Hidden Sources: Finding the Truth

"Not enough potential readers""publishers doubted the interest in a book about gastrointestinal disease"

In my last article, I wrote about a book called Gut and Psychology Syndrome: Natural Treatment for Autism, Dyspraxia, A.D.D., Dyslexia, A.D.H.D., Depression, Schizophrenia by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride. Since reading that book, I have been considering purchasing a book recommended by Dr. Campbell-McBride, Breaking the Vicious Cycle by Elaine Gottschall.

I came across a YouTube video featuring an interview with Elaine Gottschall, the author of Breaking the Vicious Cycle. The interview was uploaded on March 25, 2021, and has 6,913 views.

In the comments section of the video, I encountered the following observations from four distinct individuals (undoubtedly, there are many others, but I cannot include them all here; I encourage you to view the comment section yourself):

1. “This book saved my life. I was sick for three years with Crohn’s disease, and medications didn’t work. Doctors wanted to perform surgery and give me a colostomy bag. I refused, then went off all medications when I got home from the hospital and followed all-natural methods. I found this book, and within three months, I was symptom- and pain-free. I am now 7.5 years in remission—no medications, no doctors, no symptoms. Back to living my life. This woman is a hero, and I thank her for this book. If I had listened to the doctors, I’d probably be dead right now.”

2. “This book saved me. I almost had surgery for ulcerative colitis. It’s now been in remission for over ten years. It took a while for the diet to start working, but when it did, it was life-changing. Elaine Gottschall is like an angel to me; I don’t have words to express my gratitude.”

3. “My 9-month-old received a diagnosis with a ‘she’ll live with this forever’ prognosis. I refused to accept it. I was uneducated about diet and was feeding her a lot of sweet potatoes and corn. After a month of dietary changes, her skin is healing, she is more energetic, and she’s such a happy baby! Trust God more than you trust your doctor, because, as Elaine saw herself, many doctors don’t know what they’re talking about.”

4. “I was diagnosed with UC pancolitis in 2012 and started the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) immediately while taking mesalamine. Over the next few years, I experienced some ups and downs, but ultimately, I was symptom-free for seven years. Gradually, I returned to a normal diet. Unfortunately, my symptoms reappeared earlier this year. My doctor suggested a biologic drug, but I chose to focus on my diet, eating meat and SCD yogurt until my symptoms subsided, and I received a clean fecal calprotectin test. Now, I’m symptom-free again.
   The only pharmaceutical I’ve taken since my diagnosis (when I was on prednisone) is mesalamine, which I don’t mind using as I believe it provides an additional safeguard. It seems that many others with pancolitis are turning to biologics and often experience a poor quality of life that worsens over time. For me, while UC has been frustrating at times, my life has been wonderful.
   I strongly believe this approach works, but it requires complete dedication and diligence. There can’t be any moments of weakness or mistakes. I think my occasional consumption of unallowed foods in the first few years hindered my progress significantly. I plan to stick with the SCD until I’m symptom-free for at least one year, after which I might consider loosening my diet again, hoping to achieve another seven years without symptoms.
   I’m firmly convinced that dysbiosis in the gut microbiome plays a crucial role in UC, and I believe this can be improved through dietary changes. Thank you, Elaine Gottschall; your book has greatly improved my life.”

I highly recommend reading the comments on numerous YouTube videos of this nature; you will discover that many individuals have empowered themselves by gaining a deeper understanding of their “enigmatic” ailments than any physician could offer.

I am uncertain about the age of the interview; I can only surmise that it dates back to the 1980s or 1990s. What truly resonated with me during the interview was a statement by Elaine, which I believe encapsulates the phenomenon that occurs when individuals uncover liberating information: the source is suppressed. This is not a novel occurrence, and we continue to witness it unfold here on Substack and other corporate platforms, at least in my observation.

She said:

“We wrote the first book called Food and the Gut Reaction, which became a bestseller in Canada. Initially, publishers doubted the interest in a book about gastrointestinal disease, claiming there weren’t enough potential readers. However, I have news for them: there are at least 10 million people in North America alone who are interested in this topic. The book educates readers about the digestive tract without requiring them to follow a specific diet. After two years of the book being out, I appeared on a TV show in Toronto for 10 minutes. In just 10 days after the appearance, we shipped out 23,000 books, demonstrating a clear demand for this hard-to-find information. Libraries are overwhelmed with requests for it.”

If Elaine were to establish a Substack today, would it be subject to a shadow ban? I suspect it very well might. Given that these ailments remain shrouded in mystery, the only rationale for this could be that the insights in her writings, along with other literary contributions since, present a formidable challenge to a system intent on profiting from “mysterious” and “untreatable” conditions that continue to afflict countless individuals.