Cato’s Cabbage & Superfoods
In the 2nd century CE, Cato wrote on the various effects of cabbage in De Agricultura. It was supposed to cure everything from fevers, to internal organ pains, ulcers, joints, sleeplessness, and more. Similarly, modern “superfoods” claim to make you stronger, healthier, smarter, and more beautiful through what you eat. Omega-3s and green tea are two examples in particular that can supposedly prevent cancer, promote weight loss, slow Alzheimer’s, and improve heart health.
Though ancient Greek and Roman medicine was not an exact science, the precise quantities and instructions Cato writes give him an air of authority. (e.g. “Take four pounds of very smooth cabbage leaves, make them into three equal bunches and tie them together. Set a pot of water on the fire and when it begins to boil (…) sink the bunch briefly while you count to five, and remove.) The Men’s Fitness article, “20 of the best superfoods for men”also uses precise measurements and instructions to give it authority: eating exactly “3 servings of almonds,” for example, or “2 tbsp (of olive oil) per day.”
Mentions of calories are one example: the “calorie” measure wasn’t discovered until very recently, and has since been a buzzword with many health connotations. Mentioning how few calories is in each of these superfoods gives the same effect as Cato mentioning the effects cabbage has on liquids and especially the four humors. It links the topic of food with contemporary medical knowledge.
The article cites various other PhDs, doctors, and nutritionists. In ancient Greece and Rome, medical writers also cited each other’s ideas — building on them and simultaneously attacking them. The Men’s Superfoods article still uses other sources to get readers to take his ideas seriously. The note about how a dietician serves Navy SEALs edamame epitomizes this. He needs to justify eating soy (considered a “feminine” food) to his male audience.
This article highlights how traits of Greek and Roman medicine survive in “home remedies” for health today. The idea that food can cure your ailments is nothing new, and the way in which this article in particular establishes itself as an authority is also reminiscent of Greek and Roman medical writers.
This popular press article summary was written for a Vassar College 2017 Spring course called Sex, Gender, and the History of Medicine taught by. It was part of a unit on Ancient Greek and Roman Medicine.
