Arnold DeVries

Arnold DeVries (1921-1996) was an American author and advocate for natural health practices. Born in Iowa, he pursued interests in health and diet following his education and wartime service. His early work, "Fountain of Youth" (1946), promoted a strict fruitarian raw food diet. However, DeVries later evolved his views, incorporating animal products and championing the Paleolithic diet, which he detailed in "Primitive Man and His Food" (1952).

DeVries was also involved in the natural hygiene movement, emphasizing exercise, fasting, sleep, and the avoidance of conventional medicine. He believed these practices were key to health and vitality. He also founded his own publishing company, Chandler Book Company. DeVries had a complex relationship with the ideas of Ben Klassen, co-authoring "Salubrious Living" (1982), a work largely based on DeVries' earlier writings. While some of Klassen's promotion of the book touched on eugenics, DeVries's personal writings often focused on the aesthetic and health benefits of natural living and criticized Western lifestyles.

Arnold DeVries was a significant figure in the natural hygiene movement, advocating for a holistic approach to health. He stressed the importance of fundamental lifestyle choices such as regular exercise, periods of fasting, adequate sleep, and a strong aversion to medical drugs. DeVries believed that these natural methods were the most effective means to achieve and maintain well-being. His dietary philosophies evolved over time; initially, he promoted a strict raw fruitarian diet in his 1946 book "Fountain of Youth." Later, he shifted towards a diet that included animal products, becoming an early proponent of the Paleolithic diet, which he explored in "Primitive Man and His Food" (1952).

DeVries authored several books and established his own publishing house, Chandler Book Company, to disseminate his ideas. His notable works include "Nude Culture" (1946), "The Fountain of Youth" (1946), "Primitive Man and His Food" (1952), "The Elixir of Life" (1952), "Dangers In Modern Foods" (1958), "Health From the Soil" (1958), and "Therapeutic Fasting" (1963). He also co-authored "Salubrious Living" (1982) with Ben Klassen. Interestingly, twenty-one of the twenty-two chapters in "Salubrious Living" were written by DeVries and largely constituted a reprint of his 1946 book "The Fountain of Youth." This collaboration, despite perceived differences in ideology with Klassen, highlights DeVries's dedication to promoting his health and lifestyle principles.

Beyond his health advocacy, Arnold DeVries was associated with the Universal Church of the Master, a religious organization drawing from Christian and spiritualist traditions, and was an ordained minister within it. His personal life included two marriages: first to Dorice E. Shemtob, who passed away in 1981, and later to Mary K. Parmely, whom he divorced in 1993. DeVries's belief system intertwined his health practices with a broader philosophy of living in harmony with nature, often emphasizing the beauty and health derived from natural diets and lifestyles, contrasting them with perceived shortcomings of Western culture.