Welcome to The Paleo Diet Blog!

The Paleo Diet--the world’s healthiest diet--is based on the simple understanding that the best human diet is the one to which we are best genetically adapted. It is supported by documented scientific evidence and by real-life improvements, even triumphs, of people winning their personal health battles.

The Paleo Diet is based upon the life work of Dr. Loren Cordain. Dr. Cordain is widely acknowledged as a leading expert on the diet of our Paleolithic ancestors. In numerous publications in the world's best scientific journals, he has documented the dramatic health benefits of eating a diet consistent with human genetic evolution and our ancestral, Paleolithic diet. Learn how a diet based on lean meats, seafood, fresh fruits, and fresh vegetables can lead to ideal body weight, optimum health, and peak athletic performance.

This concept represents the "unified field theory" of nutrition that has until now been lacking. The discipline of human nutrition previously had no orienting paradigm to guide research and inquiry, and as such was an immature science. In contrast, cosmology has the big bang theory, which orients all thought regarding the origins of the universe, and geology has continental drift and plate tectonics, which universally guide research into the origins of earth's land mass. In biology, the fundamental, guiding principle is Darwin's theory of evolution through natural selection, which provides a template for the creation of life on earth.

It has only been in the last two decades that a few enlightened scientists have realized that this principle also represents the basic biological principle which determines the nutritional requirements of any organism - including humans. Our genes were shaped by our ancestors' environment, including our nutrtional requirements. Because what we eat today is so far removed from the diet of our hunter-gatherer ancestors, a discordance exists between our genes and our diet, and this factor represents the underlying reason why we are so sick and overweight as a society.

Dr. Cordain has authored three pioneering books that provide specific applications of The Paleo Diet for general health and nutrition, specifically for athletes, and for curing acne.

The Paleo Diet provides the background and basis for the optimally healthful diet. It has been highly praised by researchers, scientists, and readers from all over the world.

The Paleo Diet for Athletes, written by Dr. Loren Cordain and world-class fitness trainer Joe Friel, provides detailed information on how endurance athletes can improve performance, recovery, and health by eating a slightly modified version of the Paleo Diet.

The Dietary Cure for Acne represents the first real cure--not a treatment--a real solution to this pervasive skin disease. It is a natural acne diet program, based on recent research.

We also offer numerous programs designed to help people address particular nutritional and health needs. These programs can enable you to achieve your health goals whether you seek to:

• permanently free yourself from acne
• improve your athletic performance
• enjoy a longer, healthier, more active life
• lose weight without dieting and exercise,
• reduce or eliminate your risk of diseases, including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and the vast majority of all chronic degenerative diseases that affect humanity

For more information about our team and our products please visit our Paleo Diet web site as well as our Dietary Cure for Acne web site.

You may post comments and questions at the end of most blog posts. Scroll down to the end of a post, type your comments in the text area under the title Post a Comment, and click the Post Comment button.

Announcing: The Paleo Diet Cookbook

Editor's note: Dr. Cordain's latest publishing projects include The Paleo Diet Cookbook, available for purchase on December 13, 2010. This article includes a brief interview with Dr. Cordain.

Patrick Baker (PB): What did you hope to achieve by publishing your own cookbook?

Dr. Loren Cordain (LC): The Paleo Diet Cookbook will be published by John Wiley & Sons, the publisher of my first book, The Paleo Diet. Because of the enormous success of The Paleo Diet, my publisher wanted us (me, my wife Lorrie Cordain, and Nell Stephenson) to write a follow-up cookbook that would provide my readers with a "how to, hands on" easy approach to preparing and making delicious Paleo meals and snacks. The book contains more than 150 recipes arranged into the following chapters and topics:

• Introduction
• CHAPTER 1: The Paleo Diet Basics
• CHAPTER 2: Paleo Kitchen Basics
• CHAPTER 3: Paleo Breakfasts Dishes
• CHAPTER 4: Paleo Snacks and Appetizers
• CHAPTER 5: Paleo Poultry
• CHAPTER 6: Paleo Beef, Pork, and Lamb
• CHAPTER 7: Grass- Fed Meat, Game Meat and Jerky
• CHAPTER 8: Paleo Fish and Seafood
• CHAPTER 9: Paleo Salads
• CHAPTER 10: Paleo Vegetable Dishes
• CHAPTER 11: Condiments, Salad Dressings, Sauces and Fruit Purees
• CHAPTER 12: Paleo Beverages and Desserts
• CHAPTER 13: The Paleo Diet Two Week Meal Plan
• CHAPTER 14: Treats and Meals for Crossfitters and Athletes

PB: Given the proliferation of other paleo cookbooks, what makes yours stand out?

