Remko Kuipers, Pharm.D., M.D., Ph.D., presenting at the Ancestral Health Symposium 2012 (AHS12)
Paleolithic Nutrition — Facts From the Floor
Abstract:
Purpose: Previous estimations of the macronutrient, micronutrient and fatty acid compositions of our Paleolithic diet need confirmation from the clinical chemical characteristics of traditional populations that still inhabit the East African cradle of humankind.
Method: To estimate e.g. fatty acid and 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations and intakes, we collected milk, blood, umbilical cord and adipose tissue samples from several traditional Tanzanian populations, including the hunter-gatherer Hadzabe, the pastoral Maasai and the fishing communities of Chole and Ukerewe.
Results: The milk arachidonic (AA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) compositions of some of these tribes exceeded the upper levels of the recommended milk fatty acid compositions that are issued by the various nutritional boards. Conversely, the very high erythrocyte DHA contents in some of these tribes correspond to the lowest incidence of cardiovascular and psychiatric disease, such as observed in observational cohort studies in Western countries. Finally, the 25-hydroxyvitamin D status of 115 nmol/l in these traditional peoples is significantly higher compared to current Western populations, while the amount of dietary vitamin D that needs to be consumed to reach such levels is currently hampered by the upper levels of intake that have been issued by nutritional boards.
We conclude that the composition of diets as well as the clinical chemical characteristics, of traditional East African hunter-gatherer populations might be used for the development of randomized trails that aim at the study of lifestyle, rather than single nutrients, in the prevention of chronic degenerative diseases.
Bio:
Remko S. Kuipers (1980) completed his Pharm.D. and M.D. in 2008 and his Ph.D. in 2012. During his studies he became interested in Evolutionary Medicine and contacted Frits Muskiet. Their collaboration has resulted in over 20 Pubmed registered publications. Kuipers spent over 1.5 years of his PhD in the field in East-Africa.
