----- Original Message ----- From: "Garnet" <garnetri...@earthlink.net> To: <silver-list@eskimo.com> Sent: Monday, March 08, 2004 7:57 AM Subject: Re: CS>Potassium - Debunking this very irresponsible series ofarticles
> I reread this section and he does in fact state that his electrolytes > were never checked "to check for a potassium deficiency". This to me > means they were indeed checked and he perceived that the doctors were > not looking to see if the potassium levels were low. This is too absurd > to entertain as it is one of the MOST basic parameters in a blood panel > besides the cell counts, it is a known indicator of poor cardiac > function and any doctor, even the worst is going to look at the easy > indicators. And asking the author would not reveal the intentions of his > physicians. That is something only the physician would know. > > I agree that we need sodium. However, one thing that's very interesting is that > > the body conserves sodium while excreting potassium. When I was doing research > > for my book on sauna therapy, all the sources I consulted said that after a > > short while of excreting both sodium and potassium (as well as other minerals), > > the body then LEARNS to hold on to the sodium but cannot help eliminating > > potassium. Knowing this, I read the article with great interest. I don't think > > it's such a big deal if we don't supplement the diet with sodium. > Most of us get adequate Sodium in our diets. The author was calling > sodium toxic and this simply is not true by the currently accepted > definition of toxicity. He is using inflammatory language and rear to > prersuade readers of his articles. A red flag which indicates to me that > he must rely on fear not truth to reach his end. > > I also think we need to describe WHAT FORM that sodium takes -- which I did > > catch on reading the article but didn't think to mention while posting it. Pure > > sodium chloride without being balanced by other trace minerals is a whole > > different kettle of (salty) fish than "whole food" salt. > So is potassium taken without regard to the total balance of minerals in > the body and diet. Mineral balance is difficult to measure with > accuracy. We can read blood levels but this tells us little about the > depoted minerals in organs and other tissues like bones. These tissue > stores of minerals are fluid, that is they equilibrate with blood, > easily accessed by the body when the BALANCE is kept. For instance > without the trace mineral Silicon Calcium and Magnesium utilization and > absoprtion for that matter will not be adequate. You hear very little > about Si because it is difficult to measure at the low levels it occurs > and there is little money for basic research since Reagan cut funding > while in office. > > Best to take minerals in a balanced formula or in your food if you can > obtain high quality naturally or organically grown food. One very simple > solution is to grow herbs on your patio in containers and feed them > seaweed and natural fertilizers high in minerals. Use them with every > meal. If you are not vegetarian make rich soup stocks with bones, a bit > of vinegar over egg shels will draw out the minerals. There are many > ways to supplement minerals in a balanced natural matrix. > > Yet the thrust of his article seems to be that simple deficiencies are > > life-threatening. I'm still giving him the benefit of the doubt, and regard this > > simply as sloppy writing and editing. Maybe I'm being naive. > Mineral deficiencies can be life threatening, I don't know what you mean > by "simple deficiency" as that is not a quantitative term. Too much > potassium is a diuretic so taking a lot more than you need will also be > unhealthy. He does not mention the diurectic effect at all! Dehydration > is one of the most common states found upon autopsy. See, that scared > you didn't it? I think his writing is irrepsonsible, not just sloppy. > > Remember too that this guy is living in Australia. He doesn't specify WHICH > > curriculum had eliminated these studies. > Again an example of his sloppy irresponsible style of writing and > persuation. He states that across the board medical schools were not > teaching that supplements might be necessary. Indeed they were, even the > pharmaceutical companies were passing out free nutrition manuals when I > was in grad school -- they also make money on supplying mineral > supplements to hospitals and doctors. > > You were taught well. LOTS of doctors and health care practitioners I know are > > taught that a diet rich in fruits and veggies is adequate. In fact, this is the > > official line nowadays of many US government departments. > Only to avoid the controversy and possible malpractice lawsuits. Doctors > are not nutritional counselors. I have had MDs send me to nutritional > counselors who did know more and I was well served by the interaction of > the two. I live in a small rural town so it is not something you just > find in larger cities. Depends on who you consult. Best to check out any > pracitioner before handing over your health or your money. > > Yet the author is still making his article freely available to people without > > their having to pay for it. And he isn't leaving his readers hanging: he's > > suggesting a concrete, easy remedy to what he posits as the problem. > Ever hear of a "loss leader"? It is a well known and common practice in > marketing. His solution can cause many problems and I would certainly > never take that amount of elemental potassium without carefully > monitoring my blood levels. > > I am willing to overlook the flaws in the article, because it underscores so > > well the importance of potassium. For me, it was a good wakeup call. > Raising awareness is a good thing, IF you present the whole story and > tell it well. He has not done this. Garnet, you have raised some excellent points. On a *much* more careful read of the article, it's clear that there are many holes and too many unanswered questions. Also... of course sodium is not toxic per se. We need sodium (chloride) to make betaine hydrochloride, otherwise known as hydrochloric acid, for digestion in the stomach. This may be part of the reason that humans instinctively salt their food. Nenah -- The Silver List is a moderated forum for discussing Colloidal Silver. Instructions for unsubscribing are posted at: http://silverlist.org To post, address your message to: silver-list@eskimo.com Silver List archive: http://escribe.com/health/thesilverlist/index.html Address Off-Topic messages to: silver-off-topic-l...@eskimo.com OT Archive: http://escribe.com/health/silverofftopiclist/index.html List maintainer: Mike Devour <mdev...@eskimo.com>
