Homo Purgare

'Angel' Feral Kitten: Alloparenting
Here's Angel our feral kitten that we fostered for a couple of weeks until she could eat solids on her own. My kids brought her home one day from the pet store where she was apparently dropped off. My kids are in fact anaphylactically allergic to cats yet cannot seem to stay away from them (KITTYCR*CK). At ~ 4 weeks old she was the size of a teacup. I've been busy and we just gave her back this week to be adopted hopefully at the store. In the beginning she had to be handfed softened food every 2 hours and had diarrhea. My kids and I gave her fish oil, probiotics (Flora Balance) and vitamin D supplements as well and as a result the diarrhea ended and she apparently grew like the carnivore that she is! When she first arrived, she walked with a wobbly gait and hopped on her hind legs like a d*ng bunny, but now at 8 weeks old she strides fast and long, like a predator ...bites like one too... then disappears into thin air.


Lactation and Weaning

It is interesting how quickly carnivores are weaned from their mothers and adapt to solid and semi-solid foods compared to primates. Kennedy reports that 'Though humans have a longer period of infant dependency than other hominoids, human infants, in natural fertility societies, are weaned far earlier than any of the great apes: chimps and orangutans wean, on average, at about 5 and 7.7 years, respectively, while humans wean, on average, at about 2.5 years.' Why? Because we're predators, not bunnies.


HunterAngel acts like a predator, day and night. She practices hunting, capturing and stalking her prey. Only predators are playful in the animal kingdom. Here is a picture, she leaped 12-18 inches to grab the camera flash! Other targets including our face, our feet and plump fingers! I have dozens of microscropic puncture wounds from her lovely feral baby claws. After her nails were clipped, it wasn't so painful playing with her. Naturally she practices HIIT -- bursts of hyperactivity and playful brutality with our body parts or her toys, then long, extended naps. She's young and sleeps all day. Unfortunately the pet store feeds the S.A.D. version of cat-kibble, but with us she was given something similar to the below Canadian brand and real food (raw yolks, meat, bone broth).

Orijens: 'biologically appropriate' (grain-free) food for cats and dogs sourced from free-range meat or wild-caught seafood (80/20/0 = meat/vegfruit/grain).



Homo Purgare, Scavenger

Somewhere in our hominid timeline, humans have regressed and are de-evolving -- our guts, our brains, our skeletal system, our fertility/gonads... See top. Like captured predators, zoo humans eat pre-digested and refined, mass manufactured 'food'. Where's our playfulness? Our carnivory lifestyles? The RAW?? On forums and digital savannahs??? Recently we moved from the cement suburbia into the cement jungle of the big city of Shanghai... A lot of adjustments but in some ways neat adventures for us.

Purgare is Latin for 'to clean' (according to my handy dandy Latin dict) or to salvage or scavenge. [please correct me!] Are we as a species in the modern, tech age and interstate/intercountry commerce, more homo purgare than sapien sapien ('doubly wise')?

Milton states that 'As human evolution progressed, young children in particular, with their rapidly expanding large brain and high metabolic and nutritional demands relative to adults would have benefited from volumetrically concentrated, high quality foods such as meat [and fat, I say]. Today, many humans, particularly those in high income nations, have a variety of high quality, non-ASF [animal sourced food] dietary alternatives, but such foods were not generally available to paleolithic human ancestors nor to many people today in low income nations.' Yes. GMO soy products, formula, hydrized high-gluten wheat, GMO rice and refined packaged foods are not available in some third world countries but that is rapidly changing. Big Agra and Fast Food Nation have hit. India, China and Africa are besot with mass produced, manufactured foods now and it shows. Feedlot eggs, dairy, poultry and meat are commonplace as well. Fields of GMO rice and crops growing on vast landscapes (on industrial waste typically, like Pearl River). Obesity and T2DM are epidemic, especially in China where the rule is one child per family, leading to 3 sets of over-feeding influences (parents, 2 sets of grandparents).

Courtesy Youtube.com
ATB ft Tiff Lacey - Ecstasy (Chill In The Sunrise Mix)

Predator of Prized Brain Nutrients Admittedly, Angel's never going to hunt except a few lost flies or mosquitoes, unless she escapes to the outdoors. We did let her scavenge at the dinner table with my kids alloparenting her with pre-chewed scraps (and human mouth flora!)... Going back to Kennedy... Competition with other carnivores (like Angel's predecessors like saber tooth tigers, leopards, etc) may have encouraged selection for earlier weaned humans and scaling the care-giving role from mother to extended family or pack members. What were the nutrients they were competing for? Kennedy argues that acquisition of protein (and thus fats) selected for brain survival and early weaning. Like carnivores, mother's milk wasn't enough to continue growing the predator brain. Like some carnivores, one, single mother alone wasn't enough and alloparenting evolved. Humans are mega-caregivers for long-lived offspring requiring intensive rearing, as well as mega-consumers of specific brain nutrients from protein sources: omega-3, minerals, amino acids, fats. It's a curious combination deeply forged in evolution. Eating tongue-to-testicle and muzzle-to-marrow are the only ways to source the required nutrients for optimal brain maturation and growth. For predators with big brains.

"Assuming that living great apes demonstrate the ancestral weaning pattern, modern humans display a derived pattern that requires explanation, particularly since earlier weaning may result in significant hazards for a child. Clearly, if selection had favored the survival of the child, humans would wean later like other hominoids; selection, then, favored some trait other than the child's survival. It is argued here that our unique pattern of prolonged, early brain growth--the neurological basis for human intellectual ability--cannot be sustained much beyond one year by a human mother's milk alone, and thus early weaning, when accompanied by supplementation with more nutritious adult foods, is vital to the ontogeny of our larger brain, despite the associated dangers. Therefore, the child's intellectual development, rather than its survival, is the primary focus of selection. Consumption of more nutritious foods--derived from animal protein--increased by ca. 2.6 myr ago when a group of early hominins displayed two important behavioral shifts relative to ancestral forms: the recognition that a carcass represented a new and valuable food source-potentially larger than the usual hunted prey-and the use of stone tools to improve access to that food source. The shift in the hominin "prey image" to the carcass and the use of tools for butchery increased the amount of protein and calories available, irrespective of the local landscape. However, this shift brought hominins into competition with carnivores, increasing mortality among young adults and necessitating a number of social responses, such as alloparenting. The increased acquisition of meat ca. 2.6 Ma had significant effects on the later course of human evolution and may have initiated the origin of the genus Homo."

References: 1. Boaz N. Eco Homo. 1997. Basic Books. [Chapter One, NYT] 2. Shlain L. Sex, Time and Power. 2003. Penguin, New York, NY. 3. Switek B. Written in Stone: Evolution, the Fossil Record and Our Place in Nature. 2010. Bellevue Literary Press, New York, NY. 4. Cunnane S. Survival of the Fattest: The Key to Human Brain Evolution. 2004. World Scientific. 5. From the ape's dilemma to the weanling's dilemma: early weaning and its evolutionary context. Kennedy GE. J Hum Evol. 2005 Feb;48(2):123-45. 6. Meat-adaptive genes and the evolution of slower aging in humans. Finch CE, Stanford CB. Q Rev Biol. 2004 Mar;79(1):3-50. 7. The critical role played by animal source foods in human (Homo) evolution. Milton K. J Nutr. 2003 Nov;133(11 Suppl 2):3886S-3892S. Internet sources: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/25/opinion/sunday/is-junk-food-really-cheaper.html?_r=3&pagewanted=1 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12721432/ns/technology_and_science-science/t/ancient-die-off-blamed-climate-not-humans/ http://www.beringia.com/centre_info/exhibit.html http://www.onelife.com/evolve/index.html http://www.beyondveg.com/nicholson-w/hb/hb-interview1c.shtml http://www.thefutureoffood.com/resources.html Alloparenting -- John Hawks Neolithic Equids -- Why the Long Face? Jamie Scott, That Paleo Guy posthttp://www.bio.davidson.edu/people/vecase/behavior/Spring2009/Landfried/index.html http://www.biology-online.org/articles/alloparenting-what.html

Rockstar Edition: THE AHS 2011

Admission: I partied like a R O C K S T A R . *big wink /squeeze*


How about you???