LC: I am aware of two other cookbooks that have taken the Paleo approach, however it turns out that many of the recipes are not pure Paleo, and use salt, honey and other non-Paleo ingredients. This book comes straight from the originator of The Paleo Diet, and I can assure my readers that all of the recipes in the book are not only pure Paleo, but also appetizing and nutritious. Nell and Lorrie have done a wonderful job creating some brand new incredibly delicious recipes and snacks.

PB: In general, how does the cookbook reflect the principles outlined in your book The Paleo Diet?

LC: In the first chapter of the book, I outline the basics of Paleo dieting - all the do's and dont's that experienced Paleo Dieters may be aware of, but also great background material for newbies to Paleo Dieting. Actually, as most of our veteran readers realize, The Paleo Diet is not a diet at all, but rather a lifetime plan of eating to optimize health and well being. I've also devoted a large section of Chapter I to autoimmune diseases, and how Paleo Diets can ameliorate symptoms of these illnesses. This is brand new information which has never been published.

PB: Do you cross-reference any of your other published work in the cookbook?

LC: The Paleo Diet Cookbook is consistent with most of the work from my prior three books. However, I have completely updated it based upon the most recent scientific evidence. A couple of key points are different from my first book, The Paleo Diet, which was published in 2002. First, I no longer advocate the use of canola oil, for reasons explained in the book, and I have also taken a softer stand on saturated fats based upon my own article on the topic, published in 2006, and available as a free PDF download from my website. Further, I now advocate coconut and coconut oil consumption.

PB: When will your cookbook be available for purchase?

LC: The Paleo Diet Cookbook can be pre-ordered right now at Amazon, but it will not ship until December 13, 2010.

PB: Where can your readers purchase a copy of your cookbook when it becomes available?

LC: The Paleo Diet Cookbook, as well as my upcoming 2010 Revision to The Paleo Diet, can be purchased at my website, at Amazon, or almost any local bookstore.

The Paleo Diet in the News

Dear Readers,

The Paleo Diet and Dr. Cordain's work have been cited in recent articles in the following media:

• Mail Tribune, Medford, Oregon
  
• Daily News, Redbluff, California
  
• The Ledger, Lakeland, Florida
  
• The Press of Atlantic City
  
• A Sweet Life: An interview with a Type 1 Diabetic
  
• Netstrife News - Rapid Weight Loss on the Paleolithic Diet (click on the article to make the pop-up go away).
  
• Medscape - Does Diet Really Affect Acne?
  
• Total Health Breakthroughs - Beating Obesity, The Old-Fashioned Way
  
• Robb Wolf discusses The Paleo Diet in his podcast The Paleolithic Solution. Robb is a former student of Dr. Cordain's, and an advocate of Cordain's work in paleolithic nutrition.
  
• Psychology Today - features an article on The Paleo Diet in their June edition (print), and their own paleolithic nutrition Q &A referencing Dr. Cordain's work on their blog. PT first wrote about Dr. Cordain's work in paleolithic nutrition in 1997!
  
• WBUR.org (Boston NPR affiliate)
  
• Westword
  
• San Jose Mercury News
  
• ArgusLeader.com
  
• AnnArbor.com
  
• ESPN - main article, expanded article
• The Colbert Report - interview with John Durant
  
• The Denver Post
  
• National Post
  
• Voice of America
• Macleans
  
• Politics Daily
• Sun-Sentinel
• AFP
• Spiegel Online
• Independent Online
• The Times Online
• The New York Times
• The Washington Post
• AOL's thatsfit.com
• Book publishing news site Galleycat
• The Examiner
• Medscape
• Huffington Post

Consumption of Nightshade Plants paper now available

Dear Readers,

Dr. Cordain's newest paper "Consumption of Nightshade Plants" is now available from our web store.

