Herman Le Compte
Encyclopedia
Herman Le Compte was a Belgian
physician and gerontologist.
as the "Vitamin Doctor," Le Compte became famous during the 1960s with a series of books and TV shows dedicated to health and aging. He claimed that vitamins and yeast would increase longevivity, and called for elders taking a more active role in society. His claims led to a lifelong ban by the Belgian medical association.
Despite the ban he continued to practise medicine leading to his arrest.
After a two decade legal fight he was vindicated by the ECHR and legally allowed to practise again.
Le Compte died in his sleep of a heart attack on January 3, 2008, in Knokke
, Belgium
.
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
physician and gerontologist.
Biography
Known across his native FlandersFlanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
as the "Vitamin Doctor," Le Compte became famous during the 1960s with a series of books and TV shows dedicated to health and aging. He claimed that vitamins and yeast would increase longevivity, and called for elders taking a more active role in society. His claims led to a lifelong ban by the Belgian medical association.
Despite the ban he continued to practise medicine leading to his arrest.
After a two decade legal fight he was vindicated by the ECHR and legally allowed to practise again.
Le Compte died in his sleep of a heart attack on January 3, 2008, in Knokke
Knokke
Knokke is one of a group of communities that are all grouped in the administrative community Knokke-Heist, in the province of West Flanders in Flanders, Belgium. Knokke itself has 15,653 inhabitants .Knokke-Heist has 33,818 inhabitants ....
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
.