The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-05-25


in treating certain disorders in
1897 in Zurich, Switzerland, and
claimed that it had a "far-reach-
ing, non-specifc curative effect"
He had no very good scientific
reasons for its success, but
thought that cooking possibly
spoils the biologic powers of food.
Scientific research since his time
has established some Of his prin-
ciples. We know that some vita
minis necessary for nutrition are
either wholly or partly destroyed
by cooking. But principally the
effect Of the raw food diet was its
salt content being low in sodium
and high in potassium.
Bircher Benner's enterprise in
Switzerland was very successful
and ever since its establishment
from time 10 time there is a revival
of popular interest in raw foods.
Every doctor has had a patient or
two who related experiences Of
being relieved of long crippling
arthritis or chronic headache or
asthma or indigestion by raw food
diet. The existence Of fruit juice
extractors, food presses and shred
ders in our kitchens is evidence
that these stories have some foun-
dalton. Scientific interest in it is
quite young: am informed by an
article by DR.. Holbrook, of Mill
waukee, that the first reference
to Raw Food in the Index Medicus
occurs in 1928.
Scientific Diets
The only scientifically estab-
lished diets comparable to the raw
food diet are the salt-free diet
used in kidney diseases and the
Gerson diet which is used in certain
kinds of tuberculosis and to pro-
mote wound healing. And the Ger
son diet simply emphasizes raw
fruit and vegetables and allows
cooking Of other food and three
pints of milk day and 500 grams
of meat a week.
vegetarian diet" doesn't mean
anything definite because vegeta-
rians differ so in their rules: some
vegetarians allow milk and eggs,
the principle difference between
the strict vegetarian diet and the
raw food diet is that the vege-
tarians allow cooking of most Of
their food.
1t was Eppinger, the Viennese
physician, who put the explanation
Of the effects Of the Raw Food Diet
on a scientific basis. He used a
marine unicellular animal, the va
lonia. Its cell is as big as a hens
egg, and he could extract its con-
tents for analysis with hypo-
dermic needle, and in the same
way change its inner chemistry.
In a normal state he found it con-
tanned 4 per cent potassium and
one-fifth per cent sodium: Since
the surrounding sea water of its
environment consisted of Ia per
cent sodium and a small percent
age of potassium, the question
arose how it maintained its inter-
nal chemistry. Eppinger found
that if he rendered its cell mem
brane permeable its internal chem
istry was changed to a dominant
sodium percentage and the cell
slowly swelled and disintegrated
Eppinger reasoned that probably
human body cells are normally re-
sistant to their chemical environ
ment, but certain disease condi-
tons may so change them that q
diet which is high in potassium
low in sodium-can restore func-
tional health.
Raw Food Diets Use
The Raw Food Diet has been
used with success in cases Of kid
ney disturbance, arthritls, mani
festations of allergy such as asth-
ma and sinus irritation and vari-
Gus functional disorders-such as
palpitation Of the heart, dyspep-
STA, vertigo, etc. A special field
for its use is in Meniere's disease
which consists Of spells Of YER
tigo, nausea, ringing in the ears
and progressive deafness.
The success Of the diet depends
on the skill with which the dishes
IRE prepared.
1t is emphatically not a diet for
a healthy individual and should
not be continued by anyone for