Richard Mackarness still alive?

[swissguy]

Does anybody know, whether Richard Mackarness is still alive?

Richard Mackarness is the author of one of the first lc-books. It's called "Eat Fat, Grow Slim" and came out in 1958 and was revised in 1975.

Richard Mackarness was born in 1916. As far as I know, he didn't publish anything since "Living Savely in a Polluted World", which came out in 1981.

On the digital biography on amazon.com ( http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007SDJSU/qid=1152889335/sr=8-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-6764571-4347814?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=551440 ) no date of death is mentioned. So, I assume he is still alive, which means, he is one ot the oldest living low carb pioneers. well, wolfgang lutz was born in 1913 and is still alive too. wolfgang lutz has been eating low carb since the mid fifties.

[tamarian]

I just found this obituary, 1996:

http://calbears.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19960405/ai_n14052059

I recently got an old copy of his book on eBay. He's remembered as a pioneer in food allergies.

A summary of his book can be found here:
http://www.lowcarb.ca/atkins-diet-and-low-carb-plans/stone-age-diet-mackarness.html

And the full text of the book (with his permission) is here:
http://www.ourcivilisation.com/fat/

Wa'il

[swissguy]

Thanks!

That's very sad, that he already died in 1996. :tears: I'm bit disappointed that he didn't get older. He was "only" 80 years old. Does anybody know, how he died?

He was a truly wonderful guy. I love all his books that I read so far. They are all well written and researched and full of enlightenment.

In one of his books (don't know anymore which one it was) he states, that he has been eating a stone age diet the last 15 years or so and that he never felt better physically and mentally. Too bad, that this way of eating didn't increase his life span very much.

Although I'm still convinced that the low carb diet is the most healthy diet, I'm not so sure anymore that it will markedly extend one's life. Another low carb pioneer, that I admire very much, Blake Donaldson, also died quite early. I read in one of Richard Mackarness books, that Blake Donaldson died in the early sixties, soon after the publication of this book "Strong Medicine" and soon after his retirement. I don't know exactly when he was born, so I can't calculate his age, but I guess he didn't get older than 70 years. Unfortunately, I don't know the cause of his death either.

Well, we can't be sure, that these low carb pioneers eated all the time the way they teached. But still, in the 2nd edition of "Eat Fat Grow Slim" Richard Mackarness mentioned, that he visited Blake Donaldson at home in the late fifties and that they had an all meat meal, like Blake Donaldson prescribed it to his patients also. Blake Donaldson probably ate a low carb diet for more than 40 years, because he discoverd this diet and prescribed it to his patients already in the early twenties.

Hm, by the way, Alfred Pennington, another low carb pioneer, didn't get very old too, did he?

Vilhjalmur Stefansson died at the age of 82 from a stroke, which is also not very impressing. But on the other hand, as far as I know, Stefansson didn't follow the low carb diet during most of his life.

I hope, that at least Wolfgang Lutz and Jan Kwasniewski will get older, than these low carb pioneers.

[tamarian]

Reaching old age has a lot to do with genetics. CNN had a documentary on people over 100 years old, and I remember an old man they interveiewd, who looked very healthy at 100+, and when they asked him about his secret, he said he didn't know, he ate anything they put in front of him, and followed it up with a twinkie, every day. But I doubt this means eating twinkies every day is the way to extend one's life :)

Wa'il

[Whoa182]

You can create almost comparable risk factors, or better than genetically lucky people by just altering your diet. Genetics only seem to account for 25-30% to lifespan, the rest is upto diet (most significant factor), environment and stress. Watch video 4. Take this for example, a gene called apolipoprotein E increases the risk for cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s disease, and is actually RARELY found among centenarians. But what dietary manipulation can put you at almost 0 risk of cardiovascular disease and very low demtia? Calorie restriction :) (5) (6).

The majority of people who live to a very old age seem to have grown and eaten a diet high in vegetables, you rarely get centenarians that ate whatever they like (unless they drank red wine :lol: or do indeed have very good genes). This has been shown by interviewing thousands of centenarians over the last 30 years or more.


