Guest guest Posted June 11, 2002 Report Share Posted June 11, 2002 Just ran across the following abstract -- will try to get the whole article. Not sure if I sent this before --if so, just ignore. Namaste, Liz Eur J Clin Nutr 2002 Mar;56 Suppl 1:S42-52 Related Articles, Books, LinkOut The paradoxical nature of hunter-gatherer diets: meat-based, yet non-atherogenic. Cordain L, Eaton SB, Miller JB, Mann N, Hill K. Department of Health and Exercise Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA. OBJECTIVE: Field studies of twentieth century hunter-gathers (HG) showed them to be generally free of the signs and symptoms of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Consequently, the characterization of HG diets may have important implications in designing therapeutic diets that reduce the risk for CVD in Westernized societies. Based upon limited ethnographic data (n=58 HG societies) and a single quantitative dietary study, it has been commonly inferred that gathered plant foods provided the dominant energy source in HG diets. METHOD AND RESULTS: In this review we have analyzed the 13 known quantitative dietary studies of HG and demonstrate that animal food actually provided the dominant (65%) energy source, while gathered plant foods comprised the remainder (35%). This data is consistent with a more recent, comprehensive review of the entire ethnographic data (n=229 HG societies) that showed the mean subsistence dependence upon gathered plant foods was 32%, whereas it was 68% for animal foods. Other evidence, including isotopic analyses of Paleolithic hominid collagen tissue, reductions in hominid gut size, low activity levels of certain enzymes, and optimal foraging data all point toward a long history of meat-based diets in our species. Because increasing meat consumption in Western diets is frequently associated with increased risk for CVD mortality, it is seemingly paradoxical that HG societies, who consume the majority of their energy from animal food, have been shown to be relatively free of the signs and symptoms of CVD. CONCLUSION: The high reliance upon animal-based foods would not have necessarily elicited unfavorable blood lipid profiles because of the hypolipidemic effects of high dietary protein (19-35% energy) and the relatively low level of dietary carbohydrate (22-40% energy). Although fat intake (28-58% energy) would have been similar to or higher than that found in Western diets, it is likely that important qualitative differences in fat intake, including relatively high levels of MUFA and PUFA and a lower omega-6/omega-3 fatty acid ratio, would have served to inhibit the development of CVD. Other dietary characteristics including high intakes of antioxidants, fiber, vitamins and phytochemicals along with a low salt intake may have operated synergistically with lifestyle characteristics (more exercise, less stress and no smoking) to further deter the development of CVD. DOI: 10.1038/sj/ejcn/1601353 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 12, 2002 Report Share Posted June 12, 2002 Reading through the piece below, at the end of which, there's a mere mention of exercise listed among other apparently secondary factors, led me to speculate that exercise " alone, " may be enough to explain the finding of low levels of CVD among primitive societies. These early societies struggled without (or were spared) the " advantages " provided by the machine age, electronic, computer, and onward, which greatly reduce the movement and work necessary to do or obtain much of anything; and may have the effect of turning heavy flesh eating into a hazard, when combined with the relative slothfullness, overweight, etc., found increasingly in modern society. I don't know that it follows, that a vegetarian diet would yield better, or less risky, cardiovascular outcomes for these same slow-moving folk. But, in any case, a high carbohydrate diet is also better tolerated in individuals fortunate enough to live physically vigorous lives. I'm not aware of, but I'm curious to see, any studies that compare the CVD risks faced by meat eaters in general, with that portion of meat-eaters that are physically active, in sports, by way of conscientious exercise programs, or, in their work, and recreational habits. John P. - <Ecmillerreid Tuesday, June 11, 2002 4:07 PM hunting -gathering diet > Just ran across the following abstract -- will try to get the whole article. > Not sure if I sent this before --if so, just ignore. > > Namaste, Liz > > Eur J Clin Nutr 2002 Mar;56 Suppl 1:S42-52 Related Articles, Books, LinkOut > > > The paradoxical nature of hunter-gatherer diets: meat-based, yet > non-atherogenic. > > Cordain L, Eaton SB, Miller JB, Mann N, Hill K. > > Department of Health and Exercise Science, Colorado State University, Fort > Collins, Colorado, USA. > > OBJECTIVE: Field studies of twentieth century hunter-gathers (HG) showed them > to be generally free of the signs and symptoms of cardiovascular disease > (CVD). Consequently, the characterization of HG diets may have important > implications in designing therapeutic diets that reduce the risk for CVD in > Westernized societies. Based upon limited ethnographic data (n=58 HG > societies) and a single quantitative dietary study, it has been commonly > inferred that gathered plant foods provided the dominant energy source in HG > diets. METHOD AND RESULTS: In this review we have analyzed the 13 known > quantitative dietary studies of HG and demonstrate that animal food actually > provided the dominant (65%) energy source, while gathered plant foods > comprised the remainder (35%). This data is consistent with a more recent, > comprehensive review of the entire ethnographic data (n=229 HG societies) > that showed the mean subsistence dependence upon gathered plant foods was > 32%, whereas it was 68% for animal foods. Other evidence, including isotopic > analyses of Paleolithic hominid collagen tissue, reductions in hominid gut > size, low activity levels of certain enzymes, and optimal foraging data all > point toward a long history of meat-based diets in our species. Because > increasing meat consumption in Western diets is frequently associated with > increased risk for CVD mortality, it is seemingly paradoxical that HG > societies, who consume the majority of their energy from animal food, have > been shown to be relatively free of the signs and symptoms of CVD. > CONCLUSION: The high reliance upon animal-based foods would not have > necessarily elicited unfavorable blood lipid profiles because of the > hypolipidemic effects of high dietary protein (19-35% energy) and the > relatively low level of dietary carbohydrate (22-40% energy). Although fat > intake (28-58% energy) would have been similar to or higher than that found > in Western diets, it is likely that important qualitative differences in fat > intake, including relatively high levels of MUFA and PUFA and a lower > omega-6/omega-3 fatty acid ratio, would have served to inhibit the > development of CVD. Other dietary characteristics including high intakes of > antioxidants, fiber, vitamins and phytochemicals along with a low salt intake > may have operated synergistically with lifestyle characteristics (more > exercise, less stress and no smoking) to further deter the development of > CVD. DOI: 10.1038/sj/ejcn/1601353 > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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