Nothing is more dangerous than bad science driven by arrogance. Readers here are very much aware of this when it comes to climate science. Yet, as surprising as it may sound, the problem of junk science is even far worse in the field of Nutrition.
Book (right) available at Amazon.
Recently I read a book written by Dr. Weston Price, published in 1938 – almost 80 years ago: Nutrition and Physical Degeneration.
Weston Price was an American dentist who had been shocked by the wave of physical degeneration he observed among patients, who suffered tremendously from caries and facial deformities, along with the number of crippling diseases that seemed to accompany it.
To find out what was happening, he journeyed to many remote regions across the globe to study “primitive” tribes and people who were still isolated from “modern” living. What he found was stunning and revealing: These people were in tremendous physical and mental condition. He observed that physical degeneration had little to do with genetics, was mostly nutrition-based, and that it took only one generation to turn a physically superior community of people into a health and societal basket case.
He journeyed to isolated areas of the globe where the so-called “primitive” people relied on their own local natural food sources and customs for nourishment and health. Their practices had been perfected over generations. Price examined tens of thousands of teeth, facial forms, dental arches of not only living persons, but also of exhumed skulls. He found near dental perfection and few modern diseases among them. Health was at an impeccable level.
No matter if it was a community in Switzerland or Polynesians in the South Pacific, those who relied on their traditional food staples were in a state of excellent health and near physical perfection.
Throughout the book Price describes natives of great physical strength, well-being, keen intelligence and near zero crime rates within their communities. Cancer, heart disease and metabolic syndrome – our modern diseases – were almost non-existent. But as soon as these peoples and tribes came into contact with western “modern” nutrition, their health deteriorated rapidly and dramatically.
What follow are sample photos of what Dr. Price typically found. It did not matter where or what race he examined. They were all healthy and shared a common denominator: excellent animal-based nutrition.
Isolated communities living on “primitive” diets had near perfect health. Rates of caries were close to zero. Shown above is a sample of people from various locations around the globe. Modern diseases were rare. Photos: Weston Price Foundation
It was only when the “modern” western foods of “civilization” – comprising in large part sugar, white flour, syrups, polished rice and canned goods – were introduced by the whites did a profound and rapid deterioration in the health of these isolated tribes and groups take place.
Price often observed parents of superior physique, facial form and dental health – but whose children had been ravaged by caries, deformed dental arches and poor health because they had switched to the “modern foods”.
As was common back in the early 20th century, “experts” often blamed the facial deformities and poor health on race mixing. Another scientific debacle.
What follows is a table showing a selection of isolated, “primitive” tribes and peoples that Price studied, and who had robust physiques and health. Note the very low rates of caries – all without the need for “modern” dentistry.
The above table is just a sampling of many tribes and peoples Price studied.
But once the modern western foods were introduced, many of these healthy societies literally collapsed. What the diseases of the encroaching “modern” civilization didn’t kill off, the newly introduced “modern” foods did the rest, laying many of these once healthy societies to waste.
When we look at the above tables, it is clear that one thing stands out: The common food staples necessary for good health are in large part made up of natural, animal-based foods such as fish, shellfish, organ meat, animal fat, dairy, vegetables, plant life, insects and some fruit.
In short: their diets were as remote of a vegan or vegetarian diet as one could possibly get. Price writes that many of these tribes and peoples also had advanced medical, veterinary and engineering skills, which also were lost since the invasion of “modern” junk food.
The key component to these healthy individuals was animal product. Price confirmed it in his book.
Western society is deep in the Nutrition Dark Ages
It becomes clear that our modern nutrition has completely diverged from what the human species was originally designed to consume. Worse, it is evident that modern nutrition risks diverging even further away as junk diet fads such as veganism are being promoted as the way to health. Here many greens are unwittingly advocating the worst of both worlds.
The truth today, as Price reveals, is that our modern society is deep in the Dark Ages of Nutrition and it’s going to take a lot of time, effort, education and resources to crawl back out of that abysmal pit. Unfortunately many more tens of millions in western society will further suffer from the ravages of our “modern” food before things get better. The burden risks collapsing our entire society if something is not done soon.
