Kevin Klatt, PhD, RD

The idea that grains are pro-inflammatory seems to be a ubiquitous belief nowadays. From medical professional friends to lay people to Crossfitter's at the bar (...drinking beer/vodka), I get the question a lot: are grains inflammatory? Source: wellnessmama.com Epidemiological evidence overwhelmingly suggest that whole grains, and dietary patterns that include whole grains, like the Mediterranean diet, are either associated with lower circulating markers of inflammation (CRP, IL-6, etc), or have a null effect (1-9). The most recent Nutrition Reviews on the topic concluded that while epidemiological evidence supports a positive effect of whole grains on inflammatory markers, intervention studies don't indicate a clear effect on markers of inflammation, and calls for additional research (10). If you're further interested in epidemiological associations with diet and inflammation, see the most recent Nutrition review (11). Since the Nutrition Reviews publication, a ran...

As the Paleo diet movement seems to continue to grow and grow, the dogma continues to irk me. It, like any other diet, isn't good or bad by name - it depends upon execution. I have minor concerns related to some certain nutrients, like calcium and fiber/potassium (depending on how meat based the diet is), and concerns over the severe lack of long term data on the diet, that makes it difficult to say if it has any effect on cancer/CVD/osteoporosis risk. There's a lot of theory suggesting it's superiority - see here -, that lacks any strong clinical basis, which makes it hard for any evidence-based clinician to recommend long-term to anyone, or to know who could benefit most from these theoretical benefits. Clinical concerns aside, the evolutionary 'science' of Paleo just irks the hell out of me- I've talked about it some before here . My undergraduate degree is in biological anthropology and I focused on understanding how metabolism/nutrients/foods may have act...

berkley.edu With the ever growing emphasis on understanding how human nutrient needs evolved, I think it's pertinent to remember all of the forces of evolution -- I said back when I first started this blog that there's a strong chance that specific human populations likely have nutrition/metabolism variants related to the forces of evolution besides selection in a specific nutritope. Recent evidence suggests that gene flow may have played quite an important role in the evolution of metabolism. This evidence stems from the recent sequencing of a high quality Neanderthal genome by Svaante Paabo's group at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, leading evolutionary biologists and anthropologists to suggest that ancestral populations interbred with Neanderthals. Neanderthals and humans likely diverged from their last common ancestor, which has eluded paleoanthropologists (1), about 1 mya; however, molecular clock data suggests a more recent LCA (2). Nea...

Throughout evolution there was a sort of trade dental health off - or so it's been accepted. As hominids started consuming more soft starches (like grains, especially cooked), we accepted the detrimental effects of cavities over tooth wear/enamel erosion. ( for a great read on the evolution of dentition, check out John Hawk's blog ) Before domesticated food and modern technologies, the teeth were subject to a lot more stresses that could wear away the enamel. When you start eating starchy crops, much softer after heat treatment and processing, this issue goes away - but another arises. Starchy crops are easily fermented by bacteria and also stick to teeth - the perfect formula for dental caries (cavities). It's been generally shown across hominid fossils from the Paleolithic and Mesolithic that dental caries were a rarity - there is one famous Pleistocene skull found in Zambia that was replete with cavities. Even Neanderthal samples don't show much evidence of regul...

I had a soon-to-be-RD friend of mine ask me to write up a brief article on how clinicians can respond to clients who would like to go, or are, Paleo. 1. No diet is perfect by name - it's all about the nutrients you intake. Most dietary mantras (Mediterranean, Veg*n, Paleo, etc) can be healthful assuming you get adequate amounts of all your nutrients, but many have their drawbacks - Paleo is no exception. When it comes to Paleo, there's a few nutrients to keep in mind: Iodine: eschewing dairy and choosing sea salt can potentially cut large sources of iodine in the diet. Advise individuals to consume seaweed, incorporate some iodized salt, or take a Kelp extract supplement (be careful not to overdue with the supplements if it gets to that point, many contain 2-3x the RDA).  Manganese: It's not a mineral we hear talked about a lot, but the major sources of it are grains, especially brown rice. If the individual is just concerned about gluten, brown rice can be a great op...

