The Creation of Earth and the Evolution of Life Forms
Earth is thought to be 4.6 billion years old.
All creatures of the 6 kingdoms (plant, animals, fungi, protists, archaea and bacteria) on earth are deemed to be related, since we all make use of DNA as a biological system of storing information.
Biological we are only designed to survive long enough to attract a healthy mate, procreate and nurture the offspring to a certain level, thereby ensuring the survival of the species. Any extra years are considered a bonus.
7-5 million years ago humans branch off from Chimpanzees.
3.5 million years ago man evidence of "man" recorded in the mud-flats of Tanzania.
The Emergence of Paleolithic Man (" Stone Age Man")
2.6 million years ago we find evidence of stone tools ... paleolithic man is born. (Paleo from the Greek "palaios" = old, "lithic" = of or pertaining to stone).
Man begins evolving into a semi-nomadic organisms, hunting local animal protein on land and eventually at sea, storing and gathering mainly leaves, roots, nuts and occasionally fruits. All ethnic tribes ate consumed animal protein, when shortages occurred, some survived on vegetation alone, but were medically not as healthy.
Climatic changes, territorial disputes, migrating herds and curiosity sees man began to explore the rest of the world. Apart from areas around the tropics, man is forced to survive entirely on animal proteins during winter periods.
Epigenetic now proves we can express or suppress genes, (some of which may be inherited by future offspring) within minutes. The epigenetic mechanism appears to be driven by altering cellular environments or through electromagnetic interference. However our major structural and physiological adaptations to various environments are thought to occur over hundreds of thousands of years.
Paleolithic man hunted/worked 3-4 hours a day. Spending the remainder of the day playing with offspring, and working with arts and crafts of various kinds. Activity seems to have consisted mostly of long periods of low intensity movement, combined with limited daily periods of intense activity (related to lifting and sprinting).
Neolithic Man (" New Stone Age Man")
10,000 years ago man develops the ability to produce fire (From the Greek "neos" = new, "lithos" = of or pertaining to stone). The heat destroyed enough of the toxins in grains, beans and potatoes to render them edible for the first time. Grains include wheat, corn, barley, rice, sorghum, millet and oats. Grain based foods include flour, bread, noodles and pasta.
Man then developed the technology to cultivate grain. Grains have a had a calorific value, could be processed and stored for winter. Seeds could also be stored to appropriate conditions.
Mechanization of farm work advances and grains yield high returns on small volumes of land. The eventual harnessing of wind and water power begins to make the process even easier.
Grains once digested must be assimilated into the body. They cause unaccustomed dramatic raising of blood sugar levels and man system attempt to compensate for this using various hormonal mechanism but struggles to cope with the change..
The first known drugstore was opened by Arabian pharmacists in Baghdad in 754, larger scale production of pharmaceuticals only begins in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly following the discovery of insulin and penicillin in 1920-1930s.
Impact of The Industrial Revolution
During the later part of the 1700's the industrial revolution begins. Intensive grain farming would eventually make food readily available, all year round at a reasonable price. New processes are invented to add a wider of product to the market. The added refinement means the grains are converted even faster into glucose by the body.
1848 Louis Pasteur discovers proved that most infectious diseases are caused by micro-organisms (bacteria) and surgeons begin using disinfectants in operating rooms, saving tens of thousands of lives. Manufacturers then began creating a market for these powerful disinfectant products in the home. However there appears to be a strong correlation between this and the rapid growth in auto-immune related diseases.
1920 The first formal records of heart attacks are recorded. But the inventor of the ECG is told to focus on other work as heart attacks rarely occur.
1920's synthetic refrigerants based chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) make safe refrigeration possible for homes and retailers. Mass refrigeration signed the death knell for most fresh fish, meat and produce markets. Food manufacturers begin to complement this new purchasing pattern by inventing ways of preserving perishables. They are then packaged in boxes, jars and tins and placed store shelves, for purchase at less frequent intervals.
1930's the first self-service grocery stores (supermarket) are born in the USA selling perishable meats and produce.
