High
intakes of healthy fats — especially saturated fats — boost health and
longevity. Those who got 35 percent of daily calories from healthy fats
were 23 percent less likely to die during the seven-year follow-up than
those who only got 10 percent of calories from fat
People
who got 77 percent of daily calories from carbohydrates were 28 percent
more likely to die during the study than those who got 46 percent of
calories from carbs
Other recent research shows a reduced-sugar diet can lower liver fat by more than 20 percent in just nine days
By Dr. Mercola
Mitochondria — the tiny energy factories within your cells — generate
adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy currency your body needs to
run its systems. Your mitochondria are also responsible for apoptosis
(programmed cell death), and serve as important signaling molecules that
help regulate your genetic expression. Hence, the state of your
mitochondria plays a key role in health and disease.
Once your mitochondria become damaged and dysfunctional, your energy
reserves decrease, leading to a wide variety of symptoms, some of the
most common being headache and fatigue, and leaving you increasingly
vulnerable to degenerative diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes and neurodegenerative decay.
Unfortunately, mitochondrial damage is more the norm than the
exception these days, thanks to the prevalence of processed food diets,
inactivity, lack of sun exposure and excessive exposure to toxins and
non-native electromagnetic fields from cellphones,
routers, cellular towers and more. All of these factors contribute to
mitochondrial dysfunction. On the upside, your body can regenerate and
renew, regardless of your age — provided it has the proper fuel to do
so.
A ketogenic diet — which is very low in net carbohydrates and high
in healthy fats — is key for boosting mitochondrial function. Healthy
fats also play an important role in maintaining your body's electrical system.
When your body is able to burn fat for fuel, your liver creates
water-soluble fats called ketones that burn far more efficiently than
carbs, thereby creating fewer reactive oxygen species (ROS) and
secondary free radicals. Ketones also decrease inflammation, improve
glucose metabolism1and aid the building of muscle mass.2
International Study Confirms Fat for Fuel Premise
The benefits of a cyclical ketogenic diet are detailed in my latest bestselling book, "Fat for Fuel."3While
the book was peer-reviewed by over a dozen health experts and
scientists, a new large-scale international study (known as the
international Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology, or PURE, study4,5)
adds further weight to the premise that high intakes of healthy fats —
especially saturated fats — boost health and longevity. As reported by
STAT News:6
"Its research team recorded the eating habits of 135,000 adults
in 18 countries — including high-income, medium-income, and low-income
nations — and followed the participants' health for more than seven
years on average. Among the PURE participants, those with the highest
intake of dietary fat (35 percent of daily calories) were 23 percent
less likely to have died during the study period than those with the
lowest fat intake (10 percent of calories).
The rates of various cardiovascular diseases were essentially
the same across fat intake, while strokes were less common among those
with a high fat intake. Upending conventional wisdom, the
findings for carbohydrate intake went in the opposite direction. PURE
participants with the highest carbohydrate intake (77 percent of daily
calories) were 28 percent more likely to have died than those with the
lowest carbohydrate intake (46 percent of calories)."
Low-Fructose Diet Significantly Reduces Liver Fat in Mere Days
In related news, another recent study found a reduced-sugar diet
lowered liver fat by more than 20 percent in just nine days — a
reduction co-author Susan Noworolski called "unprecedented." Processed
fructose found in soda, fruit juices and processed food is a major
contributor to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a condition
affecting an increasing number of children. In the past two decades,
NAFLD among children has more than doubled.
According to lead author Jean-Marc Schwarz, "Our study clearly shows
that sugar is turned into fat, which may explain the epidemic of fatty
liver in children consuming soda and food with added sugar. And we find
that fatty liver is reversed by removing added fructose from our
diet."
