Do we know it all?
In the middle ages, people thought that all we needed to eat was meat and bread (and of course wine or beer) to survive. Now and then, if you weren't feeling well or to freshen your breath, you could eat a vegetable. When sailors began getting scurvy (vitamin C deficiency) from long ocean voyages, it was concluded that you also needed to have a lime a day, hence sailors in the British navy became known as "limeys". When rice was milled to become white rice and beriberi appeared, B vitamins were recognized as essential nutrients. In this century, the chemical structure and function of the known vitamins have been identified and synthesized. Again we thought we knew it all. You need to eat proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals.

In the last 20-30 years, the importance of many other nutrients have been identified, from long chain fatty acids to flavenoids (like pycnogenol). There are still thousands of chemicals in foods whose use in human nutrition is unknown. In our arrogance, we assume that they must be useless. Of course, when some research about one of the nutrients gets popularized in the press, you will see intense advertising about how that nutrient cures everything. A good example is pycnogenol. It is one of at least 20 bioflavenoids. In my opinion, it is no more important than ascorbic acid, rutin, quercetin, etc., all of which can be found when eating the pith (white inner skin) of citrus, or many other fresh fruits and vegetables. Even the seed of citrus (grapefruit seed extract) has been found to have powerful antibiotic and antiviral effects.

What to do? The smartest thing to do is to eat whole foods. Do not assume that through the wonders of modern science we have all the answers. Nature still knows best. The reason no one will give this advice is because it doesn't sell a product. If you can take wheat, which costs pennies a pound (wholesale) and separate it into white flour, vitamins, minerals, bran, etc., and sell it back for several dollars an ounce (and have nearly unlimited shelf life), why spend your advertising dollars telling people to eat whole foods instead? Every commercial message is designed to separate you from your money by selling you an idea disguised as a product.

I am amazed when I go to an upscale health food store and find a gift wrapped box of 7 strawberries marked up to $6 because of the clever packaging. I have even seen avocados (which are about 50% fat, but of course contain no cholesterol because only animals can produce cholesterol) advertised as "cholesterol free avocados". As if health food stores have found a way to breed out the cholesterol. If a dessert is "fat and sugar free", what does it have in it? How toxic are the substitutes like Olestra and Nutrasweet? Be an intelligent consumer. Eat real food in moderation and find an enjoyable form of exercise. There are no short cuts, no calorie-free lunch. Step off the commercial treadmill and enjoy a simpler and much healthier life.

By the way, fiber doesn't mean eating bread that has the consistency of home plate. Nor does it mean eating bran muffins or fiber bars. In order to sell, most of those products are loaded with sugar and artificial colors/flavors. Even bran flakes are not necessary. You would still be succumbing to the 'take it apart and sell all the pieces separately' mentality. Eat oatmeal, or brown rice, or a large green salad, cooked vegetables, etc. If you have trouble with raw foods, eat them cooked. Fiber doesn't go away when cooked. The bottom line is eat whole foods.