What If Saturated Fats Are Essential?

[MachineGhost]

Plaque buildup increased according to age after age 40 in a fairly steady fashion. But among the 20 percent of participants who reported eating the most egg yolks – three or more per week – carotid plaque increased “exponentially,”? according to the study. The buildup equaled about two-thirds of that seen among the heaviest smokers in the group.

But the new study suggests that dietary cholesterol may be a more important heart-health factor among those at risk of cardiovascular disease or those whose cardiovascular health already is compromised. “We conclude that the prevailing tendency to ignore dietary cholesterol as a risk factor for coronary heart disease requires reassessment, including the consumption of cholesterol from eggs,”? the study says.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/ar ... 5012005047

[Xan]

My first thought is that the folks who are eating the most egg yolks, in the current climate of "dietary cholesterol is bad", are also the ones who in general don't consider their health much.  They probably also get little or no exercise, for example; they are probably obese (but, I would say, not because of the egg yolks).

[MachineGhost]

Objectives

The aim of this study was to assess the vitamin D status in patients with occlusive or aneurysmatic arterial disease in relation to clinical cardiovascular risk profiles and markers of atherosclerotic disease.

Methods

We included 490 patients with symptomatic peripheral arterial disease (PAD, n = 254) or aortic aneurysm (n = 236). Cardiovascular risk factors and comorbidities carotid intima–media thickness (CIMT), ankle–brachial index (ABI), serum high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and vitamin D were assessed. Patients were categorised into severely (?25 nmol l?1) or moderately (26–50 nmol l?1) vitamin D deficient, vitamin D insufficient (51–75 nmol l?1) or vitamin D sufficient (>75 nmol l?1).

Results

Overall, 45% of patients suffered from moderate or severe vitamin D deficiency. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was similar in patients with PAD and those with an aortic aneurysm. Low levels of vitamin D were associated with congestive heart failure and cerebrovascular disease. Adjusting for clinical cardiovascular risk factors, multivariable regression analyses showed that low vitamin D status was associated with higher CIMT (P = 0.001), lower ABI (P < 0.001) and higher hs-CRP (P = 0.022).

Conclusions

The current study shows a strong association between low vitamin D status and arterial disease, independent of traditional cardiovascular risk factors and irrespective of the type of vascular disease, that is, occlusive or aneurysmatic disease.

http://www.ejves.com/article/S1078-5884%2812%2900429-7/

[dualstow]

Does anybody here drink raw milk? My shadowy illegal raw milk connection is gone, and I'm pissed.
(I guess I should mention that I'm not soliciting, merely venting. I guess I'm back to pasteurized if I want to drink milk.  )

[Gumby]

Plaque buildup increased according to age after age 40 in a fairly steady fashion. But among the 20 percent of participants who reported eating the most egg yolks – three or more per week – carotid plaque increased “exponentially,”? according to the study. The buildup equaled about two-thirds of that seen among the heaviest smokers in the group.

But the new study suggests that dietary cholesterol may be a more important heart-health factor among those at risk of cardiovascular disease or those whose cardiovascular health already is compromised. “We conclude that the prevailing tendency to ignore dietary cholesterol as a risk factor for coronary heart disease requires reassessment, including the consumption of cholesterol from eggs,”? the study says.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/ar ... 5012005047

This is totally bogus. You can find studies that say that people who eat the most eggs live longer and have less arteriosclerosis. Not sure why anyone thinks these studies actually prove anything. Most people who eat three egg yolks per day also cook those eggs in canola oil, which is probably the cause of most heart disease (since heart disease exploded after the introduction of vegetable oils).

[Gumby]

Does anybody here drink raw milk? My shadowy illegal raw milk connection is gone, and I'm pissed.
(I guess I should mention that I'm not soliciting, merely venting. I guess I'm back to pasteurized if I want to drink milk.  :'( )

I do. Though, my family has only been drinking it for a few months now — with good results so far. I've been very impressed with raw milk. Noticed a dramatic improvement in my son's sensory issues since we switched. Maybe it's coincidence, but we've stuck with raw milk just in case.

