Furadan in watermelon? An Analysis & Comment by jb lim

Dear Dr Lim,

Is the info below true?

Furadan in watermelon! Pictures and warning in attachment.

I would like to hear your comments.

Thank you and regards,

Helen
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JB Lim's reply to

Helen Tee Guat Hiong
Scientist and Colleague

Formerly, Institute for Medical Research
Currently, Public Health Institute
Ministry of Health Malaysia

Dear Helen,

Thank you very much for your enquiry on the presence of Furadan in watermelon. I have received the same e-mail warnings from many other e-mailers like Ms. Annie Lee, Ir. Tai Onn Lau, Dr Ganeshadeva Muthu Ramalingamm and Ms Josephine Wong, among others.

Thank you to all of you who have written to me about the presence of Furadan-laced watermelons.

This story and warning has also appeared in a few websites and blogs. The following are my analysis and critical opinion

It really beats me to understand whoever puts that piece of warning about watermelon being laced with Furadan (Carbofuran) should specifically target watermelon as the only fruit to be cautioned about the presence of this chemicals. Why only watermelon? Why not in papaya, banana, pineapple, star fruit, dragon fruit, pomelo, and so on? Why single out watermelon only? It really beats my understanding. To make it even more unconvincing, at least to a scientific mind, no data as evidence was given. There was not a single report of a chemical analysis done to actually show the amount of Furadan present in the watermelon, let alone compare the data on amount with other fruits and vegetables. What I receive from this chain e-mails is just a bunch of absolute rubbish without any evidence given.

Evidence-based:

Not a single data from chemical analysis was give. It was just claims, claims, and highly unscientific claims to discredit watermelons and the farmers that all. To produce such a claim in a Court of Justice without a single shred of data or evidence, would instantly, not only just thrown out, but the claimant would be asked to pay with cost for damage and compensation to the watermelon producers. All claims must produce data, data and evidences. Don’t just claim by cooking up a story and send them out through chain mails to confuse and deceive the less educated. Not every recipient of chain e-mails are morons, imbecile and idiotic.

Difficult without food analysis report:

But this does not imply that watermelon or any fruits and vegetables are not laced with Furadan if farmers deliberately add them to kill off pests. What I am asking is for people to show proof and evidences. That all I am asking. Even if they spray the crops with Furadan or any pesticides, this does not mean the watermelon, or any other fruits and vegetables harbor them. They must show the data and report of a chemical analysis from a credited and registered laboratory, and the report need to be carried out and signed by a qualified Chemist or a Food Quality Controller whose university degree in Analytical Chemistry must be registrable with the Malaysian Institute of Chemistry under the Chemist Act 1975. Less than that, are all rubbish reports and claims.

Furadan broad spectrum action:

In the best of my understanding, Furadan is a broad spectrum carbamate pesticide that kills insects, mites, and nematodes on contact or after ingestion. It has a potential to cause damage to the reproductive system to all pest, and probably to the health of humans as well by prolonged and chronic exposure. Carbofuran is not alone in the list of pesticides where its widespread use in agriculture that has caused severe environmental pollution and public health risk.

Carbofuran (2,3-dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-7-benzofuranyl methylcarbamate) generally called as Furadan is a broad spectrum carbamate compound which has been used against soil and foliar pests of field, fruit, vegetable, and forest crops. So why only on watermelon as the e-mail has portrayed to mislead consumers and the public. Whoever started it must have a grudge against watermelon farmers, probable those in Cameron Highlands. I think they are out to sabotage their livelihood.

Toxicity:

Carbofuran is highly toxic by inhalation and ingestion and moderately toxic by dermal absorption. But this is also true with many other pesticides. So why only specifically target on carbofuran and watermelon? But I really failed to understand why many e-mailers are out only to mislead others by inventing stories to pass them on to others through their chain e-mails. I receive this from a friend and former colleague for my comment.

Most of the pesticides, especially the organophosphate insecticides, work by interfering with the electrochemical mechanism that nerves use to communicate with muscles and with one another. A key chemical in this communication between synapses is neurotransmitter called acetylcholine. .This chemical produced by the body is used to "fire" the neuron, and this in turn contracts a muscle such as the high frequency flapping of the wings of an insect. Acetylcholine is then inhibited by an enzyme called cholinesterase to prevent further contraction so that the insect can rest.

Toxicodynamics of pesticides (mode of action):


These pesticides lock or block the action of cholinesterase so that it can no longer inactivate the acetylcholine. As the acetylcholine builds up, the muscles of the body become over-stimulated, leading to paralysis and death. The insect literally dies of exhaustion. This mode of action of a pesticide, or in some drug action, we called it the ‘key and lock’ theory. That is how they act on insects by preventing cholinesterase from erasing the acetylcholine to exhaust their muscular activity. It is in this way classified as a neurotoxin.
Carbamate insecticides have similar toxic mechanisms to organophosphates, but have a much shorter duration of action and are thus somewhat less toxic. However, other feel that it has the highest acute toxicity to humans of any insecticide widely used on field crops. A quarter teaspoon (1 mL) is said to be fatal. Most carbofuran is applied by commercial applicators using closed systems with engineered controls, so that there is no exposure to the chemical through pouring or measuring. Whatever the level of toxicity, it remains true that all pesticides need to be handled with care, including Furadan.

Paraquat mode of action:

This mode of action of an insecticide (pesticide) s different from that of a Paraquat which is not an insecticide but is a weed-killer. Weeds may also be considered as a plant pest, and in this way it is also a pest to a farmer.

Paraquat inhibits photosynthesis. In light-exposed plants, it transfers electrons to molecular oxygen to form highly destructive reactive free radicals. The oxidized form of paraquat is regenerated to shunt electrons from photo system I to start the cycle again. Another way of putting it, is that it involves diverting the flow of energy captured from sunlight in photosynthesis to produce highly reactive free radicals which destroy cell membranes to quickly desiccate leaves. This happens within hours in bright sunlight because of its high energy levels.

Pesticides may also induce oxidative stress, leading to generation of free radicals and alteration in antioxidants, oxygen free radicals, the scavenging enzyme system, and lipid peroxidation (Banerjee et al. 1999, Etemadi et al. 2002).

In 2002, anti-paraquat campaigners were jubilant when, after a 10-year campaign, they succeeded in persuading the Malaysian government to clamp down on the substance. The government issued a circular that year saying that pesticides containing paraquat and calcium cyanide would not be re-registered and all forms of advertising of the two substances would be banned.

But victory for anti-paraquat campaigners lasted only four years. The government's decision now to ‘‘temporarily lift the ban'' swings the lobbying war in Syngenta's favour. The Swiss agrochemical giant, Syngenta markets this herbicide under the brand name Gramoxone, and other industry groups.

‘‘We want to do an extensive study on paraquat, its harmful effects and positive aspects, before the set date for its total ban in November next year,'' Pesticide Control Division director Nursiah Tajul Arus was quoted as saying. The Pesticides Board is now allowing registration of paraquat for all crops ‘‘to facilitate the study''.

Effect of Carbofuran on neurotransmission:

According to The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) carbofuran can over-stimulate the nervous system, causing nausea, dizziness. Since organophosphates bind to acetylcholinesterase and other cholinesterases, this results in disruption of nerve impulses, killing the insect or interfering with its ability to carry on normal functions. Organophosphate insecticides and chemical warfare nerve agents (such as sarin, tabun, soman and VX) work in the same way. Organophosphates have an additive toxic effect to wildlife, so multiple exposures to the chemicals amplify the toxicity. But as with other carbamate compounds, carbofuran’s cholinesterase-inhibiting effect is short term and reversible.

Carbofuran on wildlife:

Carbofuran is highly toxic to fish and birds particularly in granular form. Birds often eat them mistaken them for seeds, or through contaminated drinking water. One granule of carbofuran according to one source is enough to kill a small songbird.
EPA has banned the use of carbofuran on all food crops, not just for watermelon because it poses an real health risk, especially to children. It is marketed under the brand name Furadan This has been under EPA review for years. Its granular form was prohibited in the mid-1990s because it was blamed for killing millions of migratory birds. The agency fought to remove the pesticide from the market in 2006.

However, Furadan's manufacturer, FMC Corp. of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has fought the federal action. In March, the company voluntarily scaled back its uses, in hopes of preventing broader restrictions.

Pesticides in Human and Animal Health:

Currently, there are more than 865 recorded pesticides according to the Environmental Protection Agency. However, fewer than half of these pesticides are employed for agriculture in the United States and this is even less in Malaysia. Pesticides are man-made and are regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and here in Malaysia, our list is also controlled by the Malaysian Pesticide Board. However, the EPA determines how much these pesticides can be deposited on crops as well as how much of the pesticides linger on the foods being bought by consumers. Such study as far as we know is not available in Malaysia.

The toxicity of pesticides, are such that we can expect some health risks as they are intended to kill insects and pests. Some pesticides can be extremely toxic. Pesticides containing nicotine are one example. Pesticides can be harmful not only to intended insects and pests, but also to humans, animals and the environment simply because they are specially formulated to be harmful to all live organisms.

Position of pesticides usage in Malaysia:

Since 2003, the Pesticide Board of Malaysia has either totally banned, or partially banned a list of pesticides in Malaysia. A total ban was imposed on DDT, Chlordane, Heptachlor. Sodium penthachlorohenate, Endosulphan (not allowed for rice), Lindane gamma-BHC (not allowed for cocoa), Methomidophos, and Monocrotophos (not allowed for oil palm), while others such as Aldrin, Diledrin, Endrin, etc were withdrawn by the manufacturers. Endosulphan is an organochlorine, and this is completely banned in most countries, but not totally banned in Malaysia.

Biological control:

However, today, scientists have developed bio-pesticides or biologically-based pesticides and these are becoming more acceptable to the public since they are considered to be safer than the traditional chemical pesticides.

To the best of my knowledge even though Carbofuran (Furadan) was not in the list of banned pesticides in Malaysia, there has also not been any report of Carbofuran being used in the cultivation of water melon in Malaysia even though a number of countries have already banned it. In the United States for instance, this pesticides have been applied also in the cultivation of soy beans, potatoes, and corn (maize), but as far as we know, this practice is now banned.

However one report says that Carbofuran usage has increased in recent years since 2002 in most soybean-growing regions of the U.S. because it is one of the few insecticides effective on soybean aphids. We are unable to verify.

Chemical analysis needed:

Carbofuran is a systemic water soluble insecticide that can enter into the root system This means the plant absorbs it through the roots, and from there distributed to the rest of the rest of the plants mainly the vessels, stems and leaves where the insecticidal concentrations are attained. But this does not mean it has also gone into the fruit. I shall explain this later.

Although it has not been found in fruits that are fleshy such as in water melons so far, this does not mean it cannot happen. The only way to find out for sure is to do a chemical analysis on the fruit concerned. This is the only way. The rest are all guessing, rumors and fairy tales. Just show us the analytical chemical report of pesticides inside the fleshy part of a fruit which is the edible portion, not outside on the skin. Also, we need to know how much is present inside the flesh. That’s all that is needed.

Perhaps this pesticide has been used externally in the cultivation of water melons in Malaysia and elsewhere, but I don’t think we have evidence that water melon itself stores the pesticide after harvest.

Molecular weight and absorption:

Plants normally can only assimilate simple compounds of low molecular weights like carbon dioxide from the air through photosynthesis to manufacture starches and sugars, and water (hydrogen and oxygen) through the root systems, together with major macronutrients in the form of elements like nitrogen through nitrogen-fixation, meaning, conversion of atmospheric nitrogen into nitrates and nitrites, or supplied by decaying matter, nitrogen fixing bacteria, animal waste, or through the agricultural application of purpose made fertilizers, phosphorus and potassium, minor macronutrients - calcium, sulphur and magnesium, and other micronutrients like iron, molybdenum, boron, copper and manganese. All these have to be in its elemental form and not in complex compounds.

Some evidence of organic absorption:

However, there are some studies in the literature that some plants can absorb organic nitrogen, but these have to be in very simple nitrogen organic compounds of very low molecular weights like amino-acids. Using all these simple elements and water in the soil together with carbon dioxide from the air, plants manufacture all the starches, sugars, plant acids, aromatic compounds, carotenes and carotenoids, colours and all other phyto-chemicals we know off. It cannot absorb and utilize complex organic compounds such as high molecular weights pesticides, insecticides, or even fertilizers without breaking them down first into simpler elements usually with the help of soil bacteria. They just cannot pass through. There is a cellular and membrane barrier there in place to prevent undesirable substances, especially high molecular weight substances from passing through.

Systemic absorption are possible if the molecular weights of the pesticides are low, but they may be confined on the roots, stems and leaves, and in between the folds of leaves and vegetable. But so far there has been no known absorption into the fruit themselves.

Fruits and seeds are plant babies:

The watermelon, and literally all fleshy fruits which are considered a ‘baby plant’ with the seeds in there are even harder to pass through. Like all living things the mother plant (inclusive of animals) will protect its babies first. It is just a program Mother Nature has written and designed to ensure the ‘babies’ are well protected from harmful substances.

