Nutrition
Nutrition was a popular theme at the time of Rudolf Steiner, due to the Reform Movement. In spite of this, the theme of nutrition was only really taken up later by representatives of the Biological-Dynamic agricultural movement and the movement for anthroposophical Medicine. Ehrenfried Pfeiffer dedicated himself to improving the quality of foodstuffs and nutrition. And the Chemist, Rudolf Hauschka, conducted experiments in the field of nutrition, which he described in his book „Ernährungslehre” (study of nutrition).
The Study of Nutrition
History and working groups
Nutrition was a popular theme at the time of Rudolf Steiner, due to the Reform Movement. In spite of this, the theme of nutrition was only really taken up later by representatives of the Biological-Dynamic agricultural movement and the movement for anthroposophical Medicine:
- Ehrenfried Pfeiffer dedicated himself to improving the quality of foodstuffs and nutrition.
- The Chemist, Rudolf Hauschka, conducted experiments in the field of nutrition, which he described in his book „Ernährungslehre” (study of nutrition).
- Gerhard Schmidt led the Agricultural/Nutritional Section at the Goetheanum from 1963 – 1970 and, amongst other things, conducted experiments with Barley in nutrition together with Udo Renzenbrink in an attempt to restore the place of the lesser-known grains in the daily diet. Gerhardt Schmidt made his knowledge generally available in his book “Dynamische Ernährungslehre“ (Dynamic Approach to Nutrition).
- Udo Renzenbrink in 1970 founded the research circle on nutritional science in Bad Liebenzell, Germany (today based in Bad Vilbel in Germany. His work led to a growing awareness in anthroposophical institutions for Nutrition and increasingly, for the introduction of grains into the general diet. In order to include all 7 grains in one’s diet, he developed a program in which, on each day of the week a particular grain, according to its ruling planet, is served (for example, Sunday = the sun and wheat). This allocation, while fairly controversial, has enjoyed wide acceptance and determines the menu of many institutions and families. It has its advantages in a rhythmic nutrition which is particularly healthy for children.
Working Groups
In Germany and Switzerland there are a number of working groups concerned with these questions.
- There is the combined Section’s group on Nutrition (Sektionskreis Ernährung), which includes co-workers from the Medical, Agricultural and Social Science Sections as well as various individuals concerned with nutritional questions internationally.
- There is the Initiative Group for Nutrition (Initiativekreis Ernährungsfragen), in which those people meet who are professionally active in their regions in initiatives to do with nutrition.
- The Circle for Research into Nutrition (Arbeitskreis für Ernährungsforschung) since 1998 has its seat in Bad Vilbel, Germany, and is concerned with such themes as the nutrion of infants, sheep and goat’s milk in nutrition and the development of breakfast cereals.
- Besides these, there are colloquiums and courses on offer on such themes as Nutrition in its Relationship to the Cosmos and the influence and effect of local plants. Responsible for these is the Nutritional Scientist Dr. Petra Kühne.