UPDATE FOR WAPF MEMBERS

January 2009

ONGOING COD LIVER OIL CONTROVERSY
Several weeks ago we sent out an update on vitamin A and cod liver oil to all
our members, in response to a negative article about cod liver oil by John
Cannell of the Vitamin D Council. This update is now posted on our website at
http://www.westonaprice.org/basicnutrition/CLOUpdateDec2008.pdf. The important
take-home message is that there is nothing in the new study authored by Cannell
and others to indicate any toxicity whatsoever from cod liver oil; however, the
authors have put a politically correct spin on the findings in order to frighten
people away from this life-giving superfood and vector them into taking isolated
vitamin D instead.

Now Dr. Joe Mercola has come out with his own anti-cod liver oil statement,
based on Cannell's study. What particularly concerns us is not the fact that
Dr. Mercola has a different opinion on the subject, but that he has completely
misrepresented the teachings of the Weston A. Price Foundation, stating that the
Foundation believes ". . . there is sufficient vitamin A in the diet of most
Americans, especially if they are taking a multivitamin."

The crux of our teachings at WAPF is that there is NOT sufficient vitamin A in
the diet of most Americans, especially in comparison to the diets of healthy
primitive peoples. Vitamin A was plentiful in the diets of primitive peoples
because they ate the liver of sea and land animals, animal fats such as seal
oil, candle fish oil and butter from grass-fed animals, and other rich sources
such as fish eggs and fish heads. It is difficult to see how investigators can
claim that vitamin A is toxic when traditional diets were so rich in this
nutrient. As most modern people do not eat these foods, at least not in
abundance, we recommend cod liver oil to supply vitamin A, as well as other
fat-soluble nutrients.

Also, we have NEVER recommended multivitamins! We recommend nutrient-dense food
(such as cod liver oil).

Not all cod liver oils are created equal. It is important that cod liver oil
contain sufficient vitamin D to balance the vitamin A content. Please visit our
cod liver page at
http://westonaprice.org/basicnutrition/cod-liver-oil-menu.html.

We are planning a long article on cod liver oil, including a point-by-point
rebuttal of Mercola's statement, in the Spring 2009 issue of Wise Traditions.



IN-HOME VITAMIN D TEST
ZRT Laboratories now provides an inexpensive, in-home accurate test for vitamin
D [25(OH)D]. Normally this test is $100-$200 and requires a doctor's visit.
The ZRT test can be done at home and costs $65 (or 4 for $55 each) at the link:
http://www.zrtlab.com/Page.aspx?nid=12&action=view&category=14&partner=VitaminD%\
20Council
You can order them through the lab directly, cost $135, by calling the company
in Beaverton, Oregon at 1-866-600-1636.

The test involves collecting a few drops of blood after a finger prick and
sending the blotter paper back to ZRT in the postage-paid envelope provided with
the kit. Your results will be sent to you by mail in about a week.

We'd like as many members as possible to participate in some research on vitamin
D, which we will be able to use in our upcoming article on cod liver oil.
Please take the ZRT test and send us the results along with the brand and amount
of cod liver oil you are taking, as well as any other vitamin D supplements.
Please let us know how long you have been taking these products. We'd like to
compile this information by early February. (We'll keep your details
confidential, of course.) This is the perfect time to do this research since few
of us are spending much time in the sun right now.





NEW ANTI-RAW MILK ARTICLE
The journal Clinical Infectious Diseases has just published a very unscientific
anti-raw milk article that ends with a most inappropriate threat. According to
the authors, "physicians, veterinarians, and dairy farmers who promote, or even
condone, the human consumption of unpasteurized milk and dairy products may be
at risk for subsequent legal action." The article is a model of industry agenda
posing as science. We have posted a detailed response at
http://www.realmilk.com/documents/ResponsetoInfectiousClinicalDiseaseArticle.pdf

The credits for this article are most interesting. The authors thank John
Sheehan, FDA head of dairy and egg safety "for valuable discussions on the
subject during the preparation of the manuscript." We have effectively stymied
Sheehan with our careful rebuttals of his official statements (posted at
realmilk.com). Funding in partial support of the article was provided by state
and federal funds allocated to the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development
Center, Wooster, Ohio. (In Ohio, cow share programs are booming after an attempt
by the Ohio Department of Agriculture to criminalize them was defeated in
court.)





GOODSEARCH.COM
The Weston A. Price Foundation has begun to receive funds earned when our
members use goodsearch.com rather than the more popular search engines. WAPF
receives about 1.3 cents per search on the Yahoo-powered search engine and about
three percent of purchases made through their online retail partners, from
Amazon to Zappos.

You can help support the Foundation with every internet search or purchase.
Just go to goodsearch.com to register and select your charity, and then use the
search engine for your internet searches and purchases.




RAW MILK NUMBER ONE AT CHANGE.ORG!
As we informed you in an earlier email, Change.org is a private website that has
a section of their website devoted to voting for the top ten ideas for change.
We encouraged our members to vote for "Legalize Raw Milk" during the first round
of voting and this issue got the highest number of votes in its category!

We now have a second chance to vote for legalizing raw milk in individual states
and across state lines. If this issue is among the top ten ideas in the
competition, it will be presented to the Obama team and also at a press
conference at the National Press Club on January 16; further, Change.org will
then email information about our campaign to their 200,000 members.

DON'T WAIT! Please go to http://www.change.org/ideas/view/legalize_milk and
cast your vote for raw milk. If you have not yet joined Change.org, you will
need to do so-the process is very simple. Voting closes on January 15.

Please get every member of your family to vote for raw milk and circulate this
announcement to all your groups. Let's aim for tens of thousands of votes for
raw milk and earn this fantastic publicity opportunity. We can do it if
everyone participates.



ALSO VOTE AGAINST NAIS
And while you are casting your vote for raw milk, please also cast your vote
against the National Animal Identification System (NAIS). The link is
http://www.change.org/ideas/view/stop_nais. Let's send a strong message to the
USDA against radio chipping of our animals and registration of our farms!



A RAW MILK EVENT!
Midwest raw milk dairy farmer Max Kane, who credits raw milk with saving his
life, is traveling across the U.S. powered exclusively by raw milk. You can
follow his progress at www.therawmilkparty.com. He is raising funds to produce a
documentary on raw milk. He will end his odyssey in Malibu, California at the
home of Aajonus Vonderplanitz on Sunday, January 25, 2009.

Max will be toting a few glass jars and reloading his Raw Milk supply as he
travels from farm to farm during his journey across the nation. Max will update
the world of his travels live every Wednesday 4:30pm-5pm (CST) via
healthylife.net internet radio with The Pursuit of Health's host Jay Cruz.



HAPPY NEW YEAR
The Board of Directors and Staff at the Weston A. Price Foundation wish you a
healthy and prosperous new year!

Sincerely,
Sally Fallon Morell, President
Kathy O'Brien Kramer, Office Manager