Friday, 18 May 2012

Anti-Inflammatory Diet: How to Choose the Right Cooking Oil | The Conscious Life

Anti-Inflammatory Diet: How to Choose the Right Cooking Oil | The Conscious Life

Check out this essential buying guide before getting your next bottle of cooking oil

Cooking oil is a basic and almost indispensable ingredient in every kitchen. But nowadays, there are so many different types of cooking oil that you can literally take an hour or more just to go through all the options in a well-stocked supermarket.
From the ubiquitous refined soybean and corn oils that seem to be in every manufactured food, to exotic and premium oils such as extra virgin avocado and coconut oils.

Which one should you use?

To answer this question, let us put these cooking oils side-by-side and look at their vital statistics. We’ll also discuss what are the things to look for in an edible oil and lastly, go through some oils that fit the bill.

[FOR TABLE THAT GOES HERE - SEE ORIGINAL ARTICLE]

Legend:

SFA: Saturated fatty acids
MUFA: Monounsaturated fatty acids
PUFA: Polyunsaturated fatty acids
Ω-3: Omega-3 fatty acids
Ω-6: Omega-6 fatty acids
Ω-9: Omega-9 fatty acids
Ω-6:3 Ratio: Omega-6 to omega-3 ratio

Smoke Point:
The temperature at which a cooking oil starts to burn and produce chemicals that are potentially harmful.

How to Choose Your Next Cooking Oil

So what should you look out for in the table full of numbers? Here are some suggestions:
  1. Keep omega-6 and omega-3 intake in balance
    Omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids contain essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) that are important for good health. Our body cannot produce some of these fats, and thus we need to consume them through foods every day.

    … some omega-6 fatty acids tend to promote inflammation, while omega-3 fatty acids help to reduce inflammation.However, the consumption of omega-3 and omega-6 fats needs to be in balance as some omega-6 fatty acids tend to promote inflammation, while omega-3 fatty acids help to reduce inflammation. Some researchers suggest maintaining an omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of 2:1 to 4:1 in one’s diet for general health.
    To make things even more interesting, both omega fats compete for the same enzymes in the body. Having more of one type of omega fatty acids will rob the other of chances to carry out their functions. As a result, the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio in your diet may influence how much pro- and anti-inflammatory compounds are produced in your body.

    Having more pro-inflammatory chemicals than you actually need for prolonged period of time can lead to silent inflammation, which in turn is a malignant seed for many chronic diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, stroke, dementia and some cancers.

    Our modern diet, unfortunately, tends to be loaded with too much omega-6 fats due to the prevalent use of PUFA-rich vegetable oils and inadequate consumption of omega-3, with an estimated ratio of 10:1 to 20:1.

    Combine this a processed food culture and a sedentary lifestyle and you get a global epidemic of chronic disease that we’re seeing today.

    So rather than stoking the flames of inflammation with more omega-6 fats from your cooking oil, go instead for oils with low omega-6 to omega-3 ratio to cut down on your omega-6 intake.

  2. Look out for monounsaturated fats

    Several studies (including this one) suggest that regular use of oil rich in monounsaturated fats such as olive oil may help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by raising HDL (high density lipoprotein), lowering triglycerides and reducing levels of LDL (low density lipoprotein).

    Oleic acid is a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid believed to be responsible for the heart-protective effect of olive oil. It is also found in other vegetable and animal oils in varying proportions.

    Further, the phytochemicals in olive oil, for example, hydroxytyrosol and oleuropein, are also believed to play a role in keeping the heart healthy.

    It’s then not too far-fetched to reason that edible oils that have not been overly processed, and so retain more of their phytonutrients, would be a better choice over highly refined and high temperature-treated ones.

  3. Minimize use of oils with high polyunsaturated fats

    Oils containing mostly polyunsaturated fatty acids (50% and above) tend to be unstable and turn rancid more readily than those with high saturated or monounsaturated fats. This is due to the inherent instability of this type of fat molecules.

    The oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) begins the moment the oil is extracted and exposed to heat, air and light, breaking down the integrity of the oil and forming free radicals in the process.

    The degradation gets worse when the oil is heated. The higher the temperature, the more inflammatory oxidation products are formed. Hence, you should never heat unrefined, extra virgin PUFA.

    Having said these, it doesn’t mean that you should avoid PUFA-rich oils entirely. Some of these oils, such as flaxseed oil, are excellent sources of plant-based omega-3 fatty acids.

    But, since they break down rather easily, it’s advisable to get such oils as fresh as possible and then to finish them as quickly as you can. They should also always be kept in dark bottles and in the refrigerator to slow down their rate of oxidation.

  4. Choose the right oil for your cooking

    Every oil, no matter how good it may be, will burn when you heat it up long enough. And when oil burns, it rapidly denatures and produces new and potentially carcinogenic compounds.

    … match the right oil with the cooking method you intend to use.Therefore, it’s important to match the right oil with the cooking method you intend to use.

    For instance, if you plan to do stir frying, searing, high-heat baking or roasting, then it’s imperative to choose a cooking oil that can withstand the high heat without disintegrating too much.

    That’s where the smoke point column in the table comes in useful.

    As a general rule of thumb, cooking oils with low smoke point should not be used for high temperature cooking. You can use them for steaming, blanching, stewing in slow cooker, as well as in cold dishes.

    Note that, generally, for the same type of oil, the more refined it is, the higher its smoke point. But bear in mind that that also means the oil would have gone through substantial processing which may have removed most of its beneficial components.

  5. Don’t be afraid of saturated fats

    We’ve always been told not to go near saturated fat if we don’t want to die of a heart attack.

    But in recent years, an increasing number of people are doing just the opposite. Not only are they eating more saturated fats, they are also encouraging others to do so.

    Are they nuts?

    Well, it turns out that there may be some basis to their seemingly suicidal choice.

    Increasingly, more researchers and health practitioners are voicing against mainstream ‘wisdom’ that portrays saturate fat as a artery-clogging and heart-stopping villain.

    They cite ground-breaking studies that failed to find a convincing link associating dietary saturated fats with coronary heart disease (CHD) or cardiovascular disease (CVD) as the reasons.

    Take for instance the literature review supported by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada in 2009.

    In the systematic review of prospective cohort studies and randomized trials from 1950 through June 2007, the authors concluded that there was “insufficient evidence of association” between intake of saturated fatty acids and CHD.

    Instead, they found strong evidence linking regular consumption of vegetables, nuts and a Mediterranean diet (which includes monounsaturated fatty acids) to lower CHD risk, while trans fats and foods with a high glycemic index/load were associated with a higher risk.

    … “no significant evidence for concluding that dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of CHD or CVD.”Another meta-analysis of 21 studies published on the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2010 also found “no significant evidence for concluding that dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of CHD or CVD.”

    If you’ve always thought that a heart healthy diet is one that contains no animal fats, no butter, no cheese, no coconut milk and certainly no red meat, these brave ‘new’ ideas could come as a shock.

    Have we been blaming the wrong guy all these years?

    Although these studies could not give us a definitive answer, what we can derived from them is perhaps this:

    Like other chronic degenerative illnesses that take years to form, the cause of heart disease is likely to be a combination of many factors, rather than the work of a singular component.

    One’s genetic make-up, physical activity level, personality (which affects one’s susceptibility to stress and his ability to manage stress), family history, place of living, the types of microbe in your gut, and of course, other foods that you eat could affect the outcome of the delicate and complex health equation.

    While the verdict is still out on saturated fat, there’s perhaps no need to avoid saturated fat like the way we used to if you’re generally healthy.

  6. Consider how the oil is extracted

    Industrial refined vegetable oils like soybean and corn oils are usually extracted using toxic chemical solvents such as hexane to pull out more oil from the crops. But inevitably, trace amounts of chemical residue are left in the oil even though steps have been taken to remove them.

    While short term ingestion of small amount of the chemical is unlikely to cause any problems in healthy individuals, long term ingestion is currently unknown. No human study has been carried out so far to assess the long term effects of chronic low-grade exposure to chemical solvent in cooking oil.

    But considering the ubiquitous presence of cooking oil in almost every food we eat each day, do you want to take the chance?

    If you don’t, then you may want to opt for food grade oils that have been extracted mechanically. Such oils are usually labeled as ‘cold-pressed’ or ‘expeller-pressed’. However, because mechanical extraction gives lower yields, oils that are extracted using this method usually cost more.

Recommended Cooking Oils

Considering the factors we have discussed earlier, here are some cooking oils from the list worth highlighting:



Extra Virgin Olive Oil

  • Olives
    Mention monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and most people will think of olive oil. Indeed, more than 70% of fats in olive oil are MUFA, making it the de facto choice for healthful oil.

    As there are many varieties of olive oil, look for reputable organic, cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil. Not only will extra virgin olive oil contain more phytochemicals with potent antioxidant properties, the flavor will also be stronger and richer.

    Vital Fat Composition:

    Omega-6 to omega-3 ratio: 12.8:1
    Omega-3 fatty acids: 0.8%
    Omega-6 fatty acids: 9.8%
    Omega-9 fatty acids: 71.3%
    Saturated fatty acids: 13.8%
    Smoke point: 375°F (191°C) (extra virgin)

    Pros: High levels of beneficial monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acids and an unique flavor.

    Cons: Olive oil’s relatively low smoke point make it unsuitable for high temperature cooking. In fact, you should preferably not cook with extra virgin olive oil. Use it on cold dishes or add it only after you’ve turn off the fire. Further, its distinctive flavor may not be welcomed in dishes that do not call for a taste of Mediterranean.



Ghee

  • Ghee
    Ghee
    is a type of clarified butter commonly used in India and other parts of South Asia. It shares a similar fat composition as anhydrous butter oil and has an outstanding omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. With a high saturated fat content, ghee does not oxidize easily and has a high smoke point. Although it’s derived from milk, it contains very low lactose and is suitable even for people who are lactose-intolerant.

    Vital Fat Composition:

    Omega-6 to omega-3 ratio: 1.6:1
    Omega-3 fatty acids: 1.5%
    Omega-6 fatty acids: 2.3%
    Omega-9 fatty acids: 25.2%
    Saturated fatty acids: 62.3%
    Smoke point: 485°F (252°C)

    Pros: Rich buttery taste and aroma, excellent omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids ratio, low polyunsaturated fats, stable and does not oxidize easily, and high smoke point. Suitable for high-temperature cooking.

    Cons: As the health impact of saturated fats is still open to debate, consumption of oils containing high saturated fats should be moderated.



Avocado Oil

  • Avocado
    Avocado oil
    is pressed from the pulp of the avocado fruit, not its seed. It has the highest smoke point among all the cooking oils featured here. Avocado oil is described to have “an aroma of globe artichokes and celery” and “a full rich, lingering flavor of avocado.” Its fat composition is comparable to that of olive oil, containing high monounsaturated fats and acceptable levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids.

    Vital Fat Composition:

    Omega-6 to omega-3 ratio: 13.1:1
    Omega-3 fatty acids: 1%
    Omega-6 fatty acids: 12.5%
    Omega-9 fatty acids: 67.9%
    Saturated fatty acids: 11.6%
    Smoke point: 520°F (271°C)

    Pros: High monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acids. Contains high phytosterols and polyhydroxylated fatty alcohols which are anti-inflammatory in nature. High smoke point also makes avocado oil suitable for high temperature cooking such as stir frying and high heat baking. It’s also reportedly high in vitamin E.

    Cons: Avocado oil is still not as common as other oils. Thus, its rarity may translate into higher cost.



Macadamia Oil

  • Macadamia Nuts
    Macadamia oil
    is extracted from the nut meat of macadamia tree, a native Australian nut. Unbeknown to many people, macadamia oil has even higher amounts (about 12% more) of monounsaturated fatty acids than olive oil. Its roughly one to one ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats also made it attractive to people looking to cut down on their omega-6 intake.

