Anopsology
Encyclopedia
Anopsology a nutritional theory outlined in 1964 by Guy-Claude Burger. It led to a raw food diet
based on the evolution theory
and the assumption of the existence of a nutritional instinct, capable of adjusting food intake to nutritional needs via sensory pleasure. The term "anopsology" derives from (an-) - not, (opson
) - prepared dish and (-logy) - theory, thus meaning "the theory of primitive nutrition". While the term anopsology designs the theoretical aspect, the synonym
instinctive nutrition refers to the dietary practice and instinctotherapy to the therapeutic aspect. It should not be confounded with anopsy
, a term for blindness
.
, meaning that the pleasure aroused by a food not only depends on its quality but also on the internal state (i.e., nutritional needs) of the organism. Therefore, the senses of smell
and taste can communicate physiologic needs to the person and mediate biologically adapted behaviors (i.e., which amount of a food is required to maintain nutritional homeostasis
).
In this way, a food that smells and tastes good is useful to the organism, or needed, and vice versa. When a food becomes distasteful, the body has consumed a sufficient amount of it. When eating, anopsologists pay close attention to the body's reaction to a food, and the chemical senses. Supposedly, all foods have an alliesthesic "taste change" and taste less attractive when the body has had a lot of them. Unselected (wild-types) of foods are said to have more pronounced taste changes than cultivated species.
. When his doctor revealed to him a five-year survival rate
of 20% after radiation therapy, he went on a raw-food diet as part of a 'back to nature' regimen. Burger's cancer never returned. He decided that his diet was the cause for the remission, and began studying the eating of raw foods. He wrote about his observations and began encouraging others to follow a similar diet.
Anopsologists admit that the diet can cause physical discomfort or more serious problems. Anopsology may worsen health problems such as anorexia nervosa
.
Therefore, anopsology is not related to vegan diets.
Anopsology has much in common with the Raw Paleolithic diet
.
Raw food diet
Raw foodism is the practice of consuming uncooked, unprocessed, and often organic foods as a large percentage of the diet....
based on the evolution theory
Evolution Theory
Tin1 Yin2 Leun6 is Candy Lo's 9th studio album. It was released on 4 June 2005. For this album Candy Lo worked together with Hong Kong producer Kubert Leung with whom she worked on previous albums as well.- Track listing :...
and the assumption of the existence of a nutritional instinct, capable of adjusting food intake to nutritional needs via sensory pleasure. The term "anopsology" derives from (an-) - not, (opson
Opson
Opson is an important category in Ancient Greek foodways.First and foremost opson refers to a major division of ancient Greek food: the 'relish' that complements the sitos the staple part of the meal, i.e...
) - prepared dish and (-logy) - theory, thus meaning "the theory of primitive nutrition". While the term anopsology designs the theoretical aspect, the synonym
Synonym
Synonyms are different words with almost identical or similar meanings. Words that are synonyms are said to be synonymous, and the state of being a synonym is called synonymy. The word comes from Ancient Greek syn and onoma . The words car and automobile are synonyms...
instinctive nutrition refers to the dietary practice and instinctotherapy to the therapeutic aspect. It should not be confounded with anopsy
Anopsia
An anopsia is a defect in the visual field. If the defect is only partial, then the portion of the field with the defect can be used to isolate a lesion.Types of partial anopsia:*Hemianopsia**Homonymous hemianopsia...
, a term for blindness
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
.
Hypotheses
Anopsology is a theory of nutrition based on the hypothesis that the human body is genetically adapted to 'original' foods, that is, foods which were available to human ancestry during the past millions of years.Theory
Anopsologists claim that raw foods are best for the body: "The human body evolved over millions of years breathing, drinking, and eating what it found in nature as it was found in nature. Evolution 'designed' the human body to survive best on what it found in nature. What it found was fresh, raw, unprepared." (Frederick Mann). Instinctos/Anopsologists usually believe that all raw foods are acceptable, other than those foods which appeared in Neolithic times – so raw dairy products and raw cereals and legumes are avoided.Smell and taste
According to Burger, the 'food instinct' he observed is based on the phenomenon of gustatory alliesthesiaAlliesthesia
Alliesthesia - changed, and - sensation, perception ; French : alliesthésie, German : Alliästhesie) describes the dependence of the perception of pleasure or disgust perceived when consuming a stimulus on the "milieu intérieur" of the organism. Therefore, a stimulus capable of ameliorating the...
, meaning that the pleasure aroused by a food not only depends on its quality but also on the internal state (i.e., nutritional needs) of the organism. Therefore, the senses of smell
Olfaction
Olfaction is the sense of smell. This sense is mediated by specialized sensory cells of the nasal cavity of vertebrates, and, by analogy, sensory cells of the antennae of invertebrates...
and taste can communicate physiologic needs to the person and mediate biologically adapted behaviors (i.e., which amount of a food is required to maintain nutritional homeostasis
Homeostasis
Homeostasis is the property of a system that regulates its internal environment and tends to maintain a stable, constant condition of properties like temperature or pH...
).
In this way, a food that smells and tastes good is useful to the organism, or needed, and vice versa. When a food becomes distasteful, the body has consumed a sufficient amount of it. When eating, anopsologists pay close attention to the body's reaction to a food, and the chemical senses. Supposedly, all foods have an alliesthesic "taste change" and taste less attractive when the body has had a lot of them. Unselected (wild-types) of foods are said to have more pronounced taste changes than cultivated species.
Origin
The diet was created by Guy-Claude Burger. Burger was diagnosed with lymphoblastic sarcoma, a form of cancerCancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. When his doctor revealed to him a five-year survival rate
Five-year survival rate
The five-year survival rate is a term used in medicine for estimating the prognosis of a particular disease.Analysis performed against the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database facilitates calculation of Five-year survival rates....
of 20% after radiation therapy, he went on a raw-food diet as part of a 'back to nature' regimen. Burger's cancer never returned. He decided that his diet was the cause for the remission, and began studying the eating of raw foods. He wrote about his observations and began encouraging others to follow a similar diet.
Credibility
The beneficial effects of anopsology are debated. Most evidence towards either side is anecdotal and therefore cannot produce a definite answer. Some people have reported improved physical health through anopsology, but no medical institution has yet conducted the extensive research required for mainstream medical approval.Criticism
Anopsology shares criticisms made of other raw food diets. In addition, some claim that the anopsology diet may be harmful, creating a false sense of health immediately but hurting the body in the long term.Anopsologists admit that the diet can cause physical discomfort or more serious problems. Anopsology may worsen health problems such as anorexia nervosa
Anorexia nervosa
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by refusal to maintain a healthy body weight and an obsessive fear of gaining weight. Although commonly called "anorexia", that term on its own denotes any symptomatic loss of appetite and is not strictly accurate...
.
Anopsology and other diets
While some anopsologists do not eat meat, anopsology itself is not by definition vegetarian. Anopsology included consumption of raw or dried (much as beef jerky) and uncooked meat. In fact, Burger struck down the vegetarian diet, saying that a true vegetarian diet was never pursued by human ancestry.Therefore, anopsology is not related to vegan diets.
Anopsology has much in common with the Raw Paleolithic diet
Paleolithic diet
The modern dietary regimen known as the Paleolithic diet , also popularly referred to as the caveman diet, Stone Age diet and hunter-gatherer diet, is a nutritional plan based on the presumed ancient diet of wild plants and animals that various hominid species habitually consumed during the...
.