GENETICS AND OUR DIET

Dr. Pradip Jamnadas, of Cardiovascular Interventions, PA, is a cardiologist who practices integrative medicine in the Orlando, Florida area, provided the following information on health and diet and their impact on heart health and disease in general.. For more information about Dr. Jamnadas and his integrative approach to a healthy heart, mind, and body visit his website: www.orlandocvi.com, or call them at 1-800-377-7858.

INTRODUCTION: Although we are living in the 21st century, our human genome is greater than 10,000 years old. The way we metabolize our food is largely determined by our genetic machinery. Yet today, we live in a mechanized urban setting living sedentary lifestyles, eating highly processed and synthetic diets which our genome is not used to. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death and 41% of all fatalities. It should also come as no surprise that metabolic syndrome is present in over 40% of middle-aged American adults, and that the lifetime probability of hypertension is greater than 90%. This pandemic of cardiovascular disease will continue until we realized the simple fact: That our bodies were not designed for this lifestyle and diet. These are the genes we were born with and will die with but in the interim, our diet and lifestyle needs to change. When our forefathers transitioned to an agricultural grain based diet, a gradual deterioration in health care began. Our ancestors consumed lean meats, fruits and vegetables as opposed to cereals. The grain based diet resulted in shorter life spans, higher childhood mortality, and a high incidence of osteoporosis, rickets and various other mineral and vitamin deficiency diseases. Further adaptation to Western lifestyles lead to obesity, diabetes, atherosclerosis, and other degenerative diseases.

DIET: There is so much controversy and confusion in recent times about the type of diet that we should be on. The Ornish diet consists of 80% carbohydrates with minimal consumption of animal fat or protein. The Atkins diet is high in protein and high in saturated fats and avoids almost all carbohydrates. Each diet has their proponents and a diametrically opposed.

Over 150 studies which studied diet and cardiovascular health have demonstrated that the following may reduce cardiovascular events (A) increasing consumption of omega-3 fats from fish or plant source such as nuts (B) eating a diet high in fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, and avoiding food for the high glycemic index (C) replacing saturated and trans-fats with more unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. There is very little evidence suggesting a link between cardiovascular disease in the studies and the intake of total fat, cholesterol, or meat.

Our ancestors consumed only natural and unprocessed food from the environment which provided them with a diet of protein, high in fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other beneficial phytochemicals. Our ancestors consumed a diet that had three times more fiber, twice as much polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, four times more omega-3 fatty acids, 70% less saturated fats. Further, sodium intake was 1/5 of what it is today, and the diet contained no refined grains and sugars. It is quite clear that the ongoing epidemic of cardiovascular diseases is at least in part due to the striking discrepancies between the diet we are designed to eat and what we eat today.

CALORIES: In this modern world, calorie-dense foods are abundant and inexpensive and therefore, most people are dying of caloric excess which manifests itself as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome and obesity. We also expend much less energy than our ancestors did. A diet that is high in carbohydrates, low in fat, will have a much lower satiety index than the diet that has adequate quantities of proteins and fats. Therefore diet containing moderate amounts of beneficial fats and proteins in addition to carbohydrates consisting of low glycemic index foods in conjunction with an exercise regimen is the most effective way to maintain ideal body weight and reduce cardiovascular risks. Clearly, this was the eating pattern and lifestyle of our ancestors.

TRANS-FATTY ACIDS: These are found in commercially prepared foods and are synthesized when hydrogen is applied to edible oils under pressure and temperature in the presence of the catalyst. Hydrogenation of oils is done by the food industry to prolong shelf life in commercially baked goods such as cookies, crackers, doughnuts, croissants, and snacks. It is also found in shortening, margarines, deep-fried foods, and these detrimental fats, lower HDL, increase LDL, and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Some studies indicate that replacing trans-fatty acids with the same amount of natural unsaturated fatty acids will result in a 50% decrease in risk of coronary heart disease.