    Unlike olive oil which has a stronger flavor, macadamia oil is rather bland and does not carry any strong odor. Due to its relatively high smoke point, it’s also a versatile oil that can be used for different methods of cooking.

    Vital Fat Composition:

    Omega-6 to omega-3 ratio: 1:1
    Omega-3 fatty acids: 2%
    Omega-6 fatty acids: 2%
    Omega-9 fatty acids: 83%
    Saturated fatty acids: 12.5%
    Smoke point: 413°F (210°C)

    Pros: High monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acids, excellent omega-6 to omega-3 fat profile, low polyunsaturated fats, taste that does not overpower other food, and relatively high smoke point. Suitable for stir-fries, baking and pan frying.

    Cons: May not be a good choice for cold dishes, such as salad, that need added flavor from the oil.

 

 

Coconut Oil

  • Coconut
    About 50% of the fats in coconut oil are lauric acids, a type of saturated fatty acid that has antibacterial, antioxidant and antiviral properties.

    According to a preliminary study, consumption of lauric acid may increase total cholesterol level with most of the increase being HDL, the ‘good’ cholesterol.

    So rather than increasing the risk of cardiovascular events, lauric acid-rich oils such as coconut oil may confer heart-protective effects instead.

    The high saturated fat contents of coconut oil also made this aromatic oil very stable and resistant to rancidity. At 76°F (24°C) and above, coconut oil is a transparent liquid, while at lower temperature, it solidifies into a hard white mass. You can store coconut oil without refrigeration for up to two years, though I’d recommend that you consume any oil that you buy as quickly as possible while it’s still fresh.

    Another interesting feature of coconut oil is that it contains high levels (about 66%) of medium chain triglycerides (MCTs).

    Unlike long-chain fatty acids, MCTs do not need bile salts for digestion and are easily absorbed and utilized by the body. That’s why MCTs are used clinically in the treatment of malnutrition or malabsorption syndromes.

    Vital Fat Composition:

    Omega-6 to omega-3 ratio: Not a source of omega-3 fatty acids
    Omega-3 fatty acids: 0%
    Omega-6 fatty acids: 1.8%
    Omega-9 fatty acids: 5.8%
    Saturated fatty acids: 86.5%
    Smoke point: 350°F (177°C) (extra virgin)

    Pros: Virgin coconut oil imparts a fresh coconut flavor, is low in polyunsaturated fats, does not turn rancid easily, and a good source of lauric acids. Coconut oil’s antibacterial and antioxidant properties also make it an outstanding choice for luxurious massages.

    Cons: Negligible omega-3 fats content. The distinctive taste and odor of coconut oil can also overwhelm foods that do not have a strong flavor. Virgin coconut oil does not have a high smoke point. Its high levels of MCTs may also make the oil unsuitable for people with liver problems.

    As the health impact of saturated fats is still open to debate, consumption of oils containing high saturated fats should be moderated.


Note:
  • Most figures in the table are computed using data available from the USDA database. Smoke point values are retrieved from Wikipedia, as well as the book, The Hamptons Diet.

  • The values here are only meant as a guide. Fatty acids composition of oils differ from brand to brand as well as the country of production.



Why Canola Oil is Not in the Recommended List?

Some sharp-eyed readers have written to ask why canola oil is not in the list of recommended cooking oil. After all, its excellent omega-6 to omega-3 ratio, low saturated fats and high monounsaturated fat levels made it an attractive option. However, as it turns out, canola oil may be no better than industrial refined vegetable oils like soybean oil. Here are the reasons why:
  • Genetically modified source. Canola oil comes from certain types of rapeseed that have been bred using traditional methods to lower its glucosinolate content. (Glucosinolate, by the way, is toxic in high quantity.) This is fine and well until genetically modified rapeseed was developed to make the crop more resistant to herbicide. Now, it’s estimated that some 80% of canola plants in the US and Canada are either genetically modified (GM) or have been contaminated by GM crop.

  • Hexane extracted. Bulk industrial canola oil is usually extracted with hexane, a chemical derived from crude oil, like many soybean and corn oils. Hexane gas is classified as a hazardous air pollutant by the US Environmental Protection Agency because of its health-impairing properties. While the amount of hexane residue in canola oil is small and is unlikely to cause any ill effects when used for short period of time and in small quantity, chronic long-term exposure to hexane residue is unknown. There are canola oils that are expeller pressed, not hexane extracted, but they represent only a small percentage in the consumer market due to lower yield and higher cost of the extraction method.

  • Unstable oil. Canola oil contains relatively high levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids which makes it more prone to oxidation. Unless steps are taken to slow down the oxidation, freshly extracted canola oil degrades quickly, producing a foul smell in the process. To make the final product more appealing to consumers, the bad smell is removed by manufacturers during the oil refining process.
Whether or not highly refined GM canola oil is safe for consumption is a contentious issue fiercely debated by many people (including those involved in the canola oil supply chain). If you’re interested, I encourage you to read the discussions available on the Web and then come out with your own conclusion.

Having said all these, there is no reason why you shouldn’t use a good organic, non-GM, cold-pressed and nitrogen-sealed canola oil from a reputable source.

Final note: No matter how healthy a cooking oil may be, bear in mind that it’s still high in calorie. Over-zealous use of oil can cause unwanted weight gain and lead to obesity.

Anti-Inflammatory Diet: How to Balance Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acids | The Conscious Life

Anti-Inflammatory Diet: How to Balance Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acids | The Conscious Life

Tilt the omega fats balance in your favor and turn your body into a powerful anti-inflammatory machine.

In my last article of chronic inflammation, I mentioned that one of the causes of rogue inflammation is the imbalance levels of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids in our diet. This may come as a surprise to some people as we have been brought up to believe that vegetable oils, where most of our omega-6 fats come from, are supposed to be good for health.

If we examine this imbalance closer, it’s not hard to see why it’s so prevalent. After all, ‘heart-healthy’ vegetable oils such as soybean, safflower, sunflower, corn and cottonseed oil are found in almost every food that we eat, even those served at high-end restaurants and in our own homes. But unknown to many, the high omega-6 and low omega-3 fats profile in these oils (as much as 200:1!) is setting the stage for chronic inflammation to take place.
Even health-conscious individuals can unwittingly tip the omega fats balance against themselves.Even health-conscious individuals can unwittingly tip the omega fats balance against themselves. You can avoid all convenience foods, or even be a strict vegetarian, and yet still have an overwhelming levels of omega-6 fats intake.

The truth is, many healthful foods found in specialty stores are coated with a layer of cheap vegetable oil to enhance their taste and texture. You can be munching on a bag of roasted nuts, thinking that you’re supplying your body with potent proteins, minerals and vitamins. But unwittingly, along with the nuts, you are also ingesting a high amount of omega-6 fats that are quietly derailing your best efforts to promote health.

If unchecked, the imbalance between the two omega fats can wreak havoc on our health and pave the way for life-destroying illnesses such as Alzheimer’s, arthritis, cardiovascular disease, cancer and other inflammatory diseases.


Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fats: A Balancing Act

… diet that’s high in omega-6 fatty acids disrupts the balance of pro- and anti-inflammatory agents …Why is it so important to strike a balance between the levels of omega-3 and omega-6 fats in our body? Study showed that an out-of-balance diet that’s high in omega-6 fatty acids disrupts the balance of pro- and anti-inflammatory agents in the body, promoting chronic inflammation and elevating the risk of health problem such as asthma, allergies, diabetes and arthritis.
It turned out that omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids both utilize the same enzymes and transport systems to produce biochemicals in our body. When there are more omega-6 fats, greater amounts of inflammatory compounds will be created, and lesser enzymes will be available for omega-3 fats to create chemicals that are anti-inflammatory. What’s even more shocking is that high levels of omega-6 fatty acids can actually replace and reduce omega-3 fats.

In other words, omega-3 and omega-6 fats compete with one another in our body, and the presence of one greatly affects the behavior of the other. Although omega-6 fatty acids are essential for good health, when they cross a certain level, researchers believe that’s when they start to edge out omega-3 fats and diminish their benefits.

What does this mean to you? Picture this: If your diet is low in omega-3 fats to begin with, and most of your foods are predominantly prepared with soybean, sunflower, safflower, corn or cottonseed oil, then you’re essentially fueling an inflammatory factory even though you may be eating the so-called ‘healthy’ foods!

To win this balancing act, let us first understand more about omega-3 and omega-6 fats.


What are Omega-3 & Omega-6 Fats?
and why plants may not be a good source of omega-3

Ask anyone what is omega-3 fatty acid and most likely you will get the answer ‘fish oil’. But omega-3 fats aren’t found only in fishes, and neither do they consist of just one type of fatty acid.

Omega-3 is actually a term referring to a family of polyunsaturated fatty acids. In this family, you will find a number of members, out of which the most nutritionally notable ones are: alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
Likewise, omega-6 fatty acids also consist of a group of polyunsaturated fats. The ones of concern are linoleic acid (LA) and arachidonic acid (AA).

Let us take a closer look at the two omega families:

The Omega-3 Fat Family
  • Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). ALA is the parent in the omega-3 family and can be found predominantly in plant sources such as flaxseeds, hemp seeds, walnuts and dark green leafy vegetables. This short-chain fatty acid is considered an essential nutrient because our body cannot produce it on its own. Being the head of the family, ALA can technically be converted into other long-chain omega-3 fats such as EPA and DHA.

    But in real life, studies found that the ALA conversion rate in the body is dismally low. In fact, only about 1% of ALA is converted to EPA and negligible amount is turned into DHA. The conversion of ALA is even lower if your intake of omega-6 fats is high. A more direct and efficient way to boost your levels of long-chain omega-3 fats, as research has found, is by taking EPA and DHA-rich foods or supplements.

  • Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). EPA is a long-chain omega-3 fatty acid that is found in oily fish and certain algae such as spirulina. EPA is converted into hormone-like substances called prostaglandins by the body to regulate cell activity and maintain healthy cardiovascular function. The anti-inflammatory properties of EPA, as well as DHA, have been backed by numerous studies, ranging from keeping blood cholesterol levels and depression in check, to stroke and cancer prevention.

  • Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). DHA is another long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fats found in abundance in fatty fish and some algae. In the body, it is the predominant omega-3 fatty acid in the brain and the retina, so an adequate supply of DHA is essential for proper brain, eyes and nerve functions. Low levels of DHA have been associated with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
The Omega-6 Fat Family
  • Linoleic acid (LA). LA is the parent in the omega-6 family. Like ALA, it’s also considered an essential fatty acid for the body which must be obtained through one’s diet. However, it’s more likely that you’ve an oversupply rather than a lack of linoleic acid due to the high levels of this fatty acid in vegetable oils.

  • Arachidonic acid (AA). Arachidonic acid comes mainly from animal sources such as meat, egg and dairy products. It can also be derived from the linoleic acids in vegetable oils. In the body, this long-chain omega-6 fatty acid is found in abundance in the muscles and brain, with almost similar quantities as DHA in the latter. As arachidonic acid is more readily converted to inflammatory compounds, excess levels of AA has been associated with increased inflammation and reduced anti-inflammatory effects of omega-3 fatty acids.

How Much Omega-3 & Omega-6 Do You Need?

At this point, you’re probably thinking how much omega-3 and omega-6 fats do you really need? Let us hear what the experts have to say:
Omega-3 Fats:
  • For cardiovascular health, the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids (ISSFAL) recommends a minimum combined total of 500mg of EPA and DHA a day for healthy adults. This amount is found to be effective in reducing the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease significantly.