So this means it is less likely that Carbofuran, organophosphates, or other pesticides, or any other exogenous (external) organic substances not produced by the plant itself can ever get through the plant into the fruit because of a membrane barrier that selectively screened out all substances that should not be part of the fruit by nature. They just cannot get through that’s all. In fact, as far as I know, no fruit has been shown to have pesticide residues. Perhaps almost all the pesticides shown to be present are found to be on the outside of fruits, namely on the skin. These are residues left after even the fruits were sprayed with pesticides.

Accumulative poisons:

Pesticides tend to accumulate in fatty material if they are oil soluble like DDT. Hence fatty meats, fish, and dairy products will have higher pesticide residue than the low-fat products. The wax coating on cucumbers facilitates the retention of the fungicides used on cucumbers. But almost all fruits and vegetables are non-fat. So oil-soluble pesticides just cannot get into their root system of plants of fruits and vegetables since plants absorb water, not oil.

Overall, the consumption of low-fiber, fat-rich and calorie-rich diets, along with the use of alcohol, pose a much, much greater threat to human health than chemical residues on our food.

Fruits and vegetables are known to protect against heart disease and cancer. They are rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and health-promoting phytochemicals. However, many fruits and vegetables test positive for pesticide residues, with about one-third of them showing up with multiple residues. Research reveals that prolonged exposure to pesticide residues may increase the risk of various cancers and neurological problems (such as Parkinson's disease), and impair the immune system. It is claimed that they cause:

1. Cancer
2. Fertility problems
3. Brain tumors
4. Childhood leukemia
5. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
6. Birth defects
7. Irritation to skin and eyes
8. Hormone or endocrine system problems

Nervous system damage:

But so far I have not come across literature of human studies to substantiate the above claim. It is not easy to do such an experiment on humans to prove these claims. The reasons are too long and technical for me to discuss them here unless readers are medical researchers who understand toxicology, statistics, study designs, epidemiology, etc.

Nutritive values of watermelon:

Watermelon is mainly water at 92.6 percent; low in energy at just 28 kilocalories per 100 gm of the fruit. It also contains 5.50 mg vitamin C, and a good source of potassium at 78 mg. per 100 gm, and a very rich source of carotenes. This makes watermelon one of the most nutritious, health-promoting, and cancer-preventive, especially against prostate cancer fruits available. Its carotenoid content in microgram per 100 gm of watermelon is:

Crypto 457
Lycopene 5301
Gamma-carot 90
Beta-carotene 324
Carotenes 410
Sum carot: 6171

What else do we need?

Moreover, fruits, unlike vegetables are normally very fleshy. The plants do not manufacture fruits out of pesticides. I have already mentioned that plants through photosynthesis manufacture all their starches, sugars, and fleshy parts of the fruit as their food, and all other protective substances such as thousands of high molecular weights antioxidants, and photochemical with the help of just water, and all the essential simple nutrients in the form of elements taken in by the roots.

No complicated organic compounds are used for the manufacture of the fleshy parts of the plants. These pesticides are not part of their natural flesh – the fruits, including watermelon. Fruits and vegetables are made up of 99.999999 % natural biological materials produced absolutely, totally, and completely by the plants only using only water and nutrients from the soil, and carbon dioxide from the air, and energy from the Sun.

Plants are made from pesticides:

Plants inclusive of their roots, stems, flowers, fruits and seeds, and vegetables too are not made from pesticides. If they are present, they are sprayed there by man only, and after sometime, even these will suffer biodegradation leaving only very trace amounts – in parts per million on the outside of the leaves, fruits and vegetables. They normally do not get into the fleshy parts inside the plant unless the pesticides are a systemic poison, and must be water soluble.

Mainly on the surface:

Most of the residues remain outside on the leaves, stems, branches, flowers and fruits, and when they are exposed to the air and wind, light, ultra-violet rays of the Sun, heat, moisture and bacteria, these pesticides rapidly decompose even on the outside surface (skin) of the fruit.

Life span of pesticides:

I do not know the t ½ (t 50) value of Furadan, meaning the time taken for half the amount of Furadan left after decomposition, decay, biodegradation or when ingested. This is called ‘half-life’ meaning 50% of the Furadan left given by the symbol‘t ½’ or‘t 50’. This is a term used especially in pharmacology to determine the half life of a drug inside a body.

Even if Carbofuran is left in the soil, or has been sprayed onto a fruit like watermelon, the half-life will depend on many decomposition factors such as the amount of heat, light and water, their amount and intensity.

It is unlikely they can stay too long even if they are present inside the flashy part of a fruit or plant, as the living plant itself will quickly try to destroy them with their tens of hundreds of antioxidants and other phytochemicals present. These are manufactured by a plant in a plant specially to protect them. The plants too do not need these chemicals inside their body.

Antioxidants in plants:

Plants bear not just leaves, stems, flowers and fruits, but they also manufacture tens of hundreds of different antioxidants to protect themselves from free radicals, especially free oxygen (singlet oxygen) radicals produced by the ultra-violet light of the Sun as they have to remain in the Sun for at least 10 to 12 hours everyday to manufacture food for themselves through photosynthesis.

This is no joke as they have to remain immobile in the Sun especially in the hot tropical Sun for so long everyday. They cannot move into the shade like animals. So Mother Nature programmed into the plants so that they can produce tens of hundreds of different antioxidants of varying molecular weights to protect themselves from free radicals generated by the ultraviolet rays of the Sun. Most of them are very high molecular weights antioxidants of over 30,000. These are all not biologically available to humans and other animals. These antioxidants are manufactured by the plants to protect themselves and are not meant for humans and animals to take away for their own protection.

Low molecular antioxidants:

But these plants in their mercy as Mother Nature prescribes leave only a very small amounts of very low molecular weight antioxidants for humans and other animals. Their molecular weights are less than 30000 such as vitamin C, vitamin B2, carotenes, catechin, polyphenols, flavonoids. Their molecular weights are in the range of 200-400 only. These are bio-available to humans and animals as they can pass through the human intestinal gut even without ‘active transport’ across the intestinal membrane.

But we are getting so few of the huge range of antioxidants and protective phytochemicals the plants produce, maybe just less than 1 % of them. Only these, vitamin C, carotenes, bioflavonoids, etc are given to us out of mercy and kindness of the plants. We literally live on their scrapes and morsels like beggars.

The ‘selfish’ plants:

The rest of the 99.9 % of protective antioxidants the plants keep for themselves because they have to stand out in the hot Sun all day long against UV-ray generated oxygen radicals. We can remain in the shade, and are given just a little vitamin C of low molecular weight which the plants hardly need. That’s how Mother Nature works to prioritizes in order to keep all living creatures and plants alive. God is very fair.

Free radicals are also needed:

Oxygen radicals are fine and good for the body in limited qualities as when required to protect the body against infection against invading bacteria, but in excess these oxygen radicals released by the phagocytes attack not just pathogenic bacteria, but they also attack the body by damaging the cells and the DNA in them The role of the endogenous (produced within the body) radical scavengers (antioxidants) is to remove the excess free radicals from the body.

The body’s antioxidants:

There are 3 endogenous antioxidants produced by the body to combat free radicals in the body. These are: Superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px).

Of the 3 endogenous antioxidants, SOD is the most active in removing free radicals from the body, while catalase and GSH-Px have extremely high molecular weights, and they cannot be used for the treatment of disease even by injection. As SOD’s levels rise to fight against pathogenic invasion, this capacity to rise, called ‘induction capacity’ or ‘inducibility’ declines rapidly with age.

Only by injections:

Because SOD, catalase and GSG-Px are of such high molecular weights they just cannot pass through the intestinal gut. So some health companies synthesize these products to be given by injections to bypass the intestine.

My answer to these rubbish products produced by some of these health product companies and sell them as food supplements and even as pharmaceuticals is because these products cannot be retained by the body.

It has been shown that just 6 minutes after an injection of SOD into the body, the body starts to throw half of them out into the urine. These people who believes SOD injection is good for health in combating oxygen and peroxide radicals in the body is completely wasting their money. This is the same as those who take high doses of vitamin C in the erroneous belief that they would be retained in the body for a long time even after the blood has been saturated by them. They think that if a little vitamin does me good, a lot will do me even better? They have been brain-washed by health freaks. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

The protective barrier:

The body is so protective against any undesirable substances entering it, that it is far harder for them to enter (be absorbed) than it is for them to be excreted out through the kidneys into the urine. In other words the threshold of the kidney is much lower for expulsion than the much higher threshold of the intestines to absorb.

Most substances, even salts and nutrients have to be chemically pumped through the intestines, a process in physiology we call it as ‘active transport’ such as the ‘sodium pump’

It is a energy-demanding mechanism across a concentration gradient by using chemical energy such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP). In cells accumulating high concentrations of molecules that the cell needs, such as ions, glucose, amino acids they have to be chemically pumped across, or actively transported across a membrane.

Human gut barrier:

The human gut barrier bars the absorption of any high molecular substances over 30000 trying to enter the body. This is just a protective mechanism in place. All complicated organic substances including starches, complex sugars, proteins and fats need to be broken down first before entering the body for security reason. This is like stripping a person naked, and searching his body first before allowing him or her to enter through a narrow gate into a high security area. This is how God plan, architect, and program our body and the bodies of all other creatures to safe guard us on this Planet.

Not easy to get through:

So it is not so easy for toxic substances to get into the blood stream in humans even if there is no such barrier in plants bearing flowers and fruits as Nature’s first filter.

The Carbofuran or any pesticides has to cross two biologically active protective barriers – one in the plant bearing fruits and seeds as their ‘babies’ , and even if these chemicals get through in traces (perhaps in just a few parts per million or even per billion), these pesticides still have to face the human protective intestinal barrier. It is not as easy as that.

The liver detoxifying chemistry:

Even if toxins do squeeze their way into the body, the liver is there to recognize them by destroying them. In the event the liver is unable to do this because of the complexities of its molecules, it will quickly pass it on to the kidney for expulsion.

We will not go into the highly complex biochemistries of how the liver recognizes a toxin, be it Furadan or anything else, but one example will do here. The enzymes secreted by the liver are like (chemical) knives. If a highly complex molecule is presented to it, the liver will study its chemical structure first to see how it can break it down. It will examine where their weak links are.

Simple chemistry:

These normally are the covalent bonds that bind the molecular fragments together as a whole molecular structure. Once it identifies where the chemical knot is, the liver will produce the specific enzymes (the chemical knife) to cut the knot into pieces so as to loosen the entire knot (the complex molecules, toxins, drugs, etc). Once the chemical knot is cut, the whole structure loosens. The toxin / poison will instantly lose its chemical nature and identity and can no longer act as one. Even a single bond has been sliced off, the chemical nature of a substance including a toxin will be lost. It is a matter of the various enzymes of a liver to cut the various chemical knots in a molecule to render it harmless before sending it to the kidney for expulsion.

Simpler molecules:

The complex molecules will become simpler monomers or isomers or other substances so unlike its original polymer (example). They no longer become a chemical threat to the body. The liver then passes on its metabolic waste products to the kidneys to be thrown away.

This is just one simple example how the liver deals with any poison, drug, or any substance that enters the body willfully (as drugs), or unintentionally as accidental ingestion of a toxin through food. There are thousands of highly complex biochemistries going on in the liver to deal with various kinds of toxins, and we are not going into pharmacokinetics, or biochemical toxicology.

The defensive body:

‘I praise thee because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; thy works are wonderful, I know that full well’ (Psalm 139:14). Truly, the body is fearfully and wonderfully made by God to do this job to protect us. The liver together with the kidneys can easily handle toxins and drugs most of the time, but if they cannot, they may be deposited into various body systems as chronic accumulative poisons. This, in brief is how the body is made and programmed by our Creator. He has designed us this way, and we need to be grateful and respect and honour our Creator for ensuring our safety.

It is the scientists who invented all these chemicals, pesticides, food additives for the food technologists, and all sorts of harsh chemical drugs for the doctors to use who are to blame.

Mother Nature has never prescribed we should live this way.

Toxicity to other animals:

Carbofuran usage has increased in recent years because it is one of the few insecticides effective against soybean aphids. Its usage has expanded since 2002 to include most soybean-growing regions of the U.S. Carbofuran is also known to be highly toxic to birds. In its granular form, a single grain will kill a bird. Birds often eat numerous grains of the pesticide, mistaking them for seeds. Shortly thereafter they die. Before it was banned, granular Carbofuran was blamed for millions of bird deaths per year. The liquid form of the pesticide is less hazardous to birds because they are not as likely to ingest it directly. Nevertheless, it is still very hazardous.

Banned agro-chemicals continue to be used in rice fields:

Kedah is the rice growing State of Malaysia. Some 96,558ha the Muda Agriculture Development Agency (Mada) is used in rice cultivation. This is the largest rice production centre in the country. But many Malaysians may not have a clue as to what goes into the production of this staple grain.

Set up in the late 1960s, Mada was envisioned to be the proverbial rice bowl as part of the socio-economic development plan of Malaysia. Today, it accounts for close to 50% of the country’s rice production of 2.3 million tonnes.