We stopped drinking "dead" milk after I read how it is produced. Dead milk is pretty nasty (powdered additives, oxidized cholesterol, sterilized fecal matter, etc.). Though, luckily I live in a state where raw milk is legal. Pretty crazy that people could be arrested for selling real unadultured milk.

[Gumby]

Plaque buildup increased according to age after age 40 in a fairly steady fashion. But among the 20 percent of participants who reported eating the most egg yolks – three or more per week – carotid plaque increased “exponentially,”? according to the study. The buildup equaled about two-thirds of that seen among the heaviest smokers in the group.

But the new study suggests that dietary cholesterol may be a more important heart-health factor among those at risk of cardiovascular disease or those whose cardiovascular health already is compromised. “We conclude that the prevailing tendency to ignore dietary cholesterol as a risk factor for coronary heart disease requires reassessment, including the consumption of cholesterol from eggs,”? the study says.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/ar ... 5012005047

This is totally bogus. You can find studies that say that people who eat the most eggs live longer and have less arteriosclerosis. Not sure why anyone thinks these studies actually prove anything. Most people who eat three egg yolks per day also cook those eggs in canola oil, which is probably the cause of most heart disease (since heart disease exploded after the introduction of vegetable oils).

Sure enough.... even the mainstream media is admitting that this study is totally flawed...

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2012 ... -up-to-be/

But cardiologists say the study shouldn’t be taken so seriously because the research is flawed.

“This is very poor quality research that should not influence patient’s dietary choices,”? said Dr. Steven Nissen, who chairs the department of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Source: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2012 ... -up-to-be/

[dualstow]

Does anybody here drink raw milk? My shadowy illegal raw milk connection is gone, and I'm pissed.
(I guess I should mention that I'm not soliciting, merely venting. I guess I'm back to pasteurized if I want to drink milk.  :'( )

I do. Though, my family has only been drinking it for a few months now — with good results so far. I've been very impressed with raw milk. Noticed a dramatic improvement in my son's sensory issues since we switched. Maybe it's coincidence, but we've stuck with raw milk just in case.

We stopped drinking "dead" milk after I read how it is produced. Dead milk is pretty nasty (powdered additives, oxidized cholesterol, sterilized fecal matter, etc.). Though, luckily I live in a state where raw milk is legal. Pretty crazy that people could be arrested for selling real unadultured milk.

There are forms of it that are legal in my state. Raw goat milk is ok, but I've had to buy the raw cow milk and raw cow butter in a weird clandestine manner. I have to admit that it's a plus for me. I love the milk and I feel so naughty.

I mostly drank soy milk while living overseas for many years -- pretty low in saturated fats, I think -- but the thing I love about the raw cow's milk is the cream at the top of the bottle. Heavenly.

[Gumby]

I mostly drank soy milk while living overseas for many years -- pretty low in saturated fats, I think -- but the thing I love about the raw cow's milk is the cream at the top of the bottle. Heavenly.

You're better off now. Soy milk is full of anti-nutrients. Saturated fat is where all the fat-soluble nutrients are stored. That's why the fat exists in raw milk in the first place — to pass nutrients to the young. That's probably why mammals are programmed to crave the taste of the creamtop.

[MachineGhost]

Does anybody here drink raw milk? My shadowy illegal raw milk connection is gone, and I'm pissed.
(I guess I should mention that I'm not soliciting, merely venting. I guess I'm back to pasteurized if I want to drink milk.  )

http://www.realmilk.com/where.html

[dualstow]

That looks like a good resource. Thank you for that.

[Gumby]

Looks like a new documentary, Statin Nation: the Great Cholesterol Cover-Up, is coming out soon. It questions the link between cholesterol and heart disease...

See: http://www.businessinsider.com/does-cho ... ase-2012-8

http://www.statinnation.net/

[MachineGhost]

Q: My doctor told me I have high cholesterol. I know I should change my diet, but is there anything else I might be overlooking?

Dr. Wright: Saturated fat gets a lot of blame when it comes to high cholesterol. Carbohydrates come in a close second. While they're both important factors, they aren't the only ones to consider. Diets high in saturated fat are responsible for approximately one in five cases of high serum cholesterol, and high carbohydrate intake is responsible for approximately one in three. That still leaves a little less than half of all high serum cholesterol cases unaccounted for.