Of course no one advocates returning to “primitive” life standards. But why isn’t it possible to integrate the advanced nutrition of these isolated natives with our modern society?
Today tens of millions are suffering and dying from metabolic syndrome and its related diseases. Hundreds of millions more are at high risk. It is one of the great scientific catastrophes of human history.
What is needed is a Nutrition Renaissance – and quickly.
Oops. I see duplicated the above table – but now it is fixed – 10 locations/tribes.
A paper found in another discussion group:
http://gpcpublishing.com/index.php?journal=gjp&page=article&op=view&path%5B%5D=443
Documentation of the solar activity variations and it’s influence on climate
Dimitris Poulos
Abstract
The four planets that influence the most the solar surface through tidal forcing seem to affect the Earth climate. A simple two cosine model with periods 251 years, of the seasonality of the Earth – Venus syzygies, and 265.4 years, of the combined syzygies of Jupiter and Mercury with Earth when Earth is in synod with Venus, fits well the Northern Hemisphere temperatures of the last 1000 years as reconstructed by Jones et al (1998). The physical mechanism proposed is that planetary gravitational forces drive solar activity that in turn drives temperature variations in earth. The sun is in a boundary balance state at one hand collapsing due to gravity and at the other hand expanding due to fusion, and as such it should be heavily influenced by minimal external forcings such as planetary gravity. Sound waves in the solar mass, created from the planetary movement, are responsible for the formation of solar corona and sun spots. The Earth-Venus 251 year resonance is resonant to a near surface solar layer’s thermal natural frequency that “explodes” to form solar wind. The calculated solar wind properties match the observed.
In this household, we’ve cut down a lot of carbs and we eat a lot of meat and fewer processed food (packets). Our health is steadily improving. I have found that the biggest thing to cause harm has been additives, particularly sulphites.
When I chopped those out, my breathing improved, as did my sleep. Most importantly for me was the complete clearing up of arthritis in my knees and the chronic pain I had there. I could barely walk. Now I am pain free. I’m no spring chicken, but being pain free has me looking at a happier old age ahead instead of one of misery and suffering (I am 58).
I would also like to say that the films you posted some time ago now (The Oiling of America and the other one at the same time) helped to steer us onto a healthier path. Many thanks to you for that.
I should also point out that the RSI in my writs cleared up totally as did my Better Half’s gout. We ditched packets and tins. We mostly have what I call “granny’s diet” meaning if you have to pick it, peel it or chop it, it’s probably okay. But my knees – my knees were the worst, and for the reprieve there I am most thankful. I am totally pain free. That’s with no medication, I might add.
Glad to hear it. I’ve done the same as you, eliminating much of the processed sugars and oils. The change in health I’ve experienced really stunned me. It’s amazing that we’ve managed to put man on the moon, but have gotten all confused about what to eat.
A friend recently sent me this
https://youtu.be/4aFxzAZdv7Y
I haven’t vetted it, but if it’s accurate, there’s yet another fine mess processed foods have gotten us into.
Worth looking into, I think.
Piers you missed a story. Bloomberg did a story about Germany having a 100% renewables day.
Yes a there is a debunk .. it was indeed faulty provisional data
Reports of 100% renewable power in Germany vastly overstated
The warmist blog posts will not get corrected cos with them ..It’s not about truth, it’s about PR.
and correction statement from Agora
..I guess further into the summer there could be sunny windy days ..and the line could be crossed.
I think bread is dangerous, especially white bread. It has a glucos index above plain table sugar. After reading the book “Grain Brain” (Amazon) I am convinced.
I can eat 3-4 slices of commercial white bread a day…
.. any more and I get tummy issues.
White bread is bad …only refined carbs. I’d stay away from it.
I do, as much as I can..
But when there is are free sausage sangers at work…
….. what’s a guy to do. !
Of course, time to time is okay. Life is also meant to be enjoyed.
I work in a field where the regular free sausage sizzle is mandated. 🙂
And darned if I am going to let the students hog them all. !! 🙂
I read Wheat Belly by Davis, and I stopped glutens. But I realized that was an overly radical step because in my case I don’t have gluten issues. Now I eat modest amounts of pumpernickel made of whole rye. My digestion is better, I found. Every person is different, and each has to experiment to find out what’s best for him/herself.
