Indian and Chinese medicine for thousands of years. Carcinogens Practitioners of traditional medicine from India and China have long contended that synthetic vitamins are much less effective than plant-based vitamins in removing toxins from the body and keeping the immune system healthy; in 1994 the Tufts University Health and Nutrition Letter reported that researchers have compared synthetic vitamin C to naturally occurring food-derived vitamins and found that synthetics failed to reduce carcinogenic nitrosamines, while food-derived sources reduced to significantly lower levels these toxins. The explanation given: Vitamins as they appear in nature are in complex interrelationships with

5 250 MODERN SCIENCE AFFIRMS ANCIENT CURES hundreds, even thousands of other biochemicals within the complex natural food matrix. Contraception In ancient Greece a species of wild fennel known as siliphion was widely used as a female contraceptive; lab experiments in the twentieth century found that siliphion has anticontraceptive properties. In ancient sanskrit the word neem, from the neem tree, means the curer of ailments, and India traditionally used it as a contraceptive and a natural insecticide; twentieth century chemists discovered that neem is effective at both jobs, and a multinational chemical corporation, WR Grace & Co., even created a natural pesticide from neem. Depression Many cultures have traditionally used Saint-John s-wort as a treatment for depression and mood disorders, especially in women; in 2005 the British Medical Journal reported that Saint-John s-wort has been found effective against moderate depression and it also exhibits fewer side effects than paroxetine, one of the more common synthetic antidepressants. A root extract called golden root or Rhodiola rosea, has been used for centuries in Russia to cope with the cold Siberian winters and stress; pharmacology studies in the twentieth century discovered that the root stimulates brain chemicals that elevate mood and fight stress and depression. Diarrhea Carob has been used in Central American folk medicine for generations as a treatment for diarrhea; in 1995, a study in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition found that carob powder is highly effective as a diarrhea treatment for infants. Diabetes For thousands of years traditional Chinese medicine treated diseases similar to type 2 diabetes with the root of Panax ginseng; clinical studies of laboratory animals undertaken in the twenty-first century, sponsored by grants from the National Institutes of Health, found this ginseng may prove to be of clinical importance in improving the management of type 2 diabetes because it has antidiabetic and anti-obesity properties. For centuries the Guarani Indians of Paraguay used stevia as a medi-

6 MODERN SCIENCE AFFIRMS ANCIENT CURES 251 cine and a sweetener; clinical research in Japan has verified that it is a natural antibacterial and antiviral agent, regulates blood sugar levels effectively, prevents hypertension, and is three hundred times sweeter than sugar. Epilepsy Physicians in ancient Egypt used magnets as treatments for a range of ailments; during 2004 an estimated three hundred research teams around the world at such prestigious universities as Yale and Harvard were finding evidence of positive effects from magnetic therapy for a range of illnesses and diseases epilepsy, arthritis, depression, incontinence, spinal injuries. At the Technion Israel Institute of Technology, for instance, magnetic stimulation was found to ease the symptoms of severe depression. Canadian researchers found that magnets stimulate new cartilage cells to grow. Gastrointestinal Disorders Green tea has a long history in traditional Chinese medicine as a promoter of gastrointestinal health; during 2004 The European Journal of Pharmacology reported that green tea has numerous pharmacological properties that promote health, including antioxidant, antiinflammatory, anticarcinogenic, antibacterial, and anti-arterisoclerotic effects. Heart Disease The ancient Aztec Indians used a species of magnolia fruit as a treatment for heart problems; clinical studies in the twentieth century determined that the fruit contains chemical compounds effective for a variety of heart conditions. Allergic inflammatory diseases were historically treated in Korea using an herbal compound called allergina; a 2004 clinical study published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine by a team of pharmacologists at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences found convincing evidence that allergina works synergistically to enhance cardiac health and overall health. Hepatitis Milk thistle is a traditional herb in many cultures purported to be beneficial to the liver; in 2001 the journal Gastroenterology Nursing reported the results of a study funded by the National Institute of Al-

7 252 MODERN SCIENCE AFFIRMS ANCIENT CURES lergy and Infectious Diseases that found milk thistle to have good antiinflammatory and liver-regenerative properties in treating hepatitis C. Samoan healers have traditionally used a tree bark found in the Samoan islands for treating hepatitis and other liver ailments; testing by the National Cancer Institute discovered this bark is effective in combatting the AIDS virus. Infections Ancient Egyptian doctors used honey on burns and infected wounds to destroy bacteria; in the late twentieth century honey will be used to treat infected wounds and burns that don t respond to conventional treatments. Another remedy for infection in ancient Egypt was spoiled barley bread to treat wounds and burns; only in the twentieth century was the discovery made that this process has a medicinal effect similar to penicillin. Inflammation A moss that grows in China, from which huperzine A is derived, has been a traditional Chinese herbal medicine used to treat inflammation and fever; in the twentieth century clinical studies revealed that it is also effective at facilitating learning and memory function. Shilajit is an ancient remedy from the Himalayas of northern India, found growing on cliffs and between rocks, that has traditionally been prized as an immune system booster; clinical studies of shilajit from numerous countries have found it contains fulvic acid and has significant analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. Immune System A traditional immune system booster in parts of Brazil is a mushroom called Cogumelo do Sol, which is added to food; studies done at University School of Medicine and National Cancer Center, both in Japan, confirmed the mushrooms are potent immune system boosters and cancer-fighters. Reishi mushrooms from traditional Chinese medicine are known for their antiviral effects; twentieth century clinical studies of the mushroom found two bioactive substances that stimulate the human immune system and protect against illness and disease.