The fact is, if you have high cholesterol, you may need to look further than your diet to find the real culprit.

Researchers from the Japanese National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences think they may have found a missing piece of the cholesterol puzzle. They discovered that small quantities of lead caused elevated serum cholesterol in animals. In their experiments they found that lead induces the genes responsible for creating the liver enzymes that produce cholesterol.

To compound the problem, lead also suppresses a gene responsible for the production of a liver enzyme that breaks down and destroys cholesterol. With cholesterol production "turned on" and cholesterol breakdown "turned off" by lead, the animals' serum cholesterol increased significantly.

Although the lead/cholesterol connection hasn't been proven by research on humans yet, it still helps to explain some observations that holistic doctors have made over the years. Holistic doctors who do chelation therapy (a process that removes lead and other toxic metals from the body) have noted that cholesterol levels often drop after chelation.

If you've tried following a strict diet and your serum cholesterol is still high, have a physician skilled and knowledgeable in nutritional and natural medicine check your lead levels. The most accurate way to test for lead is to get an intravenous drip of a chelating agent (EDTA is typically used for lead chelation) followed by a six- to eight-hour urine collection, which is then tested for lead and other toxic metals.

If a chelation test shows you have too much lead (or other toxic heavy metal) in your system, work with your physician to get the lead out. Not only will it help your serum cholesterol levels, but it will also help lots of other natural biochemical processes in your body operate better.

[MachineGhost]

A British research team has established a link between the plastic bisphenol-A (BPA) and narrowing of the arteries. Professor David Melzer, Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of Exeter (UK), and colleagues compared urinary levels of BPA with grades of severity of coronary artery disease in 591 patients who participated in the Metabonomics and Genomics Coronary Artery Disease (MaGiCAD) study. Results showed that urinary BPA concentration was significantly higher in those with severe CAD compared to those with normal coronary arteries. Professor Melzer said: "Our latest study strengthens a growing body of work that suggests that BPA may be adding to known risk factors for heart disease. Full proof will be very difficult to get, as experiments on this in humans are not feasible." The study is one of many in recent years suggesting that BPA may pose a risk to health.

http://tinyurl.com/8oh5fze

[Gumby]

A British research team has established a link between the plastic bisphenol-A (BPA) and narrowing of the arteries.

Of course, we have to be careful since — as with any study — correlation does not equal causation. It may be that people who consumed more BPA were also more likely to eat poorly, or have bad habits, etc.

However, I thought this was interesting...

"Bisphenol A was discovered in 1891 by Russian chemist Aleksandr Dianin. In the early 1930s the British chemist Charles Edward Dodds recognized BPA as an artificial estrogen. During that time BPA had two initial uses. The first use of BPA was to enhance the growth of cattle and poultry"
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisphenol_A#History

Again, it's hard to draw any conclusions from that — other than the composition of the animal-based food supply may have changed when heart disease was on the rise — but clearly it deserves further study.

If you are curious about the alternative theories of heart disease, and want to hear evidence-based research, I highly recommend listening to the following three-part series of the Chris Kresser Podcasts — where cholesterol/lipid researcher Chris Masterjohn (of WAPF) goes through the evidence-based research of what he likes to call the Degenerative Lipid Hypothesis. (Chris Kresser is an advocate of Paleo diets that are similar to WAPF).

http://chriskresser.com/the-healthy-ske ... episode-11
http://chriskresser.com/episode-16-chri ... ase-part-2
http://chriskresser.com/chris-masterjoh ... ase-part-3

In the first episode, he explains why the mainstream Infiltrative Lipid Hypothesis — mostly sold by the media and uninformed doctors — appears to be wrong, and why the Degenerative Lipid Hypothesis has far more evidence to support it. What's interesting is that he goes through the same studies that people use to confirm the Lipid Hypothesis and explains why the coorporate/media-touted conclusions of those studies doesn't match the actual data from those studies.

Masterjohn explains that there are typically two camps. One camp is the mainstream doctors and media who believe an abundance of cholesterol causes heart disease. These mainstream proponents of the Lipid Hypothesis see our arteries as "pipes" that get clogged with the fat and cholesterol from bacon and eggs. The other camp is the cholesterol skeptics, who simply say that the Lipid Hypothesis is flawed and that cholesterol has never been proven to cause heart disease — especially since the infiltrative lipid hypothesis doesn't match up with worldwide historical/cultural eating customs.

