Nutritionist Adelle Davis warned about excessively sugary breakfasts in her popular book "Let's Eat Right to Keep Fit" (1954). Chapter 2 described the effects o

Nutritionist Adelle Davis warned about excessively sugary breakfasts in her popular book "Let's Eat Right to Keep Fit" (1954). Chapter 2 described the effects of various types of breakfasts, taken from the results of clinical studies. Some excerpts: "The sources of sugar and starch in our American diet are cheap and overabundant; proteins are expensive and scarce. Typical American breakfasts, therefore, consist of fruit or juice supplying natural sugar; cereals, hotcakes, waffles, coffee cake, toast, or other starch quickly changed into sugar during digestion; usually refined sugar is added to cereal and coffee; jam or jelly may be eaten; quantities of sugar pour rapidly into the blood. In a matter of minutes the blood sugar may increase from 80 to 155 milligrams... As the digestion of a high-carbohydrate meal continues, however, sugar keeps pouring into the blood. In effect, it calls to the pancreas, “Send more insulin! More! More!”... The more carbohydrate eaten, the greater the insulin oversupply. For example, in the studies mentioned, the largest amount of sugar was freed during the digestion of the breakfast containing oatmeal." "If we now consider typical American meals with a critical eye, we see innocent stupidity elevated to an art..." "You may say you are not hungry in the morning; this remark means, “I overate last night.” Hunger sets in only when the blood sugar drops to about 70 milligrams; 12 hours after a typical American dinner the blood sugar is usually 95 milligrams or even higher. To launch a campaign of efficiency, the best technique is to have a mid-meal in the late afternoon. Dinner should be simple and graciously served: a soup or salad so delicious that everyone wants a second helping, meat or meat substitute, perhaps a low starch vegetable, milk, buttermilk or yogurt, and fruit. Appetites can be satisfied and the meal enjoyed without potatoes; gravy, and dessert, provided the afternoon snack is sufficient. Such a meal is easy to prepare, creates less havoc in the, kitchen, and allows you eagerness for breakfast the next morning." When it comes to food and nutrition, many people suddenly become 'armchair' experts. But these observations and conclusions were backed up by clinical studies. Note, too, that this was published over 60 years ago. Ms Davis was a household name in the US throughout the 60s and 70s; she was to nutrition what Rachel Carson was to environmentalism.