Thank you for your continued readership.

Protein Intake for Pregnant Women

by Loren Cordain, Ph.D., Professor

Q: Hello Dr. Cordain

I would like to know if you could direct me to any research that indicates what amounts of protein are necessary for pregnant women who live the Paleo Diet way. I am in my third trimester with my first child and have been living Paleo since I first heard you lecture on it back at Boulderfest before your book came out. I have been the picture of health and my pregnancy has been very easy. I am finding that my protein and fat requirements are significantly higher.

Is there any research you could direct me to regarding protein requirements for pregnancy based on trimester?

Thank you very much and I look forward to hearing from you.

Best Regards,
Lynda

A: Hi Lynda,

This question has come up before and the bottom line is that your probably should increase your fat and carbohydrate consumption, and limit protein to about 20-25% of energy, as higher protein intakes than this may prove to be deleterious to mother and fetus for a variety of physiological reasons. In my next book, I have devoted a chapter to maternal nutrition before, during and after pregnancy and why protein must be limited during pregnancy.

My colleague John Speth (an anthropologist) at the University of Michigan wrote a paper on protein aversion in hunter-gatherer women during pregnancy. Listed below is the abstract: (note the 25% protein energy ceiling!!!)

"During seasonal or inter-annual periods of food shortage and restricted total calorie intake, ethnographically and ethnohistorically documented human foragers, when possible, under-utilize foods that are high in protein, such as lean meat, in favour of foods with higher lipid or carbohydrate content. Nutritional studies suggest that one reason for this behaviour stems from the fact that pregnant women, particularly at times when their total calorie intake is marginal, may be constrained in the amount of energy they can safely derive from protein sources to levels below about 25% of total calories. Protein intakes above this threshold may affect pregnancy outcome through decreased mass at birth and increased perinatal morbidity and mortality. This paper briefly outlines the evidence for the existence of an upper safe limit to total protein intake in pregnancy, and then discusses several facets of the issue that remain poorly understood. The paper ends by raising two basic questions directed especially toward specialists in primate and human nutrition: is this protein threshold real and demographically significant in modern human foraging populations? If so, does an analogous threshold affect pregnant female chimpanzees? If the answer to both of these questions is yes, we can then begin to explore systematically the consequences such a threshold might have for the diet and behaviour of early hominids."²

The physiological basis for this aversion stems from a reduced rate of urea synthesis during pregnancy that is evident in early gestation¹ as well as increases in the stress hormone cortisol³. Hence, pregnant women should include more carbohydrate and fat (i.e. fattier meats) in their diets and limit dietary protein to no more than 20-25% of their total caloric intake.

Hope this helps!
Loren Cordain, Ph.D., Professor

References:

1. Kalhan, S. Protein metabolism in pregnancy. Am J Clin Nutr 2000;71 (suppl): 1249S-55S.
2. Speth JD. Protein selection and avoidance strategies of contemporary and ancestral foragers: unresolved issues. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 1991 Nov 29;334(1270):265-9; discussion 269-70.
3. Herrick, K., Phillips, D. I. W., Haselden, S., Shiell, A. W., Campbell-Brown, M., Godfrey, K. M., 2003. Maternal consumption of a high-meat, low-carbohydrate diet in late pregnancy: relation to adult cortisol concentrations in the offspring. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 88(8):3554-3560.

Type 2 Diabetes and Endotoxemia

by Maelán Fontes

Currently there’s an epidemic of type 2 diabetes (T2D) worldwide, especially in Westernized countries. T2D is characterized by persistent elevated glucose levels due to disrupted insulin action or an alteration in pancreatic insulin production¹.