Living (or re-living like me) vicariously through the Ancestral Health Symposium (AHS) roundups and reviews?


How it started: Brent Pottenger like his ancestors dared to dream a dream...

An angel named Mr. Jacobsen planted seed money, AHS was born and as they say the rest is history. Not unlike suffrage ending, for me it was powerful and freeing to attend an event where none of us needed to 'preach to the choir' or convince or persuade anyone that optimal health is within reach by embracing a few precepts modeled by our distant ancestors (more play, less grains, vary your life/n=1, more fighting, attend to gut symbionts, etc). For the initiated, we all had each other's vote for some time now, if not stark fan-following.


Everyone rocked my world!!!!!!!!! ...from fans of the blog (esp the pharmacy boys, keep up the good work and d*mn it publish something to rock the neolethal medical world), other bloggers, AHS presenters, volunteers and interviewers.

Here's my critical top ten for the peeps that attended and made this happen:

1. Prof Aaron Blaisdell ('Xavier' with lots hair), Brent Pottenger (legacy in the making), Mr. Jacobsen (king of angels and sun energy), Seth Roberts, and all the 50+ volunteers that made AHS smoothly operate and happen from behind the scenes to IN THE SCENES. Synergy in action. Awesome dream team!

2. Erwan Le Corre and Clifton Harski -- Thank you for not letting me leave my face or *ss on Muscle Beach/Venice Beach. MovNat is brilliant for all levels and all ages and my take is that it's probably more versatile and healing than crossfit or endurance workouts. I felt great afterwards. My sister noticed she had this kid-like bountiful energy she hadn't felt in years. I'd concur. My daughters were wondering why the h*ck sand was in the bed the next morning and I pleasantly remembered the funked out contortions and mobility combos we did on Sunday for the workshop including laying in the sand for some defensive/ground exercises. Honestly I am not the most coordinated therefore if I can do movenat moves than really anyone can. We swung up bars (mimicking tree branches), climbed up bars barehanded/footed, ran barefoot, jumped with a wavey-hand move, lifted gripless sandbags, and climbed on all fours in sand, on curbs and concrete. I couldn't deadlift much including my sister. Got snickered into deadlifting Erwan, but downgraded to do a functional move like dragging him ~ 4 meters [but had to stop from peeing in my pants from laughter... Do all French parkour experts smell/feel as good as Erwan? I dunno but I'd attend the seminar again to find out.] Clifton ROCKED as our torture master *scratch* I mean, instructor, and as others have mentioned he had the best agility, nimbleness and s*xxxy chest of AHS!!! [And it twitched when he got excited] I would concur with the other female elements of our group... ripping your shirts off did something. I dunno... Request: please do it earlier in the day. It's better than caffeine. Climb a tree? Tell me how high and how fast?? The quiet parts of the day were when Clifton and Erwan explained the philosophy of MovNat... we need to explore and be aware of our terrain. Prepare for the predictable but expect the unexpected. Stress? We all have stress and doing MovNat is one of the best de-stressors. To a question from Amy Holms, Erwan replied that the best way to decrease stress is being with friends and family, be in Nature as Nature is the best de-stressor, listen to reggae, move and do MovNat... We all may have stress (even Erwan). Don't know about you, but I'm taking the G-R-E-E-N P-I-L-L and that's the best thing I learned from AHS.

3. Rockstars -- there are seriously too many to list but at the top for me is Denise Minger. Not only is she a glam ROCKSTAR but she can also nail any crazy-rabid vegetarian straight to down to the ground with just a whoosh of her Louboutin heels and with blinding kindness and grace. My sister and I had the honor to meet and be one of the first to greet at Prof Blaisdell's house at the pre-party and she was far more interested in hearing where we came from than to introduce herself. When she told us of her ghetto motel story (woman screaming from next thin-walled room) you just want to protect and shield her from all idiots and danger. But as we know, she's TOUGH. Anyone who can fell the myth wearing the emperor's clothes (T. Colin Campbell, the statistics hoaxster who rivals Ancel Keys) deserves glorious kudos. Tucker Max accuses the primal/ancestral movement of deficiencies of violence??? Did he listen to Minger present?? She was VIOLENTLY HILARIOUS and VIOLENTLY EFFECTIVE. Period.

[BTW I think Tucker is right on. Even my peaceful futuristic explorers Spock and Captain Kirk fought effectively in hand-to-hand or weapon-assisted combat, when required. Tucker's talk was also a huge highlight]

4. Mat LaLonde -- he doesn't blog so under my radar. WTF. Where did he come from? He is the best brainiac warhead for the paleo/primal folks who don't want to lose credibility (like me) and who want to prevent smackdowns from core academic sciences (NOT fun, been there...). His command for plant derived chemicals and biochem belie his pretty, luminous skin and f*ckme gorgeous biceps+ quads. Is he a supergeek or strongman? Like most of AHS I think he's a renaissance guy and multitalented. Thank you for all the science language tips. It's helpful to not sound like a freak or moron, or worse both.

5. Richard Nikoley/Queen Bea, Robb Wolf, Mark Sisson, Seth Roberts, Gary Taubes, Keith Norris and Missus TTP, Mary and Mike Eades, Doug McGuff, Stephan Guyenet, Pedro Bastos-- These are my mainstay pillars of knowledge and wisdom and good to see them again in our AHS element (actually my VIRGIN TIME meeting Doug, the Eades, the Norrises, Pedro, having lunch w/Stephan). I refer tons of people to their blogs/books and websites (as well as the below). They cure, heal and free many of my favorite human animals, making my zoo world a better place. Thank God and Gaia for them.

6. Emily Deans and Jamie Scott -- Emily's a HARVARD-TRAINED PHYSICIAN and HARVARD CLINICAL INSTRUCTOR and SHE GETS IT. Also you'd think that with her sweet online presence she is this delicate, cerebral, tiny, white, lily flower but actually she is a *%$&@ TOTAL BAD*SS and hit the bars at MovNat with ferocity and persistence. Yes. And. She lifted sarcophilic Jamie Scott onto her BACK [he aint heavy, he's my brother]. Her presentation at AHS was the best physician talk IMHO that I heard; it reviewed the history of mental medicine and the recent relevant studies regarding psych on magnesium (which can reduce anxiety and important for adrenals), food toxins, gluten, and many other vital factors (no pharmaceuticals). Jamie Scott is as hunky, calm and sauve as you'd imagine and add the intoxicating NZ accent! Thanks for the tip too! I was having problems with running lately and developed hip pain and he hacked it right on. I stopped hyper-lifting my leg and pushed back more as he kindly suggested, which fixed it. I suspect MovNat was a jaunt in the Christchurch earthquake park for Jamie. It seemed effortless... From his talk, he discussed in length the implementation of the corporate primal/paleo program he is involved with. The world desparately needs more cutting edge programs like this. Can Jamie clone himself and apply these concepts at Google or Wall Street or Microsoft? Resilience? These two are the epitomy.

7. Craig Stanford. He and Caleb Finch have done amazing work in primates and studying behavior. He presented many insights from his research including a really interesting study on chimp meat-eating which occurred in a spastic frenzy for ~10 wks that coincided with the mense of the female chimps. Meaning? Who knows but similar to many things that I find fascinating about evolution is that it presents more questions than answers. This talk just geeked it out for me...

8. Melissa McEwen. For me, she is the rational voice for sustainability, evolutionary tracking and the gut microbiota. A recovering/recovered vegetarian like many who presented and attended, she speaks with authority and experience about the ancestral/primal backdrop that improved her health. Her talk exemplified 'hunting for hypotheses'. What does the literature say? Well. Not much about evolution in many circumstances. So many clues exist but without the proper context, what can we make of it? The last research she brought up in her wonderful talk was how H. pylori, a questionable pathogen, has co-evolved and migrated with humans since tens of thousands of years if not longer. Most of the world are colonized with H. pylori yet in industrial countries the carriage has diminished with sanitation and widespread antibiotic use. She brought up many potential ramifications of its extinction in industrial guts, including the increase in GI disorders and new epidemic levels of esophageal adenocarcinoma (one of the most lethal cancers in 50+ yr olds).

