Linda asked earlier (it seems like a year ago now) how dietary
restriction could make sick ferrets better.  THAT is the question of
the century, and the entire reason I have spent so much effort in
detailing the effects of an ad libitum diet.  It has been a long road
because while the effects are simple and easy to observe, the supporting
theory and philosophical constructs are complex, the mechanism is unknown
or controversial, and no published references exist documenting the
effect in ferrets.  So, in order to understand exactly WHAT the dietary
restriction paradigm is, and WHY it is applicable to ferrets, I was
forced to take a slow, explanatory approach.  The response in my personal
mailbox has been overwhelming: each day I receive about a dozen comments
on the extended postings.
 
While the effort has been trying for some- -it is admittedly difficult
for those not trained in the way science works or speaks to follow the
exact type of argument being made- -it has been exhausting for me.  Each
day, after work, after ferret time, and after chores, I have been writing
what amounts to a college-level term paper every couple of nights.  That
requires careful research, cost and effort to obtain references, and
reading, writing, and proofing time.  All of this is in an atmosphere of
extreme nitpicking on the FML, where if a single word is mistakenly used,
or even misinterpreted by the reader, I am forced to stop the process and
make comment.  Most of the objections center about the precise use of a
word, or the lack of understanding a statement.  None have addressed the
real point, or offered a REAL, feasible alternative explanation.  I guess
if you can't see the forest, the best you can do is obsess about the tree.
 
The point is, and I can't stress this part enough, is for the next
half-dozen posts, I will be pushing the theoretical limits of what can
and can't be said about the effects of diet on health.  I will be citing
studies in other species, calling on material from other disciplines, and
drawing conclusions based on relational analogs.  You can comment on as
much as you like, just be aware I will ignore comments until the posts
are finished.  This is hard, time-consuming work, so I need to maximum my
time by increasing efficiency, so I will hold questions until the end.  I
will ignore nit pickers, and suggest they instead argue about how many
angels can dance on the head of a pin.
 
To start, here are three quotes for you to ponder:
 
Mutation Research (1999): "...DR retards noncancer aging-associated
pathologies, such as nephropathy, cardiomyopathy, gastric ulcer and
cataract."
 
Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine (1994):
"Restriction of caloric intake is the ONLY known means of retarding the
aging process.  It extends maximum and median life span, delays and
ameliorates the appearance and severity of age-related disease, and
retards much of the physiological decline associated with aging,
including deterioration of cardiovascular function."
 
Mechanisms of Ageing and Development (1996): "Calorie restriction (CR) is
unique in slowing both the rate of physiological decline and postponing
the rise in age-associated diseases and typically extending the ad
libitum life span by some 30-60%."
 
Bob C
[Posted in FML issue 3964]