You can view lots of info on the net:

(1) Lots of centenarians here, information and pictures:
http://www.grg.org/calment.html

(2) Worlds longest lived people 50 cents per 100,000
http://www.okicent.org/

(3) Worlds oldest people
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oldest_people

(4) Video of two Super centenarians 115 Years Old!!!
Part 1 http://mfile.akamai.com/12913/wmv/vod.ibsys.com/2005/1208/5491786.200k.asx
Part2 http://mfile.akamai.com/12913/wmv/vod.ibsys.com/2005/1209/5502916.200k.asx

(5)Calorie Restriction May Prevent Alzheimer's Through Promotion Of Longevity Program In The Brain
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/06/060614113128.htm

(6) Calorie Restriction Drastically Reduces Risk of Heart Attack, Stroke and Diabetes
http://www.ubiomed.com/newsArticle.asp?nId=75985&cId=269

[Turtle2003]

Why is it that when I find comments by Westerners who are studying the Okinawan diet I find information like the following:

The traditional meat in Okinawa was pork but its consumption was limited to ceremonial occasions. Thus, the Okinawan elders have consumed very little meat over the course of their lives. Even now their meat consumption remains less than a quarter of what most people eat in North America. - DCW).

http://www.okinawa-diet.com/news/20041214_cnn.html


But when the Okinawans themselves talk about eating they say things like:

The first thing you need to understand about the Okinawa Diet Plan is that it doesn't mean restricting yourself to boiled pork, purple sweet potatoes and bitter melon, though you may learn to love these Okinawan favorites.

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/May/13/il/il10a.html

I really like the following quote, which is from a newspaper article written by a Japanese American woman in Hawaii:

Sunday being Father's Day, this one's for Dad. My dad, that is, and all other Okinawandads, or those with latent Okinawan tendencies.
Dad was waxing nostalgic the other day about a pork dish he tried at the Honolulu Sake Festival a few years ago. It was Rafute, a traditional Okinawan dish of sliced pork, slowly simmered in a sauce that includes a generous pour of awamori, or Okinawan sake.

His vision has since morphed into plans for a full-on Okinawan Father's Day luncheon, a bit of a challenge for our extended family. Despite being a whole half unchinanchu, we have not dabbled much in Okinawan cooking.
Thank goodness for guidebooks, of which I have three: "Ryukyuan Cuisine" from the Okinawa Tourism & Cultural Affairs Bureau, "Okinawan Mixed Plate," from Hui O Laulima, the women's auxiliary of the United Okinawan Association of Hawaii, and "The Okinawa Diet Plan," published this year by two doctors who have been researching the unparalleled longevity of native Okinawans.

The first two devote considerable space to the importance of pork in the Okinawan diet. Pork was both delicacy and everyday food, with the entire pig eaten, from ears to feet.

"The Okinawa Diet Plan" acknowledges the importance of pork, and notes that the regular inclusion of animal protein can be an advantage over purely vegetarian diets when it comes to longevity. But the authors, Drs. Bradley and Craig Willcox, also note that meat was traditionally a small part of a diet rich in whole foods and soy.

Note that the Okinawan cookbooks state that pork is a favorite dish, an everyday food, but then the western experts pipe up and say that pork is a very small part of the diet. Now, who am I supposed to believe?

This reminds me of an article I read a couple of years ago about some American doctors and scientists who visited the Mediterranean coastal area of Spain to study the “Mediterranean Diet”. They were shocked to find the people scarfing down lots of sausages and other fatty meats. So the good doctors started an educational program to teach the local women a healthier low fat cuisine. Me oh my.

[tamarian]

But when the Okinawans themselves talk about eating they say things like:

The first thing you need to understand about the Okinawa Diet Plan is that it doesn't mean restricting yourself to boiled pork, purple sweet potatoes and bitter melon, though you may learn to love these Okinawan favorites.

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/May/13/il/il10a.html

really like the following quote, which is from a newspaper article written by a Japanese American woman in Hawaii:

Sunday being Father's Day, this one's for Dad. My dad, that is, and all other Okinawandads, or those with latent Okinawan tendencies.
Dad was waxing nostalgic the other day about a pork dish he tried at the Honolulu Sake Festival a few years ago. It was Rafute, a traditional Okinawan dish of sliced pork, slowly simmered in a sauce that includes a generous pour of awamori, or Okinawan sake.