9. Paleo bloggers and Paleohackers. Melissa and Dallas from Whole9 are absolutely stunning, as is their awesome program. [did Melissa's gorgeous xfit gams come all the way up to my eyeballs...??] If anyone appears on Oprah or Oz, I do place my bets on the Whole9. Finally I met my Bay Area sustah from a different mutha: the stellar, hot, MiLFy Nom Nom Paleo 'M' and her ripped husband 'H' at FITBOMB, a blog cracks me the f*ck up a lot. Nom nom has a nutritional sci background and IS A PALEO PHARMAICST(I'm like HER!! and we both c*ss almost as bad as Richard and Bea! wtf). Nom nom is much cuter and does unspeakable things w/her Sous Vide and camera (see rated XXX food porn: HERE). My sister and I had an unforgettable, fresh and unlimited Korean BBQ buffet dinner with author/blogger/thinkr J. Stanton/Gnolls.org and Jolly, gifted photographer, both are experts at knowing how to groove and chill-lax to the ultimate. [Did i gain wt? Coz i ate as much as J. but no coz I did movnat 2 days later. All the upper body/chest/back work... I think my b**bs grew like Clifton's. No. I. Am. Not. Envious. *haa!*] Others in the house were my generous and neato co-speaker Dr. Tim Gerstmar, David Despain (I think we were separated at birth), and the incredible superstar Jaminets. FYI Stanton knows how to EAT WELL as a carnivore. Must be the mohawk contingency factor. The restaurant he chose had had a one-hour-wait and somehow he charmed US ALL IN < 10-15min. The clubbing music, fermented pickles, raw salad, and meat MEAT meaaatttt (!! pork belly, stomach, organs, beef, etc) were nothing short of orgasmically perfect. What an amazing way to finish Day 1. Did you see Jolly's mouthing-watering meat pictures?? Paul and Shou-Ching Jaminet are a beautiful and amazing couple. My sister and I loved every minute we had with them. We are big-time fans of their book, blog, generosity and knowledgable insights. I met some PH'ers, THEY ARE SO FUN! I've gotten PDFs and tons of (free, me-lurking) advice from them at Patrik's brilliant site. WCC Paul (dude thanxxx), Kamal (u r WAY way prettier in person), Aravind (watched you 'come out' *haa*), Gone2Croatan (love ur style, sorry didn't realize who you were (!!) next to the droll j/k Andrew/Evolvify) at Napa Grill, etc. Dinner on Day 2 was equally exciting but I was fading fast. I'm so glad to meet and hang out with my bud Christian Wernstedt from Modern Paleo.

10. Chris Masterjohn and Nora Gedgaudas tie for clinically relevant for my personal interests. Gedgaudas: Nora's talk really aligned the mental, nutritional and healing aspects of what I am into -- identifying neoLETHAL damage (mercury toxicity, gluten, EDCs, etc) and health recovery. I wish I had met her but I'm certain our paths will cross or I'll attend her seminar at some point. Masterjohn: My foray into blogging started with cardiology, so I was really appreciated Masterjohn's presentation regarding the 'molecular degeneration' in heart disease. He shredded the topic of atherosclerosis to unidentifiable pieces. HANDS DOWN. Personally out of all the videos that will go viral, I hope this ONE makes major waves. With cheer and acute sarcasm, he tackled, maimed, bled out and academically dismembered the 50+years-embedded cholesterol-heart hypothesis. He reviewed the curious history of the rabbit model for atherosclerosis (everything injected/given did not produce plaque until non-rabbit food, cholesterol, was fed) and additionally discussed the role of thyroid, omega-3 deficiency, plant/animal antioxidants and oxLDL. His charm and beguilingly, azure-blue eyes shield the courage, humor and sharp scientific scrutiny he focuses on any topic he engages in. I've asked him for help to look at stats and studies and until you meet someone in person, you really cannot appreciate the non-online PERSON. I think this is the aspect about AHS that I loved the most. Flesh. Blood. Pheromones. Yaa! Meeting friends who were online comrades over hotel or hallway hugs, hearing presentations that were aurally and visually stimulating experiences (say PHEROMONES), mutual admiration, meals, wine, sharing close company (OKAY... f*ndling primal biceps and brains) and PARTYING LIKE ANCESTRAL ROCKSTARS.


What a lovefest.

My theory is that like many others I'll be in withdrawal from the reward hits from the lovefest for some time...

Apo ε4: Less UV-Triggered Vitamin D Required... Evolutionary Adaptation

** Hat tips to both Mr. Tyler Simmons of Evolutionary Health Systems Blog and a wise, flexible, strong mentor, Mr. Marc Simonson.


The 'Genetic Landscape': Apo E4 Gradient in Europe, China, India and Japan

Mr. Simonson's insights for the migration of pastoralists across Europe, originating from the fertile crescent first started my thinking (nutritional bricolage) for how the world populations have exhibited endless varieties of phenotypes and infinite genotypes (mtDNA, apo E, HFE, and thyroid/autoimmune disorders). He often says that no two people are alike unless they are IDENTICAL TWINS. Therefore, no two dietary prescriptions can be alike.

I'd strongly concur. The perfect human diet is perhaps the one suited to one's ancestral past, unique genomic profile, neolethal toxicity/damage status and metabolic goals.

The below quote comes from Lars Ulrik Gerdes work on Apo E4. He's a FANTASTIC APO*E freak! His thesis is mindblowing. I don't agree w/all of his thoughts but he has plucked through the data comprehensively and thoroughly. Regarding the ApoE4 gradient in Europe (which has also been observed in other countries and continents) 'there is a conspicuous south-to-north gradient of APOE*4 frequencies in Europe, with the proportion of APOE*4 carriers rising from only 10-15% in the south to 40-50% in the north. In contrast, the proportion of APOE*2 carriers is a little higher in Central Europe than in the south and the north. Many other genetic polymorphisms show similar south-to-north gradients in Europe, and this peculiarity of the 'genetic landscape' on our continent is presumably caused by the demic expansion of agriculture (i.e. migrations of farmers) from the Middle East that began about 10,000 years ago. The farmers first migrated westwards along the north coast of the Mediterranean sea, and later turned towards the north. Thus, the APOE*4 gradient could have arisen as an 'admixture gradient', if the apoE*4 frequency were low in the migrating populations of farmers but high in the original populations of hunters/gatherers in the north.'




Evolutionary Adaptation To Lower UV Radiation at Northern Latitudes?

Gerdes has hypothesized that apo E4 allele carriers have less of a need for UV radiation derived vitamin D due to internal adaptations to preserving vitamin blood levels and maximizing intestinal absorption from dietary sources. One of the earliest indications that this was the case was research from Willnow et al. With vitamin D binding protein and apo E protein binding sites being shared regions at the same receptor in the proximal tubule of the kidneys, Gerdes theorized that E4 may have escaped the normal urinary losses of vitamin D and its metabolites. E4 typically produce higher protein amounts of apolipoprotein E (high carb diets lower apo E protein concentrations). From Gerdes' thesis, I restated, see the below. Lard, other pastured animal fats, foraged grub, and organ meats contain substantial, rich sources of fat soluble vitamins including vitamin D. For the ancestral hunter-scavenger-forager 200,000 years ago, these fatty sources of vitamin D, K and A may have been crucial and critical for growth, maintenance and reproduction.

In migrating northward out of sun-drenched Africa, with smaller guts, less fruit/fiber/fish and subsequent lower fermentation of fiber that resulted in SCFA (short chain fatty acids like the potently anti-inflammatory butyrate), how in the world did ancestral HGs survive and have babies?

