The Hundred Year Lie

HOW FOOD AND MEDICINE

ARE DESTROYING YOUR HEALTH

By: RANDALL FITZGERALD

www.hundredyearlie.com

MODERN SCIENCE AFFIRMS ANCIENT CURES

Our rediscovery of ancient healing wisdom, typically called folk remedies,

and using the laboratory tools of modern science is revolutionizing our

understanding of the naturally occurring food, herbal, and plant treatments.

What Western medicine really seems to be rediscovering is its own

traditional wisdom roots. The founding father of modern medicine, Hippocrates,

the ancient Greek in whose name all new physicians in the

United States swear an oath, was himself a practitioner and teacher of

Unani Tibb, the traditional medicine of the Middle East in the ancient

world.

Every civilization and tribal culture that perpetuated itself in any form

up to the present day maintained some structure of traditional medicine

based on the healing properties of plants, shrubs, and trees native to its

land. Through trial and error and intuition each society over the generations

isolated and codified lists of botanicals that either worked individually

or in synergistic combinations with proven healing powers for a wide

range of illnesses and diseases. That entire collective body of accumulated

knowledge was mostly discarded as irrelevent by Western countries during

the twentieth century in their mad rush of enthusiasm to embrace the

“scientific method” and the synthetics paradigm.

Traditional medicines and the ancient wisdom traditions that utilized

them have always been based upon observations about the laws of nature.

For a broad and in-depth description of natural remedies addressing at

least 160 health problems, may I recommend the book Alternative Cures,

by an expert in the field of natural healing, Bill Gottlieb. In the meantime,

the following list provides a foundation for understanding the extent

to which modern scientific methods have already demonstrated the

effectiveness of ancient remedies.

Aging Gotu kola is an herb used in both Chinese and Indian folk medicine

to promote longevity; during the twentieth century several clinical

studies found that it improves circulatory functioning and enhances antioxidant

activity.

Alzheimer’s A spice used for many centuries in the Indian ayurvedic tradition,

called curcumin, was reputed to increase mental clarity and boost

overall immune system health; a study appearing in 2005 in Journal of

Biological Chemistry found that curcumin was effective in breaking up

Alzheimer’s disease-causing plaques. It is also under study as a treatment

for multiple sclerosis and cystic fibrosis.

Anesthesia Many pre-Medieval and Medieval cultures in Europe used

hemlock as an anesthesia for surgical procedures; clinical studies of the

twentieth century demonstrate that chemical substances in hemlock have

value as an anesthetic.

Angina Traditional medical practitioners of most cultures used the power

of personal beliefs—usually in connection with goddesses or other deities—

to activate the human body’s own defense mechanisms to fight illness and

disease. In 1994, a study in Clinical Psychology Review found this placebo

effect to be far more effective than portrayed in the medical literature. At

least 70 percent of patients studied had experienced good or excellent results

from bogus (placebo) treatments for ailments ranging from angina to

herpes to asthma.

Arthritis Amazon tribes have used ant venom as a treatment for arthritis

for hundreds of years; laboratory analysis in the twentieth century found

the venom to contain complex sugar molecules that are effective against

pain and inflammation.

Asthma In ancient China bark from the root or branch of the magnolia

tree, known as hou po, was widely used for digestive problems, asthma,

and diarrhea; twentieth century pharmacological research finds its sedative

and muscle relaxant properties to be a safe and natural substitute for

synthetic tranquilizers.

Blood Pressure During the first century AD, the Greek herbalist

Dioscorides wrote about the health benefits of hawthorn berries from the

hawthorn tree as a cardiac tonic; two millennia later the the journal Phytotherapy

Research described a clinical trial in Britain that found hawthorn

effective in lowering blood pressure and providing the body with a rich

influx of flavonoids.

Cancer Ginseng has played many healing roles in ancient Chinese herbal

medicine; in 2004 the journal of the American Heart Association, Circulation,

reported a study from MIT revealing that ginseng can promote the

growth of blood vessels (a key to wound healing), while another form of

ginseng with a preponderance of two key ingredients can halt the formation

of blood vessels, which can help to kill cancerous tumors.

Researchers at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

reported in the October 2005 issue of Clinical Cancer Research how curcumin,

the main ingredient of tumeric, repels the spread of cancer to lung

tissue and shuts down a protein active in the spread of breast cancer. Curcumin,

a member of the ginger family, has been a mainstay in both traditional

Indian and Chinese medicine for thousands of years.

Carcinogens Practitioners of traditional medicine from India and

China have long contended that synthetic vitamins are much less effective

than plant-based vitamins in removing toxins from the body and keeping

the immune system healthy; in 1994 the Tufts University Health and Nutrition

Letter reported that researchers have compared synthetic vitamin C

to naturally occurring food-derived vitamins and found that synthetics

failed to reduce carcinogenic nitrosamines, while food-derived sources “reduced

to significantly lower levels” these toxins. The explanation given:

“Vitamins as they appear in nature are in complex interrelationships with

hundreds, even thousands of other biochemicals within the complex

natural food matrix.”