This is called projection :) When researchers want Okinawans to be vegetarian or close to it, they will only see those who meet that criteria. You will find the same thing about what people say about the mediterranean diet or any X diet. The old twinkies guy made my day, and now I don't worry about longevity. Just eat healthy now (healthy to me means lots of essential fats and protein) and the future will sort itself out :)

Wa'il

[Whoa182]

You believe the 600+ centenarians that have been part of the study and interviewed on their dietary habits. The information is all in the Okinawa program book, published papers and around the net...

It was a 25 YEAR study! - They weren't over there for 2 minutes! lol

[Turtle2003]

You believe the 600+ centenarians that have been part of the study and interviewed on their dietary habits. The information is all in the Okinawa program book. A 25 YEAR study! - They weren't over there for 2 minutes! lol

I know that, but it's the contradictions that bug me.

If I stay on Vegan sites on the net I will get a completely different world view than if I read low carb sites. And the proponents of both ways of eating can quote study after study to prove they are absolutely, positively, without-a-doubt right.

I think the truth lies somewhere in the middle, with all sorts of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors playing a role.

[Whoa182]

Genetics probably not... Younger okinwans <50 are now the fattest on the planet... lol! - If it was genetic then the reduced disease trend would continue (genetics protecting them), just like people who eat whatever they want and reach 100-120.... These younger okinawans, are now dying of heart disease, diabetes, strokes and everything else we get the west (higher refined carb intake, higher fat intake, lots of calories). Genes are certainly not protecting this culture, but maybe so in other plances like italy. In the okinawa program book they have collected lots of recipes from the centenarians themselves.
The Okinawa Program : How the World's Longest-Lived People Achieve Everlasting Health--And How You Can Too (Paperback) (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0609807501/103-9853319-2731065?v=glance&n=283155)

The book also quotes some of the centenarians, heres one of them (changed a bit because of copywrite, but still similar) "Yukinsans father died at eighty eight, relatively young by okinawan standards and his last few years were not good ones. Yukinsan says that this taught him an important lesson: " my father loved eating pork and died young," he explains. My mother didnt like meat and was youthful and energetic until one hundred and two. I figured that she was stronger than my father because of her good eating habits, so thirty years ago i started eating more fish and vegetable and less meat. I haven't spent a day in hospital since. He switched diet in his 60's from meat heavy to less meat. (this doesn't exactly mean pork made things worse, but it is more energy dense thus increased calories results in decreased longevity)
He still walks a few miles to work as a consultant everyday... at 95 years of age.

Obviously this is only one story, other old people have discussions and they are convinced that it was the pork, because longevity records shot up shortly after it was introduced into the diet. But this was found not to be the case in research done. Okinawans used to mainly live on sweet potatoes, pork was food for the more wealthy. Now they are not really CR'd at all and were only mildly CR'd half their adult lives so cetenarians per 100,000 might have been far higher than 50 if they stayed eating low cal.

[tamarian]

[I]If I stay on Vegan sites on the net I will get a completely different world view than if I read low carb sites. And the proponents of both ways of eating can quote study after study to prove they are absolutely, positively, without-a-doubt right.

I think the truth lies somewhere in the middle, with all sorts of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors playing a role.

I don't think the truth is in the middle. The middle between vegetarian/vegan and low-carb ways of eating is essentially the "modern diet", which lead us health-wise to where we are now days.

One of the filters that got triggered in my mind when I read vegetarian literature (before low-carbing) is the context of religion/ethics. Most vegan authors started with a moment of "enlightenment" or a spritual/religious experience. Read the introduction to most vegetarian books and you will read that.

While this is all good, it must be taken into account in evaluating their assertions of scientific accuracy.

Low-carb on the other hand does not assert any religious context or spirtual enlightenment, or ethical arguments. From Banting, to Lutz, Atkins, Edes, etc. The conclusions followed actual results, rather than the other way around.

Just food for thought :)

Wa'il

[HairOnFire]

It's also interesting to note one historical aspect of veganism/vegetarianism: that of the political climate of the 1960s to 1970s. There was a growing awareness of the plight of the less developed countries, and eating "lower on the food chain" became de rigeuer for those who felt that "overconsumption" was politically or morally an uninformed position. This way of eating slowly came into the mainstream over the years, but along with it came the erroneous dietary information espoused by the medical establishment and the USDA. Gary Taubes talks about this aspect of the rise of "veganism" in a recent on-line interview.