  • For alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the recommended healthy intake by ISSFAL is about 0.7 percent of daily total calories (or about 1.5g when based on a 2,000 calorie diet).

  • If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, ISSFAL recommends at least 200mg of DHA per day due to the importance of DHA in fetal and early postnatal brain development. Increased intake of the precursor, alpha-linolenic acid, to elevate DHA levels is far less effective with regard to DHA deposition in fetal brain than the intake of preformed DHA.

  • If you are diagnosed with coronary heart disease, the American Heart Association recommends that you consume approximately 1 g/day of EPA and DHA preferably from oily fish, or to consider EPA + DHA supplements in consultation with your doctor.
Omega-6 Fats:
  • The ISSFAL expert group sees no strong evidence to recommend a minimum intake of omega-6 fatty acids. Instead it states that an adequate linoleic acid intake for healthy development is two percent of daily total calories (or about 4.4g if based on a 2,000 calorie diet).

  • ISSFAL recognizes that there are possible unhealthy effects of excessive intake of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids. But it stopped short of putting forward an upper limit for linoleic acid due to insufficient data to determine a precise value.
    However, it is worth noting that other national bodies have recommended a limit on the consumption of linoleic acid to prevent coronary heart disease and other chronic illnesses. For instance, the Japan Society for Lipid Nutrition recommended the intake of linoleic acid to be reduced to 3-4% of energy in the Japanese diet, which already contains higher amounts of beneficial omega-3 fats than typical western diet.
Adequate Intake for Alpha-linolenic & Linoleic Acids:

The US Institute of Medicine went one step ahead to establish an Adequate Intake (AI) for alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3) and linoleic acid (omega-6) for different age groups. However, no AI for EPA and DHA was determined due to lack of evidence.

Adequate Intake for Omega-3 Fatty Acids (Alpha-linolenic Acid)
Life Stage Group
Males (g/day)
Females (g/day)
0 to 6 months
0.5
0.5
7 to 12 months
0.5
0.5
1-3 years old
0.7
0.7
4-8 years old
0.9
0.9
9-13 years old
1.2
1.0
14-70 years old
1.6
1.1
>70 years old
1.6
1.1
≤18-50 years old, pregnant
-
1.4
≤18-50 years old, lactating
-
1.3

Adequate Intake for Omega-6 Fatty Acids (Linoleic Acid)
Life Stage Group
Males (g/day)
Females (g/day)
0 to 6 months
4.4
4.4
7 to 12 months
4.6
4.6
1-3 years old
7
7
4-8 years old
10
10
9-13 years old
12
10
14-18 years old
16
11
19-30 years old
17
12
31-50 years old
17
12
50-70 years old
14
11
>70 years old
14
11
≤18-50 years old, pregnant/lactating
-
13

Note:

  • Adequate Intake (AI): Refers to the average intake level based on observed or experimental approximations. AI is used when Recommended Dietary Allowance cannot be determined.

Tilting the Omega Fats Balance in Your Favor

Okay, since it’s so important to keep the two omega fats in balance, can’t we resolve that by just eating more fish, or pop some fish oil capsules?

That’s a good start but unfortunately, it isn’t the whole answer.

Several studies have found that it’s not helpful to boost your omega-3 fats consumption without lowering high omega-6 fats intake.

To get more bang for your bucks, you need to lower your omega-6 to omega-3 essential fatty acids ratio to about 2:1. If you follow ISSFAL’s recommendations mentioned earlier and keep your linoleic acid intake to about two percent of your total calories each day, you won’t be too far off.

Note: At this point, it’s tempting to think that omega-6 is the ultimate bad guy we should eliminate and omega-3 is the hero we need to have more of. This is a misleading and dangerous viewpoint. Every nutrient has its place, including omega-6 fats, and shouldn’t be eliminated altogether.

The key here is moderation. Anything in excess is bad for us, even if it’s good. For instance, we know that extra virgin olive oil is a potent anti-inflammatory food that confers heart-protecting compounds. But it’s still full of high caloric fats and over-consumption of any fat can lead to unwanted weight gain and obesity, no matter how good it may be.

How to Lower Omega-6 Fats Intake

With the right attitude in mind, let’s look at some practical ways to bring down the amounts of omega-6 fats in our diet:

Cut Your Omega-6

  1. Change your cooking oil. After coming this far, this should be an obvious step to take. Vegetable oils that contain obscene amounts of omega-6 and minuscule levels of omega-3 fatty acids should be avoided. The top offenders are grape seed, cottonseed, safflower, corn and sunflower oils. Alternatives to consider are olive, macadamia, avocado and coconut oils. Check out this cooking oil buying guide to learn how to choose the appropriate cooking oil.

  2. Limit processed foods. This is perhaps one of the best, but admittedly drastic, ways to cut omega-6 fats. But the fact remained that most processed food manufacturers use cheap vegetable oils to mass produce their products. If you choose whole foods over processed ones, you can probably slash a third or more of omega-6 fats from your diet. Take heart, however, if this sounds too ‘revolutionary’. There are other ways to cut down omega-6 fats from your diet.

  3. Scrutinize food labels like a hawk. This is a life-saving habit everyone should cultivate. Not just to check the fats content in the products that you buy, but also for the other vital information like sodium, protein and ingredients used. This will, in some ways, prevent you from being tricked by clever but often misleading marketing campaigns.

    As far as omega-6 fats are concerned, avoid or limit foods that use high amounts of those vegetable oils mentioned in point 1.

    Tip: There’s actually a free computer program called Keep It Managed version 2 for both PC and Mac that gives you the omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acid contents of over 9,000 food types. Download it if you are concerned about your omega fats intake.

  4. Be careful of dressings, margarine, mayonnaise and spreads. Lots of omega-6 fats can be hiding in these soybean or vegetable oil-derived concoctions! Instead, look for healthier alternatives made with olive or macadamia oil.

  5. Opt for fat-free or low-fat foods. If given a choice, choose the lower fat version. This will have to prevent more omega-6 fats from getting into your body. Of course, read the ingredient list to make sure no other harmful additives are added in place of the fats.

  6. Avoid deep fried foods. Not only are they coated with a thick layer of omega-6 fats, the cooking process also introduced compounds that could cause cancer.

How to Increase Omega-3 Fats Intake

After taking care of the omega-6s, it’s time to tackle the omega-3s:

Boost Your Omega-3

  1. Be a discerning cat. Contrary to common beliefs, to increase your omega-3 fats intake, you don’t need to eat fish everyday. Eating two portions of fish per week, including one portion of oily fish, is enough to boost your blood levels of omega-3s. Having said that, if you eat seafood other than fish, you may need more portions per week as the omega-3 levels in them are usually lower.

    But since almost every sea on this planet has been tainted, it’s crucial to choose your seafood careful to make sure you’re not ingesting mercury and dioxins along with omega-3s. Some good choices are wild salmon, sardines and anchovies. Check out the Environmental Defense Fund’s website for a useful list of eco-friendly and safe seafood to eat.

  2. Seek out EPA and DHA fortified foods. Increasingly, we are seeing more products that have been enriched with EPA and DHA for all types of consumers, including vegetarians.

    But make sure that the products you choose are also low in omega-6 fats. It won’t do you any good to increase your omega-6 levels further even though you may be getting more long-chain omega-3 fats. And please don’t assume that the omega-3 stamp on the package refers to EPA and DHA. It could well be ALA only. Make sure you see the words EPA and/or DHA clearly printed before buying.

  3. Don’t dismiss ALA food sources. Alpha-linolenic acid is usually found in plants. Although our body isn’t quite efficient in converting ALA to EPA and DHA, that doesn’t mean we should eat less fruits and vegetables. Plants such as flaxseeds and dark leafy green vegetables provide us with more than just ALA. They are also important sources of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidants that strengthen and protect our health.

  4. Buy free-range or pasture fed meats. As opposed to animals that are grain fed, free-range or pasture fed meats have comparatively higher amounts of EPA and DHA. But still, they are unlikely to beat fish anytime soon. :)


  5. Pop EPA & DHA supplements. You should try to meet all your omega-3 requirements through your diet. But if you are a vegetarian, don’t like seafood or suffering from a health condition that may benefit from higher dosage of omega-3s, taking supplement is an option to consider (with your physician’s blessings, of course). Young children who are fussy eaters may also benefit from supplementation.

    There are a number of EPA and DHA supplements available. The most popular and most extensively researched is omega-3 fatty acids derived from fish oil. There are also plant-based EPA and DHA supplements that are extracted from algae.

    Note: If you are planning to take EPA/DHA supplement, make sure you are not also taking any medication or supplement that may have their effects intensified by omega-3 fats (such as blood thinner and diabetic drugs). Consult a trained health care practitioner if in doubt.
By being more mindful about the foods you eat each day, it’s not difficult to attain a well-balanced omega fats profile and shift your body to anti-inflammatory mode. What say you?

Sunday, 6 May 2012

PUFAs – Essential or Toxic?

PUFAs – Essential or Toxic?

February 11, 2012 2:03 am 0 comments
Author: 
By Kate Deering.

Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids — also known as PUFAs.

Now, before you stop reading because you have no idea what the heck PUFAs are, and you are not interested in all this science jargon — I beg you to continue.   Why? Because you are probably consuming PUFAs everyday! The problem is, you are most likely thinking you are doing something healthful for yourself. When in fact, you may be causing your body to age faster, slowing your metabolic rate, which is making you fatter, and increasing your chances of disease. Do I have your attention now?

Good! Let’s continue.

First, what are polyunsaturated fats?

Polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) are fatty acids with many double bonds. All polyunsaturated fatty acids lack several hydrogen atoms. This makes them far less stable than a fully saturated fatty acid. This instability produces a molecule that is more susceptible to being attacked and damaged by free radicals. Free radical damage can cause accelerated aging, hormone imbalance, cancer, and immune disorders. Yikes!

So what oils contain polyunsaturated fats?

Well, to be honest ALL oils contain some amount of PUFAs.

Here is a list of oils that have the highest concentration and can be the most harmful: Soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil, grapeseed oil, sesame seed, nut oils (peanut, walnut, almond, etc), flaxseed, fish oil, cod liver oil, evening primrose, borage oils, and yes, this even includes Omega-3 and Omega-6 (also known as the “essential fatty acids”).

What!! I know you are thinking. “I thought these oils were good for me? I thought these oils were “heart healthy” according to the USDA, my doctor, and my registered dietitian? How could they possibly be bad for me?” Yes, I know it is a little mind boggling, especially considering the massive marketing push on fish oils, flax, and cod liver oils. Trust me — it took me months and months of research to wrap my brain around it, especially since I used to be an avid fish oil user. So let’s go back about 80 years ago so you can understand what has happened.

Back in 1929 George and Mildred Burrs published a paper claiming that polyunsaturated fats are essential for the prevention of several diseases and essential for health. Burrs study concluded that rats that ingested unsaturated fats were far healthier than the rats that were on a fat free diet. Which, in fact, was true.

However, over 10 years later The Clayton Foundation Biochemical Institute found that “Burr’s disease” was actually a vitamin B6 deficiency. Back in 1929 the B vitamins were not yet discovered. The new research explained that the PUFAs had actually slowed down the metabolism of the PUFA-fed rats, causing a decreased need for nutrients. Thus, this allowed them to not be as nutrient deficient as the fat-free diet rats. The non-PUFA-fed rats had a higher metabolic rate, and with that comes an increase in nutrient demand, especially the B vitamins. And since the demand was not met, the rats became sick. Basically, all Burrs showed was that PUFAs slow your metabolic rate down, allowing you to survive on less nutrients. Thus the PUFAs prevented a deficiency on a deficient diet. Interesting, huh?
Think of your body like an engine. A high powered engine (high metabolic rate) needs premium gasoline and oils (the right carbs, fats, and proteins) to run optimally. If you give your high powered engine cheap gas and oil (PUFAs) it will slow down, causing damage, and eventually early engine death. Now, this is not to say a slower, smaller, lower powered engine (lower metabolic rate) could not survive on the cheap gas and oils — but it would NEVER run at the speed, strength, or longevity. Making sense? Basically, do you want to run like a
Ferrari or a Ford Fiesta?



