A friend told me yesterday that she buys fruits and vegetables from a local food co-op. In fact she volunteers to work there. Unfortunately, the quantities that one has to purchase tend to be large amounts and it's sometimes necessary to eat a lot of a particular variety, whether you want it or not. But I guess that's better than throwing it out – although that, too, may sometimes be necessary.
I inquired about the reason for buying from the co-op, and was informed that the produce comes from a local source. But, of course, my supermarket is a local source. And I can get whatever quantity I want, of a wide variety of foodstuffs. No. I apparently misunderstood. The food, itself, is local. It's fresher.i That means, as everyone knows, that it's more nutritious. Food loses nutritional value with time. If it comes to your table a few hours later it has lost some of its vitamins.ii At least that's the teaching.
In all honesty I'm not convinced that there is any significant loss in food value.iii Nor is it likely that any marginal increase or decrease in vitamin content – if there is any – will affect your health. Most Americans are well nourished and not in need of additional vitamins beyond what they'll get in a reasonably balanced diet. They're paying for a dreamiv rather than a reality, but that's the way it is with a lot of what we do. And the local farmers and the nutritionists have to eat, too.
In recent years, though, we have become addicted to pronouncements of those who claim they can improve our health. They build on vague ideas from folklore and on hope, transmitted by others with the same goals. Huge industries have come from these dreams – exercise machines, folk remedies, personal trainers, training shoes and other clothing, “organic”v and “natural”vi foods, books, nutritionists and health gurus, and the lobbyists who protect these trades.
Claims abound concerning the scientific backing of whatever panacea is being promoted. In fact all that exists may only be a single unverified result in a reasonable scientific publication, but that's enough. Unfortunately the “scientific evidence” is more likely that found in a newspaper – but much too often if there is any published material on the subject it can be found in an advocacy periodical that would not stand up to independent review of any kind. Too frequently the only reference by supporters of these fads to valid scientific studiesvii is to dismiss them as being inaccurate and contrivances of the “establishment” whose main interest is to keep the average citizen from enjoying the benefits of whatever they favor. “Theyviii don't want you to know” about the product being promoted.
Our goal is to live forever. It's not possible, of course, but that won't stop us from trying.
Jon Carroll writes:ix AFTER THE DEATH of Linda McCartney, I heard someone on television say, with anger, that her death was tragic because “she had done everything right.”
I gathered from context that the speaker meant that Linda McCartney had eaten food free from additives or hormones, that she had not used tobacco or drunk alcohol to excess, that she had exercised regularly and seen her doctor once a year and that, when the first signs of the disease were detected, she had taken all necessary and appropriate steps. And I thought of something I had heard a week earlier, a quote whose source I did not remember: “Americans think death is optional.” … People who do everything right die, and people who do everything wrong die.
Nothing guarantees eternal life, though some measures improve you chances to live longer. That doesn't mean that whatever is promoted as being healthful is, in fact, advantageous. But that's what the seller hopes you'll think as you pay an inflated price. And, as with so many marketing devices, they may even (invent/discover and) alert you to a disease for which they have just the right thing. Rather than high-fructose corn syrup they will sell you sugar. And not just any sugar but demerara. As for salt, you shouldn't get the plain ordinary variety – it's better to use sea-salt. Actually there's no advantage either to the demerara sugar or the sea salt, but the profits are higher and the feeling of virtue is greater. And it doesn't matter that scientific studies of anti-oxidants haven't shown them to be of value, everyone knows that you'll benefit from them – so there are plenty of people who will sell them.
The stores are filled with nostrums and panaceas. And there are numerous buyers. They believe that the Holy Grail, the Fountain of Youth,x can be reached by the use of the cure-alls and folk remedies they buy. And they believe that what is promoted as proper nutrition will lead to an increased life-span during which they'll feel better. In fact it's better for everyone. But those who most need nutrition boosts can least afford it. Like most fads and styles (fashions), “nutrition” is most popular among the middle and upper classes. Those who are already well nourished are the ones who can afford extra nutrition boosts and what they believe are aids for their immune systems. And diets should be designed to help you avoid whatever you're allergic to – wheat and gluten, dairy products, bananas, peanuts, potatoes, whatever. Everyone has “allergies” nowadays. Many of them (though certainly not all) are imagined, but they serve as a convenient explanation for whatever makes you unhappy about yourself. And that's what keeps nutritionists working. They hawk placebos.xi Placebos – which they may actually think have real value – are the answer. If you believe it will work, it will work. Belief is the answer.xii
Nutrition ought to be a science, not a religion. And health care should be based on scientifically tested methods rather than the folk remedies of a multicultural world, and anecdotes of success of unproven foods and techniques. But that's so twentieth century.
Next episode: Miñana – No, it's not Mañana. That's the way I wanted to spell it.
i At least that's what the vendor says. It's also covered with dirt for which you pay when it's weighed.
ii Of course the same is likely to be true if it sits in your refrigerator for many days before you can use it up. But that doesn't count. It was (allegedly) fresher when you got it. Even if you got to the co-op late. After work. And it's a drag to have to eat the same thing day after day because of the large quantity you bought, but it's virtuous to do so.
iii I know there's a gain in self-esteem, but the cost is high. And when this fad is past she'll be left wondering why she wasted her money. But human nature and virtue sometimes cloud the thinking.
iv Like with cosmetics. In fact most of the nutrition business is cosmetic.
v Personally I prefer inorganic. Of course the standards for both are a little hazy. But put “organic” on the label (don't worry – no one will check) and you can jack up the price. In any event, I'd prefer not to be sickened or die from infections that safe (but not “organic”) pesticides could have prevented.
vi In view of the fact that arsenic, uranium, and poison ivy are natural, I tend to be a little cautious when I see that term. Of course it has no clear definition, so you'll see it on a lot of products.
vii If you doubt what I'm saying, read the following article and decide whether those who view fats as toxic to health and appearance have altered their views since the article appeared in 2006.
viii Whoever “they” are.
ix http://www.sfgate.com/, April 27, 1998.
x It probably yields bottled water. That's what people pay large amounts of money for, even though New York City tap water costs only about a cent per gallon (which I suspect is the approximate cost everywhere) and often the bottled water is simply some other municipality's tap water. There's no good evidence that bottled water is any better for you than tap water – in fact it often contains toxic chemicals – bu,t since the bottles are plastic, they are costly to manufacture, utilize petroleum for their production, and are frequently not recycled, making a significant impact on the environment.
xi Placebos in terms of techniques, foods, herbs, and the like. It's the emperor's new craze.
xii And among the remedies are enemas and intestinal purges. If you believe in them you can explore for yourself how they compare to organic okra and a vegan life style.
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