Look, I’m not suggesting that whey isn’t a great protein, or that casein or other animal-derived proteins aren’t great, because, let’s face it, they are. Bu there might be some good reasons to use a plant-based protein instead of whey or other proteins, sometimes or even all of the time.

That got your attention, didn’t it?

Look, I’m not suggesting that whey isn’t a great protein, or that casein or other animal-derived proteins aren’t great, because, let’s face it, they are. Bu there might be some good reasons to use a plant-based protein instead of whey or other proteins, sometimes or even all of the time.

Protein powders are, quite rightly, the most popular sports supplement on the market, and while it’s true that protein powders aren’t anything magical, despite what some say, they are convenient, easy-to-use, and a cost-effective food. They allow us to support performance when we’re on the go, busy, or at times (like before or after exercise) when we may not feel like a meal or are unable to prepare one.

Optimize Your Protein Intake

Optimizing protein intake is critical for muscle-gain,¹ reducing soreness after training,² and reducing muscle loss and improving fat-loss while dieting.^{3, 4, 5} Taking in sufficient protein is also important for cardiometabolic health, and general health,⁶ helping to modulate blood pressure and other cardiac risk factors.^{7, 8} So, if you’re not consistently taking in the optimum amount of protein for your goals, you might want to consider a protein supplement.

Traditionally protein supplements were either whey (most commonly) or casein. Now, of course, there are many other types of protein available; ranging from soy to rice, beef, and cricket. But overall, the most common supplemental protein is still good ol’ whey protein, either as isolate or concentrate.

There are many positive effects of whey protein. It can help to reduce diabetes risk factors, inflammation and oxidative stress,⁹ improve muscle retention and fat loss, and reduce fat mass and cardiovascular risk factors.^{10, 11, 12}

Some of these effects might result from simply taking a high-quality protein supplement. On the other hand, dairy overall is associated with a host of positive outcomes in observational research including improvements in lean mass and increased improved fat-loss. ^{13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18}

Dairy products are also associated with reduced rates of diabetes, ^{19, 20} and reduced insulin resistance.²¹

So, you’d expect for dairy proteins to be at the top of my list for supplements, right?

While dairy is fine for most people, it is also a common allergen, and there appears to be a rising incidence of milk protein intolerance and allergy.²²

And this is where the rubber hits the road. If you notice any gastrointestinal effects from your current protein (bloating, pain, cramping) or you have systemic effects that could be related to a combined or isolated milk protein allergy, such as eczema, headaches, or ‘brain fog’ after taking protein, you might want to try a plant-based protein instead, to see if there is any improvement.

It makes sense if you are doing this, choosing a low-allergen, extremely high-protein supplement that has been demonstrated to be as effective as whey for muscle accretion.

Pea protein isolate fits the bill. Pea proteins have an amino acid profile that compares favorably with the recommended amino acid pattern proposed by the Institute of Medicine of the United States National Institutes of Health,²³ and in an evaluation of pea protein isolate vs. whey protein, both protein-types elicited nearly identical increases in muscle thickness when compared with placebo.²⁴

Some factors to consider when choosing a plant-based protein:

• It should be high in protein, low in carbs, and with zero added sugar. The most important thing to look for in a protein powder is protein. Many protein powders contain too much sugar, extra carbohydrates, or fillers that reduce the overall protein content. It’s well known that when total protein content is high enough, other factors like the amino acid composition are less important.
• It is free-from anti-nutrients. While not the bogeyman that some say, anti-nutrients (such as trypsin inhibitors, saponins, and phytic acid) can reduce protein digestion and absorption and promote gastric upset for some people. So, the ideal situation is to find a protein free-from these anti-nutrients.
• There are high digestion and absorption rates with plant based supplements. If you can’t digest and absorb protein, you can’t use it. Choose a protein that has good digestion and absorption rates so that you know that you can utilize the protein that you’re taking in. It’s often claimed that plant-based proteins are poorly absorbed. This is a myth. In fact, pea protein exhibits absorption rates of more than 89%.²⁵
• They are high in BCAAs. There is no need to supplement with additional BCAAs (leucine, isoleucine, and valine) or to add them to a protein powder if you are getting enough from your diet and from naturally occurring BCAAs within a quality protein powder. The gold-standard of plant-based protein, pea protein isolate, contains nearly 4g of BCAAs per 25g serving.
• Plant proteins are practically complete. Because we eat a mixed diet, we don’t always need to eat complete proteins. We will, in general, get enough of what we require over a day or days. The most important thing is to get enough protein overall, and enough of the essential amino acids (EEAs) and BCAAs. However, to ensure the best nutrient support, you should choose a protein that is complete (contains all nine essential amino acids) to ‘cover your bases’ and ensure that you’re getting the aminos you need.
• It is free-from common allergens. Some of the most common allergens include soy, dairy, wheat, eggs, shellfish, and certain nuts. Intolerances can also be ‘dose and frequency’ dependent, so, in other words, you might be completely fine eating some eggs, or drinking some milk, or eating a little tofu, but could suffer ill-effects if you frequently supplement with an allergenic protein. Pea protein is considered one of the most hypo-allergenic proteins available.
• Plant proteins are sustainable. Dairy-farming, especially as currently practiced (i.e. factory-farmed, grain-fed cattle) is less ecologically sustainable than plant-based food production.²⁶

You Don’t Have to Hate Meat

I ain’t no dairy hater (what would I have my cookies with?), and I ain’t got no beef with beef (burger, get in my mouth!).

But, you might want to try a plant-based protein like pea protein isolate to see if you get better results than from your current protein. There is nothing to lose, as the research thus far shows equal performance results when compared to whey and if you don’t notice anything, you can always go back to whey, or another protein. On the other hand, if you do notice reduced side-effects, your gut, brain, and the people around you (come on, you know what I’m sayin’ here!), will thank you.

References:

1. Pasiakos SM, McLellan TM, Lieberman HR. The Effects of Protein Supplements on Muscle Mass, Strength, and Aerobic and Anaerobic Power in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review. Sports Medicine. 2015;45(1):111-31.

2. Pasiakos SM, Lieberman HR, McLellan TM. Effects of Protein Supplements on Muscle Damage, Soreness and Recovery of Muscle Function and Physical Performance: A Systematic Review. Sports Medicine. 2014;44(5):655-70.

3. Kim JE, O’Connor LE, Sands LP, Slebodnik MB, Campbell WW. Effects of dietary protein intake on body composition changes after weight loss in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrition reviews. 2016;74(3):210-24.

4. Kim JE, Sands L, Slebodnik M, O’Connor L, Campbell W. Effects of high-protein weight loss diets on fat-free mass changes in older adults: a systematic review (371.5). The FASEB Journal. 2014;28(1 Supplement).

5. Helms ER, Zinn C, Rowlands DS, Brown SR. A Systematic Review of Dietary Protein during Caloric Restriction in Resistance Trained Lean Athletes: A Case for Higher Intakes. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. 2014;24(2):127-38.

6. Cawood AL, Elia M, Stratton RJ. Systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of high protein oral nutritional supplements. Ageing Research Reviews. 2012;11(2):278-96.

7. Altorf – van der Kuil W, Engberink MF, Brink EJ, van Baak MA, Bakker SJL, Navis G, et al. Dietary Protein and Blood Pressure: A Systematic Review. PloS one. 2010;5(8):e12102.

8. Santesso N, Akl EA, Bianchi M, Mente A, Mustafa R, Heels-Ansdell D, et al. Effects of higher- versus lower-protein diets on health outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2012;66(7):780-8.

9. Sousa GT, Lira FS, Rosa JC, de Oliveira EP, Oyama LM, Santos RV, et al. Dietary whey protein lessens several risk factors for metabolic diseases: a review. Lipids in Health and Disease. 2012;11(1):67.

10. Colonetti T, Grande AJ, Milton K, Foster C, Alexandre MCM, Uggioni MLR, et al. Effects of whey protein supplement in the elderly submitted to resistance training: systematic review and meta-analysis. International journal of food sciences and nutrition. 2017;68(3):257-64.

11. Wirunsawanya K, Upala S, Jaruvongvanich V, Sanguankeo A. Whey Protein Supplementation Improves Body Composition and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Overweight and Obese Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 2018;37(1):60-70.

12. Bergia III RE, Hudson JL, Campbell WW. Effect of whey protein supplementation on body composition changes in women: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrition reviews. 2018;76(7):539-51.

13. Josse AR, Atkinson SA, Tarnopolsky MA, Phillips SM. Increased consumption of dairy foods and protein during diet- and exercise-induced weight loss promotes fat mass loss and lean mass gain in overweight and obese premenopausal women. J Nutr. 2011;141(9):1626-34.

14. Zemel MB, Thompson W, Milstead A, Morris K, Campbell P. Calcium and dairy acceleration of weight and fat loss during energy restriction in obese adults. Obes Res. 2004;12(4):582-90.

15. Zemel MB, Richards J, Milstead A, Campbell P. Effects of calcium and dairy on body composition and weight loss in African-American adults. Obes Res. 2005;13(7):1218-25.

16. Zemel MB. Role of calcium and dairy products in energy partitioning and weight management. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004;79(5):907s-12s.

17. Abargouei AS, Janghorbani M, Salehi-Marzijarani M, Esmaillzadeh A. Effect of dairy consumption on weight and body composition in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials. International journal of obesity (2005). 2012;36(12):1485-93.

18. Chen M, Pan A, Malik VS, Hu FB. Effects of dairy intake on body weight and fat: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr. 2012;96(4):735-47.

19. Tong X, Dong JY, Wu ZW, Li W, Qin LQ. Dairy consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus: a meta-analysis of cohort studies. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2011;65(9):1027-31.

20. Gao D, Ning N, Wang C, Wang Y, Li Q, Meng Z, et al. Dairy products consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes: systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2013;8(9):e73965.

21. Rideout TC, Marinangeli CP, Martin H, Browne RW, Rempel CB. Consumption of low-fat dairy foods for 6 months improves insulin resistance without adversely affecting lipids or bodyweight in healthy adults: a randomized free-living cross-over study. Nutr J. 2013;12:56.

