Kurt Harris from Panu will be joining us for an upcoming episode. Please put your questions for Dr. Harris in the comments section of this post. Please keep your questions general. Dr. Harris cannot make personal diagnoses or give specific medical advice.
It’s cool that ya’ll are having Dr. Kurt Harris on the show. I’ve been digging his blog!
My question:
On the new post about fats you list your order of preference for optimal sources of fats. You list Grass Fed Ruminants first and then Industrially Raised Ruminants second.
I’ve done organic heavy whipping cream in the past in my coffee and tea and I LOVE it. After getting more into Robb’s stuff I went back to black. I recently have added in coconut milk in my coffee and tea to get in some extra fat rather than having snacks (like nuts or fruits) through the day. I’ve been on the hunt for grass fed cream locally since reading your blog but, – I can only find local goat’s milk and cow’s milk. Neither farm has the time/capacity for cream. So…in your opinion would you opt for organic but grain fed milk from cows, local raw goat’s or cow’s milk, or stick with the coconut milk?
Thanks!
Alexa
*organic but grain fed cream (not milk) from cows
1) If cholesterol does not cause heart disease what exactly does cause heart disease and heart attacks?
2) It seems there are a lot of reports that Long Slow Distance exercise does not prevent heart attacks. What exercise does the heart want in order to fight heart disease?
3) If someone is diagnosed as having plaque build-up, what is the best way to reduce?
Kurt: When will your book be published? I always appreciate your posts and the recent series about nutrients is fantastic. Publish that stuff so we can show some appreciation via Amazon! A book is so much more appealing than a DeVany pay-wall…
I have a question concerning your last post on your blog. I’ve always been under the impression that the brain could run efficiently on ketones but in your post on carbohydrates you unequivocally state that glucose is necessary for optimal brain function. Am I mistaken in my belief or do you believe the state of ketosis is dangerous for brain function? How would situate ketone bodies in your classification of fuel?
Thanks,
Joe
i’m no expert but from what i read, up to 200g of glucose a day can be sourced from protein via gluconeogenesis(sp?). at least this has been my understanding.
I think Dr. Ann Childers, a psychiatrist hip on low-carb/no grain diets, said she suspects the brain can actually run on ketones but we certainly learn in biochem and from other textbooks that the brain preferentially uses glucose. I think the ketone beta-hydroxybutyric acid is a good example of this and, interestingly, it can also be converted into glucose. But even as Derrick says the body can manufacture glucose via gluconeogenesis if needed.
I don’t know that the brain preferentially burning carbohydrates should indicate that the brain performs better while burning carbohydrates than ketones.
Basic logic indicates that the brain could preferentially burn carbohydrates for two reasons:
1) If the brain performs better when burning carbs then there is an evolutionary advantage to preferring carbs (that is to say, the individuals who are adapted to burn carbs tend to perform better and therefore be more successful and more likely to procreate)
2) If the brain performs worse when burning carbs (as opposed to ketones) it must first of all still perform adequately, but the brain would not preferentially burn carbs unless there is another factor. Could there be other factors? I submit that such a factor could be if there is a detrimental effect to leaving the carbs where they are. If the detrimental effect of having carbs accumulate is bigger than the evolutionary advantage lost by burning carbs rather than ketones, it may be preferable for the brain to burn carbs as a carb-dump, even if the brain performs better on ketones.
Now, I know nothing and this is just a basic logic exercise, but I should probably make a concession. It is possible that constantly raised blood sugar and insulin levels have a causative link (or at least an association) with metabolic syndrome, and it is tempting to take that as evidence for the detrimental effect of not burning carbs I mention above – which could indicate that the brain’s preference for burning carbs could be an evolutionary adaptation that was successful because it countered the harmful effect of perpetually raised blood sugar levels that would theoretically have existed in less successful evolutionary branches.
However, I certainly do not have a solid enough understanding of the workings of the human body or evolution to assess whether this hypothesis has any merit or is easily dismissed.
Point being – when the brain prefers to burn carbs for energy does it do so because it performs better when it burns carbs or is it taking a bullet for the rest of the body?
In a sense my objection here is similar to a recent blog post by Dr Harris where he suggests that some use of terminology and language indicate we implicitly support the lipid hypothesis. It seems all too common that people receive the message that the brain prefers to run on carbs and make the assumption that carbs are better for the brain than the alternative. I personally think such an assumption is uninspired.
My recent memory of posts by Dr Harris on the subject of carbohydrates as metabolic fuel were not indicating carbs as the optimal/only fuel for the entire brain – rather I think he described carbs as necessary for red blood cells and some parts of the brain. In truth I do not think the some parts qualification were weighed in the direction of a bigger or a smaller part of the brain, but my selective bias at the time felt that he must surely mean that it is a small and specific set of areas of the brain that needs carbs and that the brain at large runs better on ketones. However, that was my readers bias – I do not believe Dr Harris indicated a majority or minority – all I am confident in stating is that he did not indicate that he felt the brain in its entirety needed carbohydrate.
Apologies for rambling. Perhaps consider the brief paragraph starting with “Point being…” for a question either for Dr Harris or just a regular Paleo Solution podcast.
Neurons in general require glucose. Not just parts of the brain -all of it.
I think it’s safe to say the brain isn’t going to take a bullet for the rest of the body. Studying for biochem back in the day, I learned that cerebral hexokinase has a greater affinity for glucose aka the brain gets first dibs on glucose. Also, basic logic exercises often overlook the complexity of what’s going on when it comes to things like metabolism. We want mechanisms. Nevertheless, I think the topic of the brain using ketones vs. glucose is an interesting one and I’d also venture to say that there’s a lack of data/research supporting the ketone side of things. Good stuff.
Ketones can substitute for perhaps half of the glucose used used by the brain but absolutely not all of it. Red blood cells need glucose as well.
If your blood glucose drops below critical levels, you will die quickly no matter how keto-adapted you are.
This is not at all controversial.
Yes, I’d like to hear how Dr. Harris reconciles the notion, common in the paleo community, that endurance sports like marathon running are bad for you (“Chronic Cardio”) with the evidence presented by Prof. Daniel Lieberman of Harvard that humans evolved to be endurance runners, and that this capability was crucial to our evolution as hunters.
It seems to me that if we should eat like our healthy ancestors, we should probably also be exercising like them…
I’ll chime in on this early: The capacity to run long is different than TRAINING to run long….
Goody, I hope this mean the question makes Andy’s draconian cut. 😉
Me too!
I’d like to know how to gain the capacity to run long without “training” to run long.
Seriously– all I do is lift heavy and I do not think I have the capacity to run long. I”m not sure I even want to, but then again, I’m more concerned with my heart health than what I want. (hence my question above).
I’ve been thinking about this a lot because I work out at CFSK and don’t do CF– I just lift heavy. Which I love, but having some work capacity (or the ability to chase down my prey) would be cool too if it didn’t mean beating the shit out of myself and having do to Cindy or some such nonsense.
So what’s the path to the capacity to run long without training to run long?
Rob-
You are not really equating running with heart health are ya?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Fixx
So if you walked, scampered, hiked, sprinted and jogged off and on, for days on end (as a HG would have) I think we’d see some decent long distance running capacity. The thing I focus on in all this is NOT the historical reconstruction of running, but what metabolic and structural changes do I WANT. In that light, I’ll take those adaptations consistent witha largely sprint oriented athlete.
I don’t know if Jim Fixx is the best example. Bad genetics, heavy smoker until 36, and I doubt he ate paleo.
I’m a paleo runner who’s planning his first ultra this spring (50 miles). Much of my training is speedwork and 6 mile tempo runs. My long run is at a comfortable pace (about 20 miles every 3 weeks) and well within my aerobic threshold. I’m doing crossfit too, 2-3x a week. I’ll be lucky if I run 100 miles a month on average, and I rarely run more than 3x a week.
My question is what are the downsides if I run *this* way.
Thanks Robb! No, I’m not equating running with heart health, but since I’ve learned that LSD does not really provide heart health, I haven’t heard a good solid description of what exactly does.
Sometimes we do some met-con (short) like shuttle runs or a tabata after lifting, but not too frequently…
I’m down with the sprinting (not in this weather tho!), because I would like to start working in some more activity beside lifting heavy and walking (I walk a lot– I live in NYC so 20 minutes a day minimum just for the commute). However, this is just off a hunch. I’d just assume not do it if it’s not going to provide me anything.
It seems like it would be good for my health if I could work in more of the little met-con stuff and maybe some sled work? I just don’t know, hence my question for Dr. Harris:
— It seems there are a lot of reports that Long Slow Distance exercise does not prevent heart attacks. What exercise does the heart want in order to avoid heart disease?
What disease? Cardiomyopathy, loss of chaos signaling, atherosclerosis blockage. I’d do varied FUN stuff.
Dairy. Wolf and Harris in a cage. Go.
Round 2: Vegetables. Go.
Dairy! Please discuss this. This is the major disagreement between you two and I would love a friendly, scientific discussion.
Round three: fruit is evil, and just candybars from a tree. Go.
Round 3… Fish oil dosage anyone ???
haha both those questions are epic!
I second the vegetables discussion.
Major +1 on this.
+ 1 on fish oil. FIGHT!
Curious as to what your thoughts are to menstrual irregularity when eating paleo? Is there anything you recommend?
I’m eager to hear about this too. Not just amennorhea but menses every 10 days – 17 days. Not sure if it’s paleo, HIT or longevity of anaerobic activity (Olympic lifting). Seeing it in multiple woman weightlifters. Diet not resolving it.
ADD ONE MORE i am overly willing to take Dr Harris’ advice here. all i know is cholesterol turns into hormones which should regulate fertility but if that was the whole story, id be the worlds most fertile chick
and I would like more info on perimenopause and lack of periods, night sweats and the inability to sleep 8-9hrs in a stretch.
Hi Andy and Rob, If I understood well, Kurt does not seem to share your (and mine) thoughts on eliminating whole food groups (like dairy and legumes). Perhaps you can ask Kurt for an explanation. VBR Hans Keer
Kurt is absolutely for eliminating all grains/beans/legumes. He does support grassfed dairy like butter, ghee or cream. I love grassfed butter/ghee for Vitamins A, D and K2 and it has not caused my 15% BF to go up!
Can’t wait, my two favorite nutrition gurus!
Hi all,
Dr. Harris, you’ve mentioned there isn’t (as) strong evidence against legumes and dairy as other neolithic dangers. Discuss?
Thanks a lot, glad you’re back on my blog roll.
The legume point in particular is something that Tim Ferriss has stated a number of times as well with regards to his experience putting people on his slow carb diet. Would be interested in more info on this.
Amazing!
Here is my question.
Dr. Harris,
Could you please discuss the main points that have lead you to change your view on the “Carbohydrate/Insulin” hypothesis as the mechanism that causes obesity/diseases of civilaztion.
Thank you.
+1
Dr. Harris:
I’m asking these questions since you are a midwest hunter (I am also a midwest hunter).
1. How do the nutritional profiles of deer and birds from areas with large corn/soybean production differ from game in more natural (no row crops) regions? Everything I kill seems to have its gullet full of corn (I only hunt in the autumn).
2. Since game commercially sold must be captively farmed (by law), how does the nutritional profile of these farmed game meats (e.g. elk) compare to more standard commercial meat (e.g. domestically bred pork)?
Thank you,
Tom
+1 on wild vs. farmed game
There’s a lot of info on grassfed/pasture meats and I confidently buy all my meat in bulk sides from local farms, but I’m less sure about these game farms. I’d be interested to learn more about how to source quality deer, elk, etc. A venison farm near me was closing and selling off their herd at what seemed like a good prices, but just wasn’t too sure about their diet, living conditions, hormones, antibiotics, etc.
Kevin
not a hunter [yet]
First off, thanks to Robb and Andy for keeping up with the podcast. The guest appearances by all the “paleo” (but should really be called something more like ‘health optimizing, intellectual, research analyzing’) bloggers is a welcome addition to the program. Not surprising that everyone who actually reads and takes the time to critique and understand the actual research (rather than skim a headline and scare themselves into a new diet) end up in the same general area in regards to diet and lifestyle choices.
My question for Dr. Harris:
During your recent interview with Jimmy Moore, you seemed to have relaxed your stance on grain fed beef. I was just curious as to your line of reasoning behind this, as I can recall earlier the situation you used to describe your diet included extra fish oil supplementation if you were to eat a conventional burger (sans bun, of course). I also know that Robb has relaxed his position on fish oil supplementation fairly recently, and you expressed concerns with using fish oil religiously as well, so I was curious to see where you two both sit on that issue. Perhaps some debate and discussion on air could result in a pretty solid understanding for the audience.
Thanks again for the great (free!) knowledge and insight you both provide.
Regards,
-Sean in Oakland
Dr. Harris,
Tag along question to Sean’s. I think it was in the same interview that you mention not needing to be concerned about consuming nitrates. Did I hear you correctly and if so could you please expand the subject?
Thanks.
Respectfully,
Steve – Charleston WV
+1 thanks
Dr. Harris,
Thank you for taking questions for the upcoming podcast. Although recently introduced to your blog, I am a big fan. My question concerns talking to other health care providers. These providers are very educated but despite all the evidence I can provide, they still deny that there is any merit to the philosophy and science of Paleo nutrition. Do you have any advice on how to talk to other doctors, PTs, etc without being offensive especially when it concerns patient care?
Second and final question: Among all the people to whom I recommend Paleo Nutrition to improve their health, none from my family will listen to me. I think my family will never acknowledge my advice as a doctor even though i’ve cured all my own ailments (overweight, gastritis, etc) right in front of their eyes. How does your family accept your recommendations? Do you have any advice on how to convince your family that you know what you’re talking about?
Thanks for coming on the show and I appreciate your time.
Dr. Pierce
Please talk more about nuts. They seem like they would be a wholesome, natural, unprocessed, paleolithic food. Yet the n-6 PUFA appears to be high. Might there be other elements in nuts that would neutralize the damage that could be done by the excess n-6 PUFA? Thanks. I look forward to hearing the podcast.
