Your BRAIN and Carbs

Yes, bet you didn't know this one...

It's true I have been going on a lot lately about low-carb diets.  But it is a very hot topic at the moment and from what I see on a day-to-day basis with my clients just seems to back up the theory that refined and non-refined carbs are just not a good idea for human consumption - at least not on an everyday basis.

The Basics.

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye grains.  Wheat is the most common form of gluten in our diets; bread, pasta, pizza, etc..

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder, this means the immune system reacts to gluten as if it were a threat which leads to the villi, the finger-like structures that line the small intestine responsible for the absorption of nutrients, to be destroyed.  This means that the nutrients will not be absorbed properly which can lead to malnutrition, and other serious health consequences which include permanent damage to the intestinal tract.

Some of the symptoms of  celiac disease are;

• Chronic Diarrhea and/or constipation
• Pale, horrible-smelling stools
• Bloated abdomen and gas
• Stomach pain
• Nausea and vomiting
• Failure to thrive in children
• Delayed puberty in adolescents
• Weight loss
• Dental enamel defects
• Short stature
• Irritability and mood swings
• Fatigue
• Anemia
• Depression and anxiety
• Headaches
• Joint pain
• Infertility and frequent miscarriages
• Tingling in the hands and the feet
• Osteoporosis

As recently as 2015 in the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism, it was finally announced that Intolerance to Gluten without being Celiac DOES exist.

Symptoms of non-celiac gluten sensitivity are:

• Brain for or mental fatigue
• Physical fatigue
• Abdominal pain, bloating and gas
• Frequent headaches.  

However, according to Dr. David Perlmutter, an American neurologist, has a lot more to say about the real effect of gluten on our brains - and not just those who have Celiac disease, or are intolerant to gluten, but the population in general.

According to Dr. Perlmutter, carbs... even the healthy ones such as whole grains not only cause all of the symptoms listed above, but also cause; dementia, ADHD, anxiety, chronic headaches, depression, Alzheimer's, Tourrette's syndrome, and dystonia, among others...

To me this is shocking.  He has worked with many patients who had been unable to find and answer to their many medical problems until they removed gluten from their diets.  I highly recommend his book Grain Brain if you would like more in depth information on the subject.  If I try and do it here, I'm afraid this post will go on forever..

However, what I found even more shocking recently, is just how gluten infested our lives really are.  Most people who have celiac disease or are gluten intolerant or just want to live a gluten-free lifestyle, buy gluten-free bread, pasta, cookies, etc..  But did you know, gluten can also be found in:

• Shampoos
• Cosmetics, lipsticks and lip balm
• Play-doh
• Some medications
• Some vitamins and supplements
• Stamps and envelopes that you have to humidify or lick to stick them on or closed

And, there is a LONG list of words that are generally used on the ingredient section of products that are "other" names for gluten, such as:

• Dextrin
• Acena Sativa Cyclodextrin
• Fermented grain extract
• Hydrolyzed malt extract
• Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
• Hydrolyzed soy protein
• Maltodextrin
• Secale cereale
• Tocopherol/Vitamin E
• Yeast extract
• Modified food starch
• Brown rice syrup
• Caramel coloring - frequently made from barley
• Triticum aestivum
• Triticum vulgaire
• Hordeum vulgar

And I'm afraid the list just goes on...

You see, it isn't easy to be gluten free.


I can help you improve your health.  If you would like to make an appointment with me either in person or via Skype, just send me an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com

A Carbohydrate is a Carbohydrate - or is it?

I said last week that I would explain about different sugars... I found the perfect explanation in the book Fat Chance, by Robert H. Lustig M.D.  Seeing as no one can explain it as perfectly as Dr. Lustig, I decided to leave it in his own words, but you will have to bear with me as it is a bit long.

"All carbohydrates are not created equal.  Just as there are different gradations of fats, there are different gradations of carbohydrates based on their metabolism.  To illustrate how this works, consider the following exercise involving the metabolism of three different carbohydrates of equal caloric value (120 calories): glucose, ethanol (grain alcohol), and fructose.