This may explain why people who eat a diet primarily of nuts, seeds, and vegetables can live a long life. Their metabolism is actually slower, so they have less nutritional requirements, which allows their body to live on very little food. The problem is these people usually have less energy, drive, motivation, and vitality. Ever seen a “healthy” looking vegan? I sure haven’t. In fact, most complain of low sex drive, low energy, muscle loss, low motivation, and sleep problems.

Here are some other things to think about.

Back in the 1940’s, farmers attempted to use coconut oil (a saturated fat) to fatten their animals. But then they found it only made them lean, active, and hungry. You see, coconut oil is a food that makes the body highly metabolic. It actually increases your bodies ability to burn fat. Farmers soon found that corn and soy oils, both almost entirely PUFAs, could be used to fatten their livestock. Why? Because corn and soy oils are fattening agents. Remember, PUFAs slow down your metabolism. This lower metabolic rate allows these animals to gain weight faster, which allows farmers to spend less money to get their animals fat faster. We must remember farmers don’t care about having the oldest, healthiest living animals — they just care about producing the fattest animals the fastest way possible.

Another interesting fact is this:

Bears and squirrels hibernate in the winter. They do this by eating a high level of nuts, seeds, and berries before hibernation. These nuts and seeds with their high PUFA levels allow the metabolic rate of these animals to slow, allowing them to sleep through the cold months of the year. Researchers have found that bears and squirrels given coconut oil (saturated fat) and the right carbohydrates were unable to hibernate since the animals had an increased metabolic rate and energy level.

And finally…

By 1950 it was established that PUFAs suppress the metabolic rate, and apparently cause hypothyroidism. Researchers found that PUFAs damage the mitochondria of cells, suppressing respiratory enzymes, and promote excessive oxidative damage in the body. The more PUFAs one eats, the higher the suppression of tissue response to thyroid hormone, the lower the metabolic rate, and the more weight gain. This is one reason hospitals feed soy oil emulsions to cancer patients — to prevent weight loss!

But Kate… I thought these oils, especially the Omega 3’s and 6’s (EFA), caused a decrease in cholesterol and were heart healthy!

Yes, there is a cholesterol-lowering effect with the essential oils. It’s true. The question is, how are they doing this, and is this actually good for us long-term? In the book Generative Energy by Dr Ray Peat, he discusses how these “essential fatty acids” (EFAs) actually suppress the immune system by suppressing the cells that cause inflammation. Let us remember that cholesterol is part of our immune system, it is elevated by the liver when our bodies are in a state of inflammation to help protect our cells. However, just like statin drugs, all the EFAs are doing is suppressing a symptom. They are not correcting the actual problem. Long-term, these EFAs cause immune suppression, kill white blood cells, and inhibit proteolytic enzymes that are needed for proper metabolic function.

Does your brain hurt yet?

Ok, so if PUFAs in vegetable oils and nuts are so bad for us, what should we eat?
There are others, but here are my top 10.

1. Eat saturated fats. Coconut oil, butter, ghee, coconut milk.









2. Eat root vegetables. Sweet potatoes, beets, carrots (all root vegetables have very little PUFAs).

3. Eat fruits and fruit-like vegetables. Papayas, apples, pears, peaches, squash, tomatoes, zucchini, etc.

4. Eat grass-fed meats. Corn- and soy-fed meats have a higher PUFA content. Beef, bison, lamb.

5. Consume organic, grass-fed dairy. Milk, cheese, yogurt.

6. Consume tropical nuts. Macadamia, hazelnut, and cashew (in limited quantities).

7. Eat free-range, pastured, organic eggs. Corn- and soy-fed chickens produce higher PUFA content eggs.

8. Consume gelatin and beef broth. Both are non-inflammatory proteins and easily digested.

9. Eat wild white fish and shellfish. Halibut, cod, sole, shrimp, oysters, and crab.

10. Once a week eat grass-fed organ meats. Organ meats in limited quantities are full of vitamin and minerals.

*Please understand these are basic recommendations. Everyone is different, so different things work for different people. However, one of the biggest recommendations I would say works across the board is getting rid of as many PUFAs out of your diet as you can…unless of course you want to get fatter, sicker, and look older.

To be honest, I am certainly not asking any of you to take the things I am saying as the absolutely truth. I am just asking you to consider another side of things, so you can ask yourself if what you are doing is truly working. My goal in these blogs is not to tell you what to do. My goal is to only educate you. It is up to you to find out what works for you and what does not. It is up to you ask for help, if you are lost and confused. It is up to you to take an active role in your health and life.

References:

Josh Rubin www.eastwesthealing.com
Dr Lita Lee www.Drlitalee.com “Unsaturated Fats”
Dr Ray Peat www.Raypeat.com “Unsaturated fatty acids: Nutritionally essential, or toxic?”, “Unsaturated Vegetable Oils: Toxic”, “Coconut Oil”
Dr Ray Peat Mind and Tissues
Dr Ray Peat Generative Energy
Dr Ray Peat Nutrition for Women

Tuesday, 1 May 2012

Ray Peat's Brain Part 1: Building a Foundation for Better Understanding

Ray Peat's Brain: Building a Foundation for Better Understanding - The Danny Roddy Weblog - Nutrition For Sex, Hair & Health

Dec 29, 2011 | by Danny Roddy
 

♫ Audio Articles: Download free audio versions of these articles in iTunes!

 *LAST UPDATE 04/18/12: This post will continually be updated. I can't thank you guys enough for the amazing responses. This post will no doubt be a tomb of knowledge for those looking to understand Peat's philosophy.

This post is easiest to use when you perform a "search" in your browser. On Apple computers the function is "command+F" on PCs I believe the function is "control+F".
Below are Peat's gracious answers to numerous email exchanges from those interested in his approach.

Unfortunately due to anonymity, I chose not to include the questions. Using your brain, you should be able to piece together what he's talking by reading his answers.
If anyone would like to contribute, email me or leave your correspondence with Peat in the comments.

I can't imagine how many people are writing him. If you're thinking about sending him a question, it has probably been answered. Make sure to do a thorough search before bugging him.

If you're new to Peat, this is probably not the best article to get you started. CONTEXT for these recommendations is provided in this post.

In many of these responses Peat has attached numerous studies to support his advice. For the sake of clarity, I have not included them.