Speaking of nuts – soaking and drying beneficial? or waste of time?
While n=1 (see Kurts recent article), actually n=2 (partner), our experience is that it definitely helps with digestion, but, no offence intended, a proposition to “neutralise” the bulk compositional makeup of a food (fat/protein/carb) is more like ‘food alchemy’! (PUFAs are PUFAs. Restrict their dietary proportion. Sidenote: you don’t want to even read about technologically saturating PUFAs… frankenfats..)
Soaking/sprouting in saltwater is proposed to work on the nut/seeds:
– precautionary mechanism to pre-mature sprouting
– defence mechanism to being digesting and broken down
(mind you, I haven’t found a healthly seed yet, equiv. of the Macadamia for seeds. Anyone?)
Practical experience for it working?
When I (without psychological prejudice) unwittingly happily much away on some unsoaked + dehydrated nuts at a catered event, or on a plane etc. I often get reminded of their resistance to consumption from the GI feeling of slower digestion and full/bloated. I have no allergies, intolerances health or weight issues. I totally lolly grab for ‘good’ nuts (the low PUFA nuts), which, mind you, is pretty much restricted to Macadamia’s and small quantities of others.
As far as I’m aware, Maca’s are the only reasonable nut to consume in any regular basis but small quantity basis. Hazelnuts, almonds + pistachios are second.
Everything else is just little fibrous pills of PUFAs. Kurt probably doesn’t mind that description.
Check out a nutritional comparison of common nuts at http://www.hazelnutcouncil.org/health/analysis.cfm
Incidently, fibre is one of the few issues I’m undecided upon. All in all, small quantities from delicious coconut flour based baked goods, small quantities of nuts, and small quantities of veg – is unlikely to inspire rage in either Kurt Harris or Robert Lustig, fibre apathetic and endogenous fibre advocate, respectively.
Cheers,
P Liddi
(“..GI feeling..” = gastrointestinal, not glycemic index)
+1 for this and other WAPF hallmarks.
I’d like to know what Dr. Harris considers an unharmful amount of Fructose. That would be super helpful.
+1
btw, great articles on fats and carbohydrates. i had the same question about what is a “moderate” amount of fructose that won’t send me back into metabolic derangement.
Oooh, good one!
+2
+3
And also what are his thoughts on fructose in the context of athletic activity? This is a big one for a lot of us, I think, since fruit or some sort of (reasonable) fruit smoothie is a popular post-workout addition.
How much fructose is safe and healthy, and does athletic activity impact the amount of fructose that one could safely and healthfully consume.
Thanks!
I’ve read differing opinions on the best carb and fat levels for those with PCOS and severe insulin resistance. What would you recommend? In addition I’ve found that for me, dairy worsens pcos symptoms – are there any foods not recommended for those with PCOS?
Many Thanks
What are the most (perhaps top 3) important dietary contributors to heart disease?
In your opinion, what are the worst (perhaps top 3) groups of foods to eat for overall health and why.
Click on “get started” on my website. The whole approach is premised on eliminating the main 3 things that to me seem like the best candidates – wheat, excess fructose and excess linoleic acid.
I stumbled upon Dr. Harris’ blog a couple weeks ago and I find it fascinating, thorough and fairly easy to understand despite the somewhat scientific language. As a ‘healthy skeptic’ I am trying to read up on terms and concepts unfamiliar to me. Todays question is ketonuria. Everything I read about it says it’s an indicator of diabetes and can even lead to serious health conditions. What’s the deal? I’m three days into setting myself up for ketosis and i feel pretty okay, just mild lightheadedness sometimes. Thanks for all your thoughtful work, gentlemen.
Is there a particular reason you are trying to achieve ketosis? Weight loss?
ketosis means ketone bodies in the blood. ketonuria is ketones in the urine. ketonuria occurs if there is ketosis and the ketone bodies are not being consumed. This can occur in the pathologic state (ketoacidosis) with very very high ketone levels beyond the level of consumption, or with ketogenic diets with low levels of ketones but your body has yet not geared up to consume them efficiently, or when you are deeply in ketosis and just have ketone bodies a bit higher. Any of these can put ketones in your urine.
Once keto-adapted, you can be in ketosis and still have no ketones in the urine, because you are burning them all.
Make sense?
I’ve read that one of the three ketone bodies, acetone, is not readily used by the human body and generally is excreted in the urine or exhaled. If true, I would expect ketonuria to accompany ketosis even after keto-adaptation. But perhaps (likely) I’m missing something?
With adaptation you do not see ketone bodies in significant amounts. Think about it like this: Insulin resistance can lead to a spill over in glucose. Ketone resistance (initial stages sof ketosis) we see ketone spill over.
I’m stretching the analogy because I’m neglecting receptor site in the ketone piece, but the idea works.
The difference is that there are three different kinds of ketone bodies, and the body predominantly consumes only two of them for energy. Thus, it stands to reason that, if you are in ketosis, and your body is using ketones for energy, the third ketone body (acetone) is largely waste product and is excreted in the urine regardless of any adaptation.
This analysis is consistent with my own experience. After about 10 months of a ketogenic diet, I’m still consistently in a “small to moderate” state of ketonuria according to the ketone strips I’ve been using.
Sure, but it is vastly different than the “induction” phase of ketosis. We can see mild-moderate levels in athletic events, even in mainly carb adapted athletes.
Sarah, ketonuria is the presence of ketones in urine. Having ketones in your urine is an indication that your body is in ketosis, meaning that it is using ketone bodies as its primary energy source.
Ketosis occurs when glucose is not abundantly available for energy. If you fast or eat a diet very low in carbohydrates, your body will go into ketosis. There is some medical evidence that this form of ketosis is healthy, and Paleo advocates argue that it was common throughout much of evolution for humans to experience ketosis due to intermittent fasting.
Ketosis can also occur when the body has access to glucose but is unable to process it. In diabetics, the body fails to produce the insulin needed to process glucose for its energy needs. As a result, the body turns to ketones. Using ketone bodies is not bad per se, but the body’s inability to produce insulin as needed is very bad.
My interpretation of what Kurt Harris advises is that a person with diabetes or metabolic syndrome may be able to “fix” a broken metabolism if she:
1. Periodically induces ketosis by restricting carbohydrates.
2. Avoids fructose.
3. Avoids gluten and lectins.
4. Avoids excessive omega-6 fatty acids.
5. Consumes plenty of saturated and monounsaturated fats.
Hopefully, Kurt will elaborate and will correct me insofar as I may have not accurately reflected his current views.
Good stuff Roger.
“Paleo advocates argue that it was common throughout much of evolution for humans to experience ketosis due to intermittent fasting”
I used to think that, but now I think it may or not have been common but it is not really an argument that ketosis is desirable.
ketosis and IF are weight loss tools and are useful in certain therapeutic situatons, but for a healthy person ins not necessary and I think is not desirable to be in all the time. Making ketone bodies because glucose is low is a stressor to your body.
“Making ketone bodies because glucose is low is a stressor to your body.”
Can you elaborate further on this one? Maybe on the podcast. If anything, ketones offer extended benefits to an already healthy metabolism.
1) If Dr. Harris could address things to consider in following the recommendations at his website, PaleoNu, if one has a broken metabolism.
2) Also, what considerations would be useful to keep in mind for someone who is elderly (over 75)?
Thank you very much.
Hi Kurt, Robb & Andy – I’d be really curious to hear more about the consumption of exogenous AGE’s via things like bacon, hot dogs, charcuterie, etc. How bad are they? Processed seems to get a bad rap (in the epidemiological literature anyway). Is this because hot dogs are rife with oxidized lipids, often eaten with crappy white flour hot dog buns, or what? I’m trying to square the message in Wrangham’s Catching Fire book of how cooking (over high heat) made us human with the message not to consume meat cooked over high heat in an effort to reduce the consumption of AGE’s.
Cheers,
Rob
+1 on the AGEs please.
Dr. Harris, your recent post suggests drawing distinctions between glucose/starch (seemingly non-problematic for healthy folks) and fructose (acceptable only in far smaller doses than what is available in modern fruit and refined sugars). What types of foods provide the glucose/starch that you think we shouldn’t worry too much about (and that likewise don’t run afoul of your evolutionary hypothesis, such as grains)?
Are there any special dietary or supplementation recommendations for those of us who have had their gallbladders removed?
Further questions concerning GB disease: where in the spectrum of metabolic derangement does it fall? For example, I have read glancing references suggesting cholecystitis may represent undiagnosed celiac disease. Does one differentiate between classic GB stones vs. cholesterol stones in this spectrum?
Thank you
+1 on these.
Not only am I dealing with trying to explain this stuff to my own family, but I’ve been getting more clients without GBs or with issues. I know a lot about it, but I’d love to hear more and better/easier ways of explaining it to folks.
Dr. Harris,
I’d like to know your thoughts on supplementation of fish oil. I understand you have a different perspective on its benefits.
Thanks,
Tom (for Andy – it’s T – O – M, Male) 🙂
Douglasville, GA
What are your thoughts, if any, on Body by Science and Dr Doug McGuff? Thanks.
http://www.paleonu.com/panu-weblog/2010/2/22/body-by-science-and-panu.html
hi Robb and Dr. Harris,
You both do excellent work. It’s great to see Dr. Harris is blogging again!
My question is on whole (cow) cream. Dr. Harris doesn’t seem to have a problem with cream, primarily due to it being very low in casein and lactose, while the “orthodox-paleo” diet restricts it due to it being dairy. I was wondering if Robb could explain his position on whole cream, especially in healthy people.
Thanks!
Andy
I’d be curious to hear about some of the differences in approach between Robb and Dr. Harris (eg saturated fat, dairy), and how you both came to view these areas differently.
Rich
PS – In case this helps the above posters, some of the questions above have been addressed pretty thoroughly on Dr. Harris’ blog — eg he wrote about Body by Science here:
http://www.paleonu.com/panu-weblog/2010/2/22/body-by-science-and-panu.html
…and about fish oil supplementation here:
http://www.paleonu.com/panu-weblog/2011/1/29/n-3-supplementation-recommendations.html
I would like to know his thoughts on Body by Science too. Also, I was wondering if he could talk about sun exposure and sunscreen. Thanks a lot.
This is for both Robb and Kurt since i know you have different views on the subject.
Looking at paleo diets, would it not be safe to assume that our ancestors would have limited to no access to fruits, vegetables and nuts as we have them today? I doubt there was much wild broccoli, almond trees or ripe fruits around. So knowing that, do you think we have truly evolved to eat these types of vegetation, at least in quantities that we do now?
Dr. Harris, Robb & Andy,
What is so great about you guys is how you try to approach everything very scientifically. However, even doing that, there are things you don’t agree on. Things like the ‘Food Pyramid’ and almost every way of eating out there claim to have some level of science behind them as well. This makes all of the ways of eating very religious and since Science hasn’t resolved religious conflict, I doubt it will do it here. But, for the laymen, what are the inarguable facts of the nutrition debate? (i.e. the hard and fast truths that make up the basis of all of the science?) And, how long do you think it will take to solidify some of the more low-carb/paleo styly choices into the scientific canon? Or what types of things have to happen for that to take place?
Thanks for making me think about my food,
Scott G – Boulder, CO
Kurt and Robb,
Thanks for all the great work you have both done. Your blogs (and book) are my go-tos for learning about Paleo, or have a topic I want to search.
I am curious about AGEs, and especially butter.
(See http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/2010/10/anti-ageing-diet.html as a reference.)
Regards,
Robby
+1 for questions involving butter
Everyone is using some sort of scientific claim to espouse their food religion. How is the laymen supposed to tell the difference or make an effective argument when even our religious leaders (you guys) don’t consistently agree based on the science?
Thanks
Scott – Boulder, CO
Where on earth did you learn to equate lack of consensus with “religion”?
And if things were decided by consensus, we would be practicing politics, not science.
Amen. Er, ah…right!
Mostly commenting on the idea that the way people eat and talk about it has the feal of religious fervor. Every group has faith in their scientists, generally based on how it seems to be working for them. But my father in law is a vegetarian and he thinks my wife and I are going to die, and that he must intervene somehow (convert or we’ll go to Hell!).
I think what is consensus are the easiest things to argue – no sugar, processed food, gluten. As a laymen, I think those are the arguments I can make when dealing with how my family eats. I’ll just have to become more informed to articulate the rest.
Thanks for taking the time to answer questions and do the podcast.
+1
Excellent question!
Why do people have the need to follow a single person as if he/she has every answer? God forbid someone attempts to answer a question on his/her own instead of looking to a “religious leader.” Anyway, it’s tough do so without scientific knowledge (and logic): I’m sure Dean Ornish can convince a typical 6th grader about the dangers of saturated fat more easily than he can Dr Harris–duh. Before I even knew much science though, I noticed frequent logic flaws with Mcdougall, Fuhrman, etc, so it was easy to leave them alone.
Any development in your understanding of Lp(a), its role in our physiology and why we should or should not be concerned with elevated levels? I ask this as someone concerned with a diagnosis that is similar to Dr Harris.
Ugh. My second sentence is not very clear. With more accuracy and precision:
My wife’s Lp(a) has been measured at a level similar to what Dr Harris reports for his own. Her doctor has recommended niacin treatment, particularly in the context of her desire to have a child.
Further, I’ve noticed that Dr Harris has both authored his own post on the subject and has commented at least once at Hyperlipid regarding the evolving set of knowledge of Lp(a). So, it appears he has an interest and just wanted to get his latest opinion.
Is snow shoveling paleo?
no.
I would like to see some discussion of how diet affects hormone levels, specifically testosterone. If you need that in the form of a question how about this:
Testosterone levels in men typically drop with age. Does Metabolic Syndrome (specifically insulin resistance and hyperinsulinaemia) or other effects of eating a SAD precipitate the decrease in testosterone? Could a low-toxicity PaNu diet restore testosterone levels, or at least lessen its decline?