Masterjohn puts himself into a third camp that says that it's not the abundance of cholesterol that causes heart disease, but rather the oxidation of those crucial in-transit lipids that carry the important cholesterol to cells. So, people who have poor LDL-receptor activity — whether it be genetic or nutritional or whatever — their bodies allow their blood lipids to sit around in the blood and oxidize. The body steps in an forms plaque as a short term immune response to this inflammatory and oxidative process, but if this process happens over the long term, it can cause arteriosclerosis.  If anything, saturated fats are more protective of this oxidative process, whereas polyunsaturated fats are more susceptible to oxidation in the body. The major studies that are used to prove the mainstream Lipid Hypothesis also do a very good job of supporting this theory (so long as one actually looks closely at the data and not just the conclusions of those studies).

The third episode covers the possible short term and long term blood effects of switching to a high fat diet or ancestral diet. For instance, if you lose a lot of weight while switching to a high fat diet — as many people do — you may see your blood worsen as excess adipose tissue and fatty liver is temporarily pulled into the bloodstream to be metabolized and removed from the body. The seemingly poor blood panels taken during that time would actually be a good thing. But, Masterjohn also covers a few possible negative problems that could arise in some people in certain situations. It all depends on the individual.

So, if you're the kind of person who wants to hear evidence-based science that explores the role of cholesterol and what blood tests are useful or unreliable, those three podcasts episodes are excellent alternative explorations of the current evidence-based science.

Anyone who is thinking of eating more saturated fat should listen to those podcasts to understand how their own body might react to such a diet. The only problem with these podcasts is that by the time you're done listening to them, you may very well know more about lipids and cholesterol than your own mainstream doctor.

[MachineGhost]

http://chriskresser.com/the-healthy-ske ... episode-11
http://chriskresser.com/episode-16-chri ... ase-part-2
http://chriskresser.com/chris-masterjoh ... ase-part-3

Very, very long but good stuff.  So it looks like the refined polyunsaturated hypothesis from that "Primary Essential Oils" kook was sort of correct after all, with the mechanism being that polyunsaturated is incorporated into the LDL transport carrier cell wall and oxidizes easily, known as the Degenerative Lipid Hypothesis.  I presume that pre-oxidized polyunsaturated could be incorporated into LDL as well?  It turns out that its actually the macrophages from the immune system that causes the plaques in the arterial wall.  They are trying to clean out the stuck oxidized LDL but are too engorged in size to be able to leave.  Catch 22.

Despite what Masterjohn said, there is an excellent LDL oxidization protector.  Its called pomegranate and will reverse arteriosclerosis over time.  My 90+ grandma used to have clogged arteries until I put her on a pomegranate extract (no more than a year at most) and GliSODin (still on).  Sadly, she is a victim of polypharmacy so there is very little I can do anymore about detrimental side-effects.  I've sent her to the hospital twice from already attempting to improve her detoxification abilities.  Forget it!

I saw this great tool I'm going to trial: http://paleorecipes.chriskresser.com/  I despise finding, entering & adjusting recipes, organizing meal planning around my allergies and printing out shopping lists (mainly because such software that does it all are sluggish, buggy pieces of !@#$), so this tool is a real manna from heaven.  It got to the point I just quit bothering for long stretches of time because of the stress and aggravation.

EDIT: My excitement has been tempered.  There's a lack of any ability to normalize serving sizes, a lack of more than one side dish per three entrees and a lack of calorie information per serving to make sure you're eating enough (I'm a guy, not a woman!).  The shopping list is also useless, it doesn't consolidate or categorize any of the menu plan ingredients.  Still, its very, very useful to generate random menus excluding problematic ingredients.

[Gumby]

So it looks like the refined polyunsaturated hypothesis from that "Primary Essential Oils" kook was sort of correct after all

Heh. Sorry, who was the "Primary Essential Oils" kook? We've been through so many different resources I can't keep track  ;D

with the mechanism being that polyunsaturated is incorporated into the LDL transport carrier cell wall and oxidizes easily, known as the Degenerative Lipid Hypothesis.

