Health and medical news blog

This is a true and dramatic story of human suffering and despair, a circulus vitiosus of going from doctor to doctor, from hospital to hospital, in the hope of finding relief from agonizing pain. This is a typical story of an arthritic, who consumed astronomical amounts of toxic drugs—and only became worse and worse! Happily, this sad story has a good ending!

The first signs of arthritis appeared in 1964. It started with a certain stiffness in the joints. The stiffness persisted and later the joints became swollen and painful. A visit to a doctor and examination showed low blood values (70 percent) and a high sedimentation rate (65). The doctor sent Greta Friberg to a hospital in Boras.

Thus started a two-year-long history of visits to various doctors and hospitals: two weeks, seven weeks and ten weeks at Boras Hospital, and five weeks at a convalescent home in Hultafors. Her condition was becoming progressively worse, her blood value was only 40 percent and the sedimentation rate 90. Finally after five weeks at the convalescent home, the stiffness and swelling in her joints was somewhat relieved.

But in January 1966 her condition again took a turn for-the worse. Not only her joints, but her whole body was swollen. Her doctor told her that the swelling was caused by the drugs she was taking. When she stopped taking the drugs, the pain was so unbearable that she couldn’t tolerate it. She felt discouraged and hopeless. Her doctors had tried everything and she was only getting worse. She felt depressed and wanted to die. There was no way out of her inferno of suffering and pain.

At this point some friends told her of Bjorkagarden Institute. Her husband felt that it was worth trying—she could hardly get worse.

She went to Bjorkagarden on March 18, 1966, and was put on a 17-day fast. “It wasn’t easy, I must admit. My nerves were bad. I was worried and irritable. But after 17 days of juice fasting, to my surprise, I felt great improvement!” said Mrs. Friberg. The pain was all but gone and her joints regained some mobility.

After one week at home (while the clinic was closed) she returned to Bjorkagarden and was put on a one-week pure-water fast; then she was on a special diet for four weeks. After this she had one more week of fasting. She returned home much improved, but not totally cured.

In June 1966 she returned to the clinic and was put on a 21-day juice fast. “After 17 days I felt that finally my health was returning to me. I could do sit-ups and walk long distances in the surrounding woods,” said Mrs. Friberg. It was at this time that I met Mrs. Friberg at Bjorkagarden Clinic and she told me her story.

To complete her cure, Mrs. Friberg returned to the clinic once more on October 9, 1966. This time she stayed a total of eight weeks. There was no. more fasting, only a special diet and all the other biological treatments: therapeutic baths, massage, steam baths, etc. Mrs. Friberg returned home completely restored to health. Now she lives a normal life, swims, skiis and exercises regularly. And she continues with the vegetarian diet she learned at Bjorkagarden, which consists mostly of raw fruits and vegetables, cooked potatoes, and little or no bread.

*75\58\2*

Arthritis is not only the most agonizing and crippling, but also one of the fastest-growing of all degenerative diseases. There are over thirteen million arthritis sufferers in the United States.

While official medicine admits its inability to penetrate the mysteries of arthritis and find effective treatment for it, biological medicine, a new, fast-growing branch of medical science in Europe, offers a new hope for the sufferers of this agonizing disease. The biological clinics in Europe have developed new methods of treatments which have proven to be most successful in healing many diseases, including arthritis.

I have spent several years in Europe and studied first-hand these biological methods and the results obtained with them. I have visited many clinics in Sweden, Germany and Switzerland. I have interviewed staff physicians in these clinics and talked to hundreds of patients. I have seen with my own eyes how patients with arthritis, crippled for years, have left their crutches and beds and walked.

I have described in detail the full story of successful biological cure for arthritis in my book There I± a Cure for Arthritis, published in 1968 by Parker Publishing Company, West Nyack, New York. The Foreword for the book is written by Lars-Erik Essen, M.D., one of the leading pioneers of biological medicine and the director of Vita Nova, the health resort in southern Sweden. Several other medical doctors have collaborated with me on this book. It contains complete do-it-yourself biological therapies for arthritis, the answers to many of the common and pertinent questions the sufferers of arthritis have about diet, climate, vitamin supplements, cortisone, citrus fruits, vinegar, high protein diets, etc., in addition to a large list of actual cases, described in detail. Later in this chapter I will report several such cases taken from Swedish biological clinics.