Wheat Belly – that was it. We started there, cutting out all flour, but occasionally it would sneak back in. Then, when we started looking at additives as well, we found that shop bought bread contains one of the harmful additives. Even the bread mix has it in the supermarket, so now we make our own bread using plain ingredients (not pre-mixed ingredients) and find it doesn’t cause the same problems. We keep it to small amounts, one small loaf every couple of weeks.
Sulphites are in all wine (fortunately NOT in spirits, or I’d be quite miserable about it), it’s also sprayed on a lot of greens in the supermarkets, like lettuce and grapes to keep them looking fresh.
I agree that it seems each must find their own way. It’s a mess that should never have happened. We trust too much.
Add sourdough to that, and you’ll have better taste (imo), and reduced gluten (sourdough degrades it).
Also, here’s an expert who agrees that if you aren’t having issues, it’s not necessary to deprive yourself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8e_cK5pbM4
You’re right. I went gluten-free after reading Wheat Belly by Davis, though I wasn’t gluten-intolerant. Since then I’ve relaxed and now eat the pumpernickel type of stuff with rough grains. Critical is to eliminate the refined carbs, sugars, flours etc. I’m also a big believer in supplementing, as many food staples are lacking minerals, trace elements and vitamins. One doesn’t have to be paleo, but many should get nearer to it.
Most important supplement is zinc histidin; militarizes your immune system (literally. Defense enzymes produced by white immune cells need a zinc ion as their tip to be able to properly impale invaders)
@Pierre:
Yes, and since a friend recently sent me this,
https://youtu.be/4aFxzAZdv7Y
I’m a lot more careful about having even brown rice with my beef, though I can’t imagine why the mix would cause an almost doubling of insulin response to the carbs.
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@DirkH:
Thanks. I had forgotten that. But aren’t those of us who eat a lot of beef getting sufficient zinc?
RE – the white rice and protein video.
As it turns out, the purveyor of that video is Dr. Greger, who is a Pritikin enthusiast. He doesn’t like red meat. So, that’s a red flag on it right there. Sorry about that.
I’ve done Pritikan years ago. It’s probably why I no longer have a gall bladder.
“Thanks. I had forgotten that. But aren’t those of us who eat a lot of beef getting sufficient zinc?”
Probably, eggs help as well. Nevertheless I add some pils in flu season. It’s possible but difficult to overdose; you notice from a metallic taste and feeling sick so just stop there. I tested that.
yonason 27. May 2016 at 7:55 PM | Permalink
“As it turns out, the purveyor of that video is Dr. Greger, who is a Pritikin enthusiast. He doesn’t like red meat. So, that’s a red flag on it right there. Sorry about that. ”
Interesting nonetheless. Never heard about that. I wonder if it has been checked for sugar content of industrial sauces. You know, comparing rice alone to rice + ketchup + tuna or the likes. Ketchup is totally sugary, the hotter the more sugar. Nobody eats a bowl of rice, some fish or tuna and no sauce to go with it. Which might be oil-based and not sugary at all.
“I wonder if it has been checked for sugar content of industrial sauces.” – DirkH
They do use a lot of sweet sauces, don’t they! I didn’t think of that. What I thought of was “enriched” rice, which I never eat because it used to make me quite sick. No idea why, though since neither brown nor non-enriched white rice causes me any problems, it must be something in the added ingredients.
But, yeah, all the sweet and sour this and that. If that’s how they eat it there as well, then you could be right.
I tried to save this page on my home computer – only to find it could not be read. I have been convinced sugar and diet sparked my diabetes – which is rampant in society. First advice from the nutritionist ? Eat real food.
John, assuming you are Type 2, I think it is reasonably well established that just as you eat your way into it, you can eat your way out within a few months.
Type 1 is a different animal, and it will take a while to find a cure for that.
AndyG55.
