| The process of ecological illness, leading to multiple | | | | 35 per cent to beef, and 33 per cent to corn, |
| allergies. It has become evident that many people | | | | cane sugar and yeast. Dr Grant found that, if |
| in the Western World are developing chronic illness | | | | these foods were eliminated from their diet, 85 |
| as a result of too many years on the | | | | per cent became free of headaches and the rest |
| over-refined Western diet. It appears that, | | | | showed significant improvement. This work was |
| although people who were fed wrongly during | | | | supported by research at the National Hospital for |
| infancy are particularly prone to developing this | | | | Nervous Diseases, in London, where it was found |
| problem, most people, in fact, will develop some | | | | that at least two thirds of severe migraine |
| form of ecologically-caused food intolerances | | | | sufferers were allergic to certain foods. When |
| during the course of their lives. The fact that this | | | | these foods were removed from the diet, the |
| problem has not emerged en masse sooner, in | | | | headaches stopped. |
| our society, is probably because it is only during | | | | Many elderly people, nowadays, are showing signs |
| the past thirty years that manufactured and | | | | of ecological illness because their immune systems |
| artificially processed foods have become the bulk | | | | are less robust than a younger person's and the |
| of our daily diet. | | | | effects of the past thirty years have hit them |
| The process of ecological illness can span years, | | | | first. They are told by their doctors that they |
| even decades. That incredible mechanism, the | | | | must accept their recurring symptoms and their |
| body, can put up a very good fight for a very | | | | chronic fatigue, simply because they are getting |
| long time. The individual, being a fighter, keeps | | | | old. They are not advised to examine their diet or |
| plugging along, coping with repetitive ailments, little | | | | eating habits and, accordingly, their later years are |
| realizing that he is inexorably developing a | | | | unnecessarily burdened with ill health. It has been |
| condition that will ultimately wreck his health. | | | | shown overseas that a clean diet, free from |
| These days, once a person moves past | | | | processed and allergenic foods, can rebuild the |
| thirty-five, it seems that a range of repetitive | | | | immune system and, within a dramatically short |
| ailments, from backache to indigestion, have to be | | | | time, restore elderly people to robust good health. |
| accepted as part of the ageing process. The fact | | | | Nathan Pritikin's now famous Longevity Centre, at |
| that the body is becoming increasingly overloaded | | | | Santa Monica, California, has been enormously |
| and is giving out warning signs, does not often | | | | successful in this field. |
| appear to be recognized nor understood. These | | | | As time goes on, many younger people are |
| warnings are often the first signs of a weakening | | | | beginning to show signs of the ecological allergy |
| immune system, which if unheeded, will lead to | | | | syndrome. Doctors' waiting rooms are evidencing |
| complex food and chemical allergies, causing a | | | | increasing numbers of young people in their |
| further breakdown in health. | | | | twenties and even younger, with recurring |
| Dr Allen G. Grant of Charing Cross Hospital, | | | | symptoms and health problems. Why is the |
| London, reported, in the Lancet, on the study of | | | | percentage of young patients higher than, say |
| sixty migraine patients. It was found that 78 per | | | | twenty years ago? It seems that a growing |
| cent were allergic to wheat, 65 per cent to | | | | intolerance to our artificial Western diet is the |
| oranges, 40 per cent to tea and coffee, 45 per | | | | answer. |
| cent to eggs, 37 per cent to chocolate and milk, | | | | |