OMEGA 3 FATTY ACIDS: The sea algae and the grasses and leaves on land are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Therefore, fish and larger grazing animals have a high content of omega-3 fatty acids. However, today, the meats from domesticated animals are very low in omega-3 fatty acids because they are generally grain fed, or corn fed rather than grass-fed. Compared to the European Mediterranean diet, the American dietary intake of omega-3 is extremely low. Patients on a Mediterranean diet rich in omega-3 and unsaturated fats, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts, experienced 50 to 70% reductions in risk of cardiovascular events in long-term follow-up. In the GISSI prevention study, survivors of myocardial infarction, given 1 g today of omega-3 supplements experienced a 45% reduction in sudden cardiac death and a 20% decrease in all cause mortality during a 3 1/2 year follow-up. Increased fats in the form of omega-3 fatty acids either from plant sources such as flaxseed oil or fish oils will reduce cardiovascular risks up to 32 to 50%.

MONOUNSATURATED FATS: Our ancestors had a diet where one half of the total fat is composed of monounsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fats reduce cardiovascular risks when substituted for the high glycemic index carbohydrates and sugars. Nuts are a valuable source of monounsaturated fats and have been shown to be cardio protective in multiple studies. The calories in nuts typically are 80% from fat, but most of these are healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Epidemiological studies showed that nut consumption, five times a week at least, is associated with a 50% reduction in the risk of myocardial infarction compared to the risk of people who rarely or never eat nuts. Nut consumption also reduces the risk of developing diabetes, lowers LDL, and provides a plant based protein together with vitamin E, folic acid, magnesium, copper, zinc, and selenium. Nuts have a high satiety index and therefore, often prevent over eating afterwards. Oleic acid is the major monounsaturated fats in our diets and is found in meats, nuts, avocados, dark chocolate, and olive oil. Replacing saturated fat with monounsaturated fats would result in a 30% reduction in risk.

VEGETARIANISM: Our ancestors were omnivorous. Modern vegetarian diets rely heavily on processed carbohydrates such as white rice, potatoes, white flour and sugars. Therefore they are not recommended. The South Asian paradox refers to the high prevalence of coronary artery disease despite lower levels of LDL and low prevalence of obesity in urban vegetarians from India who consumes a diet that is high in refined carbohydrates. High glycemic index diets lower HDL and predispose to metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease and it is one of the most atherogenic features of our modern eating pattern. Overall, a vegetarian diet with a diet of low glycemic index foods is cardioprotective. However, our current vegetarian diets are very reach in refined flour and grains and as a result; the glycemic index is extremely high. Consuming foods in the natural state retains more nutritional value, and a lower glycemic index.

Our ancestors derived 45% of the calories from animal foods. However, the meats had less than 4% fat by weight and contained relatively high levels of monounsaturated fatty acids, and omega-3 fatty acids compared to the grain-fed domestic meats of today which contain 20 to 35% fat, much of it, in the form of saturated fats. It is highly likely that it is not the meat it self, but the high levels of saturated fats typically found in the meat of modern domesticated animals which is most atherogenic. There are many other compelling reasons for not consuming large amounts of currently available meats in the United States. The leading source of saturated fats and cholesterol in the American diet is meat poultry and dairy products. These are directly linked with atherogenesis. There is no cholesterol found in grains legumes fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds.

BEVERAGES: Our ancestors drank water. Soda drinks are the predominant beverage consumed in America today. Over 50 million cans of soda are sold every day in the United States of America. These are calorie dense, nutritionally empty drinks which increase obesity as well as insulin resistance. Between 1990 and 1995, the consumption of soda amongst children and adolescents increased by 41%. The average consumption of teenage males between 13 and 18 years is 3 or more cans of soda pop a day. 10% of teenage males drink 7 or more cans a day. The average teenage girl drinks two cans of soda pop a day, and 10% of all teenagers drink more than 5 cans a day. The Center for Science in the Public Interest stipulates reforms full soda consumption asking for more water fountains, and soda free schools and health education campaigns. Soda is well-known to cause obesity, tooth decay, caffeine dependence, as well as weakening of the bones. A team of Harvard researchers presented the first evidence linking soft drink consumption to childhood obesity in the Lancet. Recent human studies also demonstrate that girls consuming soda pop a more prone to have brittle bones and recent, animal studies using rats also demonstrated the same. Phosphorus encourages calcium loss and weakening of the bones. Soda consumption increases the likelihood of bone fractures in female teenagers fivefold.

