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Evolutionaire geneeskunde U bent wat u eet, maar u moet weer worden wat u at 1

01 Jan 2005-
TL;DR: In this paper, we realiseren ons onvoldoende dat we een product zijn van de natuur, en niet ons genoom per se, is de belangrijkste oorzaak van de huidige chronische (degeneratieve) ziekten.
Abstract: Darwin beschouwde de leefomstandigheden als de belangrijkste drijvende kracht achter de evolutie. Organismen voorzien de natuur van een grote genetische diversiteit en de natuur maakt hieruit een keuze. Ons genoom is gedurende de evolutie dus bij uitstek aangepast aan de omgeving, waaronder klimaat, voeding en pathogenen. Homo sapiens is ongeveer 160.000 jaar oud en ons genoom muteert met een snelheid van ongeveer 0,5% per miljoen jaar. Door de snelle verandering van onze omgeving in de afgelopen 100 jaar hebben we een conflict veroorzaakt tussen ons nog in het paleolithisch tijdperk (2,5*10 6 tot 10 4 jaar geleden) verkerend genoom en deze omgeving. Dit conflict, en niet ons genoom per se, is de belangrijkste oorzaak van de huidige chronische (degeneratieve) ziekten, waaronder diabetes mellitus, hart en vaatziekten, bepaalde vormen van kanker en enkele psychiatrische ziekten. Inzake de voeding begon dit conflict ongeveer 10.000 jaar geleden bij de overgang van ons bestaan als jager-verzamelaars naar een agrarische samenleving die gepaard ging met een hoge consumptie van koolhydraten. Het conflict is geescaleerd vanaf de industriele revolutie, en in een stroomversnelling geraakt vanaf het begin van de vorige eeuw, onder andere door een hoge inname van verzadigd vet en van mono- en disacchariden, een lage inname van vis en een ongunstige balans tussen energie inname en fysieke activiteit. We realiseren ons onvoldoende dat we een product zijn van de natuur. Nabootsing van de paleolithische leefomstandigheden naar moderne inzichten is van belang voor zowel primaire als secundaire preventie. Educatie vanaf de schoolleeftijd, (meer) aandacht voor voeding/leefstijl in de studies geneeskunde en farmacie, en een verplichte productinformatie die (veel) verder gaat dan de huidige summiere aanduidingen kunnen een gunstige rol spelen bij de beslechting van het conflict.

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Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This review focuses on lifestyle changes, especially dietary habits, that are at the basis of chronic systemic low grade inflammation, insulin resistance and Western diseases, and the disturbance of the authors' inflammatory/anti-inflammatory balance is illustrated by dietary fatty acids and antioxidants.
Abstract: In this review, we focus on lifestyle changes, especially dietary habits, that are at the basis of chronic systemic low grade inflammation, insulin resistance and Western diseases. Our sensitivity to develop insulin resistance traces back to our rapid brain growth in the past 2.5 million years. An inflammatory reaction jeopardizes the high glucose needs of our brain, causing various adaptations, including insulin resistance, functional reallocation of energy-rich nutrients and changing serum lipoprotein composition. The latter aims at redistribution of lipids, modulation of the immune reaction, and active inhibition of reverse cholesterol transport for damage repair. With the advent of the agricultural and industrial revolutions, we have introduced numerous false inflammatory triggers in our lifestyle, driving us to a state of chronic systemic low grade inflammation that eventually leads to typically Western diseases via an evolutionary conserved interaction between our immune system and metabolism. The underlying triggers are an abnormal dietary composition and microbial flora, insufficient physical activity and sleep, chronic stress and environmental pollution. The disturbance of our inflammatory/anti-inflammatory balance is illustrated by dietary fatty acids and antioxidants. The current decrease in years without chronic disease is rather due to "nurture" than "nature," since less than 5% of the typically Western diseases are primary attributable to genetic factors. Resolution of the conflict between environment and our ancient genome might be the only effective manner for "healthy aging," and to achieve this we might have to return to the lifestyle of the Paleolithic era as translated to the 21st century culture.

177 citations


Cites background from "Evolutionaire geneeskunde U bent wa..."

