Mar. 26, 2005 - 18:16 MST

THE WONDERING JEW

Complicated Complexity

An article to read, laugh, cry and sit in puzzled awe was in today's Rocky Mountain News, by Lance Gay of Scripps Howard News Service

Companies pioneer 'phoods' for health

"A new generation of "phoods" is beginning to appear on super-market shelves, with pharmaceuticals added to the calories to improve vision, lower cholesterol or add bone-strengthening calcium."

"Food scientists say these products are the vanguard of a revolution in farm fields and processing plants thanks to advances in microbiology and plant engineering. The advances will make it possible to produce new generations of "functional Foods" altered to give specifilc health benefits or change the body's chemistry to avert cancers."

"We're really in a pioneering period of the era," said Fergus Clydesdale, head of the department of food science at the University of Massachusetts."

"Clydesdale, chairman of a 28-member panel of the Institute of Food Technologists studying the issue, says he sees a future where people can tailor their diets to specific genetically inherited disorders, and so ward off cancers, or arterial diseases that killed their ancestors."

"The functional foods currently available represent only a fraction of the potential opportunities for consumers to manage their health through diet," he said."

"Phoods," and their liquid counterparts "Bepherages," aren't really new/"

"Iodine was added to salt early in the 20th century in a public health campaign to counter endemic goiter. Modern-day consumers are accustomed to products like calcium-enriched orange juice, vitamin D-enhanced milk and drinks fortified for energy."

"Food scientists say they have identified specific food components that could improve memory, reduce arthritis and have other advantages currently achieved by taking specific drugs. By altering some of the basic components of food, supermarkets in the future could sell products that increase energy, improve mental alertness or encourage more restful sleep."

"The prospect has touched off considerable excitement both in the government and food industry, which estimates the $16.2 billion functional food market will increase by 7 percent a year in the next five years."

"Diane Birt, chair of the Food Science and Human Nutrition Department at Iowa State University, said one barrier confronting the introductions of more functional foods is outdated government rules prohobiting food companies from making any drug claims on their products."

"For example, Food and Drug Administration regulations say food manufacturers aren't permitted to put on their products any claims that their products reduce cholesterol because that is a drug claim. But the FDA does permit the qualified claim that the particular food "maintains normal cholesterol levels."

"Birt said scientific studies show a diet of oats results in lower cholesterol levels, but companies would have to process oats as a new drug -- a process that takes years of testing and FDA regulatory reviews --- in order to say that."

"In 1997, for example, the FDA ruled the industry could not market cranberry juice as helping prevent urniary tract infections, even though the agency's scientists acknowledged the components of cranberry juice have that effect."

"Birt said the regulatory barrier has resulted in "vague and misleading labels" on foods known to be beneficial to certain health problems."

"The Institute of Food Technologists suggests that the FDA devise new regulations to permit more specific health claims on products where scientific studies can prove health benefits."

"Gilbert Leveille, a Michigan State University food science professor who retired from the food giant Cargill, said science is already finding ways to concentrate the beneficial components of foods."

"He said that to achieve the benefits from cranberry juice, a person would have to drink 16 ounces of cranberry juice a day. But since the component that lines the urinary tract has been identified, it would be easy to concentrate it and produce a 4-ounce cranberry juice coctail that has the same qualities."

"Leveille said there ar anti-cancer benefits from eating licorice and and health benefits from chocolate that previously could be obtained only by eating huge quantities but which now could be processed into concentrated forms."

"The bright line between food and drugs has been blurred," he said."

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I guess there are many different ways to look at this thing and as many or more opinions thereon. So here are some of mine.

First off, before a health claim can be made for a medication a rigorous testing process has to be done, by professionals in that technique and science. In that testing the possibility of adverse effects is checked out, the maximum allowable dose for each age and weight group established. So, I wonder how "PHOOD" producers are going to push their claims when not undergoing the testing ? How could they do the testing and sell the "PHOOD" at food prices ?

I am of the opinion that many folks are messing themselves up with over the counter medications and dietary supplements already. The possibility of turning our armchair doctors who have zilch in medical and health expertise over to shopping in the supermarket "PHOOD" departments is frightening.

I have a nightmare of how is might eventually work out. Only in the big discount stores who have the manpower and money to set it up. Two big doors to the market, one marked FOOD and one marked PHOOD. We all have been in the supermarket shopping for food. But here is how I envision shopping for PHOOD. As you go in the door a quick jab and a CBC sample is drawn, a quick poke and a colorectal cancer sample obtained, a finger poke for a diabetic check, then a quick listen to your heart and lungs. You will then be diverted to a rest area where water is available to drink. Only water, you know, don't mess up the body chemistry until it is determined what you can be allowed.

After your checks have been run and your elegibility to buy PHOOD is verified you will take your government issue card with the magnetic stripe that you can run through a reader. (You know, the coming universal ID, drivers license card). You push your buggy down the aisle, looking at the goodies and reading all the poop posted about each item. You see an item you want, slip your card through the reader, and can't open the door. Something in your checkup up front deems that what you want isn't healthy for you. By the time you get to the check stand you have what the PHOOD and BEPHERAGE company have determined you can have that will boost your health. Never mind that nothing you REALLY wanted is in your basket, there is nutrition for you there. Be sure that when you get home the food is stored properly and make sure you don't eat together foods that conflict.

Geez, I love Grapefruit juice and grapefruit, but my prescription bottle of Amiodarone says I may not have any. -- Hmm, guess the card you slip through a reader in the PHOOD store has your complete medical history, current prescription drug list and the over the counter medicines you use. Else, how could the magic be worked ? ? ? ?

I know that things are messed up now, with people mixing over the counter stuff without reading labels and seeing what the ingredients are. Alka Seltzer used to be just plain old Alka Seltzer, man I am not sure of what all ingredients are in it now. Old standby NSAISDs now are their brand name but for sinus plus, sore throat plus, sleepeasy plus.

Perhaps in the new age we are entering our medical clinic will also be the purveyor of PHOOD. Only way that I can see it would work.

Or I just could sit and cry a bit about how unbelieveably convoluted things are becoming now. Methinks we are entering an era of Complicated Complexity . . . . . . . . . .

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