It was estimated that 171 million people were suffering from T2D in 2001, with a total overall population prevalence of 6%. More alarming is the fact that in Caucasian adolescents 4% suffer from T2D and 25% are glucose intolerant¹. However, T2D prevalence in hunter-gatherer societies is low^2-6, and even nonexistent in the island of Kitava in Trobiand Islands in Papua New Guinea³.

Genetics does not seem to explain the difference, because when these populations are Westernized they suffer even more from diseases of civilization such as T2D, obesity, myocardial infarction and stroke among others^7-10 than original Western populations. Furthermore, there’s evidence showing that hunter-gatherer populations can reverse T2D when they are resettled in their ancient habitat⁸, a fact that has been demonstrated in two recent clinical trials conducted on Western populations^{11, 12}.

Insulin resistance seems to be one of the factors involved in T2D which is caused, by low-grade chronic inflammation^13-15 among other factors. Interestingly, low-grade chronic inflammation is a hallmark^16-19 in T2D patients.

Considering these factors, it seems plausible that the nutrition introduced with the agricultural revolution 10,000 years ago played an important role in the current diabetes epidemic in Westernized populations. Western foods are overload with antinutrients, namely lectins, saponins and gliadin, which may explain the great disparity between paleolithic and modern Western food when it comes to metabolic syndrome (a combination of medical disorders that increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes). There is evidence showing that antinutrients act as endocrine disrupting substances, promoting metabolic syndrome²⁰. On the other hand, antinutrients may elicit their negative health effects through increased intestinal permeability²¹. However, scant evidence exists regarding the role of antinutrients in the aetiology of Western diseases.

Gliadin and increased intestinal permeability

One of the most studied foods in the recent years is wheat, which contains a protein called gliadin, and is part of the gluten protein family²². Gliadin increases gut permeability by means of Zonulin production (a protein that regulates in tight junctions between cells in the wall of the digestive tract) in the gut enterocytes (epithelial cells found in the small intestines and colon). Zonulin binds the CXCR3 chemokine receptor leading to intracellular signalling cascades, mediated by protein kinase C (PKC), which ultimately causes disruption of the tight junction proteins which maintain the gut barrier function, and lead to increased gut permeability^{23, 24}.

In addition, when intestinal permeability is increased, gliadin - which is resistant to heat and digestive enzymes - is able to interact with gut associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) stimulating the innate immune system, leading to low-grade chronic inflammation^{22, 24}. Several studies have demonstrated that gliadin induces the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (a small protein released by cells that has a specific effect on the interactions between cells, communications between cells or the behavior of cells), independent of one’s genetic predisposition to celiac disease – which is virtually everyone^{23, 25, 26}.

Lectins and increased gut permeability

Lectins are a family of glycoproteins (a complex protein containing a carbohydrate combined with a simple protein) found in the plant kingdom, including grains, legumes and solanacous plants (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants and peppers)^{21, 27}. Lectins also have the ability to bind sugar containing molecules. They were first studied for their ability to agglutinate (cause to adhere) red blood cells by binding to their cell membranes. Many lectins present in other foods are harmless, but some lectins found in grains, legumes and solanaceous plants have been shown to be harmful to human physiology²⁸. Lectins are resistant to heat (unless cooked by pressure cooking)²⁹ and digestive enzymes³⁸, and therefore arrive intact when they reach the intestinal epithelium, passing through the intestinal barrier into peripheral circulation. Lectins are able to bind peripheral tissues, producing many deleterious health effects²¹. Furthermore, lectins disrupt intestinal barrier and immunological function when they bind surface glycans (a carbohydrate polymer containing simple sugars) on gut epithelial cells, causing cellular disruption and increasing gut permeability. Lectins also facilitate the growth of certain bacteria strains, stimulate T-cell proliferation, increase intercellular adhesion molecules (ICAM), stimulate production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1, TNF-alpha, etc.), and amplify HLA class II molecules expression, among other effects²¹.