22. Rona RJ, Keil T, Summers C, Gislason D, Zuidmeer L, Sodergren E, et al. The prevalence of food allergy: A meta-analysis. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2007;120(3):638-46.

23. Hansen K, Shriver T, Schoeller D. The effects of exercise on the storage and oxidation of dietary fat. Sports Med. 2005;35.

24. Babault N, Païzis C, Deley G, Guérin-Deremaux L, Saniez M-H, Lefranc-Millot C, et al. Pea proteins oral supplementation promotes muscle thickness gains during resistance training: a double-blind, randomized, Placebo-controlled clinical trial vs. Whey protein. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2015;12(1):3.

25. Gausserès N, Mahe S, Benamouzig R, Luengo C, Ferriere F, Rautureau J, et al. [15N]-labeled pea flour protein nitrogen exhibits good ileal digestibility and postprandial retention in humans. The Journal of nutrition. 1997;127(6):1160-5.

26. Pimentel D, Pimentel M. Sustainability of meat-based and plant-based diets and the environment. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2003;78(3):660S-3S.

The post When Meat Eaters Should Choose Plant Based Protein appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

But, this article isn’t about the relative merits of different diets! It’s about whether plant-based proteins are appropriate for use on ketogenic and Paleo diets.

What are Ketosis and Ketogenic Diets Anyway?

Ketogenic diets elicit the state of ketosis. Ketosis is when the body produces ketone bodies, mainly from fats (and some amino acids) to use as an alternative fuel in times of fasting or drastic carbohydrate restriction.

When stored carbohydrate (glycogen) reserves aren’t sufficient to supply the glucose necessary to fuel the brain and central nervous system, an alternative fuel source is needed. Ketones (especially beta-hydroxybutyrate) are created in the liver to supply the necessary fuel to the body and brain.

Ketogenic Diets

A ketogenic diet is a form of very low-carb, high-fat, low-to-moderate protein diet.

Originally developed as a treatment for childhood epilepsy beginning nearly a century ago, keto and other low-carb, high-fat diets are now being studied for their potential use for Alzheimer’s Disease¹, Parkinson’s Disease², Autism^{3, 4}, Cancer^5-7, and Diabetes and Obesity^8-16.

Ketogenic diets typically require that you eat almost no carbohydrate and very high levels of fat. This equates to around 4-parts fat to 1-part protein and carbohydrate (a 4:1 protocol)¹⁷, but ketosis can be achieved with a little more protein and carbohydrate, and less fat, if you use a specific type of oil called MCT oil (medium chain triglycerides)^{18, 19} which is commonly available as a supplement.

Plant-Based Proteins and Ketogenic Diet

The main concern with using plant-based proteins in a ketogenic diet is that many of them are proportionately lower in protein, and subsequently higher in carbohydrate, than the common standard of whey protein concentrate (isolates are even higher in protein and lower in carbohydrate.)

For example, hemp proteins are typically around 25% carbohydrate, and rice protein isolates are around 10% carbohydrate (by weight). It’s important to remember though that more important than the percentage of carbohydrate in food is the total amount you are taking in per day and how that compares to your ability to be in ketosis. There is a really wide range of carb intakes that can allow people to reach ketosis! But overall, you should choose a supplement higher in protein and lowest in carbohydrate if following a ketogenic diet.

I want to make my case here for my pick for plant-based proteins for keto, a high-quality pea protein isolate, as these can contain up to 90% protein by weight with around 2% carbohydrate. And before you ask… don’t worry about whether pea protein isolate is complete. While many plant proteins aren’t complete (i.e. they lack sufficient amounts of one or more of the nine essential amino acids), if you are getting enough protein overall, you need not worry too much about whether one of your protein sources differs marginally in amino acid content (20, 21).

That said, high-quality pea protein isolates exceed all amino acid requirements for the healthy functioning of the human body as defined by the World Health Organisation (except for methionine and cysteine in which it is only fractionally under the recommended amount). This amino acid profile also compares very favorably with the recommended amino acid pattern proposed by the Institute of Medicine of the United States National Institutes of Health²².

Because of its very high protein content and low carbohydrate content, pea protein isolate is a favorite of many keto dieters. It’s also considered to be a very satiating protein that anecdotally (probably because of its gelling properties) helps promote greater feelings of fullness and satisfaction than whey protein.

Plant-Based Proteins and Paleo Diets

Paleo is a dietary approach that seeks to (at least partially) emulate that of our hunter-gatherer ancestors. While often claimed to be a low-carbohydrate diet like keto, it’s not necessarily low-carb. The diet can contain considerable carbohydrate from tubers like sweet potatoes, potatoes, yams, and berries and fruit (although some paleo followers remove some or all of these too.) It excludes all grains, legumes, and dairy typically.

The biggest concern for followers of paleo diets is the presence of anti-nutrients in plant proteins. These can include phytic acid (which inhibits uptake of various minerals), saponins (which can cause gastric upset), and trypsin inhibitors (which reduce protein digestion). Overall, for most people, there’s little concern that eating some of these are going to cause any problem at all.

They are present in many foods, and people eat them regularly without any cause for concern. But, if this is a concern (and it will be if you’re a paleophile!), many processes help to markedly reduce the levels of phytic acid in legumes and grains. Soaking in an acidic medium (such as lime juice), cooking, and sprouting are all methods that have been shown to reduce the presence of anti-nutrients.

Nowadays, high-quality pea protein isolates are processed using a low-heat, enzymatic isolation process which effectively removes almost all the phytate, lectins, saponins, and trypsin inhibitors.

As you can see in the table below, the functional properties of the gold standard of plant protein, isolated golden pea protein, are quite different to whole legumes and to the commonly used vegan protein, soy protein isolate, with between 1/60th and 1/100th of the phytate content.

So, despite it being derived from a legume, pea protein isolate has become a favorite of many in the paleo and primal community, especially if they are intolerant to either lactose or one of the dairy proteins (whey or casein).

Is Pea Protein Well Absorbed and Used in the Body?

It is often claimed that pea protein isn’t well absorbed. This is a myth. In fact, pea protein exhibits absorption rates of over 89%²³, and is, therefore, an extremely absorbable protein type.

It is also functionally beneficial. In an evaluation of pea protein isolate vs. whey protein, both protein types of protein elicited nearly identical increases in muscle thickness when compared with placebo²⁴.

Pea protein is, in my opinion, the best plant-based option for people on keto and paleo diets due to its higher protein content, extremely low carbohydrate content, and low anti-nutrient levels. It’s beneficial for muscle growth when compared directly to whey protein and offers a viable alternative to animal-derived proteins for vegans, vegetarians, others interested in plant-based diets, and for those not tolerant to dairy or other proteins.

Disclosure.

Cliff Harvey is a co-founder of Nuzest, a supplement company that makes a pea protein isolate Clean Lean Protein.

References

1. Henderson ST. High carbohydrate diets and Alzheimer’s disease. Med Hypotheses. 2004;62:689-700.

2. Vanitallie TB, Nonas C, Di Rocco A, Boyar K, Hyams K, Heymsfield SB. Treatment of Parkinson disease with diet-induced hyperketonemia: a feasibility study. Neurology. 2005;64:728-30.

3. Napoli E, Dueñas N, Giulivi C. Potential therapeutic use of the ketogenic diet in autism spectrum disorders. Frontiers in pediatrics. 2014;2.

4. Evangeliou A, Vlachonikolis I, Mihailidou H, Spilioti M, Skarpalezou A, Makaronas N, et al. Application of a ketogenic diet in children with autistic behavior: pilot study. Journal of child neurology. 2003;18(2):113-8.

5. Seyfried TN, Flores R, Poff AM, D’Agostino DP, Mukherjee P. Metabolic therapy: A new paradigm for managing malignant brain cancer. Cancer Letters. 2015;356(2, Part A):289-300.

6. Bozzetti F, Zupec-Kania B. Toward a cancer-specific diet. Clinical Nutrition. 2015(0).

7. Vidali S, Aminzadeh S, Lambert B, Rutherford T, Sperl W, Kofler B, et al. Mitochondria: The ketogenic diet—A metabolism-based therapy. The International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology. 2015(0).

8. Dashti H, Mathew T, Khadada M, Al-Mousawi M, Talib H, Asfar S, et al. Beneficial effects of ketogenic diet in obese diabetic subjects. Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry. 2007;302(1-2):249-56.

9. Hussain TA, Mathew TC, Dashti AA, Asfar S, Al-Zaid N, Dashti HM. Effect of low-calorie versus low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet in type 2 diabetes. Nutrition. 2012;28(10):1016-21.

10. Nielsen JV, Joensson EA. Low-carbohydrate diet in type 2 diabetes: stable improvement of bodyweight and glycemic control during 44 months follow-up. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2008;5:14.

11. Yancy WS, Jr., Olsen MK, Guyton JR, Bakst RP, Westman EC. A low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet versus a low-fat diet to treat obesity and hyperlipidemia: A randomized, controlled trial. Ann Intern Med. 2004;140(10):769-77.

12. Bueno NB, de Melo ISV, de Oliveira SL, da Rocha Ataide T. Very-low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet v. low-fat diet for long-term weight loss: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Br J Nutr. 2013;110(07):1178-87.

13. Volek JS, Quann EE, Forsythe CE. Low-Carbohydrate Diets Promote a More Favorable Body Composition Than Low-Fat Diets. Strength and Conditioning Journal. 2010;32(1):42-7.

14. Sondike SB, Copperman N, Jacobson MS. Effects of a low-carbohydrate diet on weight loss and cardiovascular risk factor in overweight adolescents. The Journal of pediatrics. 2003;142(3):253-8.

15. Nordmann AJ, Nordmann A, Briel M, Keller U, Yancy WS, Jr., Brehm BJ, et al. Effects of low-carbohydrate vs low-fat diets on weight loss and cardiovascular risk factors: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Arch Intern Med. 2006;166(3):285-93.