Farmers’ complaints:

In June, Mada will be 39 years old. However, things are not all going well in the rice fields and among the 48,500 farmers who toiled to put rice on our plates. Farmers have suffered floods and droughts in previous years. They blamed this to climate change as well as diminishing soil fertility and pesticide poisoning. Rice farming has never been more difficult. Other problems appear that agro-chemicals misuse, a habit inevitably inculcated by the government subsidy scheme, is proving to be a hard habit to kick. More and more pesticides of different kinds are now being used.

Banned pesticides:

However under the Pesticides Act 1974, 28 insecticides, herbicides and fungicides have been banned. However, the notorious Endosulfan, a highly acute toxin and a suspected endocrine disruptor, which was banned in November 2005 with a one year phase-out period to clear existing stocks, is still widely applied in rice farms.

Marketed under the trade name of Thiodan by Bayer, Endosulfan is heavily relied on by farmers in the Mada scheme to solve all sorts of pest attacks.

However, Endosulfan is banned in more than 50 countries. Due to its high toxicity and high potential for bioaccumulation and environmental contamination, a global ban on the use and manufacture of endosulfan is being considered under the Stockholm Convention. The international agreement to phase out harmful chemicals referred to as Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) decided at its meeting last October to list endosulfan as a POP by its next meeting at the end of the year.

Situation in Malaysia

Rice farmers say farmers say they have no choice but to rely on the banned pesticide for its effectiveness. Endosulfan is an organochlorine compound that is used as an insecticide and acaricide. This colourless solid has emerged as a highly controversial agrichemical due to its acute toxicity, potential for bioaccumulation, and role as an endocrine disruptor.

Banned in more than 62 countries, including the European Union, several Asian and West African nations, and soon in the United States, it is still used extensively in many other countries including India, Brazil, and Australia. It is produced by Bayer CropScience, Makhteshim Agan, and Government-of-India–owned Hindustan Insecticides Limited among others. Because of its threats to the environment, a global ban on the use and manufacture of endosulfan is being considered under the Stockholm Convention.
Chemicals-dependent

The dilemma in Malaysia:

However, rice farmers in the Mada scheme openly admit that the prohibited substance Endosulfan is available and constantly sprayed to rid the farms of pests, especially the golden apple snail (siput gondang emas).

Generally referred to as racun Cina (Chinese poison) as the packaging carries only descriptions in Chinese words, farmers say they have no choice but to rely on the banned pesticide for its effectiveness.

From time to time, there have been newspaper reports of farmers complaining of skin rashes and sprayers falling sick after applying the chemicals in the field.

As the Agriculture Department has beefed up enforcement, sellers and buyers have devised ingenious ways to evade detection. For example, farmers would place orders in the shop but pick up the contraband in a rubbish bin at another location.

Another farmer says his problem with pests began after he switched from the traditional transplanting practice to direct seeding 15 years ago. Before Mada intervention, farmers sow rice seeds in a nursery and transplant the saplings to the growing plot later.

Twenty years ago, a farmer said he used buffaloes to plough his farm and he never used pesticides. But now, his farm cannot do without these chemicals, he adds.

His 60 year old neighbor shares his frustrations. The number of pesticides used has increased tremendously. For one relong they spend RM120 for two rounds of herbicide spraying and RM45 for three times of pesticide spraying and that excludes labour costs, he explains.

Fruits and vegetables in Malaysia:

The following are a list of common fruits and vegetables grown in Malaysia. Note that some fruits are either considered botanically as vegetables and vice versa or eaten as vegetables.

The fleshy fruits:

Almost all fruits we know are fleshy. Here are the examples:

Cashew apple (fleshy), Otaheite apple (fleshy), mango (fleshy), custard apple, soursop, durian, pineapple, papaya, melon, watermelon, persimmon, Malay gooseberry, mangosteen, avocado, langsat, duku, breadfruit, jackfruit, banana, guava, water apple, java plum, starfruit or belimbing manis, camias or belimbing asam, coconut, nipa palm fruit or buah atap, salak, sugar palm fruit or kabung, passion fruit, pomegranate, apple, lime, orange, pomelo, dragon eye fruit or mata kucing or longan, lychee, rambutan, sapodilla or ciku,

The leafy-fleshy vegetables:

Some of them are fleshy, but a lot are leafy. Here are the examples:

Banana bud (fleshy), red-streaked bean (fleshy), long, twisted cluster, winged bean (fleshy), bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, celery, flowering mustard, white and mustard cabbages (leafy), capsicum (fleshy), cassava (fleshy), chayote (fleshy), chilli (fleshy), Chinese chives (leafy), chrysanthemum (leafy), corn (fleshy), breadfruit (fleshy), eggplant (fleshy), garlic (fleshy), ginger (fleshy), angled gourd (fleshy), bitter gourd (fleshy), bottle gourd (fleshy), snake gourd (fleshy) winter gourd (fleshy), horseradish tree (bean), jackfruit (fleshy), Chinese kale (leafy), lettuce (leafy), lotus root (fleshy), oyster, shiitake and straw mushrooms (fleshy), okra or lady’s finger (fleshy), spring onion (leafy), papaya (fleshy), snow or sugar pea (fleshy), pumpkin fleshy), giant white radish (fleshy), sayur manis (leafy), shallot (fleshy), soybean (fleshy), Ceylon, Chinese, and English spinach (leafy), sweet potatoes (fleshy), taro or cocoyam (fleshy), water chestnut (fleshy), water convolvulus or kangkong (leafy), watercress (leafy), yam bean or sengkuang, or bengkuan (fleshy)

Guide on decision:

Generally, almost all fruits are more fleshy and sweeter than vegetables, hence they are less likely to contain pesticides except on the outside (skin) where pesticides are sprayed. In contrast, vegetables are generally leafier than fleshy, example cucumber, pumpkin, and various gourds. Hence where vegetables are leafy and thinner, there is more likelihood for larger amounts of pesticides to be deposited over a larger surface areas of the leafy vegetables, and in between the folds of the leaves, example in sawi, bayam, spinaches, cabbage, and lettuce, than in solid vegetables with smaller surface areas like in cocoyam, yam bean and ginger.

How to ensure minimum risk: My recommendation

One of the best approaches is to wash all fruits and vegetables under running water, preferably under warm running water for at least 10 minutes, especially between the foliage where the pesticides may be trapped, examples in between the layers of cabbages. Tear them open under a running tap. This would have removed at least 99.999 % of any water soluble pesticides therein.

Blanching:

If the vegetables are to be eaten straight away, then soak them in a pot of almost boiling water between 96 -98 degrees Celsius for between 30 seconds to 2 minutes. This process in food technology is called ‘blanching’ The very hot water in this process (blanching) will inactivate all the browning enzymes like polyphenol oxidases that cause browning reactions in fruits and vegetables when they are crushed, bruised or cut and also it inacvtivates vitamin C destroying enzymes called ascorbinase or ascorbate oxidase.

Deactivate enzymes and stabilizes vitamins:

This will not only remove all the remaining residual pesticides still present (unlikely), but the destruction of the enzymes by the heat of hot water will also stop the browning reaction, and at the same time, stabilize the amount of vitamin C in them. The vegetables will look fresher and also retain their nutritive values. Please do not boil the vegetables or keep them for over 2 minutes. Longer than that is no longer blanching, but cooking.

Buy time for natural biodegradation in the kitchen:

If the vegetables are not for immediate consumption, do not blanch them, but just wash them throughout under a good flow of running tap water for at least 3 minutes, after which they may be kept in a refrigerator at around 5-10 degrees for another 3-4 days to borrow time for anymore pesticide residues still left (very unlikely) to biodegrade and decompose on their own.

After that, the fruits and vegetables may be taken out and rewash under a tap once more for another 1-2 minutes.

Simple Home Science & Food Technology:

Applying such a home science and simple and cheap food technology in the kitchen would have ensured not a trace of pesticide is left if you follow my advice. If there are still, it would be in the tune of just 1 part in 10 trillion – almost nothing left, maybe a molecule in a swimming pool of water

Better than ‘organic’ foods:

This is far, far better than believing in all those ‘organic fruits and vegetables’ where you waste your money. Organic foods do not mean there is no chemical inside. It is a very long story which may take me another 10 pages to explain, and I am not going to waste my time.

Just trust and have faith in me in what I tell you. Just follow me. Do not believe in all those sales talks by health freaks, and health fanatics.

by:

Research Nutritionist jb lim BSc (Physiol & Chem) PG Dip Nutr MSc (Food QC) MD PhD (Med) FRSPH FRSM

Formerly,

Food & Nutrition Research Toxicologist
Massachussetts Institute of Technology

Researcher in Community Medicine
Instititute for Medical Research

Currently,

Special Medical and Chief Science Adviser &
Head of the Technical Advisory Board
The Dynapaharm Int'l Group

--------------------

On Wed, Aug 18, 2010 at 10:48 AM, guat hiong tee wrote:

Dear Dr Lim,

Thank you so much for your lengthy and comprehensive explanation to my query of Furadan and watermelon.

You have taken so much effort to explain the toxicology, pharmacology, physiology, biochemistry, nutrition, current situation of pesticides, herbicides and fungicides usage in Malaysia; and last but not least, the very important home science in handling our fruits and vegetables at home. You made it so simple to understand, I am sure your article will benefit a lot of people. I really enjoy reading and digesting the facts given in the article.

Once again, thank you for your effort and sacrifice for your sleep.

Warm regards,

Helen

----------------------------------------------
JB Lim Reply to Helen:

Dear Helen,

I am so glad you replied for the time and effort I took to explain to your query. I was actually quite disappointed when you did not initially acknowledge my trouble.

But now having heard from you, I am glad to reciprocate in reply to you in Mandarin Chinese - méishì (its nothing), bùyòngkè (no need to thank, you are welcomed), bu kèqi (no need to be polite).

I am glad you enjoyed my opinion. I have a number of feed back from others too and they too felt the same thing. One girl told me a health company sent some watermelon to a lab for chemical analysis, and the report came back that Furadan was not detected as much as I have argued and explained.

Our Malaysian Food Act 1983, and Food Regulations 1985 do not allow all these pesticides to be present in our foods except in very trace amounts of 1-2 ppm.

The Food Quality Division of MOH and the Dept of Chemistry are closely monitoring all these food additives especially those from China and Cameron Highlands as best as they can.

So I think our foods here are quite safe albeit some may escape detection.

Regards

jb lim

The Bible Lost in Transition

Article by Lim Ju Boo
Dated July 15, 2010

The Bible Lost in Transition

Nowhere in the Bible does it says that the apple was the first fruit created as some believe? Neither does it says anywhere that the apple is the forbidden fruit Eve was told not eat. Neither does the Bible say that the apple is lowly-rated as claimed by someone in the e-mails exchanges I received.

Where in these two verses did it mention ‘apple’ or ‘forbidden’ or ‘the first fruit’?

“You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die." 18. (Genesis 2: 17-18).

Adam’s apple:

Neither does Adam’s apple, caused by Adam having eaten the forbidden fruit in Garden of Eden and having the apple stuck there in his throat? Adam’s apple is actually just a laryngeal prominence or a protrusion in the neck formed by the angle of the thyroid cartilage surrounding the larynx.

This is usually more prominent in adult men than in women and in prepubescent children. It has nothing to do with an apple stuck there.

The only explanation I can offer right now as I type this sentence as to why children before puberty do not have Adam’s apple, is because young children are innocent, ignorant and sinless. They are still at the age of learning and gathering knowledge. In short, because they have not eaten the ‘fruit of knowledge’ as adults do, they do not have the ‘forbidden apple’ stuck in their throat as in Adam and Eve. Okay, I am just joking about Adam’s apple.

Myths and distortions:

Unfortunately all these myths came only from people who interpreted the Bible in their own special way. Such belief misdirects others in the same way. It is the same way Satan who came in disguise as a serpent misdirected Eve. She in turn misdirected Adam to do the same. This is one of the Devil’s clever ways to confuse people to draw them away from God. That is the major reason why there are so many religions in the world to divert people’s beliefs.

Apple is a low-rated fruit?

Furthermore, where in the Bible did it say the apple is a low-rated fruit? On the contrary, I thought the adage says ‘an apple a day, keeps the doctor away’? All these beliefs are contradicting each other, created only by people who have their own ideas and thinking. In fact there are dozens of references on the health-protective values of an apple. It is not a low-rated fruit.

Evolution is not life itself:

They also believe that life on earth was due to evolution and survival of the fittest, but they did not tell us how life first came into being on Earth? Evolution does not tell us how the first spark of life first jump started the chain of evolution from the first life to the next until we have a wide variety of living creatures on this planet. They conveniently kept quite about this extremely difficult but very crucial question. No one dared ask a scientist this question.

A body without life inside:

Instead, they continue to write volumes of books on biology, biological sciences and all about evolution. But they avoid answering the first and most important question as exactly what life is? How do we define life, and what is it exactly that makes a living thing tick? Is it some kind of mysterious living force, some kind of unknown energy, qi, vital force, or anything like that living inside a body?

Just say living or dead, that’s all?

Scientists pretend it is always there, and there is no need to answer that question. No question should be asked. So they can continue to write tons, and tons of books on biology, zoology, botany, microbiology, DNA, physiology, etc, etc. They filled up entire libraries in this world on books and periodical on biological science, but none of them define or explain what exactly is this vital force or life residing inside a living body.