Saponins and increased gut permeability

Saponins are glycoalkaloids (a family of poisons commonly found in the plant species Solanum dulcamara - nightshades) produced by plants, technically known as steroid glycosides or triterpenoids, are formed by a sugar compound (glucuronic acid, glucose or galactose, among others) and aglycone (non-sugar molecule) portion^30-32. The aglycone portion binds the cholesterol molecule on gut cell membranes. When certain amounts of saponins bind cell membrane cholesterol molecules of the intestinal epithelial cells at a 1:1 ratio, the sugar portion of the saponins bind together, resulting in a complex molecule consisting of cholesterol and saponins. This new molecule disrupts the gut barrier and increases intestinal permeability. This has been shown in humans who consume a diet rich in alpha-solanine and alpha-chaconine - two of the saponins found in potatoes³¹.

On the other hand, saponins have adjuvant-like activity, which means that they are able to affect the immune system leading to pro-inflammatory cytokine production^{33, 34}, ultimately inducing insulin resistance.

Intestinal permeability and endotoxemia

Intestinal epithelia act as a physical barrier between the outside and the inside of the body, meaning that the intestinal lumen is technically outside the organism. When the intestinal barrier is disrupted, it allows increased passage of gut luminal antigens derived from food, bacteria and viruses into the organism²¹. In case of bacteria derived antigens, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is the most commonly studied and utilized antigen to induce acute immune stimulation, this is known as endotoxemia (the presence of endotoxins - a toxin that forms an integral part of the cell wall of certain bacteria - in the blood which may cause hemorrhages, necrosis of the kidneys, and shock)³⁵. In addition, endotoxemia is associated with low-grade chronic inflammation, insulin resistance and T2D^{13, 18, 36}. In a recent human study it was demonstrated that LPS induced low-grade chronic inflammation in adipose tissue in T2D³⁶ humans.

LPS-TLR4 interaction and low-grade chronic inflammation

The innate immune system is localised in the GALT. When luminal antigens pass through the intestinal barrier, they are phagocited (consumed) by dendritic cells or macrophagues, key components of the innate immune system. Dendritic cells or macrophagues recognize antigens through a family of receptors known as Toll-like receptors (TLR). The best studied and known antigens from gram negative bacteria are LPS which interact with toll-like receptors-4 (TLR4), inducing the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and ultimately insulin resistance and T2D³⁵. Interestingly, a recently published study demonstrated increased TLR4 expression in T2D humans, contributing to an increased inflammatory state³⁷.

In summary, antinutrients introduced with the agricultural revolution 10,000 years ago may be one of the causal factors in the epidemic of obesity, (as well as T2D) in Western countries. Lectins, saponins and gliadin increase intestinal permeability and allow increased passage of gut bacteria from intestinal lumen to peripheral circulation. LPS - an antigen found in gram-negative bacteria cell membranes - interacts with TLR-4, leading to inflammatory cytokine production and low-grade chronic inflammation, which is at the root of insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is recognised to induce the metabolic syndrome, including T2D. Endotoxemia-induced insulin resistance in T2D patients may be exacerbated, in part, by antinutrients.

References:

