Western pattern diet: Difference between revisions
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== Standard American Diet == |
== Standard American Diet == |
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The "Standard American Diet" (S.A.D.) is a similar term, specifically used to denigrate what some authors say is the stereotypical diet of Americans. It is full of C.R.A.P.S. for carbohydrates, refinements, additives, & processed |
The "Standard American Diet" (S.A.D.) is a similar term, specifically used to denigrate what some authors say is the stereotypical diet of Americans. It is full of C.R.A.P.S. for carbohydrates, refinements, additives, & processed carbohydrates. |
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== Comparison Of Modern Western Diet with Ancient Pre-Agriculture Human Diets (Hunter-Gatherer or Paleolithic diets) == |
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'''Original Hominid Diet''' |
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1) High fiber ~ 50-100 gr/day (inhibits systemic INFLAMMATION) |
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2) Low sugar/carbs, except fruits |
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3) Modest saturated fats, zero trans fat, no processed carbs |
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4) Low calorie density foods |
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5) Omega 3/Omega 6 ratio of approximately 1:2~1:4 |
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6) High phytochemical content – many polyphenols |
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7) Calorie restriction, esp. given highly aerobic lifestyle |
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8) BMI under 22 for most |
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9) Periodic fasting (at times, almost no food available) |
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'''Current 'Average' American Diet''' |
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1) Low fiber (promotes INFLAMMATION) |
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2) High sugar/carbs not from fruits |
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3) High saturated fats, trans fats, processed carbs |
|||
4) High calorie density foods |
|||
5) Omega 3/Omega 6 ratio of approximately 1:10~1:20 |
|||
6) Low phytochemical content w/ minimal polyphenols |
|||
7) Calorie enhancement, esp. given sedentary lifestyle |
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8) BMI over 30 for 1/3 USA, BMI 25-30 for another 1/3. |
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9) Periodic binging (too much tasty food available all the time) |
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Even a cursory review of this listing of factors suggests that modern Western diets reverse virtually every dietary variable in ancient hominid diets. A critically important question is what the impact of all these changes might be on our basic physiology, especially as we age. This is still incompletely understood, but preliminary evidence suggests that these changes are fundamentally pro-inflammatory, and also impair the long-term management of oxidative stress, with both of these two mechanisms (inflammation and oxidative stress) increasingly implicated as common denominators in both aging itself, and also implicated in all the diseases of aging (Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, cancer, arthritis, macular degeneration, etc., etc.) |
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This suggests that although we are living longer (largely because we have defeated bacterial infection as a primary cause of early mortality), we may be exposing ourselves to an increasing incidence of diseases of aging, because we are actually in an 'alien environment' from the standpoint of our evolutionary history. |
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When these enormous and fundamental changes in diet are added to other lifestyle changes, particularly the lack of exercise, and chronic low-grade sleep deprivation, the combined effects of these may be genuinely disastrous. This suggests that a long-term health maintenance approach, informed by evolutionary biology, suggests that it is desirable to be closer to our original evolutionary environment. Although we cannot go back to hunter gatherer societies, this line of argument suggests a common denominator to all the standard lifestyle recommendations in modern medicine (a diet high in fruits and vegetables, fish vs beef, aerobic exercise, and watching one's weight and calorie intake), namely that these lifestyle variables place us back into an environment that is closer to our evolutionary path and milieu. |
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== See also == |
== See also == |
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Revision as of 18:07, 1 October 2010
The Western pattern diet, also called Western dietary pattern or the meat-sweet diet, is a dietary habit chosen by many people in developed countries, and increasingly in developing countries.[1] It is characterized by high intakes of red meat, sugary desserts, high-fat foods, and refined grains.[2] It also typically contains high-fat dairy products, high-sugar drinks, and eggs.[3]
The term is used to describe this pattern of diet in medical literature, regardless of where the diet is found, and is often contrasted with the "prudent" diet, which has higher levels of fruits, vegetables, whole-grain foods, poultry and fish.[4] Other dietary patterns described in the medical research include "drinker" and "meat-eater" patterns.[5] Because of the variability in diets, individuals are usually classified not as simply "following" or "not following" a given diet, but instead by ranking them according to how closely their diets line up with each pattern in turn. The researchers then compare the outcomes between the group that most closely follows a given pattern to the group that least closely follows a given pattern.