NAFLD raises your risk for Type 2 diabetes. Conventional advice
recommends a low-fat diet for Type 2 diabetics, but this and other
research refutes that strategy.7On the contrary, a high-fat, low-carb diet has been shown to improve both blood sugar levels and blood lipids.8
Dr. Robert Lustig (who was not involved in the study but has investigated the role of fructose
in disease for many years) commented on the results, saying, "Many
people think that fructose provides empty calories. But no, they are
toxic calories because they are metabolized only in the liver, and the
liver turns the excess into fat."
American Heart Association Has It All Wrong
In June, the American Heart Association (AHA) shocked health conscious individuals around the world by declaring coconut oil dangerous and urging people to switch from butter to margarine to protect their heart health.9According
to the AHA, replacing saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats such as
margarine and vegetable oil might cut your heart disease risk by as
much as 30 percent.
This is a remarkable statement when you consider that margarine and refined polyunsaturated vegetable oils10
have been scientifically identified as the fats that actually DO cause
heart disease and other health problems, whereas saturated fats have
been exonerated. Vegetable oils are particularly hazardous in cooking,
as they produce toxic oxidation products like cyclic aldehydes when
heated.
They're also high in damaged omega-6 polyunsaturated fats. In large
amounts, these fats cannot be burned for fuel. Instead, they're
incorporated into cellular and mitochondrial membranes where they are
highly susceptible to oxidative damage. In short, margarines and
vegetable oils are a recipe for metabolic and mitochondrial dysfunction,
and there's nothing heart healthy about that!
The AHA's Presidential Advisory was sent out to cardiologists around
the world, not just to those in the U.S. Overall, the AHA now
recommends limiting your daily saturated fat intake to 6 percent of
daily calories or less11
— a far cry from the 50 percent or more most people actually need for
optimal health. However, it quickly became apparent that the AHA had
carefully cherry-picked outdated data to support an outdated view.12
In fact, the AHA bases its ancient recommendation on decades' old
studies. The four studies they decided to focus on all date back to the
1960s and early 1970s — the eras when the low-fat myth was born and
grew to take hold.
Moreover, none of these four studies actually involved coconut oil,
which means the AHA is flat out making false claims when it's
identifying coconut oil as a dangerous fat. Nutritional science has made
significant strides since the '70s, and studies have repeatedly
refuted the idea that high-fat diets promote heart disease. The
featured study above is just the latest in a long string of such
studies.
Why Is the AHA Clinging to Outdated Science?
As for why the AHA would choose to ignore decades of scientific
studies showing saturated fats have no impact on heart health is
anyone's guess, but the timing of this bold vegetable oil promotion
does coincide with news about a vaccine to lower cholesterol.13,14 If people would simply eat healthy saturated fats like coconut oil and butter, there would be no need for a vaccine strategy.
Of course, there are other financial incentives as well, not to
mention the basic reluctance to admit they've led nearly two
generations of people astray with their advice, possibly harming
millions. As noted by Nina Teicholz, an investigative journalist and author of "The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat, and Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet:"15
"To me, the AHA advisory released in June was mystifying. How
could its scientists examine the same studies as I had, yet double down
on an anti-saturated fat position? With a cardiologist, I went through
the nuts and bolts of the AHA paper, and came to this conclusion: It
was likely driven less by sound science than by longstanding bias,
commercial interests and the AHA's need to reaffirm nearly 70 years of
its "heart healthy" advice …
That the AHA should be so resistant to updating its view of
saturated fats, despite so much legitimate science, could simply
reflect the association's unwavering devotion to a belief it has
promoted for decades. Or it could be due to its significant,
longstanding reliance on funding from interested industries, such as
the vegetable-oil manufacturer Procter & Gamble, maker of Crisco …
More recently, Bayer, the owner of LibertyLink soybeans, pledged
up to $500,000 to the AHA, perhaps encouraged by the group's continued
support of soybean oil, by far the dominant ingredient in the
"vegetable oil" consumed in America today."
Mitochondrial Metabolic Therapy
Based on the evidence, there's no doubt in my mind that saturated
fats are vitally important for optimal health. Most people need to eat
more of it, not less. In my book, "Fat for Fuel," I expound on why
these kinds of healthy fats are so important, and how implementing a
cyclical ketogenic diet may help you address a wide array of ailments.
