Medical Results

No evidence of negative changes - Lódz, 26.10.1987.

The collaboration of our Institute for Human Nutrition with the medical practitioner Jan Kwasniewski goes back 10 years. It was commenced following the initiative of the then Minister of Health and Social Care to set up a special commission to assess the results of research conducted by J. Kwasniewski. I became a member of this commission which was headed by Prof. Dr J. Aleksandrowicz.

From that point in time J. Kwasniewski remained in close contact with us, taking an active part (giving presentations) during seminars which were run in our Institute and in the collaborating of this first Clinic of Internal Diseases at our University. He took an active part in setting up of the methodology, meritorious and organisational foundations for the research project entitled, “The effect of low carbohydrate diet on the condition of health, nourishment and the metabolism of fats and nitrogen in the human body”, conducted as part of ministerial program “Optimisation of population’s nutrition”, and coordinated by the Institute of Food and Nutrition in Warsaw. It has to be added that the concept of a “low carbohydrate diet” equates with the concept of the “optimal diet”, as used by J. Kwasniewski. The preliminary experiments conducted on laboratory animals showed that a low carbohydrate diet significantly lowered the blood level of cholesterol and other lipids.

The next series of experiments, conducted on mature-age male patients suffering from cardiovascular disease were undertaken in close collaboration with the Ist Clinic of Internal Diseases and the Institute of Laboratory Diagnostics and Pathology at our University. They proved that a low carbohydrate diet, implemented for 6 months, caused a significant weight loss in overweight subjects, and additionally:

(i) did not cause any measurable negative changes in the health (as assessed
on the basis of a range of pathological and clinical tests);

(ii) did cause a measurable positive changes in the health of male patients.

These changes included (apart from the loss of weight):

- improvement of physical condition

- improvement in functioning of cardiovascular system

- abatement of symptoms of coronary heart disease

- improvement in function of respiratory system

During the 6-month period of the diet, there was no evidence of the symptoms of ketosis, hypercholesterolemia, or hyperuricemia which were considered the main reservations against the low carbohydrate diet.

It needs to be mentioned that before our investigation, experiments on the effect of the “optimal diet” were conducted on rats by the group of investigators under Prof. Dr S. Berger, who were able to show the positive effect of the diet on the function of the central nervous system (brain) in rats.

The above-cited facts demonstrate J. Kwasniewski’s knowledge in the field of human nutrition and his ability to utilise this knowledge in a practical way.

Prof. Dr Henryk Rafalski
The Chair of Hygiene, Medical Academy in Lódz

The official position of the Polish Academy of Science Medical Science Therapy Committee with regard to the “Optimal Nutrition” of Jan Kwasniewski

As published by the daily newspaper, “Dziennik Zachodni” No. 127, June 1999.

The “optimal nutrition” as advocated by the medical practitioner, Jan Kwasniewski is based on the consumption of high-fat and high-caloric food including pork, lard, pork rind, and cream up to 0.5 L a day, as well as eggs (4 or more a day), with an accompanying avoidance of carbohydrates and other plant-origin products (potatoes, other vegetables, fruit, and cereals).

The Committee is not aware of any studies conducted according to scientifically accepted principles (based on a large number of subjects, under international scrutiny and with expert statistical analysis) which would allow any conclusion that a diet rich in animal fat with a considerable reduction of vegetables and fruits can be considered as proper. It is also apparent that none of the Ethical Commissions would have allowed this type of diet treatment or that any of the professors working in the field of dietetics or metabolic disorders would have supported this type of diet as has been suggested by the medical practitioner, Jan Kwasniewski.

To the contrary, all large international scientific programs (OSLO study, STARS, Study of 7 countries, Framingham, Lifestyle Heart Trial and many others) showed that the dietary reduction of animal fat and pork, an increase in vegetable and fruit intake as well as caloric reduction causes the reduction in cholesterol blood concentration, reduces the incidence of ischaemic heart disease, heart infarct, stroke, and other so-called diseases of civilisation, leading to an increase in the lifespan of contemporary man. Therefore, the Committee considers the so-called “optimal diet” of the medical practitioner, Jan Kwasniewski as profoundly damaging to health. The value of the diet, validated by only a single medical practitioner – its author, is totally unreliable; the diet endangers health and thus should not be followed.