Maybe Crossfit, but not paleo
Dear doc,
how to monitor the detrimental effects of fructose / alcohol on the liver – this is a general question and not at all a request for treatment (I’m outside of the US healthcare system anyway 🙂 but where would you look Dr. Harris, what measures would you first check to see if something wrong is going on there?
Kurt: I think a lot of people, maybe most people, can understand what to eat but NO ONE is talking about why people who know what to eat can’t seem to change their lifestyle. Yes, some people do, but I suspect that most (including myself) continue to get sidetracked by the co-worker with the brownies. Thoughts on helping us get past the continuous flow of bad food?
That’s more in the realm of psychiatry and self-help than diet. Don’t eat the brownie. Don’t do lines of coke at the party. Don’t smoke if someone offers you a cigarette.
Hookers & Cocaine win every time.
This is why the hand-holders like me exist… along with the shrinks.
Wow
Looks like we’ve got enough good questions for several hours already. Keep ’em coming!
Menstrual irregularities on paleo. No one is touching this with a 10 foot pole. Seeing in multiple strong Olympic lifting athletes who also Crossfit.
I’ve talkedd about his a ton, no 10 foot pole required! check the podcast archives. Two words: Overtraining, iodine.
Yep, I heard this menioned at least 3 or 4 times in the podcasts.
body fat percentage. too low, lose your period.
do you think the best way to raise body fat up up via overeating with ketones or doing so with an excess in glucose? spillover of either doesnt seem very ‘healthy’ but i would like to know the best environment for gaining weight. is it just simple caloric excess and the body chooses what to store and where?
i mean overeating with saturated fat vs overeating with carbohydrates**
If you want to add body fat, do a reverse low carb diet – eat more starch on purpose.
Okay, a lot of the above questions have already been answered in his other interviews and blog posts…
You have recently seemed to lean towards thinking glucose and saturated fat are somewhat equal health-wise, but is this the case, or do you still feel saturated fat in superior? How does this fit in with Cynthia Kenyon’s work and the many studies showing the benefits of glucose restriction (albeit in vitro and in species much different than humans)?
Do you have any specific recommendations with vitamin A? The fact that liver is such a concentrated and available source makes it difficult to come up with a proper intake. I’ve seen anywhere from 3000-30000IU/day in cultures. Masterjohn has estimates that 10000IU/day is good (with maybe blue-eyed people needing more–interesting) while Guyenet seems to think more toward and RDA.
+1 on Liver Discussion
Too much liver / CLO = unsafe levels of Vit A? How much is too much?
How to get enough K2 if you eat no dairy, eggs, butter, cheese?
The general paleo rule is pastured / grass fed meat is preferred over CAFO / grain fed, but is this especially true for liver? Is liver from CAFO cows/chickens uniquely bad, because of liver storing toxins, etc?
Oh yea, Dr. Harris in the house 😀
1)Totally explain and go into detail about your “Macronutrients don’t exist” series. This is so revolutionary. I love it!
2)If fructose is bad and glucose is good, a)why does Low-Carb work so well (as opposed to just Low-Sugar) and b)is it alright then to eat non-gluten starch like white rice, potatoes, etc. in raw masses?
3)Please talk about dairy. Robb Wolf makes dairy out to be more dangerous than plutonium. In fact, I remember him saying literally that “Drinking just a single glass of heavy cream will instantly kill you, all your ancestors back in time and possibly destroy the universe.” Maybe he didn’t really say it, but that’s what I heard. You say dairy is basically OK in the EM2, even if it might not be valid for paleo-reenactment. Since Robb seems one of the big paleo-reenactors out there (no offense), this would be great.
4)So if lactose is glucose + something that isn’t fructose, is milk ok to drink for health? For weight loss? Does milk make you gain fat and how?
Thanks a thousand bunches,
Bleicke
Pretty sure Robb doesn’t think dairy is plutonium… just sayin’.
I also heard a recent podcast with Sally Fallon on Super Human Radio talking about how the Vitamin A & D content in raw milk might be antagonistic to some of the potentially negative growth-promoting factors (ie: cancer promoting that Robb HAS referred to in the form of “rapid growth promoter” before). I can’t remember her exact quote but I’m interested in this topic a bit as I certainly tell people who aren’t afraid to gain some weight to rock on with raw milk.
http://www.superhumanradio.com/super-human-radio-show/645-forgotten-vitamin-a.html
Seems odd that growth promoters would be LESS active in the raw state. Milk makes mammals grow!
In fact I remember Welbourn talking to a molecular biologist and this guy insisted the growth potentiation was greater with raw dairy. I’ll get John on that.
Hey Robb- it was something about cancer specifically I think Sally mentioned- I will give it a re-listen but maybe have someone listen to it as well. I’ll post back with a time stamp on that podcast where she mentions it. Thanks.
Okay, have someone give it a listen around 38:15. It’s about Vitamin A & cancer… talking about stem cells throughout the body living in fat that replace worn out cells and needing Vitamin A to tell stem cells where to go when necessary. The relationship of it in raw milk may have been somewhere my head went on this based on knowing that the level of A & D in raw milk is far superior to that of fortified, pasteurized, commercial/organic milk.
So, it wasn’t maybe that it isn’t a growth promoter… clearly a thinking person can agree that it makes sense that milk makes mammals grow, but moreso that the idea of raw milk specifically promoting cancer might not be a concern based on the high nutrient values of A & D that are antagonistic to cancer growth?
Just a curiosity of mine I suppose.
I couldn’t reply under my last note.
at 46:15 – Sally comes back to the cancer topic after the commercial break as well… she makes a note about how Vitamin A helps to regulate which kinds of cells proliferate vs which do not.
Thanks, that all makes sense to soem degree based on the A&D.
My husband and I do LCHF, but wonder about the dangers of burned meat?
Dr. Harris,
You have discussed a study showing evidence of coronary atherosclerosis in marathon runners.
At what point do you believe that endurance activities begin to cause this damage? Is it possible to make informed inferences that at a certain level of intensity and duration, the costs begin to outweigh the benefits?
Dairy would be a great topic. Also, what do you think the optimal diet is? I know, I know, it’s different for everyone, but if you had to pick one what, approximately, would it be?
I frequently don’t get enough calcium as well. I know k2 and d are probably more important, but is calcium harmful with adequate levels of these nutrients? Would we have possibly gotten it through water? I drink mineral water occasionally, and adding up the calcium it can amount to 50 percent of the rda. Should we paleos be so dismissive?
Also, when will you start your book? I’ve finished the paleo solution so I’m looking for some new reading material.
I just want to say too, your blog is excellent. Your points are always well reasoned and eloquently made. I’m 15, so people don’t always trust my controversial nutritional advice so I always tell them about your site. I am very glad you’re posting again. I’d send you an email saying this, but I’m sure you have more than enough to sort through and I’d rather not waste your time.
Robb, you’re pretty cool too :).
Aw, shucks ;0)
From what I have pieced together, metabolic syndrome is largely caused by the effects of gluten, excess linoleic acid, and fructose on the liver. Ultimately the glucoregulatory mechanisms are damaged, which leads to insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia, and obesity and diabetes often follow. Is is known what specific mechanism in the liver is affected, and have there been any studies that show exactly how the “Big 3” cause damage to it?
Rob/Andy & Kurt,
Any thoughts or clarifications on the effects of tropical oils (coconut and palm) on metabolism, as the short and medium chain saturated fatty acids are treated much differently than longer chain fatty acids. I have read various posts and comments claiming that in moderate to excess amounts these fats can actually make one “hypermetabolic”, increasing heart rate, and upregulating caloric needs. Thoughts? Would these tropical oils thus be inferior to animal sourced fats (my guess). Would the quick burning of these fuel sources classify them in a realm somewhat more similar to simple carbs as a fuel source – Meaning they would not be optimal choices to implement on their own for fueling periods followed by extended fasting? It seems I can down a bolus of coconut (especially oil, but also cream, butter or milk/meat) and have a surge of energy followed by deep heavy breathing and occasionally flushing of the skin or red eyes. Would this be more likely due simply to an allergic reaction, or more along the lines of an issue with how the liver is metabolizing the fats? Thank you all for the amazing, and life-changing information you provide free of charge. Keep fighting the good fight!
P.S. Robb I still think the cover of the book should have been a “Fabio’esque” shirtless, horseback depiction of you, and Andy. Kurt, not sure if you’re a Packers fan, but I’m from Pittsburgh, I hope this podcast finds your Cheeseheads runners up. Go Steelers!
He’d better be a Packers fan. Aaron Rodgers is from Chico!
+ Coconut Oil, namely is there such a thing as overdoing the coconut?
KGH: I think I remember you writing that you were pretty neutral on coconut, but also baffled by it’s popularity and concerned that people believed it had some magical powers. I’m not so deluded as to think coconut / MCTs are some kind of super food or elixir, but am I deluding myself by thinking it’s just as healthy as any other saturated fat?
Since starting paleo 9 mos ago I find I am consuming absurd amts of coconut oil and other coconut products [guessing about 30-50% of my total calories]. I cook with the oil, snack on the chips, use the milk for drinking and making curries, and the cream/butter for tasty treats.
I have leaky gut / autoimmunity so in addition to std PaNu, I eliminated nightshades, nuts, seeds, dairy, eggs, & butter. My diet is pretty restricted: just pastured meat, wild caught fish, most veggies and a little fruit. The coconut adds some variety. And its tasty, very stable, always ready and cheap if you buy in bulk. But would I be better off substituting some animal fats like suet & lard?
+1 on the new cover design suggestion. Awesome.
Do you believe there could be (fairly) significant differences affecting optimal nutrition based on genetics/genotypes? If there are at least some challenges to the “Out of Africa” theory and we have people in parts of the world who can consume some nutrients with apparent impunity in comparison to others, could even the “three horsemen” be different depending on whether you’re of European, vs. Asian, vs. whatever other descent?
Hi,
Could you both discuss and comment on the significant amount of Optimal Dieters who’ve developed stomach cancers?
Thanks
I don’t practice Kwasniewski’s optimal diet, but can’t see much wrong with it. When you say “significant” do you mean a few cases you’ve heard of, or more like the historically low fat diet Japanese who have the highest rate of stomach cancer of any country in the world?
I believe the stomach cancer has something to do with smoked fish, not the low fat.
The point is that the highest rate of stomach cancer is in those who are not high fat – that would be a contrapositive. Why would high fat cause stomach cancer?
Sorry if my deleted question was inappropriate, but I am a PaNu’er (as opposed to a troublemaker) who has heard Dr. Harris comment on the deleted subject before. Being someone who does adhere to a high fat diet, I thought comment by both parties might be insightful if they thought fat intake was a cause of the disease. Something to keep a watch on, IMHO.
Thanks
Dr. Harris,
I’m so glad to see you’re back to blogging with more regularity! Thanks very much for all the effort you’ve put into making your insights available to the rest of us.
Reading your blog, I gather (correct me if I’m wrong) that you believe those with healthy, non-damaged metabolisms can generally ingest a moderate-high amount of carbs from appropriate starchy sources (such as sweet potatoes) without necessarily causing long-term ill effects. And that those with damaged metabolisms are best off with a low (<50g/day) intake of carbs.
Makes sense to me. But what approach would you suggest to someone who has had a somewhat damaged metabolism in the past?
After several months of careful eating and ~35lbs of fat loss, I am interested in experimenting with the careful re-introduction of a moderate amount (100-150g/day) of "good" carbs back into my diet in the post-workout window, a la the Lean Gains protocol.
What metric(s) would you suggest I look at most closely to judge if my metabolism has healed enough to do so successfully? Body fat percentage? Standard Robb-suggested blood panel (HDL/LDL/LDL Particle Size/C Reactive Protein/Hemoglobin A1C/ etc)? Or other, more subjective measures?
Thanks very much!
~Jeremy
Check out Dr. Davis’s HeartScan blog. He recommends home glucose testing after meals to dial in the right amount of starch for you.
http://www.heartscanblog.org/2010/01/to-get-low-carb-right-you-need-to-check.html
I am deluged with emails from various publications (PubMed etc) in my work email box that tells me over and over again how 6 servings of fruits and vegetables a day reduce heart disease. I think any benefit might be from what they are not eating (wheat) while increasing the f and v intake. What is your take on this?
Dr. Harris,
It has been great to have you back blogging…very informative, and your recent topics have brought light to a lot of questions I’ve had. It is quite exciting to have you on Robb and Andy’s show as well.
My questions:
It is exciting to see more and more practicing physicians turning to evolutionary medicine to help address today’s health problems. In what ways can the public help to support this change? Do you have any suggestions for how to bring the topic of evolutionary medicine to the attention of our current physicians? How long do you think it will be until we see evolutionary medicine as part of the mainstream med school curriculum?
Thanks again for all that you do! People such as yourself and Robb are leading the charge for a true revolution in healthcare. I look forward to buying and reading your future books:)
p.s. I second the question above….”how much is too much fructose a day?”. I imagine it is difficult to quantify….but should we be avoiding fructose at all costs?
Paleo (PaNu version) pretty strict 13 months, with occasional dark chocolate/cheesecake cheat yada yada. 51 year old female. Red wine=massive hot flashes throughout the night, w/out wine, zero hot flashes. WTF?
Sulfites added as a preservative. Don’ drink it or try vodka instead : )
i like the way you think, sir. tequila’s never done me wrong 🙂
Hi,
Kurt, Robb – nutritional bioscience is a hobby and have read most of your material in this space (materials engineering is my PhD). Quick thanks to you for making the time (it is a banquet/gift to people) to making the good science ‘digestible’ and accessible to people.
My question: Macadamia nuts, are they the only ‘good’ nut!?