Tea is high in natural antioxidants which are beneficial. An inverse relationship between tea consumption and cardiovascular disease has been observed.

SUMMARY: The most practical solution for reducing the incidence of chronic degenerative diseases such as atherosclerosis is to realign our current maladaptive diet and our lifestyle to simulate what our genome has prepared a for. Since our food sources today are different from the food sources that were available to our ancestors, radical changes in our diet today are also necessary. The meat one consumes today is totally different from the meat that was available to our ancestors. Even our vegetables have different glycemic indices and our vegetarian diets have become so refined and have such a high glycemic index, that it has made it very difficult for the average person to understand what is right and what is wrong.

It is therefore my strong recommendation that the ideal diet currently available to the public is predominantly a vegetarian diet, closely related to the Mediterranean diet. It will be rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, very low in meats and dairy products for the reasons stated above and in other chapters, and a complete abolition of sugar from the diet. The best drink is water. The next best would be tea.

ARGUMENTS AGAINST MEAT CONSUMPTION

Cholesterol: The leading sources of saturated fats and cholesterol in the American diet is meat, poultry and dairy products. Vegetables do not contain cholesterol. The body does not need cholesterol intake. The body is able to make its own cholesterol. Cholesterol is directly responsible for heart disease. Heart disease is the commonest cause of death in the United States, and the amount annually spent in the United States to treat cardiovascular disease is $135 billion.

Cancer: There is an increased risk of fatal prostate cancer for men who consume meats, dairy products, and eggs daily compared to those who consume it sparingly: 3.5 times higher. There is an increased risk of breast cancer in women who eat meats daily compared to those who eat meat once a week: 3.8 times higher. There is an increased risk of breast cancer in women who eat butter and cheese two to four times a week compared to once a week: 3.2 times higher. 40% of all cancers in the United States on related to diet.

Health: 68% of all diseases are related to diet. The following conditions can be commonly prevented or improved with a low-fat diet free from animal products: Arthritis, breast cancer, asthma, colon cancer, diabetes, constipation, gallstones, diverticulosis, heart disease, hypertension, impotence, hypoglycemia, renal disease, obesity, peptic ulcers, osteoporosis, prostate cancer, food poisoning, and strokes.

Protein: Many feel that a vegetarian diet will not have enough protein in the diet. According to the World Health Organization, only 4.5% of the calories need to come from protein. According to the food and nutrition Board of the United States Department of Agriculture, only 6% of the protein calories are needed. The national research Council states that only 8% of the calories need to be derived from protein. The following vegetables have high percentages of calories as protein: Broccoli 47%; zucchini 28%; wheat: 17%; brown rice 8%; lettuce is 34%; tomatoes 18%; potatoes 11%.

Antibiotic: 55% of all the total antibiotic production in the United States is fed to livestock and finds its way into our foods. Staphylococcal infection resistance to penicillin increased from 13% in 1960 291% in 1988. A major contribution cause of antibiotic resistance is in fact the breeding of antibiotic resistant bacteria in farms due to routine feeding of antibiotics to livestock.

Food Safety: One third of all inspected chickens are infected with salmonella. 75% of federal poultry inspectors said that they would not eat chicken.

The Environment: One third of US cropland is permanently removed from production due to excess soil erosion directly related to animal husbandry. 1 lb. of feedlot steak requires the loss of 55 lbs. of topsoil. 250,000 lbs. of excrement is produced by US livestock every second. Water pollution created by US Agriculture with the runoff of topsoil, pesticides, and manure is greater than all municipal and industrial sources combined. 50% of all the wells and surface streams in the United States are contaminated by agricultural pollutants. 200 years ago, America’s top soil was 21 in. deep and it is now only 6 in. deep. It takes 500 years to the paste 1 in. of topsoil. 85% of the loss of topsoil is directly related to cattle farming. 1 acre of land can produced 20,000 lbs. of potatoes or 165 lbs. of beef. A startling arithmetic is as follows: The livestock population in the United States consumes enough grain and soybeans to feed the entire human population of the United States five times over. Cycling our grain through livestock, we receive only 10% of the available calories.

Over one half of the water in our country is used to grow feed and fodder for livestock. If cattle farmers in California reduced their water consumption by just 6% it would be equivalent to a 75% reduction in domestic use.

