Ever wondered if following dietary guidelines is truly good for your health? Let’s dig into how these guidelines have shaped our diets and health outcomes over the years. Spoiler alert: It’s not looking good.
The shift to modern dietary guidelines, with increased carbohydrate intake and decreased fat, may be driving obesity and diabetes. It’s time to rethink what’s truly healthy.
For over two million years, human diets remained consistent, primarily consisting of:
Agriculture, introduced around 12,800 years ago, and the ultra-processed foods of the last century are mere blips in our dietary timeline. For the majority of human history, grains and processed foods were nonexistent.
To illustrate, imagine a timeline stretching over two million years. The last 12,800 years represent only a tiny sliver, and the period of significant dietary change due to processed foods and modern agriculture is even smaller.
The first U.S. dietary guidelines appeared in 1977, aiming to address unhealthy trends. These guidelines recommended:
Here’s a comparison of the estimated intake for a 2,500-calorie diet:
| Nutrient | Ancestral Diet | Modern Guidelines |
|---|---|---|
| Fat | 150g | 85g |
| Protein | 150g | 75g |
| Carbs | 50-100g | 300-375g |
Before 1800, obesity was rare. With the introduction of sugar and white flour in the 1900s, obesity rates began to rise. Post-1960, this increase became more pronounced, accelerating rapidly from the 1990s onwards.
Type 2 diabetes followed a similar pattern. It was almost nonexistent before 1900. By 1960, it was still rare, but then it began to climb sharply, especially from the 1990s.
Notably, the rate of increase in obesity and diabetes steepened after the introduction of dietary guidelines. This suggests a significant impact of these guidelines on public health.
In laboratory settings, scientists use “obesogenic rat chow” to fatten rats quickly. This chow has:
Americans consume over 100 grams of sugar daily on average, aligning worryingly close to obesogenic rat chow. This combination of high fat and high carbs, especially with added sugar, is disastrous for health.
Insulin resistance, rather than obesity, is the true precursor to type 2 diabetes. It’s also a significant factor in obesity itself. Both conditions have spiked following the widespread adoption of dietary guidelines promoting high-carb diets.
The guidelines demonized fat, especially animal fats, while promoting vegetable oils. These oils contribute to insulin resistance, compounding the problem.
While the guidelines do limit added sugar to 10% of daily intake, natural sugars from fruits are encouraged. This still leads to high overall sugar consumption, similar to rat chow levels.
It’s crucial to reconsider our dietary habits. Returning to a more ancestral way of eating, focusing on whole foods, and reducing processed foods can help combat the rising tide of obesity and diabetes.
Stay informed about dietary guidelines but apply a critical eye. Understand the historical context and how our bodies evolved to process different foods. Advocate for guidelines that reflect our biological needs, not just modern food industry interests.
Reflect on the impact of your dietary choices. Are they shaped more by modern guidelines or by what’s naturally healthy for humans? Make small, manageable changes to align more with an ancestral diet, and you may see significant health improvements.
Remember, you’re not alone in this journey. Share your experiences, support others, and continue learning about what truly constitutes a healthy diet. Together, we can challenge the status quo and pave the way for better health outcomes for all.
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