Hunter gatherers/sedentary modern life equates to over active immune system?

[lowistach]

I heard an interesting clip on Radio 4 a couple of days ago. As a species humanity evolved as hunter gatherers with a high level of movement involved with that lifestyle. Today western cultures are by comparison sedentary. Studies have looked at remaining hunter gatherer societies and their diet which is very varied ,includes carbohydrates sourced from plants not just red meat. It has a similar calorific content to our own diet, So if we're not using calories moving foraging and hunting what happens to them? They are used to service our bodies and if in excess to create fat. It could be that exercise to use up calories maybe even more important in controlling our immune systems and preventing /limiting them becoming over active and turning on ourselves? Food for thought?

[Neonkittie17]

Certainly more sedentary at the mo this last year. 🤨

[oldtimer]

But I'd rather not have the short life expectancy of a hunter-gatherer (although that was apparently longer than the earliest farmers who settled in one place and promptly started having infections from animals and each other)

[Goldsky]

Food for thought indeed. The problem is because of the conditions I have my mobility is awful, therefore find it really, really hard to lose weight and have some sort of pleasurable diet. Oh dear, must try harder. Anyway soon be time to eat salad🤣

[BlossomRocket in reply to Goldsky]

I lost 50 lbs sitting on my butt while eating the keto way, *then* I got active. It's not calories in calories out so much as *what* you eat. Healthy fats & meat, eggs & cheese & low carb veg, a few berries. Avoiding other fruits (nature's sugar-laden candy!) NO processed food, grains, legumes and seed/vegetable oils. Use only coconut, avocado, butter, meat-derived oils. No more wheat, rice, pasta, oats, potatoes I ate a *lot* of bacon for meals & snacking early on. Yum!

Unless your thyroid is for crap it should work for weightloss (keeping carbs under 20 grams a day). Watch your electrolytes as you begin keto so you don't feel awful transitioning. Dr Ken Berry videos on youtube are a helpful guide. Hope this helps.

😊

[Zer009]

Download the NRAS 'My Arthritis' App. It has a useful RA newsfeed feature, if facts and theories interest you. I'm enjoying checking it out.

I believe aligning your diet with your gut microbiota is essential to alleviating autoimmune symptoms. Interestingly, hunter gathers' gut fauna would have been rich and varied due to diet and lifestyle. An interesting fact is that the Egyptians were unable to digest lactose (Radio 4 fact), which suggests we have had to train out guts to digest it over time. Recent data suggests an increasing amount of people are finding lactose difficult to digest, becoming lactose intolerant and it is believed that folk who can no longer digest it have a healthier gut?!

Personally, I would be up for a 'poo-shake' - a donation of a rich and varied gut fauna to address autoimmune malfunction but not sure the NHS is wildly offering these yet, beyond research trials.

Diet is personal to each individual, the only way to find your optimal diet for well being is trial and error, being mindful to balance the various elements needed to keep the body healthy.An active life style is essential.

I have reframed mine and my family's living due to having RA. I moved house/country, from city to semi-rural and I have a low paid (less stress) active job.

Not sure if this contributes to your comment lowistach but it is fun to reflect on ideas.

[Green230461]

This is very interesting. They say the use of antibiotics are ruining good and bad bacteria in our bodies causing over active immune systems. Who knows?

[GranAmie]

microbiome health is certainly a factor ... but so is stress. We are often reminded of our ingrained 'fight or flight' responses to danger but the 3rd response is rarely highlighted - to freeze. this happens if we encounter a situation which we cannot fight or escape from... so we freeze [= hi stress unless we become catatonic].. also explains flares etc during stress. x