~76g fat per 100g: 59g monounsaturates, 12g saturated, 1.5g polyunsaturates (1.3g N-6 PUFA, 0.2g N-3 PUFA). Uniquely (?) low PUFA content for a nut, but is it human health friendly?
I believe N-3’s from linseed oil and walnuts, for example, pose challenges with bioavailability, but am under the impression monounsaturates, for example from olive oil, are ok or, even better, offer health benefits? Are Macadamia’s a good food to consume as part of a balanced diet?
Thanks for the patience, wisdom and collaborative effort here.
Regards,
Peter
If you have to eat a nut, they have a favorable profile. Why the obsession with nuts, though? If you believe monounsaturates are healthy, you get about as much mono with animal fats as with any nut or even olive oil and it’s cheaper and you get animal protein and real n-3s at the same time.
Nuts are pushed in dietary culture because they are relatively free of saturated fats, period. If you like to eat a few as a treat, fine, but once you discard the lipid hypothesis there is absolutely no reason to ever eat a nut or nut butter for health reasons. They have no utilizable n-3, and they usually have too much n-6 and they are usually roasted/and or rancid and they are expensive.
I find it impossible to believe we evolved to be dependent on any particular nut or any particular plant for that matter. I also find it implausible that there was 100% access to cold water fish throughout our evolution.
Yeah I know, there is selenium in walnuts, blah blah blah….
The question is do we think diet is mainly about assembling vitamins and making sure you get enough (insert micronutrient here), or just eating real food that is metabolically compatible with health?
People at my Paleo nutrition workshops start to hate me when I turn on their beloved nut consumption. Oops. Glad to hear you’re in that camp, too. I also notice, like Robb, that people tend to WAY overdo it on nuts, nut butter and – egads!- nut flour like almond flour for baking Paleo-fied treats.
Lighten up on the nuts!
The plan being to emulate the evolutionary metabolic milieu, there is no problem with the implausibility of us evolving on nuts or plants, or dairy for that matter. These products can provide healthy additions/alternatives: coconut cream, cheeses, and dairy cream add diversity and interest to our food. As far as I can tell, so do Macadamia’s (not as a staple).
Surely no one out there simply eats to live? Its an activity to be enjoyed. We’re a little bit past spending all our energy on finding food and having sex.. (all our energy on deciphering clinical food science on the other hand?)
Sidenote, we likely didn’t evolve on livestock, especially modern livestock – selectively bred to be obese and constantly lactating, pastured or not. Are akin to modern selectively bred supersweet (and commonly infertile) fruit. We strictly evolved upon neither. Cows are not evolutionary/reproductively fit. More like organic robots. Or a dodo bird. Granted, the livestock hasn’t catastrophically deviated in its nutritional value. But c’mon, the modern cow? Practically defenceless when alive, let alone dead!
So a modern pastured steak ISN’T likely what we evolved on, it just happens to be likely the best alternative we can find to date.
Eat whatvever you want. If you eat a lot of nuts, you are eating a lot of PUFA. Period. The point is not that you can’t eat them, the point is that they are not a health food to purposefully seek the benefit of.
I understand the need for generalisations.
Your statement applying to nuts in general is well noted.. but not the question at hand.
There are MORE PUFAs in pastured meat than Macadamia’s per gram. Period.
You have to indict the monounsaturates or endogenous fibre.
Macadamia’s (hazelnuts, almonds and pistachios to a lesser degree) are a happy exception to the rule and should add enjoyment, interest and diversity to food.
After that, which is the majority, nuts are simply fibrous pills of PUFA.
Which, unlike carbohydrates, I’m not aware of fibre doing anything to ameliorate the negative health impact of PUFAs.
I can see why you stopped comments on your blog. I don’t think I have what it takes to deal with everyone’s nuances..
Will return to the silent reading masses. Your blog is a condensed and accessible guide – many thanks.
P Liddi
NO, the pufa’s in GF meat are EPA/DHA and AA…these are not the problems. Linoleic acid IS a problem. So is too much alpha linolenic acid.
1. What exactly does “eat [xxx] food in MODERATION” mean? How can one decide on moderation for themselves or their children?
2. Why do headaches occur when changing your diet? This seems to happen when taking carbohydrates out, or when taking fats out. Is our brain reacting that severely to changes in our nutrition that quickly?
Dr. Harris – thank you so much for your blog.
I’m not sure if this question is too specific to my situation, but I suspect that other lacto-ovo-vegetarians may be interested in the answer as well. My question is: if one follows all the PaNu 12 steps except for the meat consumption, how much of a compromise to health do you think this is?
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I personally have begun to experiment with meat in the past month after being convinced by the arguments at your blog and a few others. But I am curious to know to what degree you think a person would be compromising their health by not eating meat or fish, as long as they avoid the three NAD, and include plenty of grass fed dairy and pastured eggs.
Thanks again for your wonderful, well-reasoned, incisive blog. Like many others I look forward to every post and the thought provoking ideas you put forth.
-BC
I think it is perhaps one of the few paleo-type diets that one could be pretty healthy on as and ovo-lacto veg.
Just make eggs, grass finished butter and cream and maybe aged cheeses and eggs your staples and add sweet potatoes and root veggies to suit and only cook with ghee butter and coconut. I eat like this several days a week myself.
That is one huge problem with the “no dairy” bit, you are going to be eating nuts and plant oils with loads of n-6 if you are vegetarian but have no dairy and no red meat or fish. And you will need krill oil as you will get zero useful n-3s with no dairy or meat or fish.
Thanks BC for asking the question (as I am a lacto-ovo vegetarian too and trying to follow PaNu 12 steps sans Meat/Fish).
Dr Harris – love your blog!!! As a follow-up to BC’s question
1) Since legumes are lower in the 12 steps and assuming the 3 horsemen are out of the picture, would you recommend adding legumes to ensure “adequate” protein or just increasing the consumption of eggs/milk/cheese.
2) Assuming a lacto-ovo veggie is eating a fairly high number of eggs daily (6+), any concern about oxidation of egg cholesterol from cooking?
Thanks again Dr H for your great blog!
Why “aged cheeses” and not young ones?
Thanks Dr. Harris. Really looking forward to the podcast.
Kurt, you recently mentioned that excess of Omega 3 is almost as bad as excess of Omega 6. Is it possible to get too much of Omega 3 from just simply eating too much oily fish like mackerel or salmon. Let’s take an extreme case – a person does not eat meat, but eats lots of fish.
Breifly, I think yes.
n-3 is only good if you need to correct an overload of n-6. It is parametric. If you start at 6:3 ratio of 15 and move it to 2 over time, you will not necessarily be healthier by moving it to 1:4 or something like that – granted that is not very likely to happen if you just ate mackeral or salmon now and then, but I suppose it could if you ate nothing else at all for if you got little n-6 and took 15 g a day of DHA/EPA as a supplement.
The real issue is how much of the 6s in your cell membranes can be replaced by flooding your body with highly unstable n-3?
You can’t change the type of gas in your car by adding 20 gallons all at once when the tank is already full, can you? It will just spill out onto the ground if you try that. Instead, you have to deplete the tank 5 gallons at a time and then replace it 5 gallons at a time…
Thanks.
But suppose I just like fish. It might sounds strange for some people,
but I do eat much more fish than meat just because I like to enjoy fish meals, and not because I want to replace n-6 with n-3.
reading about replacing fatty acids, I remember the scare about TTA (Tetradecylthioacetic acid, a synthetic fatty acid) which reduces triglycerides and helps with fat loss, but is apparently hard to break down for your body (cf. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19267708)
Have you heard anything of this one / what are your thoughts?
Just another one on the TTA. I am just reading your blogpost on fish oil and the statement that we cannot be sure that all the fish oil we take will “replace” the “bad” n-6 fatty acids in our cells, made me think of the results of the following study > http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11583704
Obviously this thia-fatty acid has the ability to increase n-3 fatty acids in tissue -> “In the heart, the sum of the n-3 fatty acids was 8.9+/-2.7 in the TTA group versus 4.3+/-0.2 mol% in the control group (P<0.05)."
the question yet remains if we would not have improved membrane stability and less susceptibility to oxidation with saturated fats instead of either n-3 or n-6!?
Any thoughts on the NIH-AARP Diet and Health study that showed a correlation between higher red meat intake and all cause mortality, deaths from cancer and deaths from CVD? It’s cited in the Feb 2011 Harvard Me’s Health Newsletter.
Any thoughts on the NIH-AARP Diet and Health study that showed a correlation between increased red meat intake and increased all cause mortality as well as deaths from cancer and cardiovascular disease? This study is reviewed in the Feb 2011 Harvard Men’s Health Newsletter. Thanks.
-A;ex
I suspect another observational study with confounders like smoking, obesity, sugar intake, etc that are IMPOSSIBLE to control for. All behaviors that track with red meat because they are found in people who ignore popular health advice like don’t smoke or eat red meat or donuts.
As there is no biologially plausible mechanism I have ever read that would like red meat to cancer or heart disease, I never even read these types of studies.
I would not read a report that alleges smoking improves your aerobic capacity for the same reason. It is ridiculous on the face of it once you have basic knowledge.
I always like the Inuit Paradox in this too. If meat causes cancer…observational but interesting. Then, we can really get down to disproving things by looking at the dearth of proposed mechanisms.
I second the inquiry of Lp(a).
Not too long ago, Dr. Davis (I know your stance on his stuff) posted about a man exhibiting Lp(a), and how this pattern responds well to a high-fat, high-protein, low-carb diet. However the man also possessed ApoE4, which Davis claims is negatively effected by a high-fat intake a la “CW” cardiac risk factors. Does your belief and/or understanding that individual HDL, LDL etc numbers apply to this scenario and in what capacity? You touched on this in your interview with Jimmy Moore- but what tests do you recommend people get; what characteristics/numbers/figures should people know about themselves?
Overall, can a high-fat diet work for anyone and everyone, provided they aren’t already broken?
fearing carbohydrates (or sugar and wheat) and saturated fat equally puts you in a bind, doesn’t it?
If you reject the lipid hypothesis, the answer is obvious.
And the point of the recent series is that the term “high fat” is meaningless.
Davis’ patients eat 10 as much n-6 PUFA as I do. THEY are the ones on the “high fat” diet!
Doc,
Another question if I may. I do not think you believe in any version of the Lipid Hypothesis. So that being said, what blood values seem useful to track? if any?
Thanks alot!
Big ups to Robb and Andy. Thank you guys for continuing to bring such a great podcast to us.
I recently bought my dad the Kindle version of the book and, to much my surprise, he took to it and is losing weight/feeling great.. Even though I’d been telling him to eat Paleo for a couple years now, I guess reading it from a book source sealed the deal lol. He loves the book (obviously).
Dr. Harris,
I got three…
1) Probiotics. Yes/no?
2) Hypertension control with Paleo: is this possible? I haven’t had much luck (no response to sodium). What’s the mechanism?
3) Why is the current medical establishment being so resistant accepting this evolutionary/Paleo way of eating? I’m assuming they’ve been made aware of the growing body of evidence against lectins and the lipid hypothesis in general (i.e. statins) yet they still vehemently oppose it? Given your background, maybe you have some insight here.
Thanks again,
Jon
Ditto the question on hypertension control with a Paleo diet. Thanks, and I’m so glad Dr. Harris agreed to join you. Could you go for two hours and make two episodes? We’d all love it. I know, I’m being greedy.
I don’t have a specific question, but I would be happy if Kurt didn’t have to waste too much time rehashing things he’s already made clear in his blog and blog comments. Sure, his positions have changed somewhat (science? change?), but if I see another person asking Kurt about vitamin D I swear I’m going to kick a puppy (and a really, really cute puppy at that). Hearing about what he’s changed his opinions on and why would be the most fascinating for me.
Hear hear! (all except for the part about the puppy)
Hi Robb,
Could Dr. Kurt Harris discuss the issue of women’s health? I wonder what influence have the three agents of disease in female health. What consequences may bring at hormone level? What is the best diet for a person who is entering (or already) in menopause?
Best regards,
Susana
Yes! The Menoposse wants to hear more about paleo diet and the consequences at hormone level. Talk about things feeling like an internal hypersensitive hormone bath. Menopause, I mean.
Do you feel there is any hope that attitudes will change re. heart health? I work in health care and am appalled that patients at Cardiac Rehab (post angioplasty, coronary bypass, MI) are being encouraged to avoid all saturated fats such as butter and use margarine instead. They promote the typical “whole grain” thing but are also touting soy products as healthy. Are there ANY other physicians out there that follow you/Robb’s way of thinking? Being the only one in my department that sees something wrong with this is making me look like I’ve lost my mind.
Check out Dr. William Davis’ blog here: http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/. Here’s a practicing Cardiologist.
He comes close, but there are a few areas where his ideas differ from Dr. Harris and Robb’s.
I love Dr. Davis’ stuff. Solid.
Being low carb and low sat fat with super-high omega 6 at the same time is a huge difference from my approach.
You might even be better off with a little wheat than the nut-heavy no-butter diet Davis advocates.
Not close enough in my view. Davis still clings to the lipid hypothesis. Also believes in treating numbers where there is zero evidence that it will help real clinical end points.
I’ve noticed his stuff too.
I posted this once before – not sure what happened to it..
Dr. Davis tries to be low carb and low sat fat at the same time. He is heavily into nuts and TemPO (temperate plant oils) due to his lipoohobia. This makes his approach very high in PUFA and therefore substantially different from mine. You might be better off with a little wheat in your diet than with 15% of calories from linoleic acid.
I scanned patients post CABG all the time in my imaging center. Every single one was on a high cereal grain, high soy, high PUFA nearly vegan low fat diet. I was usually scanning them because they had recurrent chest pain or their grafts were now occluded. Duh!
I gave Taubes’ GCBC to more than a dozen fellow physicians and not a single one ever mentioned it to me or changed their practices as a result, as far as I could tell. Many practicing physicians don’t read much. They are too busy.