THYROID (DOSE/BRANDS)
Are there any combination products, such as Thyrolar or Cynoplus, that you can get in Spain? It's good to start with a small amount, such as 5 mcg of T3 twice a day, while watching for changes in your pulse rate, temperature, and ability to sleep. Half a grain of Armour, or about 30 mcg of T4 and 7.5 mcg of T3, is traditionally a common starting dose; it should be taken with a meal, so that it absorbs slowly. Taking a very small amount at bedtime usually helps with insomnia.
Try a sixth of a 25 mcg cynomel tablet at first, and watch for the effects in the first two hours. According to what you notice, you could continue that once a day, or twice a day, for about 10 days, then you could try some with each meal, for another week. #2 and #3: when you find out how the T3 affects you, you could change to the combination (Armour or Thyrolar or Cynoplus); the amounts I mentioned would be similar to 12 mcg of T3 per day.
It depends on what you notice from taking a small amount with meals. If it makes you feel pleasant, calm, confident, then trying it at bedtime would be right.
25 mcg of T3 has approximately the activity of a grain (65 mg) of thyroid gland; is ERFA the only one available? A synthetic thyroxine could be combined with the Cynomel. Since the European products aren't necessarily the same as those made elsewhere, and a person's requirements are variable, it's essential to start with small amounts, watching for the effects, including pulse rate and temperature. T4 builds up slowly in the tissues, over about 14 days, but the T3 acts immediately. With any product, a single dose of T3 of about 4 mcg is close to the physiological range; sometimes a smaller amount is enough.
As long as it's divided so that you don't get a big dose of T3 all at once it should be o.k. to take a total of 25 mcg T3 and 100 of T4.That would be similar to the traditional 2 grain dose of Armour thyroid. A healthy person should produce the equivalent of about four grains per day, so with 2 grains of supplement, or the equivalent, there isn't a risk of over-dosing.
I use Cynomel and Cynoplus mostly, but they come in only one size, so I cut the tablets into about ten parts.
Thyroid is the only thing that safely lowers cholesterol, but when your stress hormones are very high, you shouldn't take more than about one microgram of Cytomel at a time, and should accompany it with things like milk and orange juice.
Twice a day should be o.k., [CYTOMEL] but every day you should make a note of your pulse rate and temperature, and in a week or ten days you should be able to see a progression.
Sometimes it takes many months to get the metabolic rate stable at a higher level, and it's often necessary to use a thyroid supplement.
It [CYTOMEL] improves the retention of magnesium, and cellular relaxation, and some people want to have a nap in the afternoon when their thyroid is good.
If you use some T3 (such as Cytomel or Cynomel) it's important to keep each dose small, while watching for changes in your pulse and temperature. Usually 4 or 5 mcg at a time is o.k. (the body makes about 4 mcg per hour). I don't think there's likely to be any problem using desiccated thyroid if the product is good, but because of changing manufacturing methods, that's largely a matter of trial and error. Low ferritin is often a result of hypothyroidism. The need for thyroid increases greatly during the winter in high latitudes, for example when I needed half a grain in the summer, I had to increase it to two grains during the winter. When cholesterol is high, that can make it easier to adapt to a thyroid supplement, since the thyroid will stimulate the conversion of cholesterol into progesterone and the adrenal hormones.
I have heard from a few people using it, one thinks it doesn't work , but I haven't heard enough details to form an opinion yet. [THIROYD by Greater Pharma]
Armour thyroid, USP, was the standard thyroid used widely for about 80 years. Since ownership of the product name was bought by Revlon and then a series of other companies, I'm not sure anything of the simple original formula remains; maybe magnesium stearate, I haven't looked lately.
With your TSH so high, you should probably add a thyroid supplement, until you get it down to about 1.0, or less. (The normal range, according to the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, is from 0.3 to 3.0.)
A few years ago I had some communication from a pharmacist at Forest Pharmaceutical, and he said that over ten years ago they began having thyrocalcitonin extracted from the pig thyroid powder to sell separately as a new drug. I think that left stearic acid as the only ingredient the current product might have in common with traditional Armour thyroid, USP. I don't use any product containing fumed or colloidal silica, or titanium, or various novel polymers, or coloring agents
I use Cynoplus (contains T4 and T3) and Cynomel (T3 only) that I usually get from www.mymexicandrugstore.mx. There is only one size tablet, and a fourth of a tablet is a typical starting dose.
T3, by lowering stress, sometimes reveals a low basal metabolic rate, that was hidden by high stress hormones. The body produces about 4 mcg of T3 per hour, so taking more than that can interfere with regulatory processes. It's helpful to use the resting pulse rate, and the 24 hour temperature curve, along with other signs, such as mood, appearance of veins on the hands, etc. The peak temperature should be in the afternoon.
I occasionally see that happen [T3 WILL CAUSE LOW TEMP/PULSE]; sometimes people have had their pulse rate decrease 40 or 50 beats per minute. The temperature of your fingers, toes, and nose helps to interpret the balance between stress and thyroid; your fingers should be less cold as your metabolic rate comes up. In extreme hypothyroidism, the hands and feet can be very cold while the oral temperature looks o.k.; then as the metabolic rate increases, the difference between fingers and mouth decreases.
When I used only Cytomel, any little stress would make me suddenly hypothyroid, and my heart would stop several times in a minute; when I started using some thyroid, USP, that contained both T4 and T3 it stopped happening.
Experimenters using isotopes gave large doses of thyroid until the subjects' glands were completely shut off, and when they stopped giving the doses, everyone's gland returned to normal activity in just 2 or 3 days. The gland is extremely quick to adjust its activity, both up and down, except when it's inhibited by stress, or PUFA, or estrogen, etc. [TAKING THYROID WILL HAVE LONG-TERM EFFECTS]
I think it's good to have TSH below 0.4, and that probably contributes to loss of hair.
WEIGHT LOSS
My recommendation is to eat to increase the metabolic rate (usually temperature and heart rate), rather than any particular foods. Usually the increased metabolic rate, with adequate protein, causes some muscle increase, and when that happens the basic calorie requirement will increase. The increase of muscle mass should continue for several weeks, and during that time the weight might increase a little, but usually the loss of water and fat will compensate for the greater muscle mass. I have heard from several people that they think I recommend drinking whole milk, which I don't, because the amount of fat in whole milk is very likely to be fattening when a person is using it to get the needed protein and calcium. When a person wants to lose excess fat, limiting the diet to low fat milk, eggs, orange juice, and a daily carrot or two, will provide the essential nutrients without excess calories.
Per calorie, sugar is less fattening than starch, partly because it stimulates less insulin, and, when it's used with a good diet, because it increases the activity of thyroid hormone. There are several convenient indicators of the metabolic rate--the daily temperature cycle and pulse rate (the temperature should rise after breakfast), the amount of water lost by evaporation, and the speed of relaxation of muscles (Achilles reflex relaxation).
When the polyunsaturated fats in the diet are reduced, the amount of them stored in the tissues decreases for about four years, making it progressively easier to keep the metabolic rate up, and stress hormones down.
The ratio of calcium to phosphate is very important; that's why milk and cheese are so valuable for weight loss, or for preventing weight gain. For people who aren't very active, low fat milk and cheese are better, because the extra fat calories aren't needed.
There are different kinds of weight gain. When a person's metabolic rate increases, and stress hormones decrease, for example when adding two quarts of milk to the daily diet, their muscle mass is likely to increase, even while their fat is decreasing. Since muscle burns fat faster than fat does, caloric requirements will gradually increase.
People on a standard diet will typically burn 200 or 300 more calories per day when that amount of sugar is added to their diet; but if extra fat is added, too, some of the extra calories are likely to be deposited as fat. It's important to watch the signs of changing heat production as the diet changes.
Yes, I know people who have lost weight just by eating a raw carrot every day, reducing endotoxin stress. The liver treats PUFA as it treats toxins, but when their concentration is too high, they poison the detoxifying system. Oleic acid, which we can make ourselves from carbohydrates, greatly activates the detox enzyme system.
Yes, that's why a resistant (antiseptic) fiber such as bamboo shoots or raw carrot helps with weight loss, it reduces endotoxin and the stress hormones, and lets the liver metabolize more effectively.
It's the stored PUFA, released by stress or hunger, that slow metabolism. Niacinamide helps to lower free fatty acids, and good nutrition will allow the liver to slowly detoxify the PUFA, if it isn't being flooded with large amounts of them. A small amount of coconut oil with each meal will increase the ability to oxidize fat, by momentarily stopping the antithyroid effect of the PUFA. Aspirin is another thing that reduces the stress-related increase of free fatty acids, stimulating metabolism. Taking a thyroid supplement is reasonable until the ratio of saturated fats to PUFA is about 2 to 1.
Yes, it's best to lose it slowly. When I tried adding about a tablespoon of coconut oil once a day I lost about two pounds a week, for several weeks, without eating less.
Some muscle-building resistance exercise might help to increase the anabolic ratio, reducing the belly fat.
Yes, most of the research shows that it increases the metabolic rate, tending to prevent obesity.
SUGAR
There is a great anti-sugar cult, with even moralistic overtones,equating sugar craving with morphine addiction. Sugar craving is usually caused by the need for sugar, generally caused by hypothyroidism.When yeasts have enough sugar, they just happily make ethanol, but when they don't have sugar, they can sink filaments into the intestine wall seeking it, and, if the person is very weak, they can even invade the bloodstream and other organs. Milk, cheese, and fruits provide a very good balance of nutrients. Fruits provide a significant amount of protein. Plain sugar is o.k. when the other nutrients are adequate. Roots, shoots, and tubers are, next to the fruits, a good carbohydrate source; potatoes are a source of good protein. Meat as the main protein can provide too much phosphorus in relation to calcium.
I think a total for sugar up to ten ounces can be o.k., depending on your metabolic rate and needs. Budd and Piorry used up to 12 ounces per day therapeutically.
I have often had a gallon of orange juice in a day, with 100 grams of other sugar, and didn't see any problem, even while being sedentary. If your metabolic rate is high, with a pound of sugar you will still have an appetite for quite a bit of fat and protein.
People can do well on high or low fat or carbohydrate, but when the carbohydrate is very low, some of the protein will be wasted as fuel, replacing the missing glucose.
Appetite should be the basic guide. When your liver has enough glycogen stored, sweet things aren't appetizing.
A daily diet that includes two quarts of milk and a quart of orange juice provides enough fructose and other sugars for general resistance to stress, but larger amounts of fruit juice, honey, or other sugars can protect against increased stress, and can reverse some of the established degenerative conditions. Refined granulated sugar is extremely pure, but it lacks all of the essential nutrients, so it should be considered as a temporary therapeutic material, or as an occasional substitute when good fruit isn't available, or when available honey is allergenic.
That depends on your size, metabolic rate, and activity, and the other nutrients, but I sometimes have more than that [400 G OF CARBOHYDRATE], including the sugar in milk and orange juice (and I'm about your size, and very sedentary). The fructose component of ordinary sugar (sucrose) helps to increase the metabolic rate. I think a person of average size should have at least 180 grams per day, maybe an average of about 250 grams.
Sugar helps the liver to make cholesterol, switching from starchy vegetables to sweet fruits will usually bring cholesterol levels up to normal. If the fat is mostly saturated, from milk, cheese, butter, beef, lamb or coconut oil, I think it's usually o.k. to get about 50% of the calories from fat, but since those natural fats typically contain around 2% polyunsaturated fats, I try to minimize my PUFA intake by having more fruit, and a little less fat, maybe 30 to 35%.
If your other foods are rich in vitamins and minerals it's safe.
To prevent stress, or to replenish glycogen stores after stress, your appetite for it is likely to be a good guide.
Starch is less harmful when eaten with saturated fat, but it's still more fattening than sugars.
No, although there are some nutrient minerals in it, the impurities can be slightly toxic and allergenic [BROWN SUGAR].
FRUCTOSE
I think that's one of its basic protective effects, and I think it increases it in the brain, too. [LIVER, MUSCLE, BRAIN GLYCOGEN]
Here's a currently often cited article which claimed to show that fructose causes "insulin resistance" compared to a starch diet, but careful reading would show that it confirms the powerful protective effect of fructose (and sucrose), since if the greater weight gain of the starch eaters continued beyond the short 5 weeks of the experiment, after a year the starchy rats would have weighed twice as much as the lean sugar eaters. The fructose limits insulin secretion, but intensifies metabolism, burning calories faster. Several abstracts below touch on the subject. [PEAT'S NEWSLETTER 'SUGAR ISSUES' GOES OVER THIS IN DETAIL]
INTESTINE/ALLERGY
Even traces of allergens in foods or supplements can do that [CONGESTION/STUFFED UP NOSE], and depending on the intestinal transit time, a single dose of an allergen can keep producing congestion for days.
It usually takes several days for the digestive system to adjust, with changes in the intestinal rhythm for example, and during that time things like headache and tooth sensitivity can increase. Increased calcium and fiber (raw carrots or boiled bamboo shoots, for example) can help.
