From: altar@beaufort.sfu.ca (Ted Wayn Altar)
Subject: Re: Prof. Moon et al. on "vitamin" D
Organization: Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., Canada
Date: Sat, 2 Jan 1993 06:46:50 GMT


Rich Young wildly concludes:

[...]
>   I think, based on this and the recollection of Mr. Craig Silver who
>   claims to have attended some of Moon's lectures and listened to taped
>   copies of others, that we can safely say that Mr. Altar has most
>   egregiously misrepresented Dr. Moon in his zeal to present some
>   supporting evidence for his dietary lifestyle.  I suggest we keep
>   his sorry intellectual chicanery in mind when next we see some
>   quasi-erudite oration from his keyboard in s.m.n.  Such ludicrous
>   literary legerdemain has no place in a forum where people seek facts.

My goodness, what is this, a forum for character assassinations?  :-(

Frankly, Rich, you really are *here* being silly.  Again, as I 
have already said, my posting was simply a SUMMARY of some of the
interesting points from Dr. Moon's forthcoming paper (which is now
published) PLUS two presentations he made at the university.
Also, I've talked to Dr. Moon and also read a news brief of his
position as published in the November 16, 1989 issue of SIMON 
FRASER WEEK (see below for some quotes).

Again, as previously mentioned, I have a copy of the lecture
outline which Dr. Moon used and which he has kindly provided to
me.  In it he has written, and this was cited earlier by me:

    "'Vitamin D' is an ANABOLIC SECO-STEROID HORMONE (or more
    appropriately, a group of hormones).  The family name of
    these hormones is "CALICIFEROL", due to their calcium-
    controlling functions"  (emphasis his)

Once again, my posting did not purport to ONLY be a precise of 
his forthcoming paper, but rather to be a summary report of what 
Dr. Moon has said in a number of places about "vitamin D".  
Is this not what a good reporter should try to do?  Namely, 
use more than one source of information and talk directly to the
parties concerned.  I also have some e-mail exchanges with Dr.
Moon where again he confirms what I have reported.  And yes, I
have also sent him copy of my summary posting that you falsely 
charge misrepresents his position.  I'm afraid that it is you
yourself who has "egregiously misrepresented" someone, to use
your words.  

Oh yes, please don't hesitate Rich to apologize for your 
misrepresentation and insults   ;-)    Yes, this last sentence is m
meant in good fun and playful irony.  Look, I don't take this all t
that seriously nor should you, so lighten up and maybe the 
greater truth can emerge if we all try to be a little more
civil and even friendly about it all.  Again, there really is no 
need to be so insulting and stiff.  After all, we are all lay 
persons here, each of us trying to understand as best we can.

											Ted


NOTES:
In that 1 page brief published in the November 16, 1989 issue
of SIMON FRASER WEEK, Dr. Moon is quoted as saying:
,
     "none of the known steroid hormones are safe to use over
     prolonged periods, and except for calciferol, all are restricted
     to use by prescription only"

and  "Vitamin D, or calicferol, is one of the most 
     potent steroid hormones available and a very
     toxic food additive"

and  "most people don't realized that it is a vitamin at all"

and  "This is one hormone people should avoid  consuming unless
     there is a clear medical reason for its use.  Infants under
     the age of two who are not exposed to the ultraviolet rays
     and of the sun, lactating women who do not get sufficient
     exposure to solar ultraviolet or people who are confined
     indoors, such as elderly invalids, may need calciferol
     replacement therapy, but they are a minority of the
     population"

and  "Vitamin D was classified as a steroid hormone in 1970, but
     this knowledge is disseminated slowly.  The full implications
     of this discovery are still not well-understood, even by those
     scientists who specialize in studying vitamin D"

and  "For those who need it, the hormone is a powerful therapeutic 
     agent, but for those who do not, it has no beneficial effect
     but many well-documented detrimental effects"

and  "there is no evidence that any group of people who get
     sufficient sunshine -- and that includes the vast majority
     of all humans -- ever needs to consume this hormone"

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