The Perfect Human Diet

Last week I came across a documentary entitled “The Perfect Human Diet”. It was released last year and directed and produced by C J Hunt. Hunt had serious health problems from an early age and experimented extensively with diets. At the age of 46 he decided to travel the world in search of the perfect diet. His findings  support the Paleo diet. Those that are unfamiliar with it will find the documentary fascinating. Here is a summary.

We’re in the midst of an obesity and diet-related chronic disease epidemic. The US alone accounts for 300,000 to 400,000 deaths a year! There’s a lot of confusion related to diet, it’s complicated, the recommendations change and seem to be based more on beliefs than science.

The nutritional pioneer Weston Price studied native diets among tribal populations and found that they had better teeth and better facial bone structure than westerners. More recently, Kerin O’Dea from the University of Southern Australia conducted an experiment with a group of overweight Aboriginals living in cities. She sent them for seven weeks in the outback where they lived a hunter-gather lifestyle with a diet that was 50% to 60% animal based. They all lost weight and improved their health. Jay Wortman has studied Inuit populations and found that today a lot of them suffer from obesity, type II diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Traditionally they lived on low carbohydrate diets and so it’s hypothesised that the disease is linked to the modern high carbohydrate diets.

In 1863 a London undertaker named William Banting popularised a diet recommended to him by the famous physician Dr William Harvey. At the time Banting was 65 years old, overweight, had poor eyesight, poor hearing and joint pains. Two years later he had lost 50 pounds and regained his health. Dr Harvey had recommended that he stop eating bread, butter, sugar, potatoes and  stop drinking milk and beer. Instead he advised meat, fish, poultry, dried fruit, vegetables and wine.

From 1865 to 1965 the standard hospital treatment for obesity was to decrease carbohydrate intake. In the 1950s  the idea that fat causes heart disease, by it’s effect on cholesterol, began to spread. The fats were replaced by carbohydrates. They had suddenly become good! Today the US Diet Guidelines are to decrease portion size, decrease sugar, decrease salt, and decrease saturated fats.

Professor Loren Cordain is a leader in evolutionary diet and author of “The Paleo Diet”. In order to understand the Paleo Diet we need to go back in time…2 million years back in time! About 2 million years ago Homo Erectus appeared on the savannah of Africa. They were anatomically similar to us and evidence of hunting tools suggests that they consumed a lot of meat. This is backed up by recent analysis of Homo Erectus bone fragments. Their diet contained a huge diversity of food which differed from their predecessors’ diet which was mainly plant-based. The increased amounts of omega 3 fatty acids are thought to have been a precursor for brain growth and behavioural sophistication. Then, 230,000 years ago, Neanderthals appeared in Europe and 192,000 years ago modern humans appeared in Africa. They left Africa 75,000 years ago and entered Europe 45,000 years ago. Bone analysis suggests that the diet of Neanderthals and the first modern human was very similar to that of Homo Erectus.

Everything changed 10,000 years ago. Man decided to settle and use agriculture. Diets changed. Dairy and grains, like wheat, were included and the variety of food decreased. The period before 10,000 years ago is known as the Paleolithic era and the period after is known as the Neolithic era. In the 18th and 19th centuries the industrial revolution led to the refinement of sugars, grains and other foods. More recently processed foods have flooded the market and can constitute up to 70% of modern human diets.

The Paleo Diet theory is based on the fact that the Paleolithic era is much, much longer than the Neolithic era and it’s during the Paleolithic that modern humans evolved. Therefore, we have evolved to eat the diets of our Paleolithic ancestors which is why we struggle and have become unhealthy on modern diets. Voila!

Interesting though the documentary was, it didn’t give a full list of foods to eat and avoid, so I had a look on Wikipedia. The Paleo diets advocates: fish, meat (grass-fed), vegetables, fruit, fungi, roots and nuts. It suggests to avoid: grains, legumes, dairy, potatoes, refined salt, refined sugar and processed oils (Wikipedia).

Although the arguments in favour of the Paleo diet are compelling, I’m not entirely convinced. If obesity and ill-health are the result of the change in diet 10,000 years ago, how come obesity has only become more prevalent in the last 150 years (see “The Obesity Paradox“)? Are grains and dairy really that bad for us? In my opinion there are 2 influential factors that have driven the obesity and diet-related illness epidemic. Our physical activity has gradually decreased since the industrial revolution. Mechanisation and lately the widespread use of computers has meant that most of us spend our working days sitting and a lot of us spend our leisure time sitting as well. During the same period our diets have changed drastically and now include a lot more refined and processed foods. These convenience foods as they are also known are high in sugars, salts and saturated fats.

