[Qiviut]

Fascinating article, and although published in 2009, it's totally relevant to the state of our health (or lack of good health, obesity epidemic, rampant T2D, etc.) today.

There is MUCH more at the link and the paper is easy reading.

[drwoof]

Fascinating. Thank you for posting. Free Republic does indeed rock.

[brianr10]

I a multi vitamin a good idea. How about a mega multi.

[GnuThere]

Interesting that they had watercress as a staple, very high antioxidant score.

[Flick Lives]

This very much correlates with what you see when you visit old graveyards. You will see a family plot where numerous children dies very young, 2 months to 5 years of age. Then you’ll see members of the same family who lived into their 80s and 90s.

[SoCal Pubbie]

This sounds dubious to me. First of all, “life expectancy at age 5” is a tip off that stats have been cherry picked. A huge number of kids never made it that far.

Second, how is it possible that British subjects had little access to alcohol? Because water quality was suspect even kids often drank beer. They had plenty of pubs in those days.

It’s been estimated that one in five Londoners has syphilis by age 35. Even more had contracted gonorrhea or chlamydia. Horse droppings in the street, rats, and industrial pollution all contributed to an unhealthy environment.

I’m not buying it.

[bigfootbob]

The last two questions of your post is easy to answer. I’m not so sure they’re being honest about red meat consumption but it does make for an interesting read and it disputes many notions like shortened life expectancy. Many articles I have read about people from back then many folks lived long lives and were very accomplished, it seemed odd to me. Now we know they we healthy and not nearly as disease ridden as we were taught.

The last questions;

“ How was it lost?”

“ And could we recreate it?”

ANSWERS

(1) technological advances that provided more “free” time. Just like today.

(2) NO.

[Chuckster]

. for later

[LaMudBug]

Interesting article of the class of people Karl Mark called the “PROLOTERIAT” in his view of English society in that period of time. Marx only saw two classes of society. Here is a def of “proloteriat”

1. (esp. in Marxist theory) the class of workers, esp. industrial wage earners, who do not possess capital or property and must sell their labor to survive. 2. (esp. in ancient Rome) the lowest or poorest class of citizens, possessing no property.

[Celerity]

“their freedom from degenerative disease”

I’m reminded of “what about out freedom to not be shot?”

This language suggests that freedoms are about to be jeopardized.

[PapaBear3625]

Kippers (smoked herring) were standard for British breakfasts during the Edwardian and Victorian eras

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/apr/07/food-kippers-smoked-fish-sales-revival

An oily fish high in Omega 3, kippers are quick and easy to cook, whether frozen, “in the bag” or chilled. As a sustainable fish they are on the Marine Conservation Society’s list of fish to eat.

Kippers were the quintessential British breakfast food — also enjoyed for high tea and supper — of the Victorian and Edwardian eras. They sold well until the 1970s when they fell out of favour with the advent of fast food which had greater appeal for younger diners.

Gary Hooper, Tesco fish specialist and president of the National Federation of Fishmongers, said: “Kippers, along with other traditionally popular oily fish such as mackerel and sardines suffered from a culinary prejudice by younger people who considered them old-fashioned and the kind of food eaten by their grandparents.

“Demand dwindled for nearly four decades but a combination of factors such as their competitive price, a move towards healthier eating and also a foodie revival for old heritage favourites has put them firmly back on dinner plates.”

[cpt_dave]

They didn’t have industrially processed liquid seed oils like canola, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, and the like. They ate more animal fats. There was no low fat madness. Also less processed foods. Canning in the mid 1800s was a recent invention.

[Chuckster]

Excellent article.

The Victorians died rapidly of infection and/or trauma, whereas we die slowly of degenerative disease.

And a reminder. I had intended to drive the 3/4 mile to the Post Office. I think I will walk.

[higgmeister]

My paternal grandfather was born in 1870.   Queen Victoria had over thirty years still to reign.   Of course, I never knew my grandfather because he died of old age years before I was born.   But, I was raised by a father who was raised by a Victorian age father.   So, I've got that going for me.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

They had relatively little access to alcohol and tobacco

O-kay.

What a bunch of BS.

[Atomic Vomit]

Thanks for posting, it was very interesting reading.

Mrs AV

[marktwain]

Notice all diseases in 1880 were more common causes of death than cancers and diseases of the circulatory system (which would include heart attacks). "Other diseases" is almost 50% in 1880.

It is exactly as I would expect for people who had to do hard, physical work: There cardio-vascular system was in better shape.

It also makes sense from people who died younger, of other diseases, infections, parasites and trauma: they did not live long enough to develop cancers.

There is no data in the chart for trauma from accidents. Accidents are not a disease. The authors of the paper label the chart "Causes of Death".

But, they leave out important causes of death by accident and trauma.

Very likely, the trauma deaths are on another chart, which they did not include.

[Joe 6-pack]

About 10-15 years ago the BBC had a short series called, "Supersizers Go..." that examined the diet and lifestyles of different periods of English history. The show was hosted by a restaurant critic and his comedienne partner who would live the lifestyle and eat the foods of a specific period for a week.

Here's a link to the Victorian Episode:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aKwYECKxVw&list=PLE6540D9DCB4A9949

Pretty interesting and entertaining stuff....

[x]

It was all fun and games until Jack the Ripper showed up or somebody died of cholera.

[Chickensoup]

Ummm. This lines up with None of my readings about that era in England. This was the era of large estates. Limited food supply starvation impoverished filthy cities. And diseases. Typhoid scarlet fever tb diphtheria were common. This is some leftist screed about being happy peasants with less.

[MD Expat in PA]

They had relatively little access to alcohol and tobacco; and due to their correspondingly high intake of fruits, whole grains, oily fish and vegetables, they consumed levels of micro- and phytonutrients at approximately ten times the levels considered normal today.

It sounds and reads to me like a promotion for a mostly plant based diet. FWIW, this is an open access journal which means anyone can publish a paper there. That and I don't see a comment or peer review section. IOW, this is garbage.