Fatty infiltration of the liver is known to cause varying degrees of liver dysfunction. How do you prevent or reverse it? What about fatty infiltration in other organs?
One place to start would be to consider the possible role of fructose. Some people on a Paleo diet exclude it, but many (most?) don't.
Fructose is converted to fructose-1-phosphate in the liver, a process which can deplete the phosphate stores that normally would be used to create ATP, which is the body's primary source of metabolic energy. A lack of ATP triggers the degradation of adenine, which produces uric acid, which can lead to gout -- which is associated with metabolic syndrome. The fructose metabolites are then moved into fat storage, by increasing triglyceride levels in the blood. Fructose also increases insulin resistance.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16234313?dopt=AbstractPlus
As a result of the process above, fructose can then lead to fatty liver:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19403641
[[MORE]]Consuming PUFAs and alcohol can also contribute to liver injury and inflammation:
http://high-fat-nutrition.blogspot.com/2009/12/cirrhosis-and-fructose.html
I should mention that there's a difference between eating low-carb and being in ketosis. When you're in ketosis, the body is burning fat as a primary fuel, rather than glucose. Triglycerides are fats, and if you don't burn them up, they tend to accumulate. Triglyceride levels can go from being high to normal within 72 hours of going into ketosis.
Based on the research I've done, it is perfectly safe to be in ketosis for a few months at a time, and probably even longer. However, alternating out once in a while is prudent -- an expert I know advocates going out of ketosis twice a week or so, or maybe one week a month. In my case, making the transition isn't particularly easy, so I do it less often (out 1 month of every 6 feels like it would be about right, although it's more easily said than done).
A few interesting tidbits about ketosis: the brain's adaptation to ketones starts on about day 3, but isn't complete for about 2 weeks; I tend to feel a bit fuzzy during that adjustment period. After 2 weeks, though, the brain can derive 25% of its energy from ketones. The heart ejection fraction can increase by 30% within a few hours after an injection of ketones (helps with CHD). If you force cells to burn glucose, they turn cancerous relatively quickly; if you force them to use the same fuel they used in the fetal state (ketones), the cells tend to undifferentiate (stop being cancerous). Alkaline cancers, in particular, live on glucose; getting your blood glucose level down from 110 to 80 makes a huge difference in the cancer's ability to grow.
Leptin resistance can also be a factor in the body's use and accumulation of fat. Mold toxins can cause adverse effects on the leptin system, as well as aggravating insulin resistance. There's a book called "Mold Warriors" that talks about this (redirects to Amazon):
http://tinyurl.com/43bus2p
This may include various forms of subclinical intestinal yeast overgrowth (meaning it can be a problem with no obvious symptoms). Everyone has yeast in their gut and on their skin; it's a question of species and quantity, as well as the competitive balance with normal gut bacteria. Some fungal species, such as Candida rugosa, are resistant to certain antifungals, so just because you've been through a round of treatment doesn't mean the problem has gone away. Sometimes, treatment just changes the balance around, and can even make you worse (always a good idea to supplement probiotics when taking antifungal meds).
In addition, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) can inhibit lipolysis (breaking down fats). You may be able to check yourself to see if your PGE2 levels are a factor. A niacin flush can significantly lower your PGE2 level (as well as histamine). One way to do the test is to start by dissolving a 24 hr dose of regular niacin (not niacinamide or no-flush niacin) in 8 oz of water. Then, take a sip and wait about 30 to 40 minutes for a flush. Then take a larger sip, wait, flush and repeat. You may need to repeat again for a few days, with steadily increasing doses per day. When you're done, the flushing should stop or nearly stop. After that, if PGE2 is a problem, you should be symptom-free for many hours. In general, the larger the flush, the higher your PGE2 levels.
Some people also have mitochondrial deficiencies. I have recently come to suspect that "subclinical" mitochondrial disease is much more widespread than is commonly accepted (particularly in brain-related illnesses, including schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorders and possibly epilepsy). This can also contribute to difficulties in effectively burning fat for fuel; you can run into a bottleneck of sorts. Experimenting with mitochondrial nutrients while in ketosis might help to both identify and treat some of those issues -- for example, carnitine, medium chain triglycerides, NADH, Lipoic Acid, B1, B2, B3 (NADH precursor) as niacin vs. niacinamide, B5, CoQ10 (std vs. ubiquinone) and N-Acetyl-Cysteine. You can assess yourself to see if they're helping by looking at your cognitive function (memory or something similar), strength, stamina, and/or body temperature.
