Basic HTML Version
.1
----------------------------------~--------~~in~
that the tooth-decay rate was cut in balf
during World War
U
wben there was
a
serious sugar shortage. Aller the war
· aod the return of bigb quantities of
sugar to the diet, however, the rate be·
came higbcr Iban ever.
The fact
is,
pareota
who allow their
cbildreo lO OVCr·indulge in sweets show
linte
regard
for their ehildreo's tceth and
overaU hwth.
·
Nutritionist Jean Mayer declares that
"the promotion of bigh·sugar cereals,
~oack.s,
and soft drinks to childreo
is
a
dental disaster and may be
a
factor in
inereasing the likeühood of diabetes in
those iodividuals wbose families show
a
his10ry of that
disease"
(Life and Healtlo
Magazine,
Sept. 1974). Others waro that
too much sugar in the diet causes obe–
sity which can lead to beart cfuease.
People, wbeo faced with the faelS
about bow hannful sugar
can
be tó their
teeth, often throw up their hands in dis·
may, remarlting, "WeU, if one can't use
sugar
as
a sweetening ageot, what's
left?" Believe it or not, there·
is
som.,.
thing else available: boney.
Hooey:
A
Natural Sugar Subslitute
Honey
is
a natural swcetener that has ·
heen used by men since their creation. lt
was almost the only source of sugar
available 10 t.he ancieou, wbo also val·
ued it for iu medicinal benefits. Honey
THf SUGAR CONSPIRACY
·
is
eveo recommended by the biblical
book of Proverbs, written some 3,000
yean ago. Solomon writes, "My son, eat
boney, for it
is
good" (Proverbs 24: 13,
RSV). He 'atso warns that "it
ís
oot good
lo eat much honey.... eat only enougb
by
Artllur
W. Docken
In Englaod,
90%
ofthe cbildren under
12 bave dental caries- decayed tceth -
and about 17 million Britons have lost
al/
of their teetb. Seveo bundred thou·
sand Norwegians are tootbless. In Scot·
land, 44\\oftbe population over the age
of 16 no looger
possess
tbeir natural
teeth.
Over 25 million Americans have lost
their natural teetb, 98\\
of
t.be U.S.
pop–
ulation bave cavities (a total of one bil–
lioo cavities), aod 75\\ have gum
distases whieb can cause loss of teetb.
To repair
al/
Amcricans' dental damage
would
cost
an estimated $8 billion a year
- twice our curren! e:xpeoditure.
Dental researcbers are looltin' contin·
uaUy for new ways to prevent th.s gigan·
tic problem. Proposed solutions range
from adding ftuoride 10 drinking water
10 "glazing" the teeth wit.h laser beams
10 using sueb
t.hings
u sopbisticated
cbemieals, vaccines made from orga·
nisms wbicb dwell in the mout.hs ofmost
people, natural cement produced by tiny
sea animals, and the usual toothbrush·
dental-ftoss-see-your-dentist-twice-a·
year routine.
In
spite of all this e:xtensive
researeb, dental problems continue 10 be
a big headacbe, or sbould we say "tooth–
acbe"?
Sugar the Blg Clllprit
Wby are people having so much
trouble wit.h t.heir tceth? More and more
t.he exper!S are pointing to sugar and
supr-.weetened foods as the major cul·
. pnt. Witbout sugar, toot.h decay would
probably be almost nonexistenL (Tootb
decay
is
caused by bacteriA
in
lhO moulh
wbicb ferment sugar and carbohydrates
12
10 produce an acid tbat attack.s tooth
ename!.)
Normal Americans, on t.he average, ·
eat 120 pouods of sweeu annually.
England
claims
the disti.nction of being
tbe world's greatest eonsumu of sweets
and sugar. In fact, most modero natioos
consume far more sugar than ever b<>–
fore, and they are loving iL
Betweeo-meal snacks cost Americans
$2
billion in 1972 and probabty ac>
counted for a major share of their
$4-
biUion annual dental bill.
Candy isn't tbe only problem, of
eourse. Americans gulpdown an annual
average of 20 gaUons of soft,drinks and
fruit-ftavored beverages, mOSt of wbich
contain bigh coocentrations of sugar.
Most Americans also start off t.heir day
witb an instant brea.kfast cereal, whicb
more Iban likely
is
su~ar-coated.
. The average Amcncan siU in froot of
bis
TV set five houn per day, being
bombarded witb up
toSO
eommerci.als,
many of them using bard-seU tactio:s
to
peddle
"jun.k
food." Mucb 10 the dismay
of nutrition experts, t.he viewer
is
ollen
coovinced tbat the swcetened variety of
anything
is
the preferable commodity.