Yes... Though, as I understood it, some naturally occurring polyunsaturated is necessary for the cell wall. The major problem is that the modern diet is way too high in polyunsaturated.

Keep in mind that Masterjohn is the one proposing the Degenerative Lipid Hypothesis. It's not very well known. Pretty impressive hypothesis considering he doesn't even have his PHd yet.

Oddly enough, Wikipedia tells the whole story right on the Polyunsaturated page...

"Polyunsaturated fat can be found mostly in nuts, seeds, fish, algae, leafy greens, and krill. Whole food sources are always best, as processing and heating may damage polyunsaturated fats."
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyunsatu ... ry_Sources

Makes you wonder why anyone would ever sell a Polyunsaturated intended for high heat cooking or manufactured with heat.

And of course, animal fats contain some healthy amounts of polyunsaturated. However, animal fats can contain either favorable or unfavorable ratios of Omega 3 & 6 depending on whether the animal was pastured or not. The more grass and plants an animal eats, the more Omega 3 and CLAs are in the fats. Factory farmed animals have high amounts of inflammatory Omega 6 in their fats. So, the modern diet is not only high in polyunsaturated, but it is also high in Omega 6. And industrial seed oils are often high sources of inflammatory Omega 6.

So, I believe that nature intended some naturally occurring polyunsaturated to play a role in our bodies (as evidenced by the composition of all animal fats). But, nature did not intend for us to create deep fat fryers full of boiling polyunsaturated.

Also, if LDL receptor activity is poor in an individual, even the naturally occurring polyunsaturated oxidizes as the LDL hangs out in the bloodstream too long — sort of like a bottle of fish oil left out on the counter. In a healthy individual, with good LDL receptor activity, the cholesterol would just be delivered before the polyunsaturated oxidized and that individual would have enough antioxidants to preserve and protect the polyunsaturated from oxidizing along the way. Masterjohn also implied that eat too much polyunsaturated just increased the amount of polyunsaturated in the cells that could oxidize — sort of like having too many glass jars around the house.

I presume that pre-oxidized polyunsaturated could be incorporated into LDL as well?

Yes. Exactly. That appears to be what happened over the last century. When industrial/refined seed oils were introduced into the food supply, they were pre-oxidized from the manufacturing process. And then they would heat those polyunsaturates — making the problem even worse. That would help explain the rise in heart disease and heart attacks. People were eating more pre-oxidized and rancid polyunsaturated oils and it likely caused arteriosclerosis over time. Also, the polyunsaturated molecule releases free radicals very easily when it breaks down.

Despite what Masterjohn said, there is an excellent LDL oxidization protector.  Its called pomegranate and will reverse arteriosclerosis over time.

Good to know. I just spent the last three decades probably consuming way too much polyunsaturated.

I saw this great tool

So, it sounds like you are experimenting with an ancestral diet. Nice. Just be aware that it takes some getting used to. I was in a fog for the first two weeks. And I'm still having some constipation — which tends to happen with ancestral diets. Oh, and watch your iodine/thyroid of course. It's a learning process in a modern world.

[MachineGhost]

Heh. Sorry, who was the "Primary Essential Oils" kook? We've been through so many different resources I can't keep track  ;D

http://www.brianpeskin.com/

So, it sounds like you are experimenting with an ancestral diet. Nice. Just be aware that it takes some getting used to. I was in a fog for the first two weeks. And I'm still having some constipation — which tends to happen with ancestral diets. Oh, and watch your iodine/thyroid of course. It's a learning process in a modern world.

Because I was always sensitive to sugars and concentrated sweeteners, I've been eating low-carb more or less since puberty and consciously low-carb over the past decade or so.  The way I see it, the big difference between the two approaches is the pastured/grass-fed meat and saturated fat intake (leaving aside the preparation methods for starches).  As I've mentioned before, I cannot tolerate any [grass-fed] saturated fat or [unrefined] polyunsaturated fat, so its a huge roadblock for total adoption.  [Non]Grassfed raw cheese that isn't B.S.ingly heated to just below pastuerization (Organic Valley) and grass-fed raw milk don't seem to cause issues that I recall, so I question whether or not I've tried true grass-fed saturated fats despite label claims (the ghee was a disaster).  If I could find some truly raw grass-fed butter, it would be put the whole issue to rest one way or the other (tallow might be too much).  I used to order huge 10lb blocks of grassfed raw cheese for $4.99/lb from a Mennonite farm in rural Pennsylvania before the FDA upped its suppression.