Upregulation of receptors in the gut for the fat soluble goodies from food and downregulation of the kidney's capacity to leak these fat soluble hormones, metabolites and low molecular weight proteins out...? SUPER HIGH FERTILITY, DIESEL BRAIN FUEL, AND LIPOPHILIC BULLETPROOF IMMUNITY...?

Apo E4, I believe, apparently have ALL of these amazing survivor traits.

Does APOE*4 protect against vitamin D deficiency? [p. 33 from Gerdes' thesis]

A putative association of APOE with bone metabolism has been ascribed to an impact of APOE polymorphism on the transport of vitamin K (see page 40), but it could also relate to vitamin D metabolism and embrace a very strong selection pressure. Hypovitaminosis D in childhood (rickets) causes bone deformations, which can reduce the probability of surviving to adulthood, and perhaps more importantly, can cause pelvic deformations in girls that later may cause their death during delivery under primitive conditions, and also the death of their offspring. Inadequate endogenous production of vitamin D3 can be due to insufficient dietary supplementation or reduced intestinal uptake of the vitamin, or to low exposure to sunlight (UVB-radiation). The latter can be a particular problem to people with dark skin, because melanin blocks for ultraviolet photons and thus limits the synthesis of previtamin D3 [Vogel and Motulsky, 1986].

Mourant and co-workers showed that the frequency of Gc-2-allele for the gene coding for vitamin-D-binding protein (DBP; previously known as the group-specific component, Gc, of the α2-globulins of human plasma) was high in populations living in areas with low levels of sunlight and vice versa (with some exceptions). They suggested that the distribution could be explained by means of natural selection if the encoded isoform were more efficient in binding vitamin, and so in protecting Gc-2 carriers from rickets [Mourant et al., 1976]. This may be true, although the concept has been weakened by an analysis including more detailed climatic data [Cavalli-Sforza et al., 1994].

Interestingly, a very consistent pattern appears if one correlates the frequency of APOE*4 in aboriginal peoples around the world to their skin pigmentation, while also considering the intensity of solar radiation in their habitats:

• The APOE*4 frequency is generally higher in dark-skinned humans than in humans with less melanin, and the frequency is particularly high (40-50%) for instance in Papuans, Pygmies and Khoisan, who are dark peoples and whose (recent) habitats are tropical forests where the intensity of sunlight is relatively low.

• High APOE*4 frequencies (20-30%) are also found in Saami and Inuit, who are moderately pigmented humans living in regions with low average solar radiation, and in peoples living in South American rain forests.

• Conversely, the lowest frequencies of APOE*4 (5-10%) is found among lightly or moderately pigmented humans living in areas of high insolation, i.e. around the Mediterranean Sea, in East Asia, in the southern parts of North America and in Central America.

• The APOE*4 gradient in Europe (and possible also in Japan) could be interpreted to indicate natural selection for this allele with decreasing solar radiation.

The putative advantage of APOE*4 could be related to better intestinal absorption of vitamin D (see page 30), but could also be related, somehow, to the fact that apoE and DBP both binds to megalin. This receptor plays a central
role in vitamin D metabolism, since it binds and internalizes DBP on the luminal surface in the renal proximal tubuli. The function prevents systemic loss of vitamin D through the urine and is also a step in the conversion of 25-hydroxy- vitamin D3 to the biologically active 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D3 [Willnow et al., 1999].

Study: Carriers of apo E4 have higher vitamin D (25OHD) blood levels compared to population controls

411 news flash...New research from last month in FASEB supports an earlier speculaton that carriers of the ApoE4 allele require less vitamin D. Willnow's research and Gerdes' theory have a line of evidence for confirmation. To prevent vitamin D deficiency and subsequent health risks (female pelvic dysplasia, fatal childbirths, growth, maturation, steroidogenesis, rickets, testosterone/progesterone production, etc), an evolutionary adaptation to recycling of vitamin D at the kidney level that raises serum vitamin D in apo E4 carriers may have occurred. The researchers state ' The novel link suggests ε4 as a modulator of vitamin D status.'

(Sorry didn't have time for tracking this PDF but if anyone can toss over would be horribly AWESOME *BIG WINK*)

FASEB J. 2011 Jun 9.
APOE {varepsilon}4 is associated with higher vitamin D levels in targeted replacement mice and humans.
Rimbach et al

Abstract
The allele ε4 of apolipoprotein E (APOE), which is a key regulator of lipid metabolism, represents a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and Alzheimer's disease. Despite its adverse effects, the allele is common and shows a nonrandom global distribution that is thought to be the result of evolutionary adaptation. One hypothesis proposes that the APOE ε4 allele protects against vitamin D deficiency. Here we present, for the first time, experimental and epidemiological evidence that the APOE ε4 allele is indeed associated with higher serum vitamin D [25(OH)D] levels. In APOE4 targeted replacement mice, significantly higher 25(OH)D levels were found compared with those in APOE2 and APOE3 mice (70.9 vs. 41.8 and 27.8 nM, P<0.05). Furthermore, multivariate adjusted models show a positive association of the APOE ε4 allele with 25(OH)D levels in a small collective of human subjects (n=93; P=0.072) and a general population sample (n=699; P=0.003). The novel link suggests ε4 as a modulator of vitamin D status. Although this result agrees well with evolutionary aspects, it appears contradictory with regard to chronic diseases, especially cardiovascular disease. Large prospective cohort studies are now needed to investigate the potential implications of this finding for chronic disease risks.

Vitamin D Dosing Revisited

For those supplementing vitamin D exogenously, care and caution for adverse effects should be monitored. Sunlight derived vitamin D can be shut off -- we have enzymes and systems that control blood/cellular levels, however for supplementation just as taking a birth control or exogenous hormone medication, what goes in, stays in. Previously I listed contraindications for vitamin d supplementation ((a) hypomagnesemia -- get mag up before supplementation because vitamin D will lower serum Mag; (b) sarcoidosis or other condition associated with elevated 25OHD or 1,25OHD3). Now I would add those with E4 should like monitor closely and avoid supratherapeutic levels which probably need to be addressed on an individual basis. With E4 there may be suggestions that intracellular 1,25OHD3 may be higher and this would not necessarily be reflected in serum levels (just like Mag levels are not, intracellular $$$$$ tests are required to accurately assess). Supratherapeutic needs to be individually defined...

So, what's an optimal, ancestral, nutrigenomically perfect serum vitamin D 25OHD and 1,25OHD3 level? I dunno. Who really knows?


Relevant Citations:

LU Gerdes Thesis HERE

The common polymorphism of apolipoprotein E: geographical aspects and new pathophysiological relations.
Gerdes LU.
Clin Chem Lab Med. 2003 May;41(5):628-31.

APOE {varepsilon}4 is associated with higher vitamin D levels in targeted replacement mice and humans.
Huebbe P, Nebel A, Siegert S, Moehring J, Boesch-Saadatmandi C, Most E, Pallauf J, Egert S, Müller MJ, Schreiber S, Nöthlings U, Rimbach G.
FASEB J. 2011 Jun 9.

Essential role of megalin in renal proximal tubule for vitamin homeostasis. Free PDF.
Christensen EI, Willnow TE.
J Am Soc Nephrol. 1999 Oct;10(10):2224-36.

Lipoprotein receptors: new roles for ancient proteins.
Willnow TE, Nykjaer A, Herz J.
Nat Cell Biol. 1999 Oct;1(6):E157-62.

Expression profiling confirms the role of endocytic receptor megalin in renal vitamin D3 metabolism.
Hilpert J, Wogensen L, Thykjaer T, Wellner M, Schlichting U, Orntoft TF, Bachmann S, Nykjaer A, Willnow TE.
Kidney Int. 2002 Nov;62(5):1672-81.

An endocytic pathway essential for renal uptake and activation of the steroid 25-(OH) vitamin D3.
Nykjaer A, Dragun D, Walther D, Vorum H, Jacobsen C, Herz J, Melsen F, Christensen EI, Willnow TE.
Cell. 1999 Feb 19;96(4):507-15.

