A Short History of Nutrition – Medical Commentary

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By Eugene H. Eisman, MD FACP

First, let me take you back when I was a child, during the Cretaceous Period. At the age of eight I was sent off to summer camp. I did not acclimate well. In fact I stopped eating. My daily diet was 100% berries. Not much when it comes to calories. I lost twenty pounds ( as I was only eight years old, that was 50% of my normal weight).

My parents were afraid to put me in the car to drive home. It was a 100 mile trip, and they were afraid I would not survive. They took me to a local physician first. He advised them that I would probably survive the trip, but recommended a change in diet. He advised plenty of beef steak and lamb chops. This should be fatty, and I should be encouraged to eat the fat. Plenty of eggs and cake should be encouraged.

Today, many centuries later, this diet would be looked upon with horror. A few years ago, we were advised to limit red meat, and certainly avoid fat. Eggs were okay as we get our cholesterol from saturated fats which mostly come from red meat, and whole milk. Eggs are high in cholesterol, but most of our cholesterol we manufacture ourselves from saturated fat. The force of evil is the cholesterol which we manufacture. This is what causes atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) which results in myocardial infarctions (death of heart muscle), and strokes (death of brain tissue). These are two very bad things for a long and happy life.

Today, there have been a few changes. Cholesterol and saturated fat is still evil, but now we have to give up cake and cookies. Diet should consist of vegetables, grains and fish. They are taking away all the joy in life. The argument is that all animal protein is bad, bad, bad. In addition to cholesterol and fat, we now know that animal protein encourages vascular disease but other mechanism, also cause problems.

Meat contains, not only saturated fat, but also carnitine and arachidonic acid. This causes an inflammation in the arteries and results in atherosclerosis. Furthermore, meat causes the growth of bacteria that generate TMAO ( the abbreviation is hard enough for you to remember) TMAO also inflames the lining (endothelium) of the arteries, and results in atherosclerosis. It is also blamed for increase in the incidence of cancer.

Well, sugar also causes inflammation of our arteries, but this is not the last item to destroy any joy in our life. What about alcohol. Even an occasional glass of wine will increase in incidence of cancer. Women are at a great risk of breast cancer with a few glasses of wine a week.

So, why does it take us centuries to learn about diet. The scientific method we would like to use, is not practical in human beings. How about a study in which we take 1000 people, and allow them no diet, but red meat, and another 1000 who will eat only vegetables. We would have to keep them in cages to make sure they do not screw up the study by cheating. Do I hear any volunteers for the study? I thought not. So you might say, why not use rats? We are different, and require human beings for the study. I will give you an example. Only apes and humans have vitamin C. A vitamin, by definition, is a substance that you cannot manufacture in your body. All other animals can manufacture their own ascorbic acid.

I suspect that within five years, they will find that green vegetables are toxic and should be avoided.

I will iterate: I am an Internist and cardiologist.

I enjoy writing, and if anybody has a medical question, I would like to share my knowledge.

However, if you ask about your torn rotator cuff in your shoulder, I will probably advise you to consult with an orthopedist. My knowledge has its limits.

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