The Modern American Diet: A Path to Inflammation

Early humans thrived on a variety of plant foods, including leaves, roots, fruits, seeds, and nuts, along with lean meats and healthy fats, and though their life expectancies were shorter than that of modern humans, archaeological records indicate that these primitive people were generally healthier than people today and rarely experienced our modern diseases.¹ But with the advent of the Agricultural Revolution, our diets drastically deviated from this original diet. The Agricultural Revolution introduced large-scale cultivation of grains, which ultimately flooded the food supply with large amounts of carbohydrates.² Our diets soon became centered on grains (carbohydrates), which would later become refined and processed, as industrialization took root. It was during this time of industrial revolution that white bread was born.

We have replaced the healthful foods of our ancestors with a plethora of “convenience” foods built on a foundation of refined carbohydrates and unhealthy fats that are very low in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protein.³ Most health experts agree that quality food builds quality health, and that the modern American diet is a significant factor in our collective poor health and in the obesity epidemic sweeping the country. The modern American diet is full of processed foods, sugar, fried foods, refined oils and carbohydrates, and corn-fed meat, all of which contain large amounts of pro-inflammatory components. In other words, consumption of these foods tends to promote inflammation in the body. Many doctors now recognize low-grade, chronic inflammation as a factor in heart disease, type-2 diabetes, and other conditions not traditionally viewed as inflammatory diseases.⁴

Food Influences Inflammation

The body uses fatty acids to make hormones called prostaglandins, which can increase or decrease inflammation in the body depending on which fatty acids predominate in the diet. In general, prostaglandins derived from omega-6 fatty acids promote cell proliferation and inflammation, while those derived from omega-3 fatty acids have the opposite effect.⁵ If you eat a lot of safflower oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, margarine, vegetable shortening, partially-hydrogenated oils, or products made with those things, your body will produce more of the prostaglandins that increase inflammation. On the other hand, if you avoid those fats and eat healthy fats like olive oil, coconut oil, walnuts, fatty fish like salmon, sardines, and tuna, and lots of fruits and vegetables, your body will produce a type of prostaglandin that modulates inflammation. A balance of both types of fatty acids is necessary for our bodies to function properly, but the typical Western diet is extremely deficient in omega-3s while it is excessive in omega-6s.

Additionally, refined carbohydrates from bread, soft drinks, cereal, pasta, and rice (which are the main sources of carbohydrates for most Americans) raise blood-sugar levels, which generate pro-inflammatory free radicals. Research from the Harvard Medical School has shown that diets high in refined carbohydrates increase C-reactive protein levels, indicating high levels of inflammation and an increased risk of heart disease.⁶

What Are Natural Foods?

Natural foods are foods that are as close to the way they occur in nature as possible—they are the foods humans were meant to eat. This means whole, unrefined foods such as vegetables, fruits, wild-caught fish, grass-fed meats, naturally-raised poultry, eggs, dairy, nuts, seeds and unrefined oils. These foods generally contain nutrients that promote a balanced immune response. Ideally, these foods should come from organically-fed and naturally-raised animals and organically-grown plants.

A natural-foods diet minimizes processed and refined foods—particularly sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, trans-fats, and white flour—that are often found in bags, boxes, and cans, and promote inflammation. A natural-foods diet also eliminates unnatural ingredients like artificial colors, preservatives, flavors, chemically-altered fats, and sweeteners. It also encourages the consumption of a wide variety of foods, eliminating specific foods only if a person has an allergy or other intolerance to them.