The uptake of lipoprotein-borne phylloquinone (vitamin K1) by osteoblasts and osteoblast-like cells: role of heparan sulfate proteoglycans and apolipoprotein E. Free PDF.
Newman P, Bonello F, Wierzbicki AS, Lumb P, Savidge GF, Shearer MJ.
J Bone Miner Res. 2002 Mar;17(3):426-33.

Ancestral Allele ApoE4: Super Brain Power, Fertility, Lipophilic Immunity

Ancestral Nutrition: The Imperfect Diet Cleaves Adaptive Genetic Polymorphisms

Hat tip to B. Pottenger for the latest science daily (HERE) on the importance of ancestral, customized nutrition for our health. Chilton et al found desaturase/FADS variants in African Americans which take medium chain n-6 PUFAs (polyunsaturated fatty acids) and convert them into long chain n-6 PUFAs, like arachidonic acid which may increase systemic inflammation. They purport this may explain the inordinate increase in Western diseases observed in African Americans who display a certain FADS genotype variant for fatty acid disposal when they eat the high n-6 PUFA Western diet, including prostate cancer, diabetes, diabetic complication, heart attacks, obesity and dementia/Alzheimers. [I edited the last post -- continental Africans also have a high rate of apoE4 in addition to current hunter-gatherer groups in Africa.]








ApoE4, The Ancestral Allele = Carnivorous and Fatty Acid-Adaptive Allele

It is clear that our ancient hominid predecessors had something special that allowed them to leave Africa ~2 mya and navigate the terrain and uncertain food, energy and climate allotments. Like others I subscribe to the marine hypothesis (Cunnane SC) that certain brain nutrients are essential for IQ and brain function. Both Cunnane and Jonathon CK Wells writes about the 'fattiness' of the human brain and how this factored into our brain evolution and global domination of every potential ecological niche... not withstanding the moon and interplanetary travel as well. Wells' book 'The Evolutionary Biology of Human Body Fatness: Thrift and Control' details the fats that built our history and brains.

A couple evolutionary biologists also assert that the APOE4 allele is our 'meat-adaptive' gene. Well. This makes sense to a finite degree however no research that I could find illustrates apoE increasing proteins into the brain or digestion... On the other hand, the research is highly demonstrative of apoE4 increasing FATTY ACIDS into our brains, mitochondrial metabolism and enhancement of neural efficiency.

My view:
apoE4 -- Infiniti of cars (same Nissan engine), running on super premium fuel (ancestral allele)
apoE3 -- Nissan Maxima (wild type allele), runs both regular and premium fuels
apoE2 -- Nissan Sentra, on regular unleaded (agarian allele??)
apoE combos -- Prius hybrids (phenotype varying by degrees)

One change of the protein structure of apoE at the 61 spot from T to R/arginine may have set the stage for evolution of other nervous system and housekeeping genes that not only grew a superior engine in the brain but also the chassis/architecture of our hard drives. The ancestral apoE4 allels may be one among several genetic variations that sets us vastly apart from our not so distant primate past.







Super Brain Power + Super Brain Fuel

Though in the medical literature is rife with negative associations between apoE4 and a variety of conditions, my observations are that in those who exhibit high LDLs appear to display the most supreme levels of super-healing and extraordinary intelligence. See Hyperlipid (Peter D. for studies where high LDL associated with positive improvements and longevity, HERE J-LITT. Please also review the neurobio series on Alzheimer's by the wonderful Emily D. at Ev Psych and how low cholesterol is associated with lower cognition HERE.

As you can see from Mahley and Rall's 2000 publication, LDL sharply corresponds to apoE status. E4, the highest; E2, the lowest LDL. Do most cardiologists know this as they prescribe cookie-cutter NCEP/ATPIII-aligned statins? Please.

The density of the LDL determines its function. Small dense is damaging. For E4, dietary carbohydrates and dietary deficiencies of saturated fat dramatically shape and create small, dense, harmful LDL particles. The only rare cases of coronary calcification improvement on EBCT at a coronary heart website were the uncommon participant on a lower carb, HIGH SATURATED FAT intake. E4 appear exquisitely more sensitive to diet, exercise, fats/carbs and environmental toxicants.

Mondadori et al used new technology fMRIs to brain scan young chess-playing individuals and compared their the apoE status. The apoE4 showed increased memory, retrieval, neuropsychology and apparently neural efficiency. E4 indeed appear to run their brains on better fuel, e.g. fatty acids, the currency of nervous system cells.

Why is this not observed in E4 carriers in older age in the industrial populations? In the prior post, researchers discussed how the cysteine amino acid is lacking in E4, at the 112 site. E2 has 2 cysteine's per allele; E3, 1 cysteine; E4, N-O-N-E. This protein conformation apparently stupendously reduces the capacity for apoE to shuttle trace metals out of nervous system tissues. Many enzymes regulate and control metals in the brain however having the E4 allele is like a neuronal death sentence in a world that is contaminated by metals, not excluding one's own oral cavity. Sources of neolethal metal: dental amalgams (50% are mercury which gas off), stents, ortho/dental implants, well water, water purification at municipal plants (alum/Al), lead from leaded fuel/diesel, copper piping, fish intake (the EPA advises pregnant women limit fish, shouldn't we non-pregnant as well?), vaccines (Hep B, flu, whooping cough, Td, etc) and broken Hg thermometers.




Super Fertility = (Pre-Industrial) ApoE4 Populate the World

The literature abounds with cases of higher infertility in apoE4 women. FYI All literature needs to be viewed from an evolutionary perspective and in this context the great majority of these studies for me only demonstrate that the Western diet/lifestyle are particularly adverse to the hunter-gatherer types who carry the E4 allele. If a person carries the E4, then consuming an anti-HG diet (e.g. refined, non-ancestral), then the preponderance of small dense, oxidizable LDL and a hyperactive immune system which searches and scars, yes of course, will result in higher rates of infertility, fibroids, ovarian cysts, PCOS and less pregnancies, as countless PubMed articles report.

One study looked at HG super fertility... In African-Ecuadorians and a HG group, Capaya Indians, indeed the # of gestations and pregnancies were astoundingly higher in E4 carrier women. See citation below Corbo et al. They hypothesize that higher rates of sex hormone steroidogenesis can potentially occur with the E4 genotype.

My own family may also be a prime example. On low carb, mod-high sat fat, my LDLs are greater than 130s which is 'high' for the medical establishment, EVEN THOUGH THE HDL-CHOLESTEROL ECLIPSES THE S.A.D. HDL for women at 105 mg/dl. Both my father and stepmother's side each have 12 children (with 1-2 nonsurviving siblings). How is this humanly possible, as a mom, I used to WONDER OUT LOUD IN HORROR. I think Catholic families might relate... I could have a litter kids if I didn't have a brakestop. My parents and step mother are from an ancient nomadic group (Hakka, part of Han) and in all likelihood harbor the E4 allele somewhere, as my LDLs my appear to indicate. Each of my siblings and I (4 total) have had an autoimmune disorder and are somewhat sensitive to modern pollution and toxicants (gluten, dairy/casein, medications, and sulfa-, nickel-, metal-allergies).




Super Immunity

In a seminal article in PNAS, Caleb Finch's 'Evolution of the human lifespan and diseases of aging: Roles of infection, inflammation, and nutrition' talks about how humans evade infections and the role of apoE4. As a carnivorous creature, hominids had access to ingestion of better protein, trace minerals and fats. The apoE system shuttles cholesterol and the contents of LDL and HDL particles into nervous system tissues (iodine, zinc, tocopherols, ubiquinone, vit K2, etc).

By absorbing fats from the intestines quickly, this sequesters fat from parasites, bacteria and other pathogens. It is believed this might be one mechanism of super immunity which is observed in E4 carriers. Finch and Stanford (QJB, 2004) report 'In chronic infections by hepatitis C virus (HCV), apoE4 carriers had milder liver disease (Wozniak et al. 2002). The protection against HCV by apoE4 is consistent with the role of lipoproteins in transmission of HCV and other viruses (Wozniak et al. 2002), and fulfills hypotheses that apoE4 is a resistance factor for lipophilic parasites (Martin 1999) and that apoE4 confers advantages in early life (Charlesworth 1996). ApoE may also influence infections by other viruses and by prions, but the evidence is less clear (Table 3, Note 1d and Appendix).'




