Attendance: 34 | Members: 28 (of 47 Active Members) 60%
DIETARY TO DELAY THE INEVITABLE
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| Dr Paul Gow, right, had good news for Rotarians who love coffee |
It was a pleasure to have Dr Paul Gow update us on healthy dietary choices. He is a gastroenterologist and previously a liver transplant specialist who has written a book titled, “Liver a Better Life. The evidence- based diet and lifestyle guide to liver health and longevity”.
After mentioning the five lifestyle influences on health, namely diet, exercise, weight, environment and mind/sleep he then focused on diet. The importance of the microbiome (ie the mix of gut bacteria) and insulin resistance was discussed. Surprisingly, coffee was emphasised as protective against all cause mortality, ie 2-3 cups coffee reduced the risk of premature death when compared with non coffee drinkers. The reason is unknown but also applies for decaffeinated coffee.
Alcohol consumption was discussed and a case made for modest intake, bearing in mind that there is increased risk of some cancers to be counter balanced against a lowered risk of cardiac disease and diabetes.
It seems that alcohol is natural for almost all animals and humans have evolved to metabolise high amounts of alcohol. Interestingly, primates prefer food with high alcohol content.
A Mediterranean diet with moderate olive oil, nuts and resistant starch, ie rice, oats, legumes, beans and chick peas reduced the risk significantly of cardiovascular events over 5 years. This effect is thought to be mediated by advantageous changes to the microbiome.
In conclusion, lifestyle modification has powerful future health benefits. So, have more coffee, have more olive oil and more fibre. Have some alcohol and don’t feel guilty. The presentation was most informative and followed by many questions.