Nathan Pritikin

Nathan Pritikin (August 29, 1915 – February 21, 1985) was an American inventor, engineer, nutritionist and longevity researcher. He promoted the Pritikin diet, a high-carbohydrate low-fat plant-based diet combined with regular aerobic exercise to prevent cardiovascular disease. The Pritikin diet emphasizes the consumption of legumes, whole grains, fresh fruit and vegetables, and non-fat dairy products with small amounts of lean meat, fowl, and fish.

Biography The eldest son born to Jacob and Ester, Pritikin was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. He was given a scholarship to the University of Chicago and attended from 1933 to 1935, dropping out because of the Depression and starting his own business Flash Foto. He became an inventor and a millionaire developing patents for companies such as Honeywell, General Electric, and Bendix The facility closed in 1997 and became the Hotel Casa del Mar. The Pritikin Longevity Center then relocated to Miami. His son Robert was the head of Pritikin Research Foundation.

Pritikin Diet

In 1958, Pritikin was diagnosed with "coronary artery insufficiency (without symptoms) secondary to an exercise electrocardiogram". By diet and exercise, he was able to reduce his cholesterol level. He charged patients $6,000 for several weeks of the Program at his Pritikin center. Protein consumption is limited to 3.5 ounces of lean meat daily, which reduces total cholesterol and fat intake. The Pritikin Program has been authorized as a cardiac rehabilitation program by Medicare.

Reception

Dietitians and nutritionists have classified the Pritikin diet as a fad diet due to its restrictive nature and unsubstantiated health claims.

Some of Pritikin's dietary recommendations are in line with mainstream nutritional advice, such as emphasizing vegetable consumption and restricting alcohol, but his claims about his Program reversing atherosclerosis are not supported by clinical evidence. He was criticized also for making "false statements", such as "almost any amount of sugar is too much".

Frederick J. Stare commented that the Pritikin diet is an "extremely restrictive plan" that is difficult to adhere to long-term and suggested that the diet may increase the risk of iron deficiency.

A 2023 review found that the Pritikin diet had no significant impact on all-cause mortality or cardiovascular outcomes.

Death

Pritikin was diagnosed with leukemia in 1958, and it had been in remission until early 1980s when he began to suffer severe pain and complications from the disease and associated treatments. Despite this, he was fully active until a few weeks before his death. He died by suicide at Albany Medical Center on nowrap|February 21, 1985.

Selected publications

Articles Pritikin, Nathan. (1976). High Carbohydrate Diets: Maligned and Misunderstood. The Journal of Applied Nutrition 28 (3&4): 56-68.

Books Live Longer Now: The First One Hundred Years of Your Life: The 2100 Program. Grosset & Dunlap. co-authored with Jon N. Leonard and Jack L. Hofer (1974). The Pritikin Program for Diet and Exercise. Bantam. co-authored with Patrick M. McGrady (1979). The Pritikin Permanent Weight Loss Manual. Bantam. (1981). The Pritikin Promise: 28 Days to a Longer, Healthier Life. Simon & Schuster. (1983). Diet for Runners: The High-Performance Diet that Gives You Supercharged Energy and Endurance (1985). Pritikin: The Man Who Healed America's Heart Tom Monte, Ilene Pritikin (1987).