Q. I have read about the harmful effects of fluoridated water. Is using a water purifier a safe way to get rid of fluorides? Also, would distilled water leach minerals from the body? What is the best type of water pipe to use in the home? L.B.B., Alpena, Mich.

A. Fluoridated water is definitely harmful and is now solidly linked as the cause of many disorders, including mongoloidism, heart disease, and cancer. Dr. John Yiamouyiannis' studies have proven clearly that artificially fluoridated water causes cancer in humans.

Since you do not mention what kind of water purifier you refer to, I would not know if it would remove fluorides. Most water purifiers will not remove fluorides, neither does the boiling of the water - it actually concentrates them even more.

Distilled water will definitely leach minerals from the body, so it is inadvisable. Contrary to what a couple of books claim, inorganic minerals in water are not harmful - in fact they are beneficial. Having been subjected to mineralized waters for millions of years, the human body not only effectively utilizes the minerals from drinking water, but is nutritionally dependent on them. The human body has the ability to chelate the inorganic minerals into organic forms and use them effectively. Those who drink hard (heavily mineralized) water have less heart disease, tooth decay and pyorrhea, osteoporosis, and diabetes, as is scientifically established by world-wide, reliable studies. All major nutritionists Roger Williams, Carlton Fredericks, Gaylord Hauser, Lelord Kordell, Bernard Jensen, John Tobe, Emmanuel Cheraskin to name a few agree with me that distilled water should not be used on a regular basis. Use only mineralized spring or well water, available at most health food stores. If distilled water is used, it should be fortified with minerals from sea water 2-3 tbsp. of sea water for each gallon of distilled water.

Q. Could you give me any suggestions regarding the treatment of diverticulosis? L.R.C., Panhandle, Texas

A. According to the newest medical opinion (largely influenced by Drs. Denis P. Burkitt's and Neil S. Painter's research), the prime cause of diverticulosis and diverticulitis (and even colonic cancer) is the "low residue diet" of Western man. These diseases are seldom encountered in the "less civilized," non-industrialized areas where people eat a high residue diet of unrefined, whole, natural, unprocessed, bulky foods. Thus, diverticulosis is primarily a deficiency disease the deficiency of high residue foods. Even conventional hospitals have now switched from the usual "bland diet" they fed to patients with diverticulosis, to a high residue, high roughage diet of whole, unrefined foods, fortified with bran.

In addition to a special high residue diet, take the following supplements daily. These are specific for your condition.

• Whey powder 1 tbsp. with each meal.
• Wheat bran 1-2 tbsp.
• Garlic or garlic oil capsules
• Flax seed, whole, as in the "Excelsior" drink.
• Folic acid 1 mg.
• Olive oil, 1-2 tbsp. daily
• Natural multiple vitamin-mineral formula.
• Drink fermented lactic acid juices (available at health food stores).
• Homemade sauerkraut or pickled vegetables are also excellent.
• Soured milks and sour rye bread are good.
• Beneficial herbs are: slippery elm, camomile, and aloe vera.

Bust size and firmness

Q. Is there anything one can do nutritionally or through natural therapy for small breasts? Or to keep breasts firm? I am 34 years old and very "flat" - I mean very, very! Short of silicon implants, what can I do? K.W., Hollywood, Calif.

A. First, I am very much against silicon implants - too little is known of their possible pathogenic effect.

Exercise of the pectoral muscles, with or without special exercisers, will cause the breasts to protrude further, although this will not actually increase the bust size itself. Research shows that women who live in dry, mountainous climates tend to have larger breasts than those in low, wet climates; and a cold climate causes breasts to remain firmer than a hot one. Massage, with or without vitamin E, tends to help breasts become firmer, due to the swelling caused by stimulation.

It is also possible that certain herbs, such as licorice, saw palmetto, sarsaparilla, and black cohosh stimulate hormone production. Vitamins E, C, PABA, B6, and folic acid might aid breast growth, though I am sure they would not work in every case. Dr. Melvin Page reports remarkable success with a pituitary hormone therapy. You can ask a nutritionally oriented doctor about it. Reversing the gravitational pull by doing a form of headstand regularly might be helpful for firmness. Some doctors administer female hormones on the premise that low sex hormone output is responsible for small breasts, which are secondary female sex organs. Hormone therapy is, however, not always successful. If you wish to consider it, make sure by proper tests that your hormone level is actually low.

