Introduction There is one exhibit at the Ontario Science Centre in Toronto, Canada that shocks and depresses many visitors. It is a mono- lith showing the phenomenally rapid growth of the human population at 180 humans every minute adding to the already vast number of 6 billion. At the same time, the loss of one species of a total of only 15 million is shown to occur approximately every 15 min. Thus, one species is lost for every 2700 humans added to the planet. These numbers are difficult to verify but the association between human popula- tion explosion and rapid species extinction is alarming. It implies that human pressures may be the cause of species loss (Table 1). Of the human activities responsible, feeding behaviour is likely to be foremost. In looking to the future, we suggest that it might be help- ful to examine past diets in which we were capable of thriv- ing and to select the most sustainable diet and associated agricultural practices that are compatible with good health, which one might term ‘econutrition’. Creationists and evolutionists will acknowledge that the human diet has passed at least four phases. The original diet was high in plant foods, 1–5 including leafy vegetables, shoots, roots, seeds, berries, fruits and nuts. A second phase of hunting resulted in increased meat and fish consump- tion. 6–10 This was followed by a third phase of agricultural dependence on starchy foods, cereals and legumes. 11,12 Finally, we entered the standard ‘supermarket’ phase of excess consumption of highly processed foods that are rich in salt, sugar and saturated fat, against a background of minimal energy expenditure. The aim of the present paper is to define those aspects of the original ‘Garden of Eden’ diet, which might be usefully introduced into our modern supermarket diet. This original diet would have been plant based, high in vegetable proteins, plant sterols, dietary fibre and antioxidants, and low in satu- rated fats with virtually no trans fatty acids. ‘Garden of Eden’ diet What creationists might term the ‘Garden of Eden’ diet is likely to have been eaten up until the end of what evolution- ists call the Pleistocene. Lack of knowledge of the biblical sense of ‘good’ and ‘evil’ presumably also meant a lack of incentive to make fire or fashion stone or metal implements. It is speculated that diets would have been eaten raw and, consequently, starch would be largely absent from the diet. 6,8,9,12 Asia Pacific J Clin Nutr (2000) 9(Suppl.): S1–S3 Original Article Correspondence address: Dr David JA Jenkins, Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3E2. Tel: 1 416 978 4752; Fax: 1 416 9785310 Email: cyril.kendall@utoronto.ca The Garden of Eden: Implications for cardiovascular disease prevention David JA Jenkins 1,2 MD, PhD, DSc , AL Jenkins 2 RD, CDE , CWC Kendall 1,2 PhD , V Vuksan 1,2 PhD and E Vidgen 1 BSc 1 Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada 2 Clinical Nutrition and Risk Factor Modification Center, St Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Toronto, Canada Creationists and evolutionists acknowledge that the human diet has passed through at least four phases. The original plant food-based diet; a second phase of increasing meat consumption; a third phase of agricultural dependence on starchy foods; and, finally, the supermarket high-saturated fat, low-fibre phase with minimal energy expenditure. Our aim is to define the value of the original or ‘Garden of Eden’ diet and to speculate on which components should be retained in the modern supermarket diet. The original plant-based diet would have been high in vegetable proteins, plant sterols, dietary fibre and antioxidants, and low in saturated fats with no trans fatty acids. This diet would increase fecal cholesterol losses from the body as bile acids and neutral sterols, while providing little stimulus to cholesterol synthesis. To replace the bile acid losses we would have adapted to a relatively high capacity for cholesterol synthesis. Now, in the high-saturated fat, low-fibre supermarket age, this may be a disadvantage and predisposes consumers to high serum cholesterol and increased risk of cardiovascular disease. We believe part of the solution is a return to the plant-based ‘Garden of Eden’ diet combined with physical activity. A lipid-lowering portfolio containing vegetable proteins, especially soy, plant sterols and high fibre intakes combined with low saturated and trans fatty acids and cholesterol, would go a long way to reducing serum lipids and coronary heart disease risk seen in the modern Western diet. Key words: diet portfolio, evolution, functional food. S1 Table 1. Human ‘success’ story Humans Other Species Current numbers 6 billion (rising) 15 million (decreasing) Change per minute Gain : 2700 Loss : 1