Origin of the metabolic syndrome: genetic, evolutionary and nutritional aspects <b>[Abstract in English]</b>

Abstract

Aims: To review and discuss some of the genetic, evolutionary and nutritional aspects involved in the appearance of the Metabolic Syndrome. Source of data: Scientific articles from Medline/ Pubmed and Scielo database. Summary of the findings: The origin of the Metabolic Syndrome is still not clear, but a large number of hypotheses and theories have been formulated to try to elucidate it. Studies have shown humanity has basically maintained the same genome since the Paleolithic Period. What has changed dramatically is the life style, which has become sedentary, based on a high-calorie diet. In the beginning of the past decade, the Thrifty Phenotype Hypothesis began to be formulated, suggesting fetal development is sensitive to the nutritional environment. Fetal programming would aim at increasing the survival chance of the embryo, resulting in a modified postnatal metabolism. Conclusions: Fetal genetic programming can be affected by maternal nutrition, which can lead to disturbances in the energy metabolism. Moreover, a sedentary life, allied with a high-calorie intake, can unleash the Metabolic Syndrome. KEYWORDS: METABOLIC SYNDROME X/genetics; METABOLIC SYNDROME X/diet therapy; METABOLIC SYNDROME X/history.