Bible Health Guide
By Philip St. Vincent Brennan
Chapter Ten
Vinegar and Fish
Vinegar
Roman legionnaires drank a beverage called posca, made by mixing apple cider vinegar with water, and sometimes adding honey. They drank it every day, with all their meals or when they were thirsty, and knew it gave them vim and vigor.
Posca was the "wine" into which a Roman soldier dipped a sponge and offered the crucified Christ when He said He was thirsty.
In biblical times, the Israelites dipped bread into vinegar, and used the fluid to spice the stews they served at their evening meals.
Apple cider vinegar has been used throughout history to boost diminished energy, as well as to prevent and treat colds and arthritis. Some experts even claim that apple cider vinegar, when taken with meals, help dieters to get rid of unwanted flab. It is rich in potassium and phosphorus, and contains iron, chlorine, sodium, magnesium, sulfur, fluoride, silicon, and other valuable trace minerals.
Dr. J. C. Jarvis explained in his book Vermont Folk Medicine that he used apple cider vinegar to treat everything from arthritis to obesity, food poisoning, dizziness, and skin problems—and he says it works.
In Cyril Scott's book Cider Vinegar, Nature's Great Health Promoter, the vinegar expert wrote that cider vinegar may be regarded as a proven medication that cures a considerable range of diseases. The action of the cider vinegar is speeded when used in combination with honey, which contains all the elements essential to physical well-being. He also praised apple cider vinegar for its ability to promote weight loss.
Dr. Jack Soltanoff says he recommends apple cider vinegar to arthritic patients and is amazed to see how quickly their pain and stiffness is reduced.
You can use cider vinegar to make salad dressings, along with some lemon juice.
Soltanoff advised his patients to mix two tablespoons of cider vinegar with water or with fruit juice, and to take it with meals.
Fish
Fish was a mainstay of the Israelites. They ate it fresh, in stews, and carried dried smoked fish to eat while traveling or working in the fields and vineyards. When Christ fed the multitudes with the
famous loaves and fishes, the fish were the smoke-dried kind.
Among the most vital substances in the war against disease are the omega-3 fatty acids, and certain kinds of fish are the best sources of this important substance.
As we have already seen, the dietary imbalance between omega-3 and omega-6 oils is one of the main reasons this modern era is suffering from an epidemic of degenerative diseases such as heart disease, arthritis and cancer.
Nutrition experts insist that the best way to overcome this imbalance is to increase the amount of omega-3 fatty acids in our diets.
Studies have shown that the fish highest in omega-3 oil are the fattiest fish that roam the cold, deep saltwater seas. The fish richest in omega-3 oil is Atlantic mackerel. According to Jean Carper, this denizen of the deep seas has a whopping 2,299 mg in just 3 1/2 raw ounces. The next richest sources are Pacific and Atlantic herring.
Salmon, whitefish, bluefin Tuna, bluefish, striped bass, anchovies, sardines, lake trout, and Atlantic sturgeon are all high in omega-3 oils. Food experts recommend baking fish as the best way to be sure you are getting the most out of the omega-3 oils.
Fish oil has been shown to prevent blood clotting in the arteries, the major cause of heart attacks, by inhibiting the stickiness in blood platelets that causes them to clot together.
One study of people suffering form hypertension revealed that those who were fed mackerel daily for two weeks experienced dramatic reductions in their blood pressure.
Another beneficial effect of eating fish is its ability to prevent free radicals from damaging cells.
According to U.S. Department of Agriculture researcher Dr. Alfred Steinberg, fish oils have also been shown to prevent the inflammation associated with arthritis.
Studies at New York's Albany Medical College revealed that patients suffering from severe arthritis symptoms, such as swollen or tender joints and stiffness, experienced substantial relief after taking fish oil capsules for 14 weeks.
Eating fish rich in omega-3 has also been shown to ease psoriasis. One study determined that patients given 1.8 grams of omega-3 fish oils had a substantial improvement in their conditions.
Studies of laboratory animals have indicated that fish oil may also prevent cancer. Other studies show that fish oil reduces the symptoms of multiple sclerosis, asthma, and even migraine headaches.
According to the American Dietetic Association, seven ounces of herring contains 3.2 grams of omega-3 oil. The same amount of salmon has 2.4 grams, bluefish has 2.4 grams, tuna has 1 gram, cod 600 mg, and swordfish 400 mg.
Food experts recommend baking fish as the best way to be sure you are getting the most out of the omega-3 oils. For a potent disease-fighting dish, try cooking a piece of mackerel (or other of these types of fish) in a baking pan moistened with olive oil and seasoned with two or three garlic cloves.
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