Showing posts with label low carb. Show all posts
Showing posts with label low carb. Show all posts
Thursday, 6 October 2011
Thursday, 25 March 2010
What about potatoes?
I generally don’t eat potatoes for two reasons:
[[MORE]]In my case I’m pre-diabetic and have arthritis, which are two more reasons that I avoid them (the toxins they contain are pro-inflammatory and can cause or aggravate arthritis in some people). I also know from detailed blood tests that I am still deficient in certain detox-oriented nutrients, in spite of years of supplementation.
Having said that, you might also think of them like fruit or honey: infrequent small amounts won’t be a disaster. The problem for some people is that potatoes can be quite addictive, and if you eat a lot, the insulin spikes can aggravate hunger problems and carb cravings.
I think yams and sweet potatoes are slightly better, because they aren’t nightshades.
BTW, did you know that some vodkas are made from potatoes?
- They are rich sources of carbs, and will cause an insulin spike when eaten in quantity. For optimal health, as well as weight control, that’s something I strive to avoid.
- They are nightshades, which mean they contain toxins that include nicotine and other alkaloids. I also try to minimize toxins in my diet. Although humans are adapted to handling many food toxins, proper and complete detox may be impaired in those with mild to moderate mineral deficiencies—a condition that is surely epidemic for those who ate SAD foods for any length of time.
[[MORE]]In my case I’m pre-diabetic and have arthritis, which are two more reasons that I avoid them (the toxins they contain are pro-inflammatory and can cause or aggravate arthritis in some people). I also know from detailed blood tests that I am still deficient in certain detox-oriented nutrients, in spite of years of supplementation.
Having said that, you might also think of them like fruit or honey: infrequent small amounts won’t be a disaster. The problem for some people is that potatoes can be quite addictive, and if you eat a lot, the insulin spikes can aggravate hunger problems and carb cravings.
I think yams and sweet potatoes are slightly better, because they aren’t nightshades.
BTW, did you know that some vodkas are made from potatoes?
Sunday, 21 March 2010
Managing carb cravings
Like many people who move from a grain-based diet to Paleo, I too had trouble with carb cravings at first.
My solution was two-fold. First, I had tried a number of times in the past to ease my way into a low-carb diet, and ended up failing every time. This time, I decided to go cold-turkey. Although the first two or three weeks were very difficult, it got easier after that. The other thing I did was to find something that I liked as well as carbs, that was an acceptable Paleo food, but that had also been considered relatively taboo previously. In my case, that ended up being cream, in several different forms (plain, mixed with a little milk, mixed with baking cocoa, whipped, etc). If I had a carb craving, I trained myself to have a cup of cream instead. Rather than just drinking it, I eat it with a spoon to make it last. At the end of the cup, I found that the carb craving was almost always gone. If it wasn't, I would drink a large glass of water, and that usually did the trick.
[[MORE]]Two things I found to cause big problems in the craving area were the taste of something sweet (even toothpaste), and the smells of some carb-rich food cooking, such as bread or pizza (often coming from other family members who don't eat like I do). The problem is that those tastes and smells can cause insulin to be released, which will lower blood sugar, and make you hungry. My solution was to eliminate anything sweet tasting from my diet for the first three months or so, and to replace the carb-rich smells with fat-rich ones, such as bacon. At the end of the three months, I found that sweets tasted much sweeter than before, and that I actually preferred slightly bitter foods (unsweetened baking cocoa is an example).
After being on Paleo for about 6 or 8 months (and losing 35+ pounds in the process), I fell off of the diet for about a week. I didn’t go back to my old ways, but “just” had one carb-rich item a day (rationalizations are a dangerous thing). However, by that time, my body had adjusted to low-carb, and as a result, I felt really terrible: fatigue, new aches and pains, and even bloating. Plus, I gained about a pound a day. After that brief experience which tied the theoretical to the concrete, it was easy to see how bad the carbs were for me, which also made them very easy to avoid. I never want to feel like that again.
Everyone is different, YMMV, but that's what worked for me.
Cross-posted at Modern Paleo.
My solution was two-fold. First, I had tried a number of times in the past to ease my way into a low-carb diet, and ended up failing every time. This time, I decided to go cold-turkey. Although the first two or three weeks were very difficult, it got easier after that. The other thing I did was to find something that I liked as well as carbs, that was an acceptable Paleo food, but that had also been considered relatively taboo previously. In my case, that ended up being cream, in several different forms (plain, mixed with a little milk, mixed with baking cocoa, whipped, etc). If I had a carb craving, I trained myself to have a cup of cream instead. Rather than just drinking it, I eat it with a spoon to make it last. At the end of the cup, I found that the carb craving was almost always gone. If it wasn't, I would drink a large glass of water, and that usually did the trick.
