The hobbit — an unexpected deficiency
December 21, 2013 8:35 PM   Subscribe

Vitamin D has been proposed to have beneficial effects in a wide range of contexts. We investigate the hypothesis that vitamin D deficiency, caused by both aversion to sunlight and unwholesome diet, could also be a significant contributor to the triumph of good over evil in fantasy literature.
posted by Chrysostom (14 comments total) 9 users marked this as a favorite
 
But.... but.... Underdark.
This doesn't address Underdark.
posted by Mezentian at 8:40 PM on December 21, 2013


Competing Interests:
We declare that we have no conflicts of interest relating to this work, though Nicholas Hopkinson quite liked Game of thrones on the telly and Joseph Hopkinson has read all of the books.

posted by Faint of Butt at 8:53 PM on December 21, 2013


In which I fantasize openly about Chris Tucker as Frodo and Sam Jackson as Samwise, and you all KNOW it would have been a better, deeper movie.
posted by Slap*Happy at 9:07 PM on December 21, 2013 [1 favorite]


Gollum had a terrible diet. He didn't even know what taters were.

Come to think of it, for a long time, neither did we.
posted by double block and bleed at 9:08 PM on December 21, 2013 [4 favorites]


Golem was toes paleo, dude was ripped.
posted by The Whelk at 9:28 PM on December 21, 2013 [8 favorites]


What about correlation and causation, internet


What the hell people
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 10:58 PM on December 21, 2013


Ents. Vitamin D to the max.
posted by arcticseal at 11:48 PM on December 21, 2013 [1 favorite]


maybe correlation his highly correlated with causation
posted by bleep-blop at 1:24 AM on December 22, 2013 [1 favorite]


The latest science seems, in fact, to say that Vitamin D deficiency is more likely an effect than a cause of disease. See here.
posted by spitbull at 1:40 AM on December 22, 2013


It is true that once your species retreats into the Underdark you get stronger, but this doesn't mean vitamin D isn't required. Like the Great Goblin, successful Underdark-adapted species must find other ways to get their vitamin D.

Drow eat the organ meats of surface dwellers. Svirfneblin eat blind (oily?) fish. Kuo-toa are oily fish.
posted by squinty at 2:07 AM on December 22, 2013


underdark is D&D. KEEP YOUR ORCS AND ELVES STRAIGHT PEOPLE.
posted by young_son at 3:43 AM on December 22, 2013 [3 favorites]


youre d&d
posted by Drexen at 6:49 AM on December 22, 2013 [2 favorites]


I say let your orcs and elves be as gay as they want.
posted by The Whelk at 8:14 AM on December 22, 2013 [6 favorites]


haha drezen told you, young_son

ya been tol
posted by grubi at 10:09 AM on December 23, 2013 [1 favorite]


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