Mummy Scan Shows Modern Diet is Not Always to Blame

Among the most foolish of ideas is the belief that somehow the ancients had things figured out better than modern man. One freely admits those who have gone before did a great deal when the whole civilization idea took off. Yet by and large, things have never been better than they are now, or at least, they aren't any worse. Consider for example, the modern human diet of Cheese Whiz and high fructose corn syrup, popularly believed to cause hardening of the arteries, A recent study of Egyptian mummies shows that an entire society of nonsmokers whose every bite was unprocessed food and who had no choice but to walk almost everywhere still suffered from atherosclerosis, a major cause of heart disease.

At a meeting of the American Heart Association on Tuesday, a team of researchers presented evidence from the CAT scans of 16 mummies in Egypt. Of these, 5 "definitely" suffered from hardened arteries. Another four "probably" had the condition. The telltale sign was calcium that "lights up like a Christmas tree" in CAT scans according to Randall Thompson, a cardiologist at the Mid America Heart Institute of Saint Luke's Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri and one of the study's researchers.

Dr. Thompson went on to say, "Heart disease is as old as Moses. Even though their lifestyles were healthier -- no processed foods, no smoking and they got more exercise -- many still contracted the disease showing a certain genetic susceptibility." In other words, calcium builds up in blood vessels over time no matter what one does. Sometimes it happens more slowly, and the less junk one puts into old pipes, the less chance there is of blockage. Yet, the fact remains: ancient Egyptians had the same heart troubles modern humans do.

Naturally, the yogurt and brown rice faction will try to rubbish the findings. However, the case appears to be pretty airtight. Bloomberg's Pat Wechsler reported, "The team worked with mummies housed in the Egyptian National Museum of Antiquities in Cairo and were not given access to the remains of the pharaohs themselves, Thompson said. Those who died after the age of 45 were more likely to show hardening, with calcification in 7 of 8 tested, the JAMA [Journal of the American Medical Association] letter reported. Two out of 8 under 45 at the age of death showed atherosclerosis, it said."

As the holidays approach, one might wish to reflect on these facts. The ancient Egyptians' healthier lifestyle couldn't stave off the effects of time. Eventually, time wins. That is not to say that a healthier approach to living is futile. Rather it should be seen as a value in and of itself, not so much a longer life (as that is not guaranteed) but perhaps a better life. The wisdom of the ancient Greeks held that one should be moderate in everything. That ought to include moderation itself.

© Copyright 2009 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.

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