Human Migration: Evolution of Machinery to Convert Saturated Fat into Omega-3 PUFAs

How did humans go so far north, such high altitudes where seemingly harsh climate and terrains existed? Many SNP variants have apparently evolved which helped our ancestors thrive and live very full lives in certain microecological niches on earth. One thing that has baffled me to know end is the apparent n-3 pufa sources in northern Europe, Africa or northern China as hominids moved there 200,000 years ago. The FADS gene clusters of polymorphisms definitely explains a lot as to how the delta 5 and 6 desaturases control elongation of fatty acids to the ever important essential brain nutrient n-3 pufa.

Terrestrial Brain nutrient allocation and Adaptation from Sahara marine-sources (hypothesis):
EPA DHA n-3 pufa: ???! from where, ?megafauna and small animal predation
ALA n-3 pufa: wild greens
Iodine: ApoE4, possible iodine-oral cavity cellular conservative adaptations, polymorphs of MT1,2,3
Zinc: ApoE4
Magnesium: ApoE4
Taurine: Raw megafauna hunt successes, small animals, fish/seafood from local rivers/tributaries
UVB induced vitamin D: grubs, lighter eyes, lighter skin, melanin reduction, megafauna livers
Red wine: j/k


In a prospective human intervention trial, Dabadie et al gave myristic acid, a 14 carbon SATURATED FATTY ACID, to humans and showed an increase and significant enrichment of DHA, omega-3 pufa, in tissues. The authors later performed another study, increasing the myristic and giving ALA and found a J- or U-shaped curve where less DHA changes were seen at higher saturated fat intakes.

I think this is the first and only study that I could find where saturated fat can be under the influences of our desaturases to produce and synthesize a necessary and essential brain long-chain omega-3. Lard is 1% myristic, the head oil of sperm whale 15% and dairy fat 10%.






Citations

1. The impact of FADS genetic variants on ω6 polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism in African Americans. Mathias RA, Sergeant S, Ruczinski I, Torgerson DG, Hugenschmidt CE, Kubala M, Vaidya D, Suktitipat B, Ziegler JT, Ivester P, Case D, Yanek LR, Freedman BI, Rudock ME, Barnes KC, Langefeld CD, Becker LC, Bowden DW, Becker DM, Chilton FH.
BMC Genet. 2011 May 20;12:50.

2. Genetic variants in the metabolism of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids: their role in the determination of nutritional requirements and chronic disease risk.
Simopoulos AP.
Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2010 Jul;235(7):785-95.

3. A 'desaturase hypothesis' for atherosclerosis: Janus-faced enzymes in omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism.
Martinelli N, Consoli L, Olivieri O.
J Nutrigenet Nutrigenomics. 2009;2(3):129-39.

4. Apolipoprotein E polymorphism and fertility: a study in pre-industrial populations.
Corbo RM, Ulizzi L, Scacchi R, Martínez-Labarga C, De Stefano GF. Free PDF.
Mol Hum Reprod. 2004 Aug;10(8):617-20.

5. n-3 Fatty acid erythrocyte membrane content, APOE varepsilon4, and cognitive variation: an observational follow-up study in late adulthood. Free PDF. [This will be discussed later (someday). N-3 is a surrogate for mercury toxicity via fish/seafood consumption esp in apoE4 who hoard/harbor trace metals.]
Whalley LJ, Deary IJ, Starr JM, Wahle KW, Rance KA, Bourne VJ, Fox HC.
Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Feb;87(2):449-54.

6. Moderate intake of myristic acid [MEDIUM CHAIN SATURATED FAT] in sn-2 position has beneficial lipidic effects and enhances DHA [OMEGA-3 PUFA] of cholesteryl esters in an interventional study [HUMAN].
Dabadie H, Peuchant E, Bernard M, LeRuyet P, Mendy F.
J Nutr Biochem. 2005 Jun;16(6):375-82.

7. Omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid increases SorLA/LR11, a sorting protein with reduced expression in sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD): relevance to AD prevention. Free PDF.
Ma QL, Teter B, Ubeda OJ, Morihara T, Dhoot D, Nyby MD, Tuck ML, Frautschy SA, Cole GM.
J Neurosci. 2007 Dec 26;27(52):14299-307.

8. Better memory and neural efficiency in young apolipoprotein E epsilon4 carriers. Free PDF.
Mondadori CR, de Quervain DJ, Buchmann A, Mustovic H, Wollmer MA, Schmidt CF, Boesiger P, Hock C, Nitsch RM, Papassotiropoulos A, Henke K.
Cereb Cortex. 2007 Aug;17(8):1934-47.

9. Superior performance [CHESS PLAYING/STRATEGIZING] and neural efficiency: the impact of intelligence and expertise.
Grabner RH, Neubauer AC, Stern E.
Brain Res Bull. 2006 Apr 28;69(4):422-39.

10. Evolution in health and medicine Sackler colloquium: Evolution of the human lifespan and diseases of aging: roles of infection, inflammation, and nutrition. Free PDF.
Finch CE.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2010 Jan 26;107 Suppl 1:1718-24.

11. Accelerated evolution of nervous system genes in the origin of Homo sapiens. Free PDF.
Dorus S, Vallender EJ, Evans PD, Anderson JR, Gilbert SL, Mahowald M, Wyckoff GJ, Malcom CM, Lahn BT.
Cell. 2004 Dec 29;119(7):1027-40.

12. Apolipoprotein E: far more than a lipid transport protein. Free PDF.
Mahley RW, Rall SC Jr.
Annu Rev Genomics Hum Genet. 2000;1:507-37.

13. Meat-adaptive [URRG fat adaptive] genes and the evolution of slower aging in humans. Free PDF.
Finch CE, Stanford CB.
Q Rev Biol. 2004 Mar;79(1):3-50. Review.

Human DNA Migration and How to Extract DNA From a Banana

Courtesy: Youtube.com
Nelly Furtado Mash-Up

DNA Mash-Ups

Who do you look like?

Genotypically and phenotypically, which relative (or mailman) do you resemble? Like our DNA, we're mash-up expressions of our ancestral pasts... My Taiwanese relatives tell me I physically resemble my maternal grandmother, yet my youngest sister is an uncanny amalgamation of my paternal grandmother and my dad's older sisters.


Cetus Corp

In Advanced Bio in high school, our prof taught us how to extract DNA using high tech equipment from Cetus (bought out by Chiron, later bought out by Roche) and protocols from Cold Spring Harbor. Funny how technology merges or gets hijacked. My teacher was Mr. D and was the coolest because he gave us the key to the lab (and yes, we goofed around like all seniors).

Science can make indelible impressions, no?




How to Extract DNA 101

Here is a low tech home science project which is incrediblyfun and easy to do. DNA is the language of life -- 4 letters (A T G C) in a pair linked helix translate proteins to organs to life. Extract it from anything (bananas, beans, etc) with a little clear soap (EDTA -- an organic molecule which chelates and sequesters trace and heavy metals). The end step involves swirling the DNA 'snot' onto a glass rod or q-tip.


o Learn Genetics (Univ of Utah) How to Extract DNA From Anything Living
o PBS Nova Extract DNA From a BANANA Recipe (example HERE)
o Scientific American: Find DNA in a BANANA (see picture)

[Great U of Utah resources here: Evolution starts with DNA and Ingredients for evolution: variation, selection and time]












DNA Flow = Gene Flow (e.g. s*xxx)

In 99% of flora and fauna on earth, gene flow is carried forward via the confluence of events known as fertilization by the combination of an egg and sperm. Rare exceptions include slime molds, asexual fungi and 'immaculate conception'.

