Dr. Weston Price
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The Political Food Philosophy
Dr. Weston A. Price
(1870-1948), a Cleveland dentist,
suggested that all “Politically Correct” nutrition
is in fact, wrong. In travels around the globe, he observed and noted which
cultures were healthiest along with their practices. He learned that these cultures relied on pure
sources of food, unprocessed, direct from Mother Nature’s “Farm-acy”.
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What Health Myths did Dr. Price De-bunk?
When it
comes to avoiding saturated fats, Price
discovered this to be mistake because they play a vital role in immunity, bone
strength, liver protection and integrity to the cell wall. He believed that
saturated fats are required by your body as they are heart friendly - opposite
to the popular belief.
When it comes to cholesterol, he spoke against limiting it because it is essential for babies and children’s development, the nervous system, and healthy growth of the brain. He expressed that only oxidized cholesterol was bad for heart health.
Polyunsaturated oils have been thought to contribute to premature aging, intestinal problems, learning disabilities, autoimmune diseases, heart disease and cancer. He considered it to be a myth that excessive consumption of Polyunsaturated oils was unhealthy. Polyunsaturated oils (PUFA’s) can be valuable nutrient sources for us when they are obtained in a whole-food form with minimal processing and heating. Once heated or oxidized they wreak havoc on our health, and certain PUFA’s should be avoided altogether such as canola, corn, and soybean oil.
(For a list of healthy Poly and Mono unsaturated fats, a.k.a. PUFAs and MUFAs, print this free shopping guide)
On omitting meat, he disagreed, observing that its absence could negatively impact the nervous system and heart because it’s rich in coenzyme-Q10, L-carnitine, phosphorus, zinc, vitamin B12 and B6.
Limiting the use of eggs he deemed unnecessary, as they contain fatty acids and vitamins that contribute to nervous system and brain health. Animal studies have found that egg-substitutes might actually cause rapid death.
Restriction of salt can actually cause digestive problems as it is important for development and function of the nervous system. He observed that drinking only low-fat milk and consuming lean meat may decrease the amount of fat soluble vitamins needed to assimilate the minerals and proteins in the milk and meat, and expressed that consumption of low fat foods could actually cause depletion of vitamin A and D.
Concerning fat, he observed that consuming only 30 percent of calories from fat may be too low and could lead to fatigue and low blood sugar.
Concerning flour products, Price observed that it was best to avoid this category of foods because most grain products are composed of white flour, which lacks important nutrients. The additives in white flour cause vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Modern research conducted on the effects of gluten further supports Price’s recommendation to avoid this food category. For many reasons, we can see how the dietary recommendation of 6-11 servings of grains each day can be hazardous to health, and that Price was ahead of his time in proclaiming such foods to be unhealthy.
Price was also ahead of his time in expressing that it could only be healthy to consume large quantities of produce if everyone had access to organic produce.
Finally, he discovered that soy products depress thyroid function, inhibit protein digestion, contain potent carcinogens and block mineral absorption. While this has been touted as a modern health food – beware! It most certainly is not.
When it comes to cholesterol, he spoke against limiting it because it is essential for babies and children’s development, the nervous system, and healthy growth of the brain. He expressed that only oxidized cholesterol was bad for heart health.
Polyunsaturated oils have been thought to contribute to premature aging, intestinal problems, learning disabilities, autoimmune diseases, heart disease and cancer. He considered it to be a myth that excessive consumption of Polyunsaturated oils was unhealthy. Polyunsaturated oils (PUFA’s) can be valuable nutrient sources for us when they are obtained in a whole-food form with minimal processing and heating. Once heated or oxidized they wreak havoc on our health, and certain PUFA’s should be avoided altogether such as canola, corn, and soybean oil.
(For a list of healthy Poly and Mono unsaturated fats, a.k.a. PUFAs and MUFAs, print this free shopping guide)
On omitting meat, he disagreed, observing that its absence could negatively impact the nervous system and heart because it’s rich in coenzyme-Q10, L-carnitine, phosphorus, zinc, vitamin B12 and B6.
Limiting the use of eggs he deemed unnecessary, as they contain fatty acids and vitamins that contribute to nervous system and brain health. Animal studies have found that egg-substitutes might actually cause rapid death.
Restriction of salt can actually cause digestive problems as it is important for development and function of the nervous system. He observed that drinking only low-fat milk and consuming lean meat may decrease the amount of fat soluble vitamins needed to assimilate the minerals and proteins in the milk and meat, and expressed that consumption of low fat foods could actually cause depletion of vitamin A and D.
Concerning fat, he observed that consuming only 30 percent of calories from fat may be too low and could lead to fatigue and low blood sugar.
Concerning flour products, Price observed that it was best to avoid this category of foods because most grain products are composed of white flour, which lacks important nutrients. The additives in white flour cause vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Modern research conducted on the effects of gluten further supports Price’s recommendation to avoid this food category. For many reasons, we can see how the dietary recommendation of 6-11 servings of grains each day can be hazardous to health, and that Price was ahead of his time in proclaiming such foods to be unhealthy.
Price was also ahead of his time in expressing that it could only be healthy to consume large quantities of produce if everyone had access to organic produce.
Finally, he discovered that soy products depress thyroid function, inhibit protein digestion, contain potent carcinogens and block mineral absorption. While this has been touted as a modern health food – beware! It most certainly is not.