Constipation could just mean you're not eating enough vegetables for the fiber.  When I used to eat raw cheese religiously, I would always eat it along with raw, organic apples (or peeled regular, yuck!).  Check out the Calorie Guide I posted elsewhere.  I'm actually surprised at how small the vegetable portion is as I normally just fill half my plate which seems about double the suggested man's serving (quadruple the woman's).  The only thing is I find it rather boring to cook a meat and a vegetable as separate ingredients to then join on a plate.  I prefer recipes where there's more complex food and flavors intermixing but that requires planning, preparation and work and almost recipes are just loaded with allergenic ingredients.  Zzzzzz.

For the final frontier, I've been collecting free slow-cooking and crockpot recipe ebooks to make a definite leap in that direction full-time to keep heat under 250F.  At least, I was leaning in that direction with all the boring work it implied, until finding that meal generator.   I'll always choose less work over more....  food is a necessary evil and not one I'm necessarily enthusiastic about.  I can't wait for Rosey the Robot!

Good news from the meal planner people...  they indicated that they are aware of the shortcomings and will be including a serving size adjuster, consolidated shopping list and an option to prevent recipe repeats. 

[MachineGhost]

Researchers have linked exposure to a byproduct produced when food is cooked with dry heat with the development of abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes in mice. Helen Vlassara, MD, Professor and Director of the Division of Experimental Diabetes and Aging at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and colleagues discovered that mice chronically exposed to the advanced glycation endproduct (AGEs) methyl-glyoxal (MG), developed significant abdominal weight gain, early insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes. The researchers fed one group of mice a diet high in MG over four generations, while the control group was fed a diet without MG. Both diets contained normal levels of calories and fat. Over four generations, the mice that ate the MG started to develop early insulin resistance and increased body fat, whereas the control group did not have either of these conditions. Further research revealed that MG caused a marked deficiency in protective mechanisms, such as the survival factor SIRT1 which controls inflammation and enhances the metabolism of glucose and insulin. MG ingestion also adversely affected the activity of an important anti-AGE receptor called AGER1, which protects SIRT1 and fights insulin resistance. "The study demonstrates how the prolonged ingestion of seemingly innocuous substances common in human food, such as MG, can reduce defenses and compromise native resistance to metabolic and other diseases," concluded Dr. Vlassara.

http://tinyurl.com/d69k9gs

[Gumby]

advanced glycation endproduct (AGEs) methyl-glyoxal (MG)

Interesting. A lot of this stuff is way over my head, but if you enjoy listening to Masterjohn's perspective, he discusses AGEs a fair amount on his blog...

http://blog.cholesterol-and-health.com/ ... rom-o.html
http://blog.cholesterol-and-health.com/ ... r-and.html

I'm not overly concerned with high heat cooking since I rarely do it beyond the occasional grass-fed burger. Traditionally, people used to make a lot of low-heat stews and I'm kind of excited about making them for the Wintertime.

[Gumby]

As I've mentioned before, I cannot tolerate any [grass-fed] saturated fat or [unrefined] polyunsaturated fat, so its a huge roadblock for total adoption.

MG, I'm a bit worried that seeking out grass fed over grain fed is not a good long term solution for you. Primal blogger Mark Sisson (of Mark's Daily Apple, which is another great ancestral diet resource) explains why grass-fed beef can sometimes include animals that were fed grain...

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-diff ... -fed-beef/

Not to mention that you should be able to enjoy the occasional trip to a burger joint once in a while without fear of reacting badly.

But, you may be in luck. The Paleo/Primal/WAPF community has been very receptive to the GAPS diet. Basically, there are many, many people who have bad guts, and these bad guts allow bad flora to set up shop and wreak havoc with the body. Some people spend a lifetime with an abundance of bad flora in their guts (usually starts at C-section birth or from some antibiotics or even various pharmaceutical usage, such as 'The Pill'). GAPS is how ancestral dieters (as well as children and adults with gut and gut-brain problems) are able to cure their guts.

