Nationality United States Died February 21, 1985 | Role Nutritionist Name Nathan Pritikin | |
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Books Pritikin Program for Diet and Exercise, Diet for runners Nominations National Book Award for Current Interest (Hardcover) People also search for Patrick M. McGrady, Jack L. Hofer, Jon N Leonard | ||
Nathan pritikin a casual conversation with dr mcdougall
Nathan Pritikin (August 29, 1915 – February 21, 1985) was an American inventor, nutritionist and longevity researcher.
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Pritikin was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. He attended the University of Chicago from 1933 to 1935, dropping out because of the Depression. He became an inventor and a millionaire developing patents for companies such as Honeywell and Bendix while living in Chicago and Santa Barbara, California.
After being diagnosed with heart disease in 1957, he began searching for a treatment. Based on studies indicating that people in primitive cultures with primarily vegetarian lifestyles had little history of heart disease, he created a low-fat diet that was high in unrefined carbohydrates like vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole grains, along with a moderate aerobic exercise regime. His dietary and exercise regime, the Pritikin Diet, was published in a book co-authored by Patrick M. McGrady. It has been called one of the "gold standards of American dieting success."
He established the Pritikin Longevity Center in 1976 and served as its director. Now called the Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa, it offers controlled diet, counseling in lifestyle change, and exercise in a resort/spa-type setting. Pritikin also served as chairman of the Pritikin Research Foundation.
In the early 1980s, he began to suffer severe pain and complications related to leukemia. He committed suicide on February 21, 1985.