No question should be asked why all these organism posses something living called ‘life’ residing inside, but can leave the body on death at any time? Scientists refuse to answer this question. They try to avoid it because they will be confronted with something they cannot explain or answer.

Science teaches us to accept only the physical:

This is like asking people to accept only a physical body without a vital force residing inside. This is like forcing us to accept the existence of a body but we should not question what happened to the head and the brain which actually controls the physical body. What is this mysterious vital force(s) inside a body that make it come to life?

The Bible is not a Science book:

The Bible is also not a book on chemistry, anatomy, nutrition, food science, agriculture, botany, zoology, etc. Neither is it a book on the origin of the species, on natural selection, about survival of the fittest, or anything that deal with evolution.

Neither is the Bible a book on geology, paleontology, or on cosmology to allow it to describe and explain exactly how God created the heavens and the earth. It does now deal with how the water below was separated from the heaven or sky above till dry land appeared. It is not a book on geology, hydrology or metrology.

Neither is the Bible about quantum mechanics, cosmology, or theoretical physics to tell us in detail how light first came into being

Just a simple and humble message to mankind:

The Bible simply tells us in a very simple and humble manner that God created all that without troubling us with unnecessary details on nuclear fusion and nucleosynthesis in the stars, and how nuclear fusion generate heat, light, and other sources of energy across a wide spectrum of electromagnetic waves.

God feels there is no need for all that; else the entire purpose of the Bible to save mankind from ultimate destruction and death will be lost. God only wanted to pass the message to tell us the essence on how to gain eternal life when life ends for us in this world.

In just one or two simple verses, He let us know that He created everything for us and that He provided all the essential things for us to live a temporary life in this world. That’s all He wanted us to know without troubling us with unnecessary details on science and all those stuff. All God did to tell a little more is:

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament
sheweth his handywork. (Psalm. 19:1)

His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof (Psalm 19:6).

The entire heaven is revolving:

This above last verse sounds to my mind; it is not the Sun or the Moon that is making a circuit around the sky as many would read it. The still small voice in me strongly tells me to say it loudly that it is the entire heaven (universe), and not just our Galaxy alone He created, that is revolving from one end of the universe to the other end of the other without any intervention or energy or heat to brake this motion (circuit).

This may be something new yet to be revealed to the cosmologist and astronomer. One day they will know, but right now, as long as we still remain on this Earth, our eyes can never be opened to know entirely.

“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known” (1 Corinthian 13:12)

For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that
are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or
dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created
by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all
things consist. (Col. 1:16-17).

He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing (Job 26:7)

Earth hangs on nothing:

Almost 3500 years ago Job stated in chapter 26 verse 7 that the earth hangs upon nothing. However, various civilizations recorded that either the earth was situated on the back of Atlas (in Greek mythology), or that it was on the back of an elephant which was standing on the back of a turtle, which was supposed to be swimming in some kind of a cosmic sea (in the culture of India), or that the earth was flat being held up by pillars (in the Egyptian culture).

However, as true science progressed, it is now proven that the earth really does hang upon nothing. This means nothing physically holds Earth up as the above verse reveals.

A child accepts things without understanding:

No young child in this world would question his natural father how he is able to bring home money, food, clothing, pay for his upkeep, pay for his education, pay for this and pay for that? No father would explain all these to his young child about his job, how he does it, what happens in the office, how he pays tax to the government, how did he trade his expertise, skill, goods, business for the money and the provision which he finally brings home to feed his family?

There is no need for any parent to explain all these complicated things to his young child, and there is also no need for a child to know all these highly complex procedures of earning a living. All the parent is interested is to be able to provide for his child and family, and the child be able to lie secure in trust of his parent so that he can continue to receive all these provisions for his day-to-day living.

That’s all God wants us to know:

That’s all God wants us to know, and not question Him. This is exactly what God has done for us. There is no need to question the ability of God, a Creator of the Heaven and how He did it. If a child wants to know later in life, he can go to school, the university, to the library and read plenty of books about earning a living and how things work, or are manufactured for him, and so on to get the provision.

Knowledge and traveling is increasing exponentially:

Today we have countless institutions of higher learning, libraries, volumes of books, fast access to information through the Internet and Information Technology. Today countless millions of people are traveling all over the world, across vast oceans and continents in extremely fast jet planes.

They shuttle to and fro all over this planet and communications between peoples across this planet in just seconds by the click of a few buttons via Internet, mobile phones, fax machines, radios, televisions, and satellite communications. They achieved all these at unprecedented speed and rate never before in the history of mankind.

But in doing so we are also damaging the environment and cause global warming. All these have been told and warned to us by God even before Jesus Christ. It is so lucidly clear the end times are nigh.

‘But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased’ (Daniel 12:4)

Global warming:

At the same time, this Earth is slowly warming and heating up. All these do not look good for our survival in near future. It is like a movie coming to life.

"As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world." (Matthew 13:40).

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." (2 Peter 3:10).

"And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them." (Revelation 20:9).

There are many other verses and references in the Bible how Earth and even the entire Universe will be burnt up. Just the above three verses as examples will do.

The Bible is meant for saving mankind from eternal death:

Instead, the Bible is wholly devoted on the history of mankind towards God, their sins, and the path they need to take for their salvation and eternal life. If you are a cosmologist, you will understand how horrendously complex the universe (heavens) is, and yet the Bible made it so simple for us to understand by telling us that God created everything for us in just a few verses in Genesis.

You can instantly see how humble God is. All these horrendously complex creation He just use a few verses to let us know, but He spent the entire Bible to tell us His fears and worries about our salvation. It only tells us our fate to face eternity without salvation is far, far more important to Him than His entire physical creation of heaven and Earth.

Life in eternity is far more important than earthly knowledge:

God does not intend to trouble us with unnecessary complicated technical details about creation. The Bible is for the humble and uncomplicated mind to understand because the most important objective of the Bible is our salvation throughout all eternity. This is the most important message God continuously stressed to us in our short life.

It is not the technical details about evolution, how the land was separated from the waters, how light was first created, how nucleo-synthesis in the stars gives out heat, light and energy, and so on that worries Him. It is our salvation that is far more worrisome to Him.

Else the entire purpose of the Bible to lead us into eternal life will be lost with unimportant technical details about creation, evolution, about the floods, about this and that mountain, name of this or that animal, and how many animals entered into the Ark. Even God who created the entire heavens with horrendous complexities did not give unnecessary details. So why do we need to trouble our lives and souls about them.

God is extremely humble and modest about His handiwork. Knowledge on all these for you and I is not going to save us from eternal darkness and death.

Back to Ir. SK Tan question and comment.

16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die." 18 (Genesis 2: 16:18)

“You shall not eat of any tree of the garden'?" 2 And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'" 4 But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, and he ate.7 (Genesis 3:2-7).

We can see the word ‘apple’ was not even mentioned in Genesis as Tan Seng Khoon correctly pointed out.

No specific name of fruit or animal was mentioned:

We can also clearly see there is no mention of the name of any fruit in the above verses. The verses did not even tell us which food or tree was good for gaining knowledge and wisdom except ‘the tree of knowledge of good and evil’.

Noah Ark:

Neither did the Bible mention any name of animal(s) or the total number to be brought into Noah’s Ark.

Yet it is people who started to put words into God’s mouth by painting pictures of giraffe, lions, dinosaurs, birds (except dove or raven), cattle, etc that went inside the Ark. Why start drawing pictures of various animals entering the Ark inside children’s books, and then start calculating the size of the Ark and the animals the Ark could hold and so on? How do we know which specific animals were ushered into the Ark? It is not even mentioned in the Bible?

The broad words "And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every kind into the ark" (Genesis 6:19)

When did Noah build the Ark?

Neither did it say whether the rains flooded only the area around Mt. Ararat, where Noah’s Ark was presumed found resting.

“The ark rested . . . upon the mountains of Ararat" (Genesis 8:4).
The Ark was discovered in eastern Turkey presumably (with some doubts) by Ron Wyatt in 1986 or was it the Turkish and Chinese explorers from a group called Noah's Ark Ministries International who actually made the discovery earlier?

Radiocarbon-dated the wood taken from the discovery site—whose location they're keeping secret claimed that the purported ark was about 4,800 years old, which was claimed to coincide roughly with the time of Noah's flood, implied by the Bible. No confirmation on this date was shown. We just do not know.

How many animals?

In the past there were back and forth arguments among Ir. Tan Seng Khoon and another of his friend whether or not Noah took in dinosaurs into his ark, and whether his ark could possibly hold so many animals. I have yet to think about this.

But for the moment, besides being a researcher-physician, a graduate biologist, physiologist, nutritionist, food quality control chemist and microbiologist myself, all I can say is that the selection of the species is a continuous process that takes hundreds of millions years to evolve. It is not an overnight affair as many people mistakenly interpreted the accounts given in Genesis as Day 1, Day 2, Day 3…and so on.

Perhaps just only one type of a living creature each was created initially with no mutation into different species of animals or even race of mankind then. Mutation into various varieties and species probably came in much, much later over millions of years, various species of the same animal or even different race for humans (humans are biologically classified as ‘animals’).

The Bible does not give us the dates, the periods and length of time. What is a thousand years to man is just a day to God.
‘With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.’ (2 Peter 3:8).
‘For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night’ (Psalm 90:4)

Unfortunately people interpret the Bible, time, period and so on literally in the physical sense according to their wall clock, Julian, Gregorian and Solar Calendar etc. They become very blind figuratively speaking, and they only measure and count everything physically according to what they see, measure and what they currently understand.

Same as Nicodemus:

This reminds me of Nicodemus, the ruler of the Jews and Pharisees who came to Jesus by night. He could not understand what was meant by ‘being born again’ Nicodemus was a man of great learning and power, and yet despite his intellectual understanding, and great power among the Jews, he interpreted what Jesus told him literally in a physical sense.

He was just blind spiritually. He could not see the spiritual aspect of ‘being born again’, and the deep, deep meaning behind it. He used his limited human understand to see and interpreted literally what Jesus actually meant. Nicodemus could only see like everybody else, everything only in the physical sense and only in this dimension. He could not see and read holistically.

Did Noah bring in a pair of dinosaurs?

Thus back to the same issue whether it was creation or evolution, and many people, including Ir. SK Tan and Simon argued whether Noah took in a pair of dinosaur into his ark. Many people question this literally.
My answer for them is that the dinosaurs have already died millions of years before even Noah was born. The Ark was claimed to be found by Ron Wyatt in 1986. We cannot get confirmation on this. It was also reported Ron was a fake? We are not certain if his discovery was authentic, so we can only based on what he claimed.

It was also reported that it was the Turkish and Chinese explorers from a group called Noah's Ark Ministries International who found the Ark in Mt. Ararat. Either one, there is no confirmation.

It was also reported that radio dating of the Ark gave the Ark around 4800 years old. Again we do not know for certain as we can only make certain conclusions based on reports. We depend on ethical reporting. This is the closet we can get to truth.

But if this was true, then Noah came far, far later after all the dinosaurs have already disappeared from the surface of earth around 65 million years ago at the end of the Cretaceous Period. If this was true, there was no question of Noah bringing in a pair of these giant reptiles into his boat. Think this carefully. Perhaps we may already have the answer to this extremely difficult question, or maybe not?

Creation comes and goes as life and death:

No where in the Bible did it say that all the living creatures on Earth were already completely created, and there was nothing left to be created, or need to be altered into a new a better and more adaptable species after that? Animals and plant emerged, adapt to the environment, died and better hardy species and kind came after that, and began to multiply and spread throughout the world after that. The older ones then died again and new species then arose, then wave after wave of different types of plants and animals, including different human races began to occupy the surface of this world.

Various creatures on earth come and go in waves. They give rise to generations after generations of plants and animals over millions of years before they slowly began to cover the entire earth with a large variety of different living things (plants, animals and different human races). This took several million years.

The Bible did not say that all the wide, wide variety of life including spices, and sub-species, and variant sub-types were all created in ‘one human day’ But God did tell them to ‘multiple’ and be ‘fruitful’
“Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” (Genesis 1:22)

Hence we can see the generations of life on earth is actually a continuous process of ‘multiplying and multiplying’ and bearing ‘fruits after fruits’ This process of duplicating is an endless process over millions of years which most people interpret it literally as ‘one day’
The process of multiplying and bearing fruits and offspring give us such a wide, wide variety of life today than what was initially first created. Perhaps in the beginning there were limited numbers of just one type of life each. Plants and animals then were so very few in types without much variety to choose from.

Maybe Noah need not have to have so many types, and sub-types, and colours and shapes of the same animal into the Ark? One representation of each kind and pair is good enough, and such numbers are drastically limited with just a pair each. That was exactly what God told Noah.

Gold fish and fruits:

I remember when I was small, I knew only one type of gold fish, and all of them were red in color. But now gold fishes also come in yellow, white, and even totally in black colour. Some have even mixed colors on their bodies.

This is the same with fruits such as duku, langsat, and mangoes to name a few. Now we have cross-breed of duku-langsat, and mangoes of all varieties in colors, fragrances, shapes, succulence, etc, etc. The same is with rambutans where the flesh can now be easily peeled off from the seed, probably with better variety of cross breeding.

