Benjamin Gayelord Hauser (May 17, 1895 - December 26, 1984),Picart, C. (2000, February)
''Hauser, Gayelord (1895-1984), nutritionist and author''
American National Biography. Ed. Retrieved 8 Feb. 2019. popularly known as Gayelord Hauser, was an American

nutritionist A nutritionist is a person who advises others on matters of food and Human nutrition, nutrition and their impacts on health. Some people specialize in particular areas, such as sports nutrition, public health, or animal nutrition, among other disci ...

and

self-help Self-help or self-improvement is "a focus on self-guided, in contrast to professionally guided, efforts to cope with life problems" —economically, physically, intellectually, or emotionally—often with a substantial psychological basis. When ...

writer, who promoted the 'natural way of eating' during the mid-20th century. He promoted foods rich in

vitamin B B vitamins are a class of water-soluble vitamins that play important roles in cell metabolism and synthesis of red blood cells. They are a chemically diverse class of compounds. Dietary supplements containing all eight are referred to as a vita ...

and discouraged consumption of

sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose Glucose is a sugar with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecul ...

and

white flour Flour is a powder made by grinding raw grains, roots, beans, nuts, or seeds. Flours are used to make many different foods. Cereal flour, particularly wheat flour, is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many culture ...

. He rose to fame as a self-help author, popular on the lecture and social circuits, and was nutritional advisor to many celebrities. Hauser was supported by many film stars but was often in conflict with the medical community. He promised people they could add years to their life by eating five "wonder foods": blackstrap molasses,

brewer's yeast ''Saccharomyces cerevisiae'' () (brewer's yeast or baker's yeast) is a species of yeast (single-celled fungal microorganisms). The species has been instrumental in winemaking, baking, and brewing since ancient times. It is believed to have been o ...

skimmed milk Skimmed milk (British English), or skim milk (American English), is made when all the milkfat is removed from whole milk. It tends to contain around 0.1% to 0.3% fat. Background Historically, skimmed milk was used for fattening pigs, and was re ...

wheat germ The germ of a cereal grain is the part that develops into a plant; it is the seed embryo. Along with bran, germ is often a by-product of the milling that produces refined grain products. Cereal grains and their components, such as wheat germ ...

and

yogurt Yogurt (; , from , ; also spelled yoghurt, yogourt or yoghourt) is a food produced by bacterial Fermentation (food), fermentation of milk. Fermentation of sugars in the milk by these bacteria produces lactic acid, which acts on milk protein to ...

. Barrett, Stephen, Jarvis, William T. (1993). ''The Health Robbers: A Close Look at Quackery in America''. Prometheus Books. p. 79. He was criticized as a " food faddist" and his dieting ideas were described by medical doctors as

pseudoscientific Pseudoscience consists of statements, beliefs, or practices that claim to be both scientific and factual but are incompatible with the scientific method. Pseudoscience is often characterized by contradictory, exaggerated or unfalsifiable cl ...

and

quackery Quackery, often synonymous with health fraud, is the promotion of fraudulent or Ignorance, ignorant medicine, medical practices. A quack is a "fraudulent or ignorant pretender to medical skill" or "a person who pretends, professionally or public ...

Background and education

Gayelord Hauser was born Helmut Eugen Benjamin Gellert Hauser on 17 May 1895 in

Tübingen Tübingen (; ) is a traditional college town, university city in central Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated south of the state capital, Stuttgart, and developed on both sides of the Neckar and Ammer (Neckar), Ammer rivers. about one in ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

to Christian Hauser, a schoolmaster, and Agate Rothe. At the age of sixteen, young Helmut joined his older brother, the Reverend Otto Hauser, a pastor, in Chicago, Illinois; shortly thereafter they moved to

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

. Young Hauser sailed to America as a steerage passenger on the SS ''George Washington'', and underwent immigrant inspection at

Ellis Island Ellis Island is an island in New York Harbor, within the U.S. states of New Jersey and New York (state), New York. Owned by the U.S. government, Ellis Island was once the busiest immigrant inspection and processing station in the United State ...

on 14 August 1911. Not long after settling in the US, Hauser was stricken with

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

of the hip which, before the development of

antibiotics An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria. It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting pathogenic bacteria, bacterial infections, and antibiotic medications are widely used in the therapy ...

in the 1930s, was almost always fatal. After several operations proved fruitless, his case was declared hopeless and Hauser consulted a

naturopath Naturopathy, or naturopathic medicine, is a form of alternative medicine. A wide array of practices branded as "natural", "non-invasive", or promoting "self-healing" are employed by its practitioners, who are known as naturopaths. Difficult ...

