FOOD FOR MIND AND BODY

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33675, 26 October 1974, Page 10

FOOD FOR MIND AND BODY

Nutrition and Your Mind. By Dr George Watson. Souvenir Press. 170 PPThis book is described as “the pioneer book in the brand-new field of psychochemistry; the evolving science which ascribes mental and emotional disorders to the physical malfunction of the bodv’s metabolism.” That may be enough to prevent many from reading any further. Dr Watson's ideas are certainly at variance with the mainstream of medical and psychological thinking but he gives plenty of food for thought. Many will find it hard to .swallow, and harder to digest. Dr War.son, who is a doctor of philosphy, not medicine, was formerly professor of the philosophy

of science at the University of Southern California. He now devotes his time to psychochemical treatment and research. In 20 years Dr Watson claims to have sa’ ed “hopeless” schizophrenics from being committed to institutions by the use of vitamin-mineral therapy; *<> nave traced supposedly tir.treaiab’e cases of severe depression to common household poisons such as mcithbalV (which a man used to protect his wardrobe full of $4OO suits); and to have discovered individual needs (or sleep ot an isolated vitamin in such large amounts that a normal life-style caused what appeared to be mental illness. A basic ciaim made by Dr Wataon is that there are two types of person — the slow oxidiser and the

fast oxidiser. He det a - the present knowledge , ' human metabolism, and through a series of ia chatty hist or e** illustrate its reiat'on mental health. Dr Watson is a: ,ir with psvchctherapj. v.- -, generally refits’- i t. - physics' facts into a<i • when considering i;.::. behaviour. Vontrar, •<> therapists. Dr W.v- n believ*» that much •’rra'-c mental behaviour he. no meaning or motivar at al! He says it i.- sinr.v. e result of an exhausted ■ rv ous syr-'em. an mderaliergy, an unwise reducing diet dr a numbet ot other physical problems. rhe cure involve.- finding the real source of the trouble, often not an easy task. Dr Watson says the answer to the question about how nutrition could possibly have anything t«< do with mental health is “quite simple." “What one eats, digests and assimilates provides the energy-producing nutrients that the bloodstream carries to the brain. Any interference with the nutritional supply lines or with the energy-producing sy stems of the brain results in impaired functioning, which may then be called ’poor mental health’.” Dr Watson then provides a variety of case histories which he <says “will illustrate how what you eat — and what you don’t eat — directly affects your mind, your emotions and the kind of person you are.”