Like the dark circles, a chronically plugged nostril is suggestive of an allergy, and it usually varies according to the intensity of the intestinal irritation of undigested food. Keeping notes on what you eat, you might notice increased stuffiness during the night after particular foods were eaten, though with some foods the congestion can take a couple of days to develop. Prolonged endurance exercise will usually slow the pulse because of adaptive inhibition of the thyroid. I have seen some people with the dark circles, fatigue, and other symptoms that stopped as soon as they stopped their daily running.
For people with really sensitive intestines or bad bacteria, starch should be zero.
Starches, preservatives, and antioxidants are likely to irritate,stearic acid isn't likely to be a problem.
It takes a few days for the intestine to change its rhythm of peristalsis, and a couple of weeks for the enzymes to adjust to a change of foods. A daily raw carrot helps it to adjust.
Until a few years ago, I would drink a couple of quarts of orange juice from pulp-free frozen concentrate every day, then I started noticing those allergy symptoms, and investigated their production processes. They had recently introduced an enzyme technology to make pulp more water soluble. For years, it had been used to dispose of massive amounts of otherwise waste pulp by putting it into the "creamy" or "home style" pulpy juices, but then suddenly the relatively clear so-called pulp-free juice began leaving a residue on glasses, and resisting passage through filter paper, besides causing allergy symptoms. For several decades I have watched as traditionally safe foods have been altered, and have found that many people have developed allergic problems when their favorite foods were changed by new technologies. Since intestinal bacteria affect the allergenicity of foods that are poorly digested, changing the flora can often relieve the symptoms. Raw carrot contains some antibiotics that can be helpful; oil and vinegar can increase the germicidal effects. It's important to use oil and vinegar that aren't allergenic themselves. Hypothyroidism increases the susceptibility to many foods.
Since the fiber [CARROT] will delay digestion and reduce absorption of other foods, I think it's best to eat it between meals, usually in the afternoon.
Yes, the plain carrot is good. For people who want more antimicrobial effect, the saturated fats and vinegar are helpful.
The fructose content of pears is probably helpful, but you should watch for what effect it might be having on your intestine, from the pectin. Pectin tends to increase serotonin by irritating the intestine. Allergies can increase your blood glucose, so you should watch for effects, usually the next day, sometimes extending for two or three days, from foods that are commonly allergenic, such as tomato sauce and spaghetti; unrefined coconut oil is a possible allergen, too. Do you use any aspirin?
Prolactin and TSH tend to increase together, so when you didn't need the prolactin to be high, the TSH--which might have been keeping your thyroid active despite high estrogen--could have decreased, letting the gland be suppressed by estrogen (and maybe PUFA, from the nuts and any non-ruminant meats). Optimally, the TSH should be very low, but the thyroid gland should keep functioning without needing much stimulation.
Checking your temperature when you wake up, then about an hour after breakfast, can give you an idea of your thyroid status, it should get up to about 98.5 by mid-morning. With restful sleep, the waking temperature is somewhat low; poor sleep, with high stress hormones, can cause the waking temperature to be high.
The intestine is a potential source of reabsorbed estrogen, and a daily raw carrot (grated or shredded, with a little olive oil, vinegar, salt) helps to lower excess estrogen (and endotoxin produced by bacteria). While lowering estrogen, it is likely to lower cortisol and increase progesterone.
Have you experimented with milk from different sources? Sometimes the goats or cows eat allergenic things, or have bacteria that disturb the intestine. Have you tried boiled or ultrapasteurized milk? Is the cheese the original Parmigiano Reggiano? If you can list all the foods that you have had in the last day or two, I might see some things that are affecting your hormones. Anything that irritates your intestine or increases bacterial activity in the small intestine can increase the absorption of bacterial endotoxin, and that lowers testosterone and thyroid hormone, and increases cortisol. Reducing endotoxin might be all it takes to correct the hormones. Have you had blood tests for thyroid or other hormones?
Sometimes goats find allergenic weeds when they graze, so trying different kinds of milk, or commercial ultrapasteurized milk could help.
I think calcium glucarate can be protective in some circumstances, but manufactured organic compounds (glucaric acid) often contain allergenic impurities. I practically stopped eating all cruciferous vegetables, largely because of that sort of compound---Indoles as a class are very risky. Thyroid and sugars, and saturated fats such as coconut oil, usually help to increase testosterone.
Local bacteria are usually involved in the white tongue, but typically the problem is mainly in the intestine. I have experimented with the old-fashioned "intestinal disinfectant" camphoric acid (it used to be a common pharmaceutical, 80 to 100 years ago), and when I would swallow about 100 to 200 mg of it in the evening, I would wake up with a perfectly clean tongue, not a bit of the white. Bamboo shoots, raw carrot, and flowers of sulfur are other antiseptics that can reduce the white tongue.
Cellulose is the safe fiber, and (boiled) bamboo shoots are another safe fiber. My May newsletter, below, has some information about the effects of other fibers, including pectin. If the fruits don't cause digestive problems, such as gas, then the fiber is good. Apples and pears are often so fibrous (because of incomplete ripening) that the fiber can be harmful.
They aren't necessary [FIBER], for example milk supports abundant bacterial growth that creates bulk, but when there are digestive and hormonal problems because of bad intestinal flora, the fibers of carrot and bamboo shoots have a disinfecting action. The carrots must be raw for that effect.
DIET (GENERAL)
It's best to have more calcium than phosphate, and your diet is deficient in calcium, and heavy on phosphate, and that by itself can cause serious stress. Cheese would be a good way to get enough calcium, if you don't use milk. Eating protein by itself can cause a big surge of cortisol. Preceding the protein with some carbohydrate makes the protein go farther, otherwise under the influence of cortisol a lot of protein is used just for energy. Your diet might below in vitamin A, so it would be better to have eggs for breakfast,preceded with a generous amount of orange juice. Bananas can be seriously allergenic, apples are allergenic for some people, but not as intensely as bananas. Well cooked potatoes, with butter or cream,are a very good way to get carbohydrate, if you aren't allergic to them, because they contain a good balance of amino acids, too, as well as minerals and B vitamins.
I normally use pasteurized (and homogenized) milk, and I know people who do best when they use ultrapasteurized milk, and many people who, especially in certain seasons, don't tolerate raw milk. Cows' bacteria change according to what they are eating, and sometimes even the low level of bacteria in pasteurized milk can upset the person's intestinal balance of bacteria. I advise against eating the solid parts of coconut, as a regular part of the diet, and recommend the deodorized refined oil, because so many people are allergic to the proteins (and starches) of coconut. My November newsletter, below, will explain why people tend to lose weight on milk and sugar.
Although we can make our own fats from sugars, I think it's good to have some fat in our food, because of its effects on the intestine especially. Experiments on an isolated loop of intestine, measuring the nutrients entering the bloodstream, showed that relatively simplified mixtures of nutrients were poorly digested. Fat, protein, sugars, and minerals, in combination, activated the intestine, increasing the digestion of all of them, when they were present at the same time. If the fats are mostly saturated, as in butter, coconut oil, or beef or lamb fat, roughly a third of the calories is good, but the ideal proportion probably depends on the specific foods and the person's level of activity. Increasing either fat or sugar can have some specific therapeutic effects, but when more information becomes available about the composition of particular fruits, I suspect that the ideal balance of nutrients will lean toward the sugars, supported by ketoacids and short-chain saturated fats. The polyunsaturated fatty acids, which break down into toxic fragments and free radicals and prostaglandin-like chemicals, are--along with bacterial toxins produced in the intestine--the source of the main inflammatory and degenerative problems. Sugar and the minerals in fruits are fairly effective in keeping free fatty acids from being released from our tissues, and the fats we synthesize from them are saturated, and aren't likely to be stored as excess fat, because they don't suppress metabolism (as polyunsaturated fats and some amino acids do). The minerals of fruits and milk contribute to metabolic activation, and prevention of free-radical damage.
For a while, the vitamin A is very important, and the PUFA isn't crucial in the short term, so 2 or 3 eggs would be o.k., though in the longer run it's good to eat liver about twice a month, limiting the daily eggs to one or two. The type of cheese doesn't matter much as far as calcium goes. If you don't get much sunlight, and during the winter, a vitamin D supplement is necessary to use the calcium effectively. Plain white rice, well cooked, with butter is o.k. The calcium, vitamin D and vitamin A will greatly improve your immunity,the colostrum wouldn't be necessary.
The fats in meat and cheese can be minimized by choosing low fat types, and skimmed or 1% milk can be used.
I find that I need almost a pint of orange juice to balance one egg.
Small meals help to increase the metabolic rate, single big meals increase fat storage.
There are just occasional intervals when I'm not eating---cafe con leche several times a day, other things in between.
Frequent meals are helpful during hypothyroidism, and help to prevent obesity, but when the thyroid and liver are working, 2, 3, or 4 meals are good. For me, 2 meals and some snacks are most convenient. Orange juice is good by itself.
Yes, as the metabolism gets more effective, you don't have to eat as often as when you are starting to change. At first, when glycogen isn't being stored, temperature will rise and fall situationally.
Yes, two to four times a month. (liver)
I cook it quickly in butter. (liver)
Over the years I averaged a gallon a day, and I liked to eat butter, fat meat, ice cream, and thick cream in my coffee, so 1% milk had enough fat. I didn't like the taste of skimmed milk, and the available 1% happens to be pasteurized. In Mexico when I get it from the farmer, I don't know how much fat it has, but on average it's probably similar.
Our foods usually contain enough PUFA, unavoidably, to make fats matter to some extent. After about twenty years of carefully avoiding them, I'm still getting about 2% of my fat as PUFA (beef, oysters, eggs, etc.). That's why I'm making an effort to increase my sugar intake, to displace some fat.
Until 2006 I was using mostly frozen pulp-free concentrate, then they introduced the enzyme process (for disposing of waste fiber, making it stay suspended in the juice), affecting even the "pulp-free" type. So now I use only sweet oranges that I squeeze myself. US people don't realize how ridiculously degraded their standard of living has become. Nutrition is political economical. The governments tell people to eat beans and bread for a reason. I use coca cola as a fill-in when I can't get oranges.
Normally, I usually have around 400 grams of carbohydrate. I have about 3 quarts of milk, varying amounts of orange juice (probably over a quart on average), eggs, and about 200 grams of meat or fish, with other things such as coca cola, cheese, ice cream, cheese cakes, some coconut oil and butter, occasional tropical fruits.
Eggs and orange juice, milk and oysters, and a raw carrot. For variety, smoked oysters, crab, cod fried in butter, ox-tail soup, parmigiano reggiano, sapotas, lychees, liver. Completely avoiding unsaturated fats, such as canola and mayonnaise, and minimizing beans, cereals, and vegetables.
Bananas and jack-fruit are strong allergens, possibly because of their cultivation methods. Mangos, apples, and pears are allergenic to some people. Poorly ripened fruits of all sorts should be avoided.
Usually they are o.k. [PASTEURIZED FRUIT JUICE]
There can be a great difference between eggs from chickens that really have adequate pasture, and the standard ones, but the labels aren't likely to contain enough information. "Organic-free range" chickens in the US are usually fed soy and corn in a crowded outdoor pen. In the US I seldom eat more than one large egg per day, in Mexico where I know where the chickens live and what they eat, I eat more of them.
The difference isn't enough to worry about. [RAW OR PASTEURIZED MILK]
It's o.k. [HOMOGENIZED MILK]
It's mostly from large fat meals, at first, but then it is increased by stress, and builds up over time. [AMOUNT OF FAT EATEN PER MEAL TO ACTIVATE THE RANDLE CYCLE, EVEN IF IT'S SATURATED]
CALCIUM
Unless you like cheese and milk, a calcium supplement would be the only way to balance the phosphate. Powdered eggshells are the best calcium supplement, oyster shells are the next best. Having some fruit, such as orange juice each time you eat meat will make the protein assimilation much more efficient, so less is needed. The natural sugar in fruit is mostly sucrose, equal parts of glucose and fructose, and the fruits have some of the minerals needed to use carbohydrate efficiently. [NOTE: Peat usuallly recommends NOT consuming orange juice with meat due to iron absorption. This quote is likely old.]
Milk and cheese are the best foods for getting enough calcium, and they will help to keep your protein intake up; an active person needs at least 100 grams daily for efficiency. ...80 grams of protein daily is probably enough for a medium sized person who isn't very active. I have known people whose thyroid function improved noticeably when they increased their protein from 20 grams to 40 grams daily. (A quart of milk has 32 grams of protein, an egg about 6 grams.) If you depend on chicken for your major protein, it will contribute to suppressing your thyroid and progesterone. Increased salt helps to increase your metabolic rate. Low thyroid makes you lose salt too easily, and temporarily just eating more salt helps to make up for low thyroid-adrenals-progesterone.