Medical effects
Compared to the "prudent" diet, the Western pattern diet, based on epidemiological studies, may be associated with an elevated risk of obesity,[4] death from heart disease, cancer (especially colon cancer[5]), and all causes.[6]
Standard American Diet
The "Standard American Diet" (S.A.D.) is a similar term, specifically used to denigrate what some authors say is the stereotypical diet of Americans. It is full of C.R.A.P.S. for carbohydrates, refinements, additives, & processed carbohydrates.
Comparison Of Modern Western Diet with Ancient Pre-Agriculture Human Diets (Hunter-Gatherer or Paleolithic diets)
Original Hominid Diet
1) High fiber ~ 50-100 gr/day (inhibits systemic INFLAMMATION)
2) Low sugar/carbs, except fruits
3) Modest saturated fats, zero trans fat, no processed carbs
4) Low calorie density foods
5) Omega 3/Omega 6 ratio of approximately 1:2~1:4
6) High phytochemical content – many polyphenols
7) Calorie restriction, esp. given highly aerobic lifestyle
8) BMI under 22 for most
9) Periodic fasting (at times, almost no food available)
Current 'Average' American Diet
1) Low fiber (promotes INFLAMMATION)
2) High sugar/carbs not from fruits
3) High saturated fats, trans fats, processed carbs
4) High calorie density foods
5) Omega 3/Omega 6 ratio of approximately 1:10~1:20
6) Low phytochemical content w/ minimal polyphenols
7) Calorie enhancement, esp. given sedentary lifestyle
8) BMI over 30 for 1/3 USA, BMI 25-30 for another 1/3.
9) Periodic binging (too much tasty food available all the time)
Even a cursory review of this listing of factors suggests that modern Western diets reverse virtually every dietary variable in ancient hominid diets. A critically important question is what the impact of all these changes might be on our basic physiology, especially as we age. This is still incompletely understood, but preliminary evidence suggests that these changes are fundamentally pro-inflammatory, and also impair the long-term management of oxidative stress, with both of these two mechanisms (inflammation and oxidative stress) increasingly implicated as common denominators in both aging itself, and also implicated in all the diseases of aging (Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, cancer, arthritis, macular degeneration, etc., etc.)
This suggests that although we are living longer (largely because we have defeated bacterial infection as a primary cause of early mortality), we may be exposing ourselves to an increasing incidence of diseases of aging, because we are actually in an 'alien environment' from the standpoint of our evolutionary history.
When these enormous and fundamental changes in diet are added to other lifestyle changes, particularly the lack of exercise, and chronic low-grade sleep deprivation, the combined effects of these may be genuinely disastrous. This suggests that a long-term health maintenance approach, informed by evolutionary biology, suggests that it is desirable to be closer to our original evolutionary environment. Although we cannot go back to hunter gatherer societies, this line of argument suggests a common denominator to all the standard lifestyle recommendations in modern medicine (a diet high in fruits and vegetables, fish vs beef, aerobic exercise, and watching one's weight and calorie intake), namely that these lifestyle variables place us back into an environment that is closer to our evolutionary path and milieu.
See also
- Fast food
- Junk food
- European cuisine (also called Western cuisine)
- Mediterranean diet
- Healthy diet
- Nutritional gatekeeper
References
- ^ Lifestyle Choices and the Risk of Cancer. CancerWire via PolyMVA blog. September 6th, 2007. [1]
- ^ Diet Appears to Influence Colon Cancer Outcomes, Allison Gandey, August 17, 2007. [2]
- ^ Halton TL, Willett WC, Liu S, Manson JE, Stampfer MJ, Hu FB (2006). "Potato and french fry consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes in women". Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 83 (2): 284–90. PMID 16469985.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b Fung TT, Rimm EB, Spiegelman D; et al. (2001). "Association between dietary patterns and plasma biomarkers of obesity and cardiovascular disease risk". Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 73 (1): 61–7. PMID 11124751.
{{cite journal}}: Explicit use of et al. in:|author=(help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b Kesse E, Clavel-Chapelon F, Boutron-Ruault MC (2006). "Dietary patterns and risk of colorectal tumors: a cohort of French women of the National Education System (E3N)". Am. J. Epidemiol. 164 (11): 1085–93. doi:10.1093/aje/kwj324. PMC 2175071. PMID 16990408.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Heidemann C, Schulze MB, Franco OH, van Dam RM, Mantzoros CS, Hu FB (2008). "Dietary patterns and risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease, cancer, and all causes in a prospective cohort of women". Circulation. 118 (3): 230–7. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.108.771881. PMC 2748772. PMID 18574045.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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