Wild-Type Land-Based Food in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

Abstract

The Columbus Concept (CC) stands for a return of α-linolenic acid—herein referred to as wild-or game-type, land-based fatty acid—into the feed ration of land-based, bred animals to such an extent that their body fat (white adipose tissue) and triglycerides (TGs) exhibit a balanced ratio of essential fatty acids (EFAs) (i.e., ω6:ω3-EFAs/TGs = 1:1), characteristic of body fat in wild animals or game. This return to the standard in the wild translates into a substantial reduction in highly unsaturated omega-6 fatty acids and a moderate and variable increase in highly unsaturated omega-3 fatty acids in the peripheral tissues of these domesticated, land-based animals or livestock. In other words, their meat total lipids (TLs) exhibit a proportion (%) of conditionally-essential highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFAs) in favor of the omega-3 species (i.e. ω6/(ω6 + ω3)-HUFAs/TLs = 25%), characteristic of meat lipids in wild, land-based animals and game. The ω6:ω3-EFAs/TGs =1:1 ratio is also a reference for the design of composite, plant-derived table oils and fats, as these represent other important sources of energy in the modern human diet.

Particular attention is given to the antioxidant content (vegetables, fruits) of such foods. Finally, a new and simple mathematical equation is proposed that provides a basis for accurate prediction of individual risk for CHD based on the measurement of two blood parameters: total blood cholesterol level (TC) and proportion of omega-6 HUFAs in blood total HUFAs (i.e., ω6/(ω6 + ω3)-HUFAs/TLs), the former being phenotype-driven, the latter in direct relationship with peripheral-tissue HUFAs-composition.