When I was a child all these varieties are not available. These new varieties are the result of adapting to changes, multiplying and fruiting into new varieties, species into totally different strains which were never there before.

This is what I feel about the initial ‘creation’ emerging out to form ‘a huge variety of totally new species’ Does this answer initial creation and later evolution into different types of animals into their thousands which were never there before. It is just a matter of creation and evolution merging together into variety and harmony. At least this is how I see it.

The lamps:

Another way to make this easier to understand is like this. Take an analogy of thousands or millions of unlit lamps in endless rows. All the lamps were unlit initially. Then came a flame (spark of life) to light up the first lamp to begin life. The first lamp then passes the flame (life) to the next unlit lamp to start a different lamp slightly different in color and brightness from the first one. The second one then pass on the flame over to the third lamp, and so on.

By the time tens of thousands or millions of lamps were lighted, they all have different colors, brightness, stability, length of life, etc. The first generations of lamps would be then have exhausted its fuel by the time several hundreds of other lamps were lighted. Most of them would have exhausted their duel, and the lamps were extinguished (died, like all animals including the dinosaurs). Then the second wave of earlier lamps died off, and so on.

By the time the flame lit up all the millions of lamps, new and more adaptable lamps would have been created to last longer. Life on earth is exactly like that.

The Genesis and evolution of life:

But in the beginning (Genesis), only a few lamps of limited edition were available to light up the place (Earth). It was only through repeated multiplication - (‘multiply and be fruitful’ as God ordered) that millions of lamps (millions of species of life) were all lighted up into different colors, shapes and brightness as in Darwin’s “Origin of the Species’ recorded.

If we look at the evolution of life in this light, how does Creation in Genesis conflict with the Evolution of Life as myopic scientists and lay people alike argue? Their argument is totally beyond me. To me, as I have explained here, there is order, and harmony between the two. Evolution is to me, is just an extension of the initial creation of life on Earth over a very long period: What is a thousand years to man, is just a watch in the night for the Creator. All these were not done in a day (literally) as written in Genesis. Scientists misinterpret the Bible. Spiritual enlightenment is beyond the human understanding of scientists who insist only on objective measurements.

Myopic Scientists:

Scientists are generally narrow-minded, myopic, and spiritually-blind. They become so specialized that they no longer can see a whole picture holistically

The four blind men and the elephant:

Scientists today are just like the four blind men trying to describe an elephant. They become far too specialized that they cannot see the whole picture anymore. They all speak different technical languages when trying to solve a problem. Not only scientists confuse themselves, but they mislead and confuse others and the lay people too who depend on them for knowledge and information. Scientists need to wake up, pray hard, and ask God to open their eyes and see a problem broadly.

Multiply and be fruitful:

Just as we have a huge variety of the same fruits, flowers, vegetables, cats, dogs, fish, tigers, elephants, today, they all initially probably originated from one and only one species each. They may all even start from just a single simple life form, like bacteria or algae. They then mutated into higher forms of life as we know it.

This is also creation just like we create a cake by putting all the necessary ingredients together initially. Then on baking, all the separate ingredients combined chemically by heat and evolved into a cake. This is also creating and evolving at the same time into a cake. There is no difference between the two, except the usage of words how we create first and evolve later. They may be like ‘one lamp’ initially, until the flame spread (evolved) from lamp to lamp. Don’t all these scientists who advocated ‘selection of the species’ understand this simple concept? It really beat me from the way argue un-holistically. They were all just the 4 blind men and the elephant.

New organisms still evolving:

In fact even now scientists are still discovering new DNA and new organisms in the ocean waters never known before. They even managed to created ‘synthetic life’ as researchers at the J. Craig Venter Institute did by inserting synthetic DNA into Mycoplasma capricolum that were then able to grow naturally. But this does not amount to creating life artificially. I need to explain in detail and at length on molecular biology and how this works at another time.

The different human races evolved after Noah and his family:

So were human races evolved and spread over the surface of the Earth after Adam and Eve. Actually it was after Noah after the great flood that wiped out all the descendants of Adam and Eve that new forms of highly intelligent human life came to populate Earth after ‘the children of gods’ came and mated with the daughters of men on Earth. After they were wiped out by the floods, the races were evolved through random selection, in-breeding, and through the process of survival of the fittest.

There was actually inbreeding for human race because only Noah and his family were left to marry among themselves. This may have brought about recessive genes in the generations of families that came after. The dormant and recessive genes may have given rise to different races of people on Earth today; some races are few in numbers, but are highly intelligent and adaptable, such as the Jews, while most of the other races are not. It is these races who are meek, illiterate, and poor, live in poverty that they multiple in great numbers and populate the Earth today.

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5)

I believe that is one of the reasons why we see a wide variety of races spread out over the world today due to inbreeding among Noah family members. This gave rise to a lot of recessive genes, while he good ones are fewer in numbers.

This in turn gave rise to various races with different colors, features, different intelligence and ability to succeed challenges. Especially those Caucasians in the west have a far greater advantage over many other races in Africa, Middle East, Indonesia, etc whose genetic stock have left them far behind the western Caucasians.

But initially they all could have come from just one race, but some generations were left behind due to the same stock of inbreeding among the same community and race. The evolution of different human races is exactly like having gold fish of entirely different colors or cats and dogs of different breeds. The human race is biological the same as the rest of the other animals. Humans are zoologically animals.

Simple verse without the anthropology:

Which verse claimed that animals, living creatures, including the different races of people do not come (born) and go (died away) after the first initial creation of Adam and Eve, and that, all living creatures (including Man) will multiply and spread over the surface of Earth.
‘And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;’ (Genesis 26:4)

Briefly told as it is not a book on Science:

The accounts of Creation in the Bible are so very brief, and there is no space to describe all the details. I say again, the Bible is not a science book, and it is not meant to be one. It is much more urgent and far more important than describing science and creation. It is about salvation for mankind for time without end. We need to save our skins and souls by not proving unnecessary theories in science for which we can only see darkly through a glass (1 Corinthian 13:12).

Time scale of God is not human time scale:

Then again what is ‘one day’ to God may be 5 billion or sextillion years to us mortal humans. To God, time is eternal; to man our life span at maximum is just 120 earth years measured using our human calendars and wall clocks?

Why should God to whom time is without end (eternal) for Him to take our time scale to measure time and years according to our days and years? Just think how reckless, arrogant, and idiotic we are. Our eyes are blind, and our minds folded up, and tied up tightly by Satan. There is no escape from Satan cunning ways. Satan just limits our thinking.

Open unto us that God could easily use any one of the 100,000 million stars in our own Galaxy or any of the 1022 (1 followed by 22 zeros or 10 sextillion galaxies of His heavenly Creation as His yardstick to measure time.

He created the heaven, the galaxies and all. He is at liberty to use the time scale in which any of His galaxies take to revolve round once. To us this is called a Galactic or a Cosmic Year. But to God, this may just be a fraction of one second, but to us this would be 226 millions of years over a radius of about 26 thousand light-years through which a galaxy spins. A Solar Year to us is 365.25 Solar Days. But to God, this time span may be far less than a tick of a second, maybe a pico-second or shorter?

Time without end: it is relative:

For God, time is Eternal which cannot be measured. Can’t we still understand that time is relative as Einstein told us? It can lengthen as in time dilation, or it can shorten and contract according to the speed of motion as prescribed in Einstein Theory of Relativity. Can our stupid brain not understand this until this day. Einstein took all that trouble to explain this to us and yet we still equate our time the same as that of God.

When God said ‘one day, second day, third day…6th day they could actually be up to 5000 million years for Him to do His job in the slow process of creation or evolution. Don’t the stupid brain and myopic eyes of the biological scientists understand this? They always argue on the same disparity of time. Einstein, a theoretical physicist is completely different from a biologist like Charles Darwin who was born before Einstein. A few years after Darwin died, Einstein was born. They could not see eye-to-eye. Darwin’s ‘millions of years’ was contracted and shorten by Einstein Theory of Relativity.

God’s time-piece:

There is thus no reason why God needs to use Earth’s years as His time-piece? Why should God? After all, He created the entire Universe or heaven, and He called it just ‘one day’ which to our short-sighted thinking interpret it to mean 24 hours or a Solar Day on our Gregorian Calendar. Naturally this conflicts with their (the idiotic biological scientists) thinking.

Can’t we see and interpret things clearly without using our myopic human mind? Maybe not! As long as we still remain a human in this world we see things in a very childish way, and everything we see or think are understood only very dimly or darkly. But everything will suddenly become very clear to us when we depart from this world, and we see everything spiritually from another world in another dimension.

“When I was a child, I spoke as a child; I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known” (1 Corinthians 13:11-12).

Global or local flood:

On the question whether or not the flood inundated the entire world I cannot answer this question right now as I type out this sentence? I need to examine what was written in the Bible, think over it, do some research on my own later, think carefully again before answering this question. Right now I am writing on some thing else, but I shall come back on this issue later.

But for the moment, as far as we know, when it rains extremely heavily for months on end in one part of the world, like it is now (June – July 2010) in the mid region and southern parts of China there is flooding only in these parts of China. It does not even affect other parts of China, let alone affecting Malaysia or any other part of the world.

In fact there was drought elsewhere. So why start all the guess work whether China, India, Mt Everest, Africa were also flooded during the great flood of Noah’s time? We need to think carefully over this. The whole world in Noah’s time may just be in his small part of world around the current Middle East. Traveling elsewhere was then extremely limited

Moreover, the highest mountain currently - Mt. Everest may or may not even be formed as yet. Mountains are usually formed by upheaval of land mass from the ocean floors. We do not even know if Africa, Europe, Asia, SE. Asia, Oceana even existed as yet because no calendar date was given in the Bible. Even if all the continents have already appeared when it was separated from the waters, the question is, when did it happen?

And God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear." And it was so. (Genesis 1:9)

This appearance of dry land from the seas was presumably by geological upheaval of masses of land pushing them upwards from the ocean floors. This is what we can guess.

Perhaps dry land was all one big undivided land mass that later drifted away by shifting of tectonic plates beneath the Earth’s surface to form separate continents?

Unfortunately no date of any of these events was given in the Bible, and without the dates there is no way scientists can determine when these geological events took place, and whether or not we can match the events to coincide with the accounts recorded in the Bible. So why guess when we do not have records?

God is extremely patient:

I have explained what is ‘one day’ to God may be 5 billion years for us mortal humans here on Earth? To God, time is eternal; to man our life span at maximum is just 120 earth years measured by our human calendars and the clock on the walls. Why should God to whom time is without end (eternal) for Him to measure time and years according to our days and years of our lives.

Just an example before we go. Does a scientist who does a medical experiment with rats in the lab uses the life span of a rat to record the length of his experiment, or does he record his experiment according to our clock? Think carefully. We can’t use our Earth’s time and equate it with those of God. How arrogant!

Just think how idiotic, yet egotistical we are? Our eyes are spiritually blind, and our minds folded up. Like followers of some religions, we are tied up tightly by Satan to force us to follow ritually. We are confined to our physical dimensions. There is no escape from Satan cunning ways to deceive us through religion

I shall continue my thoughts on some of these puzzles later in three articles I am currently still writing. They are:

1. Creation or Evolution
2. The Mysteries of Life
3. Jesus first miracle

Please wait for them to be posted into my blog.

Amen!

jb lim

Claims of Multiple Health Benefits of Papaya

The following lengthy and unedited article written by an unknown person was sent to me by Ir. CK Cheong via e-mail for my comment.

“Papaya was the only studied food found to halt breast cancer

Scientists studied 14 plant foods commonly consumed in Mexico to determine their ability to halt breast cancer cell growth. These included avocado, black sapote, fuava, mango, prickly pear cactus (nopal), pineapple, grapes, tomato, and papaya. They also evaluated beta-carotene, total plant phenolics, and gallic acid contents and antioxidant capacity. They found that only papaya had a significant effect on stopping breast cancer cell growth. (International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition, May)

Papaya is a store-house of cancer fighting lycopene

The intense orangey-pink color of papaya means it is chock full of cancer fighting carotenoids. Not only beta carotene, but lycopene is found in abundance. The construction of lycopene makes it highly reactive toward oxygen and free radicals. Scientists at the University of Illinois think this anti-oxidant activity contributes to its effectiveness as a cancer fighting agent. Epidemiological studies have indicated an inverse relationship between lycopene intake and prostate cancer risk. They showed that oral lycopene is highly bioavailable, accumulates in prostate tissue, and is localized in the nucleus of prostate epithelial cells.

