Davis, Daisie (Adelle) (1904-1974)

US nutritionist and author. A biochemistry graduate, she moved into hospital dietetics. She became a consulting nutritionist, planning diets for thousands of patients. She emphasized that a proper diet, rich in vitamins and minerals, is crucial to both emotional and physical well-being.

She was born in Lizton, Indiana. She attended the University of California Medical School and continued her training at hospitals in New York City, before settling in California. In 1954, she published Let's Eat Right to Keep Fit. It and her other publications quickly gained a devoted following. However, she was often criticized and even derided by the medical establishment for suggesting that diet could actually prevent or cure diseases. She died not long before her views, if not all the details, began to be accepted by many in the fields of medicine and health.