Researchers can now trace the ancestral carriage of certain genes by examining the frequence of polymorphisms in expressed proteins like ACE, APOE and APOB. APOE (apolipoprotein E) has been particularly interesting to me because of its role in immunity, neurobiology, and lipoprotein/fat/cholesterol metabolism. Modern medicine ignores the role of Apo E and its impact on lab metrics. Many in the paleosphere appear to *LOVE* calculating their LDL using the Iranian formula, however like Friedewald this metric is highly flawed. Not only is the premise for the LDL-heart hypothesis inherently incorrect, humans and other mammalian species do not conform to uniform cookie-cutter lipoprotein patterns.

See prior nephropal: Apo E4, Highest LDL Expression
























Human DNA Migration (mtDNA)
Let's return briefly to Douglas Wallace, one of the originators of the mitochondrial medicine model (Wallace DC. Am J Hum Genet. 57:201-223, 1995. Free PDF). The above diagram traces the path of mtDNA following human migration since leaving Africa over 100,000 years ago. I think it will be quite neat later when they can include mtDNA data from the skeletal remains of neanderthals, H. heidelbergensis and H. erectus, our other ancestors.







Apo E4 = Ancestral Allele

(above diagram, see Luduc et al) Apo E4 not only is associated with higher Triglycerides (TG) and LDL cholesterol, but also aboriginal and ancestral hunter-gatherer societies. It is argued but widely accepted that apo E4 is the ancestral allele associated with the far past tightly evolved from our 200,000 YBP (years before present) to 4 million YBP hominid ancestors. Apo E3 showed up and evolved at least 300,000 year ago (found also in Neanderthals, Luduc et al), however apo E2 has only appeared recently according to scientific estimates. Rarely does any Amerindian culture exhibits apoE2 without obvious agrarian European gene flow.



Climate: Hot and Cold Extremes Selected ApoE4

The recipe for evolution and the excelling domination of a certain characteristic (phenotype/genotype) are: variation, time and selection. An increasing frequency of apoE4 has been witnessed along a south-to-north gradient in Europe (e.g.increasing with cold and fatty acid requirements for thermogenesis BAT). For equatorial cultures, on the other hand, a north-to-south contrasting pattern has been fully elucidated (increasing with heat and salt/mineral requirements with losses in sweat). Eisenberg et al (see below diagrams) hypothesizes that extreme climates which require higher cholesterol requirements and temperature regulation contributed to the higher apoE4 incidence. Agrarian practices appear to have initiated the latest allele appearance, apo E2, which is associated with less carbohydrate toxicity/sensitivities and an apparent buffer to modern SAD chronic conditions (mental, metabolic, autoimmunity).








Apo E4 Global Distribution

Carriers of apoE4 are 'survivors' since the dawn of time. In the medical literature, apo E4 has had a lot of attention because of its association with Alzheimer's, dementia, autoimmune disorders, Western SAD chronic conditions and obesity/metabolic syndrome/T2DM.

Highest allele frequency observed in:
--Africans
--northern Europe (e.g. my hypothesis, Neanderthal clades)
--northern China (Mongolia, ancestral Han)
--southern India (equatorial)
--Amerindians
--Aboriginal/hunter-gatherer subpopulations



Purpose and Role of ApoE4

Apo E has been associated with protection from infectious disease (diarrhea, viral, bacterial) and perhaps survival in select climate extremes (cold/harsh and hot/equatorial). E4 carriers (2/4, 3/4 or 4/4) exhibit heightened absorption of fat-soluble nutrients and cholesterol from the gut. Singh et al describes apoE4 'has also been proved to be a useful marker for evaluation of biological carriers are more responsive to dietary fats and this could be an advantage when food supplies are scarce or irregular. It is associated with better intestinal absorption of lipids including the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. This may be the reason that APOE E4 appears to be more common in hunters–gatherers than the long-established agricultural communities, e.g. southern Europe, Southeast Asia and Central America (Gerdes et al. 1996a; Corbo and Scacchi 1999) (Singh et al. Annals of Human Biology, 2006).' ApoE4 guards against cholesterol loss and maintains cholesterol homeostasis and cholinergic integrity in the central nervous system (e.g. brain).
In New Zealand, researchers found a correlation between apoE4, heavy metal toxicity and chronic diseases (chronic fatigue, western diseases, heart disease). After chelation of metals, chronic disease status improved. In the ApoE4 protein structure at position 112 (see Luduc diagram above), arginine occupies the site. In E3 and E2 however cysteine has evolved to occupy position 112. Cysteine has advantages in metal dominant environments.

Godfrey et al explain the variance on heavy metal accumulation by the influence of apoE4 v. E3 v. E2, below.

Isomer ε2 has two cysteine
amino-acids in its structure, ε3 has one cysteine and
one arginine, and ε 4 has two arginine amino-acids and
no cysteine [6]. Cysteine, with its sulphydryl (-SH)
bonds, is potentially able to bind to, and remove metals
(e.g., mercury and lead) from tissues, whereas arginine,
lacking the -SH bonds, would be unable to do this.
Apo-E genotyping therefore becomes relevant once it
is acknowledged that prolonged exposure to mercury
has been associated with neurotoxicity, including the
pathological histology unique to Alzheimer’s senile
dementia, namely, fibrillary tangles, amyloid plaques and
increased phosphorylation of tau protein [12,27,28,32].

Conceivably, IMHO, the ancestral allele allowed hominids and mammals to evolve away from rich marine-mineral sources to northern latitudes and above-sea-level altitudes which were physical terrains and landscapes devoid of and lacking brain/body nutrients: minerals (iodine, mag/calcium, zinc), omega-3 and UVB radiation for skin-synthesized vitamin D3. Our DNA mash-ups and heterogeneity explain not only our current health status but can illuminate the path to physiological recovery of neolethal damage and full health optimization.

See prior nephropal: Survival of the PHAT-est





Citations

1. Influence of apolipoprotein E genotype on the reliability of the Friedewald formula in the estimation of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations.
Tremblay AJ, Bergeron J, Gagné JM, Gagné C, Couture P.
Metabolism. 2005 Aug;54(8):1014-9.

** Iranian (for apoE2, inherently low TGs) v. Friedwald (for wildtype apoE3). See resource. **

2. The apolipoprotein E polymorphism: a comparison of allele frequencies and effects in nine populations. Free PDF.
Hallman DM, Boerwinkle E, Saha N, Sandholzer C, Menzel HJ, Csázár A, Utermann G.
Am J Hum Genet. 1991 Aug;49(2):338-49.

3. The effect of apoE genotype and sex on ApoE plasma concentration is determined by dietary fat in healthy subjects. (Email me for PDF)
Moreno JA, Pérez-Jiménez F, Moreno-Luna R, Pérez-Martínez P, Fuentes-Jiménez F, Marín C, Portugal H, Lairon D, López-Miranda J.
Br J Nutr. 2009 Jun;101(12):1745-52.

4. Apolipoprotein E isoform phenotype and LDL subclass response to a reduced-fat diet. Free PDF. [Higher LDL-IVb 'death band' with 'low fat diet']
Dreon DM, Fernstrom HA, Miller B, Krauss RM.
Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 1995 Jan;15(1):105-11.

5. Carbohydrate intake, serum lipids and apolipoprotein E phenotype show association in children.
Ruottinen S, Rönnemaa T, Niinikoski H, Lagström H, Saarinen M, Pahkala K, Kaitosaari T, Viikari J, Simell O.
Acta Paediatr. 2009 Oct;98(10):1667-73.

6. Apolipoprotein E genotyping as a potential biomarker for mercury neurotoxicity. Free PDF.
Godfrey ME, Wojcik DP, Krone CA.
J Alzheimers Dis. 2003 Jun;5(3):189-95.

7. Function and Comorbidities of Apolipoprotein E in Alzheimer's Disease. Free PDF
Valérie Leduc, Dorothée Domenger, Louis De Beaumont, Daphnée Lalonde, Stéphanie Bélanger-Jasmin, and Judes Poirier
Int J Alzheimers Dis. 2011; 2011: 974361.