Did they mention the CO2 or bicarbonate? That's usually low with hypothyroidism, and CO2 is what regulates calcium. Powdered eggshell (mixed with food) is a safe way to supplement calcium.
The milk estrogen research isn't good. It also contains thyroid and progesterone and other protective substances. The high calcium content helps to increase the metabolic rate, and probably contributes to maintaining the anabolic balance.
Regarding milk and it's tryptophan content, The calcium helps to keep the metabolic rate high, and the other nutrients help to steer tryptophan away from the serotonin path.
PROTEIN
For intense exercise, it's about a gram per pound of body weight.
I've always been very sedentary, but I have usually had close to 150 grams daily. The traditional meat eaters didn't waste anything,ate all the skin, ears, tails, snouts, feet,tendons, lungs, intestines, marrow, blood,brains, gonads and other glands, picked the ligaments off the bones, so they had a much better balance of amino acids. (Small town restaurants in Mexico, China, etc., still serve those.) Muscle meats are essentially a refined food.
That's more than enough, and with low thyroid function the excess of tryptophan, methionine, and cystein can lower your thyroid even more. Until your metabolic rate is higher, 80 to 100 grams would be better. Replacing it with sugar, or very well cooked starch, would support thyroid function.
It's better to take your protein during the day, sugar and fat in the evening. The powdered protein lacks most of the nutrients, so you probably need some fruit, eggs, and liver, for the other nutrients, including potassium and magnesium.
Food proteins stimulate insulin secretion, and to prevent hypoglycemia cortisol is increased. The food proteins (along with tissue proteins) can be used for energy under the influence of cortisol. Meats, other than beef, lamb, venison, and bison, usually contain enough polyunsaturated fat to affect estrogen, testosterone, and energy production. Stress, or increased cortisol, increases the circulating cysteine and tryptophan from muscle (meats), and these together with cortisol tend to increase aromatase. The high ratio of phosphate to calcium in meat activates a variety of stress processes; a high intake of calcium supports energy metabolism. Sugars tend to lower circulating free fatty acids, amino acids, and cortisol, while activating the thyroid hormone.
I think it just takes a few hours, or a day, to normalize the tryptophan. Vitamin B6 helps to guide the metabolism of tryptophan away from excessive serotonin.
VITAMIN A/DANDRUFF/ACNE
Yes, it's definitely hard to get them coordinated when there's an imbalance in one direction or the other. For several years, when I had an extremely high metabolic rate, I needed 100,000 units per day during sunny weather to prevent acne and ingrown whiskers, but when I moved to a cloudy climate, suddenly that much was too much, and suppressed my thyroid. The average person is likely to be hypothyroid, and to need only 5,000 units per day. Avoiding large amounts of carotene, and getting plenty of vitamin B12 to be able to convert any carotene that's in your food, helps to use vitamin A efficiently.
Yes, vitamin A and estrogen are antagonistic, and while estrogen promotes keratinization (shedding of skin cells), vitamin A opposes it. Since vitamin A is highly unsaturated, in excess it suppresses the thyroid, so it has to be balanced with the thyroid; the combination is effective for increasing progesterone and decreasing estrogen, slowing the turnover of skin cells, and making the skin cells function longer before flaking off. Plugged pores, combined with a local shift toward synthesizing inflammatory substances, foster bacterial infection. Bright light stimulates the production of steroids, and consumes vitamin A very quickly, but when the balance is right, the acne clears up in just a day or two. Cream, butter, eggs, and liver are good sources of vitamin A. When people supplement thyroid and eat liver once or twice a week, their acne and dandruff (and many other problems) usually clear up very quickly. It was acne and dandruff that led me into studying the steroids and thyroid, and in the process I found that they were related to constipation and food sensitivity.
I found that I had an extremely high vitamin A requirement, increased by stress or bright light, and that it related to thyroid function. Usually, thyroid and vitamin A are the supplements that stop acne.
I avoid carotene, because it blocks thyroid and steroid production, and very large, excessive, amounts of vitamin A, retinol, can do the same. I use halibut liver oil-derived vitamin A, or retinyl palmitate.
A solution of aspirin in water on the skin helps with the inflammation, and is mildly germicidal.
Vitamin A deficiency is a common cause of dandruff.
IRON
Have you had your thyroid checked? Abnormal ferritin can result from thyroid malfunction. Here's an economical and safe bulb; it has as much infrared as a red bulb, and can be used as the main light source.
Red light is o.k. How high was the TSH? High uric acid, ferritin, and TSH are commonly corrected by a thyroid supplement sufficient to lower the TSH.
Uric acid is important as an antioxidant. High ferritin doesn't directly imply high iron stores, it has a defensive effect, and can be increased by inflammation. TSH promotes inflammation. Hypothyroidism usually involves low temperature of the extremities, and the bones of the arms and legs form red cells slowly at low temperature, so it's possible that ferritin is involved in an adaptive mechanism, too.
I assume that conventional medicine has misunderstood its role, I'm not sure that I can think of anything that conventional medicine doesn't misunderstand. Hypothyroidism increases inflammation and decreases kidney function; even protective antioxidants can become problems in themselves under some circumstances.Ferritin binds iron, and while it's bound it is less likely to produce random free radical damage. If there is inflammation in the liver or bone marrow, the inflammation can cause iron to be released, and ferritin apparently acts as a buffer, absorbing the released iron.
COFFEE
Dry instant coffee is close to 0.5% magnesium, so a cup of strong coffee has about 40 mg. I make strong drip coffee.
The antioxidants in very fresh coffee might have some special value, but I think instant coffee is on average just as good as brewed coffee. The high temperature of espresso gets the most caffeine, lower temperature processes get the minerals and vitamins (mostly niacin) and aroma, but a little less of the caffeine.
It's important not to drink coffee on an empty stomach, it should always be with food, since it increases the metabolic rate, and can deplete glycogen stores.
ANTIBIOTIC (Penicillin)
No, I just do it occasionally.
I usually break the tablets up, and use fourths or halves, at intervals according to need. It's important to get some vitamin K1 or K2 when you use an antibiotic (liver or kale, or supplements). Have you checked your thyroid? Low thyroid function is usually behind the dark circles.
COCONUT OIL
Most cities have wholesale grocers that either stock it (in five gallon buckets) or can get it, and they usually charge about $50 per bucket. GloryBee in Eugene is one place I have bought it, and Tropical Traditions has a good one, called expeller expressed, non-certified, and I think it's shipped from Nevada.
It's just filtered, usually through diatomaceous earth, to remove materials other than the fat; the main problem with the unfiltered oil is that it's allergenic for many people. It also degrades quicker.
YEAST (CANDIDA)
Yes, yeast loves PUFA, and becomes invasive when deprived of sugar. The mania has been circulating for almost 40 years. I wrote about it in the early '80s.
Poor digestion does affect the membranes of the mouth, but a fungal infection of the mouth usually happens when the immune system is weak, from hormonal imbalance or poor nutrition, for example, or when there isn't enough saliva, or when the membranes are affected by a specific vitamin deficiency, such as vitamin A. Yeasts are attracted to estrogen and glucose, and when the thyroid hormone is deficient the antibodies that normally protect membranes tend to be deficient. It's important to know for sure exactly what the problem is, since leukoplakia is sometimes mistaken for thrush. A rinse with a little powdered sulfur usually eliminates yeast, vitamin A, along with other adequate nutrition, can often correct leukoplakia.
LEPTIN
I doubt that there is any biological significance in the idea of leptin resistance. Leptin promotes inflammation and cancer, so it might be good to be resistant to it, but I think the concept is mainly an outgrowth of the pharmaceutical industry's promotion of leptin as a cure for obesity.
ESTROGEN IN MILK
High estrogen, relative to progesterone, interferes with lactation, and the enzymes that convert estradiol to the less active estrone and estriol are increased by progesterone. The amount of estradiol in milk is usually much less than one microgram per liter, and it's concentrated in the cream, so low-fat milk has very little estrogen. The cow's diet is probably a more important factor in the estrogen content of milk than pregnancy. The information in that abstract isn't enough to tell whether the study was done properly.
SUPPLEMENTS
Because of contaminants in supplements I seldom recommend the oral use of any of them, except aspirin, which can be dissolved in warm water to remove most of the additives. In the winter I use vitamin D, but only on my skin in an oil. Using a thyroid supplement temporarily might help to lower your estrogen.
Some of the B vitamins, especially B2, can be very allergenic. B6 doesn't affect the others very much; 10 mg per day is a big dose.
Its effects are usually visible immediately, or within a few days, if it's going to be helpful. It's best in general to get the B vitamins from regular foods, occasionally with liver, because supplements usually contain contaminants that can cause allergic reactions when they are used for a long time. Other B vitamins that are usually safe for occasional use are B1, niacinamide, and pantothenic acid.
If you are getting enough of the major nutrients, including protein, calcium, and sugar, it's possible that you have a specific stress-related deficiency, for example of B6, niacinamide, or selenium. 10 mg of B6 can sometimes make a quick difference in prostate and libido, 100 mg of niacinamide can reduce some stress symptoms. Applying caffeine solution to the scalp locally helps to promote hair growth. Water and a little alcohol are convenient for applying it. [LOW LIBIDO, HAIR LOSS FOR A YOUNG MALE]
PUFA (REMOVAL)
The main way they [PUFA] are detoxified is by attaching glucuronic acid, making them water soluble, so they leave in the urine. Keeping the free fatty acids low in relation to albumin, they will largely be carried bound to the albumin to the liver.
VITAMIN D
I use Carlson's, and I think most of the informed people are recommending about 2,000 units per day. John Cannell's site, "the vitamin D council," has a newsletter, and is a good way to keep up with the vitamin D research.
EXERCISE
Concentric resistance training has an anabolic effect on the whole body. Sprinting is probably o.k. Endurance exercise is the worst. I don't think martial arts are necessarily too stressful.
A high protein diet is helpful, and avoiding polyunsaturated fats helps to increase testosterone (coconut oil, butter, maybe MCT instead). Excess tryptophan can promote the catabolic cortisol, so supplementing gelatin might be helpful.
Orange juice is very helpful, maybe some salty thing; I don't think niacinamide would be necessary, though it would be an interesting experiment.
COOKING
Plant enzymes aren't much help after they are eaten. Slow cooking is the worst for oxidizing cholesterol, quick cooking is safer.
Basically wrong, but there are some areas that would be worth investigating, such as the different physiological effects of raw onions and cooked onions. It's possible that the enzymes inhibit some toxic effects of the irritating chemicals in onions. [RAW FOODS]
PULSE
I think 85/minute resting is a good average. For the last 35 years I have tried to keep it averaging a little over 90. When people are using thyroid to recover from tumors or cataracts or other chronic problem, they sometimes hold their resting pulse rate at 100 or more for a few months, without any harmful effects. Sometimes I think you'll be able to figure it out by yourself.
PREGNENOLONE
Ordinarily, you can make enough from converting sugar to cholesterol, with thyroid and vitamin A converting cholesterol to the other hormones. But when you have been poisoned with not enough of the needed foods, or too much of the unsaturated oils, heavy metals, causing free radical reactions and so on, then it helps to use all of the supports possible, thyroid supplements, pregnenolone supplements, possibly dhea and progesterone, saturated fats, sugar, everything that works in the same direction.
LIGHT/DARKNESS/SLEEP
It does suppress melatonin. I think the problem with light research is that many of them weren't using similar levels of light energy at the different wavelengths. I have tried sleeping with red light, and I didn't like it; but it can be equally effective, for maintaining blood sugar or reducing inflammation, if it shines only on the feet or legs. I think the u.v. lamps are good for use in the winter.
During the night all of the hormones of stress and inflammation rise, and the ice cream decreases them enough for you to stay asleep, but they still rise. Having more very bright light (several hundred watts of incandescent bulbs) in the hours from sundown until bedtime will lower them a little more. Since T3 is used up very quickly, allowing the proinflammatory TSH to rise during the night, it would help if you used Cynoplus at bedtime, instead of Cynomel. If you were taking 10 mcg of cynomel, then a third of a tablet of cynoplus would provide that, as well as the T4 that holds the TSH down longer. Having an egg every day, and liver once a week, will help to balance the effects of the thyroid hormone, which increases your need for vitamins, especially vitamin A.
I use them (incandescent light bulbs) for keeping my area warm, instead of centrally heating the house. My view of the energy saving light bulbs is that putting a cork in the plug saves more energy (and doesn't contain mercury).
Having a larger proportion of your fat near bedtime often helps to get through the night without inflammation.
It varies with the season, but 8 to 8 1/2 hours is usually best.
CHOLESTEROL
