SC - Humoral theory is alive and well.

[Jenne Heise]

> I'm sitting here researching a company who's business we are looking to solicit.
>  They sell vitamins and nutritional supplements.  There is a changing "Did you
> know" banner on the top of their webpage.  One of the "facts" that it proclaims
> is: "Improper food combinations can cause gas, belching, bloating, stomach discomfort
> and mental dullness." 
> Ok, by reputation chili dogs and baked beans could cause the first 4, but is
> that really the combination?  Wouldn't chili dogs or baked beans alone, in suitable
> quantity, do it too?  And, mental dullness?  All I could think was, Humoral
> Theory is alive and well in the Alternate Medicine subculture...

They are kooks but they aren't all wrong. Nor are they using humoral
theory. Those who have cooked for people who add every food that
ever causes discomfort to them to the 'allergy' list, or who have had
gallbladder problems or IBS, can watch out for this...

Though chili dogs and baked beans and other gas-producing foods can cause
gas, problems with digestion can also cause gas and other uncomfortable
symptoms, and for some people, certain combinations of foods can set off
digestive distress. Remember that food doesn't travel through the
digestive system in an orderly line, carefully separated; it gets to the
stomach and is mixed together into a slop, to which the body adds
digestive chemicals. The resulting reactions may or may not work well
depending on the stuff that's inside.

The Jewish laws about milk and meat together: a lot of little old men I've
met have nasty reactions to eating milk and red meat at the same time.

However, that's not humoral theory. Humoral theory is an attempt to
explain and describe preventive action to avoid various symptoms. Unless
they are specifically talking about eating hot dry foods to counteract
cold moist foods or cold moist conditions, and/or talking about an
imbalance between yellow bile, black bile, blood, and phlegm, then it's
just the usual diet/allergy stuff.

Some of the Oriental preventive medicines, however, do use theories that
resemble humoral theory in prescribing based on qualities of the illness
and qualities of the cure. But I don't think they have anything to do with
ideas about the patient's balance of bodily fluids.

Jadwiga Zajaczkowa, mka Jennifer Heise jenne at tulgey.browser.net
disclaimer: i speak for no-one and no-one speaks for me.

"They do not preach that their God will rouse them a little before the 
	nuts work loose. 
They do not preach that His Pity allows them to drop their job when 
	they damn-well choose. " -Kipling, "The Sons of Martha"