I agree that variety is key to a balanced diet and the Paleo diet does put forth a solid case for eating meat…or against vegetarianism and veganism. That said, we should bear in mind that the meat our Paleolithic ancestors ate is very different to the meat we eat today. Theirs came from wild, lean animals whereas today’s commercial meat comes from sedentary fattened stock!

The search for the perfect human diet continues…

Best Wishes For 2013!

May the New Year bring you health, wealth and happiness!

The Caged Bird

The bird in the cage had lived there for a very long time. Often it would look through the bars of the cage, out of the window to the meadows and trees beyond. It could see other birds flying free in the open air and often it would wonder how it would be to feel the sun on its back, the wind in its feathers, to swoop and soar and catch mosquitoes in flight.

When the bird thought of these things it could feel its heart beating with excitement. It would sit tall on its perch and breath deep into its belly, sensing the thrill of possibility.

Sometimes another bird would land on the window sill, resting from its travels, and look inside at the caged bird. The traveller would put its head on one side as if quizzically asking itself how such a thing could be. A bird in a cage. Unimaginable.

And it was at these times that the caged bird felt most miserable. Its little shoulders slumped, it felt a lump in its throat and a heaviness in its heart.

One day, the owner of the caged bird accidentally left the door of the cage open. The bird looked through the door. It saw the birds swooping and soaring outside, the sun on their backs and the wind in their feathers, and it felt a stirring inside. The caged bird noticed that the window was open, and its heart beat even faster.

It considered its options.

It was still considering them at sunset when the owner returned and closed the door of the cage.

Taken from “The Magic of Metaphor” by Nick Owen and credited to David Werner and Bill Bower

“Don’t cry because it’s over.

Smile because it happened.“

Theodor Seuss Geisel

Lighting Up At Night?

A new study led by Samer Hattar at John Hopkins University has found that prolonged exposure to bright light at night affects the brain’s centre for mood, memory and learning. This can result in depression and lower mental function. His advice is to “switch on fewer lamps, and stick to less intense light bulbs”.

The Littlest God

It wasn’t long after the Gods had created humankind that they began to realise their mistake. The creatures they had created were so adept, so skillful, so full of curiosity and the spirit of inquiry that it was only a matter of time before they would start to challenge the Gods themselves for supremacy.

To ensure their pre-eminence the Gods held a large conference to discuss the issue. Gods were summoned from all over the known and unknown worlds. The debates were long, detailed and soul-searching.

All the Gods were very clear about one thing. The difference between them and mortals was the difference between the quality of the resources they had. While humans had their egos and were concerned with the external, material aspects of the world, the Gods had spirit, soul, and an understanding of the workings of the inner self.

The danger was that sooner or later the humans would want some of that too.

The Gods decided to hide their precious resources. The question was: where? This was the reason for the length and passion of the debates at the Great Conference of the Gods.

Some suggested hiding these resources at the top of the highest mountain. But it was realised that sooner or later humans would scale such a mountain.

And the deepest crater in the deepest ocean would be discovered.

And mines would be sunk into the earth.

And the most impenetrable jungles would give up their secrets.

And mechanical birds would explore the sky and space.

And the moon and the planets would become tourist destinations.

And even the wisest and most creative of the Gods fell silent as if every avenue had been explored and found wanting.

Until the Littlest God, who had been silent until now, spoke up.

“Why don’t we hide these resources inside each human? They’ll never think to look for them there.”

 Taken from “The Magic of Metaphor” by Nick Owen and credited to Peter McNab

Nutritional Supplements For Joint Disorders

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common source of joint pain, stiffness and swelling. It’s a leading cause of chronic disability and affects about 8 million people in the UK and 27 million in the US. OA leads to the gradual degeneration or wear and tear of joint surfaces and is often the cause of knee and hip replacements. Can nutritional supplements prevent or slow down the process? In my opinion, supplements can be separated into 2 groups: those that decrease inflammation and those that promote the regeneration of joint surfaces. I’d like to focus on the latter.

For quite a while, glucosamine, chondroitin and methylsufonylmethane (MSM) have been used to treat osteoarthritis.