The real problem is that the primary care docs are terrified of being criticized by the cardiologists for their care, wrongly assuming that the cards have a deep understanding of anything other than than the pro-statin propaganda. For instance, they acknowledged that coronary CTA was a better way to look for coronary disease than nuclear stress test but would order the nuclear test anyway. Guess which test the machine is often owned by cardiologists?
One surgeon that I do know who read it (he bought the book himself) later wrote a self-help diet book that basically said losing weight was a matter of calorie counting and self-esteem. Seriously.
Dr. Harris,
In your recent post about Fats, you group pigs in with poultry under the NRAF category. In the Primal Wisdom posting “The Practically Primal Guide to Conventional Beef, Part 3: Nutritional composition”, Don Matesz talked about pigs as “hind-gut fermenters” which he indicated had an omega-6 content not too different from ruminants, and much less than that of poultry. Your thoughts? I’m basically wondering if pigs are closer to IRAF than NRAF in terms of omega-6, which might classify pork lard as a “good” fat rather than a “fair” or “poor” fat. Thank you for your highly informational and very readable posts! Clarissa
I put pigs with NRAF for two reason: much harder to find pastured omnivorous animal
and obviously to be in GRAF or IRAF you have to be a foregut fermenter ie. a ruminant
Most Lard and pork is higher in n-6 than GRAF or IRAF and lower in n-3. It beats the heck out of any TemPO (temperate plant oil) but can’t make the top 2 categories if the heirarchy is to have any meaning.
I do eat bacon a lot and some prosciutto and I love baby back ribs on the grill. But lamb and beef are my staple meats.
Hi Dr. Harris, Robb, Andy,
Let’s say that you had access to the longitudinal data of a cohort, something like the Nurses’ Health Study or the Framingham Heart Study (which has been recording health information on participants since roughly the early 1950s, and which has been collecting dietary information, in the form of food frequency questionnaires – from which approximate intakes of specific nutrients can be derived, every 4 years since the early 1980s). Notwithstanding the oft-noted limitations of epidemiological investigations, I wonder what kinds of studies/analyses you would like to see emerge from data such as these, that may lend support to a Panu/paleo approach? For example, Dr. Harris, recent posts of yours focused on breaking up the “macronutrients” into sub-components. So, would you lend much weight to a study that examined intakes of your “sub-macros” in relation to specific health/disease outcomes? Are there other studies you’d like to see from these kinds of major longitudinal investigations?
Thanks to you all for continuing to share your convictions, for continuing to provide evidence that may support them, and for steering people toward health and vitality.
Hello Robb and Kurt,
I have to give a little background first. I am a 36 y/o MALE that was diagnosed with breast cancer on 11/17/10. I had a modified radical mastectomy on 12/3/10 with 17 lymph nodes removed, which all came back negative for cancer. PET scan also came back clear. I am estrogen receptor positive with a grade 1 tumor. My cancer is stage 2 because of tumor size (3 cm). I had the Oncotype Dx test which gave me a score of 19. That puts me at the bottom of the intermediate range. Based on this I am still trying to decide if I am going to do chemo or not.
My questions are what are your thoughts/opinions on upper body strengthening and the risk of developing lymphedema? Also altitude and the risk of lymphedema? I enjoy going up to the mountains and don’t want to have to give that up. I also really want to try to avoid developing lymphedema. Second question is, if I do decide to have the chemo, what are your suggestions for nutrition while having chemo? I have read some of the posts on Richard Nikoley’s Free the Animal blog that suggest that some extended fasting and a ketogenic diet may be beneficial. What are your opinions on this?
Thanks to you both!! Any information is very much appreciated!!
Jacob
Dr. Harris,
Thank you for all the energy and the time you spend researching and blogging about nutrition. I have grown to appreciate the information you provide — particulary since your return to “blog world.” However, with all this information, something still alludes me — vitamins/minerals and their daily requirements! What are your general thoughts about vitamin and mineral intake? I use nutritiondata.com to get a rough idea as to what percentages of the RDI I am getting, but as hard as I try something is always deficient no matter what combinations of food I use. For instance, I find that thiamine is always low without eating macadamia nuts, sunflower seeds, oats or some type of legume. Can you shed some light on this area. I hope to see a future blog entry concerning this topic. Thanks.
Hi Dr. Harris. Love your blog. Can you please tell us where you stand on the high protein and autophagy debate? There is a lot of conflicting evidence, some saying it can aid in fat loss, but then other studies claim that amino acid restriction lengthens lifespan and is the actual reason that caloric restriction provides its benefits. Would you recommend protein fasting as a means to health?
Thanks for all your hard work, and for being generous enough to give this info out for free. J
Dr. Harris,
In your recent blog post about fats, you did not mention anything about short chain saturated fatty acids (SCSFA) and butter (other than cooking with it). Any particular reason?
brevity
Hi Dr Harris,
Happy to be directed to a source of information that might be able to explain in layman’s terms the query below if there is any information out there. I’ll admit I’m a little new to this and the research seems a little daunting!
– Is the mechanism by which one becomes insulin sensitive, and thus prone to hypoglycemia from spikes and drops to fast acting carbs the same for lean or obese people?
Alot of focus seems to be on how excessive carbohydrates lead to obesity, often with blood sugar problems. For me, I also damaged my metabolism binging on carbs but remained very slender. I was curious to know what might be going on in my body that’s different despite seemingly similar symptoms and nutritional background to those that get obese from excessive carb intake.
Taking it one step further, can the low carb, higher fat/protein diet typically subscribed still be used by those that are underweight and experiencing metabolic problems.
Ta,
Dr Harris, I am greatly enjoying your “macronutrient” posts.
I would be interested on your take on the 4th macronutrient = alcohol. (For certain people this represents a significant percentage of their caloric intake). Is there a good, bad and ugly sub-division here, as you’ve already outlined with carbs and fat?
Was curious about the omission of alcohol from the carbohydrates post as well. Doesn’t it get processed in the liver in a similar way to fructose?
I may add that to the carb taxonomy.
It’s a special case – kind of like fructose but it’s also a drug
Like fructose it is completely unnecessary to eat it.
Since I’m 56, a top consideration for me is this: is SFA truly safe? In the end, actual outcomes studies are all that matter. Can Dr. Harris summarize the available outcomes-based evidence and the strength of it?
Related to that is the following: any randomized trials seem to be always in the setting of weight loss. Almost everybody’s markers, like lipids, improve during weight loss. So how much are those results, primarily from the overweight and sedentary, relevant to people who are not losing or needing to lose weight?
Btw, I’m happy to see Dr Harris use the phrase above “seem like”, since not much is known for sure – despite what the endless supply of advocates in the world (for one side or the other) would say.
Nope, Dr Harris has said many times to completely avoid SFA. There are many strong biological arguments against it as well as endless excellent large-scale observational studies.
Seriously though, as Sean mentioned above, I hope there isn’t much time spent on topics that are already extremely clear.
What does “SFA” stand for in this context? If it stands for “saturated fatty acids”, then Dr. Harris most certainly does NOT say to completely avoid it. On the contrary – he embraces SFA as the healthiest type of fat.
My question was deliberately worded. I didn’t ask if Dr Harris *thinks* that SFA is safe, it’s obvious that he does. I instead was asking what evidence there is, specifically in outcomes studies.
The internet is full of statements that we just *know* that SFA is safe, so let’s move on to the details of implementation. Some other examples: we just *know* that vit D is safe and lessens MI incidence. But oops, a study shows that blacks have more MI when taking vit D. Seniors in AU have more fractures, not less, with a single wintertime high dose of D. Oops, how can that possibly happen – because we all just know it’s good for bones? Or we all *know* these things: that inflammation contributes to MI, and arginine is anti-inflammatory, so arginine can help to prevent MI. But oops again: arginine causes more fatal secondary MI.
The history of science is full of examples where the suppositions turn out to be not true. That’s why outcomes studies are all that matter in the end.
So if you want to be dismissive and insist that the safety of SFA is “extremely clear”, then I’m asking: where is the strong evidence? I’m not taking sides, I’m was asking for a quick review of actual evidence which may or may not exist (especially in outcomes not related to weight loss), and not supposition. That should take about 30 seconds of the interview time.
And oh yeah, the internet is also full of statements like “Cordain is an idiot if he says SFA is bad”. That shows how far things can go downhill when suppositions rule the day. I’m not even sure what he currently thinks, but I’d say that Cordain’s ancient Eskimo woman shouldn’t be ignored – and that efforts to dismiss that case were just too glib.
IIRC, even Rob said in an early podcast something like this: “we’re all taking a chance here”. Maybe I misunderstood him and Robb can clarify what he’d meant by that, roughly around episode 20 or so.
Please give us your take on the mighty avocado. It is delicious and creamy, yet sometimes maligned because of omega-6 content.
My rudimentary understanding is that plant-based omega-6’s convert to arachidonic acid at a low rate, and animal-based omega-6’s are more typically in the form of arachidonic acid. Beyond that, I’m not sure what happens to omega-6’s that aren’t converted to bad stuff. Like maybe a good portion gets converted to good stuff like GLA.
Any insight? I could eat guacamole every day of my life.
Dr. Harris and Robb,
It seems pretty clear at this point that metabolic derangement is caused by grain lectins (in particular gluten), fructose, and/or excess PUFA, particularly linoleic acid and trans fatty acids. Or as the Perfect Health Diet guys refer to them “food toxins.” The evidence seems to be compelling, but I’m interested in the biochemical mechanisms that cause this disregulation.
These food toxins seem to be in some way effecting the hypothalamus’ ability to receive leptin signals; i.e. leptin resistance; and/or possibly having some effect on the liver which leads to leptin resistance in the hypothalamus. Do you know any more specifics on how these food toxins specifically interfere with leptin signaling? Or if my understanding of it is totally off, can you correct this?
Thanks,
Geoff
I look at the gut and liver as the nexus of these agents, but I am sure the hypoT is affected down the line.
It’s a symphony for sure. Not just one instrument in the band..
Dr Harris,
What are you thoughts on potential dietary interventions for FDG-positive malignancies? Would those interventions differ from FDG-negative disease?
In terms of angiogenesis and it’s role in malignancy, do you believe natural occurring compounds in foods to have potential therapeutic efficacy, in their raw un-altered form (not purified, packaged, and swallowed in a gel cap)?
Dan
Robb,
What is your take on P90X and Insanity from Beach Body?
Good stuff if that’s all you’ve got. Ease into it.
My two favorite nutrition experts on the same podcast…what next…peace in the Middle East?
Dr. Harris, your blog is fantastic. Since I began eating Panu, I have searched for reliable information on omega 6/omega 3 content of various animal/poultry/pork/fish meats and organs to address your Issue 8 (“Adjust your 6s and 3s”). It seems that a lot of questions could be addressed (including the discussion of how much, if any, fish oil supplementation should be pursued) by a reliable entity performing tests and publishing tables showing their SFA, MUFA and PUFA content (including n-6/n-3 ), or at least a range of values. The information that I do find is contradictory or of otherwise questionable reliability. Is this because there are no such studies by a reputable entity? On what information do you rely when it comes to fatty acid component of animal products?
I haven’t had a blood lipid panel done in some time, although after eating this way a few more months I may get one just for fun. You’ve said that you don’t believe in the lipid hypothesis and that blood tests to determine LDL, HDL, et al are unnecessary at best. There are a number of people whose opinion I respect (including Robb Wolf) who do see value in a blood lipid panel provided LDL particle size is also determined. What is your opinion on the value of LDL particle size and what information is available to suggest that the lipid hypothesis should be ignored entirely?
Finally, to Robb as well as Dr. Harris, let me just say that an unexpected and very entertaining aspect of listening and reading both of you is when you face questions from people who either aren’t paying attention or are making excuses for their or others’ behavior. Bring on the smack down! More Angry Robb! More Angry Kurt (…ok, Dr. Harris)!
I would like to hear Dr. Harris comment on whether and why a ketogenic diet may kill, or suppress the growth of, cancer cells.
This is also, what I would like to ask Dr. Harris.
Me too!! See my question above regarding ketogenic diet, cancer, chemo, etc.
+2
Or more specifically, how to use a ketogenic diet to do so. What kind of protocol is necessary to achieve the therapeutic benefits?
Thanks to both Robb and Dr Harris for all of your illuminating advice.
I’m someone who has still struggled with the ravages of metabolic syndrome and weight loss a year after going PaNu full force (had my BMR tested recently and its 1050 calories a day for a 32 yr old, 5’5”, 217 pound female–all other endocrine tests are normal, I sleep a lot and do Crossfit style workouts 3x weekly.)
I would love to hear your thoughts on further combatting resistant metabolic syndrome and specifically tackling a very low metabolism.
Many thanks,
Jennifer
I would really love to hear you two paleo gurus discuss toothpaste.obviously paleolithic man survived just fine without it and kept his teeth (and from what I’ve read they were more pearly white than ours are today). So…do you brush?
Hi Robb & Dr. Harris,
I was hoping you guys could discuss the mechanisms by which insulin resistance occurs. It is my understanding that you, Dr. Harris, don’t think glucose, in non-toxic quantities, causes insulin resistance in healthy humans. Also, your opinion of fructose is that of a poison and does cause insulin resistance in everyone, but is tolerated in small quantities; which, correct me if I’m wrong in any of this but you’re of the same opinion as Matt Lalonde and and Dr. Robert Lustig. Finally, could you elaborate on what you would consider acceptable quantity of fructose or is it better predicated in its vessel, eg pear, apple or berries vs sucrose? I’d love to hear everyone perspective on this, more insight is always welcome.
I apologize if I have put words in your mouth and have a completely false understanding in anyway. As always, I appreciate everything you guys do, for everyone. Thanks again, and keep up the great work.
Cheers,
Paleo Pupil
Robb/Dr. Harris: could you expand on this with regards to using dextrose powder as a sweetener. Peter at Hyperlipid uses dextrose as a sweetener and I’m wondering how dextrose compares to fructose/glucose.
Thanks guys.
