Lifestyle and nutritional imbalances associated with Western diseases: causes and consequences of chronic systemic low-grade inflammation in an evolutionary context

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.

Prevalence and Risk Factors associated with Impaired Fasting Glucose in Adults from Maracaibo City, Venezuela

“…Nevertheless, this association was no longer significant after adjusting the model by abdominal circumference and elevated hs-CRP, which might imply that this co-relation between hypertension and alteration of IFG depends on other factors different from IR, such as a certain level of chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, as has been proposed in previous publications [45].…”

Low-grade chronic inflammation perpetuated by modern diet as a promoter of obesity and osteoporosis

“…Among the most salient changes were those in the dietary fat intake, specifically in the type and amount of fatty acids (1,3,8). The amount and kind of fat reflected the consumption of primarily lean meat from Adapted from references (2,6,7) P/S -polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acid ratio; N/A -data not available wild animals, low in saturated fatty acids (SFA) and high in both PUFA and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), with low n-6 to n-3 PUFA ratio.…”

“…Therefore, high amounts of SFA were probably not available to hominines feeding on these wild animals. Moreover, the consumption of seeds, nuts, various greens, and other wild plants provided the hominines with higher intake of PUFAs and MUFAs and probably with an optimal ratio of n-6 to n-3 (3,8).…”

Kinetics of plasma and erythrocyte-astaxanthin in healthy subjects following a single and maintenance oral dose

“…3 Astaxanthin has recently received attention for its potent antioxidant activity 4 without pro-oxidant properties. 5 It is a unique carotenoid belonging to the xanthophyll family, synthesized by plants and algae providing them with a pink-red color 6 and accumulating in certain animals higher in the food chain, such as fl amingoes, salmon, shrimps, and crayfi sh.…”