Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-21
Raw Food Allegations.

I'm some of the. literature circulated
by the advocates OF raw food their cor
respondents are urged not to eat animal
foods because they say meat is filled with
bacteria. This is not true The surface
of meat is not sterile. but the interior is,
except in rare cases. We do not eat raw
meat. except dried beef. or something
similar. but cause it to be cooked, and
this sterilizes il. In most cases where
people have suffered, or think that they
suffer, from eating meat or any other
normal article of diet, the trouble lies
not with the actual article, but either in
the fact that the food has not been kept
clean, or properly prepared and properly
handled after 1t is cooked.
Several of these food experts base
their argument for a raw food or other
specialized diet on the theory that raw
food supplies the body with necessary
enzyms: or that certain food. such as
whole wheat bread, supplies lime or
some other special substance. II the
American people lived wholly on cooked
food. and ate no fruit or drank no raw
milk, ii might be necessary to advise
them to eat some foods raw, Tor Wnen
clean and of good quality such Things
are wholesome. The body, however, nor
mally supplies all the ferments (enzyms)
Ii requires, and the average mixed diets
OF Americans give them all the raw 1000
that they require.
Similarly, if tho American people ate
nothing but wheat. 1t might be necessary
10 advise them TO eat whole wheat
rather than fine wheat flour in order to
get some OF the substances excluded from
the flour by boiling. Recent investigation
indicates that there is valuable sub
stance in bran. which is lacking in the
interior of the wheat kernel. This sub
stance, called by some vitamin is, how
ever. present in many other foods. and
, there Is every reason to believe that an
ordinary mixed diet supplies all of such
material which the body needs.
Survival of Human Race.
If the deductions Of many food fad
| dists accepted facts were really
| operative, 1t would be difficult to ex-
| plain how the human race had sur
| vived The race should have expired
| very soon after man had progressed
| enough in intelligence to begin to ex-
| ercise any choice in his diet and to
cook his food. The contrary holds true,
as civilization had advanced from the
time when man began to cook and
otherwise prepare his food.
Many OF the people who offer die
/ tetic advice for sale undertake to
recommend a diet that will cure dis
1 eases without ever seeing the patient
| The average man taking ABOUT MS
1 own illnesses frequently imagines
| symptoms. or describes them so mac
| curaIely that they are not absolute
| guides to the physician. In many cases
| incipient serious ailments or local
troubles which give no indication OF
| their presence by pain or discomfort
are discovered by the physician in his
| laboratory, and relief can be given
them which could not be promised
| later.
| Very few people indeed would be
able to describe their symptoms in
! words so accurately that the con-
| scientious physician would feel safe in
making a positive diagnosis or laying
| down a method Of treatment. Many OF
these sellers OF food information how
/ ever, undertake to diagnose trouble
! and advise a complete remedy purely
/ on the patients own description OF
| what he believes is serious condition
j ri