8. Worldwide allele frequencies of the human apolipoprotein E gene: climate, local adaptations, and evolutionary history. (Email me for PDF)
Eisenberg DT, Kuzawa CW, Hayes MG.
Am J Phys Anthropol. 2010 Sep;143(1):100-11.

Thor: BIG, Bulging, Strong... Cardio+Xfit

Thor/Chris Hemsworth
(Picture at Celebitchy.com)

Today I'll be presenting deep thoughts.

Mhhhhmmm.... Mighty God of Thunder and weather... Thor (played by haaawwwt and humble aussie Chris Hemsworth) and his *haa ah!* mitochondria...


SUMMER FLICKS ARE HERE LADIES!

Watch 'em (and try to stop drooling). It was a toss up between Thor and the FF/XXX franchise (2 hotties) which was a t-o-u-g-h-i-e. [Celebitchy Thor and his mighty abdominal muscles rule the box office was a factor.]

Mr.Hemsworth [and his mitochondria] talk about his workout HERE. Bulking out excessively on heavy lifting made him 'blocky' and unable to move lithely, but provided the beef. However, switching it up to 'cardio and crossfit-style' workouts gave him the final movie form (listen at 1:33), fit that fancy Nordic warrior outfit and save Asgard and the world.

Eat My Biscuits. Sausage Biscuits *wink*

My sister 'M' is a masterful mastermind in the hearth of her house, the kitchen. Her sweet goodies and salty savories are the kibble for my soul and sanctuary. (And sometimes growing adipose cells! )

Each ingredient in her recipe is a SUPER FOOD by all comparisons.

Coconut flour is awesome stuff. Apparently it has great minerals, medium chain fatty acids and fiber. Fiber is good especially when it is lectin and phytic acid free (unlike legumes, raw nuts/seeds and wholebodydiseasegrains).

Red VPO (virgin palm oil) is one of the most popular oils in the world -- rich in deep orange carotenoids, antioxidant tocotrienols, coenzyme Q10, stigmasterol/plant sterols (anti-rheumatic Wulzen factor) and both oleic acid and palmitic acid (yes you need both -- read Peter Hyperlipid THE HORROR NEVER ENDS).

Onions, low carb, high protein -- these food factors make for great health and snacking. Onions and green onions are rich in sulfur and quercetin (if you don't have SIBO and can tolerate FODMAPs) which aid glutathione proteins to detox and keep toxins at bay.

Excessive carbs glycosylate and sugar-coat organs -- the tomatoes are fantastic long-acting carbs without impacting BGs.

High protein -- sustains growth, repair and regeneration.

Sausage biscuits are one of the easiest to make vehicles for coconut flour and the other super foods. These keep for a while and are simply convenient to snack on and easily transportable (though somewhat crumbly if smashed). Coconut flour absorbs a lot of water from the air -- the eggs from the protein seal the moisture in but you may have to adjust the liquid in the recipe depending on your house humidity and other factors.

These make great paleo bisonburger 'buns' when split apart in half...




Sausage Biscuit Recipe
(modified, courtesy of my sister 'M' YOU ROCK GRRRL!!)

4 eggs
1/4 c. virgin palm oil (or lard or ghee or coconut oil)
1/4 tsp. Utah salt
1/4 tsp. onion powder or grated onion, opt.
1/8 - 1/4 c. minced scallions (or shallots or white onions)
1/2 c. coconut flour, sifted
1/4 tsp. baking soda (Aluminum free)
1/2 c. organic sundried tomatoes
4 to 8 oz. sausage or ground beef/bison sauteed with sundried tomatoes and some tomato or fave spaghetti sauce until semi-dry but mildly moist (I like Mario Batali's sauces)


Blend together eggs, oil, salt and onion. Combine coconut flour with baking soda and whisk into batter until there are no lumps. Fold in minced sundried tomatoes and sausage. Let the batter rest for 4-5 min to thicken. Drop batter by the spoonful onto greased cookie sheet (or use parchment paper), 2 in. apart. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 min.

Makes 8 biscuits.




Related References:

Stephan Guyenet PhD: Palm oil -- one study 69% reduction in oxLDL. Palm oil contains Coenzyme Q10, tocotrienols (family of vitamin E's).
http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2010/07/tropical-plant-fats-palm-oil.html

Expert Researcher Barry Tan PhD on carotenoids and tocotrienols in palm oil, interview and research articles.
http://www.drpasswater.com/nutrition_library/tan_1.html
http://americanrivernutrition.com/research/research-articles

History of Palm Oil and production
http://www.cambridge.org/us/books/kiple/palmoil.htm

More history: Introduction: nutritional aspects of palm oil.
Cottrell RC.
Am J Clin Nutr. 1991 Apr;53(4 Suppl):989S-1009S. Review. (free PDF)

Vitamin E tocotrienols improve insulin sensitivity through activating peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors.
Fang F, Kang Z, Wong C.
Mol Nutr Food Res. 2010 Mar;54(3):345-52.
PMID: 19866471

Comparative effects of dietary corn oil, safflower oil, fish oil and palm oil on metabolism of ethanol and carnitine in the rat. [PO improves carnitine status]
Sachan DS, Yatim AM, Daily JW.
J Am Coll Nutr. 2002 Jun;21(3):233-8.
PMID: 12074250 (free PDF)

Heated palm oil [FIVE-TEN TIMES] causes rise in blood pressure and cardiac changes in heart muscle in experimental rats. [unheated palm oil was associated with wt loss compared with control rats]
Leong XF, Aishah A, Nor Aini U, Das S, Jaarin K.
Arch Med Res. 2008 Aug;39(6):567-72.

The effect of dietary red palm oil on the functional recovery of the ischaemic/reperfused isolated rat heart: the involvement of the PI3-kinase signaling pathway.
Engelbrecht AM, Odendaal L, Du Toit EF, Kupai K, Csont T, Ferdinandy P, van Rooyen J.
Lipids Health Dis. 2009 May 29;8:18.

Cardioprotection with palm oil tocotrienols: comparision of different isomers.
Das S, Lekli I, Das M, Szabo G, Varadi J, Juhasz B, Bak I, Nesaretam K, Tosaki A, Powell SR, Das DK.
Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2008 Feb;294(2):H970-8.
PMID: 18083895 (free pdf)

Dietary red palm oil supplementation reduces myocardial infarct size in an isolated perfused rat heart model.
Bester DJ, Kupai K, Csont T, Szucs G, Csonka C, Esterhuyse AJ, Ferdinandy P, Van Rooyen J.
Lipids Health Dis. 2010 Jun 18;9:64.
PMID: 20565865 (free pdf)

Replacement of dietary fat with palm oil: effect on human serum lipids, lipoproteins and apolipoproteins. [11% increase in human subjects of HDL2b, the cardio- and disease-protective HDL fraction with palm oil]
Sundram K, Hornstra G, von Houwelingen AC, Kester AD.
Br J Nutr. 1992 Nov;68(3):677-92.

Effect of dietary palm oil on lipoprotein lipases: lipoprotein levels and tissue lipids in rat. [higher HDL, lower TG compared with control diet arms]
Pereira TA, Sinniah R, Das NP.
Biochem Med Metab Biol. 1990 Dec;44(3):207-17.

Palm and partially hydrogenated soybean oils adversely alter lipoprotein profiles compared with soybean and canola oils in moderately hyperlipidemic subjects. [Palm Oil Increases in HDL, increases in apoA1 and both are disease/longevity-protective -- Table--in only 35 days, with palm oil, increased HDL, apoA1, and lowered TG, Lp(a) compared with canola, soy and hydrogenated soy; I ignored authors' conclusions]
Vega-López S, Ausman LM, Jalbert SM, Erkkilä AT, Lichtenstein AH.
Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 Jul;84(1):54-62. (free PDF)

Palm oil and health: a case of manipulated perception and misuse of science.
McNamara DJ.
J Am Coll Nutr. 2010 Jun;29(3 Suppl):240S-244S.