The advances of medicine based on rational, scientific base are considerable with some worthy achievements being: a total elimination of smallpox, reduction in the incidence of tuberculosis and other infectious diseases, reduction in deaths during the acute phase of a heart infarct, reduction in deaths caused by diabetes, prevention of the rapid course malignant hypertension, corrective surgery of congenital heart defects in children, and transplantation surgery. The achievements of medicine based on scientific research are many. It is a personal choice of each citizen if he/she wants to believe in treatment methods contrary to medical science, reviewed by one author, or if one wants to believe in treatment methods derived scientifically, reviewed rationally by specialist groups from diverse science backgrounds thus ensuring the objectiveness of the research.

Undersigned: (all with the title of Professor, Doctor) H. Adamska-Dyniewska, T. Bogdanik, W. Buczko, T. Chrusciel, A. Czlonkowski, A. Dziatkowiak, K. Gibinski, Z. Gonciarz, J. Hasik, Z. Herman, M. Hoffman, J. Jeliasiewicz, Z. Kleinrok, Z. Knapik, S. Kochlmunzer, E. Kostka-Trabka, W. Kostowski, M. Krawczyk, J. Maj, A. Mrozikiewicz, J. Nielubowicz, J. Polanski, T. Popiela, S. Puzynski, Z. Religa, W. Rowinski, A. Szczeklik, R. Szulc, M. Wilmowski, J. Wójcicki

The response of the medical practitioner, Jan Kwasniewski to the official statement of the Polish Academy of Science Medical Science Therapy Committee alleging health-damaging effects of the “optimal nutrition”

Excerpts from the response published by the daily newspaper, “Dziennik Zachodni” No. 140, June 1999.

The recently published statement of the Therapy Committee of Medical Science of the Polish Academy of Science with regard to the “optimal nutrition” has no relation to the truth. For those who have been following the diet, it cannot do any harm. And they know it. However, for those who would like to take up this model of nutrition, but still believe in the infallibility of the modern medical science, it can be harmful.

The accusation that consumption of 0.5 L of cream a day can be harmful to a human being is false. That amount of cream is nothing more than a known and implemented for years Sippey’s diet which has been effectively used in the treatment of ulcer disease. Polish medical researchers (Czech & Jureczko) found that long-term implementation of such a diet reduces the incidence of atherosclerosis, and in their subsequent publication they have shown that the cream diet has caused abatement of already existing atherosclerotic changes…

Official science conveniently omits findings that sit uncomfortably vis a vis currently accepted opinion. Numerous scientific investigations into longevity of shepherds, showing the lack of certain diseases within these people, e.g., diabetes, atherosclerosis, heart disease, joint degeneration, digestive tract diseases, or infectious diseases, are treated as non-existent. Neither the Committee nor any of the Ethical Commissioners concern themselves with giving approvals to a variety of healers who utilise the most extraordinary range of treatments. It seems that anyone is allowed to dispense treatments as long as there are no benefits for the ill. This position, however, changes diametrically when the treatment methods are beneficial for the ill as is the case with those following the optimal nutrition or those being treated by the “selective currents”.

The research into the effects of the optimal nutrition on patients was conducted by a group of 11 scientists (mostly professors) under the guidance of Professor Henryk Rafalski. The research into effects of the diet on animals was firstly conducted as part of master’s thesis by Jacek Bujko under the guidance of Professor Stanislaw Berger. (The results of this research are covered in Part I of this book. – translator’s note) Further animal studies conducted under Professor Henryk Rafalski showed that the optimal nutrition has extraordinary anti-atherosclerotic properties and that it treats atherosclerosis in the animal model of the disease.

Patient studies recommended by the government Commission were systematically boycotted by the Minister of Health, by the Institute of Food and Nutrition, and members of scientific establishment (professors). This is clearly confirmed by the letter of Prof. Rafalski to the director of Department of Science, Dr Lech Dawydzik dated 28.09.1978. In it Prof. Rafalski wrote that Prof. Dr W. Szostak whilst ignoring the approval of the project, delayed and obstructed the initiation of the study by the prolonged process of renomination of referees. Szostak even stated that the funds “should have been directed to another project” ignoring the fact that the funds had already been assigned to the project. Finally, the study got under way using a group of men, mostly obese, with documented atherosclerosis of coronary arteries, but also suffering from other ailments. (The results of this research are also covered in Part I of this book. – translator’s note) In the final report to the study, conducted in 1980, Prof. Rafalski wrote:“In summary, I can acknowledge the lack of evidence which would indicate that the diet advocated by medical practitioner Jan Kwasniewski is harmful to human health. International centres working in the field of human nutrition recommend implementation of a low-carbohydrate diet under the supervision of medical staff.”…

