Does an Ancestral Diet Increase Risk of Cardiovascular Disease?

In a recent study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, researchers analyzed the dietary patterns of 81,337 American Seventh Day Adventists. The compared the subjects’ diets to determine risk of death from cardiovascular disease (CVD) across the mean follow-up period of 9.4 years. The results showed that there was an increased risk of CVD death among the highest meat-eaters, and a decreased risk of CVD death among the highest nut and seed eaters.

On the surface, a study like this seems to challenge the validity of the ancestral diet approach. The devil, however, is in the details, as always. The study subjects who ate the most meat also tended to eat more processed foods, have higher BMIs, be less physically active, and drink more alcohol. They were also more likely to be smokers.

The study authors tried to account for these differences in their statistical analysis, but they also acknowledged that it’s not possible to fully account for the lifestyle differences associated with different protein choices. Because meat has been vilified for decades in the western world, the highest meat-eaters are often not those who live the most health-conscious lifestyle. Conversely, those who eat less meat are more likely to have a variety of other healthy diet and lifestyle factors. So it’s impossible to tell for sure whether the statistical difference is really due to the protein source, or to the overall health and lifestyle differences associated with them. This is known as the “healthy user bias.”

The authors also noted the protective effect of nuts and seeds, and they included some possible mechanisms in their results: Glutamic acid lowers blood pressure, and L-arginine is a precursor of nitric oxide, which lowers blood pressure. These two proteins are abundant in plant protein. The authors also state that other phytochemicals from plants are beneficial for heart health, which is true. There’s no debating that nuts and seeds impart health benefits and thus are an important part of the ancestral template.

Overall, this study shows that the western-style diet (high in meat and processed foods but low in phytonutrients) is not healthy; it does increase risk of CVD death. The study does not, however, show that meat is dangerous, and it does not look at the Paleo diet pattern. A well-balanced ancestral diet that includes quality meat, seafood, and produce, ample quantities of plants (fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds), and quality fats has been shown by other papers to lower a number of cardiovascular risk factors: BMI, insulin, blood pressure, and blood cholesterol.

So the message from this paper is that the Standard American Diet is unhealthful, and that plants are an important part of a healthful diet. This is completely consistent with the ancestral model. So enjoy your steak (with veggies and fat!) without fear.  

The post Does an Ancestral Diet Increase Risk of Cardiovascular Disease? appeared first on Paleo Magazine.

source https://paleomagonline.com/does-an-ancestral-diet-increase-risk-of-cardiovascular-disease/