Dental experts point out in vain t.hat
chewing gum, aU-day suclcers, cbewy
tofl'ee, and caramels keep thc teet.h
awasb in an enamel-destroying acid for
long periods of time. Sol\ drinks ftood
the mout.b witb a wortbless concoction
of ebemicals and sugar t.hat can help to
eventually destroy oot only one's teetb
but
bis
general hea.lt.h
as
wcU. Even
swcetened tootbpaste can help
ca\13~
decay.
One study in Scandinavia showed
for you, lest you be sated witb it and
vomit it" (Prov. 25:27, 16, RSV). (lt
sbould be stated tbat it would be best,
if
possible, 10 avoid buying honey whicb
has beco prooessed and beated because
this type of boney has lost mucb of iu
nutritional value.)
Wha t You Can Do!
What can you do to preveo! dental
problems? Mnst e:xperu say that the lirst
and most importan! step
is
10 chaoge
your dict. Get rid of sweets and eat
more natural foods. Eat
foods
tbat are
rich in tooth-building minerals sucb as
dairy preducts, nuts, vegetables, fruits,
and wbole-grain eereals.
If
you must eat
between-meal snacks; try fruits, raisins,
or vegetables sucb as carrots or eelery
wbieb ac:tuaUy belp clean your teeth.
Avoid drinking soft
drinks
or using
sugar in tea and cofl'ee.
BtuShing your teetb
is
also important .
A mixture of salt and balting soda
makes a good tooth powder at a fraction
of the cost of commercial toothpastes.
Ma.ny toot.hpastes eontain expensive
additives of doublful worth, and some
ha
ve even proveo to be harmfullo fact,
some nutntionists
ctaim
tbat the best
"toothbrusb" is an apple, whicb cleans
your teeth and stimulates saliva ftow.
Tbe curreot bigb
cost
ofsugar may be
a blessing in disguise for you.
lf
you
reduce t.he amount of sugar and sugar·
ricb foods you eat, you
will
oot only save
money on your grocery budget, but you
will
probably save even more in doctor
and dentist bilis.
Whal
Íl
aiJ
boils
down 10
is
this;
lf
you
want
10
bave a sweet smile, cut out tbe
sweeu.
a
YOURSTAKE
INTHE
BEEFCRISIS
by
Dr.
Allen L
Stout
Despite pres'?lll adequate supplies of
beef in the Uoited States, economic
pressures are
drastically
resbaping tbe
beef industry and, therefore, the priee of
the steak or bamburger on your table.
The average consumer caugbt up in
today's economic problems is little
aware of the
crisis
alllicting the becf in·
dustry, since the meat counters
are
stiU
fuU. But changes on t.be ranges
may
again empty our supermarkeu.
Beef's
Vital
Statistics
Bcef has become America's most de·
sired
food product and the leader in
terms of income for American agricul·
ture. Beef eonsumption pcr
ca
pita set a
new record last year, almost 117 pounds.
This
is double tbe amount consumed at
the close ofWotld War
U.
Beef ranks supremc
as
botb a staple
itero in the.average
American
diet and
as a delicaey for t.he intemational gour·
met. Moreover, heef
is
one of the most
venati)e of foods in that it can be used
in so many ditrerent 111ays, ranging from
a juicy hamburger to a siu.ling t-bone
steal<.
IIJ.is
estimated tbat oqly
2.5%
oj
the...
average Ameriean's disposable income
is spent on
beef
products, but beef ac>
counu for 25% of tbe
gross
return to
U.S. agrieulture. Each dollar spent in
cattle production directly generales an
additional
SS
10$8 in business activity in
the supply and processing industries, as
well as tbose engaged in transportatioo,
marketing. feeds, vucines, antibiotics,
and financia! agencies t.bat thrive by ser·
vicing t.he bcef industry. About two
mil·
!ion peoplc worl: in supplying livestock
and livestock fecd. Another 11 million
process and marl:et farm products. Aod
25% of aU truck.s are bougbt by farmcrs
and ranchen.
Wbat bappens when these 2 million
fuU- and pan-time cattlc produeers or
fceders are put
t.htnugb
the ecooomic
wringer'?
Foredosure on tbe Raoge
In the twelv.,.month period from Jan.
uary
1974
to
January 1975, America's
beef-cattlo industry sufl'ered a $21 bil·
!ion setbaek. The nation's cante, valued
at $37 billion in January 1974, were
worth only $21 billion (oven witb four
million more cattlc) in January 1975.
That's a $16-biUion devaluation oo out
national "inveniOry" of cattle. Higher
production cosu and lower cattle priees
caused t.be additional SS billion oper–
ating
loss.
For most of the past year and a half,
cattle fceders sustained losses of$100 or
more pe.r bead, wbile cow-ulf and
stoclcer operators (wbo produce feeder
cattle and grass·fed
~f)
lost
SSO
10
S100 on every animal marlteted.
rullUIOiher
way,
u a report issued by
Kansas State Univenity rcvealed, tbe
average cattle producer lost $11,000 to
$37,000 last year, depending on the type
WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 1, 197$