BTW, if you want to read the Taubes interview, you can Google "frontline interview Gary Taubes" and it will come up. He talks about his upcoming book and some of his opinions about the medical fraud perpetrated on us. The interview occurred after his July 2002 NYT Magazine interview, "What if it's been a big fat lie?"

[LC FP]

cetenarians per 100,000 might have been far higher than 50

Only one out of 2000 Okinowans lived to be 100? The odds in the USA could be the same, except that energetic 90 year olds over here get killed in car accidents. There's a big cultural difference, not just a dietary difference.

[LC FP]

the political climate of the 1960s to 1970s... for those who felt that "overconsumption" was politically or morally an uninformed position. This way of eating slowly came into the mainstream over the years, but along with it came the erroneous dietary information espoused by the medical establishment and the USDA.
HOF-- I find this so interesting. Those on the "left" espousing the consumption of less (or no) animal products, and those on the "right" espousing the benefits of cereal grains. This impossibly unlikely coalition of people who would otherwise slit each others throats found an issue they could agree on, and the low fat movement was born to the detriment of us all.

[arc]

Only one out of 2000 Okinowans lived to be 100? The odds in the USA could be the same, except that energetic 90 year olds over here get killed in car accidents. There's a big cultural difference, not just a dietary difference.

There are places in South Dakota and Ohio that have the same percentage of people living to be over a 100. It has much less to do with special diets (next up - the South Dakota Diet!) and genetics than it does being in isolated areas that the young can't wait to move out of, leaving the oldsters around to spike the statistics.

[HairOnFire]

This impossibly unlikely coalition of people who would otherwise slit each others throats found an issue they could agree on, and the low fat movement was born to the detriment of us all.

Ironic, isn't it? In their zeal to "protect the animals," the nutritional position of the vegans is causing untold suffering among humans.

I hang out on several leftist/socialist/liberal blogs, and of course the prevailing attitudes about food/nutrition (when the issue is raised) mimic the "veg good, meat bad" myth. I'm becoming less timid about jumping into threads there, even though it's like a carnivore entering a vegan zone! If that doesn't set my hair on fire, I don't know what will. :lol:

[brklx]

[QUOTE=Whoa182]You can create almost comparable risk factors, or better than genetically lucky people by just altering your diet. Genetics only seem to account for 25-30% to lifespan, the rest is upto diet (most significant factor), environment and stress. Watch video 4. Take this for example, a gene called apolipoprotein E increases the risk for cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s disease, and is actually RARELY found among centenarians. But what dietary manipulation can put you at almost 0 risk of cardiovascular disease and very low demtia? Calorie restriction :) (5) (6).

The majority of people who live to a very old age seem to have grown and eaten a diet high in vegetables, you rarely get centenarians that ate whatever they like (unless they drank red wine :lol: or do indeed have very good genes). This has been shown by interviewing thousands of centenarians over the last 30 years or more.


You can view lots of info on the net:

(1) Lots of centenarians here, information and pictures:
http://www.grg.org/calment.html

(2) Worlds longest lived people 50 cents per 100,000
http://www.okicent.org/

(3) Worlds oldest people
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oldest_people

(4) Video of two Super centenarians 115 Years Old!!!
Part 1 http://mfile.akamai.com/12913/wmv/vod.ibsys.com/2005/1208/5491786.200k.asx
Part2 http://mfile.akamai.com/12913/wmv/vod.ibsys.com/2005/1209/5502916.200k.asx

(5)Calorie Restriction May Prevent Alzheimer's Through Promotion Of Longevity Program In The Brain
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/06/060614113128.htm

(6) Calorie Restriction Drastically Reduces Risk of Heart Attack, Stroke and Diabetes
http://www.ubiomed.com/newsArticle.asp?nId=75985&cId=269[/QUOTE


Looking at the centenarians' picture gallery I have made myself a mental note not to live to that ripe old age.

[kaypeeoh]

My great-grandmother-in-law lived to 104. My grandmother and her three sisters are in their '80s and still golf every day. Their lifetime diets seem to be equal parts fatty meats (they're Polish) and cake. When visiting, the only veg on the plate is mashed potato. The only wine they drink is what's offered at weekly Mass. There must be some longevity genes at work here.