In the review of the study, Prof. Dr Jan Taton wrote: “The extent of direct research objectives as well as independent variables (11) or dependent variables (several dozen) was wide. The organisation of the project was well thought out. There are no reservations into the execution of the study. The documentation was prepared very well… I believe that this research should be continued in such a manner that a number of subjects and research variables may permit a full statistical analysis, particularly since preliminary results are important. No decline in the condition of health was found especially due to the influence of a low-carbohydrate diet, and in a group of subjects many clinical and laboratory indicators of atherosclerosis (including those of coronary artery disease) had improved. In the future, it would have been appropriate therefore, to widen the scope and to make an objective assessment. I believe that the performed study is valuable and worth continuation according to the plan of authors. Authors proved that low-carbohydrate and fat-rich diet is not harmful within the study period of 6 months.”

In the review of the study, dated 01.04 1981, Prof. Dr Jan Hasik (one of the signatories under the official statement against the diet – translator’s note) had written: “Finally, an objective improvement in health was found in the majority of subjects and the subjective one in all of them. Since the present research allows the conclusion that the implemented diet is not harmful, then one has to agree with the opinion of the authors that the research on patients should continue.” Prof. J. Hasik made himself available to continue the research. However, in the letter, dated 30.02.1981, to Prof. Rafalski he later wrote: “With great regret I would like to inform that I am forced to interrupt and abandon the continuation of the project entitled, “The effect of low-carbohydrate diet on health status, nutritional status and metabolism of lipids and nitrogen in the organism”. Regardless of our intense efforts, we are unable to organise a high-fat and high-protein diet.” I, therefore, fail to understand how Prof. Hasik who first joined the research project only to subsequently withdrawal from it, and who wrote the positive review of the human study can be a signatory to the statement of the of the Polish Academy of Science Medical Science Therapy Committee. I fail to understand why the Committee has not proclaimed the diet of Canadian Air Force pilots (the high-protein, high-fat and low-carbohydrate diet known as the “point-diet”) as extremely harmful, why the diet advocated for many years by Dr Atkins was not described as extremely harmful. Both of these diets can indeed, at times, be harmful since their descriptive criteria are not precise and thus this may lead to mistakes on the part of their followers, e.g., too high a consumption of protein or too low a consumption of carbohydrate, producing negative effects in their bodies.

The optimal diet implemented precisely cannot be harmful and that has been proven in scientific studies. Adjunct Dr W. Ponomarenko working with Prof. Rafalski, in a letter dated 26.05 1994 wrote to Prof. T. Kozluk: “Based on the positive opinion given by our institution with regard to the competence in the area of nutrition, Dr Jan Kwasniewski led the Academy of Health Arkadia. From direct contacts with patients I was able to ascertain the effectiveness of the diet in the treatment of obesity, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and other diseases. (…) The composition of the optimal diet draws reservations from dietitians and cardiologists because of its high content of saturated animal fat. However, Dr Kwasniewski proves that saturated fats are “damaging” only in the presence of a certain amount of carbohydrate in diet...

Such reasoning is in agreement with contemporary biochemical knowledge as well as practical observations. There are solid indications that “optimal diet” can be used with good results in the treatment of many pathological conditions”. The optimal diet is based on basic science. It is in agreement with all the laws of physics and chemistry, according to which all modern technological devices operate. Official contemporary dietetics recommends following nutritional rules based on beliefs or on pathological opinions whilst totally omitting knowledge, and that cannot be done with impunity.

Jan Kwasniewski

A letter from Professor Julian Aleksandrowicz

I have familiarised myself with the work of the medical practitioner, Jan Kwasniewski entitled, "The influence of nutrition on the biological and cultural evolution of man." This work has significantly enriched the literature concerned with the scientific principles of nutrition. The author has assembled an extensive material from the field of cultural determinants of the health and the disease, dependent on the type of nutrition during a particular period.

The ideas, which are represented by he medical practitioner, Jan Kwasniewski are supported scientifically, especially in terms of the prevention of the diseases of civilisation, but also afford major practical benefits. Considering the fact that in difficult conditions, separated from scientific centres, he was able to create original concepts, I believe that his ideas deserve support, regardless of their final verification.

Prof. Julian Aleksandrowicz
Head of Haematology Clinic, Medical Academy, Kraków