Conventional vs. Naturally-Raised Meat

An animal’s diet has a profound impact on the nutrient content of its products. Cows allowed to graze and forage, often termed grass-fed, have a much healthier fatty-acid profile compared to conventionally-raised beef. Grass-fed beef has a fatty acid profile closer to what is estimated to be the ideal intake of omega-6 fatty acids to omega-3 fatty acids, about 2:1.⁷ Whereas conventionally-raised meat, fed a diet high in omega-6 rich grain, has a ratio somewhere around 23:1.⁸ All of this excess omega-6 in our diets leads directly to inflammation and is associated with a host of modern diseases, including heart disease and weight gain.⁹ In addition to omega-3 fatty acids, grass-fed beef is higher in other nutrients including zinc, CoQ10, L-carnitine, and vitamins A and E.¹⁰ Grass-fed beef—and milk and butter from grass-fed cows—contain much higher levels of CLA, or conjugated linoleic acid, which has been shown to reduce body fat and increase muscle mass, as well as enhance the immune system.¹¹ Eggs from naturally-raised chickens are more resistant to bacteria and contain up to 20 times more healthy omega-3 fatty acids, in addition to 10 percent less fat, 40 percent more vitamin A, and 34 percent less cholesterol than eggs from factory-farmed chickens.¹² Being raised in a more natural environment means the animals are less susceptible to disease and therefore don’t require the constant stream of antibiotics to keep them from getting sick. All of this leads to a healthier meal for us and a happier life for the animal.

Why Eat a Natural-Foods Diet?

Nutrients are the building blocks of health and include macronutrients—proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, and micronutrients—vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, fatty acids, and amino acids.  They are the necessary components that drive all metabolic and biochemical reactions in the body and our bodies need them all to function properly. The right balance of these nutrients allows all of the body’s systems to function optimally. The nutrients you consume are the building blocks—the bricks and mortar—of your body. Good nutrition provides a solid foundation for health. In contrast, poor eating habits and nutrient deficiencies lead to a shaky foundation, at best. The idea of nourishing the body with a nutrient-dense diet for optimal health isn’t a new concept—Hippocrates, the father of Western medicine, said that food is our best medicine.

The energy required by the body for maintenance and repair comes from the food you eat.   Consequently, the health of your body depends on the quality of the food you put in it. Eat foods that are rich in nutrients per calorie, or “nutrient dense,” and you maximize your chances of good health. Eat foods that are nutrient poor—ones that contain a lot of calories but few of the components essential for the functioning of your body—and you set yourself up for ill health. It may take some time for the effects of a low-nutrient diet to manifest, but chances are they will down the road, in the form of a degenerative disease or simply premature aging. 

The foods that are the most nutrient dense—those that pack the most nutritional wallop per calorie—are natural foods. In addition to the nutrients known to aid the functioning of the body, natural foods contain other substances, like phytonutrients, that doctors are continually discovering to be invaluable to health; processed foods tend to be depleted of both nutrients and phytonutrients. In fact, it’s fair to say that the more a food is processed, the less nutrient dense and less healthful it is.

In addition to being nutrient poor, processed foods often contain artificial ingredients that pose a hazard in their own right. Of the more than 12,000 chemicals that can be used in the production of America’s food supply, ¹³ very few have been sufficiently researched to declare them truly safe, particularly over a lifetime of consumption. Relying on these fake foods over nature’s bounty is an invitation to poor health.

The Components of a Natural-Foods Diet

When planning a meal, there are three major groups that should always be included: high-quality protein, healthy fats, and nutrient-dense carbohydrates in the form of vegetables and fruit. A quality protein, not a grain, should always form the foundation of a meal. High-quality proteins may include grass-fed beef, wild game, buffalo, wild-caught fish, poultry, or eggs. These types of proteins contain all the essential amino acids in the correct proportions to support biological functions necessary for healing and rebuilding the human body.  Healthy fats include those present in naturally raised animal products, as well as cooking oils such as coconut oil, butter or ghee. You can also garnish foods with healthy fats such as olive oil, sesame oil, avocado oil, or nuts and seeds. Once you have chosen your quality protein and healthy fat, build your meal around it by adding as many vegetables and fruits as you can—try for two to three servings per meal. Corn does not count as a fruit or vegetable; it is a grain. Limit your intake of potatoes, keeping in mind that potato chips and fries do not count as a healthy vegetable. Potatoes contain a lot of starch and can be pro-inflammatory for those who have blood-sugar control issues. Try replacing grains with vegetables and fruit as grains tend to promote inflammation and activate the gut immune system. Grains are also less nutrient-dense than vegetables, fruit and animal products – another reason to steer clear of them!

