By John O'Neil

Maybe the problem in the modern diet isn't the amount of meat we eat, but the diet of the animals whose meat we're eating, according to two studies based on research comparing current diets with those of Paleolithic man.

Wild animals not only have less total fat than livestock fed on grain, but more of their fat is of a kind (omega-3) thought to be good for cardiac health, and less of a kind (omega-6) that promotes heart disease, said the studies, published in the March issue of The European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Many of the same benefits were found in grass-fed livestock, also known as free range.

The lead author of the studies, Dr. Loren Cordain of Colorado State University, was part of a group of researchers who drew attention in 1985 by their suggestion that Americans could benefit from imitating the diets of modern-day hunter-gatherer tribes. Then, they described that diet as low in protein.

But in an interview, Dr. Cordain said that the group later discovered that the dietary data had been compiled incorrectly and that about two-thirds of hunter-gatherers' calories came from animals.

To try to reconcile this finding with the low rates of heart disease in such societies, they compared the fat found in game animals to grass-fed and grain-fed livestock. What they found, said Dr. Cordain, is that "we need to get back to the character of wild meat."

"You can still eat meat and be healthful," said Dr. Cordain, if what you eat fed itself the old-fashioned way.

New York Times February 19, 2002

Dr. Cordain is one of the leaders in the move towards a greater appreciation of decreased grains and increased animal protein, based on Paleolithic anthropology.

He has written a new book, titled The Paleo Diet: Lose Weight and Get Healthy by Eating the Food You Were Designed to Eat, which I recently purchased and am looking forward to reading.

From Amazon.com review:

According to Dr. Cordain, modern health and diet problems didn't start with the advent of packaged snack food, but much earlier -- back at the dawn of the agricultural age many thousands of years ago.

As humans became less nomadic and more dependent on high-carbohydrate diets, we left behind the diet we had evolved with, which is based on low-fat proteins and plenty of fruits and vegetables. Sugars, fats, and carbs were rare, if they were present at all, and survival required a steady, if low-key, level of activity.

Cordain's book, The Paleo Diet, blends medical research with a healthy sprinkle of individual anecdotes, practical tips, and recipes designed to make his suggestions into a sustainable lifestyle, rather than a simple month-long diet; he even includes cooking recommendations and nationwide sources for wild game.

Claims of improving diseases from diabetes to acne to polycystic ovary disease may be a little overstated, but in general the advice seems sound. Can any of us really go wrong by adding lots more vegetables and fruits to our daily regimen?

However, some disagree with Dr. Cordain's assertion that saturated fat causes heart disease. You can review Uffe Ravnskov's The Cholesterol Myths, as well as Fallon and Enig's Nourishing Traditions for contrary opinions.

You might also want to read the link below on my site which discusses some of the practical benefits of grass fed beef.

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