, Dr.

Benedict Lust Benedict Lust (February 3, 1872 – September 5, 1945) was a German-American who was one of the founders of naturopathic medicine in the first decades of the twentieth century. Biography Lust was born in Michelbach, Baden, Germany.Anonymous. ( ...

. Lust recommended a regimen of warm baths, clay packs, and herbal remedies. Hauser's condition subsequently improved and he soon followed Lust's recommendation to seek further treatment in Switzerland to see if the new "food science" (Nahrungswissen) had anything to offer him. A monk, Brother Maier, put him on a strict diet of salads, fruit juices, vegetable broths, and herbs. Within weeks the tubercular hip went into remission, permanently cured. Hauser then embarked upon studies of "food science" in order to become an expert and spread a message about "the power of food." He studied in Vienna, Zurich, Dresden, and Copenhagen. He now returned to the US, changed his name, and set up office in Chicago. He toured the Midwest touting the value of his five "wonder foods":

, brewers yeast, powdered

skim milk Skimmed milk (British English), or skim milk (American English), is made when all the milkfat is removed from whole milk. It tends to contain around 0.1% to 0.3% fat. Background Historically, skimmed milk was used for fattening pigs, and was re ...

, and especially blackstrap molasses. Hauser believed in the healthful effects of "whole foods" and urged people to avoid too much fat, excessive sugar, and excessive consumption of meat. He urged people to "enrich" their milk and food with powdered skim milk, blackstrap molasses, and brewer's yeast. He provided recipes for whole wheat muffins, breads, drinks, and yogurt. When enriched white breads were introduced in the 1950s, Hauser denounced them as "devitalized" because of the value of the removed wheat germ. Hauser continued his studies in the US, receiving degrees in

naturopathy Naturopathy, or naturopathic medicine, is a form of alternative medicine. A wide array of practices branded as "natural", "non-invasive", or promoting "self-healing" are employed by its practitioners, who are known as naturopaths. Difficult ...

and

chiropractic Chiropractic () is a form of alternative medicine concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, especially of the spine. It is based on several pseudoscientific ideas. Many c ...

from several American institutions. In 1925 Hauser joined his brother-in-law, Sebastian Gysin, in the Milwaukee firm of Modern Products, which already manufactured an herbal laxative developed by Gysin, called Swiss Kriss. Hauser helped to market a series of food products produced by Modern Products. Modern Products continues to this day, and Hauser's line of seasonings and broths are found in most health food stores. Another company, Gayelord Hauser of France, markets an even more extensive line of food products and publications in that country. In 1927, Hauser moved to

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, where his "natty good looks and brash, exuberant approach" soon made him popular among movie makers. First

Adele Astaire Adele Astaire Douglass (born Adele Marie Austerlitz, later known as Lady Charles Cavendish; September 10, 1896 – January 25, 1981) was an American dancer, stage actress, and singer. After beginning work as a dancer and vaudeville performe ...

, and later

Marlene Dietrich Marie Magdalene "Marlene" DietrichBorn as Maria Magdalena, not Marie Magdalene, according to Dietrich's biography by her daughter, Maria Riva ; however, Dietrich's biography by Charlotte Chandler cites "Marie Magdalene" as her birth name . (, ; ...

Paulette Goddard Paulette Goddard (born Marion Levy; June 3, 1910 – April 23, 1990) was an American actress and socialite. Her career spanned six decades, from the 1920s to the early 1970s. She was a prominent leading actress during the Golden Age of Hollywood ...

Gloria Swanson Gloria Mae Josephine Swanson (March 27, 1899April 4, 1983) was an American actress. She first achieved fame acting in dozens of silent films in the 1920s and was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Actress, most famously for h ...

