by Lawrence Wilson, MD

THE WESTON PRICE DIETARY PROGRAM

Weston Price, DDS, was a brilliant dentist who lived about 100 years ago. He toured the world searching for the healthiest human populations, in part to test some theories about nutrition, and also just out of sheer curiosity. He was a careful researcher, and was soon fascinated by the varied diets and lifestyles of the tribes he heard about and sought out around the world. He studied their dental health, their diets, their child-rearing practices, and even their beliefs to try to find out what made them so healthy. He also studied less healthy tribes, and modernized tribes, and was able to compare their diets and lifestyles.

For example, he was amazed that he found no vegetarian groups that were extremely healthy. All the healthiest tribes used animal products. He only found two of the healthiest groups that used dairy products (Switzerland and North Africa), always eaten raw. Dr. Price’s main book, Nutrition And Physical Degeneration, as well as his other writings, stand today as classic nutritional research that should be read by everyone.

Dr. Price’s work is being preserved and expanded by the Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation (PPNF), which makes sure his book is always in print. PPNF also sells a number of other books, including a large cookbook entitled Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon and Mary Enig.

A second organization, the Weston Price Foundation, publishes a journal and has over 500 local chapters, but does not sell books.

CHANGES IN AGRICULTURE, THE ENVIRONMENT AND IN DIETARY SCIENCE REQUIRES CHANGES IN DR. PRICE’S RECOMMENDATIONS

Dr. Price’s excellent research was completed over 100 years ago. The purpose of this article is to examine the teachings of Weston Price in light of much newer research using hair mineral analysis. I find that a number of Dr. Price’s excellent recommendations just do not work well today, and need to be modified due to shifts in agriculture and in society that have taken place over the past 100 years. These important alterations include:

1. Development of the atomic bomb and atomic energy. This has increased the exposure of all people on earth to much higher dosages of ionizing radiation. Sources include A-bomb tests, low level emissions from nuclear power plants, and much greater use of medical and dental x-rays. The main effect is to make the bodies much weaker and more yin in Chinese medical terminology. Cooking more of your food helps offset this more yin condition, although not completely.

2. Widespread use of superphosphate fertilizers, hybrid seeds and modern pesticides and insecticides to grow and raise most of our food. Superphosphate fertilizers definitely have a stimulating effect on plants, which is not all bad. Superphosphates, plus the use of hybrid seeds and pesticides, have allowed much higher crop yields that feed many more people. However, the food is far lower in minerals, vitamins, protein and other nutrients in most cases. This is well-documented in the records from 50 and even 100 years ago of the US Department of Agriculture.

3. Much greater use of processed foods. This has also contributed to far worse nutrition in almost everyone.

4. The widespread use of corn and perhaps other grains instead of hay and pasturing to feed chickens, cows, sheep and other livestock. This has been helpful in some ways, but it has contributed to much lower levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the meat, eggs, and dairy products, even if they are unpasteurized and unhomogenized.

5. Far higher levels of toxic metals and toxic chemicals in the food, air, water and on products we touch or have other direct contact with. This has caused much worse toxic metal and toxic chemical poisoning in the entire population, compared to 100 years ago. It also makes the bodies much more yin.

6. A much faster-paced lifestyle in most people thanks to electrification, modern communications.

7. Much more electromagnetic stress on the bodies due to the use of flat-screen televisions, computers, cell phones and other devices that emit microwaves and other electromagnetic fields. These also make the bodies more yin in Chinese terminology.

8. New ways to preserve food that are fabulous, but can allow pathogens to grow. This, plus the transportation of food long distances, makes eating raw meats, eggs and even vegetables and fruits much less healthful today.

These total effect of the changes above are:

1. A much slower oxidation rate in most people

2. Much worse digestion in most people, even children.

3. A reduced ability to resist many types of diseases, allowing epidemics of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, ADD and other serious conditions that were either non-existent or were practically unknown 100 years ago.

In light of this, let us now discuss several of the Weston Price Foundation recommendations, with some changes I suggest.