16. Shai I, Schwarzfuchs D, Henkin Y, Shahar DR, Witkow S, Greenberg I, et al. Weight loss with a low-carbohydrate, Mediterranean, or low-fat diet. N Engl J Med. 2008;359(3):229-41.

17. Freeman JM. The ketogenic diet: a treatment for children and others with epilepsy: Demos medical publishing; 2007.

18. Huttenlocher P, Wilbourn A, Signore J. Medium-chain triglycerides as a therapy for intractable childhood epilepsy. Neurology. 1971;21(11):1097-.

19. Huttenlocher PR. Ketonemia and seizures: Metabolic and anticonvulsant effects of two ketogenic diets in childhood epilepsy. Pediatr Res. 1976;10(5):536-40.

20. Craig WJ, Mangels AR. Position of the American Dietetic Association: vegetarian diets. J Am Diet Assoc. 2009;109(7):1266-82.

21. Young VR, Pellett PL. Plant proteins in relation to human protein and amino acid nutrition. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1994;59(5):1203S-12S.

22. Hansen K, Shriver T, Schoeller D. The effects of exercise on the storage and oxidation of dietary fat. Sports Med. 2005;35.

23. Gausserès N, Mahe S, Benamouzig R, Luengo C, Ferriere F, Rautureau J, et al. [15N]-labeled pea flour protein nitrogen exhibits good ileal digestibility and postprandial retention in humans. The Journal of nutrition. 1997;127(6):1160-5.

24. Babault N, Païzis C, Deley G, Guérin-Deremaux L, Saniez M-H, Lefranc-Millot C, et al. Pea proteins oral supplementation promotes muscle thickness gains during resistance training: a double-blind, randomized, Placebo-controlled clinical trial vs. Whey protein. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2015;12(1):3.

The post Are Plant-Based Proteins Friendly for Keto and Paleo Diets? appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

The Physiology of Fasting

One of the things that changed my experience of meal frequency was fasting. Back in the early days of my practice in the late 1990s and early 2000s, I was working with Islamic clients. They wondered (as did I) about the effects of Ramadan fasting on health. I searched the available literature to see what effects fasting had on health and performance. I was surprised to find that what little evidence there was at the time suggested no negative effects on health, and this shook my ‘frequent eating’ dogma to its core.

Since then I have used fasting protocols for a variety of reasons (some mental, emotional, and spiritual). Fasting isn’t for everyone, and I wouldn’t say that it’s essential, but knowing that it exerts some benefits provides another reason not to be overly fastidious about having to eat “by-the-clock.”

There are now hundreds of papers on intermittent fasting. Reviews of these papers suggest that intermittent fasting results in weight-loss and improved cardiometabolic risk factors, including improved blood glucose profiles, insulin, cholesterol profiles, and inflammatory markers.^{1, 2} Experience from Ramadan studies on athletes also suggests that physical fitness is not negatively affected, and athletes who maintain an appropriate calorie (fuel) intake, hydration and preserve sleep length, don’t suffer a reduction in performance doing this type of fast.^{3, 4}

This makes complete sense if we think about the physiology of the human organism. We are extremely well adapted to go through periods of fasting and periods of feeding. When we are active during the day, we are sympathetic nervous system (SNS) dominant. This is our so-called ‘fight or flight’ response. In this state, we release higher levels of the stress hormones, especially epinephrine and norepinephrine. These allow greater cognition and alertness (unless of course you are overstimulated after drinking one too many espressos), and help the body to free up glucose for immediate use as fuel.

Stop Daily Grazing

The body also seeks to prioritize blood supply to working muscles, and reduces blood flow to the gastrointestinal tract, visceral organs, closes gastric sphincters (valves), and reduces motility (movement of food) through the bowel. These aspects of the stress-response reduce our ability to utilize food effectively during times of activity.

So, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to eat while extremely active, unless of course you are involved in long periods of exercise in which you need to fuel, if you are taking small amounts of macros to enhance protein synthesis, refuelling, or using post-exercise recovery. You certainly don’t need to be constantly grazing through your working day. In fact, I think that if you need to constantly fuel your body, you are most likely metabolically disordered.

Parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS) dominance, is known conversely as the ‘rest and digest’ system. In this state, we relax, gastric enzymes and hydrochloric acid are produced in greater amounts, and movement of food through the bowel is prioritized.

Eat When You’re Hungry

For the reasons outlined above, when people ask what they should eat when ‘on the run’ I tell them: “Don’t eat on the run!” A better strategy is to allow yourself to be active and then when you stop, actually stop, and prepare a wholesome meal (or have one ready to go) and then sit down, relax, eat it, and enjoy.

The take-home message for frequency is a simple one. If you are eating natural, whole foods, you should eat when you are hungry, until you are full, and then eat again when you’re hungry. If you occasionally miss a meal don’t stress about it at all.

Read more on nutrition perspectives:

Nutritional Ketosis for Strength Training

References:

1. Horne BD, Muhlestein JB, Anderson JL. “Health effects of intermittent fasting: hormesis or harm? A systematic review.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2015;102(2):464-70.

2. Rothschild J, Hoddy KK, Jambazian P, Varady KA. “Time-restricted feeding and risk of metabolic disease: a review of human and animal studies“. Nutrition reviews. 2014;72(5):308-18.

3. Chaouachi A, Leiper JB, Chtourou H, Aziz AR, Chamari K. “The effects of Ramadan intermittent fasting on athletic performance: Recommendations for the maintenance of physical fitness“. Journal of Sports Sciences. 2012;30 (Supp 1):S53-S73.

4. Shephard RJ. “Ramadan and Sport: Minimizing Effects Upon the Observant Athlete“. Sports Medicine. 2013;43(12):1217-41 25p.

The post Meal Timing: Fasting and Frequency Is Not an Exact Science appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Before anyone accuses me of being some crazy ‘Paleo guy,’ remember I started consulting in the nutrition field before Paleo was cool, back in the late 1990s. But as a rationalist and a scientist, it makes sense to look at remaining (or recently remaining) hunter-gatherer populations for some of the best evidence of not only how humans have eaten over the course of our progression as a species, but also how this affects health, and what we should be doing now.

Existing hunter-gatherer populations can provide valuable insight into what we have evolved to consume.

Agriculture as the Bane of Health

At the time of the invention and rapid uptake of agriculture around 10,000 years ago, people’s height decreased and health suffered.¹ We tend to think having an abundant supply of food would preserve health and performance, but the opposite appears to have taken place. Higher-grain diets were not ‘healthier’ by any means than the preceding diet based on tubers, leaves, berries, fruits, nuts, seeds, meat, and eggs, and the relatively scarce addition of grains and legumes. Palaeolithic man did eat grains and legumes, just not in large amounts.

A diet based on a few staple crops provides less variety of nutrients than one based on hunted and foraged foods. This had the effect of leaving people malnourished and more susceptible to diseases; a situation exacerbated by closer living conditions and zoomorphic infections transmitted by farm animals. While it was previously thought that the shift towards agriculture allowed for an increase in population related to improved health, it is now generally recognized that there was a reduction in individual physical health with the abandonment of a hunter-gatherer lifestyle.

Until relatively recently, hunter-gatherer groups have subsisted healthily (notwithstanding mortality from infectious diseases, warfare, or predation unrelated to diet). These populations have a significant absence of metabolic disorder on a typically lower carbohydrate diet than one promoted recently by government agencies and public health organizations.

Hunter-Gatherer Macros

The Inuit population has, by necessity, utilized a low-carbohydrate diet for millennia. Their traditional diet contains a significant amount of protein (approximately 377g of protein per day), equating to around 47% of the daily calories, with 46% coming from fat, and carbohydrate providing a mere 7% of calories.² Aboriginal diets in Australia have also been extensively studied, are similarly low in carbohydrate, and promote the maintenance of lean body weights and minimized insulin resistance. When Aboriginals transition to a modern Western diet high in carbohydrate and refined fats, the incidence of metabolic disorders, obesity, and diabetes rise markedly. Interestingly, even a temporary reversion to a traditional hunter-gatherer lifestyle causes ‘striking improvements’ in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism.³

Hunter-gatherer populations prioritize consumption of fatty tissue (such as bone marrow and organs) if able, to avoid spoilage of nutrient-dense organ meat, and to provide the maximum amount of calories (and micronutrients) while avoiding the dire metabolic consequences of protein over-consumption.⁴

This is congruent with both the hunter and scavenger-dominant theories of human food acquisition, especially as both hunting and predator-confrontational scavenging are likely to have provided a large amount of the food for early humans.⁵ Fresh kills by both hominids themselves and other predators would have provided organ tissue and bone marrow—both high in fat (and fat soluble vitamins), with the relatively lean tissue of wild game meats being a secondary fuel source to the fattier, and thereby more calorically and nutritionally dense tissue of organs and bone.

There is considerable variation in the macronutrient content of hunter-gatherer diets. In one study,⁶ 229 hunter-gatherer diets from around the world were analyzed using plant-to-animal subsistence ratios. A high variance in carbohydrate intake was found (approximately 3%-50% of daily calories). This variance is related to what is available based on climate and geography, and carbohydrate intake is inversely associated with latitude. In extremes of latitude (such as the Northern Tundra environments) higher proportions of animal derived foods, protein, and fat are consumed due to the relative abundance of large game-animals and scarcity of carbohydrate containing foods. In comparison, higher carbohydrate foods such as fruits, tubers, and grains are more plentiful closer to the equator.

However, the authors of this study noted that independent of the local environment, the range of energy intake derived from carbohydrate in most hunter-gatherer populations is significantly lower than the current minimum dietary recommendations. The recommended minimum amount of carbohydrate for modern humans is higher than the intakes of any of the hunter-gatherer populations studied. This begs the question: Have we, in the last 50 years, discovered a better diet than the one we evolved to eat over many millennia?

