Back in March of 2011, I got a lipid panel run after
eating a diet loaded with butter and cream and at or less than 100g of
carbs per day for 6 months or so. Pretty standard "paleo/primal" or
"perfect health" diet, right?
My lipids were as follows:
Total cholesterol: 393 (srsly) HDL: 55 Triglycerides: 54 LDL (Iranian): 271 BTW: My total testosterone the first time was low 300s, so my total cholesterol was actually higher than my testosterone! I didn't get it tested this time, but I can tell that it has increased dramatically (ahem). I had also gained 15lbs as a result of eating that diet. Obviously I said "LOL fuck this diet" and got rid of butter and cream and increased carbohydrates. Over time, I've stopped adding pretty much any extra fat to my diet from refined sources (I just eat the fat attached to the steaks, 3-4 egg yolks a day and a lot of raw sunflower seeds primarily) and I've greatly increased my intake of both carbohydrates from basmati rice(250g+ of carbs every single day) and fructose (I eat a metric fuckton of apples and other high-fructose tropical fruit every day). This is the result of yesterday's lipid panel: Total cholesterol: 190 HDL: 84 (srsly) Triglycerides: 39 (srsly) LDL (Iranian): 66 I can't possibly fathom how the latter could in any way be a worse result than the former or what benefit there could be from increasing fat or decreasing carbs/fructose, though I see people all the time recommend that for increasing HDL and decreasing TGs, respectively. That HDL is with zero coconut intake and a total fat % in my diet of about 30%. Considering To quote our good friend Mr. Taubes: What if it's all been a big fat lie? |
Friday, March 22, 2013
Does the Paleosphere Have Its Own Flawed Diet-Heart Hypothesis?
<Crossposted to PaleoHacks>
Saturday, March 16, 2013
The Summary Execution of an Innocent Man: Linoleic Acid
Ever wonder why your perfect human diet has caused your face to melt off like that guy in Raiders of the Lost Ark while the dude sitting next to you eating his lunch out of a Frito-Lay bag has flawless skin?
Ever wonder why you've experienced a sudden onset or worsening of dry skin, eczema, psoriasis, perioral dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, dandruff, histamine intolerance, etc. after adopting an "ancestral diet?"
Ever wonder why your testosterone/libido was higher on a vegan diet than it is now, in spite of the fact that you now eat more saturated fat and cholesterol with less fiber than you did then?
The answer to all those questions may very well be one simple thing: ω-6 fatty acids. We're told that this type of fatty acid is a toxin and that it plays a vital role in the etiology of heart disease, cancer and obesity. Surely, if a standard western diet is rich in this and a standard western person is unhealthy, then this must be the reason.
But wait. You might say. Hypogonadism and the various skin ailments you mentioned (that I now regret searching for on Google Images) afflict people who guzzle linoleic acid. That is absolutely true. These people have a surplus of linoleate every single day and yet they find themselves with the same skin problems that you have. How can this be? The answer is simply that their diet is probably also rich in phytate and poor in zinc. Zinc and copper are highly sensitive to phytic acid in the diet and readily bind to it, creating largely insoluble complexes that pass through the GI tract unabsorbed. With a consistently low postprandial Zn:phytate molar ratio, these people end up in a state of zinc insufficiency.
What the hell does this have to do with anything?
Well, as it happens, zinc is a crucial co-factor for the enzyme FADS2 (aka Δ6desaturase). With a reduced activity of this enzyme, linoleic acid (LA) is poorly converted to gamma-linoleic acid (GLA), which would then be pushed down the assembly line. Many of those who've never interrupted their LA intake have found that they can treat their skin problems with oils that are rich in preformed GLA, most notably evening primrose and borage oils. In this case, they are bypassing FADS2 by supplying their bodies with exogenous GLA. Another way that many of these people treat their conditions is with the supplementation of zinc. By addressing their zinc insufficiency, they increase activity of FADS2 and the glut of LA can start moving down the assembly line. Interestingly, popular dandruff shampoos contain pyrithione zinc, the elemental zinc of which is likely transdermally absorbed.
Could I be experiencing zinc insufficiency? Maybe, though the fact that are chewing on a steak and have oysters passing through your GI tract as you read this (and last consumed measurable phytate during a different presidency) would argue against that. Odds are you simply lack the LA substrate necessary for the conversion pathways and pure LA for sebum itself.
But wait. You might again say to rudely interrupt me. There are tons of people eating a paleo diet without any such ill effects! It's true, there are. However, these people may be more "lax" with their diets, consume more animal fats that themselves contain LA (pork and chicken) and/or consume enough preformed arachidonic acid (AA) that they can get by. They might also have different showering practices (less duration, less hot water, less soap) or simply different skin types.
Wait...wait...what about my lack of morning wood?!? Jesus Christ, dude, TMI. Anyway, regarding hypogonadism, as it turns out, arachidonic acid and its derivatives are a crucial part of the blood-testes barrier as well as spermiogenesis (or folliculogenesis in females). FADS2 knockout mice fed a diet rich in LA have no long-chain PUFAs in their phospholipids. Some poor endogenous substitutions are made, resulting in complete sterility. Interestingly, the ulcerative dermatitis, sterility and thrombus formation inhibition are corrected with substantial additions of AA to the diets of the mice. Whether a human could realistically scale up those amounts to a level that would totally reverse all symptoms is unknown. There's no indication that such diets could have realistically occurred historically or that the creation of such a diet would be desirable.
