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Devitalized Foods and Physical Degeneration
Excerpts from Nutrition and Physical Degeneration. Published in Modern Nutrition, Vol. 15, No. 1, January 1962.
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The scientific studies of Weston A. Price show clearly and dramatically the dental and physical deterioration of healthy primitives when they adopt the processed foods of modern civilization.
To acquire this material, Dr. Price traveled over one hundred thousand miles to places so remote that he could reach some of them only with special assistance from officials of the region, who arranged plane, or devious pack-trip or native river craft transportation. He investigated primitive racial stocks including both isolated and modernized groups in Switzerland, the Hebrides, Alaska, North, West and Central Canada, Western United States and Florida, on eight archipelagos of the Southern Pacific, Eastern and Central Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Peru and in the Amazon Basin.
Because the same degenerative changes are taking place in our own families and among the people about us, we believe it is imperative that everyone see this correlation, in order to understand that modern processed, chemically treated foods, raised on depleted soils, lead to human degeneration in its many complex forms.
Dr. Price has bequeathed his entire scientific collection, including about 15,000 photographs, 4000 hand-colored slides, the book which records many of his scientific observations, a classic in its field, Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, to the American Academy of Applied Nutrition, and the illustrated lecture film strip.
From this inspiring book, the following material has been taken, and from time to time other chapters will be reviewed, with permission from the Weston A. Price Committee of the A.A.A.N.
Isolated and Modernized Eskimos
During the rise and fall of historic and prehistoric cultures that have often left their monuments and arts following each other in succession in the same location, one culture, the Eskimo, living on until today, brings us a robust sample of the Stone Age people. The Maya race is gone, but has left its monuments. The Indian race is rapidly changing or disappearing in North America. The Eskimo race has remained true to ancestral type to give us a living demonstration of what Nature can do in the building of a race competent to withstand for thousands of years the rigors of an Arctic climate. Like the Indian, the Eskimo thrived as long as he was not blighted by the touch of modern civilization, but with it, like all primitives, he withers and dies.
In his primitive state he has provided an example of physical excellence and dental perfection such as has seldom been excelled by any race in the past or present…
Many reports have been made with regard to the condition of the teeth of the Eskimos. Doubtless, all have been relatively authentic for the groups studied, which have been chiefly along the routes of commerce. Clearly those people would not represent the most primitive groups, which could only be located beyond the reach of contact with modern civilization. The problems involved strongly suggested the desirability of locating and studying Eskimos in isolated districts. While dog teams could furnish means of approach in the winter season, they would not be available for summer travel.
Accordingly, our program for making these field studies among the Eskimos in 1933 required transportation over long distances and into districts where travelling facilities were practically non-extent by other means than by modern airplane. Mrs. Price accompanies and assists me with my records. Our itinerary included steamship service to Seward in western Alaska and railway to Anchorage, where an airplane was chartered which carried us to various districts in western and central Alaska…
Magnificent Muscular Development
One does not get a conception of the magnificent dental development of the more primitive Eskimos simply by learning that they have freedom from dental caries. The size and strength of the mandible [the lower jaw], the breadth of the face and the strength of the muscles of mastication all reach a degree of excellence that is seldom seen in other races. I was told that an average adult Eskimo man can carry one hundred pounds in each hand and one hundred pounds in his teeth with ease for a considerable distance. This illustrates the physical development of other parts of the body as well as the jaws, and suggests that the exercising of the jaws is not the sole reason for their very fine teeth, since the superb development of the musculature includes all parts of the body. It has also been suggested that chewing of tough foods, by building teeth of exceptionally fine quality, has been an important factor in the establishment of immunity to caries. As will be shown presently, the teeth of these individuals with their excellent physical development and fine tooth structure develop caries [dental decay] when they depart from their native foods and adopt our modern foods.
One is continually impressed with the magnificent health of the child life. In our various contacts with them we never heard an Eskimo child crying except when hungry, or frightened by the presence of strangers. The women are characterized by the abundance of breast-food which almost always develops normally and is maintained without difficulty for a year. The mothers were completely free of dental caries, and I was told that the children of the Eskimos have no difficulties with the cutting of their teeth.
One important phase of modern degeneration, namely, change in facial and dental arch form and other physical expressions, is of interest. It is a matter of great significance that the Eskimos who are living in isolated districts and on native foods have produced uniformly broad dental arches and typical Eskimo facial patterns. Even the first generation forsaking that diet and using the modern diet, presents large numbers of individuals with marked changes in facial and dental arch form. The photographs show four Eskimo girls who are of the first generation following the adoption of modernized foods by their parents. All have deformed dental arches. It is important to note the pattern of the settling inward of the lateral incisors and the crowding outward of the cuspids. This facial design is currently assigned to a mixing of racial bloods. These girls are pure-blooded Eskimos whose parents have normally formed dental arches.
While dental arch deformities or crowded teeth are practically unknown among many of the primitive groups of Eskimos, they occur frequently in the first generation of children born after the parents have adopted the white man’s foods. Note the narrow nostrils and changed facial form of these children. This is not due to thumb sucking.
Native Foods
We are particularly concerned with the foods used by these primitive Eskimos. They almost always have their homes on or near deep water. Their skill in handling their kayaks is most remarkable. During the salmon running season they store large quantities of dried salmon. They spear many of these fish from their kayaks; even young boys are very skillful. They land salmon so large that they can hardly lift them. Seal oil provides a very important part of their nutrition. As each piece of fish is broken off, it is dipped in seal oil.
The fish are hung on racks in the wind for drying. Fish eggs are also spread out to dry. These foods constitute a very important part of the nutrition of the small children after they are weaned. They are also used to increase the fertility of the women.
The food of these Eskimos in their native state includes caribou, ground nuts which are gathered by mice and stored in caches, kelp which is gathered in season and stored for winter use, berries including cranberries which are preserved by freezing, blossoms of flowers preserved in seal oil, sorrel grass preserved in seal oil, and quantities of frozen fish. Another important food factor consists of the organs of the large animals of the sea, including certain layers of the skin of one of the species of whale, which has been found to be very high in vitamin C.
Modern Foods Destroying Eskimos
Unless a very radical change is made in the interference with the native supply of game and sea foods, the Eskimo population seems destined to have a rapid decline and an early extinction. Their primitive fish foods have been largely curtailed by the encroachment on their salmon streams made by modern canneries.
Editor’s note: Since the era in which this article was written, society’s understanding of respectful terminology when referring to ethnic and cultural groups has evolved, and some readers may be offended by references to “primitive” people and other out-of-date terminology. However, this article has been archived as a historical document, and so we have chosen to use Price’s exact words in the interest of authenticity. No disrespect to any cultural or ethnic group is intended.