Glucose

Despite its absolute necessity for life, dietary glucose isn't perfect.  When it exists in nature without fructose, it's called "starch", and it truly does supply "empty calories", energy for either storage or burning.  But the Atkins, Paleo, and caloric-restriction adherents will all tell you that the glucose molecule has three metabolic downsides, all of which do damage over time and necessitate the limitation of its consumption.  To demonstrate this, let's consume 120 calories of glucose (e.g., one-half cup cooked white rice).  Twenty percent, or 24 calories, will enter the liver, whereas the rest will be metabolized by other organs in the body.  Here's what happens:

1. Glucose metabolism is insulin-dependent.  Consuming glucose raises the glucose level in the bloodstream, stimulating insulin release, which promotes energy storage into fat cells and causes weight gain.
2. The overwhelming majority of glucose in the liver will be directed toward forming glycogen, or liver starch, which is not harmful to the liver cell.  This also will keep the liver from releasing glucose into the blood, preventing diabetes.
3. A small amount of glucose will be metabolized by the liver mitochondria for energy.
4. Any excess glucose in the liver that is not shunted to glycogen and not metabolized by  the mitochondria for energy will instead be converted to triglycerides.  High triglyceride levels in the blood can promote development of cardiovascular disease.
5. Glucose can bind to proteins in the cell, which causes two problems:
• When glucose binds to proteins throughout the body, the proteins become less flexible, contributing to the aging process and causing organ dysfunction.
• Every time a glucose molecule binds to a protein, it releases a reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can cause tissue damage if not immediately mopped up by an antioxidant in the peroxisome.

Like all things, glucose in excess can be bad for you - especially when it lacks fiber, which limits the insulin response.  However, you would have to consume a lot of it and over a long period of time for glucose to have these detrimental effects.  In general, large amounts of glucose (starches such as pasta, white bread, rice, etc.) will cause you to gain pounds but it won't make you sick.  Rather, if over time you gain too much weight from glucose, the visceral fat that is formed will eventually take its toll on your health.  But when you consume the same number of calories as either ethanol or fructose, you get much more of a bang to your liver (more like a hand grenade), and it takes its toll much faster.

Ethanol (Grain Alcohol)

Ethanol is a naturally occurring by-product of carbohydrate metabolism, called fermentation.  Upon ingestion of 120 calories of ethanol (e.g., a 1.5 ounce shot of 80-proof hard spirits), 10 percent (12 calories) is metabolized within the stomach and intestine (called the first-pass effect) and 10 percent is metabolized by the brain and other organs.  The metabolism in the brain is what leads to the alcohol's intoxicating effects.  Approximately 96 calories reach the liver - four times more than with glucose.  And that's important, as the detrimental effects are dose-dependent.

1. After ethanol enters the liver in high dosages, it can promote ROS formation and cell damage.
2. In contrast to glucose, which went to glycogen, the ethanol goes straight to the mitochondria.
3. Any excess gets turned into fat by a process called de novo (new) lipogenesis (fat-making).  The lipid buildup can lead to liver insulin resistance and inflammation.
4. If this process continues, it can eventually cause alcoholic liver disease.  This is a surefire prescription for slow death or, at best, a liver transplant.
5. Alternatively, the lipid can exit the liver and take up residence in skeletal muscle, where it also induces insulin resistance and can cause heart disease.
6. Lastly, ethanol enhances its own consumption, by acting on the brain's reward pathway.  When this goes out of control, addiction sets in.

Thus, for the same number of calories, ethanol is more likely than glucose to cause chronic disease.

Fructose

Fructose is never found alone in nature.  Rather, it is always partnered with its more benign sister molecule, glucose.  They both have the same chemical composition (C6H12O6), but they are hardly the same.  Fructose is much worse.  Let's start with the Maillard, or "browning", reaction.  This is the same reaction that turns hemoglobin in your red blood cells into hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), the lab test that doctors follow to determine how high a diabetic patient's blood sugar has risen over time...

