Carqué was born on 11 July 1866 in
Wiesloch from Louis Carqué and Anna née Zentner both born in
Alsace. He became a vegetarian before he was 28 and promoted the benefits of a vegetarian diet, exercise, fresh air and nude sunbathing. Carque has been credited as the first person to use the term "
natural food" to refer to food that has not been adulterated or refined. His book
Rational Diet: An Advanced Treatise on the Food Question was advertised and sold by the Defensive Diet League of America. Carque was an early advocate of the
alkaline diet and was concerned that people were in danger of excessive acidity. He argued that the main sources of alkalinity in the diet were fruits, including citrus fruits. Carque,
Eugene Christian and
George J. Drews are credited as founding the American raw food movement in the early 20th century. ==Death==