This past spring while reading current science headlines in preparation for my biology class, I stumbled across an article about gorillas in the Cleveland Zoo. In 2005, a 21-year-old gorilla died of heart disease. Then in 2008, it was discovered that two other resident gorillas were developing heart disease. At the time, they were being fed specially formulated biscuits developed by experts as feed. Because the biscuits had been fortified with everything gorillas theoretically need, it was expected that they would develop and grow and be healthy. Turns out that's not the case. This past year, they tried an experiment: Take the gorillas off the processed chow and give them ample raw vegetables in an effort to mimic what they would eat in the wild. (Now I'm no zoologist, but really??? This didn't occur to anyone sooner?)
The result: even though these two gorillas are eating twice as many calories in a day, they are losing weight and there are promising signs that their heart disease is reversing. There are some confounding factors, of course. Back in 2008, they were started on blood pressure medications. And there is the factor of chronic stress from living in captivity - that must play a role in their overall health and is most likely contributing to their heart disease at some level. But they are getting healthier. And losing weight. Did I mention they are eating twice as many calories a day? Go figure. To investigate further, I looked up the ingredients of an example of prepared gorilla food. Here's the list: Soybean meal, corn gluten meal, soybean hulls, sugar beet pulp, corn hominy feed, yellow corn, sucrose, dehydrated alfalfa meal, zinc sulfate, soybean oil (stabilized), dicalcium phosphate, flaxseed oil, niacin supplement, apple fiber, manganese sulfate, ferrous sulfate, calcium carbonate, d-calcium pantothenate, sodium chloride, copper sulfate, L-lysine, riboflavin supplement, thiamin mononitrate, cobalt oxide, folic acid, menadione nicotinamide bisulfite (vitamin K), pyridoxine HCL (vitamin B-6), l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), propionic acid, choline chloride, ethylenediamine dihydriodide, FDC # 40, biotin, sodium selenite, vitamin B-12 supplement, vitamin A supplement, vitamin D-3 supplement, vitamin E supplement. These feeds are high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals (sounds like a breakfast cereal ad, right?), specially formulated for the daily needs (sounds like a vitamin ad, right?) of gorillas. And yet they aren't truly healthy foods - as evidenced by declining health and premature death. Note the presence of highly processed soy and corn? Now check out the ingredients of a popular snack bar sold to humans: WHOLE GRAIN OATS, ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], FOLIC ACID), WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, SOYBEAN OIL (WITH TBHQ AND CITRIC ACID FOR FRESHNESS), HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, SOLUBLE CORN FIBER, SUGAR, CALCIUM CARBONATE, WHEY, WHEAT BRAN, SALT, CELLULOSE, POTASSIUM BICARBONATE, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES, SOY LECITHIN, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, WHEAT GLUTEN, CORNSTARCH, NIACINAMIDE, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, CARRAGEENAN, ZINC OXIDE, REDUCED IRON, GUAR GUM, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B6), THIAMIN HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B1), RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2), FOLIC ACID. (Sorry for the all caps - I copied and pasted this list and am too lazy to re-type it.) Anyway, see any parallels? Or a cracker that is marketed as a healthy snack for kids: Unbleached Enriched Wheat Flour (Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Folic Acid), Cornstarch, Cheddar Cheese [(Pasteurized Cultures Milk, Salt, Enzymes), Annatto], Dehydrated Vegetable Blend (Split Pea, Carrot, Tomato, Sweet Potato, Cornstarch, Maltodextrin, Soy Lecithin), Vegetable Oils (Canola, Sunflower and/or Soybean), Wheat Gluten, Dehydrated Potatoes, Contains 2 Percent or Less of: Salt, Yeast, Maltodextrin, Autolyzed Yeast, Leavening (Ammonium Bicarbonate, Baking Soda, Monocalcium Phosphate), Yellow Corn Flour, Lactic Acid, Onion Powder, Paprika, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Natural Butter Flavor, Garlic Powder, Spices, Buttermilk, Sodium Phosphate, Calcium Lactate, Citric Acid, and Spice Extract. Common ingredients include vegetable oils (but aren't those heart healthy?) and a number of soy, wheat, and corn derivatives. Now, all of that being said, obviously none of us live in captivity, and most of us don't rely on processed foods for most of our calories. (The gorillas were receiving about 50% of their food in the form of lots of fruit and a few vegetables previous to the overhaul.) BUT most of us do deal with some form of chronic stress in our lives - commutes, financial worries, job stress, family issues - and, thanks to marketing, we do tend to take in a steady stream of foods labelled as heart healthy or whole grain or trans fat free. And many of those foods have ingredient lists not too different from those above. A bowl of cereal for breakfast, a few slices of commercially prepared bread on a sandwich at lunch, some whole grain crackers for a snack, a "nutrition bar" to stave off the afternoon hunger...it all adds up. Add to that a lack of fresh vegetables, and it would be pretty easy to have the diet of a captive gorilla. My experience is this: As I choose foods that are healthy for me and avoid processed foods containing vegetable oils, soy, wheat, and corn derivatives, I too can eat many more calories in a day and keep my weight, cholesterol, and triglycerides lower than ever. It's about the choices we make, the composition of what we eat, and figuring out what our bodies respond best to. As I said in my earlier post, I do not believe that there is one perfect diet that the whole world should be on. But I do believe that the human diet, like the primate diet, has very little, if any, room for highly processed foods. I do believe it is worth the experimenting and troubleshooting to figure out what works best for you, just like the zookeepers did for the gorillas. It's about finding that "sweet spot" where you can enjoy food, optimize your health, and eat worry free.
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AuthorI'm Emily. I currently work in online education management, but I also have a Masters degree in Nutritional Sciences (my true passion). In addition, I am a mom, cook, avid reader, novice gardener, and enjoy all kinds of outdoor activities. On my blog, you will find articles on food, fitness, weight management, and eating issues. ALL recipes on my blog are gluten-free. Many are low-carbohydrate. Most are grain free. Enjoy! Categories
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