Ancestral Nutrition & Properly Prepared Whole Foods Flashcards

Which fat-soluble activator did Weston Price call 'Activator X', now believed to be largely vitamin K2 (MK-4)?

Answer: A nutrient found in butterfat, organ meats, and egg yolks from pastured animals

Price observed Activator X in butter from cows eating rapidly growing green grass, and it is now commonly identified with K2.

Why are organ meats such as liver considered a cornerstone food in ancestral nutrition?

Answer: They are dense in bioavailable vitamin A, B12, folate, iron, and copper

Liver delivers a concentrated package of micronutrients, notably preformed vitamin A and B12, in highly absorbable forms.

Which type of vitamin A is found only in animal foods and does not require conversion?

Answer: Retinol (preformed vitamin A)

Retinol is the active form in animal foods, whereas plant carotenes must be converted, often inefficiently.

Soaking nuts in salted water and then dehydrating them at a low temperature is intended to:

Answer: Reduce enzyme inhibitors and phytic acid while keeping them crisp

The salted soak activates enzymes that neutralize inhibitors, and gentle drying restores crunch without damaging the oils.

Which cooking fat is most appropriate for high-heat cooking because it is mostly saturated or monounsaturated and stable?

Answer: Ghee or tallow

Saturated and monounsaturated fats resist oxidation at heat, while polyunsaturated oils oxidize easily.

Raw milk advocates in the Weston A. Price tradition cite which benefit of traditionally produced whole milk compared with ultra-pasteurized, homogenized milk?

Answer: Intact enzymes such as lipase and phosphatase and naturally occurring fat-soluble vitamins

The tradition holds that heat processing destroys enzymes and alters proteins, though raw milk carries food-safety considerations a practitioner must discuss.

Which is the best description of a 'properly prepared' whole food?

Answer: A food prepared by soaking, sprouting, fermenting, or slow cooking to improve digestibility and nutrient availability

Traditional preparation methods reduce antinutrients and enhance nutrient bioavailability.