BodyGuard News

"The changing use of our land is a major concern.

The over production per unit area of land is destroying the health of our people. We have got to change our way of thinking," says Dr Cliff McGrouther. "Nitrogen fertilizers, Super Phosphate and other rapid growth promoters effectively promote more trace element deficencies."

"Farmers are as responsible for our health as the medical profession. Agricultural research since the 1950s has geared farming toward maximum production/unit area of land. Newer plant species and excessive use of nitrogenous fertilizers, super phosphate, growth promotants and widespread use of weed and pest control agents, created many trace element deficiencies. We were effectively producing the ‘Green Desert' - animals starving on visual plenty. Diseases unheard of previously started to occur"

In 1954 animal health in New Zealand had reached a crisis point. Calving and lambing percentages were at an all time low, still births, sudden deaths for no apparent reason and ill thrift affected almost every property. Virus pneumonias cost the country millions: Mulberry heart disease and Hepatosis dietica in pigs; acute heart failures in foals, calves, lambs; Arthrosclerosis in pups, arthritis in the young and adults; white muscle disease (hyaline degeneration of muscles) in all animals; muscular dystrophies, neurological disturbances, and all forms of cancer were common findings.

In 1957 Schwartz in America discovered that selenium prevented liver necrosis in rats. Mr C Hercus from Hakataramea Station in New Zealand said, "Lets try it on my lambs." The result was nothing short of miraculous. From that day the health of NZ livestock has improved 1000%. He tried it, it worked. Now fifty years later we are finding out why.

Mr. Hercus pioneered the use of one of the most vital trace elements and potent antioxidants in nature - selenium.

Unbeknown to him, he had discovered how to control the "free oxygen radical ion" which attacks and destroys cell membranes.

The ‘radical ion' is an atom or molecule having at least one unpaired electron. Free radical reactions can be initiated by gamma radiation, ultra violet light and environmental pollutants; however, the most important in life are biochemical reactions involving oxygen - the pro-oxidants. They are implicated in a vast spectrum of disease processes. They can initiate chain reactions which by lipid peroxidation, can damage and destroy thousands upon thousands of cell membranes and cells.

In Mammalian cells there exists a whole armory of antioxidant defense mechanisms to combat the effects of radical damage. These enzymic and non enzymic systems contain many trace elements and Vitamins. A deficiency of one or more of them will weaken this defense mechanism against pro-oxidant induced diseases. Worldwide deficiencies in antioxidants occur in diets and soils, but in New Zealand, with its young soils and a gearing to high agricultural production/unit area, is the most deficient.

Fifty years ago when the livestock industry was as its lowest ebb one of the most potent antioxidants in nature, selenium, was found to provide widespread protection against disease.

Its deficiency in soils was a direct result of over use of fertilizers and high producing pastures and cereals. At the same time, the public were becoming more aware of Cot Death (SIDS) in the very young and many other pro oxidant induced diseases, such as all forms of cancer, cystic fibrosis, Arthritis, Cardiovascular diseases, muscular dystrophies, asthma, Diabetes mellitus, infertility and premature ageing.
Researchers worldwide have at last noted these associations and hundreds of scientific papers have now been published in this area.