RMB Newsletter Vol 4:2 New scientific thought, persistent vet school madness April 2004
Dear Reader,
How’s 2004 treating you? Are your pets thriving, are you spreading the
good-health message?
Daily I receive letters from pet owners who, having switched their pets
to a raw diet, confirm the good health of their pets and savings on vet
bills. These benefits, if spread across the majority of the world’s dog,
cat and ferret owners would make for the alleviation of cruelty on an
immense scale and the dollar benefits could finance a large chunk of
third world debt –- and ease some of the global tensions.
That, you might say, is a mighty set of objectives and reason for us to
press on with the good health message.
But that’s not all. The fundamental biological scientific and medical
benefits waiting to be discovered and harvested add a mighty extra
dimension.
This edition of the RMB Newsletter looks at a couple of aspects of
the ‘extra dimension’ and concludes with comments from an oppressed
veterinary student rebelling against veterinary school brainwashing.
Wishing you, your family and pets the best of good health,
Tom Lonsdale
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Time (Australia/Pacific) Cover Story – February 23, 2004
http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101040223/
THE SECRET KILLER
The surprising link between inflammation and heart attacks, cancer,
Alzheimer’s and other diseases
What you can do to fight it
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‘Chronic inflammation may be the engine that drives many of the most
feared illnesses of middle and old age.’ Says Time magazine in their
cover story.
Here are some excerpts from the article:
‘This concept is so intriguing because it suggests a new and possibly
much simpler way of warding off disease. Instead of different treatments
for, say, heart disease, Alzheimer's and colon cancer, there might be a
single, inflammation-reducing remedy that would prevent all three. . .’
‘This new view of inflammation is changing the way some scientists do
medical research. "Virtually our entire R.-and-D. effort is [now]focused
on inflammation and cancer," says Dr. Robert Tepper, president of
research and development at Millennium Pharmaceuticals in Cambridge,
Mass. In medical schools across the U.S., cardiologists, rheumatologists,
oncologists, allergists and neurologists are all suddenly talking to one
another—and they're discovering that they're looking at the same thing.
The speed with which researchers are jumping on the inflammation
bandwagon is breathtaking. Just a few years ago, "nobody was interested
in this stuff," says Dr. Paul Ridker, a cardiologist at Brigham and
Women's Hospital who has done some of the groundbreaking work in the
area. "Now the whole field of inflammation research is about to explode."’
Time report:
‘Problems begin when, for one reason or another, the inflammatory process
persists and becomes chronic; the final effects are varied and depend a
lot on where in the body the runaway reaction takes hold. Among the first
to recognize the broader implications were heart doctors who noticed that
inflammation seems to play a key role in cardiovascular disease.’
Diabetes researchers have adopted the new approach.
‘What they have discovered is a complex interplay between inflammation,
insulin and fat—either in the diet or in large folds under the skin.
(Indeed, fat cells behave a lot like immune cells, spewing out
inflammatory cytokines, particularly as you gain weight.) Where
inflammation fits into this scenario—as either a cause or an effect—
remains unclear. But the case for a central role is getting stronger.’
And the underlying inflammation, in humans as well as animals, is often
considered to be periodontal disease, that chronic inflammation affecting
the gums and supporting structures of the teeth.
At the end of a most illuminating article Time comments:
‘But there is a sense that much more basic research into the nature of
inflammation needs to be done before scientists understand how best to
limit the damage in chronic diseases.
In the meantime, there are things we all can do to dampen our
inflammatory fires. Some of the advice may sound terribly familiar, but
we have fresh reasons to follow through. Losing weight induces those fat
cells—remember them?—to produce fewer cytokines. So does regular
exercise, 30 minutes a day most days of the week. Flossing your teeth
combats gum disease, another source of chronic inflammation. Fruits,
vegetables and fish are full of substances that disable free radicals.’