1. Stumvoll M, Goldstein BJ, van Haeften TW. Type 2 diabetes: principles of pathogenesis and therapy. Lancet 2005;365(9467):1333-46.
2. Joffe BI, Jackson WP, Thomas ME, Toyer MG, Keller P, Pimstone BL. Metabolic responses to oral glucose in the Kalahari Bushmen. British medical journal 1971;4(5781):206-8.
3. Lindeberg S, Eliasson M, Lindahl B, Ahren B. Low serum insulin in traditional Pacific Islanders--the Kitava Study. Metabolism: clinical and experimental 1999;48(10):1216-9.
4. Merimee TJ, Rimoin DL, Cavalli-Sforza LL. Metabolic studies in the African pygmy. The Journal of clinical investigation 1972;51(2):395-401.
5. Spielman RS, Fajans SS, Neel JV, Pek S, Floyd JC, Oliver WJ. Glucose tolerance in two unacculturated Indian tribes of Brazil. Diabetologia 1982;23(2):90-3.
6. Zimmet P. Epidemiology of diabetes and its macrovascular manifestations in Pacific populations: the medical effects of social progress. Diabetes care 1979;2(2):144-53.
7. Cruickshank JK, Mbanya JC, Wilks R, Balkau B, McFarlane-Anderson N, Forrester T. Sick genes, sick individuals or sick populations with chronic disease? The emergence of diabetes and high blood pressure in African-origin populations. International journal of epidemiology 2001;30(1):111-7.
8. O'Dea K. Marked improvement in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in diabetic Australian aborigines after temporary reversion to traditional lifestyle. Diabetes 1984;33(6):596-603.
9. O'Dea K, Spargo RM, Akerman K. The effect of transition from traditional to urban life-style on the insulin secretory response in Australian Aborigines. Diabetes care 1980;3(1):31-7.
10. O'Dea K, Spargo RM, Nestel PJ. Impact of Westernization on carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in Australian Aborigines. Diabetologia 1982;22(3):148-53.
11. Jonsson T, Granfeldt Y, Ahren B, et al. Beneficial effects of a Paleolithic diet on cardiovascular risk factors in type 2 diabetes: a randomized cross-over pilot study. Cardiovascular diabetology 2009;8:35.
12. Lindeberg S, Jonsson T, Granfeldt Y, et al. A Palaeolithic diet improves glucose tolerance more than a Mediterranean-like diet in individuals with ischaemic heart disease. Diabetologia 2007;50(9):1795-807.
13. Fernandez-Real JM, Pickup JC. Innate immunity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Trends in endocrinology and metabolism: TEM 2008;19(1):10-6.
14. Reyna SM, Ghosh S, Tantiwong P, et al. Elevated toll-like receptor 4 expression and signaling in muscle from insulin-resistant subjects. Diabetes 2008;57(10):2595-602.
15. Song MJ, Kim KH, Yoon JM, Kim JB. Activation of Toll-like receptor 4 is associated with insulin resistance in adipocytes. Biochemical and biophysical research communications 2006;346(3):739-45.
16. Duncan BB, Schmidt MI. The epidemiology of low-grade chronic systemic inflammation and type 2 diabetes. Diabetes technology & therapeutics 2006;8(1):7-17.
17. Kimberly MM, Cooper GR, Myers GL. An overview of inflammatory markers in type 2 diabetes from the perspective of the clinical chemist. Diabetes technology & therapeutics 2006;8(1):37-44.
18. Pickup JC. Inflammation and activated innate immunity in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. Diabetes care 2004;27(3):813-23.
19. Spranger J, Kroke A, Mohlig M, et al. Inflammatory cytokines and the risk to develop type 2 diabetes: results of the prospective population-based European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Potsdam Study. Diabetes 2003;52(3):812-7.
20. Jonsson T, Olsson S, Ahren B, Bog-Hansen TC, Dole A, Lindeberg S. Agrarian diet and diseases of affluence--do evolutionary novel dietary lectins cause leptin resistance? BMC endocrine disorders 2005;5:10.
21. Cordain L, Toohey L, Smith MJ, Hickey MS. Modulation of immune function by dietary lectins in rheumatoid arthritis. The British journal of nutrition 2000;83(3):207-17.
22. Fasano A. Surprises from celiac disease. Scientific American 2009;301(2):54-61.
23. Drago S, El Asmar R, Di Pierro M, et al. Gliadin, zonulin and gut permeability: Effects on celiac and non-celiac intestinal mucosa and intestinal cell lines. Scandinavian journal of gastroenterology 2006;41(4):408-19.
24. Visser J, Rozing J, Sapone A, Lammers K, Fasano A. Tight junctions, intestinal permeability, and autoimmunity: celiac disease and type 1 diabetes paradigms. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 2009;1165:195-205.
25. Bernardo D, Garrote JA, Fernandez-Salazar L, Riestra S, Arranz E. Is gliadin really safe for non-coeliac individuals? Production of interleukin 15 in biopsy culture from non-coeliac individuals challenged with gliadin peptides. Gut 2007;56(6):889-90.
26. Rakhimova M, Esslinger B, Schulze-Krebs A, Hahn EG, Schuppan D, Dieterich W. In vitro differentiation of human monocytes into dendritic cells by peptic-tryptic digest of gliadin is independent of genetic predisposition and the presence of celiac disease. Journal of clinical immunology 2009;29(1):29-37.
27. Kilpatrick DC, Pusztai A, Grant G, Graham C, Ewen SW. Tomato lectin resists digestion in the mammalian alimentary canal and binds to intestinal villi without deleterious effects. FEBS letters 1985;185(2):299-305.
28. Cordain L. Cereal grains: humanity's double-edged sword. World review of nutrition and dietetics 1999;84:19-73.
29. Grant G, More LJ, McKenzie NH, Pusztai A. The effect of heating on the haemagglutinating activity and nutritional properties of bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) seeds. Journal of the science of food and agriculture 1982;33(12):1324-6.
30. Francis G, Kerem Z, Makkar HP, Becker K. The biological action of saponins in animal systems: a review. The British journal of nutrition 2002;88(6):587-605.
31. Patel B, Schutte R, Sporns P, Doyle J, Jewel L, Fedorak RN. Potato glycoalkaloids adversely affect intestinal permeability and aggravate inflammatory bowel disease. Inflammatory bowel diseases 2002;8(5):340-6.
32. Keukens EA, de Vrije T, van den Boom C, et al. Molecular basis of glycoalkaloid induced membrane disruption. Biochimica et biophysica acta 1995;1240(2):216-28.
33. Oda K, Matsuda H, Murakami T, Katayama S, Ohgitani T, Yoshikawa M. Adjuvant and haemolytic activities of 47 saponins derived from medicinal and food plants. Biological chemistry 2000;381(1):67-74.
34. Pickering RJ, Smith SD, Strugnell RA, Wesselingh SL, Webster DE. Crude saponins improve the immune response to an oral plant-made measles vaccine. Vaccine 2006;24(2):144-50.
35. Cani PD, Bibiloni R, Knauf C, et al. Changes in gut microbiota control metabolic endotoxemia-induced inflammation in high-fat diet-induced obesity and diabetes in mice. Diabetes 2008;57(6):1470-81.
36. Creely SJ, McTernan PG, Kusminski CM, et al. Lipopolysaccharide activates an innate immune system response in human adipose tissue in obesity and type 2 diabetes. American journal of physiology 2007;292(3):E740-7.
37. Dasu MR, Devaraj S, Park S, Jialal I. Increased toll-like receptor (TLR) activation and TLR ligands in recently diagnosed type 2 diabetic subjects. Diabetes care;33(4):861-8.
38. Pusztai A and Grant G. Assessment of lectin inactivation by heat and digestion. From Methods in Molecular Medicine. Vol 9 Lectin methods and protocols. Edited by J M Rhodes and J D Milton Humana Press Inc. Totowa, NJ.

