Sophisticated Diets and Man’s Health 
J. F. BROCK 
For gg per cent of the time that man has been on earth he was 
a food gatherer—a root-grubber, berry-picker, locust-eater, 
beach-comber, fisherman, hunter—and only during the remaining 
1 per cent has he been a food producer—herdsman, farmer, 
dairyman. TrBoR MENDE. 
SOPHISTICATION OF FOODS 
EFORE I can begin to discuss the effects of sophisticated 
B diets, it is necessary to define the meanings I have given 
to these terms in this context. 
I have adopted the definition of the Oxford English Dictio- 
nary: sophisticated=“‘altered from or deprived of primitive 
simplicity or naturalness’. The term might reasonably be 
applied to the diets consumed by those holding privileged 
positions of leadership and authority ever since man adopted 
a social organization in advance of the rural group or clan. 
One can use the term “sophisticated”’ in its application to 
food in several senses: 
Firstly, the selective breeding and feeding of vegetables and 
animals to the point where they contain a balance of nutrients 
markedly different from original wild types. This is exemplified 
by selective breeding of cereals and roots so that they contain a 
very high proportion of carbohydrate in relation to other 
nutrients and particularly to protein. It is also exemplified 
by the breeding and fattening of animals so that their flesh 
and products such as milk contain an excess of fat in relation 
to other nutrients, particularly protein. 
Secondly, the selection of special parts of vegetables or 
animal foods for consumption by privileged people because 
of their special appeal through flavour, odour or supposed 
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