Page 14 - Winter2008

The Pursuit of

Happiness:

How Nutrient-dense Animal Fats

Promote Mental and Emotional Health

By Chris Masterjohn

eston Price observed healthy and cheerful disposi-

tions accompanying the broad facial development
a
n
W d robust immunity to degenerative disease that
characterized members of isolated groups eating traditional
diets. He emphasized above all the importance of the fat-

soluble vitamins for prevention and reversal of tooth decay
and full skeletal development. Modern science has now elu-

cidated the role of nutrient-dense animal fats in preventing
mental illness and supporting the focused, goal-oriented

behavior needed to confront challenges and pursue a happy,
satisfying, and successful life.

Clinically defined psychiatric disorders afflict just under half of Americans
for at least one period of time during their lives. Depression and anxiety of-
1
ten occur together and also often occur in conjunction with physical ailments
such as inflammatory bowel disease and asthma. The lifetime prevalence of
2
3
depressive, anxiety, impulse control and substance abuse disorders is twice as
high for people born after 1945 than for those born earlier, and the proportion
of Americans suffering from three or more disorders—nearly a fifth—has
more than tripled for the post-World War II generations. 1

14 Wise Traditions WINTER 2008