Of course the Time recommendation to eat lots of fruit and vegetables
refers to our (omnivorous) dietary needs. Time make the point about
periodontal disease and the need for dental hygiene with an illustration
of dental floss being pulled from the floss-dispenser. Dogs, cats and
ferrets (carnivores) floss and brush as they eat their natural food. And
fresh natural carnivore food provides them with the nutrients necessary
to combat the chemical effects of chronic inflammation too.
__________________________________________________________________________
CYBERNETIC HYPOTHESIS OF PERIODONTAL DISEASE IN MAMMALIAN CARNIVORES
http://www.rawmeatybones.com/Cybernetic.html
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How periodontal disease inflammation might fit into the bigger picture of
health, disease and population control, to my mind, is an intriguing
question. The Cybernetic Hypothesis of Periodontal Disease, conceived in
a dream on Christmas morning 1992, sets out a possible explanatory
framework.
Last year, during the Emory University Extension 'Raw Meaty Bones'
course, Dr Erin Mayfield found new information that appears to provide
crucial support for the Cybernetic Hypothesis.
That information forms the basis of an article soon to be published by
the University of Sydney Post Graduate Foundation in Veterinary Science.
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CALCULUS, OLFACTION AND CYBERNETICS: A CRUCIAL TEST
University of Sydney Post Graduate Foundation in Veterinary Science,
Control and Therapy No. 4516
__________________________________________________________________________
Dr Erin Mayfield (medical doctor and gynecologist) is: ‘Horrified by the
pandemic of periodontal disease, which appears to be precipitated by the
artificial pet food diets.’ Delighted with the tenor of an article she
found on the Internet, Dr Mayfield shared her find with fellow students
in the Raw Meaty Bones class.(1)
'PREDILECTION TO DENTAL CALCULUS FORMATION IN A GROUP OF DOGS: INFLUENCE
OF CALCULUS ON THE SENSE OF SMELL'
'The tendency of some dogs to rapidly develop dental calculus is well
known. A group of beagle dogs being utilized in a study of bovine estrus
detection capability was found to have such a tendency. Over a period of
several months it was observed that the dogs gradually lost the ability
to perform the trained detection task. Subsequent examination revealed
extensive tartar on the teeth of each of the dogs. Behavioral
olfactometry was used to determine the olfactory threshold. For each
individual the threshold was significantly depressed from the average.
The teeth were cleaned and the behavioral olfactometry repeated the
following day. In each case, the olfactory threshold returned to normal.
Subsequent olfactory threshold determinations were made, following the
dogs for 3 months. The olfactory threshold was depressed in a rough
correlation to the repeated development of dental calculus.
This finding strongly suggests that a major factor in the efficacy of
detector dogs is good dental health, and, further, that dogs with
tendency to rapidly form dental calculus should be selected against
within any breeding program.'(2)
The author, Dr Larry Myers’s suggestion to use breeding programs —-
expensive, slow and unreliable —- as a solution seems at odds with the
known biology of calculus accumulation.(3) Otherwise the research appears
to be a major contribution to carnivore health. Customs agencies, bomb
detection units, police forces, hunters and anyone dependent on the
canine nose has reason to celebrate.
The interests of pets and their owners should not be overlooked. Clearly
they need to share in the benefits too.
The bigger the breakthrough, the bigger the questions that follow. What
are the mechanisms? What’s the purpose of a canine’s ability to detect
odours? And perhaps more importantly: What’s the purpose of this
measurable loss of olfaction correlated with an increase in calculus
formation?
Dr Johan Joubert, veterinary dentist and cybernetician, and I postulate
that while a good sense of smell in the carnivore is important, the rapid
loss of that sense, correlated with a build-up of calculus, might in the
scheme of things be equally important. Also we postulate that the vomero-
nasal organ (Organ of Jacobson, Ludvig Jacobson 1813)(4) might be
involved in this dramatic finding.
