I was once told by a friend that chiropractors leave half of their income lying on the table. The two of us had been discussing what it took to be successful in practice, and my friend was talking about finding the cause of a patient's problem and removing it instead of adjusting to relieve symptoms.

If we apply that concept to subluxation-based nutrition, then we realize that we should be looking for the cause of the subluxation and correcting or removing that before we begin our therapeutic measures. In other words, the money is in the diagnosis, not the therapy. Nutritionally speaking, that may appear to be a difficult thing to do. There is always some new and complex theory to learn and apply, in addition to the intricate biochemical and physiological interrelationships of vitamins and minerals in the body.

In this series, Part 1 dealt with the most general and obvious diet-related symptoms, those that could be related to protein, carbohydrate, or fat. Part 2 discussed those symptom-patterns related exclusively to protein. In this third and final series column, I will discuss those symptoms related to carbohydrates and to fats or lipids.

Nothing could be easier to spot than a problem related to carbohydrates because carbohydrates are used by the body for one thing: energy. Now, understand that both protein and fat can be converted to glucose as needed. How is it that the most common complaint all doctors hear concerns fatigue? Let's take a closer look at a carbohydrate deficiency caused by either inadequate intake or inability to digest and metabolize.

Carbohydrate is a collective name that includes fiber, starch, and sugars. It is the primary source of energy for the body, although 57% of our protein intake normally is converted to glucose for energy. Fat also can be converted to glucose, although inefficiently, when needed as an additional source of glucose.

The Atkins Diet advocates a low-carbohydrate diet to lose weight. It attempts to pull stored fat as a continual source of energy. This can be effective to some extent, but converting fat to glucose is a very inefficient process that produces ketones as a by-product. Ketones are a waste product that greatly acidifies the body, causes fatigue, dehydration, and loss of energy!

While protein and fat can be substituted for energy production, a total lack of carbohydrates in the diet causes some very unpleasant symptoms, similar to those seen in starvation. The body loses sodium and water which results in rapid weight loss. The loss of sodium from the blood pulls potassium from the cells which results in weakness, constipation, mental abnormalities, and joint stiffness. All symptoms of potassium deficiency are intimately related to symptoms of sympathetic dominance. Without a doubt, we all see these symptoms every day.

Although we know that carbohydrate is a essential dietary component, we do not know how much is needed. Diets with as little as 60 grams of carbohydrate will prevent the symptoms of starvation. Most authorities feel it is not prudent to go below 100 grams per day.

What are the most commonly encountered symptoms of essential fatty acid deficiency? The essential fatty acids-linoleic, linolenic, and arachidonic-are known to cure dermatitis and to restore growth to young animals fed a fat-deficient diet.

All three essential fatty acids are precursors for prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are hormone-like substances that are produced and used within a tissue rather than being transported to other tissues. They stimulate contraction of smooth muscle in blood vessels thus affecting blood pressure. They also promote conception, induce labor, effect spontaneous abortion, and regulate transmission of nerve signals.

Other lipid-related substances like phospholipids and cholesterol are essential for health.

Phospholipids are water-soluble and increase the solubility of fats and keep them in an emulsified state. The most common phospholipid is lecithin, a necessary ingredient in cell walls. Sterols are lipid-related substances and include cholesterol and vitamin D, among others.

Cholesterol is essential for the formation of sex hormones, bile salts, and for the myelin sheath protection around nerve fibers. It is found in animal fats but is absent in vegetable fats. Since it can be synthesized in the body, dietary restriction is useless because the body simply makes what it needs. The answer to lowering cholesterol lies in its delivery system (plasma proteins), not in restricting its production.