Dextrose is glucose. Much better than fructose or sucrose, still sugar!
Peter uses sucrose as a sweetener in every post of his I’ve read.
Hi guys, my questions is a combined one for both Robb and Dr. Harris.
I was just wondering out of all this information that is floating around out there what are some of the things that both of you fundamentally agree on? Also, in areas where you have different opinions how important are those ideals to some ones overall health and well being? It seems that with all this info out there many people have differing ideas, which is to be expected, but how important are these details? Also, I love both of your guys blogs and think you are doing the utmost to help change people’s lives for the better and can’t thank you enough for what you both have done!
Al
Hey Dr. Harris,
1) My 1st question involves dealing with my current doctor.
Been doing the cream w/my tea or coffee during the day. Totally love what it does for my mental performance at work (and my A1C went down the lowest in 6 years). Also, been doing most of your 12 steps except grassfed beef. Thing is my LDL hit the roof (from 112 to 235). My triglycerides went up slightly from 64 to 72 and hdl up to 74.
Until something like Robb’s Paleo Physician’s Network gets going, what should folks tell there docs (per my doc’s letter, he recommends starting statins and a diet change)? What are the key studies to enlighten a doctor’s thinking or what direction should I take things to get the dialogue going?
2) Other question is: does doing the cream during the day give the pancreas some recovery time and also allow for autophagy (since no protein consumption)? Thanks guys.
My advice is eat healthy and stop measuring lipoproteins. There is no convincing evidence they “cause” heart disease, so why measure them? If your A1C has improved and your weight is good and you have no hypertension who gives a shit what your “cholesterol” is? Is there any way you are less healthy with lower A1C but bigger LDL particles? Makes no sense to me.
The lipid hypothesis is bullshit. If you eat a high sat fat diet your LDL may go up because of large fluffy particles.
Hell, unless you are sick, why are you going to the doctor anyway?
Robb, Andy, and Dr. Harris,
I have had much confusion over how much protein to eat. I am a big guy made even bigger by extreme obesity. Dr. Harris calculated my protein intake sufficient at roughly 75g a day in the forum on his blog. Your book has me eating 4-8oz. each meal if I remember right. Can you gentlemen address protein needs for the obese, not just for the Crossfitter or Athlete. Also, is your protein prescriptions in cooked or raw ounces? Thanks!!
Andrew
How to further lower HBA1C/eliminate metabolic symptoms after sustained strict paleo/panu diet+lifestyle?
My understanding is that fasted HBA1C a good indicator for insulin resistance. However, I have run into a few people who can’t seem to push theirs lower than the pre-diabetic range with several months to in some cases a year of strict paleo diet+lifestyle. These people usually exhibited signs of autoimmunity and metabolic disorder prior to the switch.
Obviously there will be a wide range of different paths to improved insulin sensitivity, but I would like to give clients some advice from someone with more data points on what areas of diet you’ve found *most potent* to help those who have improved their insulin sensitivity push people from HBA1C or ‘excellent’ with strict paleo/panu diet/lifestyle.
For example, within or beyond these basics below, what are the most potent for those with persistently above normal HBA1C (5.5+)?
– 8+ hrs quality sleep
– Grass-fed animals+organs, n-3 rich fish, cooking w/coconut, palm oils
– Plenty of dark leafies
– Heavy lifting, no chronic cardio, 1-3/wk <10m WODs
- Attention to post workout meal (protein + fat)
- Eliminating: nightshades, high n-6 sources, egg whites in some cases
- No cereals/grains/legumes, sugar (berries only), nuts, veg oils
- Supplementing w/standards: probiotics, B's, D3, magnesium, 0.5-2g EPA+DHA
Also, meant to add, HBA1C decreases, but persists above normal despite the rest of the blood work being stellar (low CRP, excellent lipids, pattern A).
Interesting and complicated subject. I promise to talk about A1C in the podcast…
Remy’s comments above closely parallel my situation (I suspect I am permanently metabolically broken – I’ve been PaNu/Primal/paleo for almost 2 years). What are your thoughts on Metformin, either short or long term?
I would just like to ask how much truth there is that there really is no very drastic difference between herbal treatments and the regular medical treatments?
Well Doctors, finally an opportunity to ask two experts about good nutrition. I’ve been following blogs such as wholehealthsource, paleonu, living la vida low carb, etc you name it… in order to understand human nutrition. This is a journey, and I’ve found it pretty exciting. Well, I won’t bother you with the details, I just have ONE question, I hope you have the time to answer it:
Question:
Hunter-gatherers have been ingesting starch such as potatoes, cassava, yucca, showing us that they are not the devil, maybe not optimal, but not as bad as everyone thinks. Some seem to tolerate them very well. Could Glucose be used as a sweetener to replace table sugar? After all, starch is made out of several glucose molecules. One thing is fructose and another one is pure glucose. Thank you again, and keep up the great work, looking forward for your next posts.
Muchas Gracias
Not much difference metabolically between eating baked potato and eating glucose powder, as baked potato is hydrolysed pretty rapidly and the starch ins turned to glucose. Glucose is not a good sweetener because it’s not very sweet. Kind of pointless. Avoiding things that taste sweet is kind of key to avoiding fructose, really.
Hello Dr. Harris, and Robb Wolf and Andy Deas:
In your view, what is the best nutritional/supplemental ways to:
1) Enhance the immune system?
2) Encourage complete or normalized methylation?
3) Encourage complete production of ATP?
Thanking you in advance.
Hello Dr. Harris:
I apologize if this sounds like a stupid question. However, as it is the first question asked by any curious party with whom I discuss diet, I’d really appreciate your answer:
Where do you get your micronutrients from? On a diet with cream, eggs, butter and ruminant meats as the staples, with all being heated or pasteurized, where do your vitamins and minerals come from? Particularly Pantothenic Acid, Thiamine and Vitamin C, which I am led to believe are all heat-labile.
Thank you,
Ian
Hello respectable purveyors of quality healthy information.
A couple of quick questions:
(1) Please describe your take on dairy, touching upon the significance of pasteurization, homogenization, and healthy methods of consumption (e.g. yogurt over milk, etc), if any. I can consume full fat Fage (Greek yogurt) without any noticeable repercussions; does that mean that dairy and I get along, or are there problems with dairy that I can’t necessarily detect (such as with wheat consumption)?
(2) Organ meat: Does organ meat possess extra nutrients that muscle meat does not, and would you therefore consider organ meat a healthier option than muscle meat?
(3) Gut flora: What is the primary cause of gut flora destruction in the West? What is the best way to heal the gut (probiotics, fermented veggies, etc)? How quickly does the cut heal after eating some wheat, for example?
(4) Dr. Harris, what is your take on caffeine (specifically, from coffee and tea)?
I appreciate you each sharing your knowledge.
-Chris
PS. Do you know of any family doctors in the Los Angeles area that actually keep up to date with medical literature, as opposed to sitting on bad info learned 30 years ago during their education?
+1 to all four of chris’s questions!
good ones!
Hello Dr. Harris, Robb, Andy,
I can’t find the answer on this question anywhere (including even Robb’s book).
Can carbs in the form of fiber cause insulin resistance and hyperinsulinaemia when theu consumed in large quantities?
I eat a ton of avocados (sometimes 3-4 a day), coconuts, etc. because they are delisious but not sure if I am not hurting myself.
Thank you
Vlad
See my latest posts. That is why calling something a “carb” is meaningless. Inulin and cellulose are both carbohydrates but neither is even digestible in the small bowel, so there is no insulin response or blood sugar increase with either one. The first is soluble fiber and the second is insoluble…
thanks a lot, Dr. Harris!
The whole A1C/insulin resistance topic is of interest. I am skeptical that insulin resistance is caused by insulin or carbs.
Well, I’d tend to agree with thee broad term of “carbs” but certainly inflammation due to grain intolerance is a piece of the puzzle.
To each of you:
If a mysterious benefactor gave you carte blanche, and regulatory bodies offered approval, and the journal ‘Nature’ guaranteed publication … what study would you conduct?
Thank you,
Ian
Dr. Harris, what’s your take on Paul Jaminet’s (Perfect Health Diet) take on excess protein consumption?
“AMMONIA POISONING
Too much dietary protein can lead to ammonia poisoning. The threshold for production of toxic levels of ammonia may be as low as 600 to 800 protein
calories per day. The body’s ability to convert ammonia to urea peaks with a protein intake of 230 g/day (920 calories per day), indicating that ammonia levels must be rising rapidly at that level of protein intake.(9)
(9)Rudman D et al. Maximal rates of excretion and synthesis of urea in normal and cirrhotic subjects. J Clin Invest. 1973 Sep;52(9):2241-9. ”
Thank you in advance for your time.
Hi Kurt,
Thanks for volunteering for the podcast inquisition!
I would love to know your opinion on Intermittent Fasting. I held off thinking that 2 years post baby and therefore sleep deprived (less than 7-8 pernight and often broken) that my adrenal profile would mean it was detrimental, however finding it amazing in resetting my insulin sensitivity, despite going against Robb’s- otherwise much admired advice-
I am full really rapidly, and have no sweet cravings I felt hungry alot of the time and had postprandial energy slumps even eating paleo – with digestive enzyme support…
Thanks
Piggylicious
Dr. Harris and Robb: Thanks for the great job you do with you blogs and the podcast.
I have Addisons Desease and would like to know, whether Dr. Harris thinks, that it could be possible that hormone producing gland tissue can regrow after having been destroyed by own antibodies. Is the tissue gone forever or only disabled.
Addisons desease cannot be reversed according conventional wisdom. I seem to need less Cortisone after eating about a year nearly 90% paleo and 1 month 100% glutenfree. Could also be connected to the fact that I tolerate stress better. What do you think?
I am currently breast feeding my 4 month old son. I adhered fairly well to a Paleo diet during my pregnancy and while I have been nursing him. My question is how much does a mother’s diet influence breast milk? I have heard that the body filters breast milk so that the baby only receives the essential nutrients, protein, calories, etc so that essentially all breast milk is created equal. Also, how much variety do I need to have in my diet? My husband and I have purchased a whole pastured hog and whole pastured, grass fed cow, so that makes up the majority of our diet with a few vegetables and tubers thrown in when we can. We eat a lot of sausage. Yum! Thanks for your time.
Diet has a massive influence. Spices, grains all influence quality.
Hey guys, actually posting this as a follow-up to a cholesterol inquiry I had answered way back on episode #45. My LDL/HDL counts were extremely high (400ish) while all other metrics including triglycerydes (50ish) were looking good. Robb suggested making sure it was fasted and to have the bloodwork redone making use of direct cholesterol counts rather than calculated and to have CRP taken as well. The general consensus seemed to be that something was off. Well, I had all that done and the breakdown is as follows:
CRP: 2.3mg/l
HDL: 62mg/dL
LDL: 374mg/dL
LDL-P 3094 nmol/L
HDL-P (Total): 25.3umol/L
Small LDL-P: 255nmol/L
LDL Size 21.6 nm
Triglycerides: 52mg/dL
This was done in a fasted state, I’m 5’10” 170lbs and 29 years old and my diet is pretty compliant with lots of grass fed meat, eggs, leafy greens, fish oil, some dairy, and maybe rice once a week. I’m fully off statins at the moment, but it’s always an akward conversation to have with friends and family once I fess up to how high my numbers are along with how many eggs (5-6 a day) and how much red meat I eat. My GP is okay with me making my own decisions based on the info provided to me, but obviously he wants me on a high statin dose (40mg crestor). I’m not willing to do that until a clear(er) conclusion is made linking cholesterol to cardio vascular health given the blunt force nature of statins and the damage that comes along with the lowered cholesterol count. Please offer any advice if you’d be concerned with such high numbers or what you’d do if you were in my shoes. Thanks.
Hi Robb & Dr. Harris,
I have been eating paleo for about a year while struggling with thyroid issues and insulin resistance, after the first 6 months on 60g of non starchy carbs decided to add tubors(yams/sweet potatoes/winter squash)-80g of carbs daily and it seems like my body became even less capable of handling carbs. Getting wild swings in blood sugar( from 170 to 80 using a home kit)Does it make sense to you that once your body got used to non starchy carbs once cannot go back? I excercise daily (weight lifting and walking. Thanks
Hi Dr. Harris,
Dr. Lustig has pointed out in his recent Jimmy Moore interview that fiber helps improving insulin sensitivity and dropping insulin levels, by making the proteins that we ingest in the meat to get faster to the end of the intestine where the signals of satiation to the brain are generated. He has pointed out other benefits of fiber ingestion, for instance helping remove early cancer cells from the GI lining.
What do you and Robb think about it?
Best regards from Uruguay, South America.
Jose.
Andy, Robb, Dr. Harris, My question is about Kurt’s sense of the future of medicine. Medicine is into measuring many things, most of which are geared towards disease detection. Does he agree with Robb that the best current measures of ‘health’ is A1c? What other measures does he regard as significant (I’m assuming vitamin D and insulin would be on his list)? Are there any tests out there that we may not know about that would be useful for one in pursuit of health?
I also wonder how long Kurt thinks it will be until anyone can get an AA/EPA test in their doctor’s office, or if he thinks that will ever become mainstream enough to be a ‘standard’ measure? Also, I wonder if he thinks there’s a better measure for evaluating O3/O6 intake ratios, and/or systemic inflammatory state? For example, as a nutrition counselor, I encourage folks to do things that will reduce their inflammatory state, but aside from them noticing things like they have to take fewer NSAIDs, how could they measure their progress objectively? Using myself as an example, I would love to have an objective measure to evaluate the impact of a specific change in diet on my inflammatory state. I have never been convinced that AA/EPA was the right measure of that.
I’m also generally curious about how these sorts of changes become ‘standard practice’ in medicine? With many clients, especially those that have significant deviations from normal health, improvement in the numbers that THEIR doctors view as import is a significant part of long term success.