*67\58\2*

First, it must be emphasized that every case is different and therefore all treatments must be adapted for every individual case. Especially with regard & fasting, the patient’s physical and mental condition should be taken into consideration. It can vary from year to year in the same person! The suggestions given below are, therefore, to be considered only in a very general sense. If you suffer from a serious ailment it is best to consult a biologically-oriented doctor on the advisability of undertaking raw juice therapy.

Infectious diseases

The response to raw juice therapy in all forms of infectious disease is excellent. Tonsillitis also responds well.

The juices of black currants, lemons, oranges, elderberries, beets, carrots, tomatoes, watercress, onion, garlic (in very small doses), and rose hips are useful in the treatment of infectious diseases.

Stomach disorders

Gastric catarrh, or gastritis, responds well to the therapy of raw juices of carrots, tomatoes, celery and potatoes. Cabbage juice (vitamin U) is considered specifically curative for gastric catarrh and stomach ulcers. Liver and gall bladder diseases (gall bladder inflammation) are best treated with the juice of grapes, carrots, and beets with small additions of juice from dandelions and radishes. Pear juice has been found very effective in the treatment of gall bladder diseases and gall stones. Diseases of the small intestine and all forms of constipation can be improved by raw juice therapy. Garlic exerts a cleansing effect on the bowels and is beneficial in cases of excessive gas. The juice’ of yellow onions has a similar, but milder, effect. These juices can be used in small amounts, one teaspoon or one tablespoon at a time.

For chronic constipation the following juices are recommended: nettles, spinach, watercress, garlic, yellow onions, black radish, and dandelion in addition to the milder juices of carrots, cucumber, tomatoes, red beets, and celery. Sauerkraut juice cleans bowels well, but some patients are troubled with gas when they use sauerkraut.

Of the fruit juices, apple and lemon are recommended in stomach disorders. Blueberries are excellent in cases of catarrhs; they are also the best medicine for diarrhea.

Blood and heart diseases

Variations in the amounts of red blood cells can be treated with juices. “Thick” blood, polycythemia, will be thinner after two or three weeks of juice therapy. The treatment can be repeated several times. For “thin” blood, anemia, spinach and nettle juices are effective. They are rich in iron and chlorophyll, the green coloring matter of the leaves. These juices can be added to carrot juice in amounts of approximately three to four ounces a day.

The dark colored juices of grapes, beets and blueberries help increase the production of red Mood cells.4 Blood circulation is also improved by the juices, mainly because of the favorable strengthening effect they have on the tiny blood capillaries.

For disorders in the normal heart function, juices of hawthorn berries and garlic can be added to the other milder juices.

Blood pressure

The best tiling to do for high Mood pressure is to go on a juice fast, juices supply blood and tissues with the important mineral, potassium, which helps to eliminate accumulated sodium chloride (salt) from the tissues. A juice fast for high blood pressure should be of three to four weeks duration. Usually in this period of time the blood pressure goes down to normal. This therapy can be repeated several times with an interval of six months between each fast. The most suitable juices for high blood pressure are citrus fruits, black currants and grapes, plus carrots, spinach, parsley, nettles, onions and garlic (as an addition), Even in low blood pressure a juice fast can be tried, preferably under a doctor’s supervision. In this case the useful juices are pineapple, celery, nettles, black radish, onion and garlic in addition to carrot, beet and grape juice.

For edema, or water-logged body tissues, juices of pears and dandelions are used.

Leg ulcers

Leg ulcers heal faster with raw juice therapy. Juices of onion and garlic are added to carrot juice. Also effective are citrus and apple juices. A dressing of cabbage leaves and yellow onions over the ulcer speeds the healing process.

Obesity

Raw juice fasting is obviously a very appropriate therapy for obesity. Juices of celery, watercress and nettles are specifically valuable. The duration of treatment is three to four weeks, or even much longer if necessary.

