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Welcome to the
Health Food History Library

~ A Public Resource ~

This website and its archives is intended to preserve the legacy, stories, and history of the health and natural foods movement- with its eccentrics, fanatics, and visionaries.

Information is the empowering tool that allows us to make healthy choices to protect ourselves, our families and loved ones. Healthfoodhistory.org is designed to remind and rekindle our awareness of the controversies, conspiracies, and challenges faced by the pioneering men and women of the past- legacies that continue to inspire and empower people today.

Look Younger, Live Longer
1950
Gayelord Hauser
Anti-Aging Lifestyle and Diets
anti-aging-lifestyle-and-diets
Gayelord Hauser’s Treasury of Secrets
1951
No items found.
Hauser's early book of "positive nutrition" emphasizing unprocessed, nutrient-rich foods like nutritional yeast and blackstrap molasses.
Anti-Aging Lifestyle and Diets
anti-aging-lifestyle-and-diets
Eccentrics, Fanatics, Visionaries
eccentrics-fanatics-visionaries
Health Food in the 1950s (Post-WWII)
health-food-in-the-1950s-post-wwii
General nutrition
general-nutrition
Let's Have Healthy Children
1951
Adelle Davis
Adelle Davis's classic on childhood nutrition (and plenty of general advice, too)
General nutrition
general-nutrition
The History of Natural Hygiene
1954
Hereward Carrington
A historical look at the Natural Hygiene movement
Vegetarianism
vegetarianism
Fasting and Hygiene
fasting-and-hygiene
History
history
The Good Life
1954
Helen Nearing
Helen was half of the Nearings (along with husband, Scott). Pioneers and inspirations for the "back to the land" movement. This is their guide to living simply, naturally, and healthily.
Eccentrics, Fanatics, Visionaries
eccentrics-fanatics-visionaries
General Health
general-health
Health Food in the 1950s (Post-WWII)
health-food-in-the-1950s-post-wwii
Hippies and the Counterculture
hippies-and-the-counterculture
Let's Eat Right to Keep Fit
1954
Adelle Davis
Another widely read classic from the 1950s by Davis.
General nutrition
general-nutrition
Health Food in the 1950s (Post-WWII)
health-food-in-the-1950s-post-wwii
Live Food Juices
1957
H.E. Kirschner, M.D.
A passionate advocate for fresh raw juices during the mid 1950s.
Raw Foods and Juices
raw-foods-and-juices
The Hygienic Cook Book and Vegetarian Recipe Book
1957
M. Benedict
A guide book with recipes for aspiring hygienists in the mid 1950s era.
Cookbooks and Recipes
cookbooks-and-recipes
Vegetarianism
vegetarianism
Miscellaneous Writings of J.H. Tilden, M.D.
1957
J.H. Tilden, M.D.
Tilden was a prolific and inflential writer about natural hygiene and unprocessed vegetarian diets
Fasting and Hygiene
fasting-and-hygiene
Eccentrics, Fanatics, Visionaries
eccentrics-fanatics-visionaries
Cornflake Crusade
1957
Gerald Carson
A humorous history of the breakfast cereal wars between Kellogg, C.W. Post, etc.
Biography
biography
Eccentrics, Fanatics, Visionaries
eccentrics-fanatics-visionaries
History
history
Super Health Thru Organic Super-Food
1958
Dr Raymond Bernard
Advocacy for whole, unprocessed natural nutrient-dense foods in the late 1950s.
Superfoods
superfoods
Health Food in the 1950s (Post-WWII)
health-food-in-the-1950s-post-wwii
The Health of a Nation: Harvey W. Wiley and the Fight for Pure Food
1958
Oscar E. Anderson
A biography and history of Harvey W. Wiley, the Bureau of Chemistry's chief and advocate for food safety laws and enforcement.
Biography
biography
Corporate Food Industry
corporate-food-industry
Dangers of Mainstream Foods and Toxins
dangers-of-mainstream-foods-and-toxins
History
history
A History of Public Health
1958
George Rosen
Straightforward history of public health practices.
History
history
A Cancer Therapy
1958
Max Gerson, M.D.
Gerson created a nutrition-based anti-cancer protocol that has helped thousands of patients.
Cancer establishment and alternative therapies
cancer-establishment-and-alternative-therapies
Alcoholism: The Nutritional Approach
1959
Roger J. Williams
Explores how targeted nutrition and vitamins can support recovery from alcoholism.
Vitamins
vitamins
Eccentrics, Fanatics, Visionaries
eccentrics-fanatics-visionaries
Medical diets
medical-diets
Eat Well and Stay Well
1959
No items found.
Early populizers of what became known as the Mediterranean Diet
General nutrition
general-nutrition
Health Food in the 1950s (Post-WWII)
health-food-in-the-1950s-post-wwii
Overfed But Undernourished
1959
H. Curtis Wood, Jr., M.D.
A warning to beware of empty calorie junk foods from the late 1950s.
Dangers of Mainstream Foods and Toxins
dangers-of-mainstream-foods-and-toxins
Health Food in the 1950s (Post-WWII)
health-food-in-the-1950s-post-wwii
Anti-Aging Lifestyle and Diets
anti-aging-lifestyle-and-diets
The Health Seekers of Southern California
1959
John E. Baur
A wonderful history of the roots of the Southern California health movement.
Eccentrics, Fanatics, Visionaries
eccentrics-fanatics-visionaries
Healthy Lifestyle
healthy-lifestyle
Hippies and the Counterculture
hippies-and-the-counterculture
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall
1960
Gayelord Hauser
Anti-Aging Lifestyle and Diets
anti-aging-lifestyle-and-diets
Eccentrics, Fanatics, Visionaries
eccentrics-fanatics-visionaries
Health Food in the 1950s (Post-WWII)
health-food-in-the-1950s-post-wwii
The Poisons in Your Food
1960
William Longgood
An early warning about pesticides and other hidden dangers in the food supply in the post World War II era.
Dangers of Mainstream Foods and Toxins
dangers-of-mainstream-foods-and-toxins
The Encyclopedia For Healthful Living
1960
J.I. Rodale
Rodale's "encyclopedia" of natural remedies, published in 1960.
General Health
general-health
Your Heart and Vitamin E
1961
Evan Shute, M.D.
A pioneering book on using natural Vitamin E for heart and arterial disease.
Vitamins
vitamins
medical nutrition
medical-nutrition
The Nuts Among the Berries
1961
Ronald M. Deutsch
A satirical look at the health food movement.
Quackery
quackery
Exploring Inner Space
1961
Adelle Davis
Jane Dunlap (Adelle Davis)
Eccentrics, Fanatics, Visionaries
eccentrics-fanatics-visionaries
Nutrition in a Nutshell
1962
Roger J. Williams
Provides a concise overview of essential nutrition principles for everyday health by one of the 20th century's leading biochemists
Vitamins
vitamins
Eccentrics, Fanatics, Visionaries
eccentrics-fanatics-visionaries