Born at the end of the nineteenth century in central Europe and the United States, the naturist philosophy has been characterised by an ideological and behavioural multifariousness from the very start. We can nonetheless identify a common core which consists in the belief in a system of natural laws based on the relationship with mother earth, in opposition to the false progress of industrialisation and urbanisation. This study analyses a number of discursive aspects in the campaign against syphilis treatments and smallpox vaccine on the basis of a selection of articles published by the "Helios" magazine - the most emblematic and prestigious publication of Spanish naturist vegetarianism between 1917 and 1920. In particular, the discursive representation of naturist vegetarianism is here investigated with a focus on the senders' ethos construction and the arguments employed both to educate readers and oppose official medical discourse.