Contraception In ancient Greece a species of wild fennel known as

siliphion was widely used as a female contraceptive; lab experiments in the

twentieth century found that siliphion has anticontraceptive properties.

In ancient sanskrit the word neem, from the neem tree, means “the

curer of ailments,” and India traditionally used it as a contraceptive and a

natural insecticide; twentieth century chemists discovered that neem is effective

at both jobs, and a multinational chemical corporation, WR Grace &

Co., even created a natural pesticide from neem.

Depression Many cultures have traditionally used Saint-John’s-wort as a

treatment for depression and mood disorders, especially in women; in 2005

the British Medical Journal reported that Saint-John’s-wort has been found

effective against moderate depression and it also exhibits fewer side effects

than paroxetine, one of the more common synthetic antidepressants.

A root extract called golden root or Rhodiola rosea, has been used for

centuries in Russia to cope with the cold Siberian winters and stress; pharmacology

studies in the twentieth century discovered that the root stimulates

brain chemicals that elevate mood and fight stress and depression.

Diarrhea Carob has been used in Central American folk medicine for

generations as a treatment for diarrhea; in 1995, a study in the Journal of

Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition found that carob powder is highly

effective as a diarrhea treatment for infants.

Diabetes For thousands of years traditional Chinese medicine treated

diseases similar to type 2 diabetes with the root of Panax ginseng; clinical

studies of laboratory animals undertaken in the twenty-first century,

sponsored by grants from the National Institutes of Health, found this

ginseng “may prove to be of clinical importance in improving the management

of type 2 diabetes” because it has antidiabetic and anti-obesity

properties.

For centuries the Guarani Indians of Paraguay used stevia as a medicine and a sweetener; clinical research in Japan has verified that it is a natural antibacterial and antiviral agent, regulates blood sugar levels effectively,

prevents hypertension, and is three hundred times sweeter than sugar.

Epilepsy Physicians in ancient Egypt used magnets as treatments for a

range of ailments; during 2004 an estimated three hundred research teams

around the world at such prestigious universities as Yale and Harvard were

finding evidence of positive effects from magnetic therapy for a range of

illnesses and diseases—epilepsy, arthritis, depression, incontinence, spinal

injuries.

At the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology, for instance,

magnetic stimulation was found to ease the symptoms of severe depression.

Canadian researchers found that magnets stimulate new cartilage

cells to grow.

Gastrointestinal Disorders Green tea has a long history in traditional

Chinese medicine as a promoter of gastrointestinal health; during 2004 The

European Journal of Pharmacology reported that green tea has numerous

pharmacological properties that promote health, including antioxidant,

antiinflammatory, anticarcinogenic, antibacterial, and anti-arterisoclerotic

effects.

Heart Disease The ancient Aztec Indians used a species of magnolia

fruit as a treatment for heart problems; clinical studies in the twentieth

century determined that the fruit contains chemical compounds effective

for a variety of heart conditions.

Allergic inflammatory diseases were historically treated in Korea using

an herbal compound called allergina; a 2004 clinical study published in

The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine by a team of pharmacologists

at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and

Health Sciences found convincing evidence that allergina works synergistically

to enhance cardiac health and overall health.

Hepatitis Milk thistle is a traditional herb in many cultures purported

to be beneficial to the liver; in 2001 the journal Gastroenterology Nursing

reported the results of a study funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases that found milk thistle to have good antiinflammatory

and liver-regenerative properties in treating hepatitis C.

Samoan healers have traditionally used a tree bark found in the

Samoan islands for treating hepatitis and other liver ailments; testing by

the National Cancer Institute discovered this bark is effective in combatting

the AIDS virus.

Infections Ancient Egyptian doctors used honey on burns and infected

wounds to destroy bacteria; in the late twentieth century honey will be

used to treat infected wounds and burns that don’t respond to conventional

treatments.

Another remedy for infection in ancient Egypt was spoiled barley

bread to treat wounds and burns; only in the twentieth century was

the discovery made that this process has a medicinal effect similar to

penicillin.

Inflammation A moss that grows in China, from which huperzine A is

derived, has been a traditional Chinese herbal medicine used to treat inflammation

and fever; in the twentieth century clinical studies revealed

that it is also effective at facilitating learning and memory function.

Shilajit is an ancient remedy from the Himalayas of northern India,

found growing on cliffs and between rocks, that has traditionally been

prized as an immune system booster; clinical studies of shilajit from numerous

countries have found it contains fulvic acid and has significant

analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties.

Immune System A traditional immune system booster in parts of Brazil

is a mushroom called Cogumelo do Sol, which is added to food; studies

done at University School of Medicine and National Cancer Center, both

in Japan, confirmed the mushrooms are potent immune system boosters

and cancer-fighters.

Reishi mushrooms from traditional Chinese medicine are known for

their antiviral effects; twentieth century clinical studies of the mushroom

found two bioactive substances that stimulate the human immune system

and protect against illness and disease.

