Re: Vilhjalmur Stefansson

Rob wrote:
> 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.

I guess that would put you in the Eskimo Kook group?

> 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?

As the science professor MartyB like to say a few years ago some human
beings can in fact perform vitamin C synthesis. Perhaps, Vilhjalmur had
this genetic variation?

And, he could have had borderline scurvy. Most moderns on a steady
Hamburger, French fry, and coke diet suffer from borderline scurvy.

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