Nutrition and Physical Degeneration: A Comparison of Primitive and Modern Diets and Their Effects

interesting book if you are in to this type of thing , pictures too...

I admit I bought the book because of the cover, and at first I thought the lists of dental surveys would be a good way of treating insomnia, but this extraordinary work had defined and identified refined carbohydrates and poor diet as the causes of the rise in the 20th century chronic diseases epidemic, before they had really taken hold.You have to allow for what now seems very politically incorrect and offensive terminology for describing disease and patients, but the descriptive language is of it’s time. If you have any knowledge of genetics, science, medicine or diet, even the first chapters describing behavioural disorders linked with poor diet, and the emphasis throughout on maternal diet , had already identified links with what appears to be recognising the emergence of, and describing autistic spectrum disorders, learning and educational disabilities and mental health disorders, ( as well as the later chapters describing anatomical deformity, and poor immunity) years before these were ever defined and labelled, or the genetic and biochemical basis of the diseases processes they were describing, had been found.Having grown up in New Zealand in the 70’s, the most shocking aspect for me was to realise the how quickly the western diet had decimated the health of the Maori people’s, in 40 years, going from western price’s “most magnificent race in the world” living on a traditional diet of native seafood, to a people afflicted by diabetes and coronary heart disease as young adults. What angers me most is that this knowledge about westernised diet with refined carbohydrates and sugar was widely known decades before the introduction of farm subsidies that encouraged production and the poisoning of the population with this stuff. Western price must have had the ear of the government’s of all of the country’s he visited, to have had the access he did to remote populations, it is a pity they hadn’t listened to his findings. The whole world would be a healthier happier place.

When I was young, I always wondered how people in the olden days brushed their teeth without toothpaste. To me, I had always been told if you don't brush your teeth they will fall out so it struck me how people used to live before toothpaste was even a thing. I just assumed they had bad teeth! This book tells a very different story and shows, via case studies and evidence, that those on low carb diets had almost no cavities throughout their life. This isn't simply no sugar, no cavities, it goes deeper showing how the very structure of the teeth and facial bones is affected from poor diet. The studies from all corners of the earth tell a sad story of how humans have forgotten how to eat for health and far and how far we have moved backwards. These indigenous people who have kept to their old diets are lean, healthy, have almost no disease and have the most incredible teeth despite not brushing them daily. There is also a fascinating section on pregnancy and how diet affects unborn babies. A must read!

A book which is rarely read....i found out about it on my macrobioitics levels courses at kushi institute in 2012....highly intreasting and researched by this dentist who was clearly ahead of his time. ive recc it to many ptractitioners in health....nutritionists, therapists etc....its not well known...fascinating read of a study that is well researched & not much is known about. The distinct changes re diet in countries where good health teeth etc were a given and then the change in natural diets and foods lifestyle affects is quite dramatic looking at the generations.....A must for anybody whose studying or intreased in dietary influences!! *****

I originally bought the version published by Benediction Classics which has only 411 pages of 21 Chapters, my fault for being stingy. So I ended up also buying the Price Pottenger version 528 pages 31 Chapters as I did not know what information I was missing. The book was fascinating and an essential read to see how the "modern" way of feeding ourselves and not looking after the land means we are depriving our bodies of essential minerals and fat-soluble activators . This was know about in the 1930s we are less physically well than our great-grand parents and "Primitive" people are being decimated by modern food ie sugar, jam white bread etc.

Outstanding read.Amazing discoveries made by W.Price after visiting indigenous people in the Arctic,the Scottish Hebrides, Australia,New Zealand, Polynesia and Africa.

It has only 21 chapters, yellow pages. As I read on the comment section the Price Pottenger edition has 31 chapters. I'll return this edition ant buy that one.

Sometimes the older the book the better the information, unbiased by corrupt industries. Weston accepts science hasn't all the answers so goes for the evolutionary angle!!