Two Disturbing Articles

Two articles this past week disturbed me. The first was an article from the UK reporting on a problem with GPs (general practitioners) resisting providing care for dementia patients. When asked by homes for their services they either insist on more money, will only go off hours or decline to go at all.

Sure, part of me is outraged at that, but another part shrugs the shoulder and thinks “their loss.” I understand the reasons for their reticence. Patience is one of the two necessary “Ps” of caregiving (the other being Positivity). Any service for a dementia patient is likely to take twice as long as normal; a certain type of GP will bemoan the waste of time (not the type of GP I ever want, but western civilization breeds attitudes of time is money and self-interest is more important than altruism).

I realize as well that there are dementia patients who are nightmares for caregivers … or health care providers. As the mind is ravaged and a person is stripped to his/her essence, that essence can be frightening. Yet that’s not the case with Cindy, nor with many who have dementia. There are patients whose essence are warmth and kindness; attributes that radiate for those around them like sunshine. As with most things, the good comes with the bad. If a GP refuses to attend to the bad they will also miss out on the good.

I know of at least one primary care physician who delights in the good of dementia patients, our own. Patricia Tracey of the UConn Medical Health Center always leaves us with the impression that we brightened her day just by coming in. It’s more than just an impression. She follows my blog; she almost went to Cindy’s birthday party in February (because she read about it on the blog); and we do most of our communicating via email. What a huge waste of “time is money” that is! (Hi Patty, this one’s for you. Feel free to comment if you wish.)

The other article reported on the brain health benefits of cocoa. Usually I post articles like that on my Humanity Hiker Facebook page. I was about to do that with this one even though I’ve reported on the health benefits of cocoa a few times. The article was written poorly, infused with repetitive one sentence paragraphs, but still I was going to share the article because, what the heck, everyone likes to read it’s OK to have chocolate!

still life of cocoa

Then I got to the last sentence of the article. Most chocolate, such as milk chocolate, is infused with processed sugar, thus negating the health benefits. We likely will have to wait until they provide 100% cocoa in supplements to benefit our health, so claims the article.

Bull****. Absolute bull****.

First, the research I’ve seen indicates 85% cocoa is what we should shoot for in our “chocolate diets.” Second, this recommendation is for the typical American lifestyle, a lifestyle with insufficient exercise. Get plenty of exercise and I have no doubt that 60% cocoa, which is easy to obtain and affordable, will serve you well with the antioxidant flavonols provided. Third, a powdered form of 100% cocoa already exists; a great many homes that bake might have a jar on their counter right now.

Admittedly, we take supplements, but never have supplements proved as effective as the same nutrients being obtained through diet. Here’s a rule of thumb: never take a medication if a supplement can do the job; never take a supplement if diet can do the job. The ever present marketing for us to do otherwise is for profit; much like the motivation of GPs who don’t want to visit dementia patients.