Food and nutrition.pdf

64 Nutrientshas been approved in Russia and used by athletes to enhance performance.Pangamic acid is a label not a product. The pills contain anything the sellerchooses to put in them.The Food and Drug Administration contend that "B IS" is essentiallyan untested food additive which is not generally recognized by thescientific experts as safe for human consumption. Pangamate wasprohibited within Canada for almost two decades. Because of these facts,any physician who prescribes it should first get informed consent fromhis or her patients after informing them that it is not a vitamin, has noknown nutrient value, no known value in the long-term treatment of anydisease, that its safety has not been established, and that it may bemutagenic (cancer causing).The allegations that pangamic acid is an antioxidant, protects againstpollutants, increases the life span of cells, relieves symptoms of asthmaand lowers blood cholesterol levels, as well as that it stops the craving foralcohol and protects the liver from cirrhosis are anecdotal and testimonialstories rather than studies.The authors often claim spectacular results from "pangamic acid"without identifying which of the many chemicals and chemicalcombinations which go by that name they are using. Withoutdistinguishing drug effect from the placebo, and without reporting anyevaluation of patients for short-term or long-term toxic effects.Vitamin 8 '7(Laetrile)Laetrile is the trademark of a compound of two parts glucose andone part cyanide. There is no vitamin B 17, "B 17" is a tradename createdfor laetrile by a laetrile proponent. It is naturally present in the kernels ofapricot pits and a number of other stone fruits and nuts. There is no RDAbut doses vary from 0.25 g to 1.0 g a day.It is believed to have cancer controlling and preventative properties.Apparently normal cells can tolerate small quantities of cyanide but cancercells succumb to it.Cyanide has no value in sustaining human life. In small amounts itinjures, in larger amounts it kills. No law prevents promoters from tradenamingnutritionally worthless or poisonous substances.Cyanide is rapidly absorbed from the intestine and diffusesthroughout the body, knocking out respiration in cells. Eating about 25apricot kernels can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, drowsiness, a sharpfall in blood pressure, breathing difficulties, coma and death.There have been documented cases of people dying after taking asfew as five laetrile tablets. Not more than 1.0 gram should be taken at anyone time.