The vomero-nasal organ is described as: ‘Part of the olfactory sense
system that consists of a pair of fleshy tubes found on the floor of the
nasal cavity on either side of the nasal septum, supported by cartilage
sleeve. Probably concerned with scenting and aftersmell of food.’(5)
Keverne says:
The nature of stimulus access [fluids pass through an opening behind the
upper incisors] suggests that the vomero-nasal organ responds to
nonvolatile cues, leading to activation of the hypothalamus by way of the
accessory olfactory bulb and amygdala. The areas of hypothalamus
innervated regulate reproductive, defensive, and ingestive behavior as
well as neuroendocrine secretion.(6)
If foul fluids from diseased teeth and gums gain immediate access to the
vomero-nasal organ and if those fluids have a negative effect on sense of
smell, reproductive, defensive, ingestive and neuroendocrine functions,
then we have a powerful set of determinants for the health and well being
of the subject animal.
Regardless of putative mechanisms, Dr Myers’s work on olfaction shows
that animals with periodontal disease suffer impaired ability to detect
prey, competitors and enemies —- a dismal prospect for the individual
carnivore already conspicuous by its bad breath —- but, in the scheme of
things, doubly advantageous for prey animals, competitors and enemies.
And this scenario, if correct, has direct correlation with the
predictions of the Cybernetic Hypothesis of Periodontal Disease in
Mammalian Carnivores.(7) The Hypothesis explains that regulators,
carnivores, need regulating —- and in the absence of sufficient prey that
there needs to be a feedback loop, preferably with high ‘gain’, leading
to the rapid demise of redundant carnivores. Failing hunters become the
hunted and balance is thereby maintained.
•The Cybernetic Hypothesis sets out a uniting paradigm of health and
disease for animals —- with far-reaching implications for human health
too.
•If Dr Myers’s work demonstrates a high-gain feedback loop then it
appears to provide a crucial test for the Hypothesis.
•If the Hypothesis passes the test then elevation to accepted theory
comes closer.
•If adopted as a theory Cybernetics can provide the foundation for new
cures and ‘miracle preventions’.(8)
Thank you Dr Myers, and thank you Dr Mayfield for bringing the
information to light.
Notes:
1.)Your Pet's Health: Nature's Way (2003) Emory University Center for
Lifelong Learning, Web: http://www.rawmeatybones.com/speaking.html
2.)International Working Dog Breeding Association Conference, 5-8 October
2003 Web: http://www.iwdba.org/
3.)Hennet, P (1995) Periodontal disease and oral microbiology, in Manual
of Small Animal Dentistry, Eds. Crossley, DA and Penman, S British Small
Animal Veterinary Association, Gloucester pp 105–113
4.)Doving, K B, Trotier, D (1998) Structure and Function of the
Vomeronasal Organ, The Journal of Experimental Biology, 201: 2913–2925
Web: http://biologi.uio.no/genfys/PDFfiler/KD/vomeronasal.pdf
5.)Blood, D C and Studdert, V P (1999) Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary
Dictionary, 2nd Edition, W B Saunders, London
6.)Keverne, EB (1999) The vomeronasal organ, Science 286(5440):716-20
7.)Lonsdale, T (1994) Cybernetic Hypothesis of Periodontal Disease in
Mammalian Carnivores, Journal of Veterinary Dentistry, 11:1 5–8 Web:
www.rawmeatybones.com/Cybernetic.html
8.)Lonsdale, T (2001) A cybernetic hypothesis of periodontal disease, in
Raw Meaty Bones: Promote Health, Rivetco P/L Windsor NSW pp 295–315
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A FIRST YEAR VETERINARY STUDENT COMMENTS
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OK, we just started Nutrition on Monday and it's already absolutely
unbearable. I guess I am just hopelessly naive, but I'm not sure I
actually believed until I got there, that they could think it was worth
anyone's time to devote a whole class to pouring dog or cat food out of a
bag and into a bowl. And that a woman who spent seventeen years of post-
high school education in veterinary nutrition studies could honestly
think that commercial food is the only viable option to feed pets. She's
not even making an attempt to teach us anything except how to evaluate
dry foods, how to read dry food ingredient lists, how to do all these
ridiculous calculations about Kcal, resting energy requirement, etc.