THE WESTON PRICE DIETARY SUGGESTIONS

I am very grateful to Dr. Price for his work. However, below are the changes to the Weston Price diet that I have found necessary today in order for people to feel their best. This is based on about 30 years of hair mineral testing and clinical experience:

1. Avoid wheat. In my clinical experience, wheat has been so hybridized and genetically altered that it is sadly no longer a healthful food. It is much higher in glutamine today, and lower in protein, for example, among other changes. Today wheat is an irritating and allergenic food for most people. This is equally true of organically grown whole wheat and even most spelt, a grain that is very similar to wheat.

Until we can return to heirloom seeds from at least 50 years ago, it is best to avoid wheat in all foods and in all forms. This includes avoiding sprouted wheat breads, for example, and avoiding all spelt products as well, which can be a little better than wheat, but are often similar.

While some people can still tolerate wheat, overall I find it best to avoid.

2. Do not eat much beef. Beef cattle are also a very hybridized species today, even the grass-fed, organically raised beef cattle. While efforts are underway to bring back heirloom varieties of cattle, one is rarely sure what cows are being raised. Most beef today is of lesser quality and somewhat irritating. Some beef is fine. Other excellent animal proteins include particularly lamb, and also chicken, turkey and good quality eggs and some raw dairy products.

3. At least 70% of your diet each day should be cooked vegetables. Dr. Price recommended that most vegetables be cooked. The need for so many cooked vegetables is an empirical finding. Vegetables offer literally hundreds of phytonutrients that offset the pollution and provide protection from cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and many other ailments, and have the ability to rebuild the body better than any other food. They also provide healthful fiber and a wide range of vitamins and minerals that are hard to obtain in any other way, including pills and drinks.

As for cooking most or all vegetables, I know this is upsetting to some people. However, Weston Price advocated cooking vegetables, as this is what he observed. Some have altered his teaching in this area. Advantages of cooking vegetables include:

a. Cooking breaks down the tough fiber in vegetables, allowing us to absorb many more nutrients from the vegetables. It is true that it damages some vitamins such as vitamin C, but it does not destroy it all if vegetables are just steamed at low termperature for 10-15 minutes. I find that everyone who eats a lot of salad, for example, tends to demineralize the body after a few years.

b. Cooking vegetables concentrates the food, allowing one to consume far more of green vegetables such as spinach and other greens.

c. Cooked vegetables are far more yang in Chinese medical terminology, and this is extremely important for overall health today, even if cooking destroys a few nutrients. Yin and yang qualities of foods is a somewhat esoteric concept that dates back to traditional Chinese medicine and macrobiotics, an even older science related to Taoism and Tibetan medicine. For more information about it, read Yin And Yang Healing and Yin Disease.

d. Many raw vegetables are simply unclean today, as they are grown in many nations. This can cause parasitic and other problem, especially when eating in restaurants.

The only vegetables to limit or avoid are the nightshade family, which are irritating and somewhat toxic. These include eggplant, all tomatoes, red and white potatoes, and all peppers. Others to limit or avoid are okra, cucumbers, and all salad vegetables, unless they are cooked.

Eating 70-80% cooked vegetables indeed requires some practice and work, at first. One must include vegetables with most every meal. However, it pays wonderful dividends for your health.

4. Avoid most fermented or cultured foods. Dr. Price never talked about fermented foods. However, later research suggested they are a good idea, and the Weston Price Foundation strongly recommends them. These foods include miso, natto, yogurt, kefir, kvass, sauerkraut, and others.

Those who advocate fermented foods say they help acidify the stomach and intestines, help maintain the normal flora of the intestines, preserve some foods like dairy products, and produce some vitamins and minerals that improve nutrition.

I find that some fermented food such as yogurt and kefir are superb, and can be eaten on a daily basis. However, the others are not as good in clinical experience, especially sauerkraut, for example. Possible reasons for this are:

a. Most people today have a very slow oxidation rate, which was not the case 100 years ago. For this reason, everyone is prone to yeast infections in the intestines. Ferments of all kinds are yeasts, and they do not seem to work as well with many of our clients today. The exception, once again, are fermented milk products such as yogurt.

b. Also, fermented foods are very yin in Chinese medical terms. As explained above, this is a serious drawback today, but it was not a problem when Weston Price lived and wrote his books.

c. Some ferments including sauerkraut produce some aldehydes that can build up in the liver. Beer and wine are not the only foods that can produce aldehydres. For more on this topic, read Fermented Foods on this website.

