Regular old butter doesn’t have the same potent nutrition. Not that one should eat margarine if one can’t get pastured butter. Butter is always better than non-butter.

Wardee, thank you for this site. I am thoroughly enjoying the eCourse!!

I have a longstanding interest in this subject on dental health. My youngest had the first cavities of any of my children (15, 7 and 3) and at only two years of age – being still frequently breastfed and never having had sodas, etc. She had to have two stainless steel crowns. Thankfully, she got a clean bill of health after six months and again after one year. We started using Vita-Myr toothpaste (full of good things like zinc, myrrh, cloves, folic acid and xylitol. I also read about a dentist that found better success with his pediatric patients by having them eat copious amounts of butter and cod liver oil as opposed to fluoride treatments. I knew fluoride was not an option. So what did we have to lose?

I continued to nurse her (even at night) against the dentist’s recommendation. I would brush her teeth and then nurse her to sleep. I still only brush her teeth once a day, in the evening. Her teeth are very healthy. I think her nutrition has made all the difference.

I have not fared as well as my children. I did not have the nourishing diet that they have had. I have hypothyroidism and am still fighting to bring my body into its best condition.

I am only too happy to hear that the new methods of food preparation which I am enjoying learning and incorporating will aid in this goal.

I do have a question… a past comment made reference to coffee (and I saw it listed among the foods to avoid – but with no explanation). Could you please tell me what he says about that in the book?

My husband, a coffee drinker, was very interested in what I was sharing about this post and he wanted to know – aside from the usual “for good nutrition, coffee should be avoided” with no persuasive argument to convince him. : )

For me, I have actually only recently developed a coffee “habit” by choice. The caffeine does nothing for me, so I’ll never be a “gotta have it to function in the morning” type. I actually started drinking it because I had read an article that said a regular, moderate amount of coffee has been proven to prevent Alzheimer’s. Hmmm… But I also recently read that it contributes to miscarriage. And then, today, when I was looking up information on galactorrhea, with which I am dealing, Marilyn Shannon in the book “Fertility, Cylces & Nutrition” said that caffeine irritates the breast tissue.

Combined with deleterious effects on dental health, I’d say my new coffee routine will be worth foregoing. And I would appreciate the information so that my husband will have the knowledge to decide if he wants to do likewise.

Thanks again! And God’s blessings on your sweet family!

On the salient question, it is my belief that dental cavities/caries are nothing more than the physical degeneration of the tooth caused by mineral deficiencies in the diet. We can talk about the chemistry of the saliva or good/bad bacteria, but the overwhelming conclusion is that proper diet prevents cavities and even arrests them if the mineral deficiency is corrected by diet. See the works of Dr. Weston A. Price for the details.

This same link between disease-resistance and a healthy diet was studied by Sir Albert Howard, who demonstrated that organic soils of microorganisms, fungi and invertebrates are directly related to the nutritional value of plants and conferred disease-resistance in the animals that ate them.

And finally, this all makes sense if a loving God created man in perfect form and function within a natural world designed to support his healthy development. When confronted with the pain and suffering of this world, I challenge myself to “live within the limits of God’s perfect design.” To me that means going back to the simple truths revealed to us in scripture. If its contrary to God, His Creation, or its natural laws, then I don’t waste a second thought on it. It is only then that I begin to experience his loving kindness, abounding grace, and overflowing blessings. I encourage you all to do the same.

Thank you all for contributing, and may God bless you in your search for truth. I pray the we may continue to do so together.

“Bacteria don’t cause cavities. If they did, then why bother to eat healthy? If bacteria caused disease, why eat healthy? It is obvious that a poor diet causes disease.” (From Ramiel Nagel’s response)

I agree that a poor diet can contribute to disease. How does a poor diet cause disease? In many ways. One of those ways is that it sets up the environment for pathogenic bacteria to wreck havoc in our bodies, including our teeth.

“If bacteria make plants sick, why use fertilizer, or compost to make the soil healthy?” (From Ramiel Nagel’s response)

I wasn’t talking about plants (was I?). I thought we were talking about teeth. But if you want to talk about plants, there ARE some species of bacteria that do make some plants sick.

“And yes, we do have a lot of bacteria in our body, but they are necessary for life. They don’t make us sick. Here is a quote from 1922 American Dental Association. Percy Howe, DDS “In previous reports we have stated that after a study of the microorganisms found in caries and in pyorrhea we attempted to reproduce dental lesions both by feeding and by inoculation with these various bacteria. In no case did we succeed in establishing dental disease by these means. It was only when we took up the study of foods that we obtained results.”” (From Ramiel Nagel’s response)

Like I said above, there are MANY types of bacteria…some are beneficial to us, some are not. I don’t see many people benefitting from having E. coli 0157:H7 happily entrenched in their gut. I’m sure that there has been a LOT MORE research performed in the dental field since 1922. I think anyone questioning basic science should know to do a thorough lit search on http://www.pubmed.com for starters.

Bacteria don’t cause cavities. If they did, then why bother to eat healthy? If bacteria caused disease, why eat healthy? It is obvious that a poor diet causes disease.

If bacteria make plants sick, why use fertilizer, or compost to make the soil healthy? And yes, we do have a lot of bacteria in our body, but they are necessary for life. They don’t make us sick.

Here is a quote from 1922 American Dental Association. Percy Howe, DDS

“In previous reports we have stated that after a study of the microorganisms found in caries and in pyorrhea we attempted to reproduce dental lesions both by feeding and by inoculation with these various bacteria. In no case did we succeed in establishing dental disease by these means. It was only when we took up the study of foods that we obtained results.”

I gather that the reason the raw seeds cause tooth decay is because the phytic acid blocks mineral absorption, causing our bodies to lack minerals or have a mineral imbalance that affects body chemistry. And the claim is made that not all phytic acid can be neutralized, even with pretty slow and thorough preparation methods. A healthy gut produces phytase to help with this and also Vitamin D helps with this. (according to Sally Fallon Morell)

This makes sense to me. Nuts and seeds need special treatment just like grains is because they are ALL seeds. God put protective barriers in the seeds to preserve them until the time of germination. Those protective barriers can wreak havoc if we don’t do our best to work around them. I’m not sure if this is what you think is outrageous – or the claim that severe tooth decay warrants avoiding all nuts and seeds?