We had two hours of it today, once at eight and once at four. I didn't go
to the eight o-clock class, because every time I go, it literally ruins
the rest of my day. But, two friends, one raw-feeding and the other doing
her research to start, spoke to the professor at the end of the class
about some things she said that they questioned or didn't agree with.
They tried to pose their questions politely, but apparently the
conversation degenerated pretty quickly.
One of the things they asked about was her mantra, which she regularly
asks the class to _chant_, "pets need nutrients, not ingredients",
meaning, of course, that it doesn't matter what's in the food as long as
the companies guarantee certain nutritional content. My friends brought
up some non-species-specific ingredients, like corn, soy, wheat, etc. and
asked if she didn't see a problem with that. Her reply was that corn gets
a bad rap, that it's a perfect healthy ingredient, and that Native
Americans survived on it well enough, so why not dogs? (I'm not joking)
She also told them that high cooking temps/extrusion doesn't have any
affect on the health of the food at all. When they mentioned raw and some
good results they'd seen with it, she said that George Burns smoked and
drank every day and lived to be 100, but that didn't mean those were
healthy things to do.
She also said that raw is dangerous because of food borne pathogens,
referencing an E coli. 01:57 outbreak at a Jack In the Box as proof, even
though that deals with _humans_ eating _cooked_ meat?!? She then told
them that they're just being influenced by fad diets on the Internet with
no science behind them, and that she shouldn't just believe everything
they hear or read. When they tried to stand up for themselves, she fell
back on the "I'm one of only 50 certified veterinary nutritionists in the
country" as if that ended the argument. They were both so furious they
could hardly speak when I got there.
Then, for our second hour this afternoon, she taught us the nine steps
she uses to evaluate a commercial food if a client wants her opinion. See
what you think of these:
1. The bag, box, or can should contain the phrase "complete and balanced".
2. Products that contain this claim must also follow with one of two
AAFCO statements, i.e. the product was tested through feeding trials or
the calculation method.
3. The label should contain a toll free phone # so you can ask the
company questions if necessary.
4. The product should have a digestibility of at least 80% (you may have
to call the company to get this figure).
5. If you are feeding a dry product, it should contain a preservative
(all of which are completely safe according to her).
6. Reputation of the company.
7. Cost
8. Animals require nutrients not ingredient (this one has about three
paragraphs explaining why corn, soy and other ingredients are perfectly
suitable for dogs).
9. How is the pet doing while consuming the product?
That's it. Nothing about what the ingredients are, ingredient sources. As
long as it fits the above criteria, it's fine in her book. The really
ridiculous thing is, she keeps contradicting herself. She told us about
the experiment where they made a food out of leather boots, old tires,
peanut hulls, whatever, that met the pet food companies nutrient
requirements, but then she stressed that she thought Purina is a really
quality brand of food that has an unjustified poor reputation (she's
basing this on the fact that they claim their digestibility is 84%, which
is supposed to be good, I guess). She also talked about ingredient
splitting and how bad it is, but then showed us several labels of
acceptable (to her) pet foods that had five or six split fractions of one
ingredient.
I could go on with this forever, but I think this letter's long enough
already :) I just need to blow off some steam; I think I'm going to have
a sneer permanently affixed to my face after a couple months of that
class.
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Postscript:
We should not pretend that resolution of the multifaceted vet/pet food
problem will be easy. But the more shoulders to the wheel the sooner it
will turn.
Do your best –- every little helps.
Best wishes,
Tom Lonsdale
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2004 Raw Meaty Bones Seminars
June
United Kingdom Dates to be announced
July
San Francisco Bay Area, California, USA Dates to be announced
For updated information please check www.rawmeatybones.com
________________________________________________________
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in future RMB Newsletters.
Please circulate, distribute or reproduce this newsletter as you wish.
___________________________________________________________
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