Chapter Eight THE SCIENCE OF THE CARBOHYDRATE HYPOTHESIS Flashcards
(70 cards)
What is one of the most precious faculties of the human mind necessary for the development of science?
Forming hypotheses
Hypotheses can sometimes lead to confusion and need to be cleared for operational concepts to grow.
What dietary staples were primarily consumed by the islanders of Tokelau in the 1970s?
- Coconuts
- Fish
- Breadfruit
Breadfruit was introduced in the late nineteenth century.
What percentage of calories in the Tokelau diet came from coconut in the 1970s?
More than 70 percent
Over 50 percent of these calories came from fat, with 90 percent being saturated fat.
What was the population of Tokelau by the mid-1960s?
Almost two thousand
What was the purpose of the Tokelau Island Migration Study (TIMS)?
To study the health and diet of Tokelauans who migrated to New Zealand and those who remained on the islands.
What significant dietary change occurred in Tokelau in the mid-1970s?
Establishment of a cash economy and trading posts led to decreased coconut consumption and increased sugar and flour consumption.
What was the increase in sugar consumption observed during the dietary changes on Tokelau?
Sevenfold increase
What health problems were prevalent in Tokelau before the 1970s?
- Skin diseases
- Asthma
- Infectious diseases (chicken pox, measles, leprosy)
What chronic diseases appeared in Tokelau after the 1970s?
- Diabetes
- Hypertension
- Heart disease
- Gout
- Cancer
What happened during the five-month isolation of Tokelau after the Cenpac Rounder ran aground in 1979?
Tokelauans returned to a pre-European diet of coconut and fish, resulting in improved health.
What immediate dietary changes occurred for Tokelauan migrants in New Zealand?
- Bread and potatoes replaced breadfruit
- Meat replaced fish
- Coconuts virtually vanished from the diet
What was the impact of migration on the incidence of chronic diseases among Tokelauans?
Increased incidence of hypertension, diabetes, gout, and coronary heart disease.
What is Syndrome X?
A term proposed to describe metabolic abnormalities common to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
What are some characteristics of Syndrome X?
- Elevated triglycerides
- Low HDL cholesterol
- Hypertension
- Hyperinsulinemia
- Insulin resistance
- Glucose intolerance
What has been the recent recognition of Syndrome X by health authorities?
Recognized as metabolic syndrome by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in 2001.
What dietary components are linked to the development of metabolic syndrome?
- Sugar
- Refined carbohydrates
- White flour
How did the dietary changes in the U.S. since the 1940s affect cholesterol levels?
Lowered LDL cholesterol levels due to decreased consumption of saturated fat and cholesterol.
What is the saccharine disease hypothesis?
The idea that related diseases like diabetes and heart disease share common causes, primarily linked to sugar and refined carbohydrates.
What does the carbohydrate hypothesis of chronic disease suggest?
Chronic diseases are exacerbated by the consumption of sugar, flour, and easily digestible carbohydrates.
What was the historical perspective on chronic diseases over the past fifty years?
Assumed to be coincidentally related, each with unique causal factors linked to Western diet and lifestyle.
What is the implication of the Tokelau experience for understanding chronic diseases?
Increased sugar and flour in their diets are believed to have caused metabolic syndrome and related chronic diseases.
What principle does Cleave’s common-cause hypothesis align with?
Occam’s razor
What is the impact of refined carbohydrates on health according to the text?
Linked to increased incidence of chronic diseases.
What does homeostasis refer to in the context of chronic diseases?
A fundamental concept for understanding the nature of living organisms and their physiological balance.