Mystery of the meat-eaters' molecule [inability to produce a chemical linked to chronic disease]

The Telegraph (London, UK) ^ | 8-7-08 | Roger Highfield

[GraniteStateConservative]

Our inability to produce a chemical present in every other primate may be linked to a series of chronic diseases. Roger Highfield explains more

What does it mean to be human? For most people, it all comes down to that extraordinary object between our ears, and how it blesses us with language, laughter and logic. But not for Ajit Varki, a doctor-cum-scientist who works in California.

Not so rare: a molecule absorbed by eating red meat has been linked to inflammation and auto-immune illnesses Not so rare: a molecule absorbed by eating red meat has been linked to inflammation and auto-immune illnesses

For him, being human is also about a single chemical that separates us from our closest relatives, and which could be linked to many of our most debilitating illnesses.

...

By studying the mutations in the enzyme that makes this molecular difference between apes and humans, Prof Varki, along with Prof Naoyuki Takahata of the Graduate University for Advanced Studies in Kanagawa, Japan, estimates that the genetic change first appeared up to three million years ago, which coincides with the emergence of Homo erectus, the first of our ancestors to venture out of Africa.

At the time, life was nasty, brutish and short: any subtle but chronic effects of this foreign sugar would not be felt until old age, and Homo erectus did not survive that long.

If the mutation that kept us producing Neu5Ac rather than Neu5Gc helped shrug off a particular disease, it would have spread rapidly through the population. It is ironic that what may have protected our ancestors then could be responsible for much of the pain of their long-lived descendants.

[brytlea]

I do eat mostly chicken—only fish I eat is sushi, don’t care much for most cooked fish. But—I like my beef, and I eat it. If it kills me I guess something was going to!

susie

[brytlea]

I actually thought gluten early on (since avoiding carbs meant avoiding wheat) but the test didn’t show anything. I also wondered about yeast which I also don’t eat on a low carb diet. I think when summer is over (traveling etc done) I’m going to try adding things back one and a time and see if I can pinpoint something.

Until then—pass the steak!

susie