Adjust Your Carbs for Genetics and Activity

Any rational approach to this topic could not conclude that we have suddenly ‘happened upon’ the best diet for the human being in such a short time. Animals (and remember we are animals) co-evolve with the environment around them and develop appropriately to match this. So rather than assuming that an incredibly high carbohydrate intake is best for most people, we should instead look at the evidence from our forebears and from free-living humans in the wild now. Perhaps the best diet for most people, most of the time, is one that is between around 3% and 50% carbohydrate, with the large variation accounted for by genetic (ethnic) predisposition and activity. In other words, eat an appropriate amount of carbohydrate for your ethnic (and therefore genetic) background and according to your energy requirements (i.e., the more you move, and the higher the intensity of that movement, the more carbohydrate you are likely to tolerate and benefit from).

By taking an approach that recognizes the ‘activity dependent’ nature of carb requirements and our genetic tolerance to carb intake (or as I have coined it a ‘Carb Appropriate Diet’ approach) we can avoid needless debate of which diet is better, high-carb or low-carb, and instead focus on what works best for individuals.

Why do all diets seem to work, to some extent?

Behind the Diet Curtain

Photo courtesy of Woodlouse via Flickr | CC BY_SA 2.0

References:

1. Mummert, Amanda, Emily Esche, Joshua Robinson, and George J. Armelagos. “Stature and Robusticity during the Agricultural Transition: Evidence from the Bioarchaeological Record.” Economics & Human Biology 9, no. 3 (2011): 284-301. doi:10.1016/j.ehb.2011.03.004. 

2. Sinclair, H. M. “The Diet of Canadian Indians and Eskimos.” Proceedings of the Nutrition Society Proc. Nutr. Soc. 12, no. 01 (1953): 69-82. doi:10.1079/pns19530016. 

3. O’Dea, Kerin. “Westernisation, insulin resistance and diabetes in Australian aborigines.” The Medical Journal of Australia 155, no. 4 (1991): 258-264.

4. Speth, John D., and Katherine A. Spielmann. “Energy Source, Protein Metabolism, and Hunter-gatherer Subsistence Strategies.” Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 2, no. 1 (1983): 1-31. doi:10.1016/0278-4165(83)90006-5. 

5. Domínguez-Rodrigo, Manuel. “Hunting and scavenging by early humans: the state of the debate.” Journal of World Prehistory 16, no. 1 (2002): 1-54.

6. Ströhle, Alexander, and Andreas Hahn. “Diets of Modern Hunter-gatherers Vary Substantially in Their Carbohydrate Content Depending on Ecoenvironments: Results from an Ethnographic Analysis.” Nutrition Research 31, no. 6 (2011): 429-35. doi:10.1016/j.nutres.2011.05.003. 

The post The Anthropological Argument About Carb Consumption appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

The premise of the paleo diet and many other emerging (possibly re-emerging) diet styles, from ‘primal’ through the various iterations of ‘real-food’ eating that are now commonplace, is that genetically we haven’t changed much since the time of the earliest humans. Research has shown that: “From a genetic standpoint, humans living today are Stone Age hunter-gatherers displaced through time to a world that differs from that for which our genetic constitution was selected”.¹ Of course, more moderate forms of these diets take into account that we have experienced some pretty big changes as a result of the agrarian shift towards cultivated grains and domesticated animals (like the ability of most people of European extraction to digest lactose). Overall, these diets can be grouped together under a general heading of ‘ancestral-type’ diets.

The ‘modern’ paleo diet seeks to emulate traditional hunter-gatherer diets by eliminating foods that are that were not present (in large amounts) in the diets of most hunter-gatherers. There are many variations on the paleo theme and most people now follow some iteration of paleo that could differ from the original template. For example, many now would classify their diet as ‘primal’—a style of nutrition that is quite diverse and typically like paleo, but with the addition of some dairy, occasional sprouted legumes, and even occasional grains. The following describes common paleo guidelnes.

What to eat:

• Free range, organic meat, eggs and fish
• Nuts and seeds
• Fibrous vegetables
• Root vegetables: sweet potatoes, yams, etc.
• Berries and fruit
• Virgin nut and fruit oils: olive, macadamia, coconut

What to avoid:

• Factory farmed meats, battery eggs
• Grains and legumes
• Seed oils
• Dairy

Did Paleolithic Man Really Eat Like That?

Critics of the paleo diet point to the lack of consistency in hunter-gatherer diets. In other words, there is no solitary hunter-gatherer diet. For example, analysis of 229 hunter-gatherer diets from around the world found a high variance in carbohydrate intake (approximately 3%-50% of daily calories). However, the authors noted that carbohydrate intake in almost all hunter-gatherer populations is lower than that currently recommended for health,² and it’s fair to say that all hunter gatherer populations have an absence of refined and processed foods. It’s also interesting to note that many critics of real-food based diets like paleo are advocates for the Mediterranean diet, and yet there is no ‘one’ Mediterranean diet either. It is more important to look at either diet (because they are both great) not as rigid prescriptions of certain foods for all people, but instead a compendium of available foods from which to choose.

How do you determine what works for you?

Hunter-Gatherers Were ‘Healthier’

Hunter-gatherer populations such as the Inuit, Australian Aboriginals, Hadza, and others that have been studied were indeed, until the introduction of modern diet and lifestyle, robustly healthy and with a significant absence of the metabolic disorders of obesity and diabetes that plague the modern, western world.^{3, 4, 5, 6} They couldn’t be said to have had it easy though, with higher mortality rates from communicable diseases, war, homicide, and medical complications, especially during childbirth. But the most pertinent point to note is that the diseases that are the biggest affecters of quality and length of life in the modern world (the non-communicable diseases of lifestyle) appeared with lower prevalence for these people. Overall, it is now accepted that at the time of the invention and rapid uptake of agriculture around 10,000 years ago, people’s height decreased and health suffered.⁷

Paleo or Ancestral-Type Diets Are Safe

There has been a remarkable amount of negative attention paid to the ‘real-food’ food movement. This seems at odds with a pragmatic overview of nutrition, in which any diet that prioritises more nutrient-dense, whole, unprocessed foods should be considered a good one. The evidence does suggest that overwhelmingly ancestral-type diets are safe, and they may provide considerable benefits for weight-management, cardio-metabolic health, and for satiety and hunger-reduction. The relatively few trials that have been performed on the paleo diet thus far show compelling benefits for satiety (when compared to ‘best-practice’ dietary guidelines,⁸ best-practice diabetic meal plan,⁹ and the Mediterranean Diet¹⁰), cardiometabolic risk indicators,^{11, 12} and fat-loss,^{13, 14} with no adverse effects reported.

Much of the criticism of paleo diets springs from the assumption that it is low in carbohydrates and that this might negatively affect thyroid status (which in itself is contentious) or cause other hormone irregularities However, the paleo diet isn’t by nature low in carbohydrates as it can (depending on how it’s applied) include appreciable carbohydrate from sweet potato, yams, vegetables, berries, and some fruit, which would be more than adequate for most people who benefit from moderate or even higher carbohydrate loads.

So, there’s no good reasons to believe that a paleo or other ancestral-type diet would negatively affect health. However, a severely carb-restricted paleo diet could possibly affect hormone levels for some. Carbohydrate restriction can increase cortisol levels (one of our major stress hormones), although this hasn’t been noted in the existing work on the paleo diet, and reduce levels of the sex hormones (especially testosterone). This cortisol to free testosterone ratio is a key marker of fatigue syndromes. It is important to note that some of these distortions may occur in the transition phase to a lower carbohydrate diet and may not last if one becomes sufficiently ‘fat adapted’ and are also likely to be related to the genetic and ethnic predisposition of an individual to either a low or higher-carb diet.

Do What Works for You

If paleo is working for you, there’s no compelling safety reason to stop. If you practice a different form of ancestral or primal diet and that is working, same goes, stick with the programme soldier and keep on getting those results. At the end of the day, we are seeing that there is significant variation between individual responses to differing diets. One of the absolute keys to success is figuring out what works for you, and what is the easiest to stick to. If you can’t stick to diet consistently for a long period, its use is going to be incredibly limited.

Find out what type of nutrition is right for you:

Simplicity Rules: Start Your Diet with Natural Food

Direct your athletes:

The Lost Art of Handwritten Programming

References:

1. Eaton SB, Konner M, Shostak M. Stone agers in the fast lane: Chronic degenerative diseases in evolutionary perspective. The American Journal of Medicine. 1988;84(4):739-49.

2. Ströhle A, Hahn A. Diets of modern hunter-gatherers vary substantially in their carbohydrate content depending on ecoenvironments: results from an ethnographic analysis. Nutrition Research.31(6):429-35.

3. Sinclair HM. The Diet of Canadian Indians and Eskimos. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. 1953;12(01):69-82.

4. O’Dea K. Westernisation, insulin resistance and diabetes in Australian aborigines. Med J Aust. 1991;155(4):258-64.

5. O’Keefe JJH, Cordain L, Harris WH, Moe RM, Vogel R. Optimal low-density lipoprotein is 50 to 70 mg/dlLower is better and physiologically normal. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2004;43(11):2142-6.

6. O’Dea K. Westernization and non-insulin-dependent diabetes in Australian Aborigines. Ethn Dis. 1991;1(2):171-87.

7. Mummert A, Esche E, Robinson J, Armelagos GJ. Stature and robusticity during the agricultural transition: evidence from the bioarchaeological record. Economics and human biology. 2011;9(3):284-301.

8. Bligh HF, Godsland IF, Frost G, Hunter KJ, Murray P, MacAulay K, et al. Plant-rich mixed meals based on Palaeolithic diet principles have a dramatic impact on incretin, peptide YY and satiety response, but show little effect on glucose and insulin homeostasis: an acute-effects randomised study. The British journal of nutrition. 2015;113:574-84.

9. Jönsson T, Granfeldt Y, Lindeberg S, Hallberg A-C. Subjective satiety and other experiences of a Paleolithic diet compared to a diabetes diet in patients with type 2 diabetes. Nutrition Journal. 2013;12:105.

10. Jönsson T, Granfeldt Y, Erlanson-Albertsson C, Ahren B, Lindeberg S. A paleolithic diet is more satiating per calorie than a mediterranean-like diet in individuals with ischemic heart disease. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2010;7:85.

11. Masharani U, Sherchan P, Schloetter M, Stratford S, Xiao A, Sebastian A, et al. Metabolic and physiologic effects from consuming a hunter-gatherer (Paleolithic)-type diet in type 2 diabetes. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2015.

