Diet Study
Diet study … long long ago in a land far away …
Did you know that the first clinical trial on the impact of diet on mental health was described in the Bible? Related in the Book of Daniel, the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar had a practice of bringing the youth of noble families from each conquered country to be trained at the Babylonian university and prepared for administration of their country. This was certainly a far-seeing and clever political move, and during their 3-year training, they were to eat freely of the “king’s table” – meats, wines, etc.
Daniel and his friends from Judea ate only vegetables (probably to avoid the non-kosher meats), and when they were told to comply with the royal dietary rules, Daniel made a counter proposal: a 10-day trial in which he and his friends would
receive only vegetables, including chick-peas, lentils, etc., and water. This was true bravery, for if they failed to look “fit” at the end of the trial, they were likely to be put to death or reduced to slave status. However, when the king tested their “wisdom and understanding” after the ten days, he found them many times better than the royal youth. In other words, 2,500 years ago, diet had already been recorded as clinically proven to affect brain function as well as health.
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