In addition to antioxidant activity, other experiments have indicated that lycopene induces cancer cell death, anti-metastatic activity, and the up-regulation of protective enzymes. Phase I and II studies have established the safety of lycopene supplementation. (Cancer Letter, October 8, 2008)

Prostate cancer was the subject of a study in Australia that looked at 130 prostate cancer patients and 274 hospitalized controls. The scientists found that men who consumed the most lycopene-rich fruits and vegetables such as papaya were 82% less likely to have prostate cancer. In this study, green tea also exerted a powerf! ul anti-cancer effect. When lycopene-rich foods were consumed with green tea, the combination was even more effective, an outcome the researchers credited to their synergy. (Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2007)

Isothiocyanates found in papaya restore the cell cycle to eliminate cancer

Organo-sulfur compounds called isothiocyanates are found in papaya. In animal experiments, isothiocyanates protected against cancers of the breast, lung, colon pancreas, and prostate, as well as leukemia, and they have the potential to prevent cancer in humans. Isothiocyanates have shown themselves capable of inhibiting both the formation and development of cancer cells through multiple pathways and mechanisms. (International Journal of Oncology), October, 2008)

Researchers in Japan clarified the mechanisms of action in a type of isothiocyanate found in papaya known as BITC that underlies the relationship between cell cycle regulation and appropriate cell death. When cancerous cells die on schedule, they are no longer a problem. The researchers established that BITC exerted cancer cell killing effects that were greater in the proliferating cells than in the quiescent cells. Cancer cells that are proliferating are much more dangerous than cancer cells that are in a state of dormancy. (Forum of Nutrition, 2009)

Enzymes from papaya digest proteins including those that protect tumors

The fruit and other parts of the papaya tree, also known as the paw paw tree, contain papain and chymopapain, powerful proteolytic enzymes that facilitate chemical reactions in the body. They promote digestion by helping to break down proteins from food into amino acids that can be recombined to produce protein useable by humans. Proteolytic enzymes protect the body from inflammation and help heal burns. They do a good job of digesting unwanted scar tissue both on the skin and under its surface.

Research has shown that the physical an! d mental health of people is highly dependent on their ability to produce proteins they can use effectively. However, as people age, they produce less of the enzymes needed to effectively digest proteins from food and free needed amino acids. They are left with excessive amounts of undigested protein which can lead to overgrowth of unwanted bacteria in the intestinal tract, and a lack of available amino acids.

Eating papaya after a meal promotes digestion, and helps prevent bloating, gas production, and indigestion. It is quite helpful after antibiotic use to replenish friendly intestinal bacteria that were the casualties in the war against the unwanted bacteria. When the intestinal tract is well populated with friendly bacteria, the immune system is strengthened, and can better protect against flu and cancer.

Being a proteolytic enzyme, papain is able to destroy intestinal parasites, which are composed mostly of protein. To rid the body of intestinal parasites, half a cup of papaya juice can be alternated each hour for twelve consecutive hours with the same amount of cucumber or green bean juice.

Papaya contains fibrin, another useful compound not readily found in the plant kingdom. Fibrin reduces the risk of blood clots and improves the quality of blood cells, optimizing the ability of blood to flow through the circulatory system. Fibrin is also important in preventing stokes. Proteolytic enzymes containing fibrin are a good idea for long plane rides to minimize the potential of blood clots in the legs. People who sit at a desk all day might want to use proteolytic enzymes too.

Proteolytic enzymes are able to digest and destroy the defense shields of viruses, tumors, allergens, yeasts, and various forms of fungus. Once the shield is destroyed, tumors and invading organisms are extremely vulnerable and easily taken care of by the immune system.

Undigested proteins can penetrate the gut and wind up in the bloodstream where they are treated by the immune system as invaders. If too many undigested proteins are floating around, the immune system becomes overburdened and unable to attend to the other tasks it was meant to do. Proteolytic enzymes can digest these rogue proteins, freeing up the immune system.” (End of article)

Dear Dr Lim,

You are the only source of medical expert.

I heartily look up for professional advice other than my own brother-in-law who is a G P.

What is you expert opinion on this issue. Could this be a fake?

Warmest regards,

C K Cheong


Dear Ir. Cheong,

Thank you for your e-mail seeking my advice.

Correct! Most of the claims about papaya are reasonable, but a lot are still in the hypo-theoretical stage. Most of them seem scientifically reasonable based on our current knowledge on the nutritive, prophylactic values of papaya.

Nutraceutical and biological effects of some of the active ingredients such as lycopenes and the carotenoids need further study and evaluation. It is true for instance that lycopenes have been demonstrated in a number of studies as a prophylaxis (prevention) against prostate cancers. However, there are vegetables like tomatoes that are richer in lycopenes (a class of carotenoids) than in papaya. Of course I do understand that the subject in discussion was on papaya, and not on tomatoes or other fruits and vegetables.

However, I am unaware if papaya contains isothiocyanates as claimed in the article. This active principle is quite pungent as in mustard where isothiocyanates are present in abundance. If this is present in papaya, it would give papaya quite a pungent taste like mustard. But papaya does not have pungent mustard-like taste. So we need to study this carefully and analyze the phytochemicals present before we support this claim

Papain:

Papaya does contain a proteolytic enzyme called papain. This enzyme specifically cleaves the peptide covalent bonds between certain types of amino acids in a protein polymer (protein chain). In simple words, it helps to break down proteins and helps in the digestion of proteins.

Papaya contains fibrin?

However, I am not too happy by the statement that it also contains fibrin. This is actually a fibrous protein involved in the clotting mechanism of blood. In a slightly more technical language, this means it contains a fibrillar protein that is joined up (polymerized) to form a kind of mesh-work so that it forms a haemostatic plug or a blood clot in conjunction with thrombocytes or platelets (non-cellular fragments) over a wound site.

In very simple English, this simply means papaya contains a substance called ‘fibrin’ (as claimed in that article) which actually promotes blood clot. Our question is, how is it possible for papaya to contain an enzyme called papain that dissolves a protein clot, and at the same time contains fibrin that promotes a protein clot?

The article clearly says that ‘fibrin is also important in preventing strokes.’ This is just the opposite. A stroke or medically called cerebral vascular accident (CVA) is primarily caused by either a blood clot in one of the cerebral vessels in the brain, or its rapture – both compromising blood and oxygen perfusion to the brain.

Contradictory claims:

Thus you can clearly see that article contradict itself by saying that it contains a proteolytic enzyme (papain) that can dissolve a clot, but at the same time it claims to contain a fibrin that actually promotes a blood clot. To make the statement worse, it states there in red lettering ‘fibrin is also important in preventing stokes’. The author actually does not know what he was talking about. He was actually contradicting himself.

The clotting process essentially involves the conversion of a soluble plasma protein, fibrinogen, into strands of the insoluble protein fibrin, which forms a mesh that traps platelets

The situation would have been the reverse had the author the above claimed that papaya contains an anti-fibrin factor that prevents the clotting of blood that causes stroke or deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Such substances would be called fibrinolytic agents or anti-thrombotic substances that promote fibrinolysis, meaning it breaks down a clot or the fibrin. But the author did not. He clearly said in the above attached article that it contain a fibrin which is a protein clot itself. He even emphasized the word ‘fibrin’ in red lettering. Clearly he does not understand clinical biochemistry well and hence contradicted himself.

Normally in a normal physiologically induced thrombosis, this is counterbalanced by intrinsic antithrombotic properties and fibrinolysis. Fibrinolysis means, it is a process wherein a fibrin clot, the product of coagulation, is broken down. Its main fibrinolytic enzyme plasmin cuts the fibrin mesh at various places, leading to the production of circulating fragments that are cleared by other proteases or by the kidney and liver.

There are at least two questionable things we need to ask here.

Firstly:

Even if papaya contains an anti-coagulating (anti-thombocytic, anti-platelet aggregating, anti-fibrinogen or anti-fibrin substance(s) as he claimed, I suspect it will be at very low concentration to have any physiological effect against DVT or as a prophylaxis against stroke.

Secondly:

Even these substances are present in papaya; I doubt it would be effective if taken orally. Most of these anti-fibrinogens are protein in nature, and if taken orally as when we eat a papaya, the protein-digesting intestinal juices, the proteases from the pancreas will instantly destroy any proteins, including the soluble fibrinogen, insoluble fibrin or any fibrinolytic agent that is of protein in nature, rendering it biologically inactive. Even in the stomach, the proteins are already beginning to be broken down by the gastric juices the stomach is broken down by the action of the gastric juice containing hydrochloric acid and a protein-digesting enzyme called pepsin.

An example of a fibrinolytic factor which is a protein is obtained from certain giant leeches like Haementeria ghilianii. The anti-clotting proteins from this leech have molecular weights under about 100,000, and are isolated from the salivary glands of H. ghilianii. When a leech bites, the anti-coagulant goes directly into site of the bite. It will not be effective if it is taken orally like eating a papaya.

Such substances need to be injected directly into the blood stream to bypass the destructive actions of the digestive juices.

For instance, there are three major classes of fibrinolytic drugs: tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), streptokinase (SK), and urokinase (UK). While drugs in these three classes all have the ability to effectively dissolve blood clots, they differ in their detailed mechanisms in ways that alter their selectivity for fibrin clots. But none of these clot-buster drugs can be given orally. They need to administered via intra-venous route

Thirdly:

Even if papaya contains an fibrinolytic substance as claimed, it cannot exist inside the papaya in the original form per sec because the papaya itself has papain, a proteolytic enzyme that will destroy the anti-fibrin principles, unless it occurs in the form of a precursor trapped in the cells, and can only be released when the papaya is crushed by mastication.

In the first instance, I do not think such an anti-clotting substance exist in papaya. I have not come across any published literature on this.

If there are foods that have anti-coagulating and anti-platelet aggregating properties that may have health benefits against stroke, cardiovascular risk, and DVT, I would suggest foods that contain high levels of salicylates (Aspirin). Aspirin is the acetylated form of salicylic acid known as acetylsalicylic acid.

Cardio-protective, as well as cancer-protective foods:

Foods with medicinal values against cardiovascular risks would be capsicum, hot pepper, tomatoes, all curry powder, and spices, and curry leaves, guava, oranges, pineapples, grapes, plums, prunes, almonds, water chestnuts, teas, etc. Not only are these foods cardio-protective, but because of their high salicylate content, they were also shown to be preventive against colorectal cancer. So far I have not come across any published literature showing papaya can prevent heart, CVA and other vascular diseases. Neither have I come across research papers demonstrating anti-cancer properties in papaya.

Garlic, onions, leeks, mok yee (black fungus), oats, asparagus, whole grains and cereals, green leafy vegetables and plenty of fresh fruits can also do a very good job in preventing a lot of cardiovascular related diseases. It is not just papaya mentioned in the article.

This is the problem when we get things sent to us through chain e-mails, or from websites. Most people will believe them as gospel truth. They become blind to a lot of these hoaxes. Most of the claims have not undergone intensive well-designed scientific studies.

The authors’ names, qualifications and academic credentials, place of work and professional position are not given in all these claims.

Anyone can literally write and claim just about anything in the Internet and chain e-mails. They then send them out, and ask recipients of such mails to be forwarded to other people. So lies are spread like wild fires this way without editing and policing.

There are a lot more nutritional and medicinal claims mentioned in that article on papaya, but I do not think I should waste a lot of my time that needs a lot more evidence-based studies.

Lots of claims, little references:

Nevertheless, it will take me a lot of time and effort to discuss all those claims and details there. There were a few references there which as a medical research scientist and research nutritionist, I appreciate, but there were far more claims in the lengthy article than citations quoted. So those claims cannot be supported by scientific evidences, at least not at the moment.

However, the background hypotheses are attractive, and may be used as a basis for further studies, or as a thesis for a Masters degree in Nutrition, Medicine or Biomedical Sciences.

Regards

lim ju boo

Chief and Special Medical and Science Adviser
Head of Technical Advisory Board
Dynapharm In’tl Pharmaceutical Group
Malaysia

Dear Dr Lim,

Thank you so much for the expert advice and research information regarding the benefit of Papaya.

May you be well & happy always!

Metta

C K Cheong

Missing Teeth Linked to Heart Disease

Teeth linked to heart disease


AFP,The West Australian April 13, 2010, 6:45 am

People with dented smiles run a far greater risk of dying of heart disease than those who still have all their pearly whites, a Swedish researcher says.
Cardiovascular disease and, in particular, coronary heart disease was closely related to the number of teeth a person had, researcher Anders Holmlund said.

"A person with fewer than 10 of their own teeth has a seven times higher risk for death by coronary heart disease than a person of the same age and of the same sex with more than 25 teeth left," Professor Holmlund said.

Although many studies published in the past 15 years had shown a link between oral health and cardiovascular disease, Professor Holmlund's study showed a direct relationship between cardiovascular disease and the number of teeth in a person's mouth.

The study, conducted with colleagues Gunnar Holm and Lars Lind, surveyed 7674 women and men, most suffering from periodontal disease, for an average of 12 years, and examined the cause of death of the 629 people who died during the period. For 299 of the subjects, the cause of death was cardiovascular disease.

Professor Holmlund said the theory connecting teeth numbers and heart disease maintained that infections in the mouth and around the teeth could spill over to the systemic circulation system and cause a low-graded chronic inflammation, which was known to be a risk factor for heart attacks and other cardiovascular episodes.

The number of natural teeth a person had left "could reflect how much chronic inflammation one has been exposed to in a lifetime", he said.
The study had been limited by the fact that it had not been possible to adjust the results for socio-economic factors and to fully adjust them according to other cardiovascular risk factors.