12. Frassetto LA, Schloetter M, Mietus-Synder M, Morris RC, Jr., Sebastian A. Metabolic and physiologic improvements from consuming a paleolithic, hunter-gatherer type diet. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2009;63(8):947-55.

13. Mellberg C, Sandberg S, Ryberg M, Eriksson M, Brage S, Larsson C, et al. Long-term effects of a Palaeolithic-type diet in obese postmenopausal women: a 2-year randomized trial. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2014;68(3):350-7.

14. Ryberg M, Sandberg S, Mellberg C, Stegle O, Lindahl B, Larsson C, et al. A Palaeolithic-type diet causes strong tissue-specific effects on ectopic fat deposition in obese postmenopausal women. Journal of Internal Medicine. 2013;274(1):67-76.

The post How Safe Is Your Primal Diet? appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

While there are best practice guidelines for various desired outcomes, there is a large degree of individuality between the prescriptions for individuals. This variability is dictated by practitioners’ biochemical individuality, metabolic typing, or other circumstances. At this point in time, there is no accepted way to determine the macronutrient ‘tolerance’ of an individual, except in those cases where a specific diet is required due to a disease or disorder (such as a ketogenic diet for epilepsy).

What Determines Your Carb Tolerance?

In clinical practice, carbohydrate intake is often adjusted the most, because of its non-essentiality.¹ Because carbohydrate is not essential, and yet can be extremely beneficial, we need to be able to evaluate better what the differences in response to this macro may be. Due to its nature as an almost exclusively fuel-providing substrate, we know that carbohydrate intake rests upon two major factors:

1. The activity level of the individual: Including latent activity from habits, nervous and ‘constitutional’ behaviours, work-type, and exercise intensity, frequency, and volume.
2. The metabolic tolerance to carbohydrate: Dependent on genetic predisposition, exercise/activity levels, and dietary and medical history, especially where these factors may contribute to a tendency towards insulin resistance.

The difficult part for anyone is to try to figure out their unique tolerance to the macronutrients. One could begin by counting calories and macronutrients and adjusting these to attempt to find an optimal range of intake, but this is often tedious, ultimately unsustainable, and is unnecessary for most people. On the other hand, a ‘step-wise’ restriction of certain food types can be enormously helpful in finding a level of carb intake that meets your metabolic tolerance and activity-based requirements.

Do the Simple Things First

But before we even think of getting down to the minutiae of nutrition, we can make great strides toward achieving our health and performance goals simply by focusing on three simple words: natural, whole, and unprocessed.

People overcomplicate nutrition and rush into using diets with extreme restrictions or excessive supplementation, when minor changes applied with consistency will give the best long-term results. Small and consistent changes are also easier to implement and integrate into your daily routine, and can more easily become positive habits that ‘stick.’ Conversely, doing more than what is necessary to achieve your goal is a wasted effort and can be counterproductive in the long-term.

A good way to start is to simply eat a diet that is at least 80% natural, whole, unprocessed food, ad libitum (in other words, eat as much as you desire). Don’t get me wrong, I don’t say this because I’m some naturalistic devotee. More so, the emerging evidence simply points to ‘natural’ (however abused the word has become) diets offering benefit without the need for calculated calorie restriction or macro manipulation. While critics may point to a relative paucity of research on diets that emphasize whole, unprocessed foodstuffs (such as the paleo diet), there is emerging and compelling evidence for the beneficial effects of real-food diets.

If the only thing you do to your diet is eat real, natural, unprocessed food, the rest may take care of itself.

The Emerging Science of Paleo Diets

Paleo, as an example, while often derided by orthodox dieticians and medical practitioners, has a growing body of evidence which suggests compelling benefits.

Satiety 

A paleo meal may provide greater satiety than a standard meal based on best practice dietary guidelines,² best practice diabetic meal plan,³ and the Mediterranean Diet.⁴

Cardiometabolic Risk Factors

Paleo diets reduce cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, insulin, and blood pressure:^{5, 6}

• A randomized, controlled trial featuring nine men and 25 women found that a paleo diet resulted in lower blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, and higher HDL cholesterol than the reference diet over two weeks. No differences were noted for intestinal permeability (‘leaky gut’), inflammation or salivary cortisol (a marker of stress).
• A randomized cross-over trial featuring ten men and three women demonstrated that paleo diets have a lower glycemic index and are lower in total energy compared to a diabetic diet. The paleo diet resulted in lower HbA1c (a measure of average blood sugar levels), triglycerides, blood pressure, and higher HDL cholesterol.

Fat Loss

In a two-year, randomized, controlled trial, post-menopausal women lost more fat at six months and had lower triglycerides at six and 24 months.⁷ Ten healthy post-menopausal women ate ad libitum (eat as much as you want) on a paleo diet for five weeks. Average calorie intake was reduced by 25%, and average weight loss was 4.5kg, along with reduced waist and hip circumference, blood pressure, fasting glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL cholesterol (fat in the liver – a marker for metabolic disorder was also decreased).⁸

Diets that emphasize real, whole foods are also likely to:

• Provide increased amounts of a complex array of both primary and secondary nutrients
• Provide prebiotic, gut-supporting fibers and resistant starches without increasing glycemic load in a disproportionate manner
• Reduce glycemic load in total
• Preserve fat quality
• Provide ample amounts of all macro- and micro-nutrients
• Aid auto-regulation of calories

Eat Well Before You Fiddle with Numbers

The absolute priority for any change in diet should be to focus initially on the quality of food eaten, not just quantities. Many people will find that simply applying a greater focus to eating a diet that is based almost exclusively on natural, unprocessed foods will not need to be any more restrictive or prescriptive. Take a look at your plate next mealtime. Is it covered by at least 80% natural, unprocessed food?

If your goal is simply to be healthy, perform well, and be in great shape, save yourself the stress and hassle of calorie counting. Unless you’re looking to beat Usain Bolt’s record later in the year, you may get what you desire by simply focusing on the compendium of foods you eat, rather than fastidiously logging food diaries and weighing your foods.

Simplicity rules, and that should be the place to start. If you need to fine-tune further, that option is always available to you.

Beyond the marketing, there’s a reason most diets work:

Behind the Diet Curtain

References:

1. Westman EC. Is dietary carbohydrate essential for human nutrition? The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2002;75(5):951-3.

2. Bligh HF, Godsland IF, Frost G, Hunter KJ, Murray P, MacAulay K, et al. Plant-rich mixed meals based on Palaeolithic diet principles have a dramatic impact on incretin, peptide YY and satiety response, but show little effect on glucose and insulin homeostasis: an acute-effects randomised study. The British Journal of Nutrition. 2015;113:574-84.

3. Jönsson T, Granfeldt Y, Lindeberg S, Hallberg A-C. Subjective satiety and other experiences of a Paleolithic diet compared to a diabetes diet in patients with type 2 diabetes. Nutrition Journal. 2013;12:105.

4. Jonsson T, Granfeldt Y, Erlanson-Albertsson C, Ahren B, Lindeberg S. A paleolithic diet is more satiating per calorie than a mediterranean-like diet in individuals with ischemic heart disease. Nutrition & Metabolism (Lond). 2010;7:85.

5. Masharani U, Sherchan P, Schloetter M, Stratford S, Xiao A, Sebastian A, et al. Metabolic and physiologic effects from consuming a hunter-gatherer (Paleolithic)-type diet in type 2 diabetes. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2015.

6. Frassetto LA, Schloetter M, Mietus-Synder M, Morris RC, Jr., Sebastian A. Metabolic and physiologic improvements from consuming a paleolithic, hunter-gatherer type diet. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2009;63(8):947-55.

7. Mellberg C, Sandberg S, Ryberg M, Eriksson M, Brage S, Larsson C, et al. Long-term effects of a Palaeolithic-type diet in obese postmenopausal women: a 2-year randomized trial. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2014;68(3):350-7.

8. Ryberg M, Sandberg S, Mellberg C, Stegle O, Lindahl B, Larsson C, et al. A Palaeolithic-type diet causes strong tissue-specific effects on ectopic fat deposition in obese postmenopausal women. Journal of Internal Medicine. 2013;274(1):67-76.

The post Simplicity Rules: Start Your Diet with Natural Food appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Starving for Nutrient Density

Vitamins and minerals act as co-factors for literally thousands of chemical reactions throughout the body, from facilitating the breakdown of foods into energy, through to cellular reproduction, expression of genes and much more. Suffice it to say that without enough of the ‘little guys’ of nutrition, nothing much can occur in the body. I like to think of the micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) being like the spark plugs in a car. They don’t provide the fuel directly but allow its efficient use.

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) data shows that some fresh produce (vegetables, fruits berries) only provide around half the amounts of some vitamins and minerals that they did in the 1950s.¹ To get the same amounts of nutrients, we need to eat twice the amount of some veggies and other ‘nutrient dense’ foods than we did fifty or so years ago.

In my home country of New Zealand, estimates from the Ministry of Health ‘NZ Adult Nutrition Survey’ suggest that many Kiwis are not getting the recommended amounts of many of the vitamins and minerals from their diets.²

Some of the key findings included:

• Around 20% of people fail to get sufficient vitamins A, B1, and B6.
• 8% of people fail to get sufficient B12.
• Nearly 10% of women don’t get enough iron.
• Around 25% of people don’t consume enough zinc, including nearly 40% of males.
• 45% of people don’t get enough selenium (a mineral lacking in New Zealand soils).

So we know that some of the food we eat, even if we are trying to eat a ‘good’ diet, may be less nutritious than it once was. Further, we know that we need to eat more nutrient-dense foods to supply what we require to thrive. We simply are not getting what we require day-to-day from the food we currently eat.

Even if you feel stuffed, you might not be getting all the nutrients that are lacking in the modern diet. [Photo credit: Pixabay]

Starving for Fuel

I’ll state it plainly: ‘A calorie is a calorie’ has been found to be inadequate,³ and many of our models of fuel utilisation and substrate storage are outdated. When we have a metabolic disorder or are obese, we have distorted satiety signals. We also have a reduced ability to adequately digest and assimilate some nutrients, and are unable to store and use fuels optimally. Altered satiety signals are both a causative factor and result from metabolic disorder and obesity.^{4, 5, 6} Thus, even if eating more than we require, we can still find ourselves lacking in readily available fuel.

