Pottenger’s Cats — A Study in Nutrition
Kelly_Wilson1990
Posts: 3,245 Member
Pottenger’s Cats — A Study in Nutrition
by Francis M. Pottenger, Jr., MD
From 1932 to 1942, Dr. Francis Marion Pottenger, Jr. (frequently misspelled Pottinger) conducted an experiment to determine the effects of heat-processed food on cats.
This ten-year cat study was prompted by the high death rate among his laboratory cats undergoing operations to remove their adrenal glands. At that time, there were no chemical procedures to measure the strength of adrenal extract. So, manufacturers used cats. Cats die without their adrenal glands. So, the amount of extract the cats needed to keep them alive allowed the manufacturers to calibrate the strength of their product.
Dr. Pottenger fed his cats a diet of raw milk, cod liver oil and cooked meat scraps, which included liver, tripe, sweetbreads, brains, heart and muscle. This was considered the optimum diet.
Concerned with the cats poor postoperative survival, Dr. Pottenger noticed the cats showed a decrease in their reproductive capacity and many of the kittens born in the laboratory had skeletal deformities and organ malfunctions.
By a quirk of fate, since the number of cats donated by his neighbors in Monrovia, California kept increasing, he couldn’t handle the demand for cooked meat scraps. So, he ordered raw meat scraps from a local meat packing plant, including the viscera, muscle and bone. Always a scientist, Dr. Pottenger fed these raw meat scraps to a segregated group of cats so that he could observe any change. Within a few months, this group appeared healthier, their kittens more vigorous, and they had a higher survival rate after their operations.
The contrast between the two sets of cats was so startling, it prompted Dr. Pottenger to perform a controlled experiment to verify these facts scientifically.
The experiment included 900 cats over four generations and was well documented by Dr. Pottenger. The cats were divided into five groups. All the groups were supplied the same basic minimal diet, but the major portion of the diets were varied. Two of the groups were fed whole foods (raw milk and meat – real foods for cats). The other three groups were given processed foods: pasteurized, evaporated and condensed milk.
All four generations of the raw meat and raw milk groups remained healthy throughout their normal lifespans. The first generation of all three processed food groups developed diseases and illnesses near the end of their lives. The second generation of all three processed food groups developed diseases and illnesses in the middle of their lives. The third generation of all three processed food groups developed diseases and illnesses in the beginning of their lives and many died before six months of age. There was no fourth generation in any of the three processed food groups. Either the third generation parents were sterile or the fourth generation cats died before birth! Remember, all four generations of the raw food groups were healthy throughout their normal lifespans.
As for applying his results to human nutrition, Dr. Pottenger said, “While no attempt will be made to correlate the changes in the animals studied with malformations found in humans, the similarity is so obvious that parallel pictures will suggest themselves.”
Does this give you an understanding of why so many children are now developing cancer? Why there were no fertility clinics 30 years ago?
There is no similar experiment in medical literature. The findings were supervised by Dr. Pottenger along with Dr. Alvin Foord, professor of pathology at the University of Southern California and pathologist at the Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena. These studies met the most rigorous scientific standards of their day.
http://therawfoodsite.com/raw-food/pottengers-cats/
http://www.ifnh.org/Bio Pottenger.htm
http://www.ppnf.org/catalog/ppnf/PottengerResearch.htm
by Francis M. Pottenger, Jr., MD
From 1932 to 1942, Dr. Francis Marion Pottenger, Jr. (frequently misspelled Pottinger) conducted an experiment to determine the effects of heat-processed food on cats.
This ten-year cat study was prompted by the high death rate among his laboratory cats undergoing operations to remove their adrenal glands. At that time, there were no chemical procedures to measure the strength of adrenal extract. So, manufacturers used cats. Cats die without their adrenal glands. So, the amount of extract the cats needed to keep them alive allowed the manufacturers to calibrate the strength of their product.
Dr. Pottenger fed his cats a diet of raw milk, cod liver oil and cooked meat scraps, which included liver, tripe, sweetbreads, brains, heart and muscle. This was considered the optimum diet.
