Civilization has entered a new era, an era of convenience and expediency, in which virtually every aspect of our lives contains a seemingly unavoidable association with chemicals of one kind or another. For years, we have been subjected to every conceivable form of marketing and advertising, designed to convince us that the incredible array of manufactured, processed, tinned, packaged and bottled foods are superior to the fresh, natural foods of our forefathers. The processing removes most of the natural goodness and flavor of the food and it is turned into an almost indigestible form due to the complete absence of natural enzymes - destroyed through processing and cooking. Regular ingestion of these foods over a period of years, places an extreme load on the pancreas, liver and digestive system, as a whole, causing the body to wear out much sooner than it should.

As if this is not bad enough, further strain is placed on the body by the assortment of chemicals needed to preserve color, dry, flavor and tenderize processed food, in order to get people to eat it. By this stage, it is not really food but more a composition of reconstituted, chemical-laden organic matter. A recent study has shown that the average person now consumes about three kilograms of chemicals per year, in the form of food additives. The human body was never designed to be so constantly abused. It becomes overloaded and develops allergies to all the unnatural rubbish with which it has been constantly fed. It is again a matter of degree. A little processed food, now and again, is no problem for a healthy body. But, when it is eaten on a daily basis, year after year, as the main ingredients of the diet, the body will lose its capacity to cope, and an insidious form of ill health will result.

An additional source of chemicals, which is still not generally appreciated by the medical profession and others, is the widespread use of pesticides and insecticides. These not only add toxic residues to fruits, vegetables and other food crops, but also contaminate meat and milk. Thus, another burden of toxicity is added to our already overloaded systems, resulting in allergic responses and a hastening of the degenerative disease process.

With pesticides in common use such as Paraquat and 245T, what chance has the human body, when even fresh food is loaded with chemicals before reaching the table! Awareness of the problem, and avoidance of chemicals wherever possible, is the only answer.

One of the principal offenders amongst food additives is monosodium glutamate, commonly known as MSG. Researchers at Monash University have called for manufacturers to stop adding MSG to food. The use of this toxic chemical to artificially enhance the flavor of tinned food is so widespread that it is difficult to find any type of canned or processed food that does not contain it. It is commonly used in fast food outlets, the restaurant trade and is particularly favored by Chinese restaurants. Also it is used in the manufacture of hamburgers, pizzas and sausages. People who experience a reaction to MSG can suffer such symptoms. as tightening of the facial muscles, visual disturbances, headache, gastrointestinal pain, fainting, irritability, tiredness, dry mouth and disturbed sleep. These symptoms can be either immediate or delayed. It is now known that MSG slows learning ability, especially when given during the first few weeks of life. (Many tinned baby foods, in the past, have contained MSG). High doses can cause visible brain lesions, whilst low doses upset brain chemistry by triggering nerves which are not meant to be triggered.