It was once considered impossible to ‘starve’ while getting bigger, because in a state of caloric surplus we should have more than enough fuel. But this is not necessarily true. When we have a predisposition to store fat, we may not have sufficient fuel stored within tissue because we are unable to store efficiently. Our rates of fat utilisation can be markedly reduced, and so we have greater difficulty ‘freeing’ up fuel from fat-storage (adipose tissue). This is due to distortions in our enzymatic ability to release fat from cells and to uptake triglycerides (fats) into muscle and other cells for use. We are also at risk of becoming more and more insulin resistant, with a reduced ability to dispose of glucose, despite having developed a preference for using glucose (sugar) as fuel.

The good news is that changes in the macronutrient composition of what we eat (i.e. the relative amounts of fat vs. carbohydrate vs. protein) can positively affect weight, body-composition and cardiometabolic outcomes.

The Science of High-Protein, Low-Carb Diets

High-protein, low-carbohydrate (HPLC) diets enhance weight-loss with greater loss of body-fat and reduced loss of lean body mass due to factors including increased satiety, increased thermogenesis, muscle sparing, and improved glycaemic (blood sugar) control.⁷ HPLC diets have been studied for weight-loss and body composition with superior results demonstrated versus high-carbohydrate diets. Layman and colleagues compared two diets with similar fat content (~50g), one containing 68g protein and the other 125g (with the balance in both cases from carbohydrate). Participants in the higher protein group lost significantly more fat, retained more lean tissue, and reduced triacylglycerol (TAG) and increased satiety more than the lower protein group.⁸

Piatti and colleagues investigated the effects of two hypocaloric diets (800 kcal) in normal, glucose tolerant women, one containing 45% protein (35% carbohydrate [CHO] and 20% fat) and one containing 20% protein (60% CHO, 20% fat). Similar weight loss occurred in both groups, but retention of fat-free mass (muscle) was only seen in the higher protein diet.⁹ Similarly, in obese and hyperinsulinaemic women, a higher protein intake (27% vs. 16%) and similar fat intakes encouraged similar weight and fat loss with retention of lean mass only observed in the higher protein group, along with reduced TAG and improved glycaemic control versus the lower-protein, higher-carbohydrate group.¹⁰

Noakes and others have demonstrated that there may be further nutritional benefits resulting from higher protein diets: Along with a greater fat loss and reduced TAG, they observed improved B12 status compared to higher carbohydrate diets.¹¹ In a comparison of a high-protein (30%) versus high-carbohydrate (55%) isocaloric diet (n=11), individuals on a high protein diet lost more fat with no difference observed between fat-free mass between groups.¹²

The positive effects of higher protein intake on body-composition can be explained due to several factors, including increased satiety and thermogenesis when compared to equivalent amounts of either carbohydrates or fat.¹³ Increased energy expenditure (EE) results from the formation of additional glucose from amino acids (and other substrates such as lactate and glycerol).¹⁴ There is also a higher thermic effect of feeding (TEF) (using more calories) from protein ingestion as compared to either carbohydrate or fat.^{15, 16, 17} Increased caloric expenditure from protein intake is not explained solely by the metabolic demands of increased gluconeogenesis and may also be accounted for by increased protein accretion in tissue, which requires greater energy expenditure than for storage of fat within adipose tissue.¹⁸ There is a large amount of both lay and scientific literature showing increased protein accretion and retention with higher protein intakes.

However, only moderate increases in protein and minor reductions in carbohydrate have not been shown to provide increased resting energy expenditure (REE) nor promote appreciably greater loss of body-fat.¹⁹ It is likely that more severe carbohydrate restriction or a much greater protein intake are the variables that promote the greatest reductions in body-fat, and in the case of high protein intakes, have the greatest effect on diet induced energy expenditure.

Higher protein intake is also considered to be more satiating than the carbohydrate it is displacing. A 2004 review by Halton and Hu found there to be convincing evidence that a higher protein intake increases thermogenesis and satiety compared to diets of a lower protein content.²⁰

The Science Behind Low Carb-High Fat Diets

Low carbohydrate, high fat (LCHF) diets, often with low-to-moderate protein, likewise have demonstrated sufficient evidence to be considered a therapeutic option for the primary and adjunctive treatment of fatty liver disease²¹; type 1 diabetes²²; type 2 diabetes²³; some cancers²⁴; and cognitive impairment.²⁵

LCHF diets are likely to be superior to low-fat diets for improving several markers of cardiovascular health with the possible exception of low-density lipoprotein (LDL).^{26, 27, 28} But HDL-to-total cholesterol ratio appears to relate more closely to improved cardiovascular mortality than LDL levels, and this ratio is more favorably impacted by an LCHF diet in comparison to a higher carbohydrate diet.²⁹ Beneficial lipid sub-fractions (including large particle LDL) are also increased with an LCHF diet.³⁰

Short term studies suggest that carbohydrate restriction has the greatest effect on weight-loss, irrespective of what is substituted. For example, a 2005 randomised controlled trial by Luscombe-Marsh et al. compared a LCHP diet to a LCHF (standard protein) diet. Both yielded similar results for weight loss with little difference in other parameters (bone turnover, inflammation and calcium excretion).³¹

Lower-carbohydrate and higher-fat diets (not ‘LCHF’ per se) have demonstrated improved postprandial glycaemic responses and reduced insulin when compared to higher-protein, isocaloric diets.³²

Does All This Mean I Should Go Low Carb?

The short answer is no. Unless of course your current high-carb diet is not working for you. We now have ample evidence that there is a wide spectrum of appropriate diets ranging from extreme low-carb (keto) diets, right through to high-carb diets, but which is best depends on activity levels and types of exercise engaged in, ethnic/genetic factors and your current metabolic state.

My advice is to ask, “Am I currently getting great results?” If you are, stick with the program! If not, a gradual carb restriction to find your appropriate dose could be beneficial. Remember that we are all unique and can find a carb intake that works best for each of us at any given phase of life. The only thing to reiterate is to eat lots of natural, fresh produce (vegetables and berries especially) to help ensure you’re getting all the little guys (vitamins and minerals) that are lacking in the modern diet.

More on the science behind nutrition:

The Best Research on Body Fat, Losing Fat, and Eating Fat

References:

1. Davis DR, Epp MD, Riordan HD. “Changes in USDA Food Composition Data for 43 Garden Crops, 1950 to 1999“. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 2004;23(6):669-82.

2. University of Otago and Ministry of Health. A Focus on Nutrition: Key findings of the 2008/09 New Zealand Adult Nutrition Survey. Wellington: 2011.

3. Feinman RD, Fine EJ. ‘”A calorie is a calorie violates the second law of thermodynamics“. Nutrition Journal. 2004;3:9-.

4. Hellstrom PM. “Satiety signals and obesity“. Curr Opin Gastroenterol. 2013;29(2):222-7.

5. Naslund E, Hellstrom PM. “Appetite signaling: from gut peptides and enteric nerves to brain“. Physiol Behav. 2007;92(1-2):256-62.

6. Maljaars J. “Overeating makes the gut grow fonder; new insights in gastrointestinal satiety signaling in obesity“. Curr Opin Gastroenterol. 2013;29(2):177-83.

7. Layman DK, Baum JI. “Dietary Protein Impact on Glycemic Control during Weight Loss“. The Journal of Nutrition. 2004;134(4):968S-73S.

8. Layman DK, Boileau RA, Erickson DJ, Painter JE, Shiue H, Sather C, et al. “A Reduced Ratio of Dietary Carbohydrate to Protein Improves Body Composition and Blood Lipid Profiles during Weight Loss in Adult Women“. The Journal of Nutrition. 2003;133(2):411-7.

9. Piatti PM, Monti LD, Magni F, Fermo I, Baruffaldi L, Nasser R, et al. “Hypocaloric high-protein diet improves glucose oxidation and spares lean body mass: Comparison to hypocaloric high-carbohydrate diet“. Metabolism. 1994;43(12):1481-7.

10. Farnsworth E, Luscombe ND, Noakes M, Wittert G, Argyiou E, Clifton PM. “Effect of a high-protein, energy-restricted diet on body composition, glycemic control, and lipid concentrations in overweight and obese hyperinsulinemic men and women“. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2003;78(1):31-9.

11. Noakes M, Keogh JB, Foster PR, Clifton PM. “Effect of an energy-restricted, high-protein, low-fat diet relative to a conventional high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet on weight loss, body composition, nutritional status, and markers of cardiovascular health in obese women“. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2005;81(6):1298-306.

12. Labayen I, Diez N, Gonzalez A, Parra D, Martinez J, editors. “Effects of protein vs. carbohydrate-rich diets on fuel utilisation in obese women during weight loss“. Forum of Nutrition; 2002.

13. Keller U. “Dietary proteins in obesity and in diabetes“. International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research. 2011;81(23):125-33.

14. Veldhorst MA, Westerterp-Plantenga MS, Westerterp KR. “Gluconeogenesis and energy expenditure after a high-protein, carbohydrate-free diet“. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2009;90(3):519-26.

15. Westerterp KR. “Diet induced thermogenesis“. Nutrition & Metabolism. 2004;1(1):5.

16. Johnston CS, Day CS, Swan PD. “Postprandial Thermogenesis Is Increased 100% on a High-Protein, Low-Fat Diet versus a High-Carbohydrate, Low-Fat Diet in Healthy, Young Women“. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 2002;21(1):55-61.

17. Robinson SM, Jaccard C, Persaud C, Jackson AA, Jequier E, Schutz Y. “Protein turnover and thermogenesis in response to high-protein and high-carbohydrate feeding in men“. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1990;52(1):72-80.

18. Roberts SB, Young VR. “Energy costs of fat and protein deposition in the human infant“. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1988;48(4):951-5.