Concerned with the cats poor postoperative survival, Dr. Pottenger noticed the cats showed a decrease in their reproductive capacity and many of the kittens born in the laboratory had skeletal deformities and organ malfunctions.
By a quirk of fate, since the number of cats donated by his neighbors in Monrovia, California kept increasing, he couldn’t handle the demand for cooked meat scraps. So, he ordered raw meat scraps from a local meat packing plant, including the viscera, muscle and bone. Always a scientist, Dr. Pottenger fed these raw meat scraps to a segregated group of cats so that he could observe any change. Within a few months, this group appeared healthier, their kittens more vigorous, and they had a higher survival rate after their operations.
The contrast between the two sets of cats was so startling, it prompted Dr. Pottenger to perform a controlled experiment to verify these facts scientifically.
The experiment included 900 cats over four generations and was well documented by Dr. Pottenger. The cats were divided into five groups. All the groups were supplied the same basic minimal diet, but the major portion of the diets were varied. Two of the groups were fed whole foods (raw milk and meat – real foods for cats). The other three groups were given processed foods: pasteurized, evaporated and condensed milk.
All four generations of the raw meat and raw milk groups remained healthy throughout their normal lifespans. The first generation of all three processed food groups developed diseases and illnesses near the end of their lives. The second generation of all three processed food groups developed diseases and illnesses in the middle of their lives. The third generation of all three processed food groups developed diseases and illnesses in the beginning of their lives and many died before six months of age. There was no fourth generation in any of the three processed food groups. Either the third generation parents were sterile or the fourth generation cats died before birth! Remember, all four generations of the raw food groups were healthy throughout their normal lifespans.
As for applying his results to human nutrition, Dr. Pottenger said, “While no attempt will be made to correlate the changes in the animals studied with malformations found in humans, the similarity is so obvious that parallel pictures will suggest themselves.”
Does this give you an understanding of why so many children are now developing cancer? Why there were no fertility clinics 30 years ago?
There is no similar experiment in medical literature. The findings were supervised by Dr. Pottenger along with Dr. Alvin Foord, professor of pathology at the University of Southern California and pathologist at the Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena. These studies met the most rigorous scientific standards of their day.
http://therawfoodsite.com/raw-food/pottengers-cats/
http://www.ifnh.org/Bio Pottenger.htm
http://www.ppnf.org/catalog/ppnf/PottengerResearch.htm
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Replies
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Right, so 70 years ago we shouldn't have taken milk, cod liver oil, or cooked meat.
Got it.
*sigh* Did it cause cancer too?
How about that the benefits of all of those things have been proven many many times since?0 -
Should have studied the results of feeding cats arsenic.0
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The entire study is about the effects of processed foods on the cats which can now be seen in humans.0
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So, do you deduce from that study that we, humans, shouldn't consume milk, cod liver oil, or cooked meats?
Is that what you are trying to say?0 -
NO, it says we should not eat processed foods.
"All four generations of the raw meat and raw milk groups remained healthy throughout their normal lifespans. The first generation of all three processed food groups developed diseases and illnesses near the end of their lives."0 -
When did you last see a cat milk a cow?
This whole thing makes no sense. Should we all be eating raw meat and offal all the time now then?0 -
We should not be eating processed foods!!0
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So, the first half of that is totally pointless then, gotcha.
Second half says "...processed foods: pasterized, evaporated, and condensed milk".
Is that all? What other processed foods were they given?
And you're taking this ONE report to be the reason why, in your eyes, many more children are getting cancer 70 years on? Don't you think there are many more issues than this?
This is flawed in soooo many ways.0 -
It does not say eat like a cat. It was showing that eating a diet high in processed food has led to many health issues which were studied in cats in the 1930's and is now after generations of people eating processed food the same disease are showing up in humans at early ages.0
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And this says that as the number of pirates has gone down, the world temperature has gone up! It as about as much relevance as this study shows. Do you honestly think that that one factor is the cause of the so-called higher cancer rate in children 70 years on?0 -
When did you last see a cat milk a cow?
This whole thing makes no sense. Should we all be eating raw meat and offal all the time now then?
