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THE WEEKLY
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In unanimous opinion, Supreme Court endorses fiber
November 20, 2008 | Issue 5-25
Pictured: Supreme Court
Justices, who after morning coffee, ruled overwhelmingly to endorse dietary
fiber
WASHINGTON – In a rare case of union, Supreme Court Justices ruled in favor of
the intake of dietary fiber this week, a decision that holds major implications
for future supplement rulings.
In a 9-0 decision handed down Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme
Court ruled non-starch polysaccharides to be an
essential component to a healthy diet, marking the first time the court has
ruled on digestive regulation.
Associate Justice John Paul Stevens wrote the principal
opinion: “The intake of fiber remains and will remain an essential part of daily
consumption, with legumes, wheat bran, and prunes serving to best provide the
benefits of a more-perfect defecation. In the opinion of this court, we can find
no reason, shown by a lack of dissenting opinion, for any person or group of
persons to avoid a recommended 30 to 35 grams of fiber each day.”
While many expected the decision to be a close one
given Justice Kennedy’s, Justice Souter’s, and Justice Ginsberg’s adherence to
the Atkins diet, the 9-0 opinion became the first unanimous ruling by the U.S.
Supreme Court in years. The Justices in question said they put personal
experience aside and ruled for the greater digestive good.
The ruling seems to open the door for favorable rulings
on Vitamin C and calcium, which health activists have been trying to bring
before the high court for years. If those cases can be presented, they will in all
likelihood receive positive rulings from the Justices, even if, as some expect,
President-Elect Barack Obama appoints two new Justices within his first year in
office.
“We know the future president is not particularly
pro-calcium, and we know the vitamin C debate is something he certainly does not
want to get mixed up in for political reasons,” said CNN legal analyst
Jeffrey Toobin. “But even if he succeeds in appointing
Justices who favor Americans’ choice on the supplement issue, it’s almost
impossible the court’s opinion would shift from its current middle-ground view
on diet.”
IN OTHER NEWS
In unanimous
opinion, Supreme Court endorses fiber
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