Appendix 1

Health & Medical statements found in The Ministry of Healing (M. of H.), 1905 Spiritual Gifts Volume 4 (S. G.), 1864

S. G. page 133.2 – “Indulging in eating too frequently, and in too large quantities, over-taxes the digestive organs, and produces a feverish state of the system. The blood becomes impure, and then diseases of various kinds occur.”

Comments – Overeating does not cause fever or impurity of the blood. It was believed in the middle of the 19th century that if you ate too much, undigested food entered the blood and produced impure blood. This bears no relationship to the development of high serum cholesterol from overeating.

Score – Unverified

Why 47a – Over Eating 5 (What 46)

S. G. page 131.2 – “They give loose rein to their debasing passions, until health and intellect greatly suffer. The reasoning faculties are, in a great measure, destroyed by evil habits.”

Comment Intellect and reasoning is not affect by over eating.

Score - Unverified

Why 48 – Over Eating 6 (What 46)

M. of H. page 240 - “in disposing of an excess of food. The liver is burdened in its effort to cleanse the blood of impurities, and illness is the result.”

Comments – It is a correct statement that the liver removes the impurities from the blood. But it is not the excess food or, in the context, the excess food not used up in exercise that burdens the liver and causes disease. It is specific poisons to the liver such as alcohol that damage the liver. There is some truth in this statement in respect to fat metabolism. With excess food and too little exercise there is an increase in cholesterol levels, which does result in disease.

Score – Verified

M. of H. page 235 – “In many cases of sickness, the very best remedy is for the patient to fast for a meal or two, …. A fruit diet for a few days has often brought great relief to brain workers. Many times a short period of entire abstinence from food,”

S. G. page 131 – “If they cannot at first enjoy plain food, they should fast until they can. That fast will prove to them of greater benefit than medicine,”

Comments – Limiting the fast to short periods or just having periods of fruit is good advice as any prolonged fasting will impair the immune system. The advice of very limited fasting after over indulging is good advice.

Score – Minor

Why 49 – Fasting (What 47)

M. of H. – page 235.2 - “that the overworked organs of digestion may have an opportunity to rest.” S.G. Page 131.3 - “That fast will prove to them of greater benefit than medicine, for the abused stomach will find that rest which it has long needed,”

Comments – The stomach does not need rest. The real problem is the total calorie intake.

Score - Unverified

Why 50 - Diseased Stomach (What 47)

M. of H. page 306 – “The stomach is closely related to the brain; and when the stomach is diseased, the nerve power is called from the brain to the aid of the weakened digestive organs. When these demands are too frequent, the brain becomes congested. When the brain is constantly taxed, and there is lack of physical exercise, even plain food should be eaten sparingly.”

Appendix 1

Health & Medical statements found in The Ministry of Healing (M. of H.), 1905 Spiritual Gifts Volume 4 (S. G.), 1864

Comments - This sequence does not occur and the brain does not become congested.

Score – Unverified

M. of H. page 221 – “The patient should not be allowed to suffer or become unduly weakened through lack of nourishment,”

Page 318 – “Some restrict themselves to a very meager diet, not having sufficient variety to supply the needs of the system, and they suffer in consequence.”

Page 319 – “Those who understand the laws of health and who are governed by principle, will shun the extremes, both of indulgence and of restriction.”

Page 305 – “eat an abundance of fruit,”

Comments - Inadequate calories and nutrients are known to depress the immune system. Also to resist degenerative disease requires a wide range of phytochemicals that require a wide range of vegetable sources of food. The World Health Organisation considers under eating causes in total contributes 24.2% in the loss of health in developing counties with a high mortality.

Score – Significant

Why 51 – Under Eating (What 48)

M. of H. page 321 – “we should remember that an impoverished diet produces poverty of the blood. Cases of disease most difficult to cure result from this cause. The system is not sufficiently nourished, and dyspepsia and general debility are the result. Those who use such a diet are not always compelled by poverty to do so, but they choose it through ignorance or negligence, or to carry out their erroneous ideas of reform.”

Comments – It is possible that this statement was directed at the impoverished diet suggested by Sylvester Graham.

Score - Verified

What 49 – Sugar R 13 A 128 (C 54) J 65 K 80

M. of H. - page 301 – “Far too much sugar is ordinarily used in food. Cakes, sweet puddings, pastries, jellies, jams, ….. Especially harmful are the custards and puddings in which milk, eggs, and sugar are the chief ingredients. The free use of milk and sugar taken together should be avoided.”

1870, Testimonies for the Church Vol 2, page 370 – “And from the light given me, sugar, when largely used, is more injurious than meat.”

1872, Testimonies for the Church Vol 3, page 19 - “Brother B had urged the extreme positions of Dr Trall. …. in discarding milk, sugar, and salt.”

1873 letter - “We have always used a …. some sugar. This we have never denounced, either in our writings or in our preaching.”

Comments – Sugar, containing calories and no nutrients, should not be eaten in large amounts. Except for tooth decay, there are very few serious diseases directly caused by eating sugar. The main problem comes through the exclusion of more nutritious foods. Ellen White does not totally condemn sugar, but she does condemn excessive use of sugar and putting it into many different foods. The act of mixing sugar with milk or eggs does not in fact increase the danger, but excess sugar, eggs or milk does.

Score – Significant (1960 – Unverified)

Appendix 1

Health & Medical statements found in The Ministry of Healing (M. of H.), 1905 Spiritual Gifts Volume 4 (S. G.), 1864

Why 52 – Sugar (What 49)

M. of H. page 301 – “Far too much sugar is ordinarily used in food. Cakes, sweet puddings, pastries, jellies, jams, are active causes of indigestion.”