More than just a diet book, "Fat for Fuel" presents a complete
Mitochondrial Metabolic Therapy (MMT) program, complemented by an online course
created in collaboration with nutritionist Miriam Kalamian, who
specializes in nutritional ketosis. The course, which consists of seven
comprehensive lessons, teaches you the keys to fighting chronic
disease and optimizing your health and longevity. If you or someone you
love has cancer, it will also augment any oncological treatment you
might be undergoing.
MMT merges decades of my own research with the latest science on
mitochondrial health, all of which has been peer-reviewed. Worksheets,
additional reading, meal planning resources and recipes, with guidelines
on how to tailor the program to your unique physiology, are all
included. You'll also learn a number of other non-diet related ways to
boost your mitochondrial health.
Consider Experimenting With a Water Fast
In all my clinical experience, I have never seen a more effective
intervention than multi-day fasts where the only thing you consume is
water and mineral supplements, and no other food or drink. I had
previously been opposed to fasting if one was already at an ideal body
weight. However, I failed to realize that there is metabolic magic that
simply won't occur in any other setting.
I now view this type of extreme fast as taking out the trash. It
allows your body to seriously upregulate autophagy and mitophagy and
remove most of the damaged senescent cells in your body. This, of
course, would include premalignant cells. It is a magnificent way to
help cancer-proof your body. It is also outstanding for helping you
achieve optimal body weight, and it can improve your health and extend
your lifespan.
I think I have stumbled on an easy way to do it with minimal
discomfort. I have been doing 14- to 16-hour daily intermittent fasts
for 18 months, but the last two months I increased that to 20- to
21-hour fasts. I don't think you need to do intermittent fasting for 18
months before trying water-only fasts, but I think a few months would
radically decrease any negative side effects.
Interestingly, I experienced no hunger pains. I simply had no food
cravings, which is extremely fascinating to me as most people who fast
are really hungry on day two. I lost 10 pounds on the fast. My ketones
were 5.1 and my blood sugar 45, which doubled the ketone/glucose index
threshold Dr. Thomas Seyfried says is necessary to treat cancer. After
the fast I feasted and had 130 grams of net carbs with sweet potatoes
and fruits and extra protein.
I encourage you to consider a water-only fast. I must admit that I
was afraid I would lose muscle mass, but that is not what happens when
you do short day-long fasts. I actually stopped losing weight after day
three as my thyroid throttled back. I know this because my lowest body
temperature the last night of the fast was a full 2 degrees lower. I
also had my lowest recorded heart rate that day.
I will be interviewing experts on fasting in the future to go into
more detail of all the benefits that are provided, but until then, I
would strongly encourage everyone to seriously consider increasing
their daily intermittent fasting toward the 18- to 20-hour range so you
will be able to painlessly do water fasting and then feast like a king
afterward. This in an amazing ability to have, as it gives you
enormous power over your environment when you won't have to worry about
eating for four days if problems happen.
The Benefits of a Cyclical Ketogenic Diet
The MMT diet is a CYCLICAL or targeted ketogenic diet,
high in healthy fats and fiber, low in net carbs with a moderate
amount of protein. This targeted component is important, as long-term
continuous ketosis has drawbacks that may actually undermine your
health and longevity. One of the primary reasons to cycle in and out of
ketosis is because the "metabolic magic" in the mitochondria actually
occurs during the refeeding phase, not during the starvation phase.
Ideally, once you have established ketosis you cycle healthy carbs
back in to about 100 to 150 grams on the few days a week you do
strength training. MMT has a number of really important health
benefits, and may just be the U-turn you've been searching for if
you're struggling with excess weight or just about any chronic health
condition. Some of the most important benefits of this program are:
Weight loss
By rebalancing your body's chemistry, weight loss and/or improved
weight management becomes nearly effortless. Studies have shown a
ketogenic diet can double the weight lost compared to a low-fat diet.16
Reduced inflammation
When burned for fuel, dietary fat releases far fewer ROS and
secondary free radicals than sugar. Ketones are also very effective
histone deacetylase inhibitors that effectively reduce inflammatory
responses. In fact, many drugs are being developed to address immune
related inflammatory diseases that are HDAC inhibitors.