Lastly, I offer a humble compliment Kurt for his willingness to embrace the challenges Taubes has raised to the medical/scientific establishment. My brother and father are MDs, and they are stubbornly uncurious about diet and nutrition, even when confronted with the negative effects daily, in their lives and the lives of other family members and friends. As a result of those examples and too many others to count, I struggle not to see all doctors as well credentialed but too lazy to keep learning. For standing as a shining example that other doctors should emulate, and for the less significant but noteworthy distinction of being a fellow bowhunter, I offer Kurt a salute. Paul
PS – Parse the question as needed guys, I always write too much.
Dr. Harris, Andy and Robb
Thanks for a great podcast. Love the book and feeling great on Paleo. My wife is 39 years old and has Large B Cell lymphomoa after our 2nd son was born. Treated 5 years ago with chemo…came back 3 years later…Stem cell transplant (ie. huge doses of chemo) 1 year ago and is back again. Basically traditional medicine is not working and we are trying to change her internal terrain to not support cancer. 1st question paleo diet or ph miracle type diet. Both discourage the use of wheat and I’ve read in your book about autoimmunity and NHL? The last 5 years we ate mostly meat and veggies but thought grains where good for us up till recently. I know paleo is best for everyday health and performance but we looking at survival and not a new PR. 2nd ? Vit. D through mercola tanning bed or oral supplementation (wife is hesitant to use our tanning bed for Vit. D exposure with Cancer) getting sunlight this time of year is tough with the weather? 3rd What would you do if it was your wife? Not looking for diagnosis or Medical advice just dietary advice. She has been 100% paleo for 1 month and found out cancer is back yesterday. Besides NHL she is healthy, happy, energetic and downright beautiful. Oncologists are scratching there heads and we are grasping at straws. Paleo and Vit. D 5000iu, fish oil and no nightshades and what else? Thanks
If this is too much for the show I understand but would appreciate a email response. I know you’re busy and appreciate your time and what you guys have done.
Jay,
Check out the integrative medicine/WAPF approach at Jefferson’s Myrna Brind center.
It is not unlike paleo+WAPF+antioxidants+rotation diet.
All the best and thoughts for major recovery to your amazing wife,
G
whoops… here ya go.
Cancer strategies: http://jdc.jefferson.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1003&context=jmbcim
Thanks for the info. I have been waiting for the podcast and haven’t checked back in a while. I really appreciate you taking the time to give us this information. She is amazing and doing well. Thanks again.
Jay
Big fan, Dr. K, and you too Rob! Since going GF a year ago and paleo six months ago, I’m feeling better than I have in years. Ironically, the cholesterol lowering diet prescribed to me by my Dr gave me the worst health of my life. Thanks for bucking the system and getting the info out there about what real nutrition looks like!
On to my questions…the hardest thing for me to kick has been olive oil and toasted sesame oil. Milk, grains, sugar, and high fructose fruits seemed easy by comparison. (I despise all beans so that was not a hardship!) It’s so much easier to cook in higher heats with olive and sesame oils. Butter, ghee, and coconut oil don’t seem to do as well. They also taste little heavy or off sometimes with certain foods. Am I just not giving my palate enough time to re-adjust or is there room in my diet for a little olive and sesame oil? If so, how much is tipping the scale of the omega6-3 ratio? I’m probably consuming a variable 1-4 tablespoons a week of these oils from cooking (more olive than sesame really). Also, am I risking derailing my progress with this wee bit of sesame lecithins?
PS. Scrambled eggs in coconut oil. Ick.
Hello Dr. Harris,
Would you please touch on your recommended diet for people with autoimmune issues, specifically thyroid and arthritis? Would you eliminate eggs and nightshades and nuts forever? What supplements do you recommend?
What is your opinion of beans, such as pinto beans and black beans?
Hi Dr. Harris, When is the book coming? I’ll buy 10 copies!
Yes! Me too! And BTW, your “There is No Such Thing as a Macronutrient” series is just fantastic.
Dr. Harris: What is your view on food allergies, or food sensitivities/intolerances? And I don’t mean temporary reactions like gas or some uncomfortableness that result from avoiding a certain food for a period of time, but things like consistent GI reactions, hives, nasal/sinus congestion, headaches, migraines, sleep problems, brain fog, fatigue…. First, is there a clinical or physical difference between what some people say is a true food allergy and an intolerance? (meaning is there some real difference physically?) Are they cause or effect, or perhaps both, in terms of inflammatory problems?
I have a what an allergy specialist called a “fixed food allergy” to crustaceans (after testing me). Even a very small amount of shrimp brings on swelling (lips, tongue) and a spacey feeling in the head. The last time I had some crab, I got giant hives all over my body (expect for palms of hands, soles of feet, and face). If some one did fail-proof tests on me, and was convinced that I was not allergic to crustaceans, I would NOT even try them again. No fun, at all.
That said, my pollen and grass allergies have all but gone away; no more need for OTC antihistamines.
But now, after starting Paleo, I do seem to have a reaction to wheat (mostly diarrhea and some stomach discomfort).
Allergists used to talk about allergy threshold levels – you may not get a reaction until you pass a threshold. Could this apply to my possibly wheat related diarrhea? I had a bit of wheat (two small slices of whole wheat bread) on Thursday; no problem Friday. I had more wheat (5 biggish donuts and Danishes, and several Baguette chips) late Friday, and diarrhea all day Saturday and Sunday.
So the general question – Do we have a threshold level to eating wheat? If so, could this level change over time?
I’d be interested in learning about how hunger and/or the desire to eat is affected by what we eat. Following Dr. Harris’ 12 steps has helped me by eliminating that constant desire to eat every two hours that I used to feel when trying to follow the low-fat recommendations. I was constantly hungry and I leaped to the conclusion that carbs caused it, and so I avoid carbs as much as possible. But doing that is not easy..maybe i went overboard..sometimes eating carbs is easier because they are so available, and it has forced an ‘eating’ impasse between me and my family. No carbs for Dad..sigh. I don’t want to go back to those days of eating a couple of bowls of cereal in the evening..or constantly grazing while at work..always always thinking about food. Does what we eat cause this, and to what extent, and is there a way to moderate my carb intake so it doesn’t revert back to being hounded by constant feelings of hunger?
I’m curious about your opinion on MSG.
Dr.Harris, this is a bit more of a general question. How can us laypeople be better equipped to fact check nutritional and medical claims in general? Learning about paleo has taught me to just become more critical about every single piece of information I process (including paleo related info as well). But I’m just wondering if there are any resources out there (besides pubmed) that you can recommend for your average joe to use. I mean for example I’ve been reading up a bit on sports psychology. One of the key factors for sustaining motivation is self-efficacy. So how would I be able to learn more about the studies that drew this conclusion? How can I find out say, the neurobiological correlates to selfefficacy?
Thank you!
Thanks Dr. Harris for having one of the best nutrition blogs out there. I’m really glad you’re back!
I’m writing with a question regarding your most recent series on “macro-nutrients.” In your section on fats, you refer to saturated fat as “#1 Diesel for the human body,” which I buy. However, your primary justification for the benefits of saturated fats is that they are, “by no coincidence, the same saturated fatty acids we humans use to store energy in our own bodies – our own internal #1 Diesel.” Then, in your more recent post on carbohydrates, you note in your extensive preliminary remarks that it is important not to conflate “the dual roles that molecules have – as both food components and as internal fuel molecules.”
Correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t emphasizing the importance of saturated fatty acid consumption by pointing to its role as a primary source of internal fuel conflate the dual roles of molecules? If not, then why?
Please note that this is not coming from a believer in the lipid hypothesis. To the contrary, my usual breakfast consists of 4 eggs and 4 slices of bacon, and grass-fed beef is on the menu almost every day. I just would like to hear a better explanation of why saturated fat is not only not harmful, but actually “one of the most healthful sources of caloric fuel,” as you say. For all the medical literature and nutrition blogs I have examined, I haven’t really found much that illustrates this very well. Your fats post is a start, but it’s more about explaining what the fats are as opposed to really arguing for why saturated fat (LCSFA) is the best type of fat.
No contradicition.
1) The two fuel sources I say are good to eat are LCSFA and glucose in the form of starch – both are strored in the body as fuel. That they are internal fuel sources absolves them both from being likely poisons.
2) The point about conflation of fuel sources and food is to not conflate getting a bunch of one of these at mealtime with having “too much” of them in your blood. Things happen in between the eating and their use as internal fuel. Don’t conflate the food dynamics with the internal dynamics. There is regulation in between.
So eating starch does not mean hyperglycemia and eating LCSFA does not mean pathologic hyperlipemia.
Hi Dr. Harris. First off, love your stuff. Your first point really made me think about the optimal way to maintain or lose weight. Put simply, would you say that the ideal way to eat would be saturated fats, glucose, and protein in whatever mix you want and then if one wants to lean out/lose fat, they would just need to eat less of that stuff? By doing this, your body does not have to deal with the toxins of fructose, alcohol, wheat, and non-saturated fats. I put it like this because as I know a lot of people that are trying to go from 15% to that 8-10% bf level (me included), I think this approach simplifies it. For example, if your intake is some mix of optimal foods (LCSFA, glucose, and protein), then everything else should be easier while losing weight as opposed to eating outside of that optimal mix because then you’re not only having to battle a calorie deficit but also the effort to neutralize those toxins? Hopefully this makes sense, because if I’m thinking right, then it will make me think a lot less about the effect on insulin that a potato has and instead just focus on eating optimally, but just a smaller amount overall. Thanks for your perspective, it really helps.
“I prefer to avoid all this, and to allow n-6 to just wash out, even if it takes 2 years.” -KGH
Dr. Harris, I would love to hear you explain how n6 washes out in more detail. Do you have to completely lose all of your excess body fat before this happens? If you don’t lose all of your excess body fat, but have kept total PUFA lower than 4% for two years, are your tissues now at the correct balance? Thank you.
Dr. Harris,
I read through your carb and FODMAP articles on your blog. My question is where does Inulin fit in. How worried should one be about FODMAP’s and INULIN if you’re only negative with them is gas. Is the nutritional benefit greater than the downside. Again, thank you for all the free information you put out. The Get Started portion of your website is the first thing I send people to. Thank you.
Miguel A. Garza
I am in favor of eating real food and only paying attention to things like inulin or fodmaps if you have GI symptoms. I do not think the idea we should all be supplementing with inulin or prebiotics is very convincing.
Thank you for your reply Doc. I appreciate the feedback.
Robb and Andy and Dr. Kurt:
I’d really appreciate some direction. I’m strict paleo and six weeks pregnant. Started paleo in October 2010 to lose weight and for the general health benefits. Prior to conceiving I’d lost nearly thirty pounds eating very low carb (generally less than 50 grams per day). I eat no grain, very few tubers and almost no fruit. As a result I am in ketosis more often than not. I have verified this by using Ketostix. My Ob/Gyn says he doesn’t know enough about the effects of ketosis on the fetus to make a recommendation about whether or not I should try to avoid ketosis. What, if any research has been done on this subject? Are there any convincing studies that would indicate that ketosis during pregnancy should be avoided? My goal is obviously to have a safe pregnancy that results in the birth of a healthy baby but if I continue to burn fat and improve my body composition in the process, well I’m okay with that too. Thanks for your time and for all the great information you all provide!
Robb, Andy and Dr. Kurt:
What is your opinion on the safety of ketosis during pregnancy? I’m strict paleo and six weeks pregnant. I eat no grains, few tubers and almost no fruit. As a result my carbs are generally lower than 50 grams per day and I’m in ketosis more often than not. My Ob/Gyn acknowledges that he doesn’t know enough about it to advise me either way. He also says that it seems like my diet is very healthy and he definitely wouldn’t want to see my eating junk just to get my carbs up. Is there any reliable research on this issue? My goal is obviously to have a safe pregnancy that results in the birth of a healthy baby. But if I can continue to burn off some extra fat and optimize my body composition at the same time, well I’m okay with that too. Thanks for your consideration. And thanks for all the valuable information you share to keep us healthy and moving in the right direction.
Kurt,
you are more popular than the coconut give-away 233 comments and they still keep coming 😉
… and all that from 6 listeners! Who would have thought that about a year ago?
It must be 6 from Robb and 4 from my blog!
What are your thoughts on low carb/paleo eating and depression? Is it temporary in getting over the sugar withdraw or can it become a more full blown disorder? Would increasing fat or calories help?
Dr. Harris, Is the Paleo diet detrimental for someone with Hemochromatosis? It looks like I may have one of the common single gene mutations.
Humans and Chimpanzees
Dr. Harris
I have heard that you have been reading a lot about human evolution lately. I am curious about the differences between us and our closest living relatives on this planet.
According to Wikipedia. ”the chimpanzee diet is primarily vegetarian, although the chimpanzee is omnivorous and also eats meat. The primary chimpanzee diet consists of fruits, leaves, nuts, seeds, tubers and other miscellaneous vegetation. Termites are also eaten regularly in some populations. Chimpanzees will typically spend six to eight hours a day eating.”
What are the differences between us and the chimpanzees with respect to digestion, that has evolved since our species divergented a long time ago, and that makes us humans to a much more carnivourus omnivore? I guess there must bee differences in the gastro intestinal tract and/or in important enzymes. I suppose it is not just a cultural thing.
Hey Guys, Love the podcast, absolutely awesome, i pass it on to everyone. Just wondering what happened to the show notes?? Was real handy in searching for topics, and skipping over any topics one might not be interested in… Thanks for all you do!!
My question for Dr. Harris:
You argue that, for a metabolically healthy person, there is no need to be in ketosis or to be on a very low-carb diet.
I read a lot in paleo circles about metabolic syndrome, and the common view among paleos (including Robb, I think), is that a low-carb, ketogenic diet is an effective way not only to lose weight, but to normalize metabolism.
Do you agree with this view? From my own experience, and that of others, it seems possible to lose weight without being very low-carb. I wonder if there’s some conflation with low-carb and gluten-free and/or low fructose? What’s your reading of the evidence?