1870, Testimonies for the Church Vol 2, page 368 – “Sugar clogs the system. It hinders the working of the living machine.”

Comments - Sugar is one of the easiest foods to digest and provides rapid energy.

Score – Unverified

M. of H. page 305 – “Do not eat largely of salt,” (Inferred salty foods) S. G. page 153 – “and a very little salt.”

Page 153 – “We have our food prepared with but little salt,”

1872, Testimonies for the Church Vol 3, page 19 - “Brother B had urged the extreme positions of Dr Trall. …. in discarding milk, sugar, and salt.”

Comments – Salt intake should be limited (but not avoided) to reduce the chances of acquiring hypertension. Also food preserved by salting can develop carcinogens over time. (See What 52, Pickles)

Score – Significant (1960 – Unverified)

Why 53 – Salt (What 50)

M. of H. page 305 – “and the irritation that calls for so much drink at mealtime will largely disappear”

Comments - Salty foods do cause thirst and water with meals does slow digestion, but there is minimal health problem with drinking with meals or slowing digestion.

Score – Unverified

What 51 - Spices R 15 G 47 A 127 C 56 J 67 K 75 M. of H. page 305 – “avoid the use of …. spiced foods,”

Page 325 – “Condiments are injurious in their nature. Mustard, pepper, spices, …. and other things of a like character, ”

S. G. page 129 – “They crave highly-seasoned meats,” Page 153 – “and have dispensed with spices of all kinds.”

Comments – In 1960 spices were considered to be a stomach irritant and a cause of stomach cancer. It is now known that spices cause no damage to the stomach. The lining of the stomach, which is able to resist hydrochloric acid, has no difficulty in resisting spices. The cause of the associated cancer is due to eating putrefying protein foods. In the era before refrigeration the use of spices reduced the ability to detect bad food and increased the danger of eating bad food. In fact this is the reason they were added to food at that time. The use of refrigeration has greatly reduced the incidence of stomach cancer and the risk associated with using spices. Spiritual Gifts rightly mentions meat in association with the danger of spices. Because I am marking in the prerefrigeration era, I feel it is correct not to flavour food in such a way that bad food is not detectable by taste. However, with the introduction of refrigeration the significance of this principle is lost.

Score – Minor

Why 54 – Spices (What 51)

M. of H. page 325 – “Mustard, pepper, spices, pickles, and other things of a like character, irritate the stomach and make the blood feverish and impure. The inflamed condition of the drunkard's stomach is often pictured as illustrating the effect of alcoholic liquors. A similarly inflamed

Appendix 1

Health & Medical statements found in The Ministry of Healing (M. of H.), 1905 Spiritual Gifts Volume 4 (S. G.), 1864

condition is produced by the use of irritating condiments. Soon ordinary food does not satisfy the appetite. The system feels a want, a craving, for something more stimulating.”

S. G. page 129 – “The stomach is fevered, the digestive organs are taxed,”

Page 132 – “They tempt their children to indulge their appetite by placing upon their tables flesh meats and other food prepared with spices, which have a tendency to excite the animal passions.” Comments – Ellen White groups spices with “Stimulants and Narcotics.” There is no central nervous system stimulant in condiments and they have now been shown not to irritate the stomach. Spices do not excite the passions or make the blood feverish and impure.

Score – Unverified

Page 325 – “…. are injurious in their nature. …. pickles.”

1870, Testimonies for the Church Vol 2, page 368 – “The …. pickles, which should never find a place in any human stomach,”

Comments – Pickling, drying, salting or smoking food for preservation are associated with an increase in the risk of stomach cancer. This is because they are inadequate to completely stop some decay and thus the development of small amounts of carcinogens from the protein in the food. However, refrigeration has now made them much safer. On the other hand these methods of preservation were essential for survival during hard times in temperate climates prior to refrigeration and canning. By the time of writing canning was available.

Score – Minor

M. of H. page 300 – “The use of soda or baking powder in bread making is harmful and unnecessary.”

S. G. page 153 – “the bread upon our table has been unleavened cakes,”

Comments - Baking powder offers no known health risk unless in large quantities when it would increase the sodium intake. In Spiritual Gifts, Ellen White rejected yeast or leaven, while in The Ministry of Healing she accepted yeast as a normal part of cooking: “In the making of raised or yeast bread, milk should not be used in place of water” (M. of H. page 301).

Score – Unverified

Why 55 - Baking Powder (What 53)

M. of H. page 300 -“Soda causes inflammation of the stomach and often poisons the entire system.” 1870, Testimonies for the Church Vol 2, page 537 - “Saleratus in any form should not be introduced into the stomach, for the effect is fearful. It eats the coatings of the stomach, causes inflammation, and frequently poisons the entire system.”

Comments – Baking soda becomes common salt and carbon dioxide in the stomach and neither causes irritation. Also, in a normal stomach, the mucous membrane is able to resist hydrochloric acid. There is no difficulty in resisting curry or chili.

Score – Unverified

What 54 - Hot & Cold Food or Drinks R 36 G 76 A 148 C 61 J 80 K 74 M. of H. page 305 – “Food (or drinks) should not be eaten very hot or very cold.”

1871, Testimonies for the Church Vol 2, page 603 - “I do not approve of eating much cold food,” Comments – The risks of hot or cold drinks are not very great. Pain protects against tissue damage. There is some danger with cold food of hypothermia, but this is only in specific circumstances. It