[[MORE]]Two things I found to cause big problems in the craving area were the taste of something sweet (even toothpaste), and the smells of some carb-rich food cooking, such as bread or pizza (often coming from other family members who don't eat like I do). The problem is that those tastes and smells can cause insulin to be released, which will lower blood sugar, and make you hungry. My solution was to eliminate anything sweet tasting from my diet for the first three months or so, and to replace the carb-rich smells with fat-rich ones, such as bacon. At the end of the three months, I found that sweets tasted much sweeter than before, and that I actually preferred slightly bitter foods (unsweetened baking cocoa is an example).
After being on Paleo for about 6 or 8 months (and losing 35+ pounds in the process), I fell off of the diet for about a week. I didn’t go back to my old ways, but “just” had one carb-rich item a day (rationalizations are a dangerous thing). However, by that time, my body had adjusted to low-carb, and as a result, I felt really terrible: fatigue, new aches and pains, and even bloating. Plus, I gained about a pound a day. After that brief experience which tied the theoretical to the concrete, it was easy to see how bad the carbs were for me, which also made them very easy to avoid. I never want to feel like that again.
Everyone is different, YMMV, but that's what worked for me.
Cross-posted at Modern Paleo.
Friday, 4 December 2009
Losing weight is not just about calorie balance
Many people I talk to about diet are still convinced that weight control is all about calorie balance: calories in vs. calories out. As Gary Taubes convincingly demonstrated in Good Calories, Bad Calories, it's not so simple.
Here's my argument:
[[MORE]]1. If weight is determined entirely by calorie balance, then why are type 1 diabetics unable to gain any weight? They can eat 5000+ calories/day and still be rail-thin. But as soon as you replace their missing insulin, they are suddenly able to put on weight, with no change in diet or activity level. The body does not always hold onto everything you put into it (insulin is the “storage” hormone).
2. In order to survive times of famine, humans developed a feedback loop: the fewer calories you take in, the fewer the body needs; your basal metabolic rate varies depending on food intake. Otherwise, if it didn't, then if you were at a constant weight and cut back your calories, you would eventually waste away to nothing, right? Instead, you reach a new set-point as your metabolic rate adjusts. If you reduce calories enough, people slow down, get tired and fatigued easily, etc., which makes it difficult to exercise, which increases insulin resistance.
3. You can make people or animals fat by boosting their insulin level. Why do you think farmers feed grain to cattle? It's because it boosts their insulin level, which makes them fat. Fat animals weigh more, and are more profitable. Unfortunately, grain makes people fat too, through exactly the same mechanism. (side note: Carbs also make you hungry. Why do you think many restaurant owners give bread or chips away for free?)
4. If caloric input is the primary determinant of weight, then why does obesity tend to increase with decreasing income? The higher the poverty rate, the higher the rate of obesity. (Hint: Which foods provide the least expensive calories?)
Here's my argument:
[[MORE]]1. If weight is determined entirely by calorie balance, then why are type 1 diabetics unable to gain any weight? They can eat 5000+ calories/day and still be rail-thin. But as soon as you replace their missing insulin, they are suddenly able to put on weight, with no change in diet or activity level. The body does not always hold onto everything you put into it (insulin is the “storage” hormone).
2. In order to survive times of famine, humans developed a feedback loop: the fewer calories you take in, the fewer the body needs; your basal metabolic rate varies depending on food intake. Otherwise, if it didn't, then if you were at a constant weight and cut back your calories, you would eventually waste away to nothing, right? Instead, you reach a new set-point as your metabolic rate adjusts. If you reduce calories enough, people slow down, get tired and fatigued easily, etc., which makes it difficult to exercise, which increases insulin resistance.
3. You can make people or animals fat by boosting their insulin level. Why do you think farmers feed grain to cattle? It's because it boosts their insulin level, which makes them fat. Fat animals weigh more, and are more profitable. Unfortunately, grain makes people fat too, through exactly the same mechanism. (side note: Carbs also make you hungry. Why do you think many restaurant owners give bread or chips away for free?)
4. If caloric input is the primary determinant of weight, then why does obesity tend to increase with decreasing income? The higher the poverty rate, the higher the rate of obesity. (Hint: Which foods provide the least expensive calories?)
Wednesday, 4 November 2009
Nutrient Density
For some time now, I’ve been following claims that optimizing nutrient density is a good thing. The arguments I’m familiar with flow from the caloric restriction studies, where minimizing caloric intake while maintaining enough nutrient density to support life ends up extending maximum lifespan.