No doubt dietary heredity plays a role in breast development, and a general optimum diet should help in prevention of abnormally small or infirm busts in future generations.

Keep in mind that in most cases of underdeveloped breasts, the condition is corrected by itself as soon as a woman becomes pregnant - nature's way to assure that the baby can be breast-fed.

Q. I've read in some books that garlic and onions are toxic and that we should avoid them. I am so confused! I've always thought that they are super health foods. Europeans eat huge quantities of them, especially Russians and Italians. What is the score? Are garlic and onions health foods, or are they harmful as some health writers suggest? A. , . S. , Vancouver, Canada

A. Garlic and onions are perhaps the most important health foods of all. Indeed, garlic is "the king" and onion "the queen" of the vegetable kingdom. Both have been used for thousands of years as food and medicine. Miraculous healing powers seem to exist in both. Babylonians used garlic to cure diseases as early as 3,000 B,C. Chinese, Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Vikings - all used garlic and onions to cure everything from intestinal disorders to senility. All the great ancient physicians Pliny, Dioscorides, Hippocrates, Galen, Paracelsus, to name a few prescribed garlic for a variety of disorders.

Modern research has confirmed that garlic and onions do indeed possess miracle healing powers. Russian electrobiologist, Professor Gurwitch, discovered that garlic and onions emit what he called mitogenetic radiation (Gerwitch rays) which stimulate cell growth and regeneration and have a rejuvenating effect on all body functions. A great amount of scientific research has been done in various countries on the therapeutic properties of garlic and onions. Finnish Nobel Prize winner, Dr. A.I. Virtanen, discovered 14 new beneficial substances in onions. In clinical studies in Russia, Germany, France, and the United States, doctors have successfully used garlic on thousands of patients, treating high and low blood pressure, common colds, intestinal worms, coughs, asthma, whooping cough, pneumonia, intestinal putrefaction, dysentery, dyspepsia (gas), tuberculosis, and diabetes. American research has shown that garlic is a powerful agent against tumor formation in cancer. Russians discovered that garlic has antibiotic properties; they often refer to garlic as Russian penicillin. In Russian hospitals, garlic is used extensively, mostly in the form of vaporized extracts which are inhaled.

I have used garlic very successfully to treat patients with diarrhea, intestinal putrefaction, gas, asthma, insomnia, and high blood pressure. In some cases, blood pressure was reduced 20 to 30 mm. in one week by taking large amounts of garlic.

In addition to having such miraculous healing qualities, garlic and onions are most delicious foods. Used widely, they can improve the quality and enhance the taste of many dishes and salads.

So, don't let anyone confuse you regarding garlic and onions. They are most certainly terrific health foods!

Q. I am only 43 years old, and my blood pressure has been too high for many years. My doctor advises using drugs, but I have never liked the idea of doping myself with drugs, although when I take the pills, my pressure goes down. Are there some natural things I can do, like special diets or vitamins? I am also 20 pounds overweight. Mr. F.S., Phoenix, Az.

A. Hypertension (high blood pressure) is not a disease, but rather the body's own defensive and corrective measure, initiated to cope with pathological conditions in various functions of the body, such as general toxemia, impaired kidney function, glandular disturbances, defective calcium metabolism, hardening of the arteries, emotional stress, overweight, etc. These are the underlying causes of high blood pressure. Lowering the pressure with drugs does not get to the basic causes of the condition - it actually does damage by interfering with the body's own effort to correct the problem. The objective of the biologically-oriented doctor is not to lower the pressure with drugs, or even with specific vitamins, herbs, or foods, but to determine the reasons for pressure elevation. When these are removed, the blood pressure will return to normal by itself.

Q. I have been reading so much about microwave ovens, the pros and cons on radiation, and now many articles are saying that sales are increasing and there should be a microwave oven in every kitchen because of the fast and convenient way to prepare food and it saves energy.

My question is: What nutritional value would the foods contain after having been cooked at such intense heat? Would there be a greater loss of vitamins and minerals than when foods are cooked by gas or electricity, taking into consideration that they are not overcooked? Mrs. M.D., Austin, Texas

Q. You recommend not combining fruits and vegetables, because they need different digestive secretions. However, I'm stuck with a problem: I'm confused as to just what is a fruit and what is a vegetable?! I know that oranges and apples are fruits, that spinach and carrots are vegetables, but some plants I'm unsure of, like melons, tomatoes, pumpkins, avocados, etc. Also, are there some vegetables that combine with fruits, and vice versa? R.R., Lexington, Mass.