Do yourself a favor and listen to the following Chris Kresser podcast...

http://chriskresser.com/the-healthy-ske ... -episode-5

GAPS is very similar to Paleo, but with specific introductory steps and specific probiotics to heal your gut and slowly introduce your body to nutrient-dense foods over time. People swear that it can cure everything from Leaky Gut, Autism, Schizophrenia, Ulcerative Colitis, Anxiety disorders, and a long list of gut and gut-brain related diseases.

Even healthy people swear by GAPS...

http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/ ... aps-month/
http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/ ... s-arrived/
http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/ ... e-colitis/
http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/ ... -mistakes/

The truth is that most people probably have bad guts and could benefit from this diet. I've been tempted to do it myself, but I'm still on the fence about taking the plunge. It takes some dedication, but I suspect you would do quite well from repairing your gut.

[MachineGhost]

It is instead the sneaky dicarbonyls (pronounced like "DIE-carb-o-NEELS") that escape the attention of our otherwise striking chaperone.  They are on average 20,000 times more reactive than glucose, and they emerge from the broken pieces of glucose, protein, and fat — and not just PUFAs.  Nevertheless, they do no harm unless they slip past our good friend glutathione, who polices the streets at night and renders the balance of these creepy would-be criminals as impotent as the mythical sorcerer lurking in the shadows of Maasai-land.

More evidence that boosting the body's endogenous antioxidants is the way to go.  I have noticed taking N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC), a protein pre-cursor to glutathione formation, is one of less than a handful of supplements that lowers food sensitivities, but long-term use can cause gastric irritation which I've certainly noticed.  I've recently switched to trying Schisandra sinesis that contains unique lignans inducing liver cells to directly produce glutathione intracellularly.

[MachineGhost]

The truth is that most people probably have bad guts and could benefit from this diet. I've been tempted to do it myself, but I'm still on the fence about taking the plunge. It takes some dedication, but I suspect you would do quite well from repairing your gut.

There are alternative and quicker ways to heal the gut than relying on GAPS, but it has me intrigued too since its really not that far off from low-carb or Paleo.  I don't eat starch or sugars except on workout days unless I'm feeling lazy for some potatoes or beans.  The meal planner I referenced before even has an option to generate GAPS compliant menus, so that would be a huge time saver!

I've taken a leaky gut test before but it didn't indicate anything abnormal (though I think the results may have been misinterpreted in the summary as one value was below detection threshold).  Just to be safe, I did an intensive gut healing protocol with glutamine.  I currently take a 15-strain probiotic every night after having tried various other probiotics or soil-based organisms, including pharmaceutical grade, throughout the years to no real effect.

[Gumby]

There are alternative and quicker ways to heal the gut than relying on GAPS, but it has me intrigued too since its really not that far off from low-carb or Paleo.

Well, I think GAPS works for extreme situations. I mean, we're talking about a diet that potentially cures autism, schizophrenia, IBS, Ulcerative Colitis, etc.

GAPS uses a LOT of very specific strains of very strong probiotics that were chosen to kill off the worst bad gut flora. And GAPS has a very specific, and important, introductory diet. If you do decide to do GAPS, don't try to wing it by just using the recipe generator. You have to go through the introductory steps (bone broths, bio-kult, etc) to work your way into it and build up tolerance to all of the foods and probiotics. Supposedly the bone broths are extremely important (you can order GAPS bone broths from grasslandbeef.com).

See: http://gapsdiet.com/INTRODUCTION_DIET.html

Also, getting the GAPS book is helpful. And there is a lot of information on gapsdiet.com as well.

I currently take a 15-strain probiotic every night after having tried various other probiotics or soil-based organisms, including pharmaceutical grade, throughout the years to no real effect.

So, if you don't mind me asking, when you say you have trouble with grain-fed beef, do you mean digestive issues? Or just inflammatory issues?

[MachineGhost]

So, if you don't mind me asking, when you say you have trouble with grain-fed beef, do you mean digestive issues? Or just inflammatory issues?

Just inflammation.  I don't have any symptoms of the various digestive disorders.