One aspect of the logic behind this approach is that it minimizes the work your body has to do, particularly when it comes to handling biochemical byproducts and waste.
[[MORE]]The thing about vegetables (and I do enjoy mine!), is that they also contain a bunch of things that aren’t necessary for human health, including carbs. For example, Vit B-12 isn’t readily available in plant form (small amounts in seaweeds and BG algae), but it’s very available in animal products. B-12 deficiency in some ways mirrors Vit D; it’s widespread, and has been implicated in a number of conditions, including heart disease and mental illness. Plus, following the same thinking from above about minimizing the load on the body’s support systems, many plants also contain toxins that have to be detoxified – gluten from grains is a big offender in that area.
I’ve found that many people are still stuck in the calories-in vs. calories-expended trap. Maximizing nutrient density doesn’t have to mean minimizing calories. Particularly when you’re eating low-carb, some foods just don’t “stick.” It’s like a type 1 diabetic who isn’t taking insulin: no matter how much they eat, they won’t gain weight. When you’re eating low-carb, and therefore have a low insulin level, some foods are simply excreted, without being fully absorbed; with minimal biochemical process involved, the resulting load on the body must be very low.
A related issue is how absorbable the nutrients are: They may be present in plants, but unless you spend 12 hours a day chewing (like a cow does), then odds are they won’t be fully available to you, so you will need to eat more calories to get adequate quantities. Nutrients in animal products are much more absorbable.
Finally, another important point is that eating Paleo / low-carb seems to have many of the same physical and biochemical side-effects as a calorie restriction – but without the torture.
One aspect of the logic behind this approach is that it minimizes the work your body has to do, particularly when it comes to handling biochemical byproducts and waste.
[[MORE]]The thing about vegetables (and I do enjoy mine!), is that they also contain a bunch of things that aren’t necessary for human health, including carbs. For example, Vit B-12 isn’t readily available in plant form (small amounts in seaweeds and BG algae), but it’s very available in animal products. B-12 deficiency in some ways mirrors Vit D; it’s widespread, and has been implicated in a number of conditions, including heart disease and mental illness. Plus, following the same thinking from above about minimizing the load on the body’s support systems, many plants also contain toxins that have to be detoxified – gluten from grains is a big offender in that area.
I’ve found that many people are still stuck in the calories-in vs. calories-expended trap. Maximizing nutrient density doesn’t have to mean minimizing calories. Particularly when you’re eating low-carb, some foods just don’t “stick.” It’s like a type 1 diabetic who isn’t taking insulin: no matter how much they eat, they won’t gain weight. When you’re eating low-carb, and therefore have a low insulin level, some foods are simply excreted, without being fully absorbed; with minimal biochemical process involved, the resulting load on the body must be very low.
A related issue is how absorbable the nutrients are: They may be present in plants, but unless you spend 12 hours a day chewing (like a cow does), then odds are they won’t be fully available to you, so you will need to eat more calories to get adequate quantities. Nutrients in animal products are much more absorbable.
Finally, another important point is that eating Paleo / low-carb seems to have many of the same physical and biochemical side-effects as a calorie restriction – but without the torture.
Tuesday, 27 October 2009
Increased fasting blood glucose in low-carb diets
When you're relatively insulin resistant, even a slight rise in glucose production or intake can cause a blood glucose (BG) peak.
It goes something like this: low-carb intake reduces insulin; low insulin activates hormone-sensitive lipase (LIPE); LIPE breaks down triglycerides in the muscle or adipose tissue and releases non-essential fatty acids (NEFA); NEFA induces insulin resistance.
[[MORE]]In the morning, you normally have a growth hormone surge; that causes NEFAs to peak, and you have a spike in fasting BG (FBG). When you eat a low-carb meal, the protein in it will cause insulin to be released -- although not nearly as much as if you ate carbs. The insulin inhibits LIPE, so NEFAs decline; insulin sensitivity comes back; BG goes down.
However, if you have too much protein, BG can decline too far; then the body secretes catecholamines (adrenaline) to help bring BG back up again; that stimulates GNG (I'm not sure of the mechanism--it may be by stimulating glucagon release from the pancreas); you start to feel jittery; if it happens in the evening, it can contribute to insomnia. Sometimes people mistake the jitteriness from low BG with what they feel from caffeine. Also, you can become acclimated to the elevated catecholamine levels, which is why diabetics can be at severe risk for not recognizing low BG (a diabetic relative of mine passed out at the wheel and was killed as a result of this).
