Cardiovascular Disease Benefits of a Hunter-Gatherer Diet.

Posted on February 23, 2007 by Dr. Gary Pack

Evolution over millions of years has determined the nutritional and exercise needs of today’s humans. Our diets and lifestyles have changed a great deal over the past 10,000 years while our genomes have changed very little. The results of these changes have been more obesity, hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The Paleolithic diets included wild, […]

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Conditions: Cardiovascular disease, Diabetes, Hypertension, Inflammation, Metabolic syndrome, Obesity, Osteoporosis, Rickets

Supplements: Omega-3 fatty (linolenic) acid, Omega-6 fatty (linoleic) acid

Foods: Fish, Fruits, Grass, Green tea (Camellia sinensis), Leafy green vegetables, Meat, Nuts, Olive oil, Vegetables, Wild meat

Miscellaneous: Hunter-gatherer diet, Paleolithic diet, Trans fats

Sodium, Potassium, Calcium, and Magnesium Changes in Diets.

Posted on February 15, 2007 by Dr. Gary Pack

The average intake of sodium (Na) is 3000-4500 mg/day in industrialized countries, while the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) is only 1500 mg. The current dietary intake suggested to pose no health problem is only 2500 mg/day. Current intakes of potassium (K), calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) are low, often 30-50% of suggested intakes. These elements […]

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Conditions: Hypernatremia (high sodium), Hypertension

Supplements: Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium

Foods: Processed food

Miscellaneous: "Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.", Paleolithic diet, Sodium, Sympathetic nervous system

Diet at the Onset of Neolithic.

Posted on December 28, 2006 by Dr. Gary Pack

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the switch from a marine-based to a terrestrial diet in Britain during the Neolithic period occurred suddenly or slowly (over a millennium). This shift occurred between 5,200 and 4,500 years ago. Richards measured stable carbon isotopes of ancient bones to study dietary patterns of the past. […]

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Conditions: Autoimmune disease, Cancer, Chronic diseases

Foods: Fish, Wild cereals

Miscellaneous: Archaeology, Britain, Hunter-gatherer diet, Lifestyle, Marine diet, Neolithic diet, Paleolithic diet, Terrestial diet

Paleolithic Diet Versus the Western Diet.

Posted on September 28, 2006 by Dr. Gary Pack

Environmental changes, including diet and lifestyle, which took place 10,000 years ago have been too recent for the human genome to make a proper adjustment. As a result “diseases of civilization” have emerged. The types of foods and food processing developed in the recent Neolithic and Industrial Periods have changed the following elements of our […]

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Conditions: "Diseases of Civilization", Acid-base balance, Aging, Asthma, Cancer, Cardiovascular disease, Coronary heart disease, Diabetes, Dyslipidemia, Hypertension, Insulin resistance, Kidney stones, Metabolic acidosis, Metabolic syndrome, Obesity, Osteoporosis, Renal (kidney) disease

Supplements: Calcium, Fiber, Magnesium, Omega-3 fatty (linolenic) acid, Omega-6 fatty (linoleic) acid, Vitamin A, Vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), Zinc

Foods: Alcohol, Almonds, Beer, Cereals, Cottonseed oil, Dairy, Fermented foods, Flax seed, Fructose, Glucose, Grains, High fructose corn syrup, Margarine, Monounsaturated fatty acid, Olives, Polyunsaturated oil, Salt, Sesame seeds, Sucrose, Sugars, Trans fats, Vegetable oils, Walnuts, Wild animals, Wild plants, Wine

Miscellaneous: Diet, Evolutionary discordance, Genome, Hunter-gatherer diet, Lifestyle, Na/K, Neolithic diet, Nutrients, Paleolithic diet

Dietary Protein and Net Acid Load and Bone Health.

Posted on May 21, 2006 by Dr. Gary Pack

The author reviews an article by Alexy, et al, in the same issue of AJCN comparing the beneficial effects of dietary protein on bone health to the negative effects of the acid load caused by protein in the diet. The issue of whether protein builds up or tears down bones is unresolved. Alexy’s group took […]

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Conditions: Acidosis (acidity), Age-related bone disease, Alkalosis (alkalinity), Osteoporosis

Foods: Fruits, Leafy green vegetables, Roots, Stalks, Tubers

Miscellaneous: Dietary protein, Hunter-gatherer diet, Paleolithic diet

Potassium in Preventing and Treating High Blood Pressure..

Posted on April 25, 2006 by Dr. Gary Pack

According to the authors, supplementation with oral potassium results in a lower blood pressure in humans. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate potassium’s effect on high blood pressure by making an analysis of 33 previous trials, involving 2609 patients, that used potassium to treat high blood pressure. In all but two of the […]

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Conditions: Alcohol consumption, Exercise, Hypertension, Kidney (renal) failure

Supplements: Potassium

Miscellaneous: Alcohol, Paleolithic diet, Sodium

The Mediterranean Diet.

Posted on March 13, 2006 by Dr. Gary Pack

Keys, et al, discovered low rates of coronary heart disease 50 years ago in the Mediterranean area. Fat intake in this area was high but was mostly olive oil. Feeding studies showed that monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats reduced LDL, reduced triglycerides, and increased HDL cholesterol (beneficial effects). These benefits were stronger in people who had […]

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Conditions: Alcohol consumption, Coronary heart disease, Diabetes, Insulin resistance, Smokers, Stroke

Supplements: Monounsaturated fatty acids, Olive oil, Polyunsaturated fatty acids

Foods: Fish, Fruits, Partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, Vegetables, Whole grains

Miscellaneous: HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, Mediterranean diet, Paleolithic diet