Glucosamine

Glucosamine contains glycosaminoglycans which are a major component of joint cartilage. The glucosamine that is available commercially is derived from the exoskeleton of shellfish. Although inconsistent results have been reported, in 2009, a team at the University of Aberdeen led by C Black reviewed the literature on the clinical effectiveness of glucosamine in slowing or arresting the progression of OA of the knee. Only trials that met stringent criteria were used. They found that there were ‘statistically significant improvements in joint space loss, pain and function for glucosamine sulphate and in 2 studies the need for knee arthroplasty (replacement) was reduced from 14.5% to 6.3% at 8 years follow-up’ . Another study found ‘a 50 % reduction in the incidence of osteoarthritis-related surgery of the lower limbs during a 5-year period’. In 2007 a the WHO Collaborating Center for Public Health Aspect of Osteoarticular Disorders at the University of Liege conducted a review of published studies that concluded that ‘glucosamine sulphate (but not glucosamine hydrochloride) and chondroitin sulphate have small-to-moderate symptomatic efficacy in OA, although this is still debated. With respect to the structure-modifying effect, there is compelling evidence that glucosamine sulphate and chondroitin sulphate may interfere with progression of OA’ . In other words, there is compelling evidence that glucosamine sulphate and chondroitin sulphate prevent joint space narrowing by promoting the regeneration of articular cartilage. Almost all trials have found the safety of glucosamine sulphate and chondroitin sulphate to be equal to placebo.

Chondroitin

Chondroitin is also a glycosaminoglycan and a component of joint cartilage. Commercial chondroitin is derived from the cartilage of cows, pigs, shark, fish or birds. See above for results of research.

MSM

MSM occurs naturally in many primitive plants and in many foods and beverages. The mechanism of its action is uncertain but sulphur is thought to play a part. A literature review of MSM in the treatment of OA by a team at the University of Southampton showed that there was ‘positive but not definitive evidence that MSM is superior to placebo in the treatment of mild to moderate OA of the knee’. Last year an Israeli team led by EM Debbi published a study showing that, after taking MSM for 12 weeks, there was a small improvement in pain and physical function in patients with radiographic confirmed knee OA.

Recently ESM Technologies has funded research on the benefits of eggshell membranes. The eggshell membrane is just underneath the shell and surrounds the egg white. It’s interesting to note that in general, commercially funded trials show larger effects than industry independent trials.

Eggshell Membrane

Eggshell membrane or Natural Eggshell Membrane (NEM) as it is also known contains glucosamine, chondroitin and hyaluronic acid (also a glycosaminoglycan found in joints). In 2009, two papers were published (Journal of Clinical Interventions in Aging and Clinical Rheumatology) on the use of eggshell membrane to treat joint and connective tissue disorders. Both studies were led by Kevin Ruff and sponsored by ESM Technologies. The results were extremely encouraging and showed statistically significant improvements in pain, stiffness and flexibility. The positive results may be due to better bioavailability of joint sustaining compounds from eggshell membranes or possibly to researcher bias due to vested interests. This year, a study by the same author looked into the safety of NEM and concluded that it was safe for human consumption. Hopefully this will lead to independent research to look at the efficacy of NEM supplementation for joint disorders.

As we can see, there are several nutritional supplements that can aid the regeneration of joints. Here are the recommended daily dosages:

• Glucosamine Sulphate 1500 mg/day
• Chondroitin Sulphate 1200 mg/day
• NEM 500 mg/day

1 Year Already!

It’s been a year, to the day, since I started this blog. Hundreds of hours have gone into researching, reading and writing the articles. Although it’s been tough at times and even challenging just to find something to write about, I’ve enjoyed the process and learnt a lot from it. I’ve now got a lot more respect for people who update their blogs with interesting content several times a week…once a week is hard enough! Over time the blog has become a resource centre and now I often recommend that clients read certain blog posts. Whether they do or not is another question but the choice is there. Sometimes, learning something new can lead to a moment of insight that serves as a precursor for change…the little thing that ends up making the big difference!

Exercise And Testosterone Help Nerves Heal

A study by Arthur English and Nancy Thompson has found that exercise can promote the regeneration of peripheral nerve injuries. In both males and females, the effect requires the assistance of androgens such as testosterone.

“Habit is either the best of servants or the worst of masters”

Nathaniel Emmons