FADS2 also catalyzes the desaturation of
-linolenic acid (ALA) to stearidonic acid. Odds are though that you're not experiencing an issue with this conversion (unless you are a flax-oil guzzling vegan with zinc insufficiency) and are bypassing it with exogenous DHA via fish/fish oil.
Many have advocated a reduction in ω-6 fatty acids since some of the thromboxanes, prostaglandins, prostacyclins, eicosanoids, lipoxins etc.that are derived from them are associated with various disease states. These people act as though there is no regulation in the production of these molecules and it's a simple process of LA in, thromboxane out. This is the height of lunacy and any attempt to restrict the creation of these things by way of ω-6 fatty acid avoidance, excessive ω-3 fatty acid supplementation (or the interruption of their production by attacking cyclooxygenase with aspirin) is a crude way of concealing symptoms, not a way to cure a disease state.
Some sugarlatans have even suggested that polyunsaturated fats in general are nonessential. Perhaps these fellows would put their DNA where their mouths are and volunteer for gene therapy in order to become the first human FADS2 knockouts? An absence of phospholipid polyunsaturates would have to result in immortality! Or...it'd be like those great abstinence cults in times past. Either way, I'm all for it.
So...I should go buy a bottle of soybean oil?
Mmmm...probably not. A much better way to address this issue would be to increase your intake of ω-6 fatty acids via raw nuts or seeds (such as sunflower seeds or walnuts, which also have ALA) and by ensuring adequate intake of preformed AA just in case (pastured eggs yolks are a great source). Something to keep in mind, however, is that many rich sources of LA are also rich sources of phytic acid. If you started eating walnuts with every meal, there's a chance that you would address the problem of too little LA substrate but then create the problem of zinc insufficiency. As such, I'd recommend that you segregate the mineral-rich foods from the phytate rich foods since the problem is specifically their ratio at the same time as they pass through your intestines.
There's evidence that an ω-6 fatty acid deficiency can actually be treated with the cutaneous application of LA , which is then transdermally absorbed and is actually able to alter phospholipid levels of LA derivatives elsewhere in the body. Even if those studies were flawed in some crucial way, many oils have an LA content that is similar to human sebum and can be used quite effectively to rapidly heal the skin (and halt the transepidermal water loss) of those afflicted with the aforementioned conditions. I've personally used sunflower seed oil for this purpose to great effect. This is a much safer and cheaper alternative to nearly all lotions/emollients/etc. As always, it would be wise to apply the oil to a patch of skin on your back to test for an allergic reaction before coating your whole body with it.
Ever wonder why you've experienced a sudden onset or worsening of dry skin, eczema, psoriasis, perioral dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, dandruff, histamine intolerance, etc. after adopting an "ancestral diet?"
Ever wonder why your testosterone/libido was higher on a vegan diet than it is now, in spite of the fact that you now eat more saturated fat and cholesterol with less fiber than you did then?
The answer to all those questions may very well be one simple thing: ω-6 fatty acids. We're told that this type of fatty acid is a toxin and that it plays a vital role in the etiology of heart disease, cancer and obesity. Surely, if a standard western diet is rich in this and a standard western person is unhealthy, then this must be the reason.
But wait. You might say. Hypogonadism and the various skin ailments you mentioned (that I now regret searching for on Google Images) afflict people who guzzle linoleic acid. That is absolutely true. These people have a surplus of linoleate every single day and yet they find themselves with the same skin problems that you have. How can this be? The answer is simply that their diet is probably also rich in phytate and poor in zinc. Zinc and copper are highly sensitive to phytic acid in the diet and readily bind to it, creating largely insoluble complexes that pass through the GI tract unabsorbed. With a consistently low postprandial Zn:phytate molar ratio, these people end up in a state of zinc insufficiency.
What the hell does this have to do with anything?
Well, as it happens, zinc is a crucial co-factor for the enzyme FADS2 (aka Δ6desaturase). With a reduced activity of this enzyme, linoleic acid (LA) is poorly converted to gamma-linoleic acid (GLA), which would then be pushed down the assembly line. Many of those who've never interrupted their LA intake have found that they can treat their skin problems with oils that are rich in preformed GLA, most notably evening primrose and borage oils. In this case, they are bypassing FADS2 by supplying their bodies with exogenous GLA. Another way that many of these people treat their conditions is with the supplementation of zinc. By addressing their zinc insufficiency, they increase activity of FADS2 and the glut of LA can start moving down the assembly line. Interestingly, popular dandruff shampoos contain pyrithione zinc, the elemental zinc of which is likely transdermally absorbed.
Could I be experiencing zinc insufficiency? Maybe, though the fact that are chewing on a steak and have oysters passing through your GI tract as you read this (and last consumed measurable phytate during a different presidency) would argue against that. Odds are you simply lack the LA substrate necessary for the conversion pathways and pure LA for sebum itself.
