FOOD MYTHS AND MISINFORMATION

Without food, medicine as we know it today might never have been born, for until early in the 18th century health treatments were largely based on myths.

The Papyrus Ebers, written about 1550 B.C., on paper which the Egyptians made from the papyrus plant, describe, scurvy and diabetes and gives a remarkable description of the practice of medicine in Egypt. Foods played many important roles at the time—as medicines, as beauty aids, and as remedies for household problems. Among the recommendations was one for making hair grow, by applying to the bald área either a mixture of honey, palm oil, and fruit juice, or the fat of several wild animals.

A thousand years later, Hippocrates (460 to 377 B.C.), the father of medicine and a contemporary of Socrates, made many wise observations about food and the science of nutrition; among them: Children produce more heat and need more food than adults; persons who are naturally very fat are apt to die earlier than those who are slender; people should exercise; and liver will cure night blindness. But the prescientific era of nutrition was also characterized by a fascinating maze of myths, fallacies, fads, philosophies, taboos, bizarre superstitions, food cults, and religious precepts.

THE MEDICINE MAN OF OLD.

In frontier America, the medicine man—the doc—plied his trade in a tent, as his show on the road moved from village to village. His potent snake oil and tiger's milk cure-all were always "smuggled out of the sacred tombs of ancient Egypt." Silk-hatted and suave, between band numbers, doc made his pitch:

"Ladies and gentlemen! Boils and bunions, fevers and fits, gout and gas—these have plagued mankind since life began. But no more! No more for those of you, who for a mere pittance, avail yourselves of this marvelous cure—the guarded secret of health and long life."

Then the band played on while the ushers fanned down the aisles selling their treasures. Their shouts of "all sold out, doc" signaled product number two. Next, the doc gave his soap spiel—a product that would restore glow and youth to dry, harsh skin. Medicine number three was a linament, guaranteed to give relief from all aches and pains. It was a good show, and most of the products were quite harmless.

THE MERCHANT OF MENACE.

The top hat and torchlights are gone, but the medicine man is still with us. Today, he's the self-styled scientist or health and nutrition expert, beating the drums for his potions and remedies at your doorstep, on lecture platforms, through the mail, in books, and on the radio and TV. He's the sophisticated salesman who bleats warnings against "that tired feeling"; "subclinical deficiencies"; "devitalized food," "hidden illness," and "aging before your time." Beware of this man! He may be a merchant of menace to you and your health. He has a product—usually an exotic pill, capsule, powder, tonic, special food, or food supplement—which will fortify your diet, increase appetite, build you up, cause you to lose weight, steady your nerves, strengthen your bones, enliven your blood, empty your bladder, roll back the stones from your dying kidneys, and regulate your bowels. Besides, he operates all over the world, from the witch doctors of darkest Africa to plush suites on Park Avenue.

Food myth— The word myth comes from the Greek word mythos, meaning story or fable.  A food myth is a traditional food story, belief, fable or legend, without proof or determinable basis of fact, which is accepted or used to justify one's own desires, interests, or practices. To a large extent, food myths represent a reactionary response to advances in scientific agriculture and food technology.

Food misinformation— To misinform is to give incorrect, untrue, or misleading information. Food misinformation refers to a statement about food that is not in accord with the scientific facts. Such false information may have arisen out of traditional fallacy, or it may represent belief in magic or folklore, or it may have been fabricated for sales purposes, or it may stem from ignorance.

Food fads— A food fad is a popular food pursuit or craze, without substantial basis, that is followed with zeal. Most food fads are short-lived, but a few persist. Some are quite harmless, whereas others may adversely affect the health and welfare of their followers. Two examples of food fads follow:

1. In the early 1600s, coffee drinking became a fad when the brew was first introduced into Europe, and people met at coffee-houses for serious discussions. But the fad passed. Today, coffee drinking is no longer a fad, but a practice widely enjoyed.

2. In the early 1930s, one fad diet, known as the Hay Diet, after its promoter Dr. William Howard Hay, stressed the incompatibility of proteins and carbohydrates, and that foods rich in each should be eaten in separate meals.

Food faddists— A food faddist is a person who takes up a food fad and follows it, usually ardently. With missionary zeal, most food faddists try to convince others to eat the ingredients to which they attribute their vitality, which may include such things as molasses, wheat germ, yogurt, a natural vitamin, soybean oil, etc. Generally speaking, food faddists focus on foods per se, not on the chemical agents in them—the nutrients—which are the actual physiologic agents of life and health.

Food quack (food charlatan)— A food quack is a pretender who claims to have skill, knowledge, and qualifications in foods, nutrition, and/or medicine, which he does not possess. The quack is the modern counterpart of the medicine man of old. His motive is usually money.

Food fallacy— This refers to a false or mistaken idea or opinion with respect to food and nutrition. A fallacy generally arises through ignorance or through faulty interpretation of the science of food and nutrition as it is applied to the daily diet. For example, an erroneous claim is sometimes made that grapefruit possesses special enzymatic properties that enable it to break down excess fat. This claim may encourage obese persons to eat substantial quantities of grapefruit to the exclusion of other foods.