5. Cook all foods, except for raw dairy products, which should be eaten in their natural raw state, if possible. Meat and eggs should only be lightly cooked, however, as longer cooking will denature the proteins too much and damage the delicate fats.

Dr Price advised cooking most meats and vegetables. He also suggested eating some raw animal products. I find that today raw fruits and vegetables are much too yin, the human digestive tract cannot extract enough minerals from raw vegetables, and there are other problems with raw foods except for raw dairy. Dairy, however, is still very yin, so limit milk intake, for example, to 8 ounces or so daily, and limit the intake of all raw dairy products to 6 ounces or so of cheese or yogurt daily. More is just too yin. For more about this important topic, read Raw Foods on this website.

Today, meats that are raw are often unclean and harbor parasite eggs, most of which are killed by cooking.

I also find that eggs should be lightly cooked with the yolk remaining runny, unless you know that the egg is without infections of any kind.

6. Avoid most or all fruit. This is a difficult one. Dr. Price observed that many tribes ate some fruit, although they did not live on it. My clinical experience is that fruit is causing many health problems today and is not a necessary or helpful food today. The problems seem to be due to:

1. Fruit is a very yin food, and the bodies are already too yin today,

2. Most fruits are hybrids and are less nutritious than in the past.

3. The sugars in fruit seem to upset the blood sugar and feed yeast in the intestines of almost everyone who eats it. This was not a problem as much 100 years ago at all.

4. Many so-called organic fruits are still sprayed with somewhat toxic chemicals because otherwise they will not grow well in Northern climates

5. The mineral balance of the fruit seems to be improper for today’s bodies.

6. Many people seem unable to neutralize the acids found naturally in fruits. As a result, the fruit actually has an acidic reaction in the body. Its high sugar content contributes to this as well.

For more on this important and sad situation, read Fruit-Eating on this website.

7. All shellfish and most fish, except very small ones such as sardines, are not healthful foods today. One hundred year ago fish and some shellfish were very healthful foods. Today, they are almost all contaminated with mercury and other toxic metals. This is very unfortunate, but we see high levels of toxic metals in anyone who eats any fish or worse, shellfish except for very small fish like sardines. This includes wild caught salmon and other wild-caught fish.

The mercury content of the oceans, lakes and streams has increased drastically due to burning coal and other industries such as paper-making, that were much less when Dr. Price lived.

Also, the toxic metal content of the coastal waters has increased drastically over the past 100 years due to dumping of sewage and industrial waste in almost all nations on earth. This is also a shame, but it is very important to know about.

I strongly recommend eating 3 to 4 cans of sardines each week. These seem to be healthful – any brand of sardines – because they are so small they do not accumulate much mercury, and they are generally wild caught rather than farm-raised. Other very small fish such as anchovies, smelt and herring are also generally fine, but are often larger than sardines, and have a lower omega-3 and vitamin D content, so they are not quite as good. I suggest avoiding all other fish and especially shellfish or seafood.

8. All pig products today may contain parasite eggs. This is another shame, but we find that all pork, ham, bacon, lard, sausage made with pig intestines and other products from the pig often contains parasite larva or eggs, such as tapeworm, trichina worms or others. This has to do with general pollution of the waters, and how animals and other foods are raised today. It does not matter if the pig products are well-cooked, it seems. They still contain live eggs and can infect the brain and other organs easily. Also be careful to avoid egg rolls and other places that pig products are hidden.

The only safe pig product I have encountered is porcine pancreas that is used in supplementary digestive aids such as GB-3. This is probably because the high pancreatic enzyme content of this particular organ kills the trichina worms and their ova safely.

Dr. Price found that many traditional cultures ate pork, particularly in the South Seas. It was considered a sacred food, and was always consumed cooked. Sadly, today I cannot recommend it.