, and, most famously,

Greta Garbo Greta Garbo (born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson; 18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990) was a Swedish-American actress and a premier star during Hollywood's Silent film, silent and early Classical Hollywood cinema, golden eras. Regarded as one of the g ...

all sought his advice and guidance. Also among those seeking his counsel in later years were

Queen Alexandra of Yugoslavia Alexandra (, Romanization, romanized: ''Alexándra'', sh-Cyrl-Latn, separator=/, Александра, Aleksandra, in 1922 retroactively recognised as Princess Alexandra of Greece and Denmark; 25 March 1921– 30 January 1993) was the last Que ...

, Baron Philippe de Rothschild,

Grace Kelly Grace Patricia Kelly (November 12, 1929 – September 14, 1982), also known as Grace of Monaco, was an American actress and Princess of Monaco as the wife of Prince Rainier III from their marriage on April 18, 1956, until her death in 1982. ...

Ingrid Bergman Ingrid Bergman (29 August 191529 August 1982) was a Swedish actress.Obituary ''Variety Obituaries, Variety'', 1 September 1982. With a career spanning five decades, Bergman is often regarded as one of the most influential screen figures in cin ...

Jeanne Moreau Jeanne Moreau (; 23 January 1928 – 31 July 2017) was a French actress, singer, screenwriter, director, and socialite. She made her theatrical debut in 1947, and established herself as one of the leading actresses of the Comédie-Française. Mo ...

, and the

Duchess of Windsor Wallis, Duchess of Windsor (born Bessie Wallis Warfield, later Spencer and then Simpson; June 19, 1896 – April 24, 1986) was an American socialite and the wife of Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor (former King Edward VIII). Their intenti ...

. A tireless promoter, Hauser began his prolific writing career in 1930 with ''Harmonized Food Selection, with the Famous Hauser Body-Building System,'' and continued through his final revision of ''Gaylord Hauser's New Treasury of Secrets'' in 1974. His books were translated into twelve languages, he had a popular column in the Hearst newspapers, and his most famous book, ''Look Younger; Live Longer'' (partly ghost-written by Frances Warfield Hackett), was condensed in ''

Reader's Digest ''Reader's Digest'' is an American general-interest family magazine, published ten times a year. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, it is now headquartered in midtown Manhattan. The magazine was founded in 1922 by DeWitt Wallace and his wi ...

''. Hauser was friends with Greta Garbo until the end of his life and they may have been romantically involved. Garbo was also friends with Frey Brown, a promising young actor who had left his career in the early 1940s to be Hauser's male domestic partner. Garbo and her close friend

Mercedes de Acosta Mercedes de Acosta (March 1, 1892 – May 9, 1968) was an American poet, playwright, and novelist. Although she failed to achieve artistic and professional distinction, de Acosta is known for her many lesbian affairs with celebrated Broadway and ...

would spend time at Hauser and Brown's houses in Los Angeles, Palm Springs, and Italy. After purchasing Casa Cuseni, a grand villa in Taormina, Sicily in 1950, where he wrote his most famous book, ''Look Younger; Live Longer'', he spent much of his time there with Frey Brown. After Brown's death in 1979, Hauser sold the villa and returned full-time to Hollywood, where he remained in vigorous good health until shortly before his death on 26 December 1984 from complications of pneumonia.

Controversy and legacy

Making health recommendations despite not being a medical doctor, Hauser was criticized almost from the start by the recognized medical authorities, especially the AMA, as well as sugar and flour lobbies. In 1951 the

Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respo ...

seized copies of ''Look Younger; Live Longer,'' which promised to add five "youthful years" to your life, on the grounds that it was promoting the sale of one brand of blackstrap molasses. In 1963,

Louis Lasagna Louis Cesare Lasagna (February 22, 1923 – August 6, 2003) was an American physician and professor of medicine, known for his revision of the Hippocratic Oath. Early life and education Lasagna was an internationally recognized and respected e ...

commented that Hauser's writings were a "mélange of good sense, questionable nutritional advice, name-dropping, continental charm, and coy chattiness." As late as 1967, Hauser was dismissed as a crank and compared with such obvious charlatans as Dudley J. LeBlanc, promoter of the cure-all Hadacol. Some medical health experts have been critical; for example it has been noted that Hauser was a promoter of the

Bates method The Bates method is an ineffective and potentially dangerous alternative medicine, alternative therapy aimed at improving visual acuity, eyesight. Eye-care physician William Bates (physician), William Horatio Bates (1860–1931) held the err ...