If low cholesterol is combined with slightly low thyroid, the protective steroids aren't produced in normal amounts, and inflammatory processes develop. Connective tissue pain, waist fat, and constipation relate to the stress-inflammation processes, for example endotoxin slows the liver's detoxifying process, estrogen and serotonin signal defensive reactions that lead to cumulative problems. Sweet fruits are anti-inflammatory and help to keep the liver functioning, including keeping cholesterol up and keeping estrogen and cortisol under control. When estrogen is relatively high, tryptophan turns into serotonin and slows the thyroid, lowers the temperature. Glycine is the main anti-inflammatory amino acid, and it can normally be made in adequate amounts, but some proteins, especially muscle meats, don't have enough Glycine in relation to tryptophan. Fruits and milk or cheese will usually provide a good balance of the main nutrients, but sometimes gelatin is very useful to balance the other proteins. The calcium content of milk and cheese is important for lowering inflammation, and helps to prevent excess fat deposition. Sodium and vitamin K are closely involved in calcium metabolism.
TEETH
I use baking soda, and I rinse my mouth after having sugar, orange juice, etc. The quality of the saliva, regulated mainly by the thyroid hormone, is the main factor in dental health. My newsletter on osteoporosis mentioned some of the studies on thyroid, estrogen, and tooth decay.
SEX
High estrogen does sometimes cause insatiable sexual interest, partly because it increases adrenal androgens, and partly by inhibiting satisfying orgasms. Too much progesterone can suppress or neutralize the androgens. Thyroid is the best way to regulate the system, keeping libido up, making orgasms satisfying.
CO2 (BAG BREATHING)
Just until it's uncomfortable, usually a minute or two, depending on the size of the bag. If you do it a few times in a day, you might notice that it makes your skin (e.g., under nails) pinker, by improving circulation.
CIRCUMCISION
It's effects are almost exclusively negative, except when the foreskin is extremely constricted.
ASPIRIN
7000 mg is a lot, and it's very important to take vitamin K with aspirin.
It can help with sleep, but you should try it first in the afternoon, because sometimes its first effect can stimulate your metabolism and delay sleep. If you use it regularly, you should have some vitamin K (for example liver once a week).
When aspirin and niacinamide lower the temperature I think it's because they lower the stress hormones.
It's [ASPIRIN] protective against sun aging, like vitamin E. I think the most helpful thing for wrinkles is pregnenolone (internally), since it increases the tone of connective tissues, causing the fascia and similar tissues to contract, if they have been sagging from a metabolic energy problem (caused by accumulated PUFA).
DIABETES
I have known people who believed they had insulin deficiency, who recovered completely. The pancreas beta cells can regenerate quickly, polyunsaturated fats are continually damaging them.
The T3 component of the thyroid hormone makes muscles and other tissues oxidize sugar. Calcium, sodium, and aspirin are other things that increase the ability to use glucose.
CHEESE
[In cheese,] When the label says "enzymes," it is likely that they are using one of the new products; lots of people are having serious intestinal reactions to commercial cheeses. Real animal rennet is still safe, as far as I know. Industrial grade citric acid is a serious allergen for some people, because it contains contaminants that aren't in natural fruit citric acid, but it's probably safer than the industrial "enzymes." The producers of the enzyme products claim they are highly purified, but some people react as though they still contain some antigens from the microorganisms. The traditional cheeses were made with milk that soured with the bacteria that lived in the cows, but now it's common to sterilize the milk, and then add cultures, or enzymes, or citric acid, for standardization---but they often put their faith in a commercial product that seems to work well, but that could have serious allergenic contaminants. The same thing has been happening with aged cheeses, many places are no longer letting the native molds infect the cheese curds. Homogenizing doesn't cause any problems---unless they use solvents/detergents for adding the vitamins A and D that are required in milk with reduced fat. The vitamins aren't normally added to whole milk or cream.
REVERSE T3
Yes, it's probably induced by stress, with cortisol inducing the type of deiodinase that makes the inactive rT3. A low sugar diet can cause chronically high cortisol. If you are eating enough fruit and protein, I think the T3 of natural thyroid will help to correct the stress/inflammatory metabolism that is connected with the reverse T3.
There isn't any natural T3 product, in the sense of biologically created, but the activity of T3 is so great that the effective dose, of a few micrograms, couldn't introduce a significant amount of industrial junk; the excipients are the main concern, and whether the people making the tablets understand what they are doing. Cytomel and Cynomel, so far, have been very well made, and there isn't any other T3 product that I trust.
TSH (THYROID STIMULATING HORMONE)
I think it's best to keep the TSH around 0.4
I think it's good to have lower TSH. It contributes to some of the circulatory and inflammatory problems seen in hypothyroidism. People with TSH below 0.4 were the freest from thyroid cancer. The amount of body fat contributes to both prostate and breast cancer, largely because it's a chronic source of estrogen, by converting the protective androgens. Milk drinkers tend to be the least obese (e.g., the Masai people). One study saw an association of skimmed milk with prostate cancer, but not whole milk, probably because fat people avoid whole milk. Powdered eggshells are a good alternative source of calcium, but milk and cheese are better. When the TSH is lower, the estrogen will probably be lower too.
LIVER (DISEASED)
Eliminating all PUFA would be the most important thing, and having lots of orange juice, other sugars including honey, and milk and gelatin. Cytomel, aspirin, acetazolamide, and progesterone all protect the liver and help to slow cancer growth. Some people use extremely large amounts of aspirin, which require supplements of vitamin K, to prevent bleeding. Fibrous foods such as bamboo shoots and laxatives such as cascara help to reduce the absorption of bowel toxins that promote cancer and burden the liver.
HONEY
I haven't had any experience with manuka. Some honey can be allergenic, so it's good to look for a mild one; white sugar is probably similar, with less allergy risk.
DHT
The special difference between testosterone and DHT is that testosterone is easily aromatized into estrogen, and DHT isn't. There are several ways that the body can dispose of estrogen, but I haven't heard of that way of inactivating it; I don't think it happens in the body."
I think it was the drug industry, thinking of villains [DHT=BAD] to justify their otherwise crazy treatments.
YOGURT
In quantities of an ounce or so, for flavoring, it's o.k., but the lactic acid content isn't good if you are using yogurt as a major source of your protein and calcium. It triggers the inflammatory reactions, leading to fibrosis eventually, and the immediate effect is to draw down the liver's glycogen stores for energy to convert it into glucose.
KEFIR
The neutral lactate salt is at least as toxic as the acid form, but each culture varies a little in the amount of acid formed. The enzyme that thickens the milk sometimes works with very little acid formed. How sour the kefir is suggests how much lactic acid is in it. There are types of yogurt that have much of the acidic whey drained out, that aren't a problem. A spoonful or two of acidic yogurt isn't harmful, but a cupful of the acidic type can be enough to deplete the liver's energy stores, because lactic acid is converted to glucose in the liver, requiring energy. The "strained" type that isn't acidic is similar to cottage cheese and is safe.
ICE CREAM (RECIPE)
I blend an egg (warmed to 40 degrees C) with a cup of sugar (also warmed) and a cup of coconut oil until it's smoothly emulsified, and maybe half a cup of powdered milk for extra texture, then add milk to fill the blender (total volume a little over a liter), with strong coffee or orange juice for flavor, or other fruit or vanilla, etc. The high oil content, and powdered milk, make it freeze without crystallizing, so the ice cream machine isn't necessary.
ALCOHOL
People have very different reactions to it, probably depending on thyroid activity. It can have an antioxidant effect, but it can also cause hypoglycemia with pro-oxidative effects. If a person eats polyunsaturated fats, alcohol is more likely to cause oxidative reactions between iron and the fats.
ALLIUMS (GARLIC & ONIONS)
Raw, they do have some germicidal effects, sometimes improving intestinal function. The effect depends on the nature of an individual's intestinal flora.
SALT
A friend had the celtic salt analyzed, and found it was high in toxic heavy metals. The pure white common salt is best.
PREGNENOLONE 'STEAL' THEORY
Regarding the pregnenolone steal theory, It would be interesting to know who started that, it's a mechanical way of thinking about physiology that ignores the things that really matter. Thyroid hormone, vitamin A, and cholesterol support the formation of pregnenolone, and the well nourished body is able to make large adjustments in these, to minimize the need for cortisol. In health, enough pregnenolone and progesterone are produced to inhibit the stress systems, for example by inhibiting the release of ACTH. When something prevents the formation of pregnenolone and progesterone, rising ACTH will increase its production as conditions permit, but if something, such as thyroid hormone, is lacking, the ACTH will increase cortisol, often with DHEA and the androgens increasing too, if resources permit; sometimes the stressed system is able to sustain only cortisol and aldosterone production, and that leads to degenerative problems.
VITAMIN E
My thesis adviser, Arnold Soderwall, did some studies showing that vitamin E extended fertility considerably. I found some of his old Sigma (chemical company) vitamin E still in the freezer, and I was working on the idea that oxidative catalysts in the liver were directly related to estrogen's effects. I would extract lipids from the liver, and use paper chromatography to separate them, and for reference points I used the vitamin E and different quinones (coenzyme Q10, Q6, and benzoquinone). I happened to mix the vitamin E with one of the quinones, and noticed that it turned almost black; all of the quinones had the same effect. Putting the mixture on the paper, the moving solvent separated the original components. Delocalized electrons absorb low energy light, causing a dark color (as in black semiconductors), and Szent-Gyorgyi had expressed wonder about what could cause the dark color of the healthy liver, a color that can't be extracted as a pigment. This experiment convinced me that vitamin E could be one of the participants in delocalizing electrons for activating proteins in the way S-G suggested. However, the technology for manufacturing vitamin E has changed greatly over the years, and I have never found anything sold as vitamin E that produces the same dark colors as that old stuff from the freezer. I don't know whether the powerfully therapeutic (anti-estrogenic, clot-clearing, anti-inflammatory, quinone-reactive) old vitamin E contained "impurities" that were effective, or whether it's that the newer materials contain impurities that reduce their effects.
It was labeled d-alphatocopherol, but it was semi-solid, like crystallized honey.
BACON
The nitrate isn't likely to be a problem if you eat it with orange juice. I fry the bacon to remove some of the fat, and then refry it in coconut oil, to remove most of the PUFA.
WHEY PROTEIN (PROTEIN POWDERS)
Powdered foods that contain tryptophan are extremely susceptible to harmful oxidation, and the best things are removed, for example calcium, lactose, and casein, with its anti-stress properties.
GRAINS (BEST TO WORST)
Masa harina (best), white rice or oats, and brown rice. The phytic acid in the oats block absorption of much of the calcium; cooking the oats much longer than usual might improve its nutritional value.
CRAMPS
It [PROGEST-E] can help with cramps, but it would probably take a lot; I think it's better to use thyroid (including T3) to solve the basic problem, since it will let you regulate the balance between estrogen and progesterone, while allowing your cells to balance the minerals, retaining the magnesium needed to prevent cramping. Increasing your intake of all the main minerals, calcium, sodium, potassium, and magnesium usually helps in the short term, but the balance isn't stable if your thyroid is low. Milk, orange juice, coffee (even decaffeinated coffee is a good source of magnesium), and well salted foods, support thyroid functions. Aspirin helps with thyroid function and mineral balance, even helps to prevent excessive estrogen production.
KETONES
Ketones are very protective as a fuel, but the problem is that they are produced as a result of metabolic stress. If the liver is extremely good, it can store enough glycogen for a day, but chronic, frequent, stress usually damages the liver's ability to store glycogen.
FRUIT DIET
For best resistance to stress, more protein is desirable.
ECZEMA
Is he getting enough calcium? Liver and thyroid would be better than trying to use separate vitamins---vitamin A deficiency is the most likely, but some B vitamins could be involved, and a vitamin A supplement can increase the need for thyroid hormone, which is increased anyway during the winter.
FLOWERS OF SULFUR
Flowers of sulfur, USP (or precipitated sulfur powder) can be mixed with a little water and applied topically to eliminate yeast...since the yeast live in water, they can interact immediately with the sulfur when it's in water.
I used a pinch, less than a sixteenth of a teaspoonful, putting it on my tongue and washing it down, just 3 or 4 days in a row. But a daily raw carrot is usually as effective, and can be used continuously.
STEVIA
Stevia extract is probably safe. The plant is often highly contaminated with arsenic.
FASTING
After the liver's glycogen is depleted, fasting destroys the tissues, starting with the thymus, then the muscles and liver.
HEAVY METALS
Milk, orange juice, and coffee safely accelerate the removal of heavy metals from the tissues. Everyone's body accumulates PUFA's, which progressively interfere with metabolism and raise TSH. Iron, as well as other heavy metals (except for copper) tends to accumulate. Drinking coffee also helps to shift the hormone balance in the right direction.
Raising the body temperature and using chelators can mobilize things, but it can increase the damage they do on the way out. The liver doesn't store toxins for more than a few hours, and coffee enemas are intended to intensely stimulate the liver. Oral coffee lets the caffeine circulate slowly, keeping everything moderately active, and with orange juice, the mobilized metals are kept from injuring things until they are excreted.
GOUT/HIGH URIC ACID
Raw carrot or (boiled) bamboo shoots and aspirin, to lower endotoxin absorption
ELECTRIC SENSATIONS
Several things associated with that include reflexes from intestinal inflammation, hypothyroidism, and a pantothenic acid deficiency.