Geoffrey Leigh
MSc.,ND.D.N.Sc.

"Dedicated in Memorium"
to
Roger J. Williams.,Ph.D.

The author of "Biochemical Individuality" and who explained the role of various nutrients
in preventing what he called genetotrophic diseases. Genetotrophic diseases are those
for which genetic uniquenesses create demands for specific needs of nutrients beyond average
to facilitate optimal function and prevent premature disease. When these specific needs are
not met in a given individual, disease results.

      This is part of the story of the evolution of medicine as it applies to the human environment.
              We need to go back to around 640 BC when the father of modern medicine said:
 

It seems to me to be necessary for every physician to be skilled  in nature and  to strive  to know, if he wants to perform his duties,  what man is in relation to the food  and drink he consumes and to  all his other occupations,  as well as their effects on everyone else. Because if he does not know what effects these things have on  man,  he cannot know the consequences that result from them.

If he does not pay attention to these things, or paying attention does not  understand them, how can he understand the diseases which befall man?  For man is affected by every one of these things and changed by them in  numerous ways. The whole of his life is subjected to them, whether in health, convalescence or disease. Nothing else, therefore, can be more important than to know these things.            
                                                                                                 (Hippocrates 450 BC.)

 

HISTORY
Formed in 1981 by nutrition-oriented practitioners, the Institute is a non-profit medical research and health promotion organisation

VISION
To reduce the incidence of killer diseases and chronic illness conditions in our society.

MISSION
To provide the information tools and individual empowerment which will enable the individual to make informed decisions, leading to favourable outcomes on his/her health.

                                                                     See Constitution

Functional Medicine 

The relationship between life-style, individual behaviour, the global and personal environment and health status are now well documented and recognised. The concept of health promotion and preventive health is being seen as a necessary and important response to the escalating killer diseases and chronic illness conditions which are the major causes of mortality and morbidity in our society today. In view of the condition of the current medical care delivery system, and resulting cost and dissatisfactions with national health status, the role of Predictive-Preventive medicine can no longer be ignored.

Roger Williams proved that each of us is a unique biochemical individual. That is to say that whilst we all function biochemically in the same manner with the same biochemical needs, these needs differ quantitatively. That is one valid reason why you cannot "double-blind trial" nutritional needs.
A study at Austin University Texas, many years ago confirmed this point. Eleven healthy young men including one set of identical twins were fed exactly the same diet for a period of weeks. Their individual biochemical profiles were assayed and logged before and after the experiment. At the end of the experiment their biochemical profile for specific nutrients was computer graphed and compared with what may be called a control profile  (wheel spoke graph). The result was that no two men, including the twins, had the same measure of nutrients. Thus proving differing biochemical needs.

Numerous trials for nutrients such as vitamin C are conducted by medical personnel (without much knowledge of nutritional science), to prove or disprove the efficacy of vitamin C. Where the trials are flawed is simply because under given circumstances my needs for vitamin C may be satisfied by 500mg whereas your needs may be as high as 3000mg. Under severe biochemical stress the individual need may increase to one thousand milligrams per hour or more!

When you marry this concept to differing genetic patterns. That is, that we are all genetically differing, in for instance, our enzyme pattern. As Roger Williams put it, "Every individual organism that has a distinctive genetic background has distinctive nutritional needs which must be met for optimal well-being". Appreciating and understanding this concept, one comes to the realization of just how flawed the Recommended Dietary Allowances/ Intake really are.

and Roger's answer to:"Why are you an individual?" is that your body in every detail, including your entire nervous system and your brain (thinking apparatus) is highly distinctive. You are not built like anyone else. You owe some of your individuality to the fact that you have been influenced uniquely by your environment, which is not like anyone else's. But from all that may be known about basic inborn individuality … it seems clear that the amount of individuality we would possess if we were all born with exactly the same detailed equipment would be puny, indeed, compared with the individuality we actually possess.

Nutrition affects health from the moment of conception to the moment of death.

Faulty nutrition leads to increased infant mortality and maternal morbidity; it stunts development, both physically and mentally; and it predisposes to or aggravates a spectrum of disease conditions, diminishing the quality of life, personal productivity and longevity. Sufficient sound information exists with respect to food practices, nutrition, and general health to allow much greater control of health through dietary practices than is now being done. Maximum benefit from existing knowledge will require greater organisation of all relevant resources than has been achieved to date. Without such organisation and marshalling of resources, much human potential will go unrealised; and more noticeably, significant relief to the health care system and cost containment will be lost.

Hippocrates (640 B.C.) recognised the universal significance of nutrition when he stated

"let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be food".

The food we eat becomes nutrition.

That is, after many complex biochemical actions, interactions and reactions. Simply put, if the individual has any measure of indigestion there must follow consequent maldigestion, malabsorption and cellular malnutrition.

The human body is estimated to contain something like 100 trillion cells; each and every cell requires up to 90 nutrients, clean air and water for its very survival. Less than this leads to premature cell death with consequent illness conditions leading inexorably to a domino affect of progressive illness conditions.

Working as a consultant in a busy pharmacy one was exposed many times each day to individuals prescribed and taking as many as 10 pharmaceutical drugs. Almost without exception, these individuals commenced some time before with only one prescription - thus proving the domino effect; closely related to the aging process but in essence, premature cellular aging, with consequent premature death instead of achieving true life expectancy of between 100 and 120 years.

Nutrition is one of the environmental factors that is most readily subject to human control in the total contribution to individual health. It then follows that there is a need to integrate nutritional services into systems that deliver medical and health care. The significance of nutritional care during illness and rehabilitation is widely accepted, the significance of a low dose vitamin supplement (and/or folic acid) preconception and at conception in reducing neural tube and other birth defects is now widely accepted.

Why then has the role of applied nutrition in preventing disease and promoting both physical and mental health not been so widely accepted? 

Clinical Nutrition is Primary Health Care, anything less is Primary Sick Care, a situation existent too long simply because the medical curriculum does not generally, in this country, include nutritional science. Paying homage almost exclusively to the Pasteurian concept of  disease: "that man succumbs to illness through no fault of his own but as a victim of infectious diseases".

Cultural and Behavioural Constraints
This situation is ably condoned and abetted by the easy-going, pleasurable, self-indulgent way of life that is advocated for the Australian people, contrary to the notion of Health Promotion, advertisements by vested interests promote self-medication to relieve aches or pain, diets high in alcohol, refined carbohydrates and killer polyunsaturated fats (margarine etc), sedentary  life-style, spectator sports and machinery to facilitate the easy life, are widely touted. We have come to the point where many of us live in a "push-button" world. Push a button for a wide variety of entertainment, perhaps even happiness?  The problem is, that sooner or later the button has to be pushed off!

It is a fact that the Federal Government claims: "that Australians are among the healthiest people in the world". That being the case
God help the rest of the world! go to
 Latest ABS Survey

Your health is in your hands

Functional Basis of Healing

We welcome all health-care related enquiries:
Email:functionmed@gmail.com