A safer and more rational strategy is to use a ketogenic diet, as it
is one of the most effective ways to drive down your inflammation level
through HDAC inhibition.
Reduced cancer risk
While all cells (including cancer cells) can use glucose for fuel,
cancer cells lack the metabolic flexibility to use ketones, while
regular cells thrive on these fats. Once your body enters a state of
nutritional ketosis, cancer cells are more susceptible to being removed
by your body through a process called autophagy. A cyclical ketogenic
diet is a fundamental, essential tool that needs to be integrated in the
management of nearly every cancer.
Increased muscle mass
Ketones spare branched-chain amino acids, thereby promoting muscle mass.17However,
make sure to implement cyclic ketosis. Chronic ketosis may eventually
result in muscle loss as your body is impairing the mTOR pathway, which
is important for anabolic growth. mTOR needs to be stimulated, just not
consistently, as many people do with high protein diets.
Lowered insulin levels
Keeping your insulin level low helps prevent insulin resistance, Type
2 diabetes and related diseases. Research has demonstrated that
diabetics who eat a low-carb ketogenic diet are able to significantly
reduce their dependency on diabetes medication and may even reverse the
condition.18
Lowering insulin resistance will also reduce your risk of
Alzheimer's. Recent research strengthens the link between insulin
resistance and dementia even further, particularly among those with
existing heart disease.19,20,21
Mental clarity
One of the first things people really notice once they start burning
fat for fuel is that any former "brain fog" lifts, and they can suddenly
think very clearly. As mentioned earlier, ketones are a preferred fuel
for your brain; hence, the improved mental clarity.
Increased longevity
One of the reasons you can survive a long time without food is due to the process of ketosis, which spares protein breakdown.22A
fairly consistent effect seen in people on a ketogenic diet is that
blood levels of leucine and other important structural proteins go up,
allowing these proteins to perform a number of important signaling
functions.
Ketones also mimic the life span extending properties of calorie restriction23(fasting), which includes improved glucose metabolism; reduced inflammation; clearing out malfunctioning immune cells;24reduced
IGF-1, one of the factors that regulate growth pathways and growth
genes and is a major player in accelerated aging; cellular/intracellular
regeneration and rejuvenation (autophagy and mitophagy).25
Take Control of Your Health — And Help Others Do the Same
Two-thirds of the American population are overweight or obese,26more than half of all Americans struggle with chronic illness,271
in 3 women and half of all men will develop some form of cancer in
their lifetime and 1 in 5 deaths in the U.S. is obesity-related.28It
doesn't have to be this way. The evidence is clear: Excessive net
carbohydrate intake is the No. 1 culprit behind skyrocketing obesity,
diabetes and chronic disease rates, primarily by decimating your
mitochondrial function.
To address this, you need to eat a diet that allows your body to
burn fat as its primary fuel rather than sugars. My MMT program will
teach you everything you need to know to safely and effectively improve
your mitochondrial function, thereby regaining your health and
boosting your longevity. It's also one of the most effective ways to
shed excess weight. Weight loss is simply a natural side effect of
rebalancing your body's chemistry.
I'll be lecturing on this topic at the ACIM conference in Orlando, Florida,
November 2 through 4. The event is being held at the Florida
Conference and Hotel Center. If you are a physician and want to learn
how you can use the ketogenic diet and other therapies for cancer,
heart disease, Lyme and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and
Parkinson's, be sure to attend.
There will be a separate and less expensive track available to the
public November 3 and 4 at the same location. Be sure to visit the
conference page if you want to register for the event.
No comments:
Post a Comment