On 22 Aug 2003 12:02:00 GMT, Brian Sandle
posted:

In sci.med.nutrition Steve B wrote:
On 21 Aug 2003 23:38:10 GMT, Brian Sandle
wrote:

If benzoate is a bacteriostat in bread would it also be inside us? A
very large proprtion of our faeces is bacteria. Whereas benzoate may
not hurt us immediately it might over a duration, especailly for
people who have bread as a greater proportion of their diet.

I had 30 years on British bread (in the early part of that, at least,
it was probably benzoate-ridden) and it didn't seem to affect my
faeces.

You say `seem' but you didn't do tests.

And faeces is not something that just has importance by being done.

I said it is mainly bacteria (apart from water) to indicate bacteria
have a huge importance in how the body works. Resist some species
of them and perhaps you will be short of a vitamin which they
synthesise.

Like what (other than some B12)?

Mind you, I've never known how to answer the embarrassing
question "are you keeping regular?" Well, no, I don't get terribly
concerned if I have to squat at different times today from yesterday.
Maybe I should.

At any rate, I haven't noticed any difference in the operation of my
intestinal processes before and after benzoate.

Perhaps you got by with vitamins you ate in food.

We all get by with the nutrients we get in our food.

Tomato sauce used to have benzoate as a preservative, too. I haven't
read the ingrediatns for a while.

It's quite common I seem to recall.

I repeat, there's always the option of "benzoate-free bread" just as
we have "gluten-free bread" for people sensitive to that.

Or, if you insist: "bread" and "benzoate-enriched Neva-Mold bread"
(with a government warning about a possible risk of deviant
digestion). I don't see it would do anyone any harm.

Let us take responsibility for our own health.

Like leaving iodine out of salt, folic acid out of grain products,
vitamin D out of milk (it isn't added in NZ anyway).

No need, unless the population being treated is deficient.

It is partly the plastic wrapping on bread which causes the mold.
Also read the use by date on it when you buy it. When it comes in to
the shop it should have some 9 days usable life left I think.

Sounds like good keeping to me. I always freeze it, but haven't bought
bread for quite some time.

Thanks to doe for sci.med.nutrition article. I wonder if Steve knows
of a time in Britain when the children were getting too much rickets
and so the bran was removed to reduce the phytate you mention from
bread and lime added.

They were getting ricketts from no sunlight. Like they are getting in
Australia today from the recent sunlight scare.

That reminds me I remember seeing a fellow at Crop Research have
sandwiches half white half wholemeal bread.

Did he say what for?