In America and around the world most farmers and families had fresh milk from their cows and shared it with the dog and cat as well. When the calf was nursing it also drools and the cats would hang around or wait and lick up the missed milk.0 -
And this says that as the number of pirates has gone down, the world temperature has gone up! It as about as much relevance as this study shows. Do you honestly think that that one factor is the cause of the so-called higher cancer rate in children 70 years on?
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:0 -
I think I just lost a few brain cells reading this.
This is soooo moronic it's beyond words. Of course the other cats got sick, they were not getting nearly enough protein with milk making up the majority of their diet (this is good for kittens but OBVIOUSLY meat is ideal for grown cats DUH).
To extrapolate this to the rise in fertility clinics is so misguided I feel stupid even commenting on it. Ever think that maybe the rise in fertility clinics has more to do with medical progress? Changing societal attitudes about the taboo of infertility?
I don't doubt that whole foods are better for people but cannot see how one could logically come to that conclusion from THIS study.0 -
I appreciate studies of this type. Our food supply has changed so drastically in the last 100 years, it's wise to wonder "is it still as healthy as I believe it is for me?" I stay away from sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite , along with msg I see no sense in eating chemicals when there is food to be had!!!0
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And this says that as the number of pirates has gone down, the world temperature has gone up! It as about as much relevance as this study shows. Do you honestly think that that one factor is the cause of the so-called higher cancer rate in children 70 years on?
Love this!0 -
Maybe we should change and eat the cats... Hmmm.... wonder if they taste like chicken?
=D
(jk)0 -
why are we doing this to animals, wouldn't prisoners on death row give closer results they are human after all................well...............thats debatable0
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Do not feed the trolls...
The purpose of this study (That feeding cats processed over raw foods led a deterioration in overall health across generations) is alarming, especially considering that the human diet in developed countries is following that trend. Not to say that people and cats eat the same things. Except for the cat lady down the street.
To say that that is the only factor impacting overall health and wellness in the world is a bit over the top. To say that there is a noticeable (and significant) correlation between the two is feasible.0 -
This argument is entirely bogus - these studies don't prove anything about cooked v. uncooked meat when it comes to human nutrition. The truth is that cooking the meat altered an amino acid (taurine) that's essential for feline health. Humans (other than strict vegans) get plenty of this amino acid in their diet.
This is the explanation for the cats' sickness:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_M._Pottenger,_Jr.
At the time of Pottenger's Study the amino acid taurine had been discovered but had not yet been identified as an essential amino acid FOR CATS (emphasis added). Today many cats thrive on a cooked meat diet where taurine has been added after cooking. The deficient diets lacked sufficient taurine to allow the cats to properly form protein structures and resulted in the health effects observed. Pottenger himself concluded that there was likely an "as yet unknown" protein factor that may have been heat sensitive.
Read this on Taurine:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taurine
In animal nutrition
Taurine is an essential dietary requirement for FELINE (emphasis added) health, since cats cannot synthesize the compound. The absence of taurine causes a cat's retina to slowly degenerate, causing eye problems and (eventually) irreversible blindness — a condition known as central retinal degeneration (CRD),[59][60] as well as hair loss and tooth decay. Decreased plasma taurine concentration has been demonstrated to be associated with feline dilated cardiomyopathy.[61] Unlike CRD, the condition is reversible with supplementation. Taurine is now a requirement of the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) and any dry or wet food product labeled approved by the AAFCO should have a minimum of 0.1% taurine in dry food and 0.2% in wet food.[62]
Later in the article:
Taurine levels were found to be significantly lower in vegans than in a control group on a standard American diet. Plasma taurine was 78% of control values, and urinary taurine was 29%.[43]
- So actually, a diet including meat (yes, cooked meat) increases the levels of this useful amino acid in humans.
Yes it's wikipedia but I have to work so don't have tons of time to research right now. But looks like using this study to prove something about processed v. unprocessed foods is an exercise in absurdity.0 -
It does not say eat like a cat. It was showing that eating a diet high in processed food has led to many health issues which were studied in cats in the 1930's and is now after generations of people eating processed food the same disease are showing up in humans at early ages.
