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]