Q. A great deal has been said recently about the importance of bran in the diet. But, I have been told by two persons, whose opinions I value highly, that it is very harmful. Their reasons were that it becomes rancid rapidly, like wheat germ, and that it is likely to have a high concentration of insecticides. I would greatly appreciate your opinion on the subject. Mrs. V.R., Rosemead, CA

A. A very timely question indeed. Everyone is suddenly gorging on bran and, as with every new fad, overdoing it! Adding bran to the diet can be beneficial, but only if it is done right. I have heard several complaints from those who took bran for constipation, saying that their constipation got worse. And, it will, if bran is taken in a dry form by sprinkling it on other foods. If taken dry, bran will soak up so much moisture in the intestines, that it will actually contribute to constipation instead of relieving it. I disagree with your "experts" on rancidity of bran. Although the fat content of pure bran varies, generally it is so minimal that the risk of rancidity is negligible certainly not at all comparable to the rancidity danger of wheat germ, which has a very high fat content. As you understand, it is only the fat that is subject to rancidity. As far as the concentration of insecticides is concerned, this can be a danger. We must aim at a supply of bran from organically grown wheat, and I hope that the health food stores will soon be able to obtain such quality of bran.

Here are a few points on using bran correctly:

1. Bran should be used as a dietary addition only if you suffer from constipation, chronic bowel sluggishness and/or diverticulitis. If your bowel movements are normal, and if you eat my high-residue Optimum Diet with emphasis on whole grains, vegetables and fruits, you won't need bran.
2. If you do take bran, soak one tablespoonful of raw bran in a glass of water overnight, and drink it in the morning, after first warming the mixture to body temperature. You may take another glass in the evening if you wish. If your problem is constipation, you should add one tablespoon of whole flax-seed and soak overnight together with bran.
3. Bran is almost 100% undigestible cellulose. Consequently, it will not add calories to your diet and can be safely consumed by those who are overweight. In fact, some enterprising bakeries already are making breads with a high content of bran, and claiming that it has 25% less calories than regular whole-grain bread without extra bran.
4. Bran is an excellent supplement for those who eat a typical American low-residue diet of constipating foods: white bread, sugar, prepackaged cereals, TV dinners, canned, processed, and refined junk foods, and an excess of animal proteins.

Calcium Orotate and Sea Salt

Q. You wrote once about calcium orotate. Is that available now? If so, where?

I have been told there is a difference between natural sea salt and that which one buys in a health food store. In fact, I have seen and tasted salt which was said to have come more directly from the sea. It was rough and chunky, dark, and had a different flavor than the white crystals we're all so used to tasting and seeing. I would like more information on this and where I might purchase some. - R.T., Roswell, N.M.

A. Calcium orotate is now available from most health food stores. If yours doesn't have it, ask them to order it for you, or check Let's LIVE magazine for advertisements, and order directly from the manufacturer.

Q. In the January, 1976 issue of Let's LIVE, a reader asked your advice on developing small breasts. Among other suggestions, you mentioned a doctor having remarkable success with a pituitary hormone and also some doctors administering female hormones. Years ago, I heard that pituitary hormone therapy can lead to cancer, and just recently there is a great deal of talk of estrogen therapy causing cancer. I marvel at your extensive knowledge and also respect your integrity very much, and so would like your opinion: could this kind of therapy lead to cancer? Mrs. R.D., Brooklyn, N.Y.

Q. How To Get Well appears to be comprehensive, except for one omission, which would, with my luck, be my immediate problem: multiple nocturnal micturating, which is of recent origin. I shall be grateful for your help. E.H.H., Los Angeles, CA.

Q. I have had many urine and blood tests through the years, and have been told they are okay, but even if they give me the reports, I can't read them. I am wondering, why don't they make the reports so that everyone can read and understand them, which would then help us to better understand our own condition. A.B., Minneapolis, Minn.

Q. What is the danger of coffee? What part or parts of the body are affected? I usually have a cup of coffee once or twice a day. We do not use it at home, but only when we go out. What about tea? - A.J., Don Mills, Ontario, Can.

A. Caffeine in coffee stimulates the heart, brain, and nervous system. The main danger is that by counteracting natural sleepiness and tiredness, it acts as a whip that makes a tired horse run it enables the tired body to function when it actually should be resting, thus contributing to a stress debit for which you must pay sooner or later in the form of stress-caused pathological conditions of some sort like heart disease, or nervous exhaustion. In addition, caffeine has been implicated by Canadian researcher, Dr. Meera Jain (reported in the Journal of Canadian Medical Association, November 16, 1974) as a possible cause of bladder cancer. Also Lancet, a very respectable British medical journal, reported that excessive coffee drinking is definitely responsible for a large percentage (25% in men and 50% in women) of all bladder cancer cases. Caffeine in cola drinks is just as harmful as that in coffee.

Q. I am a 64 year old male, and I have to urinate about every two or three hours, with dribbling afterwards. Is this prostate trouble, and, if so, what do you recommend for this condition? R.C., Spring Valley, Ill.

Q. I read that distilled water is not good for you unless sea water is added to it. Where do we get this sea water? Our water comes from a lake and has so many chemicals and fluorides in it that it tastes like medicine, so we can't drink it any more. Would it help to take mineral tablets? Mrs. T. J. , Mitchell, S.Dak.

A. Supermarkets and health food stores in most cities now sell bottled drinking well or spring water, as well as distilled water. Obviously, when the local water supply is as bad as yours, you cannot drink tap water. I recommend using spring or well water, the harder the better. But, if you must drink distilled water, you will be wise to add minerals to it, to make it as natural as possible. Again, most health food stores now sell bottled sea water or sea water concentrates. You may add two tablespoonfuls of plain sea water, or one to two teaspoonfuls of concentrate to a gallon of distilled water. There is also on the market concentrated bottled water from Salt Lake, Utah, which can be used as a mineral supplement, or as an addition to distilled water. Taking mineral tablets while using distilled water will also help to counteract a possible demineralizing effect on the body.