Rheumatic diseases

Rheumatic diseases are particularly responsive to juice therapy. Fasts of four to six weeks can be recommended. The alkaline action of raw juices dissolves the accumulation of deposits around the joints. The combination of other biological therapies is advisable—massage, hydrotherapies, etc. In cases of gout, a noticeable worsening of the condition may develop in the early stages of Easting when uric acid, dissolved by juices, is thrown into the blood stream for elimination. In very advanced cases it is difficult to bring about a permanent improvement, but juice fasting always causes a definite improvement in the condition. Serious arthritic deformities cannot be corrected, of course, but the function of the deformed joints can be greatly improved. Juices most valuable in these situations are carrot, beet, and celery. Even juices rich in vitamin C can be used. Rheumatic diseases are collagen diseases and vitamin C is essential for healthy collagen.

Diabetes

Even diabetics can try juice therapy, but only under a sympathetic doctor’s control. The carbohydrate content of juices is not high; besides, a certain amount of carbohydrate is good for diabetics. (Fat is burned in the “fire” of the carbohydrates!) The leg ulcers of diabetics heal faster during juice therapy. Young diabetics should engage in sports; heavy physical work and exertion diminish the need for insulin.

Juices for the treatment of diabetes are: green beans, nettles, cucumber, celery, watercress, lettuce, onions, garlic and citrus juices. Cucumber contains a hormone needed by the cells of the pancreas in order to produce insulin. The hormones contained in onions are also beneficial in diabetes. Note: bean skin tea is considered by many biological doctors to be a natural substitute for insulin and extremely beneficial in diabetes. The skins of the pods of green beans are very rich in silicic acid and certain hormonal substances which are closely related to insulin. One cup of bean skin tea is equal to at least one unit of insulin. The recommended dose: one cup of bean skin tea morning, noon and evening (Waerland).

Kidney disorders

Kidney diseases and prostate disorders can be coped with successfully with raw juices. The juices of horse radish (small amount) , watercress and birch leaves can be added to carrot and celery juice. Lemon juice is effective in dissolving uric acid stones in the bladder. For prostate disorders, pumpkin juice is reported to be specifically beneficial.

Skin diseases

Various forms of eczema and other skin eruptions have been successfully treated for years with fasting methods. A certain worsening of the condition can be expected in the beginning, due to the increased elimination of waste matter. The colorful juices of black currants, red grapes, carrots, beets, spinach, and nettles are recommended. Cucumber juice, internally and externally, is specifically advised for the treatment of skin diseases; it possesses acknowledged cosmetic properties.

Nervousness and insomnia

Recommended juices for conditions of nervousness and insomnia are apples, carrots, oranges and celery.

*58\58\2*

It is true, of course, that your body is built mostly of proteins. It is also true that proteins are vital nutritive elements and are absolutely necessary in your nutrition. Twenty percent, or more in some vital organs, of a cell’s composition is made up of protein. Since your body is constantly renewing and repairing its cells, you need lots of protein in your diet to supply all the needed amino acids, or “building blocks” for these repairs and the rebuilding of cells.

But how much is “lots”? 70, 100, 150, 200, or more grams a day, as advocated by many “experts”?

The growing number of responsible nutritionists in various parts of the world are coming to the realization that our present beliefs on the protein question are outdated and that the actual need for protein in human nutrition is far below that which has long been considered necessary. Furthermore, recent research has demonstrated that vegetable proteins, formerly believed to be incomplete and inferior to animal proteins, are actually biologically as good or better than animal proteins; and that good health can be sustained on a lesser amount of raw vegetable protein than animal protein.

First, a Finnish scientist, Dr. V. O. Siven, showed that our daily need of protein was only approximately 30 grams. Then the famous American scientist, Dr. R. Chittenden, arrived at similar results after long and extensive experiments with sportsmen and soldiers. He found that 35-50 grams of protein a day are sufficient to keep the nitrogen balance in the body. (This is the usual criterion for determining the protein requirement.) Dr. Chittenden has also shown that physical performance in sports and heavy strenuous work is better on a low protein diet. In 1946, Dr. D. M. Hegsted of Harvard University proved that the average person’s need for protein is 32.4 grams a day, if he uses mixed proteins from vegetable origin. If one-third of the protein intake is from milk, then the minimum protein requirement will be as low as 27.1 grams a day. The world-famous Swedish nutritionist, Dr. Ragnar Berg, whose works on nutrition are used as textbooks in many medical schools, did extensive research on protein needs and came to the conclusion that 30 grams of protein in the daily diet is a generous allowance. Finally, Dr. William C. Rose has shown that only 20 grams a day of mixed proteins (of which only about i/s are so-called “complete”) are sufficient for our needs.