Heart disease is the number one killer worldwide, claiming more than 17 million lives every year, according to the World Health Organization.

Brother CK,

I am a bit worried because I have lost a few teeth and undergone double cabg. Maybe our good friend and Dr JB Lim can give further insight into this article:

Thanks
Perry Tan


Dr JB Lim Comments:

I have never heard of this before. Show me the article and the reference or the journal where the study was published. I want to see the design of the study, the data and the statistical analysis of the data, and the conclusion he derived. I am extremely fussy about this as a medical researcher and a trained medical statistician.

The number of teeth left in a person is also related to his age – the older he is, the lesser teeth he would have left. This is natural. Wouldn’t the chances of death due to old age naturally becomes higher and higher the older the person is whatever the cause? The causes could be anything from accidents, cancers, infections, and degenerative diseases, and not necessary heart disease alone. Ultimately everybody dies of old age.

The only thing I can think to relate oral infection (Strep throat) to heart disease is Group A streptococcal infection (GAS), specifically the bacterium Streptococcus pyogenes that may give rise to acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease, and Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. This is well-known and is not new to us as it is described in any standard text-book of medicine. This has nothing to do with the DMF (decayed, missing and filled) teeth in the mouth.

I think this professor or doctor here is talking nonsense. Some of them do. I have come across lots of them as my colleagues in my 25 years of professional career as a researcher.

Dr JB Lim BSc PG Dip Nutri MSc MD PhD FRSPH FRSM

Special Medical and Science Adviser
Head of the Technical Advisory Board
The Dynapharm Int’l Pharmaceutical Group

Dear Perry,

Thanks to Dr Lim, I am happy that you are okay after all do take care of your food and regular exercise.

Regards,
C K

Dear Dr. Lim Ju Boo

It is possible. Our health related to food and teeth or more the mouth section. Our mouth tends to have ulcer. Worse would be the diabetic patients

Dr. Chan Boon Lye

Dear Dr Chan,

Thank you for your comment.

Yes, of course. Our choice of food and our ability to chew and eat them is definitely determined by state of our teeth. In turn our overall health depends on the nourishment we get and our ability to choose and masticate the food. Hence nutrition is the direct function of our dental health. There is no doubt about this. This is a very old knowledge which I learnt even as an undergraduate student. I do not doubt this. But this was not what I was able to relate.

Missing teeth and heart disease?

What I was unable to find was a relationship was ‘missing tooth and heart disease specifically.’ This was news to me. I have already commented on the very old knowledge we already know how a sore Strep throat caused by a group A streptococcal infection in children may lead to rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease later in life in which the heart valves especially the mitral valve are incompetent or totally damaged. This is also not new to us.

Ever since I made that remarks people has been calling me if I could think of any other possibility where the heart can be affected by missing teeth since Professor Holmlund's study showed ‘a direct relationship between cardiovascular disease and the number of teeth in a person's mouth’.

Which specific heart disease?

Quite honestly I just do not know. First of all, I do not know what Prof Holmlund meant by cardiovascular disease (CVD). There are so many types of heart diseases involving the heart muscles – cardiomyopathies from congenital heart disease, nutritional diseases affecting the heart, ischemic and non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy, hypertensive cardiomyopathy, valvular cardiomyopathy, inflammatory cardiomyopathy, cardiomyopathy secondary to a systemic metabolic disease, alcoholic cardiomyopathy, diabetic cardiomyopathy, to restrictive cardiomyopathy. Which heart muscle disease did Professor meant? I presume he meant CHD or CAD (coronary heart / coronary arterial disease)?

What has missing teeth got to do with CAD?

Really I do not have the faintest idea how CAD caused by a blockage or a stenosis of the coronary arteries has anything to do with missing teeth?

Heart block?

Alternatively the only other thing I can think of is a ‘heart block’ which is an entirely different pathology of the heart from CAD. As far as I know, this also has no connection with the number of teeth in the mouth? Heart block here means (as all cardiologists know), is an anomaly of the conduction system within the heart. It is a medical condition in which the electrical impulse generated in the SA node in the atrium does not propagate to the ventricles. There are many types and degrees of heart block - first-degree AV block, second-degree AV block, bundle branch block, or bifascicular block. Type I second-degree heart block, or Mobitz Type I, or Wenckebach's AV block. A third-degree AV block is known as a complete heart block.

Causes:

Many conditions can cause third-degree heart block, but the most common cause is coronary ischemia or an acute myocardial infarction. This is the only condition where the two are related as far as my limited knowledge in cardiology allows me comment.

Progressive degeneration of the electrical conduction system of the heart can lead to third-degree heart block. Of course there are many other causes of heart block too, and not just a squeal of a heart attack. But all their aetiologies (causes) are intra-cardiac (within the heart muscles), and are not extra-cardiac in nature.

The vagus nerve to the heart:

The only nerve outside that affects the heart is the vagus nerve – the 10th and the longest nerve. The vagus nerve is actually two nerves, both of which run from the brain stem and branch out separately, down the body, across the abdomen and to the main organs such as the heart and stomach. This is the only nerve that directly controls a number of bodily functions, such as breathing, maintaining digestive function, keeping the brain up to date with what we have eaten or digested and cardiac rhythm.

Physiology of vagus innervations:

Parasympathetic innervation of the heart is mediated by the vagus nerve. Specifically, the vagus nerve acts to lower the heart rate. The right vagus innervates the sinoatrial node. Parasympathetic hyperstimulation predisposes those affected to bradyarrhythmias. The left vagus when hyperstimulated predisposes the heart to atrioventricular (AV) blocks. All these we know. The physiology of this innervation is nothing new to us.

Missing link:

But there is missing link here. The vagus nerve is not connected to the teeth, but it supplies to a few muscles in the mouth for mastication and for speech and keeping the larynx open for breathing. But it does not innervate the teeth.

The nerve to the teeth:

It is the trigeminal nerve (the fifth cranial nerve, also called the fifth nerve, or simply CNV) that is responsible supplying nerve to the teeth and also for sensation in the face. The fifth nerve is primarily a sensory nerve, but it also has certain motor functions (biting, chewing, and swallowing) like the vagus nerve to a few other muscles of the mouth.

One is the 5th cranial nerve (trigeminal nerve), the largest cranial nerve and is the great sensory nerve of the head and face, and the motor nerve of the muscles of mastication, and the other is the 10th cranial nerve (vagus nerve). But they are anatomically separate and have little to do with each other except they are all connected to the brain.

My simple ignorance:

So with this very simple anatomical explanation of mine you can see nether the trigeminal nerve has anything to do with the heart, nor the vagus which has something to do with the heart, has anything to do with the teeth.

Each went separate ways. In short I do not know the answer. Only Professor Holmlund who did all that funny finding has the answer. Maybe he can explain. Maybe not, but I doubt he can himself. You ask him, and don’t trouble me. I am not an expert on oral pathology and cardiology.

Regards
Lim Ju Boo

Dear Dr. Lim Ju boo,

Yes, I could not disagree with you.

A good analysis,

Boon Lye, Dr. Chan

Does cholesterol cause heart disease

Dear Dr Lim

Not sure if this article by Dr Dwight is true? It is going against normal things that have been taught in the medical school. If it is true, the medical texts have to be rewritten. These are some of age old questions & beliefs.

Dato Dr Vincent Ng,


Dear Dato Dr Vincent,

Many thanks for this interesting article by a heart surgeon-turned-nutritionist about the true aetiology of coronary heart disease.

Let me give you my professional opinion as briefly as possible as a chemist, physiologist, nutritionist and a physician with special interest in natural medicine.

Right but off tangent simultaneously:

Dr Dwight Lundell is right that it is the inflammation of the inner wall of the coronary artery that gives rise to coronary arterial disease (CAD) and not the increased buildup of fatty layers, known as atheroma due to cholesterol deposits.

But he was off tangent in blaming polyunsaturated oils like soybean, corn and sunflower oils, omega-6 fatty acids, and highly processed carbohydrates as the trigger factors for the inflammatory response. Neither in my opinion is CAD caused by high density or low density cholesterol.

Even the huge on-going Framingham longitudinal cohort study beginning in 1948 into three subsequent generations in Massachusetts has concluded that no levels of cholesterol per sec, be it high or low, be a single predictor of CAD.

There are so many other intertwining trigger factors such as genetic make-up, blood pressure, stress levels, smoking, lifestyle changes, etc that play a role in cardiovascular disease and its events. It is this massive long term Framingham cohort heart study that has caused all of us in the health-care professions to be so obsessed and so blind to levels of cholesterol in the blood and its correlation to cardiovascular events.

Medical vs. Chemistry Professions:

Unfortunately the medical profession has almost no understanding of chemistry and their colleagues in the chemistry profession likewise has little clue in medical research and its advances. Being also a qualified chemist myself I specifically believe it is the damaging free radicals – highly reactive molecules, molecular fragments or atomic fragments that has lost one of their paired electrons in their shared co-valent bond that is the culprit in causing so much damage to the DNA, cells, tissues, organs, systems and eventually to the entire body into degenerative disorders and rickety shape like CVA (stroke), CAD, autoimmune disorders, neoplastic diseases like malignancies, brain, kidney, liver, musculoskeletal, eye, hair, skin disorders. In fact death ultimately overwhelms all of us either due to any of the big classes of causes – accidents, cancers, infections, degenerations or genetic disorders.

No escape from free radicals:

There is no escape because highly damaging free radicals are everywhere – in the food, medicines, chemicals in the environment, pollutants, radiation from mobile phones, x-rays, CAT scans, PET scans, EMG scans, nucleotide and radioactive tagging and scans, metabolic wastes, ultra-violet rays, cosmic radiation from outer space, stress hormones like adrenalin, anger, ageing, etc, etc….down the endless lists.

If only cardiologists, neurologists, nephrologists, oncologists and other specialist clinicians can understand the highly, highly, destructive nature of these unquenched reactive molecules that they would not single out diet, nutrition and lifestyle has the sole causes to all these medical events.

Framingham benchmark:

A lot of scientists, nutritionists, cardiologists, physicians are very blind to refer to the Framingham Heart Study on their findings of blood cholesterol levels, hypertension, smoking etc as the benchmark as a predictor of cardiovascular events. But even they a few years ago came to the conclusion after such a massive and long haul study that cholesterol whether high or low has little bearing on morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular events. It came from the horse mouth. Unfortunately all our ideas about cholesterol and CAD came from this massive Framingham Study. Nowhere else we got this idea or theory.

My own experience:

In fact even my own experience having signed thousands of diagnostic forms for blood lipids analysis sent to us at IMR from Government hospitals throughout the country showed very little relationship between suspected AMI or angina pectoris (chest pains) and what we found on the blood cholesterol levels. Initially we thought we may have made analytical errors. We checked and checked again on the analytical procedure, and did quality control, but there was no mistake. There was very relation between what the clinician reported and what we found.

Cardiac enzymes not out yet:

Of course the release of cardiac enzymes (creatine phosphokinase (CPK, CK) and the protein troponin (TnI, TnT), etc at that time weren’t discovered yet and there was no means of using them as a diagnostic tool. Of course the clinician would also have done an ECG for ST elevation and other irregularities in the PQRST waves.

What I saw:

Let me put this straight away. In my 25 years in medical research in an analytical research laboratory at the Institute for Medical Research I have seen and handled what pure analytical grade cholesterol looks like, and how they feel on the fingers. Let me tell all these experts who believe that it is the high levels of blood cholesterol as the prime factor that cause the cholesterol to stick onto the tunica intima (inner coat of blood vessels).

Properties of cholesterol:

If these clinicians have ever worked in a chemistry laboratory to analyze cholesterol content in thee blood and foods, they would have seen what pure cholesterol looks like, how they feel on the fingers – their physical and chemical properties, etc. Let me tell them that cholesterol is just a very pale yellow powder, completely insoluble in an aqueous media like in water, blood or urine. It does not feel greasy, oily, nor does it stick on to the fingers. In fact it does not stick on to anything at all.

Cholesterol only dissolves in an organic solvent such as chloroform and petroleum ether and it is a little soluble in oil medium. That’s all. It completely does not stick to anything at all, not even to a piece of meat, beef, pork, fish, vegetables or fruits, and least of all water. It just drops off if you try to rub it on anything.

If you scatter pure cholesterol onto the surface of water, it will just float there like talcum powder. It will not dissolve like sugar or salt into water. If you rub it onto your finder tips, it is just like non-greasy powder which you can instantly wash off with just plain water. No soap or organic solvent needed.

In short, even in the blood most of them are dissolved in the small amount of blood lipids and carried around and round the body without sticking on to anything. But you need to be a analytical chemist, not a clinician to understand and experience this. This is surprising to a lot of people – especially the health freaks.

Properties altered during damage:

But when the chemical and physical properties of cholesterol is altered by heat and oxygen, and long exposure to light, and worse of all, by free radicals, that changes in their physical and chemical properties greatly. These were clearly seen by me. My personal experience using pure cholesterol as a standard reagent for analytical purposes showed that the cholesterol became sticky and gummy when subjected to light, heat and chemical attacks.