Fundraiser for Documentary Series: In Search of the Perfect Human Diet™

Fund raising continues for The Ancestral Health Society & Foundation's post-production work on the international documentary series In Search of the Perfect Human Diet™. The four-part series features the world’s leading scientists and advocates in human evolutionary nutrition. For the first time a major television & DVD release will document proof of the Paleo Diet principles.

Donations of $100 or more will get a Special Edition DVD set and Film Credit for their support.

Distribution of this series will create important ongoing financial support for the Ancestral Health Society's non-profit foundation and educational mission via direct financial contributions from all DVD sales.

The four-part series features the world’s leading scientists and advocates in human evolutionary nutrition, including:

• Dr. Loren Cordain (author of The Paleo Diet, Colorado State University)
• Dr. Michael Richards (Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany -Department of Human Evolution)
• Dr. Jay Wortman (Inuit Diet research, Canada)
• Dr. Steve Phinney (Professor Emeritus of Medicine, UC Davis)
• Gary Taubes (New York Times science writer and author of Good Calories, Bad Calories)
• Dr. Michael R. Eades (author of Protein Power)
• Barry Sears Ph.D. (author of The Zone)
• Dr. Leslie C. Aiello (President, Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research, New York)
• Robb Wolf (Research bio-chemist, author of The Paleolithic Solution)
• Professor Richard D. Feinman, PhD (Downstate Medical Center (SUNY) in New York)
• Professor Craig Stanford (Chair, Department of Anthropology, USC)
• Dr. Lane Sebring (Sebring Clinic, Wimberley, TX)
• Eric Schlosser (author of Fast Food Nation)
• And many more…

This fundraiser will enable Hunt Thompson Media, LLC to finish the international documentary series post-production work by Thanksgiving 2010, and release it for the 2010 Christmas and the 2011 New Year's resolution season. For more information on the documentary series visit www.perfecthumandiet.com.