1960's margarine and plant oils had replaced animal fats around the world. Government health campaigns and consumer marketing campaigns label saturated animal fats as dangerous. Cholesterol is in fact a protein found naturally in the body and required from diet as it is used by the body to create all cell walls as well as to make our chemical messengers (hormones).
In 1906 Chemical engineers had discovered hydrogenation i.e. adding and removing hydrogen molecules to compounds. By 1911 Crisco had begun hydrogenating plant oils for the food industry. Hydrogenation results in the conversion of liquid vegetable oils to solid or semi-solid fats, such as those present in margarine. Apart from creating saturated fats the process also creates partially hydrogenated molecules known as trans-fatty acids. In nature "trans-fats" are found in the digestive systems of ruminant animals such as cows, sheep and goats. Some trans fatty acids are therefore present in meat, milk and other dairy produce. These naturally occurring trans fatty acids can be metabolised by humans to CLA (conjugated linoleic acid). Synthetic trans fats contain at least one double bond in the trans configuration, as opposed to the cis configuration ordinarily found in nature (tfX - the campaign against trans fats in food). These partially hydrogenated vegetable oils are cheaper than animal source fats, store better and result in more refined textured of baked goods. By 1994 it was estimated that tran-fats caused 30,000 deaths annually in the US from heart disease.
1965 sees fast-food take off on a corporate scale as Mc Donalds celebrates its 10th anniversary with a public stock offering. Fast Food refers to food sold in a restaurant, store, kiosk or vending machine with limited or no preparation, and served to the customer in a packaged form for take-out/take-away. The concept of ready-cooked food for sale is closely connected with urban development. The Fast Food industry is however run for profit off low margins and relies on the development of industrial and food technologies ...
1970 legislation creating tighter patent protection over both the process and manufacture of pharmaceuticals came into force internationally and mass production ensues.
1970's the shift from hunting and gathering, to farming, to industrial manufacture, to services saw many Westerners desk-bound for a 40 plus hour week. Unfortunately our physiology (the internal functioning of the body) is premised on a substantial amount of low intensity daily movement. In conjunction with this we developed biological adaptive processes which enabled us to survive high intensity movement demands ... such as during territorial warfare, or when under attack from a predatory carnivore. Today we continue to realize the need for and benefit of developing these adaptive mechanisms, but attempt to condense this into infrequent trips to gymnasiums setup up by an ill-suited and artifical paradigm.
1975 high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) (aka isoglucose/maize syrup/glucose-fructose syrup) was introduced to food processing. Essentially a concentrated artificial sugar or honey substitute, that could be made from surplus corn production, corn syrup is processed with enzymes to produce a fructose (fruit sugar) which is then combined with 100% corn syrup to form various blends of sweetness. Being a liquid (25% water) it is easy to blend and transport. Found in most processed foods, especially soda drinks, yogurts, breads, cookies and sauces. It is thought by many to disrupt/damage biofeedback signals, leading to excessive calorie consumption and obesity.
1980 An American scientist named Ancel Keys, published "Seven Countries", a paper on the probable causes of cardiovascular disease. His "Lipid Hypothesis" linked animal dietary fat to cholesterol and finally heart disease. Unfortunately Key's conclusions in the paper were erroneous (Big Fat Lies). His theory made it to Time Magazine and was rapidly adopted by the food industry, and promoted by government health departments across the globe. In fact the media blitz was so efficient that most today still operate as if his theory is simply fact. Keys went on to popularize the K-rations for combat soldiers in World War II and the Mediterranean diet.
2000's obesity, Type II diabetes, hypertension, heart attacks and many previously rare diseases become taking on alarming proportions.
The aging "First World" population becomes an issue for many governments. Today many dispute how much of our extended life spans are down to western medicine and pharmaceuticals. If one removes artificially sustained infant life, trauma medicine, reduced military conflict and disease linked to sanitation from the equation, longevity has hardly altered. And we are in fact arguably far less healthy.
In addition we appear to suffer from a far greater array of disease. Much of which can be attributed to lifestyle choices, particularly those involving nutrition.
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