“The disease of Kings” or “Rich
man’s disease”, better know in
the 21st century as Gout, is a
painful and potentially disabling
form of arthritis affecting mainly
the feet and knees. It is caused
by the crystallisation of
uric acid in the joints
and is more common
in those eating a diet
rich in meats, dairy and
alcohol. The term “disease
of kings” was coined by
physicians at the time
due to this condition
becoming very common
among those that could
afford to consume animal
products and other luxuries
such as alcohol. Fast-forward
a few hundred years and this
condition now affects the general
population, not just the wealthy in
society, thanks to a Western diet
that is full of animal products and
highly processed foods.
Plants over
Pills
The science behind a Whole
Foods Plant-Based Diet
Words by; Chris Wallis
Prior to the 21st century, the
leading causes of disease and
death worldwide were those of
communicable origin such as
Tuberculosis, Small Pox, Measles,
Cholera, Whooping Cough and
“Let food be thy
medicine and
medicine be thy
food”
– Hippocrates, Greek founder of Western medicine
Dysentery. Conditions such as
Heart Disease, Diabetes and
High Blood Pressure barely rated
a mention on the list of most
common causes of death during
this period. Just as Gout and
Obesity was more prevalent
among the wealthy due to their
lifestyle, so too were chronic
diseases in affluent populations.
The move from a largely starch,
vegetable and fruit-based
food system, to one that is
predominately animal and
processed food based,
delivered a devastating
blow to human health
in developed countries.
With the industrialisation
of the world’s food supply
post-World War 2, the
population at large were
able to consume animal
products and highly
processed foods at much
cheaper prices. Large
animal agriculture and food
manufacturing conglomerates
were born out of this shift towards
industrialisation, with their wealth
and power now rivalling that
of the once mighty tobacco
industry.
July 2020
Polo De’Marco