Read the book. Available in kindle version. It also describes how wheat has been “evolved” since humanity first started to eat it. Being informed is never wrong
Richard Mackarness “Eat Fat and Stay Slim” 1958 – A simple explanation of how most people get fat and how they can easily become slim again without starving or enduring unpleasant diets (A Quick Guide)
Thanks. Here’s a link for those who want to purchase it.
http://www.amazon.com/Eat-Grow-Slim-Richard-Mackarness/dp/0006338089
Nutritionists may be responsible for more deaths than Hitler and Stalin. Of course if you want to reduce global population by 90% or more, obesity may be just as effective as starvation, and more profitable.
The battle against “consensus” nutrition advice will be a long one, at least in the UK. Recently a major charity produced a report against the low-fat consensus diet advice, it was covered with reasonable balance by the BBC, but they had a long line of scientists and a govt department to condemn the report.
A major problem for science seems to be the egos of those who have done well out of mistakes.
I find it difficult to get this information to some people. Friends and family don’t want to know and don’t want to take responsibility for what they put in their mouths. I send them links, which they don’t follow, reports they don’t read and talk to them and get argument back about how I’m being “led astray” and that “doctors know best”. They put down my own remarkable recovery as coincidence.
So now, sad as it is, I keep my mouth shut as they slide into their own health issues, aches and pains and diseases. It’s frustrating – I can’t get through to them on global warming issues either. They think I’m a nut case.
So thank goodness for sites like this one! 🙂
Why purchase?? Download free here:
http://www.w8md.com/nutrition_vs_physical_degeneration_dr_weston_price.pdf
Now you have no excuse for not reading it…
Thanks. Myself I like having a real bound copy, and don’t mind paying if it helps the good work of the Price Foundation.
No wonder Americans are some of the most ignorant, if not outright stupid people on the planet. Easy, pliable material for duplicitous politicians to work with.
ASIDE – Rats get cancer from cell phones** – the way dietary cholesterol causes heart disease, i.e., they don’t, really.
http://motls.blogspot.com/2016/05/do-male-rats-using-cell-phones-get.html
(**Never would have happened if it hadn’t been for the Obamaphones!)
Pierre:
You might be interested that the Paleo diet was mentioned FAVOURABLY on TV news here in Adelaide last night. Helped with weight reduction – double that from ‘normal’ dieting (unstated but this was a supervised trial). Favourable comments from the supervisor followed by vague claims that prolonged eating would lead to unspecified health problems. Unfortunately only a news program so no link.
Pierre:
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/the-times/bad-cholesterol-helps-you-live-longer/news-story/9341cf5325f64c0f22573b388806fd24
but I am sure it will be elsewhere e.g. The Times.
“What we found in our detailed systematic review was that older people with high LDL levels — the so-called ‘bad’ cholesterol — lived longer and had less heart disease. Many of us suspected this may be true but the consistency of the results was astonishing. The diet/heart cholesterol hypothesis has been called the greatest scam in the history of medicine. It seems that is right.”
The researchers analysed 19 international studies involving 68,094 elderly people and found that in 92 per cent of cases LDL cholesterol — low-density lipoprotein, or bad cholesterol — did not increase the chance of death caused by heart disease.
They also found that people with high levels of LDL cholesterol were less likely to die prematurely from other diseases, such as cancer.
The results, published in the journal BMJ Open, are the latest from a series of studies that undermine accepted theories involving diet and health.
Pierre:
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/the-times/bad-cholesterol-helps-you-live-longer/news-story/9341cf5325f64c0f22573b388806fd24
but I am sure it will be elsewhere e.g. The Times.
“What we found in our detailed systematic review was that older people with high LDL levels — the so-called ‘bad’ cholesterol — lived longer and had less heart disease. Many of us suspected this may be true but the consistency of the results was astonishing. The diet/heart cholesterol hypothesis has been called the greatest scam in the history of medicine. It seems that is right.”
The researchers analysed 19 international studies involving 68,094 elderly people and found that in 92 per cent of cases LDL cholesterol — low-density lipoprotein, or bad cholesterol — did not increase the chance of death caused by heart disease.
They also found that people with high levels of LDL cholesterol were less likely to die prematurely from other diseases, such as cancer.
The results, published in the journal BMJ Open, are the latest from a series of studies that undermine accepted theories involving diet and health.