8 MODERN SCIENCE AFFIRMS ANCIENT CURES 253 Headaches The herb called butterbur has a long history of use in European cultures as a headache remedy; in 2004, according to the journal Neurology, the traditional herb was found to prevent migraine headaches in a clinical trial of 245 migraine sufferers. In 1988 the British medical journal The Lancet reported that a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of feverfew, an herbal medicine first used in ancient Greece for headaches, has proven effective in preventing migraine headaches. Two additional clinical studies have confirmed this data. Impotence Ancient Chinese medicine used a fungus called Cordyceps for impotence; during the twentieth century clinical trials found it to be effective for treating loss of sexual desire among the elderly. A time tested aphrodisiac in China described in ancient medical tests is horny goat weed, known as Epimedium; modern clinical tests of this weed have shown that it increases libido and improves erectile function. Malaria Several thousand years ago the wormwood plant was in widespread use as a treatment for malaria; in the twentieth century a substance in the wormwood plant called artemisinin was identified in a clinical laboratory at the University of Washington as effectively controlling malaria by creating a chemical reaction that kills the parasite. Menstrual Cramps Several American Indian tribes for centuries used an herb called black cohosh for menstrual and menopausal symptoms; in 2005, a twelve-week clinical trial testing 304 women found that black cohosh significantly reduced the frequency and severity of hot flashes and alleviated menstrual symptoms and elevated mood. Mental Alertness Ginkgo biloba is the fruit and leaf of a tree that has been used for thousands of years in Chinese medicine as a mind and memory enhancer; in 1986 the French medical journal La Presse Médicale devoted an entire issue to the biochemical and clinical applications of Ginkgo biloba. Among the medical findings: it increases brain circulation, protects nerve tissue from damage, and prevents free radical damage to cellular membranes.

9 254 MODERN SCIENCE AFFIRMS ANCIENT CURES In 1987 the American Journal of Chinese Medicine affirmed clinical findings that ginseng has a positive effect on learning and memory. An herb called Bacopa, which grows in marshy areas of India, was in widespread use in ancient times to enhance memory, and treat epilepsy and insomnia; studies in the twentieth century found that Bacopa has antioxidant properties that improve communication between nerve cells in the brain, thus enhancing memory and mental functions. Nausea Ginger root is a traditional cure for nausea in many cultures; in 1993 the medical journal Anaesthesia compared ginger root with other treatments for nausea and vomiting and found it especially effective in stopping nausea. Pain Natural pain relief was historically provided by the placebo effect, harnessing a person s power of belief when traditional remedies failed; in 1978, a study published in The Lancet, presented convincing evidence that the placebo effect reduces pain by using a person s natural capacity to secret homemade narcotics within the brain itself. In ancient Egypt and the Middle East the resin of a tree called myrrh was prized as an antibiotic to dress wounds; clinical experiments in the twentieth century found that myrrh has both antibiotic and pain-relief properties. Willow bark has been a treatment used traditionally throughout Europe for lower back pain; a study published in 2000 in the American Journal of Medicine found willow bark extract to be a successful treatment for persons with lower back pain. Snake Bite Throughout ancient India the snakeroot plant was used as a remedy for snake bites; lab tests in the 1950s found that snakeroot is a tranquilizer that slows the heartbeat and prevents snake toxins from spreading rapidly, giving the body an opportunity to recover. Stomach Disorders In Chile, traditional folk medicine uses an evergreen shrub known as boldo as a diuretic; lab research in the twentieth century showed boldo as both an effective diuretic and a treatment for stomach and intestinal cramps.

10 MODERN SCIENCE AFFIRMS ANCIENT CURES 255 Stress Bark from the root or branch of the magnolia tree is traditionally used in folk medicine to treat digestive problems, diarrhea, and asthma; pharmacology research in the twentieth century found its sedative and muscle relaxant properties to be a safe and natural substitute for synthetic tranquilizers. Ulcers Chamomile tea is a traditional remedy for stomach upset in many parts of the world; in 1979 the medical journal Planta Medica published a study in which chamomile is shown to protect against ulcers.the principal component of chamomile, bisabolol, seems to calm intestinal spasms and prevents the development of gastric ulcers. Weight Loss Scottish medieval monks used the bitter vetch plant to suppress hunger; in 2005 clinical labs in Britain found the plants can be an effective dieting pill.

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