Thank you, and Robb, for your excellent work!
Please discuss dietary and exercise recommendations specific to reversing metabolic syndrome. Are there significant differences in what you find optimal for someone of normal metabolism?
Is intermittent fasting recommended for someone trying to correct metabolic syndrome or does it aggravate excessive levels of cortisol? How many meals a day would you recommend as optimal? Personal experience seems to indicate that weight loss is faster with IF or two meals a day. Conversely, eating many small meals a day seems to slow weight loss.
Would love to hear both of your thoughts on sleep and cortisol. For many years, I suspected I had apnea, but no doctor would listen for 8+ years. Even though was 30 pounds overweight, I’d hear “Nah, you’re too skinny.” I finally found a wonderful GP who still insisted I was too skinny, but wrote me a script for a sleep study anyway. So, yes. I have apnea, or more appropriately, hypopnea. The effects of this, about 10 years now, are draining me. I lack mental clarity, my memory is shot, high blood pressure, lack of energy. I’ve been doing Paleo for about 6 weeks now. So far, doing great. I’m down from 164 lbs to 155. But, I feel that my few unrestful hours of sleep a night are doing me much harm. Here’s the thing: I now have a CPAP machine, but I don’t use it often. I also suffer allergies mildly to molds, but greatly to dog epithelial. (I know, get rid of the dog, but it isn’t going to happen.) Too often, my nose is too stuffed to comfortably use the CPAP. I feel stuck and not sure what to do, as I know I am in a dangerous situation.
I get that you guys aren’t here to diagnose each persons problem. I respect that. But, I figure, my cortisol levels are most likely sky high, as is my testosterone somewhat low, and that there are several people out there that this could help.
My main question: is there anything that can help with these hormonal levels aside from getting restful sleep?
Thank you.
Just an FYI re: sinus allergies — I’ve cut out dairy, except for heavy cream and butter.
What’s the point of speculating about “cortisol” when you are so allergic to your dog you can’t breathe?
Lose the dog unless your pet is more important than your health. I see this with people and tier cats all the time. I have a friend who is constantly miserable, has “sinus infections” several times a year, often gets booted up with corticosteroids and antibiotics, etc. She is allergic to her cat and won’t get rid of it. Absolutely baffling.
If is imperative that you do what it takes to be able to use the CPAP, until you have reversed your metabolic syndrome to the point you don’t need it. You are literally killing brain cells if you have SA and don’t use it.
Dr. Harris,
I know it is baffling. But, getting rid of the dog would be like getting rid of a child.
It isn’t that I can’t breathe around him at all. He can sit on my lap. I can play with him. No problems. I have the sinus issue even outside the home, though I rarely get sinus infections. I had the problem before we even had a dog. I just assume him being here doesn’t help.
As for the CPAP, the cause of my hypopnea isn’t metabolic, but due to an abnormal pharynx, which is simply narrower than most peoples. I will need one the rest of my life. Surgery isn’t a good option because of the potential worsening from scaring.
Thanks for the response.
You might be surprised at how non-permanent the apnea might turn out to be if you reverse IR and lose weight. I doubt yo had it when you were very young and your pharynx was very much smaller.
Most apnea is a combination of central and anatomic due to abnormal fat deposition in the proximal pharyngeal tissues
Dr. Harris,
Interesting, and encouraging, and of course completely the opposite of what my doctor, a sleep specialist, told me. I happen to be fond of my doctors, but they rarely know more than prescribing.
At this point, I am sure like many on here, I’ve taken it on my own to focus on healing my problems, not covering them up. After reading Taubes second book, I found your blog. Those were the catalysts that got me going.
In light of your last post, I’ve taken a few more steps. Been using SinuCleanse Saline wash, and gotta say, it has been a bit magical, and has allowed me to wear the mask longer. That said, I called to get fitted for a different mask. The current one is my first; I was told it sometimes takes a while to find the right mask for each individual.
Still curious to hear from you and Robb on cortisol, even if I am speculating. I was overweight by about 35 lbs, and now about 25. All in the belly. I’ve read cortisol is a major player in belly fat. I’ve cut out coffee, dairy (except heavy cream and butter), grains, I’m eating grass-fed, pastured, etc. Trying to use the CPAP. Just wondering if there is anything else I might need to do.
Thank you very sincerely for your blog, and recent responses.
Best regards.
I’ve just finished reading your book Rob, and am interested in asking both you and Dr. Harris about another book I am currently reading (always like to get opposite views) The China Study. So far everything he says is mostly opposite of what you all believe. So….how can some people show that heart disease, cancer can be caused by meat and reversed by meatless diets and yet others, as in you all, say that meat is what we need for optimal health? It’s confusing and I’m trying to make sense of it all.
Joan-
That’s easy, Dr. Campbell is wrong. Here is an interesting debate between Campbell and Cordain:
http://www.cathletics.com/articles/article.php?articleID=50
I’ve read both. You may find this interesting http://rawfoodsos.com/the-china-study/
check out the gal Dr. Harris referenced. Dr. Campbell has lied by omission. In his early work he showed that a high protein diet PREVENTED cancer. Once he got on the vegan bandwagon those papers became tough to find and ended up no-where in his china study work. Keep in mind. This whole thing becomes a bit liek arguing with folks from the flat earth society:
http://www.alaska.net/~clund/e_djublonskopf/Flatearthsociety.htm
google “denise minger”- Campbell has inappropriately extrapolated and fabricated data.
Hey guys I’ll try to keep this short and sweet.
Is eating grapefruit bad for you? Specifically is it bad for men trying increase their testosterone. I’ve heard a rumor that grapefruit can inhibit the livers ability to breakdown estrogen. Is this true? Will eating to much grape fruit or citrus fruit keep me(or specifically my abs) out of Fight Club? Or will it permanently lock me into the Meat-Loaf division?
Forever Yours,
Murph
i second the questions on how to get micronutrition – any specific nutrient dense foods? And what amount of fructose is safe for a metabolically healthy person, and also for someone with a damaged metabolism?
Also, the questions on how to talk to others in the healthcare field..i.e how can we get doctors and scientists to ‘see the light’? I’m a med student and all the crap on nutrition we are taught is so fustrating :(.
Hello Robb, Andy, & Dr. Harris,
What are your thoughts on Metformin, both short term & long term? I’ve been PaNu/Primal/paleo for almost 2 years, yet my situation closely parallels that described by Remy’s comments from Feb 3 (A1C, etc). I suspect I am permanently metabolically broken. I’ve so far resisted my MD’s suggestion to take it. Other than continuing PaNu/Primal/paleo, I don’t see too many options, do you?
My sister, a committed vegetarian, has psoriasis. Should I encourage her to ditch grains? I’ve read that autoimmune reactions to gluten, lectins, etc., could be involved in some cases of psoriasis, but I don’t know how true this actually is. I don’t want to give her false hope that her condition might improve, but if there’s a chance it will, I guess the difficult argument would be worth it. Thanks!
YES! Well, only if she wants the condition to go away.
Not a vegetarian, but…
I’ve had a dry, flaky scalp all of the life, and have been prescribed just about everything RX and OTC. There was some alleviation, but nothing life changing.
Seven weeks ago, I started low carb/paleo. And, with no exaggeration, my problem cleared up in just a few days. In fact, it was the first change I noticed after my dietary changes.
Search this site for psoriasis and you will find many testimonials in the comments and forums re: the reduction or elimination of psoriasis via Paleo [as well as eczema, acne, other skin issues]
I’ve had psoriasis for 40+ yrs – at times up to 70-90% coverage. Was able to control it with heavy meds – steroids, biologics, cytotoxins, etc – but always have had some patches, plus bad flares a couple times per year.
I spent many years trying to improve my health by eating vegan / vegetarian / pescatarian to no effect. Since going 100% very strict on Robb’s autoimmune protocol 9 mos ago, I am psoriasis- and rash-free for basically the first time in my life. No steroids or cytotoxins [but still on biologics].
The improvement came within the first 6 wks.
Hey dr. Harris, read your last post.
Do you think that if you (re)integrate some starches (instead of fruit because of the fructose) you will (re)gain some weight but stay around your body fat set point?
If it’s not too late to add another question: Salt??? Go!
Kurt’s rule number 7 is: 2 or 3 meals a day is best. Don’t graze like a herbivore. I get my calories out of 5 to 7 meals per day. What does Kurt have against it?
Dr. Harris,
In regards to your statement “the Lipid Hypothesis is Bullshit”: is that still applicable to myself (and other FH’s) being the lucky possessor of Familial Hypercholesterolemia? After my last exam, a CT calcium score of 206, at age 48, I’m about to give into Statin therapy. After adopting Paleo 5 months ago, my LDL went to 348 with the Lp(a) at 10. The particle sizes are leaning toward the Pattern A side of the scale, and all of my inflammatory markers are low.
Can FH patients ignore their Lipid numbers?
I can’t give you specific medical advice.
I have a post on FH coming up .The thing to understand is that there may be increased risk of coronary disease with hetFH, but that does not mean the elevated LDL is causing the disease. In FH, LDL is elevated because there are fewer LDL receptors. The paucity of receptors may increase intracellular cholesterol production or may make it hard to repair vascular damage, in either case the serum LDL has little to do wiht it. In fact, sutdies in FH and on-FH populations both show no relationship between LDL reduction and reduced risk. It is independent of the LDL level. it may be that statins, via their anti-inflammatory effects and completely independent of LDL levels, may reduce risk of MI, but the same thing is true for those without FH in secondary prevention,
Studies of families with FH show that before the mid 20th century, mortality in those identified by screening was about the same as the normal population. So what do you think they were eating back then, maybe less sugar and vegetable oil? That would be my guess. I personally can’t think of a plausible mechanism whereby raising your serum LDL number with sat fat in the diet (FH or not) would do anything but decrease the rate of plaque formation. If you’ve been to my site you know what I think are the important elements of an anti-inflammatory diet. It’s the parts that are missing, not the macro ratios.
206 is certainly high for age 48. The decision of whether to add statins to an anti-atherogenic diet is yours alone, and must be made with the knowledge that it may help, but there may be tradeoffs due to side effects.
There have been no randomized trials of statin therapy in FH to tell us for sure whether it helps or not. There are uncontrolled and restrospective analyses that suggests lower than “expected” mortality with treatment, but you know how unreliable that kind of study is.
So the answer is it might be reasonable to take a small dose of statin if you have FH for the pleiotropic effects, but not to decrease the LDL, and the LDL decrease will not predict how much your risk is decreased.
If you take a powerful statin like crestor, your LDL could become lower than mine (190 particle number 1100 pattern A, etc.) but your risk may still be higher than mine as you still have fewer receptors, etc. In the same way, folks who have had an MI become “only” 4 times more likely to die instead of 5 times, even if thier LDL goes into the Davis zone of 60…
Dr. Harris,
Your response, though not taken as specific medical advice, is very supportive of my philosophy, which, needless to say, is not exactly what my cardiologist is recommending. Even though my father recently had angioplasty, at age 70, and his father had a history of MI’s before the fatal one at age 43, I’m planning on sailing past age 70 with my PaNu/Paleo lifestyle. I’ll be passing on the Statins.
I’m really looking forward to your FH post, as I’m sure other FH’s are as well.
Regards,
Chris
Thousands of curious individuals have had the DNA in their Y-Chromosomes and/or Mitochondria sequenced and are now in possession of knowledge unattainable by their ancestors. I have recently embarked upon adherence to the diet principals so well articulated by Dr. Harris in his Blog at paleonu.com, and had previously stoked up my motivation by reading the two books by Gary Taubes (three times)!.
My question is as follows: Is there anything we can learn of value to our quest to return to EM2 by knowing to which Haplogroups our ancestors belonged?
For example, my Y-Chromosome Haplogroup is N1c1 and my SNIPS (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms) contain the M-178 and TAT mutations, which define that group. In the modern world the populations with the highest frequency of that Haplogroup are to be found among the Yakuts, in northeastern Siberia, the arctic Scandinavians, especially the Samis and Finns, and in Estonia and other Baltic nations. In the case of the Samis, after the glaciers over Scandinavia melted at the end of the last ice age (12,000-15,000 years ago), from the area of the Urals they followed their reindeer herds up into the arctic region where they have subsisted on reindeer meat, fish , roots and a few berries in season until this past century. I rather like the notion that perhaps my male ancestors were enjoying such a meal when Moses allegedly brought his stone tablets down from the mountain, and they had been doing so for thousands of years. Is it not possible that the more recent mutations were an evolutionary response to environmental conditions at that time (cold climate, diminished sunlight) and the genes were tweaked to produce slightly different nucleic acids as a favorable adaptation?
Sorry, but my questions morphed into two.
Dr. Harris –
As a longtime reader of your site, I’m very curious to know what you think of the ideas of Paul Jaminet (author of the Perfect Health Diet book and website). I’d like to know what you think of his nutrition advice (which seems similar to yours in many ways), but am particularly interested in knowing what you think of his conviction that many common diseases — including depression, in which I have a particular interest, as well as MS, many cancers, etc. — are caused by chronic low-grade infections.
Partial answer:
http://perfecthealthdiet.com/?p=2262#comment-16322
Can you shed any light on the issue with regards dairy and casein proteins that convert to beta casomorphin 7? What do you think of the claims made for A2 milk, the one that does not release bcm7?
Normally I live strictly (Cordain-Wolf-De Vany) Paleo. After reading PaNu latest post I re-introduced some (2x25grams) white rice into my diet. After a couple of days I felt the joints of my elbows and shoulders started aching. I presume it is due to the lectins in white rice? What are your thoughts? VBR Hans.
I would love to hear about how to restore gut flora since I have a feeling that Doctor isn’t a big fan of pro/prebiotics and “Eat your yoghurt and inulin” is/was basically a “common sense” advice in the community but if that’s not true I’m kind of lost on the gut healing topic.
Be well,
Jarah