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From: Rob on 16 Jan 2006 19:01
I'm sure many here are aware of Vilhjalmur Stefansson, who had lived
with the Inuit, and had taken part in a year-long, meat-only diet
under close medical supervision.

Question: If he ate a diet of only meat, how did he not get scurvy? Are
there some sources of meat, fish, shellfish, etc, that would supply
enough vitamin C to prevent scurvy? I have heard that the actual amount
of vitamin C necessary to prevent scurvy is miniscule, i.e. 3-5mg. Is
this so?

Rob

From: montygram on 16 Jan 2006 20:11
Biochemist Ray Peat has discussed a similar experiment (and also
mentioned a relevant dog study) in the following passage:

"Fifty years ago, it was found that a large amount of cod liver oil in
dogs' diet increased their death rate from cancer by 20 times, from the

usual 5% to 100%. A diet rich in fish oil causes intense production of

toxic lipid peroxides, and has been observed to reduce a man's sperm
count to zero. [H. Sinclair, Prog. Lipid Res. 25, 667, 1989.]"


Source: http://www.healthythyroid.com/vegetableoils.htm

From: MMu on 17 Jan 2006 04:19

> Biochemist Ray Peat has discussed a similar experiment (and also
> mentioned a relevant dog study) in the following passage:
> "Fifty years ago, it was found that a large amount of cod liver oil in
> dogs' diet increased their death rate from cancer by 20 times, from the
> usual 5% to 100%.

Nobody asked about cod liver oil.
Cod liver oil contains, as the name states FAT soluable vitamins which
ascorbic acid is none of.
This has nothing to do with the question at hand.

AND Dogs are able to perform vitamin C synthesis.

> A diet rich in fish oil causes intense production of
> toxic lipid peroxides, and has been observed to reduce a man's sperm
> count to zero. [H. Sinclair, Prog. Lipid Res. 25, 667, 1989.]"

Nobody mentioned something about that either AND the study is 17 years old-
there are newer results with different outcomes.

... another one of you "on point" replies?


From: John Sankey on 17 Jan 2006 04:21
"If he ate a diet of only meat, how did he not get scurvy?"

The diet of the aboriginal Ihalmuit of the Barren Lands of Canada
has been studied, although I'm referring to memory of study many
years ago - it was almost entirely caribou meat. They required
one handful of fat for each three of meat to avoid protein
toxicity, they lived in a very cold climate so burned off all
that fat to maintain body heat, and they drank copious amounts of
tea to deal with the protein digestion byproducts. The common
name of the widespread northern plant Ledum groenlandicum is
Labrador Tea, and it's leaves contain a lot of Vitamin C. So do
pine needles and the leaves of many other northern plants that
can be used as teas.
From: John Sankey on 17 Jan 2006 10:30
I should have added that the northern Cree and Inuit collect
berries during the summer, then keep them for the rest of the
year. Mostly naturally frozen, but occasionally they ferment a
bit. 10g typical northern berries gives 1mg C. If Stefansson ate
a truly northern diet, he would have included some.
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