A. From a nutritional standpoint (note: nutritional, not botanical) there are three distinct groups: fruits, vegetables, and melons. Fruits are: all fresh fruits that grow on trees and bushes, all berries, and pineapple. Vegetables are: all greens, green beans, root vegetables, such as carrots, beets, rutabagas, potatoes, onions, garlic, and yams, squashes, pumpkins, and tomatoes. Papayas, avocados, limes, and lemons, although botanically fruits, can be used with both fruit and vegetable meals. Melons - watermelon, cantaloupe, casaba, honeydew, etc. should not be mixed with either fruit or vegetable meals, but eaten separately, either as a complete meal or as a snack between meals.

Q. I would very much like to know if there is any advice you might be able to offer me about a problem which I find very distressing, although I feel it would not be considered a problem of any real seriousness. I was never very firm, but now my flesh is becoming so flabby it seems to be melting and simply hanging from my bones. It does not seem to be the muscles, but all the surrounding tissue. I do exercise (including riding a bicycle 5-10 miles a day) and try to be very careful about diet and have been for over 5 years. I try to get enough complete protein (not necessarily from meat - I eat little meat), raw goat's milk, eggs from free-running chickens, use only honey sparingly, stay away from processed, empty foods and preservatives, take mineral and vitamin supplements, etc. I would so greatly appreciate any help you might be able to give. L.V.S., Shiremanstown, Pa.

A. You say you take minerals and vitamin supplements. How much? It seems to me that you may suffer from a severe vitamin C deficiency. All the tissues of your body are held together by collagen, a "cellular cement" of which vitamin C is a major constituent. In severe and prolonged vitamin C deficiency, the collagen loses its firmness and elasticity and the skin and other tissues (even muscles) become flabby and loose. Even mineral deficiencies may contribute to the condition. Your diet seems to be adequate. Check your supplementation to be sure it includes daily for the next 6 months the following:

• Vitamin C 5,000 mg.
• Rutin 300 mg.
• Bioflavonoids 400 mg.
• Vitamin A 25,000 I.U.
• Vitamin D 1,000 I.U.
• Bone meal tablets (raw kind) 5 a day.
• Comprehensive vitamin, mineral and trace element formula.

Ganglion

Q. I have heard and read of fasting for a number of ailments. Can a ganglion be cured this way or with a special diet? I would very much appreciate your opinion on this. J.M. Sherman Oaks, CA.

A. First, please understand the basic premise of Biological Medicine: fasting, vitamins, supplements, special diets, specific herbs, therapeutic baths, or any other measure employed by biological doctors, do not cure any disease. No drug, no pill, no herb, nor any special therapy ever cures disease. The disease is always cured by the body's own healing and health-restoring mechanism. Fasting, as well as other therapeutic measures mentioned above, are used by biological doctors only to help the body to heal itself. They are only supportive measures to help the body's own healing effort, which actually accomplishes the cure.

Q. I am so glad that you are writing a column. It is the first thing I look at when the magazine arrives. Will you please write about varicose veins sometime soon? I believe I eat a good nutritional diet - eat little meat, and have practically no white sugar or artificial foods. Yet, I am developing varicose veins. Can anything be done naturally? Mrs. M.C., Brooklyn, N.Y.

A. You believe you eat a good diet. It may be or it may not be. There are so many atrocious nutritional fads and bizarre diets - yet all who adhere to them believe that their diets are nutritionally sound. You eat "practically no white sugar or artificial foods." An Optimum Diet should exclude all sugar and all processed, refined or artificial foods. Emphasis must be on whole grains, seeds, nuts, fresh vegetables, and fruits. The best grains for you are wheat, buckwheat, and millet.

Here are a few points of a natural approach to varicose veins:

• Use a slant board, also the headstand, several times each day.
• The foot of your bed should be elevated 3-4 inches.
• Avoid sitting in chairs as much as possible.
• Walking, swimming, and riding a bicycle are beneficial exercises.
• Avoid constipation - a common contributing cause of varicose veins.

• Rutin 300 mg.
• Bioflavonoids 300 mg.
• Vitamin C up to 3,000 mg.
• Vitamin E 600-1,200 I.U.
• B-complex, high potency
• Brewer's yeast 2-3 tbsp.
• Calcium lactate 1,000 mg.
• Calcium orotate (or other chelated calcium) 200 mg.