, which is widely regarded as

. Barrett, Stephen, Jarvis, William T. (1993). ''The Health Robbers: A Close Look at Quackery in America''. Prometheus Books. p. 349. However, others consider him to be ahead of his time and a founder of the natural food movement.

Publications

* ''Types and Temperaments with a Key to Foods'' (1930) * ''Food Science and Health'' (1930) * ''New Health Cookery'' (1930) * ''Child Feeding: Written for Mothers'' (1932) * ''Keener Vision Without Glasses'' (1932) * ''Here's How to Be Healthy'' (1934) * ''Eat and Grow Beautiful'' (1936) * ''Dictionary Of Foods'' (1939) * ''A Training Course In Health-Eating'' (1940) * ''Diet Does It'' (1944) * ''Better Eyes Without Glasses'' (1944) * ''The Gayelord Hauser Cook Book'' (1946) * ''Look Younger, Live Longer'' (1950) * ''Gayelord Hauser's New Treasury of Secrets'' (1951) * ''Be Happier, Be Healthier'' (1952) * ''Diet Does It: Incorporating the Gayelord Hauser Cook Book'' (1952) * ''Gayelord Hauser's New Guide to Intelligent Reducing'' (1955) * ''Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: Invitation to Beauty'' (1961) * ''Gayelord Hauser's Treasury of Secrets'' (1963)

Trivia

* Hauser's doctorates are honorary degrees from the University Philtechnique in

Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

and the Argentina School of Nutrition in

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...

. * A statue stands in his honor in

Kyoto, Japan Kyoto ( or ; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it the ninth-most pop ...

. * His diet was the topic of a popular 1951

novelty song A novelty song is a type of song built upon some form of novel concept, such as a gimmick, a piece of humor, or a sample of popular culture. Novelty songs partially overlap with comedy songs, which are more explicitly based on humor, and w ...

, '' Black Strap Molasses'', recorded by movie stars

Groucho Marx Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx (; October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977) was an American comedian, actor, writer, and singer who performed in films and vaudeville on television, radio, and the stage. He is considered one of America's greatest comed ...

Jimmy Durante James Francis Durante ( , ; February 10, 1893 – January 29, 1980) was an American comedian, actor, singer, and pianist. His distinctive gravelly speech, Lower East Side New York accent, accent, comic language-butchery, jazz-influenced son ...

Jane Wyman Jane Wyman ( ; born Sarah Jane Mayfield; January 5, 1917 – September 10, 2007). was an American actress. A star of both movies and television, she received an Academy Award for Best Actress, four Golden Globe Awards and nominations for two Pr ...

, and

Danny Kaye Danny Kaye (born David Daniel Kaminsky; ; January 18, 1911 – March 3, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, singer, and dancer. His performances featured physical comedy, idiosyncratic pantomimes, and rapid-fire novelty songs. Kaye starred ...

. * He is referenced in the song "

Monotonous Monotone refers to a sound, for example music or speech, that has a single unvaried tone. See pure tone and monotonic scale. Monotone or monotonicity may also refer to: In economics * Monotone preferences, a property of a consumer's preference ...

" by

Eartha Kitt Eartha Mae Kitt (née Keith; January 17, 1927 – December 25, 2008) was an American singer and actress. She was known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 recordings of "C'est si bon" and the Christmas novelty song "Santa Baby" ...

with the line "Gayelord Hauser sends me vitamin D." * Stan Freberg mentions Hauser in a song entitled 'Widescreen Mama Blues.' *In the episode "Travnicek in der Apotheke" of

Helmut Qualtinger Helmut Gustav Friedrich Qualtinger (; 8 October 1928 – 29 September 1986; also spelled Helmuth Qualtinger) was an Austrian actor, cabaret performer, writer and reciter. Biography Qualtinger was born in Vienna, First Austrian Republic, to a se ...

's ''Travniceks Gesammelte Werke'' Travnicek's friend advises him to start a diet based on Hauser's recommendations.

References

# ''Annual Obituary'', 1984. # ''U.S. News & World Report'', "Healthy Celebrity", 15 August 2005. # Barry Paris, Garbo (New York: Knopf, 1995), page 370. #
Garbo's Taormina Vacation
# ''Fads, Follies and Delusions of the American People'', by Paul Sann, Crown Publishers, 1967. # "Gayelord Hauser" in ''American National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 1998, article by Caroline Joan S. Pickart.

External links