Dr. Gott: Beef bone marrow high in dietary cholesterol

Posted: Friday, July 30, 2004

Dear Dr. Gott: I use the beef marrow bone in my cooking. I know it is fatty, but is it high in cholesterol or other substances that could be detrimental to my health? Many years ago, I was told that dietary marrow was healthful.

Dear Reader: Many years ago, we were told that many things were healthful. For example, good, red, marbled beef was considered to be the mainstay of a nutritious diet. However, today's authorities insist that diets high in meat are associated with heart disease and other problems.

More important, animal fat, a rich source of artery-clogging cholesterol, is the perceived bad guy in the fitness scenario. Forget that lard was an essential ingredient in many outstanding baked goods; that butter was what made cream sauces so delicious; that bacon (or sausage) and eggs (preferably fried in butter) were once a standard American breakfast.

Now you ask about bone marrow, and I'm sorry to say that this delicacy also provides unacceptable amounts of dietary cholesterol. You probably should give it up, unless - based on a low blood-cholesterol count - your family physician advises otherwise. Modern nutritionists tout the value of fiber, vegetables, fruits and complex carbohydrates. But who knows? Perhaps the next generation will discover unrecognized but humbling facts about our present dietary preferences, in the manner of the character in the Woody Allen movie "Sleeper" who was fast-frozen and "resuscitated" in the future, only to discover that cigarette smoking was healthful.

As new scientific studies are published, dietary dogma changes. Without some sort of divine knowledge, we have to depend on our scientists to tell us what activities and foods are appropriate. Beef marrow isn't.

To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my health report, "Eating Right for a Healthy Heart." Other readers who would like a copy should send a long, self-addressed, stamped envelope and $2 to Newsletter, P.O. Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title.

Dear Dr. Gott: When I read your recent column about using castor oil to treat arthritis, I immediately purchased some and applied it to my big toe, where I have had painful arthritis for years.

Wonder of wonders, within a week the pain was gone. Thank you so much for your health tip. Keep up your wonderful articles.

Dear Reader: Since I published this novel remedy, I have received several letters from satisfied readers, so there appears to be some justification for using topical castor oil as a cure for the pain of arthritis.

As I previously wrote, I have no idea why this home remedy is effective, and I am awaiting future correspondences from readers who have tried the product with success - or failure.


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