Food folklore (old wives' tales)— Folklore refers to the traditional food beliefs and customs held by a people and handed down from generation to generation—the old wives' tales. For example, the belief that a pregnant woman's appetite for such things as pickles and clay indicate the body's need, and, therefore should be satisfied; or the influence that foods are believed to have on behavior, such as the bravery and courage instilled by eating flesh foods.

Folk medicine— Folk medicine is the medicine prescribed by nonprofessional people isolated from modern medical services.

FOOD MYTH AND MISINFORMATION DANGERS.

Food myths and misinformation abound! Most of them are charming, some are sheer nonsense, but others are hazardous. Some myths combine all three; for example, the claim that honey and vinegar will cure an amazing array of ills, ranging from arthritis to the common cold to digestive problems. It has been said that a couple of teaspoons (10 ml) of cider vinegar in a glass of water, taken at each meal, will cause the body to burn rather than store body fat. Thus, in easy steps, such pronouncements turn folk medicine into a hazardous practice.

Basically, food fads involve the following hazards, which concern all members of the nutrition and health professions:

1.    They may be a hazard to health. In some cases, food faddism fosters malnutrition and other health problems. More importantly, self-diagnosis and self-treatment can be dangerous. By following such a course, a person with a serious illillness may fail to secure proper medical care; falsely believing that the miraculous properties of this diet will cure their ailment. Many anxious patients with cancer, diabetes, or arthritis have been misled by quacks who fraudulently claimed to have a cure for these diseases, with the result that they postponed effective therapy until it was too late.

2.    They are usually costly. Most foods and supplements used by faddists are expensive. Each year, Americans spend an estimated $2 billion on special foods, food supplements, and health lectures and literature. Today, conditions are ripe for fast operators to make a quick buck . Many people have become health conscious. The elderly, the adolescent, the obese, the people whose living depends on their physical appearance, and the sickly are looking for a quick fix; and the charlatans happily accommodate them as they outsell reliable sources of nutrition information. As a result, many quacks, whose products and sales pitches are reminiscent of the medicine men of old, have developed a thriving business, pawning off a myriad of potions, cure-alls, and tonics.

3.    They stymie scientific progress. The misinformation spread by charlatans hinders scientific progress. Besides, the superstitions that they perpetuate counteract sound nutrition and health teachings.

4.    They create distrust of the food team—the producer, the processor, and the marketer. A positive program of education in the schools and among the adult population is needed to present the truth about foods and nutrition and to counter the distrust of the food team created by charlatans and faddists.

WHY ARE PEOPLE SO GULLIBLE?

In human folly, facts have never stood in the way of myths and misinformation. Additional reasons for people being so gullible in foods and nutrition follow:

1.      Food is basic, and people's emotions become involved. Aside from satisfying hunger, food means many things to many people—security, a soothing balm, a means of avoiding idleness, a symbol of success, a sensual appeal. Also, everyone has psychological reactions toward particular foods, determining likes and dislikes. Food quackery plays on these attitudes, plus the powerful incentives of human nature—the desire for health, and the fear of pain, disease, and death. It is easier to believe a bizarre claim that reassures than a more scientific statement that offers little hope

2.      People are sadly uneducated about nutrition and diet. Because food faddists and quacks talk a good line—they are messiahs and evangelists—it is often difficult for people to recognize what is myth and misinformation and what is fact. With an informed public, the potential danger of anecdotal information replacing scientific findings can be lessened

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Thus, there is need for more enlightened information, based on sound research. Additionally, there is need for continued vigilance by the government agencies entrusted to protect the public, especially the Food and Drug Administration, the Federal Trade Commission, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Also, several foundations, professional organizations, and trade associations are making monumental contributions through research and education. On a worldwide basis, the following divisions and agencies of the United Nations are engaged in food and nutrition work: Food and Agriculture Organization, World Health Organization, and UNESCO.

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3.      People long for the good old days. The phonies play upon the mistaken notion that our forefathers enjoyed na ideal food supply and good health. But, the truth is that in the good old days things weren't all that good; sickness, crippling diseases, and death rates were higher, and the lifespan was shorter. Just before World War II, for example, rickets, beriberi, pellagra, and goiter—all extremely serious nutrition deficiency diseases—were, according to the American Medical Association, "common diseases in the United States." Today, these maladies are no longer tabulated as causes of death in this country. Since World War II, more reliable information has been discovered about food production, food composition, and the functions of foods in conserving health than had been established in all previous history. Thus, instead of looking backward, people need to be informed and to look forward in the area of food and nutrition.

By  Audrey H. Ensminger [et al.] in “ The Concise Encyclopedia of Foods and Nutrition”, CRC Press, USA, 1995, excerpts pp. 496-498. Adapted and illustrated to be posted by Leopoldo Costa.