This is what makes cholesterol stick:

This is what make the cholesterol stick on to the tunica intima causing irritation and inflammation there, only after they are damaged by free radicals that attacks it into gummy substances. It is also the free radicals that at the same time irritates and damage the tunica intima and cause inflammation there. Got it? Thanks for understanding this chemo-pathophysiology. Hope you learn something new today from my night long till dawn effort in writing this comment.

Cholesterol is inert:

This is what the Cardiac Surgeon Dr Dwight the author of the attached letter circulated to me firmly believes. He was absolutely right about the inflammation and not the athermanous plaques (atheroma) which all the other medical experts – cardiologist, nutritionists, pathologists, and medical researchers erroneous are talking about.

A lot of people do not understand cholesterol is harmless per sec until its chemical properties are damaged by chemical agents to make them sticky and gummy as to stick on to the inner blood vessels like a leech. This damage is obviously more extensive and intensive the higher the content of cholesterol in the blood. The lesser the amount, the lesser the damage occur. This explains why higher blood cholesterol levels carry a higher risk of CAD, irrespective whether it is the high or low density lipoproteins.

Cholesterol is important for health:

Furthermore, a lot of people think that cholesterol is nothing but harmful to health. They just lack the knowledge of biochemistry and physiology. They don’t understand that cholesterol is absolutely essential for good health. It is used by the body to manufacture steroids, or cortisone-like hormones, including the sex hormones. These hormones include testosterone, estrogen and cortisone. Combined, these hormones control a myriad of bodily functions. They don’t realize that cholesterol helps the liver produce bile acids. These acids are essential for digestion of fats and ridding the body of waste besides acting as a cell to cell interconnects "lipid molecules". A lipid molecule is needed to stabilize our cell membranes. Without cholesterol the endocrine system malfunctions. Too low a cholesterol level may also cause mental disorders.

Furthermore, cholesterol is an important part of the myelin sheath in a neuron. It consists of fat-containing cells that insulate the axon from electrical activity. This ensures our brain functions properly by insulating the electrical impulses. The brain is the richest in cholesterol and without the cholesterol there, our brain would fail to focus with lost of memory. Cholesterol also has lots of beneficial effects on the human body immune system.

Cholesterol turn over:

In fact a developing brain in a foetus has the highest content of cholesterol. If cholesterol is so harmful to health, none of us would have emerged alive after intrauterine life. In the foetus itself the extremely high cholesterol content would have long clogged up all our blood vessels even before we could emerge from our mother’s womb. But did we all die inside the womb? Of course not, unless it was a pre-natal disorder. In foetal life the cholesterol is new and fresh and has not been chemically damage yet. In later life the cholesterol ages, and suffers chemical, oxidative, and free radical damage such as singlet-oxygen damage, and they then becomes sticky and gummy.

That is when they begin to stick on to the blood vessels more and more when we get older and older. Got this message? Thank you for being my obedient student.

Endogenous and exogenous feedback mechanisms:

So all these are chronic ideas people have about cholesterol. They don’t even realize that the liver can manufacture 10 times more cholesterol to meet body’s need, than all the cholesterol we can eat through food – brain, eggs, liver, etc we can eat in a day. There is a feedback mechanism in the body between endogenous (produced by the body) cholesterol and exogenous (outside the body through food) to keep that balance and stabilization of cholesterol in the blood. They also don’t realize that some 1500 -3000 mg of cholesterol is excreted by the bile daily to keep the balance in check. All these mechanisms become operative because the body needs the cholesterol and it has to stabilize its level.

The blind parrot imitates:

People are just ignorant about all these physiological homeostasis inside the body, and throw away all the food that has cholesterol in them such as egg yolk which together with the white of egg is the world’s most nutritious food because the entire chick has to depend entirely on it as its only and sole food and nourishment until the chick can come out from the empty shell.

The egg to the growing chick inside is like milk to a baby. So people who have no clue on nutrition, throw away the best part of the egg – the yolk, and eat only the albumin (white of egg) which is the ‘worse’ part with low biological value and chemical score.
Throwing away the yolk, and eating only the white of egg is like exchanging gold (yellow colour of yolk) for silver (white colour like the albumin). All their knowledge is skewed up including cholesterol which they thought is the cause of heart disease. Luckily we have Dr Dwight who wrote the attached article to come to our rescue – but unfortunately his thesis is also half-cooked that can only earn him far higher than a PhD degree - a D.Sc. degree but not yet a Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology. I hope I can complete the other half for him.
The heart surgeon who became a nutritionist…but one step short:

But Dr Dwight albeit right in one eye, but he was completely blind and ignorant in the other eye. He wrote a lengthy blame on unsaturated fats and oils including omega 6 vegetable oils, soybean oils, corn oils as the culprits which of course is against the understanding of mainstream orthodox medicine and nutrition. But not a single word did he mention about free radicals which is the mainstay aetiology of all degenerative diseases including cardiovascular diseases today.

Do you know why? He is a cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon one half but not a professional chemist the missing half. So I do not blame him if he only has mono-training in one area of medical science. He needs an eye implant and an extra pair of spectacles.

The emperor without clothes and the sharp-eye eagle:

This holistic vision can only be seen by a sharp-eyed eagle that can soar high up into the air to have a 3-D vision of the panorama below it. Else he will just concentrate on diet and nutrition and thinks that food is the only thing is the only answer in life about health.

The rest of the old-fashioned thinkers are even worse. They just follow one another blindly and repeat some ideology like parrots; else if they deviate even slightly from the standard thinking, the rest of the other fools will laugh at him and say he is mad without stopping to think critically. You may call me mad if you like.

Sorry…

Sorry Dr Dwight. You need to have a degree in chemistry also specializing on free radicals and understand their role in internal medicine and nutrition This will help you to change your thesis. You thesis currently is new and original, and running counter current with orthodox consensus, but you need to upgrade it from a PhD to a D.Sc. thesis, if possible a Nobel Prize winning Award in Medicine or Physiology. A holistic education will do this job.

But you need an extra degree:

I am a compulsive writer who likes to explain in fine details, but unfortunately that’s all the time I have for this very brief comment for the cardiothoracic surgeon-nutritionist. Maybe when Dr Dwight goes back to the university to read for another degree in chemistry, he will come out with his revised version of his theory just like mine here.

Thanks Professor Dato:

Thanks a lot Dato Dr Vincent Ng. I appreciate the tens of hundreds of e-mail articles you have been sending me over the last 2-3 years. When shall we have a hearty crab and prawn dinner together? Don’t worry about the cholesterol inside. I will be beside you as your nutritionist and emergency physician in the event you went into an eventful acute myocardial infraction.

I have to close now as it is already nearly 5:30 a.m.

Yours truly,

Lim Ju Boo

http://www.diamondinterest.com.my/technicalboard.htm

Dear All,

Bravo! I did not expect such a good and lengthy response from Dr. Lim JB on this topic. I must admit that it has given me better and deeper insight into the whole subject matter. Thanks.

- Dr. Chew BH

Yg Arief Prof Dr.Lim,

Thank you for your prompt response and the lengthy explaination you have given. I really appreciate your time spent in writing such a thesis in expounding the intricacy & truth of such theory. Indeed, your exposition is most enlightening and acceptable. I believe you are right on the dot and balanced in your view. All of us are always inspired by your wisdom, knowledge and great insights. I never forget how you can give your lecture none stop for hours on end and learning mandarin within hours at your age. Wah! great genius. You deserve to be the next Noble Price holder. Keep up the good work. God

Bless.

With kind regards,
Dato Dr Vincent Ng

Wow Dr J B Lim,

Incredible write-up that was a joy to read! I learned a lot of new things at the end of your so-called “brief” article.

I admire your holistic approach to subjects such as these, and it is true that only by holistic study via macro view and micro scrutiny that you get closer to the truth. But I must say, there is still one area that you lack. And that is the unscientific aspect of spirituality – the area of life where there are no logical explanations for unfathomable events that take place. This would certainly include the subject of visualization, actualization, materialization, mentalism, mind over matter, and such. But i do not know if your highly scientific and analytical acumen to look at things in such fine detail can stomach something as intangible as the spirit and the ether, from which there are no hard solid evidence but only empirical observations and data for consideration.

Dr Deepak Chopra wrote a very good book on heart disease from a spiritual standpoint that I have actually benefited from. However, science often will not tolerate opinions that do not have measurable data and facts to rely upon. I believe that ethereal energy is always there, whether we can see it or not. Sometimes the potential for it to be there requires human intervention, and at other times, it has always been there, just not so visible to the naked eye. Like Uranus before its discovery, and the invention of a telescope powerful enough to bring it closer to us in the 18th century. But it has always been there. Man just needed to make a machine to bring the un-see-able into reality. I believe the same is with energy. Man just needs to create a contraption to measure this. But i think Marcel Vogel who was originally with IBM came rather close with his Omega V machine, before he died almost 20 years ago. You can read him up by googling “the legacy of Marcel Vogel”.

In the meantime, do continue to write your thesis. You must be very patient to stay up so late (or early rather!) to finish it. At least you know, some 34-year-old who plays the violin, will be keen to read every word of it, and i hope that makes your effort all the more worthwhile.

To more ramblings!

- Hainanese Buy

What are statins

JB Lim to Perry, Cheong
show details 6/28/09


Dear Mr Perry and CK Cheong,

Thank you for your e-mail enquiry on Atorvastatins, statins and other ways of lowering cholesterol.

Atorvastatins a class of drugs called statins, used for lowering blood cholesterol. It is commercially called Liptor, and is produced by a drug company called Pfizer. It also stabilizes plaque formation, and prevents strokes through its anti-inflammatory action.

However, as with all statins group, Atorvastatin can injure the liver, and if you have any active liver disease such as cholestasis, hepatic encephalopathy, hepatitis, and jaundice it is advisable to immediately stop the use of this drug.

What is important is you need to monitor your liver enzymes, initially every month, and if after about 3 months the liver enzymes remain normal, you need to do a liver function test (LFT) at least once every 3 months to ensure that your liver is not damaged by the continuous use of any of the statins group of cholesterol lowering drugs, including Atorvastin you are taking. There are many other statins now available if one group is not suitable for you.

One of the best statins is called Zocor or simvastatin. Your doctor may start you with 10 mg of Zocor once a day, to be taken at night when your liver starts to synthesize its own cholesterol when you are at sleep. If this is not effective, he may increase it to 20 mg to be taken once a day –before sleep.

If your liver enzymes Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) or Alanine transaminase (ALT) are elevated, it may indicate the beginning of liver damage because of the statins. In that case you should immediately stop the medications, and try to lower your cholesterol by more natural and harmless ways, such as stop taking trans-fatty acids found in margarine, shortening, hydrogenated oils. You should also not use coconut oil or use animal fats such as lard, ghee, tallow for cooking, but use polyunsaturated oils such as corn, safflower, soyabean or palm or vegetable oils (except coconut oil) for cooking. The use of olive oil (monosaturate) or Carotino (red palm oil) as a salad dressing can all bring down blood cholesterol levels.

Cut down on all animal fats, and take a lot of fatty fish containing omega 3 oils. The consumption of oats such as Quaker Oats as a porridge for breakfast on a daily basis will all bring down cholesterol levels dramatically.

Instead of using synthetic drugs like the statins - which causes the body to depend on them for life once taken, there is a very safe and very effective Indian herb called Gugulipid, or guggul. This is a natural substance derived from the mukul myrrh tree. The mukul myrrh gives off a sticky resin, from which gugulipid is derived. This extract has been used for thousands of years by the Indians in their Aryuvedic medicine.

Yet another natural medicine equivalent to synthetic simvastatin (Zocor) or Atorvastatin is called red yeast rice (Monascus purpureus) and this is used in Chinese medicine for lowering cholesterol. This yeast is also very effective, and much safer than all those synthetic statins your doctor gave you.

Also, there are many other ways of lowering your blood pressure instead of depending on angiotensin II receptor antagonist – irbesartan which you are also taking. Reducing salt intake, reducing body weight, and reducing stress through meditation, exercise, and qigong, and stop smoking, are among the methods. All these are much better, safer, and more permanent than taking all sorts of drugs.

In fact I give a lot of health talks to the public, the last one on “The Meaning of Health” which was my Keynote Address, and “The Physiological Basis of Weight Management, and Stabilization” were delivered just on Wednesday, the 24 June. It was organized by the Malaysian Senior Scientists Association, and was held at the National Science Centre at Bukit Kiara.

I have sent out notices on all these talks, but unfortunately hardly those to whom I e-mailed came, except strangers and a large crowd of about 390 academic staff from the universities, Ministry of Health and other Government departments plus ordinary people from the public attended.

My youngest brother Professor Dr Lim Yew Cheng was a Professor of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery at the world famous Mayo Clinic in the United States, then at Singapore General Hospital, then a Professor of Cardiac Surgery at the University of Malaya Medical Centre, before going into private practice as a Consultant Cardiovascular Surgeon at Gleneagles Intan Medical Centre at Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.

If you need any help with your heart or any of your blood vessels you may seek his advice.

JB Lim

AE Consultant to me

Dear Dr Lim,

Thank you so much for the reply, it really help to clear our doubt.
I would like to forward this to all my relatives and friends.

Thank you once again, may you have a Good Weekend.

C K