As I've written before on my posts at the-sage.org, I'm not against the paleo diet - it's backed by a really shallow understanding of evolutionary theory and desperately needs a name change (Unprocessed/antigrain isn't very sexy, I guess), but overall, I don't see a huge worry for nutritional deficiencies - depending on the strictness/vigilance, an individual might be low in calcium, iodine, manganese and vitamin E. From a clinical perspective, I'm more concerned with those consuming standard American diets. From a scientific perspective, I'm mostly concerned with religious evangelization of a dietary mantra posing as science. I had a friend send me this link , claiming that gluten free diets are backed by 'real' science and asked me for my thoughts. For one, i'm familiar with Robb Wolfe, and generally like his and Matt LaLonde's call for a harder science approach to the Paleo movement. I am a big critic of the dietetics education standards...

Credit: Hindawi.com               When it comes to Omega 3's, form and source are quite important, both from a health and evolutionary perspective. There are three kinds of these fatty acids: alpha linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). ALA is the shorter plant form, and currently the only form considered essential; ALA can be elongated into the longer chain EPA/DHA, found in fish and phytoplankton, via fatty acid desaturases (enzymes your liver produces).               Referring to ALA as the only essential omega 3 fatty acid has been an issue of contention in the field of nutritional sciences. EPA/DHA, at low doses, are thought to be potent anti-inflammatory agents, lower triglycerides , and help maintain cholesterol homeostasis, via decreasing lipogenic gene expression in the liver (2), all having prof...

Pigmentation is a great model for teaching evolution and demonstrating the concept of a polygenic trait - there are a number of alleles at different loci at variable frequencies throughout the population.  This variability has been disproportionately seen across a latitudinal cline, with darker skin tones being present around equatorial regions, and a lightening seen as latitude increases. An estimated 88% of total pigmentation variation in humans can be explained by geographic differences; for reference, geography can only explain 13% of craniometric variation, another highly quantitative trait. Considering the recent evolution of modern humans, this drastic geographic distribution in pigmentation has been thought to be the result of strong selective pressures. The major differences in pigmentation are due to the amount and type of melanin synthesized in the melanocytes, and the shape and distribution of the melanosomes, organelles that transport and store melanin . Melanins are...

I really applaud anyone who is trying to make positive changes to their lifestyle, especially by improving their nutrition but, few things annoy me more than massively disseminated misinformation. The most virulent case of this is linoleic acid, an omega 6 (n-6) fatty acid. Do one google search of "Omega 6's and Inflammation" and you'll find articles on every internet health site, written by MDs/RDs/etc etc, telling you that Omega 6's, like those found in vegetable oils, are virtually the cause of every modern day ailment, from heart disease, to acne and arthritis. They'll cite you information stating that the n-6:n-3 fatty acid ratio is all out of whack. There seem to be 2 reasons that people claim linoleic acid is pro-inflammatory. 1, because it is a precursor to inflammatory molecules in the body. 2, because it is subject to oxidation, and these oxidative endproducts (reactive carbonyl compounds, ketones, aldehydes) incite an immune response . 1. Lino...

One of the most common 'anti-nutrients'/organic compounds that alternative health/ancestral diet followers seem to talk about is phytic acid. The structure of phytic acid contains an inositol group (similar to B-vitamin structures) and 6 phosphate groups. Phytic acid exists in plant foods, particularly high in nuts, seeds, whole grains and legumes. Phytic acid is a particularly important reservoir of phosphorous and other mineral cations for a plant - plants contain the enzyme phytase, which can hydrolyze the bonds between phytic acid and its bound minerals (phytic acid:mineral complexes are known as phytates). Humans do not produce phytase, though some bacteria in the human small intestine may have phytase activity, allowing for the release of a small fraction of the bound mineral. The human GI tract's pH, also, does not facilitate the liberation of minerals from their phytate complexes. Phytic acid most commonly binds to non-heme iron, zinc, and calcium (1). From an evo...