Dr. Leon Elbert Landone of Los Angeles, who experimented with improving human evolution through alternative means of child-rearing, was also a a food faddist with a taste for cactus. The opening of a December 2, 1907 New York Times article about his dietary adventures:

“Los Angeles, Cal.–Cactus for breakfast; cactus and celery for lunch, and a cactus with a few nuts and celery for dinner.

To the uninitiated this diet appears uninviting enough, but to Dr. Leon Elbert Landone, who is determined to prove the nutritive properties of the cactus, the menu presents no unpleasant aspect.

Dr. Landone, a stenographer and a secretary last Friday began a ‘two weeks’ endurance test’ on cactus. They have eaten nothing but the fruit and leaves of this plant with a little celery, lettuce, and a few nuts. The leaves are eaten as greens or fried much in the same manner as egg plant, while the fruit is eaten either raw or cooked.

Dr. Landone declares the diet contains everything which is needed to enable a man to work eighteen hours a day. He disclaims being a food faddist, and says he has no sympathy with those who declare that this or that kind of food should never be eaten. He frankly admits that he would not care to confine himself to cactus the rest of his days, but says that he has little doubt he would be no worse off were he compelled to do so, 

‘I am attempting to prove,’ he said, ‘that the body and brain can do more than the usual amount of work if enough of the organic salts are taken into the system. These foods prevent the destruction of the tissues and neutralize the fatigue poisons produced by activity.

‘Take cactus, lettuce, celery, spinach, and asparagus if you do not wish to become tired out by an ordinary day’s work. Meats, nuts, cereals, beans, and peas help to repair wasted tissues and are of value as foods, but the scientific man and woman learns that the best way is to preserve the body as far as possible becomes necessary. It is the simple application of the old axiom, ‘An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.’

Dr. Landone and his assistants expect to have several others join them. Dr. F.M. Doud, who is interested with Dr. Landone in exploiting Prof. Burbank’s thornless cactus, purposes to go on a strict diet of this plant, eliminating even the celery, lettuce, and nuts.”