Udo Erasmus is a pioneer in the natural health community, best known for creating Udo’s Choice and for his groundbreaking work on essential fatty acids. His journey began in hardship—born during the Second World War, raised as a refugee, and later leaving medical school after realizing it focused on disease management rather than true health. In the 1980s, after suffering severe pesticide poisoning while working as a sprayer, Udo became critically ill, unable to walk a block without resting. Conventional medicine offered no solutions, so he turned to nature. He studied how the body continually rebuilds itself and discovered that with the right components—clean food, water, air, and especially undamaged oils—the body can regenerate. This led him to research fats, uncovering how industrial oil processing created toxic, damaged molecules that cause widespread disease. His insights revolutionized natural health, launching an industry of oils “made with health in mind.”

In this interview, Udo explains how health is not merely the absence of disease but the presence of principles and components that align with nature. He stresses the role of peace, love, and self-connection as foundations for wellness, alongside nutrition. He describes how damaged oils from frying and refining are among the greatest contributors to chronic illness, while undamaged omega-3 and omega-6 fats are essential for brain health, energy, vision, and cellular repair. Udo also shares his philosophy that true health care requires living in harmony with both human nature and the natural environment. His story is one of survival, discovery, and advocacy: from pesticide poisoning to becoming a global health educator, author, and inductee into the Canadian Health Food Association Hall of Fame. His call to Ottawa is direct—protect access to natural health products and stop policies that privilege industry profit over human well-being.