Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 alpha 4/3/85; site ukma.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ukma!wws From: wws@ukma.UUCP (Bill Stoll) Newsgroups: net.med Subject: Re: Dietary Fiber Message-ID: <2338@ukma.UUCP> Date: Sat, 26-Oct-85 15:28:33 EST Article-I.D.: ukma.2338 Posted: Sat Oct 26 15:28:33 1985 Date-Received: Tue, 29-Oct-85 04:21:50 EST References: <1959@aecom.UUCP> Distribution: na Organization: U of Kentucky, Mathematical Sciences, Lexington KY Lines: 44 Summary: Sorry, Craig: Wood ain't no Good! In article <1959@aecom.UUCP>, werner@aecom.UUCP (Craig Werner) writes: > > According to this week's New York Times, the source of fiber in many > high fiber breads/foods is Wood Pulp. Those of us whose profession it is to keep up with these facts were aware of the wood fiber >2 years ago. It surely does take a long time to get out to the public doesn't it? > Not only is wood pulp a legally acceptable source of fiber (cellulose) > but it is also legal to label such products as 'All-natural', since trees fall > in that category. > Not only that, there is probably nothing medically wrong with getting > dietary fiber in that form. It is more or less chemically indistinguishable, > and well worth eating, since consuming Fiber in lieu of other things is good > for your health. For the past >60 years, the conventional medical wisdom was that: Since fiber was inert and undigestible it was of no value whatsoever. In fact, it was harmful to people with colitis and other chronic intestinal conditions. Finally, about 2 years ago the great discovery was made that fiber may well be the single most important thing in our diet--health food nuts right again! It looks like the only people that wood fiber is going to be helpful to are the ones whose ancestors lived on wood for the past million years or so. Those who are benefited by grain fiber had ancestors who ate grain. Beware of simplistic thinking: just because the fiber is "more or less chemically indistinguishable" has little or nothing to do with how it works. Come on, Craig Werner, lets see your reference that says: "there is probably nothing medically wrong with getting dietary fiber in that form". All the references that I have seen say the opposite. -- cbosgd!ukma!wws(Walt Stoll) YOU Walt Stoll, MD, ABFP Founder & Medical Director ARE MORE Holistic Medical Centre 1412 North Broadway Lexington, Kentucky 40505 THAN YOU THINK (606) 233-4273