  • ...The ultimate aim of this survival strategy is, however, deeply anchored in our evolution, during which our brain has grown tremendously....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A study of the effects of food supplements on aggression, rule-breaking, and psychopathology among young Dutch prisoners found the results to be promising, but no significant improvements were found in a number of other outcome measures.
Abstract: In an earlier study, improvement of dietary status with food supplements led to a reduction in antisocial behavior among prisoners. Based on these earlier findings, a study of the effects of food supplements on aggression, rule-breaking, and psychopathology was conducted among young Dutch prisoners. Two hundred and twenty-one young adult prisoners (mean age=21.0, range 18-25 years) received nutritional supplements containing vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids or placebos, over a period of 1-3 months. As in the earlier (British) study, reported incidents were significantly reduced (P=.017, one-tailed) in the active condition (n=115), as compared with placebo (n=106). Other assessments, however, revealed no significant reductions in aggressiveness or psychiatric symptoms. As the incidents reported concerned aggressive and rule-breaking behavior as observed by the prison staff, the results are considered to be promising. However, as no significant improvements were found in a number of other (self-reported) outcome measures, the results should be interpreted with caution.

121 citations


Cites background from "Evolutionaire geneeskunde U bent wa..."

  • ...Epidemiological research, for instance, shows that major changes in dietary patterns over time have taken place, especially in industrialized world during the last century [Cordain et al., 2005; Crawford et al., 1999; Muskiet, 2005; Simopoulos, 1999]....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The evidence for the long-reigning hypothesis of human evolution on the arid savanna is weighed against the hypothesis that man evolved in the proximity of water and the composition and merits of so-called 'Palaeolithic diets' are evaluated.
Abstract: Evolutionary medicine acknowledges that many chronic degenerative diseases result from conflicts between our rapidly changing environment, our dietary habits included, and our genome, which has remained virtually unchanged since the Palaeolithic era Reconstruction of the diet before the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions is therefore indicated, but hampered by the ongoing debate on our ancestors' ecological niche Arguments and their counterarguments regarding evolutionary medicine are updated and the evidence for the long-reigning hypothesis of human evolution on the arid savanna is weighed against the hypothesis that man evolved in the proximity of water Evidence from various disciplines is discussed, including the study of palaeo-environments, comparative anatomy, biogeochemistry, archaeology, anthropology, (patho)physiology and epidemiology Although our ancestors had much lower life expectancies, the current evidence does neither support the misconception that during the Palaeolithic there were no elderly nor that they had poor health Rather than rejecting the possibility of 'healthy ageing', the default assumption should be that healthy ageing posed an evolutionary advantage for human survival There is ample evidence that our ancestors lived in a land-water ecosystem and extracted a substantial part of their diets from both terrestrial and aquatic resources Rather than rejecting this possibility by lack of evidence, the default assumption should be that hominins, living in coastal ecosystems with catchable aquatic resources, consumed these resources Finally, the composition and merits of so-called 'Palaeolithic diets', based on different hominin niche-reconstructions, are evaluated The benefits of these diets illustrate that it is time to incorporate this knowledge into dietary recommendations

42 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It will be argued that, in order to disentangle some of the ambiguities involved, it has to broaden the temporal horizon of the debate, and clarify the concept of nature that emerged in the context of the “Common Human Pattern”.
Abstract: Debates on the role of biotechnology in food production are beset with notorious ambiguities. This already applies to the term “biotechnology” itself. Does it refer to the use and modification of living organisms in general, or rather to a specific set of technologies developed quite recently in the form of bioengineering and genetic modification? No less ambiguous are discussions concerning the question to what extent biotechnology must be regarded as “unnatural.” In this article it will be argued that, in order to disentangle some of the ambiguities involved, we have to broaden the temporal horizon of the debate. Ideas about biotechniques and naturalness have evolved in various socio-historical contexts and their historical origins will determine to a considerable extent their actual meaning and use in contemporary deliberations. For this purpose, a comprehensive timetable is developed, beginning with the Neolithic revolution ~10,000 years ago (resulting in the emergence of agriculture and the Common Human Pattern) up to the biotech revolution as it has evolved from the 1970s onwards—sometimes referred to as a second “Genesis.” The concept of nature that emerged in the context of the “Common Human Pattern” differs considerably from traditional philosophical concepts of nature (such as coined by Aristotle), as well as from the scientific view of nature conveyed by the contemporary life sciences. A clarification of these different historical backdrops will allow us to understand and elucidate the conceptual ambiguities that are at work in contemporary debates on biotechnology and the place of human beings in nature.

