Extracts from "Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill" by Udo Erasmus, Alive Books 1993

Section 1 - A Broader Context
We begin by introducing the topic of fatty degeneration - the family of great killer diseases of our time, whose members include cardio-vascular disease, cancer, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and many more.

After making a case for the importance if fats, we outline the foundations of human health and the broader stage upon which ass fats play their roles.

Essential substances, including healing fats, must be obtained in optimum quantities to build optimism health. Surveys show that the majority of the members of the affluent populations are obtaining too little of many essential substances, leading to suboptimal, deteriorating health which in turn leads to degeneration due to malnutrition, which ultimately kills two thirds of the population.

History tells us that past populations suffered less physical degeneration than we do and a smaller percentage of them die of cancer, cardio-vascular disease and diabetes. Reversal of degenerative conditions is possible in most cases; "Incurable" diseases can usually be cured!

Chapter 1 – Fatty Degeneration
Medical Failings – Medical doctors, to whom we have entrusted our health because we have not yet learned to care for ourselves, studied disease rather than health in medical school. Their curriculum included little on nutrition, lots on pharmaceutical drugs and nothing on the effects of processing fats and oils on human health.

Chapter 2 – Foundations of Human Health
Degeneration has Causes and Cures
Most healers agree that degeneration can have only 2 causes: malnutrition and/or internal pollution (poisoning, toxicity).

Malnutrition results from deficiencies, but may also be due to imbalances of nutrients, poor digestion of poor absorption.

Internal pollution results from environmental poisons taken in with
• foods (pesticides, heavy metals, toxic synthetics, disease-producing organisms)
• water (chlorine, trihalmethanes, soil-water-air pollutants)
• air (dust, smog, ozone, nitrous oxide, molds, bacteria)
• pharmaceutical drugs and food additives
• synthetic substances used in paints, carpets, tiles, countertops, adhesives and cleaning products
• tobacco and alcohol
• toxic allergic reactions
• normal metabolic functions.

Degeneration Kills
Deficiencies, excesses or imbalances in fats are involved in 70% or more of all US deaths.

Degeneration has not always killed so many
In 1900, only 1 in 7 people died of cardiovascular disease and only 1 in 30 died of cancer. Between that time and today, something basic and critical to health has drastically changed. This span of history includes:
• processed foods becoming mega-industry
• the introduction of pesticides
• the rising use of pharmaceuticals drugs
• increased industrial pollution of our soil, water and air
• chlorination of water
• car exhaust
• tobacco smoke
• indoor pollution through the use of synthetic chemicals in cleaners, paint, carpets and furniture

Limitations of Natural, Nutritional Approaches
Not all health problems and degenerative conditions can be cured by foods and life style changes. Specific genetic conditions, which affect a total of about five per 1000 individuals may not be curable but can still be helped with improved nutrition and detoxification.

Chapter 13 - Major Source of Deficiencies
The following table shows the percentages of essential nutrients and fiber lost in whole wheat grain during processing. The figures are from work done by Henry A. Schroeder (US) and M.O. Bruker (Germany) both MDs.

Losses in whole wheat grain from refining
Mineral	Loss %
Calcium	60
Iron	76
Magnesium	85
Phosophorus	71
Potassium	77
Zinc	78
B Vitamins	72-81
Vitamin E	86
linoleic acid (Omega 6)	95
alpha-linoleic acid (Omega 3)	95
fiber	95

Polished rice lost 26-83% of each mineral present in brown rice.
Corn starch lost 31-100% of the minerals present in whole corn.
Fat-free milk has lost all of its manganese, most of its selenium and most of its vitamin A, D and E.

Over half of the calories in the American diet come from foods where much of the mineral, vitamin, essential fatty acids and fiber content has been removed.