19. Luscombe N, Clifton P, Noakes M, Parker B, Wittert G. “Effects of energy-restricted diets containing increased protein on weight loss, resting energy expenditure, and the thermic effect of feeding in type 2 diabetes“. Diabetes Care. 2002;25(4):652-7.

20. Halton TL, Hu FB. “The Effects of High Protein Diets on Thermogenesis, Satiety and Weight Loss: A Critical Review“. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 2004;23(5):373-85.

21. Tendler D, Lin S, Yancy WS, Jr., Mavropoulos J, Sylvestre P, Rockey DC, et al. “The Effect of a Low-Carbohydrate, Ketogenic Diet on Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Pilot Study“. Dig Dis Sci. 2007;52(2):589-93.

22. Nielsen JV, Gando C, Joensson E, Paulsson C. “Low carbohydrate diet in type 1 diabetes, long-term improvement and adherence: A clinical audit“. Diabetol Metab Syndr. 2012;4(1):23.

23. Yancy W, Foy M, Chalecki A, Vernon M, Westman EC. “A low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet to treat type 2 diabetes“. Nutrition & Metabolism. 2005;2(1):34.

24. Fine EJ, Segal-Isaacson C, Feinman RD, Herszkopf S, Romano MC, Tomuta N, et al. “Targeting insulin inhibition as a metabolic therapy in advanced cancer: A pilot safety and feasibility dietary trial in 10 patients“. Nutrition. 2012.

25. Krikorian R, Shidler MD, Dangelo K, Couch SC, Benoit SC, Clegg DJ. “Dietary ketosis enhances memory in mild cognitive impairment“. Neurobiology of Aging. 2012;33(2):425.e19-.e27.

26. Shai I, Schwarzfuchs D, Henkin Y, Shahar DR, Witkow S, Greenberg I, et al. “Weight loss with a low-carbohydrate, mediterranean, or low-fat diet“. N Engl J Med. 2008;359(3):229-41.

27. Ebbeling CB, Swain JF, Feldman HA, Wong W, Hachey DL, Garcia-Lago E, et al. “Effects of dietary composition on energy expenditure during weight-loss maintenance“. JAMA. 2012;307(24):2627-34.

28. McAuley KA, Smith KJ, Taylor RW, McLay RT, Williams SM, Mann JI. “Long-term effects of popular dietary approaches on weight loss and features of insulin resistance“. Int J Obes. 2006;30(2):342-9.

29. Sikaris K. “Cholesterol vs fat vs glucose; The why and how of low carb eating”. 21 February, Auckland 2014.

30. Westman EC, Yancy Jr WS, Olsen MK, Dudley T, Guyton JR. “Effect of a low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet program compared to a low-fat diet on fasting lipoprotein subclasses“. International Journal of Cardiology. 2006;110(2):212-6.

31. Luscombe-Marsh ND, Noakes M, Wittert GA, Keogh JB, Foster P, Clifton PM. “Carbohydrate-restricted diets high in either monounsaturated fat or protein are equally effective at promoting fat loss and improving blood lipids“. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2005;81(4):762-72.

32. Ullrich IH, Peters PJ, Albrink M. “Effect of low-carbohydrate diets high in either fat or protein on thyroid function, plasma insulin, glucose, and triglycerides in healthy young adults“. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 1985;4(4):451-9.

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Someone recently approached me at a fitness expo and asked me whether they should be doing an 80-10-10 diet (80% carbs, 10% protein, 10% fat). I asked her in reply, “Why do you think you should do an 80-10-10 diet?” She went on to explain that she had been advised to try it by a fitness competitor who is an advocate of vegan, high-carb diets and had been on it for a number of months. So I asked “How’s that working out for you?” “Not well,” she replied. We went on to talk about what had worked for her in the past, and she realised that despite 80-10-10 working well for her friend, it certainly wasn’t the best option for her.

The essential truth is this: Whatever works well for me is not The Best Diet, even if it is the best diet for me. 

This could be 80% of your calories, or 10%, depending on your genetics and other factors. [Photo credit: Pixabay]

The Current Science on Carb Tolerance

For the last few decades, I have promoted a method I call The Carbohydrate Appropriate Diet. With it, I seek to bridge the gap between low- and high-carb diets by looking instead at what is appropriate for any one individual based on their activity levels and genetic tolerance to carbs. Any good practitioner will recognise that different amounts of protein, carbohydrates, and fat affect individuals differently. This is why we should use ‘best-practice’ guidelines as a starting point for prescription, not an endpoint.

Several attempts have been made to describe this ‘metabolic typing’ or ‘metabolic tolerance,’ but currently there is no scientifically accepted way to determine this. Metabolic typing¹ has failed to demonstrate different fat oxidation rates in different metabolic ‘types’;² blood type diets³ don’t predict better outcomes for weight or cardiometabolic markers;^4,5 and somatotyping (used to indicate relative ‘fatness,’ muscularity, and linearity of the physique) simply hasn’t been studied with respect to whether someone responds better to higher or lower amounts of carbs.

Based on emerging evidence, it seems that those who are more insulin resistant may lose more weight on a low-carb diet, while the more insulin sensitivity lose more weight on a higher carb diet.^6,7,8 Low-carb diets may also promote greater improvements in HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting glucose, insulin and blood pressure in insulin resistant people (but these results have not reached statistical significance).⁹ These findings are very preliminary, but important because of the growing rates of metabolic disorder and ‘pre-diabetes’, even among athletic populations.

But the problem with using insulin resistance to determine diet is two-fold: 1) Testing for insulin homeostasis is not commonly performed for ‘every day Joes,’ and 2) by the time you’re insulin resistant, the horse has already bolted. While it’s not fair to say insulin resistance (or at least the functional effect of it) isn’t reversible, it’d be nice to have a test or tests that can tell us someone’s carb tolerance before they become metabolically disordered.

There are exciting correlations between obesity and the copy number variants of a gene that codes for salivary amylase¹⁰ (the enzyme that begins the digestion of carbohydrate in the mouth). This ‘AMY1 copy number’ (AMY1 CNV) varies substantially among individuals and population groups.¹¹ And populations which have traditionally consumed lower carbohydrate diets have fewer copy numbers of AMY1 compared to those from agricultural societies where starch is a prominent fuel source. So, this gene variation is likely to have evolved from nutritional pressures to allow the more efficient digestion of starch.¹²

The Best Diet Is the One That Works for You

I am currently working on performing randomised, controlled trials to evaluate several markers of carb-tolerance, and within the next few years we hope to have a much better idea of how to more accurately determine whether someone should be following a lower- or higher carbohydrate diet. But in the meantime the question is asked “Well what the heck should I do now?!”

For now, the best method is to use a step-wise approach to carb restriction to determine your unique tolerance. If you are doing fine now, eating loads of carbs, you’re lean, and your blood levels look great (low triglycerides, good HDL and LDL ratios, normal-low HbA1c) then stick to what you’re doing! But if you’re not as lean as you’d like to be or your levels (especially HbA1c and triglycerides) are not where they should be, make some adjustments. You can start to either peg back your total carb intake, or start to restrict classes of carbs until you are getting results and maintaining them. This restriction could be as simple as avoiding added sugars, all the way up to more extreme forms of ketogenic diets.

The most important thing to do is to look at your plate and make sure that 80% of what you see is natural, whole, unprocessed food. We have observed in clinical trials that when people focus on whole foods (and eat at least 6+ servings of veggies per day), they have a remarkable ability to ‘autoregulate’. In other words, they tend to not overeat, and they eat appropriate amounts of carbs, fat and protein for them without even trying to.

What can we glean about carb consumption from indigenous populations?

The Anthropological Argument About Carb Consumption

References:

1. Wolcott, William L., and Trish Fahey. The Metabolic Typing Diet. New York: Doubleday, 2000. 

2. Clarke, Daniel, David Edgar, Sam Higgins, and Andrea Braakhuis. “Physiological analysis of the metabolic typing diet in professional rugby union players.” New Zealand Journal of Sports Medicine 35, no. 2 (2008): 42-47.

3. D’Adamo, Peter. “Dr. Peter D’Adamo and the Blood Type Diet: Official Site.” Accessed September 09, 2016.

4. Wang, Jingzhou, Bibiana García-Bailo, Daiva E. Nielsen, and Ahmed El-Sohemy. “ABO Genotype, ‘Blood-Type’ Diet and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors.” PLoS ONE 9, no. 1 (2014). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0084749. 

5. Cusack, L., E. De Buck, V. Compernolle, and P. Vandekerckhove. “Blood Type Diets Lack Supporting Evidence: A Systematic Review.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 98, no. 1 (2013): 99-104. doi:10.3945/ajcn.113.058693. 

6. Pittas, A. G., S. K. Das, C. L. Hajduk, J. Golden, E. Saltzman, P. C. Stark, A. S. Greenberg, and S.B. Roberts. “A Low-Glycemic Load Diet Facilitates Greater Weight Loss in Overweight Adults With High Insulin Secretion but Not in Overweight Adults With Low Insulin Secretion in the CALERIE Trial.” Diabetes Care 28, no. 12 (2005): 2939-941. doi:10.2337/diacare.28.12.2939. 

7. Cornier, Marc-Andre, W. Troy Donahoo, Rocio Pereira, Inga Gurevich, Rickard Westergren, Sven Enerback, Peter J. Eckel, Marc L. Goalstone, James O. Hill, Robert H. Eckel, and Boris Draznin. “Insulin Sensitivity Determines the Effectiveness of Dietary Macronutrient Composition on Weight Loss in Obese Women.” Obesity Research 13, no. 4 (2005): 703-09. doi:10.1038/oby.2005.79. 

8. Ebbeling, Cara B., Michael M. Leidig, Henry A. Feldman, Margaret M. Lovesky, and David S. Ludwig. “Effects of a Low–Glycemic Load vs Low-Fat Diet in Obese Young Adults.” Jama 297, no. 19 (2007): 2092. doi:10.1001/jama.297.19.2092. 