29 citations


Cites background from "Evolutionaire geneeskunde U bent wa..."

  • ...The ‘‘estrangement’’ between Neolithic diets and Palaeolithic genomes has been causing an impressive series of so-called ‘‘cultural’’ health problems, ranging from obesity and diabetes to cardiovascular disease (notably Coronary artery disease or CAD) and colon cancer (Eaton and Konner 1983; Cordain 2002; Cordain and Eaton 2005; Muskiet 2005)....

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  • ...…and Palaeolithic genomes has been causing an impressive series of so-called ‘‘cultural health problems, ranging from obesity and diabetes to cardiovascular disease (notably Coronary artery disease or CAD) and colon cancer (Eaton and Konner 1983; Cordain 2002; Cordain and Eaton 2005; Muskiet 2005)....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The role of genomics is explored with the help of two examples, namely the renaissance of Paleolithic diets and of Pleistocene parks, to argue that an understanding of the world in ecocentric terms requires new partnerships and mutually beneficial forms of collaboration and convergence between life sciences, social sciences, and the humanities.
Abstract: Views of ourselves in relationship to the rest of the biosphere are changing. Theocentric and anthropocentric perspectives are giving way to more ecocentric views on the history, present, and future of humankind. Novel sciences, such as genomics, have deepened and broadened our understanding of the process of anthropogenesis, the coming into being of humans. Genomics suggests that early human history must be regarded as a complex narrative of evolving ecosystems, in which human evolution both influenced and was influenced by the evolution of companion species. During the agricultural revolution, human beings designed small-scale artificial ecosystems or evolutionary "Arks," in which networks of plants, animals, and microorganisms coevolved. Currently, our attitude towards this process seems subject to a paradoxical reversal. The boundaries of the Ark have dramatically broadened, and genomics is not only being used to increase our understanding of our ecological past, but may also help us to conserve, reconstruct, or even revivify species and ecosystems to whose degradation or (near) extinction we have contributed. This article explores the role of genomics in the elaboration of a more ecocentric view of ourselves with the help of two examples, namely the renaissance of Paleolithic diets and of Pleistocene parks. It argues that an understanding of the world in ecocentric terms requires new partnerships and mutually beneficial forms of collaboration and convergence between life sciences, social sciences, and the humanities.

7 citations


Cites background from "Evolutionaire geneeskunde U bent wa..."

  • ...New insights in combination with novel technologies may lead to a ‘renaissance of Paleolithic food’ (Muskiet 2005;Zittermann 2003)....

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References
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Analyses of the dietary pattern of the diet of Crete shows a number of protective substances, such as selenium, glutathione, high amounts of fiber, antioxidants, vitamins E and C, some of which have been shown to be associated with lower risk of cancer, including cancer of the breast.
Abstract: The term "Mediterranean diet," implying that all Mediterranean people have the same diet, is a misnomer. The countries around the Mediterranean basin have different diets, religions and cultures. Their diets differ in the amount of total fat, olive oil, type of meat and wine intake; milk vs. cheese; fruits and vegetables; and the rates of coronary heart disease and cancer, with the lower death rates and longer life expectancy occurring in Greece. Extensive studies on the traditional diet of Greece (the diet before 1960) indicate that the dietary pattern of Greeks consists of a high intake of fruits, vegetables (particularly wild plants), nuts and cereals mostly in the form of sourdough bread rather than pasta; more olive oil and olives; less milk but more cheese; more fish; less meat; and moderate amounts of wine, more so than other Mediterranean countries. Analyses of the dietary pattern of the diet of Crete shows a number of protective substances, such as selenium, glutathione, a balanced ratio of (n-6):(n-3) essential fatty acids (EFA), high amounts of fiber, antioxidants (especially resveratrol from wine and polyphenols from olive oil), vitamins E and C, some of which have been shown to be associated with lower risk of cancer, including cancer of the breast. These findings should serve as a strong incentive for the initiation of intervention trials that will test the effect of specific dietary patterns in the prevention and management of patients with cancer.

