This video got cut short. Save yourself the trouble and read:
Beriberi is vitamin B1 deficiency, which you can get by living primarily on white rice. A Japanese naval doctor figured out the cause, but this guy basically shut him down because "Western medicine bad."
In modern days, rather than admit that certain cultural diets suck, we just "fortify" the grain staples that poor peoples live off of. Which, it actually works fairly well, but it’s still a band-aid.
So, if you're poor, be sure to buy "fortified" grains and flour. You can greatly increase your quality of life, and hopefully, things will eventually turn around for you.
(It really doesn't hurt to buy fortified foodstuffs, regardless.)