But wait. You might again say to rudely interrupt me. There are tons of people eating a paleo diet without any such ill effects! It's true, there are. However, these people may be more "lax" with their diets, consume more animal fats that themselves contain LA (pork and chicken) and/or consume enough preformed arachidonic acid (AA) that they can get by. They might also have different showering practices (less duration, less hot water, less soap) or simply different skin types.
Wait...wait...what about my lack of morning wood?!? Jesus Christ, dude, TMI. Anyway, regarding hypogonadism, as it turns out, arachidonic acid and its derivatives are a crucial part of the blood-testes barrier as well as spermiogenesis (or folliculogenesis in females). FADS2 knockout mice fed a diet rich in LA have no long-chain PUFAs in their phospholipids. Some poor endogenous substitutions are made, resulting in complete sterility. Interestingly, the ulcerative dermatitis, sterility and thrombus formation inhibition are corrected with substantial additions of AA to the diets of the mice. Whether a human could realistically scale up those amounts to a level that would totally reverse all symptoms is unknown. There's no indication that such diets could have realistically occurred historically or that the creation of such a diet would be desirable.
FADS2 also catalyzes the desaturation of
-linolenic acid (ALA) to stearidonic acid. Odds are though that you're not experiencing an issue with this conversion (unless you are a flax-oil guzzling vegan with zinc insufficiency) and are bypassing it with exogenous DHA via fish/fish oil. Many have advocated a reduction in ω-6 fatty acids since some of the thromboxanes, prostaglandins, prostacyclins, eicosanoids, lipoxins etc.that are derived from them are associated with various disease states. These people act as though there is no regulation in the production of these molecules and it's a simple process of LA in, thromboxane out. This is the height of lunacy and any attempt to restrict the creation of these things by way of ω-6 fatty acid avoidance, excessive ω-3 fatty acid supplementation (or the interruption of their production by attacking cyclooxygenase with aspirin) is a crude way of concealing symptoms, not a way to cure a disease state.
Some sugarlatans have even suggested that polyunsaturated fats in general are nonessential. Perhaps these fellows would put their DNA where their mouths are and volunteer for gene therapy in order to become the first human FADS2 knockouts? An absence of phospholipid polyunsaturates would have to result in immortality! Or...it'd be like those great abstinence cults in times past. Either way, I'm all for it.
So...I should go buy a bottle of soybean oil?
Mmmm...probably not. A much better way to address this issue would be to increase your intake of ω-6 fatty acids via raw nuts or seeds (such as sunflower seeds or walnuts, which also have ALA) and by ensuring adequate intake of preformed AA just in case (pastured eggs yolks are a great source). Something to keep in mind, however, is that many rich sources of LA are also rich sources of phytic acid. If you started eating walnuts with every meal, there's a chance that you would address the problem of too little LA substrate but then create the problem of zinc insufficiency. As such, I'd recommend that you segregate the mineral-rich foods from the phytate rich foods since the problem is specifically their ratio at the same time as they pass through your intestines.
There's evidence that an ω-6 fatty acid deficiency can actually be treated with the cutaneous application of LA , which is then transdermally absorbed and is actually able to alter phospholipid levels of LA derivatives elsewhere in the body. Even if those studies were flawed in some crucial way, many oils have an LA content that is similar to human sebum and can be used quite effectively to rapidly heal the skin (and halt the transepidermal water loss) of those afflicted with the aforementioned conditions. I've personally used sunflower seed oil for this purpose to great effect. This is a much safer and cheaper alternative to nearly all lotions/emollients/etc. As always, it would be wise to apply the oil to a patch of skin on your back to test for an allergic reaction before coating your whole body with it.
Guilt by Association
If you probably shouldn't eat foods loaded with rancid soybean oil
And soybean oil is a rich source of linoleate
Then you should avoid any nutritious, whole food like nuts that are also a good source of linoleate
If you probably shouldn't swill sugar-sweetened beverages
And sugar-sweetened beverages are a rich source of fructose
Then you should avoid any nutritious, whole food like fruit that is also a good source of fructose
If you probably shouldn't be eating a box of Twinkies for lunch
And Twinkies are a rich source of carbohydrates
Then you should avoid any nutritious, whole food like potatoes that are also a good source of carbohydrates
If you probably shouldn't be constantly running marathons
And marathons are a rich source of aerobic exercise
Then you should avoid any healthy activity that is also a good source of aerobic exercise
Seems legit.
And soybean oil is a rich source of linoleate
Then you should avoid any nutritious, whole food like nuts that are also a good source of linoleate
If you probably shouldn't swill sugar-sweetened beverages
And sugar-sweetened beverages are a rich source of fructose
Then you should avoid any nutritious, whole food like fruit that is also a good source of fructose
If you probably shouldn't be eating a box of Twinkies for lunch
And Twinkies are a rich source of carbohydrates
Then you should avoid any nutritious, whole food like potatoes that are also a good source of carbohydrates
If you probably shouldn't be constantly running marathons
And marathons are a rich source of aerobic exercise
Then you should avoid any healthy activity that is also a good source of aerobic exercise
Seems legit.
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