The Paleo Diet - Loren Cordain [46]
Metabolic Syndrome Diseases
I’ve already talked about the metabolic syndrome diseases (type 2 diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity, PCOS, myopia, acne, and breast, prostate, and colon cancers) and how they are linked to elevated levels of insulin in the bloodstream. But all of these diseases also have other known contributing dietary factors. For example, salt is connected to high blood pressure—but so is a lack of fresh fruits and vegetables. Too much omega 6 fat in your diet at the expense of omega 3 fat can also cause your blood pressure to rise. Even a low protein intake has been linked to rising blood pressure.
Breast, prostate, and colon cancers are known to develop more often in people who don’t eat enough fresh fruits and vegetables. Fruits and veggies hit cancer with a one-two punch: they’re excellent sources of antioxidant vitamins and minerals that may impede the cancer process, and they also contain a variety of special substances called “phytochemicals,” nutrients found in foods that are lethal to cancer cells. The study of most phytochemicals is fairly new; scientists are only beginning to understand how they work. But here are a few examples:
• Broccoli contains sulforaphanes, which chase cancer-causing elements out of cells.
• Broccoli is also loaded with cancer-fighting folic acid, vitamin C, beta-carotene, and a substance called “indole-3-carbinol,” which helps improve the body’s estrogens.
• Strawberries, tomatoes, pineapples, and green peppers contain p-coumaric acid and chlorogenic acid, compounds known to be powerful anticancer agents.
• Garlic and onions not only contain substances that will lower your cholesterol but are also rich sources of allylic sulfides, which seem to protect against stomach cancer.
As is the case with high blood pressure, eating too many omega 6 and too few omega 3 fats further increases your risk of developing breast, prostate, and colon cancers.
We may not know precisely how dietary factors cause each and every metabolic syndrome disease, but one thing’s certain: when you adopt the Paleo Diet, you will be putting all known dietary factors on your side to prevent these illnesses.
Cardiovascular Diseases
The number one killer in the United States is cardiovascular disease. A staggering 35 percent of all deaths in this country result from heart attacks, stroke, high blood pressure, and other illnesses of the heart and blood vessels. Cardiovascular disease, like cancer, is a complex illness, and no single dietary element is solely responsible. However, once again, by following the nutritional principles of humanity’s original diet, you will put the odds in your favor of not developing this deadly disease.
Good Fats Help Prevent Cardiovascular Disease
Good fats are what doctors call “cardioprotective.” They protect the heart and the blood vessels from disease. With the Paleo Diet—unlike the average American diet—at least half of your fats are healthful monounsaturated fats. The other half is evenly split between saturated and polyunsaturated fats. There are no synthetic trans fats. And the crucial omega 6 to omega 3 fat ratio is about 2 to 1—which greatly reduces your risk of dying from heart disease.
Monounsaturated Fats
Monounsaturated fats reduce your overall risk of heart disease by lowering your level of total cholesterol—but not your beneficial HDL cholesterol—in the blood. These healthful fats—found in abundance in the Paleo Diet—also help prevent