It goes something like this: low-carb intake reduces insulin; low insulin activates hormone-sensitive lipase (LIPE); LIPE breaks down triglycerides in the muscle or adipose tissue and releases non-essential fatty acids (NEFA); NEFA induces insulin resistance.
[[MORE]]In the morning, you normally have a growth hormone surge; that causes NEFAs to peak, and you have a spike in fasting BG (FBG). When you eat a low-carb meal, the protein in it will cause insulin to be released -- although not nearly as much as if you ate carbs. The insulin inhibits LIPE, so NEFAs decline; insulin sensitivity comes back; BG goes down.
However, if you have too much protein, BG can decline too far; then the body secretes catecholamines (adrenaline) to help bring BG back up again; that stimulates GNG (I'm not sure of the mechanism--it may be by stimulating glucagon release from the pancreas); you start to feel jittery; if it happens in the evening, it can contribute to insomnia. Sometimes people mistake the jitteriness from low BG with what they feel from caffeine. Also, you can become acclimated to the elevated catecholamine levels, which is why diabetics can be at severe risk for not recognizing low BG (a diabetic relative of mine passed out at the wheel and was killed as a result of this).
Wednesday, 21 October 2009
Long-term low-carb tips
Something that happens to many people on a low-carb diet is that their insulin resistance increases slowly over time. In an initial low-glucose environment, the large muscles begin to burn fat (ketosis). As they do so, they need less glucose, and therefore become resistant to insulin. The result is that fasting blood glucose levels increase, along with HbA1c.
[[MORE]]In addition to further lowering your carb intake, which should help, isometric training is another good approach to addressing this (isometrics is better at increasing insulin sensitivity than aerobics). It also helps a lot to exercise only after you’ve been fasting for 12 to 15 hours (exercise after fasting improves insulin sensitivity more than when you’re not fasting). The idea is to work on two fronts: decreasing carb intake to further lower blood glucose (BG) and insulin, and working on the muscles to increase insulin sensitivity.
If you’re into supplements, you can also add some insulin-sensitizing ones, such as resveratrol, melatonin (also helps with sleep), vanadyl sulfate, lipoic acid, and N-acetyl-carnitine. Those last two also help reduce the glycation that creates HbA1c, as do benfotiamine (B1), B6 and carnosine.
You might also be interested to know that the shakiness you might feel when your BG gets low is usually due to the release of adrenaline, which is part of the mechanism your body uses to raise BG in the absence of food. It’s one cause of insomnia in some people. Improving insulin sensitivity and cutting back on protein (which releases insulin) will help there too.
Another tidbit: there’s good documentation out there that a glucose tolerance test isn’t very meaningful when you’ve been on an extended low-carb diet. The usual suggestion is to have carb-rich meals for at least two days before the test (at least 150 gr carbs each day), to help re-establish insulin sensitivity. A few scientists I know also recommend having one day a week of high-carbs, partly for the same reason – the idea is to come out of ketosis, but only for 24 hrs per week or so. I don’t do that myself, although I think it might make sense for some people.
[[MORE]]In addition to further lowering your carb intake, which should help, isometric training is another good approach to addressing this (isometrics is better at increasing insulin sensitivity than aerobics). It also helps a lot to exercise only after you’ve been fasting for 12 to 15 hours (exercise after fasting improves insulin sensitivity more than when you’re not fasting). The idea is to work on two fronts: decreasing carb intake to further lower blood glucose (BG) and insulin, and working on the muscles to increase insulin sensitivity.
If you’re into supplements, you can also add some insulin-sensitizing ones, such as resveratrol, melatonin (also helps with sleep), vanadyl sulfate, lipoic acid, and N-acetyl-carnitine. Those last two also help reduce the glycation that creates HbA1c, as do benfotiamine (B1), B6 and carnosine.
You might also be interested to know that the shakiness you might feel when your BG gets low is usually due to the release of adrenaline, which is part of the mechanism your body uses to raise BG in the absence of food. It’s one cause of insomnia in some people. Improving insulin sensitivity and cutting back on protein (which releases insulin) will help there too.
Another tidbit: there’s good documentation out there that a glucose tolerance test isn’t very meaningful when you’ve been on an extended low-carb diet. The usual suggestion is to have carb-rich meals for at least two days before the test (at least 150 gr carbs each day), to help re-establish insulin sensitivity. A few scientists I know also recommend having one day a week of high-carbs, partly for the same reason – the idea is to come out of ketosis, but only for 24 hrs per week or so. I don’t do that myself, although I think it might make sense for some people.
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