The Importance of Eating a Quality Breakfast

Don’t forget that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Numerous studies have shown that starting the day with breakfast helps maintain a healthy weight throughout life and leads to overall better energy and performance. A quality breakfast should include sufficient protein, along with vegetables and/or fruits, and possibly a serving of complex carbohydrate such as root vegetables (sweet potato or squash). Break your night-long fast with protein for blood sugar stability and energy production.

Especially Harmful Food Additives to Avoid

While eating a diet of natural foods will supply you with many of the major nutrients, it will also help you avoid the dangerous man-made chemicals utilized by the food manufacturing industry. Below are a handful of additives particularly problematic with respect to human health. These substances should be avoided under all circumstances.

• Nitrites and nitrates are preservatives used as a color fixative to provide the red color in cured meats. They have been associated with increased cancer risk.^13,14
• Artificial sweeteners include aspartame (Nutrasweetä or Equalä), saccharin (Sweet-N-Lowä), acesulfame K (Sweet Oneä or Sunetteä), and sucralose (Splenda ™). Aspartame use has been associated with numerous adverse effects, including headaches, anxiety attacks, and exacerbation of Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.¹⁴ Saccharin has been shown to interfere with appetite control and to promote obesity in rats.¹⁴ The mechanism of this is thought to be interference with the brain’s natural coupling of sweet taste and calories: sweetness promotes the urge to acquire calories. The chemical structure of acesulfame K closely resembles that of saccharin. Findings of several studies showed a group of rats fed acesulfame-K developed more tumors than those not fed it. Acesulfame-K was also found to raise the blood cholesterol levels of diabetic rats.³¹ Sucralose is a no-calorie sugar substitute derived from sucrose (sugar) through a process that selectively substitutes three atoms of chlorine for three hydrogen-oxygen groups on the sucrose molecule. This makes sucralose a chlorocarbon, a substance that has long been known for causing organ, genetic, and reproductive damage.
• Artificial colors are unnecessary additives that may have carcinogenic properties; many are allergenic and are also believed to contribute to hyperactivity, learning problems, and difficulty with concentration in children and in some adults.^13,14
• Artificial preservatives such as BHA, BHT, and EDTA are often found in grain products (cereals and crackers), soup bases, and other food products containing oils to prevent rancidity and to preserve freshness. In general, synthetic preservatives are potentially toxic to the liver and kidneys. These particular preservatives are known to cause allergic reactions and neurotoxic effects. In fact, BHT is prohibited as a food additive in England.¹³

A healthy natural-foods diet is the foundation for good health. What you put in your body will influence the way you feel and can influence whether or not you develop a variety of diseases. Eating a varied diet based on quality proteins, healthy fats, and an abundance of fruits and vegetables will ensure that you have the foundation to build a lifetime of good health. “Diet” comes from the Latin word diaeta meaning “a way of life,” and indeed, eating a whole, natural-foods diet is a way of life that can have an immensely positive impact on your health.

References

1. Challem, Jack. The Inflammation Syndrome, John Wiley & Sons, 2003, pp.37
2. Challem, Jack. The Inflammation Syndrome, John Wiley & Sons, 2003, pp. 44
3. Challem, Jack. The Inflammation Syndrome, John Wiley & Sons, 2003, pp. 46-47.
4. Challem, Jack. “Figuring Out Fats. The Key to Boosting Your Body’s Natural Anti-Inflammatories.” Health Hotline, April 2008.
5. Weil, Andrew Dr. Eating Well for Optimum Health, Alfred A. Knopf, 2000, pp. 87-88.
6. Challem, Jack. The Inflammation Syndrome, John Wiley & Sons, 2003, pp. 47.
7. Challem, Jack. The Inflammation Syndrome, John Wiley & Sons, 2003. 
8. Bovine Biology and River Ranches Beef Handout from River Ranches Beef
9. Vitamin Cottage The Healthy Side of Beef Customer Literature File #227
10. Vitamin Cottage The Healthy Side of Beef Customer Literature File #227
11. “Trimming Flab Away With CLA” by Lisa James Energy Times, January 2006 (NGVC-CLF)
12. http://www.localharvest.org/pastured-eggs.jsp
13. Hass, Elson, M.D. The Staying Healthy Shoppers Guide. Celestial Arts, 1999.
14. Kilham, Chris. The Whole Foods Bible. Healing Arts Press. 1997