To make a donation click the Chip In button below.

Report Issued on the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans

by Patrick Baker, Editor

On June 15, 2010 the US Federal Government announced the release of the Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010, a solicitation for written comments on the report, and an invitation for testimony at a public meeting to be held on July 15, 2010 in Washington D.C. Links to this announcement, the report, and instructions for submitting written comments or attending the public meeting are available at the Dietary Guidelines for Americans web site (www.DietaryGuidelines.gov).

Federal legislation requires that the most recent edition of the guidelines (last published in 2005) be reviewed, updated if necessary, and published every five years. The current report contains the recommendations of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) to the Secretaries of Agriculture and of Health and Human Services for use in updating the Guidelines.

The Current USDA Food Pyramid. Source: www.health.gov.

In the introduction, the 2010 DGAC report states that two-thirds of the American public is overweight or obese. It goes on to say that "Americans are making dietary choices in a highly obesogenic environment and at a time of burgeoning diet-related chronic diseases affecting people of all ages, ethnic backgrounds, and socioeconomic levels. The DGAC considers the obesity epidemic to be the single greatest threat to public health in this century."

The introduction goes on to discuss the role of diet and physical activity in attenuating the risk of chronic diseases, as well as identifying population groups of particular concern. These include: children, pregnant and lactating women, and older adults.

Dr. Cordain was asked to comment on the report, and stated "I really don't see how these ‘new’ recommendations vary substantially from prior USDA Food Guidelines." Cordain states that the recommendations to consume whole grains and skim milk "obviously vary from the human ancestral diet, and upon closer scrutiny, these two foods are not necessarily healthful."

Dr. Cordain’s cites evidence from his book The Paleo Diet, as well as his and other published research, that whole grain products frequently may contribute to an elevated glycemic load because of the quantity of total grains the USDA recommends (8 ounces per day, equivalent to 8 slices of bread). Wheat in particular is problematic because it contains the storage protein gliadin, shown to increase intestinal permeability in celiac patients as well as in healthy persons.

Cordain notes that increased intestinal permeability promotes passage of a gut borne bacterial substance called lipopolysachharide into the bloodstream, producing a low-level chronic state of inflammation called endotoxemia (see Maelán Fontes’ article on Type 2 Diabetes and Endotoxemia). Endotoxemia likely underlies many chronic disease states, particularly cardiovascular disease and a number of autoimmune diseases, according to Cordain.

Dr. Cordain goes on to say that, "In the U.S. alone, it is estimated that 1 in 100 people or about 3 million US citizens have celiac disease. It is irresponsible to make across-the-board dietary recommendations to the entire population given the high incidence of celiac disease."

Cordain notes that while skim milk is promoted by the USDA because it contains much lower concentrations of saturated fat, it has been shown to be highly insulinotropic – "meaning that it raises blood insulin concentrations, similar to eating candy or a chocolate chip cookie." Dr. Cordain states that, "Work from our laboratory substantiated this effect for both skim and whole milk. In a recent study of young boys, they became insulin resistant after seven days on a high milk diet, compared to seven days on a high meat diet. This study has not been replicated in adults, but there is no reason to believe that the response would vary." Consumption of milk elevates a hormone called IGF-1 - which increases growth in children, resulting in an increased adult stature. However, says Cordain, "it also increases the risk for breast, colon and most particularly prostate cancer."

The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee is accepting written comments on the report until July 15, 2010. The public meeting to solicit oral comments on the report will be held on July 8, 2010, starting at 9:00 am EDT. Details are available at the Dietary Guidelines for Americans web site (www.DietaryGuidelines.gov).