Headaches The herb called butterbur has a long history of use in European

cultures as a headache remedy; in 2004, according to the journal

Neurology, the traditional herb was found to prevent migraine headaches

in a clinical trial of 245 migraine sufferers.

In 1988 the British medical journal The Lancet reported that a randomized

double-blind placebo-controlled trial of feverfew, an herbal medicine

first used in ancient Greece for headaches, has proven effective in preventing

migraine headaches. Two additional clinical studies have confirmed this data.

Impotence Ancient Chinese medicine used a fungus called Cordyceps for

impotence; during the twentieth century clinical trials found it to be effective

for treating loss of sexual desire among the elderly.

A time tested aphrodisiac in China described in ancient medical tests

is horny goat weed, known as Epimedium; modern clinical tests of this

weed have shown that it increases libido and improves erectile function.

Malaria Several thousand years ago the wormwood plant was in widespread

use as a treatment for malaria; in the twentieth century a substance

in the wormwood plant called artemisinin was identified in a clinical laboratory

at the University of Washington as effectively controlling malaria by

creating a chemical reaction that kills the parasite.

Menstrual Cramps Several American Indian tribes for centuries used an

herb called black cohosh for menstrual and menopausal symptoms; in

2005, a twelve-week clinical trial testing 304 women found that black cohosh

significantly reduced the frequency and severity of hot flashes and alleviated

menstrual symptoms and elevated mood.

Mental Alertness Ginkgo biloba is the fruit and leaf of a tree that has

been used for thousands of years in Chinese medicine as a mind and

memory enhancer; in 1986 the French medical journal La Presse Médicale

devoted an entire issue to the biochemical and clinical applications of

Ginkgo biloba. Among the medical findings: it increases brain circulation,

protects nerve tissue from damage, and prevents free radical damage to

cellular membranes.

In 1987 the American Journal of Chinese Medicine affirmed clinical

findings that ginseng has a positive effect on learning and memory.

An herb called Bacopa, which grows in marshy areas of India, was in

widespread use in ancient times to enhance memory, and treat epilepsy

and insomnia; studies in the twentieth century found that Bacopa has

antioxidant properties that improve communication between nerve cells

in the brain, thus enhancing memory and mental functions.

Nausea Ginger root is a traditional cure for nausea in many cultures; in

1993 the medical journal Anaesthesia compared ginger root with other

treatments for nausea and vomiting and found it especially effective in

stopping nausea.

Pain Natural pain relief was historically provided by the placebo effect,

harnessing a person’s power of belief when traditional remedies failed; in

1978, a study published in The Lancet, presented convincing evidence

that the placebo effect reduces pain by using a person’s natural capacity to

secret homemade narcotics within the brain itself.

In ancient Egypt and the Middle East the resin of a tree called myrrh

was prized as an antibiotic to dress wounds; clinical experiments in the

twentieth century found that myrrh has both antibiotic and pain-relief

properties.

Willow bark has been a treatment used traditionally throughout Europe

for lower back pain; a study published in 2000 in the American Journal

of Medicine found willow bark extract to be a successful treatment for

persons with lower back pain.

Snake Bite Throughout ancient India the snakeroot plant was used as a

remedy for snake bites; lab tests in the 1950s found that snakeroot is a

tranquilizer that slows the heartbeat and prevents snake toxins from

spreading rapidly, giving the body an opportunity to recover.

Stomach Disorders In Chile, traditional folk medicine uses an evergreen

shrub known as boldo as a diuretic; lab research in the twentieth

century showed boldo as both an effective diuretic and a treatment for

stomach and intestinal cramps.

Stress Bark from the root or branch of the magnolia tree is traditionally

used in folk medicine to treat digestive problems, diarrhea, and asthma;

pharmacology research in the twentieth century found its sedative and

muscle relaxant properties to be a safe and natural substitute for synthetic

tranquilizers.

Ulcers Chamomile tea is a traditional remedy for stomach upset in many

parts of the world; in 1979 the medical journal Planta Medica published a

study in which chamomile is shown to protect against ulcers.The principal

component of chamomile, bisabolol, seems to calm intestinal spasms

and prevents the development of gastric ulcers.

Weight Loss Scottish medieval monks used the bitter vetch plant to suppress

hunger; in 2005 clinical labs in Britain found the plants can be an

effective dieting pill.

MODERN SCIENCE AFFIRMS ANCIENT CURES

© 2007 Randall Fitzgerald

Penguin/Dutton Publisher

Chinese Herbal Soup

2 ounces Chinese herbs (such as astragalus, ginseng, rehmannia, codonopsis, ligustrum, burdock and shizandra berries)
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
1/8 cup uncooked rice
4 cups soup stock
1 diced carrot
1 beet or 1 turnip, diced
1 diced yam
¼ cup shiitake mushrooms, slivered

Place the herbs (including ginger) in a muslin bag or tie them together with a string. Simmer the bag and rice in the soup stock for 1 hour.

Add the vegetables and mushrooms to the herbal stew, and simmer gently for another 30 minutes.

Remove the bag filled with herbs, and serve the soup.