Gayelord Hauser, Nutrition Guru of the 1950s

Gayelord Hauser (1895–1984) was one of the most influential and popular health food writers of the mid-20th century. His best-known works, including Look Younger, Live Longer (1950), Be Happier, Be Healthier (1952), and Treasury of Secrets (1951), reached a wide audience by blending nutrition advice with promises of vitality, beauty, and longevity. Hauser emphasized the importance of “wonder foods” such as yogurt, brewer’s yeast, blackstrap molasses, wheat germ, and vegetables—foods that at the time were considered unusual or even eccentric, but which helped introduce mainstream America to natural and whole foods.

Hauser’s place in health food history is unique because he bridged two eras: the early natural hygiene movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries and the more commercial, celebrity-driven health culture of the post-World War II years. Writing at a time when processed foods and convenience products were flooding the American market, he stood out as a glamorous and persuasive advocate for unrefined, nutrient-dense foods. He also moved in Hollywood circles, counseling stars such as Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich, which gave his message a cultural cachet beyond typical health circles.

His contemporaries in the health and nutrition space included Adelle Davis (who published Let’s Cook It Right in 1947 and Let’s Eat Right to Keep Fit in 1954), Jethro Kloss (whose 1939 Back to Eden remained influential), Paul Bragg (an early champion of fasting and natural foods), and later figures like Carlton Fredericks, who became prominent in radio health advice. Together, they helped define mid-20th-century American nutrition reform and paved the way for the modern natural foods movement. Hauser’s legacy lies in making “health foods” chic and accessible, setting the stage for the boom of health food stores and the eventual mainstream acceptance of whole grains, probiotics, and nutrient-dense eating.

‍

‍