429 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the mtDNA sequences from four Neandertal fossils from Germany, Russia, and Croatia have been used to conclude that these individuals carried closely related mtDNAs that are not found among current humans.
Abstract: The retrieval of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences from four Neandertal fossils from Germany, Russia, and Croatia has demonstrated that these individuals carried closely related mtDNAs that are not found among current humans. However, these results do not definitively resolve the question of a possible Neandertal contribution to the gene pool of modern humans since such a contribution might have been erased by genetic drift or by the continuous influx of modern human DNA into the Neandertal gene pool. A further concern is that if some Neandertals carried mtDNA sequences similar to contemporaneous humans, such sequences may be erroneously regarded as modern contaminations when retrieved from fossils. Here we address these issues by the analysis of 24 Neandertal and 40 early modern human remains. The biomolecular preservation of four Neandertals and of five early modern humans was good enough to suggest the preservation of DNA. All four Neandertals yielded mtDNA sequences similar to those previously determined from Neandertal individuals, whereas none of the five early modern humans contained such mtDNA sequences. In combination with current mtDNA data, this excludes any large genetic contribution by Neandertals to early modern humans, but does not rule out the possibility of a smaller contribution.

394 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Although there are still many unknowns about the mechanism of action of TZDs in type 2 diabetes, it is clear that these agents have the potential to benefit the full ‘insulin resistance syndrome’ associated with the disease.
Abstract: The thiazolidinediones (TZDs) or 'glitazones' are a new class of oral antidiabetic drugs that improve metabolic control in patients with type 2 diabetes through the improvement of insulin sensitivity. TZDs exert their antidiabetic effects through a mechanism that involves activation of the gamma isoform of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR gamma), a nuclear receptor. TZD-induced activation of PPAR gamma alters the transcription of several genes involved in glucose and lipid metabolism and energy balance, including those that code for lipoprotein lipase, fatty acid transporter protein, adipocyte fatty acid binding protein, fatty acyl-CoA synthase, malic enzyme, glucokinase and the GLUT4 glucose transporter. TZDs reduce insulin resistance in adipose tissue, muscle and the liver. However, PPAR gamma is predominantly expressed in adipose tissue. It is possible that the effect of TZDs on insulin resistance in muscle and liver is promoted via endocrine signalling from adipocytes. Potential signalling factors include free fatty acids (FFA) (well-known mediators of insulin resistance linked to obesity) or adipocyte-derived tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), which is overexpressed in obesity and insulin resistance. Although there are still many unknowns about the mechanism of action of TZDs in type 2 diabetes, it is clear that these agents have the potential to benefit the full 'insulin resistance syndrome' associated with the disease. Therefore, TZDs may also have potential benefits on the secondary complications of type 2 diabetes, such as cardiovascular disease.

357 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Since the extent of divergence differs significantly among autosomes, additional unknown factors must also influence the accumulation of substitutions in the human genome and the relative time spent in the male and female germlines may be a major determinant of the overall accumulation of nucleotide substitutions.
Abstract: A total of 8,859 DNA sequences encompassing ∼1.9 million base pairs of the chimpanzee genome were sequenced and compared to corresponding human DNA sequences. Although the average sequence difference is low (1.24%), the extent of changes is markedly different among sites and types of substitutions. Whereas ∼15% of all CpG sites have experienced changes between humans and chimpanzees, owing to a 23-fold excess of transitions and a 7-fold excess of transversions, substitutions at other sites vary in frequency, between 0.1% and 0.5%. If the nucleotide diversity in the common ancestral species of humans and chimpanzees is assumed to have been about fourfold higher than in contemporary humans, all possible comparisons between autosomes and X and Y chromosomes result in estimates of the ratio between male and female mutation rates of ∼3. Thus, the relative time spent in the male and female germlines may be a major determinant of the overall accumulation of nucleotide substitutions. However, since the extent of divergence differs significantly among autosomes, additional unknown factors must also influence the accumulation of substitutions in the human genome.

340 citations

01 Jan 2002
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors analyzed the 13 known quantitative dietary studies of hunter-gathers and demonstrated that animal food actually provided the dominant energy source, while gathered plant foods comprised the remainder (35%).
Abstract: 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 ¼ 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 ¼ 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 o-6=o-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.

339 citations