... There are dozens of studies that now implicate fructose as a major player in causing metabolic syndrome.  In fact, it's metabolized a lot like ethanol.  Let's now consume 120 calories of sucrose (60g of glucose, 60 of fructose) - for example, an 8 ounce glass of orange juice.  (As I mentioned before, juice is just as bad as soda, if not worse.)  The 60 calories of glucose do the same 20-80 split, so 12 calories of glucose will enter the liver.  But, unlike with glucose, which can be metabolized by all organs, the liver is the primary site of fructose metabolism (although the kidney has the capacity to metabolize a few calories in rare cases).  Give or take, the whole 60 calories of fructose end up in the liver.  So, the liver gets a 72-calories dose, triple the amount as with glucose alone.

The unique metabolism of fructose can induce each of the phenomena associated with metabolic syndrome:

1. Triple the dose means the liver needs triple the energy to metabolize this combo versus glucose alone, depleting the liver cell of adenosine triphosphate (or ATP, the vital chemical that conveys energy within cells).  ATP depletion leads to the generation of the waste product uric acid.  Uric acid causes gout and increases blood pressure.
2. The fructose does not go to glycogen.  It goes straight to the mitochondria.  Excess acetyl-CoA is formed, exceeding the mitochondria's ability to metabolize it.
3. The excess acetyl-CoA leaves the mitochondria and gets metabolized into fat, which can promote heart disease.
4. Fructose activates a liver enzyme, which is the bridge between liver metabolism and inflammation.  This inactivates a key messenger of insulin action, leading to liver insulin resistance.
5. The lack of insulin effect in the liver means that there is no method to keep the glucose down, so the blood glucose rises, which can eventually lead to diabetes.
6. The liver insulin resistance means the pancreas has to release extra insulin, which can force extra energy into fat cells, leading to obesity.  And the fat cells that fill up most are the visceral fat, the bad kind associated with metabolic disease.
7. The high insulin can also drive the growth of many cancers.
8. The high insulin blocks leptin signaling, giving the hypothalamus the false sense of "starvation", and causing you to eat more.
9. Fructose may also contribute to breakdown of the intestinal barrier.  Normally the intestine prevents bacteria from entering the bloodstream.  This intestinal breakdown may lead to a breach in the walls of the intestine.  The result is a "leaky gut", which could increase the body's exposure to inflammation and more ROS.  This worsens insulin resistance and drives the insulin levels even higher.
10. Fructose undergoes the Maillard (browning) reaction 7 times faster than glucose, which can damage cells directly.  Although the experiments are in their infancy, preliminary results suggest that in a susceptible environment, fructose can accelerate aging and the development of cancer.
11. The data on fructose and dementia in humans are currently correlative and indirect.  However, the data on insulin resistance and dementia show clear causation.  African Americans and Latinos are the biggest fructose consumers and those with the highest waist circumference (a marker for insulin resistance).  Coincidentally, they also have the highest risk for dementia."

I hope this information helps you to make wiser choices in your diet.

I can help you improve your health.  If you would like to make an appointment with me either in person or via Skype, just send me an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com

Be careful with that Halloween candy!

It seems lately that unhealthy foods are being closely related to brain function - and not in a good way.  I recently wrote about how junk food can make you stupid.  Well, with Halloween this week - sugar takes another blow.

I have spoken before about HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup) which is basically a chemical form of sugar, but on a much cheaper, unhealthy level.  HFCS has now been associated not just with obesity, type 2 diabetes, cancer, etc., but also with memory disfunction and brain inflammation which leads to dementia and more.

These findings come from a recent study lead by Scott Kanoski and published in Hippocampus.  The study involved 76 adolescent rats that were allowed to consume large quantities of liquid solutions containing sugar or HFCS in concentrations comparable to popular sugar-sweetened drinks, those rats experienced memory problems and brain inflammation, and became pre-diabetic.  Adult rats who were fed the same sugary drinks did not develop the same problems, neither did adolescent rats who did not consume sugar.