9. Cod liver oil, while a very good product, does not provide enough vitamin D or omega-3 fatty acids today. Dr. Price recommended high vitamin cod liver oil to obtain vitamins A and D, and omega-3 fatty acids. However, I find that today the bodies are so deficient in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D that a lot of cod liver oil is needed to provide enough of these essential nutrients.

Eating 3 or 4 cans of sardines each week, however, is a way to obtain omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, a digestible form of calcium, RNA and DNA and many other vital nutrients. Put some mustard, relish, hot sauce or mayonnaise with your sardines if your don’t like them.

If you won’t eat sardines, then be sure to take a supplement with about 800-900 mg of omega-e fatty acids (a combination of EPA and DHA) and about 3000-5000 iu of vitamin D daily. This seems to be roughly what the bodies require today.

10. Soaking grains to destroy enzyme inhibitors, trypsin inhibitors and other anti-nutrients is not needed. Dr. Price never discussed soaking grains. However, the Weston Price Foundation strongly recommends soaking grains, seeds and nuts. Soaking grains and nuts makes them more digestible, allowing more people to eat them.

The problem is that soaking makes a food much more yin. It can also allow mold to begin growing on the food. While soaking seeds overnight is okay, I suggest using a digestive aid to overcome the anti-nutrients in most grains. Some groups that have eaten grains for thousands of years such as the Japanese, Chinese, Middle Eastern people and others do not soak their grains and do just fine.

Also, I do not suggest eating many nuts or seeds, as both these foods are extremely yin in any condition, so they are less healthful today, although they are quite nutritious. An exception is toasted or even a little raw almond butter. A small amount of other nut and seed butters are okay as well, but not much of them. This is also unfortunate, but that is our experience.

Most people do not chew nuts and seeds well enough, and have very weak digestion. Therefore, if you want some nuts, for example, have some toasted almond butter or a little sunflower butter, which are excellent foods for most people when eaten in very small amounts.

All peanut butter may contain some aflatoxin, a deadly poison, even if it is fresh and natural. It is also quite a sweet food and somewhat yin, as are all beans, seeds and nuts.

11. Do not eat much coconut or palm oils or other coconut products. Some Weston Price followers embrace coconut products because they are rich in lauric acid and other nutrients, and are stable for cooking purposes, especially.

The problem is that coconut and palm are tropical or sub-tropical fruits that are extremely yin. They seem to be toxic today for that reason, no matter what other positive nutritional value they have. Preferably avoid them all and use olive oil, butter, and beef or chicken fat for cooking and other uses.

12. Everyone needs at least a few food supplements. Dr. Price did not recommend many food supplements other than cod liver oil. However, please recall that at the time Dr. Price lived, the nutrient content of our food was much better, the average person’s digestion was hundreds of times more powerful, and the bodies were far healthier in terms of energy, mineral content and more. Also, and very importantly, chelated minerals had not been developed, and many other food supplements were simply not available.

I wish supplements were not needed, but I find that they are always needed, by everyone today. At least, I have not run into a single one of our clients or anyone else who I find is so well nourished that they would not benefit from a animal-derived digestive aid, kelp for iodine and minerals, and supplemental calcium, magnesium, zinc, often selenium, and fish oil and vitamin D in most cases.

Most people need even more than this, for at least a few years to build up their digestion, to eliminate toxic metals and chemicals from the body, and for other reasons such as to balance the mineral ratios in the body.

13. Exercise caution with the recommendations found in any older books – even the great ones such as those of Dr. Price. The situation in our food supply has changed so drastically in the past 50 years or so, and even more so in the past 25 years, that some older recommendations in books about acupuncture, macrobiotics, raw foods and other texts just don’t work as well. It is true our genetics and basic nutritional requirements have not changed, so many of the lessons of Dr. Price still apply.

This article is not intended to diminish in any way the amazing contribution of Dr. Weston Price or other researchers. Nor is it intended to oppose the excellent work that is being done by the Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation and the Weston Price Foundation to educate the public, bring back raw dairy products, and popularize the work of Dr. Weston Price.

We all a tremendous debt of gratitude to Dr. Price, which I share. I believe he would appreciate the updating of his work based on the drastic changes in our bodies and our food that have occurred in the past 100 years since he lived.

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