Studies made in Germany by Professor K. Eimer showed that the performance of athletes improved after they switched from a daily 100-gram animal protein diet to a 50-gram vegetable protein diet. Japanese research showed that 25-30 grams of protein a day are sufficient to sustain good health.

Taking into consideration the great variation in protein need of each individual and the extra demands under conditions of stress or disease, a generous conclusion would be that 50-60 grams of protein daily, derived 75-80 percent from vegetable sources, are sufficient for optimum health. Proteins in excess of this amount are not needed by the body and are only burned as fuel for energy, and as an energy food proteins are inferior to carbohydrates and fats. The digestion of proteins in excess of this actual need leaves toxic metabolic waste products which contribute to self-intoxication and disease.

*49\58\2*

The modern science of balneology has confirmed the experience of centuries that natural mineral waters do indeed possess curative properties. Millions of Europeans visit thousands of water cure spas on the recommendation of their doctors and testify that the water cure indeed “works.”

Although most spas have disappeared from the American scene, there are still a few left, such Ss Saratoga Spa in New York and a few in Florida. If you are one of those “who have tried everything and nothing has helped,” perhaps a visit to a mineral water spa will help you. Or why not spend a few weeks at some of the famous Bads in Europe on your next holiday trip there? You will find them in abundance in every European country, but particularly in Germany.

Do-it-yourself sitz baths, described in this chapter, are easy to take and the benefits from them could be a real surprise to you. Give them a try. Many tired men have sitz baths to thank for their renewed vigor.

Father Kneipp’s famous “living” water cures are as easy as they are delightful, especially barefoot walking in the dewy grass. Millions of enthusiastic followers of his teachings can’t all be wrong. Try it!

Try a homemade salt water bath and a sulphur bath. They are backed by a long record of successful application. Remember: it has been proved that minerals are absorbed through the skin.

Use every opportunity to spend some time by the seashore. Salt sea water and salt-filled air are stimulating and rejuvenating elixirs. Take one or two teaspoons of pure sea water each day with your meals. Sea water is the best mineral supplement you can think of.

Finally, if none of the above “turns you on,” the least you can do is to take cold showers in your own bath room each morning and evening. Don’t be deceived by the simplicity of this water cure-it has a magic revitalizing and rejuvenating effect on all the vital organs and on the entire system.

Here is an ideal combination of exercise, dry brush massage, and cold showers for each morning and evening:

Do your usual exercises, isometric or conventional, until you feel all warmed up.

Brush your whole body with a stiff-bristled brush. (See Chapter 11 for instructions.)

Take an alternate warm and cold shower, finishing with water as cold as you can stand.

Rub yourself dry and warm with a coarse towel.

This simple routine will build up your resistance to colds and infections, save you money on doctors’ bills, stimulate the functions of all your vital organs and glands, improve your spirits and disposition, and help to prevent premature aging—in short it will keep you younger longer!

*41\58\2*

I have visited many Bads in Germany. One of the most typical and the most delightful places I have seen is Bad Pyrmont, near Hanover, in the Lower Saxon State.

The picturesque town of Bad Pyrmont is beautifully located in the valley between forest-clad hills. The spa is state-owned and operated, but the town has many private clinics and sanatoriums. During the high season for cures, about 80 percent of the town’s population are patients and guests.

Here are some excerpts from the information brochure published by the state government for the benefit of those who seek the water cure at Bad Pyrmont:

“Be healthy and keep fit! Visit Bad Pyrmont for disorders of the heart and blood, women’s complaints and rheumatism.”

“A typical family goes to Bad Pyrmont in search of health and recuperation and to experience its wonderful curative powers.”

“New balneological discoveries are combined with the experience of centuries.”

