Carlson Wade

Carlson Wade (1928-1993) was an American alternative health writer who authored many books promoting detoxification, fasting, juicing, natural foods and raw food dieting. He developed a fad diet known as the Enzyme-Catalyst Diet.

Wade first became known for his books on sexual topics such as fetishism, homosexuality, sadomasochism and transvestism. His The Trouble Sex, published in 1961 offered behavioral clues how the American public could "detect" a lesbian. His work was classified as "pulp sexology", for example his book Sexual Deviations of the American Female (1965) gave anthropological generalisations about lesbian subcultures.

Wade's books on dieting and health were criticized by medical experts as quackery. His The New Enzyme-Catalyst Diet (1976), recommended with each meal to add raw fruit and vegetables such as bananas, celery, nuts and wheat germ. The diet forbid the consumption of fried, processed or sugar foods. Wade argued that raw fruits and vegetables "are prime sources of enzymes which then are used by your billions of body cells to alert the mitochondria to perform internal combustion; this action helps to melt the accumulated fat in your cells, and wash them right out of your body." This idea is not supported by scientific evidence. Dieticians noted that the statement is false because enzymes in foods are digested to amino acids and once absorbed play no enzymatic role.

Nutritionist Judith S. Stern commented that Wade's The New Enzyme-Catalyst Diet is filled with scientific misstatements such as "the most vital digestive enzyme is hydrochloric acid" and concluded that it is a "classroom example of a fad diet."

Wade's book Health Food Recipes for Gourmet Cooking, was criticized by Choice Reviews as "unintelligible jargon at best".