You're wasting your time :-) ... these people not only did not thoroughly read the post, they are incapable of grasping the implications. Probably third generation junk food eaters.0 -
It does not say eat like a cat. It was showing that eating a diet high in processed food has led to many health issues which were studied in cats in the 1930's and is now after generations of people eating processed food the same disease are showing up in humans at early ages.
You're wasting your time :-) ... these people not only did not thoroughly read the post, they are incapable of grasping the implications. Probably third generation junk food eaters.
Please do some reading on the actual study before you embarrass yourself further.
ps the only implication is that you shouldn't feed your cat a diet of cooked meats because then they'll be missing taurine. Which human vegans also ingest less of.0 -
It does not say eat like a cat. It was showing that eating a diet high in processed food has led to many health issues which were studied in cats in the 1930's and is now after generations of people eating processed food the same disease are showing up in humans at early ages.
You're wasting your time :-) ... these people not only did not thoroughly read the post, they are incapable of grasping the implications. Probably third generation junk food eaters.
Please do some reading on the actual study before you embarrass yourself further.
ps the only implication is that you shouldn't feed your cat a diet of cooked meats because then they'll be missing taurine. Which human vegans also ingest less of.
sigh ...0 -
Pottenger did postulate after there was a good chance that it was not the processing introducing toxins, but destroying nutrients or proteins necessary to their health.
Later, the essential (meaning the cat body cannot produce it from other nutrients) amino acid taurine was discovered. This does get destroyed during canning. Modern canned food supplements with this, and as a result, cats have done well on it.
This is not included in this one sided historical view.
While I agree processing is bad compared to fresh, it is sometimes necessary to preserve food as a population. We should limit it greatly.
The above "other side" does beg the question, what essential nutrients are we destroying in our current processing that we are still unaware of?0 -
Does this give you an understanding of why so many children are now developing cancer? Why there were no fertility clinics 30 years ago?
If you ever had me before, you lost me there. I don't understand why people try to make points like this. "I HAVE THE ANSWERS TO EVERYTHING." We have more medical advances now. We can diagnose and treat more cancers now - ditto with infertility. In the 1930s, the answer to infertility was adoption.
I'm not a fan of processed foods - I even keep my own ranch dressing at home so I can avoid using the regular Subway dressing that has HFCS in it for when I have to eat something fast - but my weight also ballooned without any processed foods to help it along, and sheer weight carries health risks with it, too. Whole foods are great, but they are not "THE ANSWER TO EVERYTHING ZOMG I WILL CURE INFERTILITY AND CANCER."0 -
Does this give you an understanding of why so many children are now developing cancer? Why there were no fertility clinics 30 years ago?
If you ever had me before, you lost me there. I don't understand why people try to make points like this. "I HAVE THE ANSWERS TO EVERYTHING." We have more medical advances now. We can diagnose and treat more cancers now - ditto with infertility. In the 1930s, the answer to infertility was adoption.
I'm not a fan of processed foods - I even keep my own ranch dressing at home so I can avoid using the regular Subway dressing that has HFCS in it for when I have to eat something fast - but my weight also ballooned without any processed foods to help it along, and sheer weight carries health risks with it, too. Whole foods are great, but they are not "THE ANSWER TO EVERYTHING ZOMG I WILL CURE INFERTILITY AND CANCER."
True but as smoking continues to decline, and the cancer rate has doubled since the early 80s and continues to rise, we must seek possible answers. Since it affects such a large percentage of the population, and the rate has increased greatly in the past 50 years total, it is obviously something we are doing differently now, as compared to then.
Food is one obvious possibility, as we treat and prepare food for mass consumption totally differently today. However its not without an upside. Food poisoning has dropped greatly for example.
I agree, this does not demonstrate cause and effect. However it did prove through clinical trial at the time that processed foods (processed the way they were in that day and age and the same canning plant that fed humans) caused the same health issues over successive generations that we humans are now facing over successive generations as we have switched to processed foods.
I know you bring your own dressing to subway, but their lettuce and vegetables are washed in a chemical vegetable wash. We really are adding chemicals and unnatural processes into the food chain at every turn. This is bound to lead to theories, but those theories must be tested, and not drawn from "studies" which are universally inaccurate.0
This discussion has been closed.
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