“Bad Pyrmont is ideal for all—the sick and the healthy who know that prevention is better than cure, the young and the old.”

“Bay Pyrmont Spa facilities are recommended for the treatment of the following diseases:

“Diseases of the heart and circulation; cardiac insufficiency, cardiac infarct, coronary thrombosis, disorders in blood pressure, peripheral circulation disorders, nervous disorders of the heart and circulation. Diseases of the blood-forming organs. All types of anemia. Rheumatic diseases of the bones, joints and muscles. Women’s complaints: inflammation of female abdominal organs, periodic and other hormone disorders. Eczema. Allergies. Conditions of exhaustion. Children’s diseases. Diseases of old age and senility.”

Keep in mind that this is not a “quack”-operated joint trying to cheat people of their money by offering a bogus water cure for all these serious diseases, but a state-operated establishment that has been approved by the State Medical Association!

The spa offers the following treatments:

“Carbonic acid chalybeate springs for baths and drinking cures. Saline and brine springs for saline baths, drinking and inhalation cures. Carbonic acid gas from the springs for baths. Chalybeate peat for baths (deep and partial immersion) and packs. Mixed baths.

“Supplementary treatments; inhalation cures in single cabins and public inhalatorium. Oral douches for pyorrhea. Massage. Undercurrent massage and douches. Colonic irrigation. Arm baths

(Hauffe) . Alternate hot-and-cold foot baths. Hydrotherapy. Vaginal douches. Terrain cures. Special diets. Rest cures. Gymnastics

(Medau method). Sun and air baths.”

*33\58\2*

You have probably heard references to the human body as a most complicated and intricate piece of machinery. But if you would delve into the deep study of the human enzyme system, you would be astonished and amazed by its ingenious design.<неиImagine for a moment an enormous chemical factory where crude raw materials are converted to precious elements through the complicated processes of billions of tiny particles known as enzymes. Your digestive system is such a chemical factory. Follow me on an excursion through it and we trace the process of conversion of crude food into the precious building blocks of your body.<неиSuppose you eat a simple meal of a cheese sandwich and a glass of milk. As soon as you glance at the menu and decide to order your sandwich—even before it is served to you—your chemical factory starts its work. The complicated machinery of food digestion is switched on the moment you make your mental decision to eat a certain food. The enzyme-producing glands located in your stomach and in your mouth are already producing valuable enzymes which will be needed shortly for mastication and swallowing and later for digestion. Enzymes are catalysts which bring about chemical changes in food to prepare them for easier digestion and assimilation.

*25/58/2*

Note: This is vitally important! Breaking the fast is the most significant phase of it; the beneficial effects of fasting could be totally undone if the fast is broken incorrectly.

The main rules of breaking the fast are:

Do not overeat!

Chew food extremely well and eat slowly!

Take several days of gradual transition to the normal diet.

First day, eat one whole apple or other sweet fruit and a little bowl of fresh vegetable soup or puree, unsalted and unspiced, in addition to the usual juice and broth menu.

Second day, you may add to the above some mashed potatoes and a glass of yogurt or homemade soured milk.

Third day, increase the portions a little and add a small plate of fresh raw vegetable salad, some cooked rice, and a little portion of homemade cottage cheese.

Fourth day, you can start to eat normally. By normally I mean, of course, that you should continue on the diet recommended in this book. In order to benefit to the greatest possible extent from the therapeutic fasting it is important that after fasting a diet of vital natural foods is maintained. Such a diet will supply the healing forces of your body with all the vital nutritive elements necessary for the continued repair and healing processes initiated by the body during the fast. However, keep always in mind the first rule of resuming eating after the fast—do not overeat! Needless to say, this rule is also the first rule of health.

*17\58\2*

The initiative for the 1954 fast march came from Lennart Edren, D.D.S., who was the leader and the participant in this and many subsequent fasts in Sweden. Dr. Edren is the leading spirit behind the Swedish fast movement. Asked what was the purpose with this dramatic exhibition, Dr. Edren said:

This fast was the first in the series of experiments to determine the effects of total fasting under severe conditions of stress. If we find out that fasting will not cause any damage to the body but will, on the contrary, exert a beneficial, revitalizing, cleansing and regenerating effect on bodily functions, it will supply invaluable information for healthy as well as for sick people. The healthy will be encouraged to fast in order to regenerate and increase vitality, and the sick to cure their ills. This experiment has proved to the world the preventive and therapeutic potentials of fasting. It also may prove very valuable for armed forces and various expeditions where the possibility of getting lost and isolated, and forced into an involuntary fast, is great.