The Natural Resources: One third of all the raw materials including base products for farming, forestry, mining, including fossil fuels, consumed in the United States are devoted solely to the production of livestock. It requires 78 calories of fossil fuel to produce one calorie of protein from beef. It requires only to calories of fossil fuel to produce one calorie of protein from soybeans. The livestock production accounts for more than half of all water consumed for all purposes in the United States. 64% of all United States cropland is used for producing livestock feed. On the other hand, only 2% of the United States cropland is used to produce fruits and vegetables.

1 acre of prime land can produce 5000 lbs. of cherries, 20,000 lbs. of apples, 40,000 lbs. of potatoes, 60,000 lbs. of celery, 10,000 lbs. of green beans, 30,000 lbs. of carrots, 50,000 lbs. of tomatoes, but only 250 lbs. of beef.

World Hunger: It is ironic that 70% of the grain production in the United States is actually consumed by livestock. 66% of the US grain exports is consumed by livestock. Yet, 38,000 children die every day because of malnutrition and starvation. 50% of the world grain harvest is consumed by livestock. If we could reduce our intake of meat by a fraction, there would be so much land, water, and energy freed up from growing livestock that we could probably feed millions more mouths.

For more information, read John Robbins: Diet for a New America
David Pimentel,” Energy and Land Constrains in Food Protein production,”
Science
Newsweek,” The Browning of America” Feb 22, 1981

WHAT ABOUT MILK?

Milk contains a sugar called lactose. At least 20% of the population does not produce the enzyme, lactates, needed to digest lactose. Further, milk products are very fatty, and create tremendous amounts of mucus. This mucus can actually line the intestinal tract and decreased absorption of other nutrients. One can do a simple experiment and consumed lots of milk and notice that the postnasal drip and excess of phlegm in your throat is a clear indication of the effects of milk. The same applies to cheese as well.

Milk also contains growth hormones that are designed to increase the weight of the calf from 90 lbs. and birth to 1000 lbs. within two years. Large quantities of growth hormones have been detected in milk. The principal protein in cow’s milk is casein. However, casein is not the protein that humans need. Much of the casein remains undigested in humans, and may be responsible for much of the allergies known today.

Americans consume more milk products than any other country in the world and yet, there is a very high incidence of osteopenia. Consuming milk products can actually cause osteoporosis. The incidence of osteoporosis is lowest in countries with smallest amounts of milk products are consumed.

The adult cow does not drink milk, then why should humans? We are the only adult mammals that drink the milk of another species.

WHAT WE SHOULD EAT TODAY

• Avoid all highly processed foods. Eat foods in the natural state. Food should be fresh. Today, insist on organic food, free of hormones and pesticides.

• Avoid foods of high glycemic index. Remember, processed foods increase the glycemic index. Avoid all sugars. Any food serving with greater than 5 g of sugar should not be consumed. Your body was not designed for high sugar content diet.

• Increase your omega-3 fatty acid intake. Eat more nuts, use flaxseed oil or eat flaxseeds, or use mustard seed oil. Eat two fish dishes a week, or take pharmaceutical grade fish oil supplements.

• Significantly increase your intake of berries especially blueberries, nuts, vegetables, and fruits: Citrus, berries, apples, spinach, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, and avocado.

• Eliminate all Trans-fats entirely from the diet, by eliminating or fried foods, or margarines, and avoid all, she baked goods or snacks or processed foods. Partially hydrogenated fats should be avoided completely. Eliminate all saturated fats. Instead, substituted with monounsaturated fats such olive oil.

• Eliminate dairy products as much as possible. The high fats in dairy products should be avoided completely.

• Avoid processed meats such as bacon, sausage, and deli meats.

• If you are going to eat any animal protein, consume only lean proteins such as skinless poultry, fish, and game meats which are lean and organic.

• Exercise daily, your aerobic activity heart rate should be 180 minus age.

• Drink water. Avoid all sodas. Restrict alcohol to one to two drinks a day only. Restrict coffee to one to two small drinks a day. Green tea is good.

Other articles you may find of interest: Eat Right For Your Body, Organic Food, Foods That Prevent Disease, Insulin Resistance