The only other thing that comes to mind is the calorie deprivation they all suffered in Europe during the depression and world war. Maybe the seeds of cardiac disease are sown in early life.

[ReginaW]

You can create almost comparable risk factors, or better than genetically lucky people by just altering your diet. Genetics only seem to account for 25-30% to lifespan, the rest is upto diet (most significant factor), environment and stress. Watch video 4. Take this for example, a gene called apolipoprotein E increases the risk for cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s disease, and is actually RARELY found among centenarians. But what dietary manipulation can put you at almost 0 risk of cardiovascular disease and very low demtia? Calorie restriction :) (5) (6).

The majority of people who live to a very old age seem to have grown and eaten a diet high in vegetables, you rarely get centenarians that ate whatever they like (unless they drank red wine :lol: or do indeed have very good genes). This has been shown by interviewing thousands of centenarians over the last 30 years or more.

It's more than genetics and more than "calorie restriction" - study after study finds only three things that are common amongst centenarians around the world - relatively low blood sugar, strong insulin sensitivity (low levels of insulin circulating) and low triglycerides. They're METABOLICALLY FIT....everything else varies greatly among them - some smoke, some don't; some drink alcohol, some don't; some are/have been active, others not so; some in polluted environments, others not; some a bit overweight, some not; the diets vary greatly, cholesterol values vary, meat consumption varies greatly, animal foods versus plant foods vary greatly too......it comes down to the metabolic function - and that's optimized when blood glucose is relatively low, circulating insulin is stable and triglycerides are low.

[ReginaW]

My great-grandmother-in-law lived to 104. My grandmother and her three sisters are in their '80s and still golf every day. Their lifetime diets seem to be equal parts fatty meats (they're Polish) and cake. When visiting, the only veg on the plate is mashed potato. The only wine they drink is what's offered at weekly Mass. There must be some longevity genes at work here.

The only other thing that comes to mind is the calorie deprivation they all suffered in Europe during the depression and world war. Maybe the seeds of cardiac disease are sown in early life.

My grandmother-inlaw just celebrated her 104th birthday....I've had interesting conversations with her about her diet....her take on foods to limit - high starch foods - in her words, they make you fat.

She loves her fruits and vegetables and a good variety of meats/poultry/fish though, grew up in hard times and doesn't like to see any food wasted, so she doesn't think you should take/serve yourself more than you can eat at any meal. When DH and I have spent time visiting her, it's interesting to see her eating habits - she'll eat her vegetables and protein (meats, poultry, fish, eggs - whatever) first with bites here and there of bread or rice....doesn't really seem to eat much potatoes or pasta (I don't think I've seen her eat either) though and the rice she eats is a very small amount. I can't recall seeing her eat desserts regularly either - she'll have a small piece of cake at a family get together, but on a daily basis, she's more likely to have some fresh fruit or nothing sweet than have "dessert"

There could be something to the food scarcity folks her age lived through (Depression era, world wars, etc.) - but if it was that, then you'd think more from this period would be living much longer (into their 100's) - but it's still a select few who do....the percentage of those in the population who lived to 85 in the early 1900's is strikingly similar to the percentage than does today. It hasn't really changed - if you make it to 85, your odds of living to 90 or 100 are pretty much the same now as 100 years ago.

[Hellistile]

My great-grandmother-in-law lived to 104. My grandmother and her three sisters are in their '80s and still golf every day. Their lifetime diets seem to be equal parts fatty meats (they're Polish) and cake. When visiting, the only veg on the plate is mashed potato. The only wine they drink is what's offered at weekly Mass. There must be some longevity genes at work here.
The only other thing that comes to mind is the calorie deprivation they all suffered in Europe during the depression and world war. Maybe the seeds of cardiac disease are sown in early life.
If your family lived in Eastern Europe in their youth it was more than CR for a short period of time during the war that formed the foundation of their health. They may have eaten potatoes and cake but they also ate sauerkraut & sausage soup (bigos), flaki (tripe), lots of fermented vegetables, herrings, lard and butter (saturated fats), free range meat and eggs, and all the foods they ate were whole foods. The eggs had orange yolks. The bread was sour rye. This foundation has lasted them until today and they probably still eat a lot of whole foods.