*9\58\2*

In spite of the great medical progress and the billions of dollars spent on health care in the United States today, it is estimated that there are still in this country over 80 million chronically ill people. The most distressing fact is that instead of improving, the situation is worsening with every passing year. There is an epidemic increase in such diseases as heart disease, cancer, arthritis, allergies, multiple sclerosis, and birth defects. Our mortality rate is higher than in most civilized countries; and in life expectancy among nations, the United States ranks 22nd for men and 10th for women. Many responsible scientists have expressed their concern and called the health conditions of this nation “catastrophic.”

What are the reasons for such an appalling and frightful deterioration of the health of the American people? The main reason for this is our artificial, sedentary, air-conditioned way of life in a denatured, synthetic, chemicalized, and poisoned environment. Nutrition is the most important single environmental factor affecting one’s health. But, according to a recent U.S. Department of Agriculture survey, only half of the American households are found to be eating a nutritionally adequate diet. The other half of the American people are malnourished.

Why, in the country that has the most abundant supply of food in the world, should one half of the population be malnourished? The answer is: because of ignorance. “People just don’t know what kinds of foods are necessary for good health and vigor,” said Assistant Secretary of Agriculture, George L. Mehren. The nutrition Americans obtain today in the form of devitalized, factory-produced and chemicalized food, loaded with poisonous residues from additives and pesticides, can result only in deteriorated health. Add to this the air poisoned with deadly chemicals, the polluted water, and the gigantic consumption of toxic drugs, and you will have found most of the reasons for the appalling deterioration of our health.

The extensive and prolonged use of chemical fertilizers has depleted our soils and, although the quantity of the crops still remains high with the help of constantly increasing amounts of chemical fertilizers, the nutritional quality of foods produced on depleted soils is lowered. For example, wheat grown in the American midwest in the beginning of the century contained an average 17-18 percent of protein; sometimes it even went as high as over 20 percent. Now, the average content of protein in our wheat is only 12-14 percent, often even less. Just imagine what this significant difference in the content of one of the most important nutritional elements will do to your health! In Russia, wheat still contains 16-18 percent protein. Professor Barry Commoner, of Washington University in St. Louis, said that a slice of American bread needs a slice of cheese on it to match the slice of plain Russian bread in nutritional value 1

The mineral and vitamin content of processed foods produced on depleted soils with the help of chemical fertilizers is equally reduced. For example, nutritionist Dr. H. K. Stieberling writes in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association that the national food supply is about 15 percent lower in vitamins A and C today than it was 20 years ago.

Continuous and widespread use of poisonous insecticides in production, processing and handling of foodstuffs has resulted in greater and greater residues of them in foods.

In addition to pesticides, foods are loaded with various other toxic chemicals added to it during processing. These are: preservatives, dyes, bleaches, conditioners, hydrogenators, softeners, moisteners, acidifiers, alkilizers, antioxidents, emulcifiers, and many more. Many of these are harmful and unfit for human consumption.

The air in most of our larger cities is so polluted by the poisonous gases from automobiles and industries that it is also a major health hazard. It is considered to be one of the leading causes of cancer in the respiratory organs. Emphysema, which spreads as a plague around the whole nation, is directly linked to polluted air and smoking.

Our water is just as unfit for drinking as our air is for breathing. Almost half of the American public is drinking fluoridated water in spite of the mounting evidence that the toxic effect of sodium fluoride is one of the reasons for the catastrophic deterioration of the health of Americans.

In addition to all this, we poison ourselves in a hundred other ways in our everyday living with household chemicals, detergents, insecticides for homes and gardens, insect repellents, air-fresheners, disinfectants, hair sprays, etc. Many other things in our environment, such as clothing, rugs, wallpapers, upholstery, and mattresses, are treated with toxic chemicals.

*1\58\2*