Food & Mental/Physical Fitness for Human Health & Development

The Columbus Paradigm Institute (CPI) militates in favor of the route of encouragement of normal function of dietary and blood ingredients, including cholesterol. Proper function of blood cholesterol is related to the presence of essential nutrients characteristic of wild food, including omega-6/3 fatty acids, antioxidant vitamins and minerals, which supported the upward thrust of human evolution. Foods that comply with the Columbus Concept promote a balance ratio of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids (ω6:ω3-PUFAs = 1:1) in plasma total lipids and, in turn, protect mankind against modern chronic degenerative diseases.

Modern chronic degenerative diseases have their roots deeply intertwined with those of the inherited fight-or-flight phenotype of human’s hunter-gatherer ancestor. Inflammatory processes that are at the basis of such phenotype have on the long run deleterious effects on homeostasis and health. Those genetically predisposed develop the disease with age and – under certain conditions – transfer the disease to their offspring, constitutionally.

Environmental conditions that boost inflammatory processes, such as high dietary/plasma omega-6/3 ratio, negative stress, and related ill-health status tend to amplify the differential sensitivity between individuals that are genetically predisposed to developing a chronic degenerative disease and those who are not. On the contrary, a favorable environment that keeps fight-or-flight phenotype under control (balanced omega-6/3 ratio, positive stress) not only reduce the risk of transforming a necessary acute inflammatory response into a badly controlled chronic inflammatory process, but also tend to level off the difference in sensitivity among predisposed individuals.

Cardio-, cerebro- and retinal vascular diseases, brain and autoimmune diseases, cancers, obesity, diabetes, bone loss, etc have all a strong inflammatory angle. A human genotype-compliant omega-6/3 ratio appears as one of the most single ideal condition to successfully blunt the apparent pro-inflammatory effect of hunter-gatherer inherited genotype and to protect modern man against chronic degenerative diseases, as well as their constitutional transmission to future generations.

Modern chronic degenerative diseases and dietary essential fatty acids – in addition to essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals – are closely interrelated. Ignoring this evidence any further is unwise; avoiding it by keeping on the old-fashioned view that non-essential dietary ingredients – such as saturated fats and cholesterol – are the primary cause of the problem, is irresponsible and misleading. Even for the genetic hypercholesterolemias and dislipidemias, cholesterol might still be a secondary factor in the causation of cardiovascular disease.