vitimens, arthritis,Jim Corbin

Do you wonder a little about the facts published in ads and propaganda about vitamins and nutrition in general? I do in spite of having to study that subject as all veterinarians do. After all we have to know the nutrition for all the animals on earth other than the strange one called the human. And who among humans studies to obtain a masters or a pHd in that subject? I know of no such institution. That seems strange since some consider health of humans to be important.
One research project that was really just observation concerned the reason British seamen were and may still be called. Limies. You know that story about the sailors tht put to sea for a years trip to take cargo or whatever and return with a pay load. During those trips it was noted after a month some of the sailors perhaps 10% would show strange sores on eyelids and lips . gradually they would become sick with extensive ulcers and some would die. Of course we know it by the name, scurvy. Other sailors would have similar lesions after two months and later and more would die of scurvy. But some would sail for the long year and show no lesions of scurvy. Then after a while someone found if any of the sailors drank even a few drops of lime juice occasionally thay had no such problem. British Captains learned to take a supply of citrus fruit and a lime tree for when the fresh fruit gave out.
The point of reminding of something you no doubt know is to point out that some required that vitamin C and others apparently did not need it even after a year. Yes, friend not all of us have the same requirements for vitamin C. How about the other vitamins? Do some ethnic peoples need more or less of any given vitamin or mineral. too?
speaking of minerals for a moment the law was passed that if a substance could cause cancer it must not be found in any food for human use. A good regulation? Of course it was a good regulation until it was demonstrated the mineral selenium is required for life for humans but in excess when researched it caused cancer in mice.
I predict that in the near future a new science of nutrition will emerge and then tests will be available to determine if each of us had an adequate level of one or another nutritional element for healthy life. Or who has taken too much daily vitamin that was not necessary. Moreover how about taking too much of one or another? wouldn't it be comforting to know if you are a vegetarian are you getting just the correct amount of protein for normal living? Or if you have a carnivores appetite are you getting enough vitamin E? You might be interested that eating an excess of vitamin X the day before you go skiing or running would give you just the right amount excel the following day? From what I know I would think a multivitamin once a week would be more ample. Another question the answer to is there any difference to the vitamin requirements of different ethnic peoples? One way to start a human study would be to consult with veterinary nutritionists.
Here is an example of some evidence of cause and effect of a mineral. My mother had arthritis in her hands. Swollen knuckles inflamed and she could no longer straighten her fingers. They were curling up during the night and in the morning she had my father straighten them out. We had a visiting animal nutritionist visit and Mother asked him if animals has her problem. His name is Prof. Jim Corbin of the University of Ill. He said he knew chickens had that problem and it was due to a magnesium deficiency and when the magnesium was added to their food it took as long as two months for some to be able to straighten out their toes. How should I go about trying it for her when asked. He said to get a small bowl and fill it with Epsom salts and every morning take a pinch of it in orange juice but it could take months. She would try anything and in three weeks she felt an improvement and by a month she was normal although she never did loose ths swelling that arrived with inflamed and painful joints.