Joan Sabaté
Department of Nutrition
Loma Linda University
I. Introduction
Although food has always been essential to man, the actual discipline of nutrition is relatively new. Its roots go back to the Garden of Eden when God gave man instructions on what to eat and not to eat, but nutrition only became a formal academic discipline in the last part of the Nineteenth Century.
Whether based on belief or science, certain foods have been credited with healing powers beyond sustenance properties. More than two thousand years ago, Hippocrates, the precursor of modern medicine, coined the aphorism “May your food be your medicine, and may your medicine be your food.” The play on words by this wise Greek sage demonstrates that our daily food, more than merely sustaining us, may contain curative properties. Although postulated throughout the course of medical history, scientific evidence has only recently established the fact that some nutrients in our diet are agents that cause or cure certain diseases.
It was first demonstrated in studies with laboratory animals, and later on humans, that the lack of certain foods or nutrients in the diet caused deficiency diseases such as rickets, and that the inclusion of those foods cured patients with those diseases. Although over one billion people worldwide do not have enough foods to eat, and about one third of the children in developing countries are malnourished, deficiency diseases are not a problem for most of the world population. Indeed, many actually suffer from and die of chronic diseases resulting from “overnutrition”. In recent years nutritional investigation has concentrated on the effect diet has on the prevention and treatment of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and obesity, since these are currently the most frequent.
For the nutritionist who is a believer, and especially for the Adventist nutritionist, what are the unique perspectives that the Bible and Adventism have to offer? The purpose of this paper is to provide one believer’s view on the world of nutrition.
Department of Nutrition
Loma Linda University
I. Introduction
Although food has always been essential to man, the actual discipline of nutrition is relatively new. Its roots go back to the Garden of Eden when God gave man instructions on what to eat and not to eat, but nutrition only became a formal academic discipline in the last part of the Nineteenth Century.
Whether based on belief or science, certain foods have been credited with healing powers beyond sustenance properties. More than two thousand years ago, Hippocrates, the precursor of modern medicine, coined the aphorism “May your food be your medicine, and may your medicine be your food.” The play on words by this wise Greek sage demonstrates that our daily food, more than merely sustaining us, may contain curative properties. Although postulated throughout the course of medical history, scientific evidence has only recently established the fact that some nutrients in our diet are agents that cause or cure certain diseases.
It was first demonstrated in studies with laboratory animals, and later on humans, that the lack of certain foods or nutrients in the diet caused deficiency diseases such as rickets, and that the inclusion of those foods cured patients with those diseases. Although over one billion people worldwide do not have enough foods to eat, and about one third of the children in developing countries are malnourished, deficiency diseases are not a problem for most of the world population. Indeed, many actually suffer from and die of chronic diseases resulting from “overnutrition”. In recent years nutritional investigation has concentrated on the effect diet has on the prevention and treatment of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and obesity, since these are currently the most frequent.
For the nutritionist who is a believer, and especially for the Adventist nutritionist, what are the unique perspectives that the Bible and Adventism have to offer? The purpose of this paper is to provide one believer’s view on the world of nutrition.
FUENTE:
