On Sun, 6 Sep 1998, Automatic digest processor wrote:

> From:    Staffan Lindeberg <[log in to unmask]>

> regarding phytochemicals. Still it is a hypothesis. And an interesting one.
> But I advice any of you not take it for granted that they are the reason
> that fruit and vegetables are healthy. I say this because many people are
> too eager to make pills out of nutrients.
>
Staffan-- this really is THE point to be made regarding phytochemicals--
not only regarding getting one's nutrients from a pill, but also relying
solely on meat.  The USDA's database includes 3,000 phytochemicals.  There
are so many of them, with so many varied interactions and effects (and the
epidemiologic evidence points to a large number of healthy effects), that
to try to get one or two from a bottle (like beta carotene) or to ignore
them totally (by being only a carnivore) is nutritional insanity.  My
advise to the few people on this list (e.g., Wade) who are experimenting
with an all-meat diet is to medically monitor themselves, closely, for
quite some time-- especially keeping track of their blood lipids, blood
pressures, and stools.  I can't imagine any nutritional scientist getting
funding for a study that would put humans on an all-meat diet for more
than a very short period of time-- among dozens of reasons because of the
known benefits of ascorbate, tocopherols, and fiber.

Cheers!

Gregg C
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