9. Gardner, Christopher D., Lisa C. Offringa, Jennifer C. Hartle, Kris Kapphahn, and Rise Cherin. “Weight Loss on Low-fat vs. Low-carbohydrate Diets by Insulin Resistance Status among Overweight Adults and Adults with Obesity: A Randomized Pilot Trial.” Obesity 24, no. 1 (2015): 79-86. doi:10.1002/oby.21331. 

10. Falchi, Mario, et al. “Low Copy Number of the Salivary Amylase Gene Predisposes to Obesity.” Nature Genetics 46, no. 5 (2014): 492-97. doi:10.1038/ng.2939. 

11. Perry, George H., Nathaniel J. Dominy, Katrina G. Claw, Arthur S. Lee, Heike Fiegler, Richard Redon, John Werner, Fernando A. Villanea, Joanna L. Mountain, Rajeev Misra, Nigel P. Carter, Charles Lee, and Anne C. Stone. “Diet and the Evolution of Human Amylase Gene Copy Number Variation.” Nature Genetics Nat Genet 39, no. 10 (2007): 1256-260. doi:10.1038/ng2123. 

12. Mandel, A. L., and P. A. S. Breslin. “High Endogenous Salivary Amylase Activity Is Associated with Improved Glycemic Homeostasis following Starch Ingestion in Adults.” Journal of Nutrition 142, no. 5 (2012): 853-58. doi:10.3945/jn.111.156984. 

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Let’s take a look at a few claims people make about detox diets.

Claim 1: Detoxing Helps You Lose Weight

Many people do lose weight on detox diets. It’s often claimed that this is because ‘toxins’ encourage the storage of fat, but in all likelihood, it is because while following a restrictive detox diet the person simply eats less. As an example, a 2015 study demonstrated that the ‘Lemon Detox’ diet helped women lose weight.¹ but that this was likely due to simple calorie restriction. Any time you drastically restrict calories you will lose weight, and this has nothing whatsoever to do with toxins.

Overconsumption of anything – even certain vegetables, herbs, and fruits – can be harmful to the body. [Photo courtesy of Pixabay]

Claim 2: You Have to Avoid All Toxic Chemicals

There are toxic chemicals in our environment and in the food we eat (these are technically called ‘toxicants’). The reality is, these toxicants are found in relatively small amounts, and most of the time our bodies are good at processing and excreting them. The simple act of possessing a liver, kidneys, and skin puts you in the perfect position to detoxify almost all of what life throws at you. And if you don’t have those things, you have much bigger problems on your plate!

Of course, it is common sense to avoid common, known, dangerous chemicals (such as dyes, petrochemicals, etc.) as much as possible. But you don’t have to become obsessed with the chemical bogey-man lurking under your sink. There will always be toxic chemicals created within the body and absorbed into it from our immediate environment, and there will also always also be a constant process of breakdown and destruction, healing and growth happening within the body. This process creates metabolites that we need to remove.

Most compounds are benign at a low level of intake and only become damaging when found in excess. The amount varies depending on the individual chemical, but it is fair to say that damage relates to the dose and exposure to a chemical, not the mere presence of it. Many substances that are seen as ‘toxic’ and removed during detox diets (such as coffee and alcohol) are actually health promoting at low doses and only become damaging to the body in higher doses. For example, the evidence suggests that up to five cups of coffee per day are health-protective and that around one alcoholic drink per day (and no binge drinking!) is associated with improved all-cause mortality.² Overconsumption of anything – even certain vegetables, herbs, and fruits – can be harmful to the body.

Claim 3: Natural Detoxification Is All or Nothing

Most of the research on dietary and supplemental interventions that might help with natural detoxification systems or the body’s resistance to toxic chemicals has been performed on animals, due mainly to the ethics of exposing humans to toxic chemicals. A lot of the research focuses on the oxidant effects of exposure to heavy metals. While most of us are not suffering from heavy metal exposure, this research does offer a glimpse into nutrition interventions that might improve the resilience of the body. Here are some of the findings so far:

• Spirulina and chlorella, milk thistle, dandelion, ginseng, onion, garlic, curcumin, resveratrol, selenium, zinc, and vitamins A, C, and E, reduce the oxidative damage associated with heavy metal toxicants.^{3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9}
• Mercury excretion is also enhanced by spirulina and chlorella.^10,11
• Spirulina plus zinc increases the excretion of arsenic in chronic arsenic poisoning¹² and absorbs cadmium.¹³
• Chlorella may be useful in inhibiting the absorption of dioxins via food and preventing accumulation of dioxins within the body.¹⁴
• Milk thistle reduces oxidative damage and may reduce entry of toxins into cells.^15,16
• Folate is critical for the metabolism of arsenic.¹⁷
• Alpha lipoic acid supports detoxification processes.¹⁸
• Treatment with cysteine, methionine, vitamin C, and thiamine can reverse oxidative stress associated with arsenic exposure and result in a reduction in tissue arsenic levels.¹⁹

Be Realistic

Rather than focusing on expensive and unnecessary pills, potions, and fad diets for detox, the best way to live the healthiest, highest-performing life in this modern world is to focus on the basics:

• Eat a diet that is based around a variety of quality, natural, whole, and unprocessed foods.
• Eat traditional and ‘heirloom’ vegetable types (such as dandelion).
• Take a quality multi-nutrient product that supplies some of the micronutrients you may be missing, especially vitamins A, C, E, zinc, alpha-lipoic acid, and possibly some of the supportive greens (chlorella and spirulina) and herbs (dandelion and milk-thistle).
• Eat enough protein. Amino acids from protein (such as cysteine) are crucial for the body’s inherent detox and antioxidant systems.

Move. Exercise is good! Not only does it help the body to utilise nutrients more effectively, but also, the simple act of moving is the stimulus for lymphatic drainage which helps to clear metabolic waste from tissue. Sweating can also help to remove waste via the skin as a secondary detoxification route.

And last but not least, relax! People freak out too much about toxins and chemicals. Focus on the positives – being lean, strong, and energetic – and the simple, effective things you can do to be your healthiest you.

More on detox diets:

Cleanses, Diets, and Juice Fasts: Do They Work?

References:

1. Kim, M.J., et al., “Lemon detox diet reduced body fat, insulin resistance, and serum hs-CRP level without hematological changes in overweight Korean women“, Nutr Res, 2015: 35(5): p. 409-20.

2. Harvey, C., “Is there a ‘safe’ level of alcohol consumption?”, Holistic Performance Nutrition, 2016.

3. El-Desoky, G.E., et al., “Improvement of mercuric chloride-induced testis injuries and sperm quality deteriorations by Spirulina platensis in rats“, PLoS One, 2013: 8(3): p. e59177.

4. Karadeniz, A., M. Cemek, and N. Simsek, “The effects of Panax ginseng and Spirulina platensis on hepatotoxicity induced by cadmium in rats“, Ecotoxicol Environ Saf, 2009: 72(1): p. 231-5.

5. Ola-Mudathir, K.F., et al., “Protective roles of onion and garlic extracts on cadmium-induced changes in sperm characteristics and testicular oxidative damage in rats“, Food and Chemical Toxicology, 2008: 46(12): p. 3604-3611.

6. Eybl, V., D. Kotyzova, and J. Koutensky, “Comparative study of natural antioxidants – curcumin, resveratrol and melatonin – in cadmium-induced oxidative damage in mice“, Toxicology, 2006: 225(2–3): p. 150-156.

7. Milton Prabu, S., K. Shagirtha, and J. Renugadevi, “Quercetin in combination with vitamins (C and E) improves oxidative stress and renal injury in cadmium intoxicated rats“, Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci, 2010: 14(11): p. 903-14.

8. Messaoudi, I., et al., Protective Effects of Selenium, Zinc, or Their Combination on Cadmium-Induced Oxidative Stress in Rat Kidney, Biological Trace Element Research, 2009: 130(2): p. 152-161.

9. Daniel, S., et al., “Through metal binding, curcumin protects against lead- and cadmium-induced lipid peroxidation in rat brain homogenates and against lead-induced tissue damage in rat brain“, Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry, 2004: 98(2): p. 266-275.

10. Uchikawa, T., et al., The influence of <i>Parachlorella beyerinckii</i> CK-5 on the absorption and excretion of methylmercury (MeHg) in mice, The Journal of Toxicological Sciences, 2010: 35(1): p. 101-105.

11. Uchikawa, T., et al., “The enhanced elimination of tissue methylmercury in <i>Parachlorella beijerinckii</i>-fed mice“, The Journal of Toxicological Sciences, 2011: 36(1): p. 121-126.

12. Misbahuddin, M., et al., “Efficacy of spirulina extract plus zinc in patients of chronic arsenic poisoning: a randomized placebo-controlled study“, Clin Toxicol (Phila), 2006: 44(2): p. 135-41.

13. Doshi, H., A. Ray, and I.L. Kothari, Biosorption of cadmium by live and dead Spirulina: IR spectroscopic, kinetics, and SEM studies, Curr Microbiol, 2007: 54(3): p. 213-8.

14. Takekoshi, H., et al., “Effect of Chlorella pyrenoidosa on fecal excretion and liver accumulation of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin in mice“, Chemosphere, 2005: 59(2): p. 297-304.

15. Abenavoli, L., et al., “Milk thistle in liver diseases: past, present, future“, Phytother Res, 2010: 24(10): p. 1423-32.

16. Feher, J. and G. Lengyel, “Silymarin in the prevention and treatment of liver diseases and primary liver cancer“, Curr Pharm Biotechnol, 2012: 13(1): p. 210-7.

17. Heck, J.E., et al., “Consumption of folate-related nutrients and metabolism of arsenic in Bangladesh“, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2007: 85(5): p. 1367-1374.

18. Rogers, S.A., Lipoic Acid as a Potential First Agent for Protection from Mycotoxins and Treatment of Mycotoxicosis, Archives of Environmental Health: An International Journal, 2003: 58(8): p. 528-532.

19. Nandi, D., R.C. Patra, and D. Swarup, “Effect of cysteine, methionine, ascorbic acid and thiamine on arsenic-induced oxidative stress and biochemical alterations in rats“, Toxicology, 2005: 211(1–2): p. 26-35.

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