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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
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