This means that adolescents are at a greater risk of problems associated with the consumption of HFCS than adults.

"The brain is especially vulnerable to dietary influences during critical periods of development, like adolescence," said Scott Kanoski, corresponding author of the study and assistant professor at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.

Sugar in large quantities is toxic for the human body, especially inflammatory sugars like HFCS.  The average American teenager gets a huge 17% of their calories from added sugars alone.  That adds up to almost 1/5 of their diet from refined inflammatory sugars.

HFCS is also responsible for provoking leptin resistance.  Leptin is the hormone which helps us to know when we are full.  This leads to overeating, spiked blood sugar levels, and leads to obesity and diabetes.

Obviously there is a huge marketing plan in place to try and make HFCS seem inoffensive - a huge section of the market is at stake here and it is understandable that the manufacturers of HFCS are trying to protect their income and make their product seem healthy or at least - not so dangerous.

One of their messages is that it is the same as normal sugar.  However, it isn't.  Dr. Mark Hyman
explains this:

"HFCS and cane sugar are NOT biochemically identical or processed the same way by the body. High fructose corn syrup is an industrial food product and far from “natural” or a naturally occurring substance. It is extracted from corn stalks through a process so secret that Archer Daniels Midland and Carghill would not allow the investigative journalist Michael Pollan to observe it for his book The Omnivore’s Dilemma. The sugars are extracted through a chemical enzymatic process resulting in a chemically and biologically novel compound called HFCS. Some basic biochemistry will help you understand this. Regular cane sugar (sucrose) is made of two-sugar molecules bound tightly together– glucose and fructose in equal amounts.The enzymes in your digestive tract must break down the sucrose into glucose and fructose, which are then absorbed into the body. HFCS also consists of glucose and fructose, not in a 50-50 ratio, but a 55-45 fructose to glucose ratio in an unbound form. Fructose is sweeter than glucose. And HFCS is cheaper than sugar because of the government farm bill corn subsidies. Products with HFCS are sweeter and cheaper than products made with cane sugar. This allowed for the average soda size to balloon from 8 ounces to 20 ounces with

little financial costs to manufacturers but great human costs of increased obesity, diabetes, and chronic disease.Now back to biochemistry. Since there is there is no chemical bond between them, no digestion is required so they are more rapidly absorbed into your blood stream. Fructose goes right to the liver and triggers lipogenesis (the production of fats like triglycerides and cholesterol) this is why it is the major cause of liver damage in this country and causes a condition called “fatty liver” which affects 70 million people."

So, if you are handing out sweets this Halloween, try buying healthier sweets that don't contain HFCS.  They may not realize it, but you will be doing those children a favor.

I can help you improve your health.  If you would like to make an appointment with me either in person or via Skype, just send me an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com

Autoimmune Diseases is food a cause?

Autoimmune diseases are on the rise.  So what exactly is an autoimmune disease?  Sarah Ballantyne, PhD explains it very clearly in her incredible book The Paleo Approach:

"Autoimmune disease is a result of the interactions between your genes and your environment - a perfect storm of factors that cause the immune system to be unable to distinguish self (you) from invader (not you)."

"Medical researchers still don't completely understand why or how people develop autoimmune disease, but what is known points to three key factors:

•  Genetic Susceptibility
• Infection, environmental triggers, or bad luck
• Diet and lifestyle"

The list of autoimmune diseases is long and nearly impossible to assemble a complete list of suspected autoimmune diseases, but the major ones are:

• Alzheimer's disease
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS; aka Lou Gehrig's disease)
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Dementia
• Lupus
• Epilepsy
• Fibromyalgia
• Chron's Disease
• Morphea
• Neuromyotonia
• Celiac Disease
• Parkinson's disease
• Progressive inflammatory neuropathy
• Schizophrenia
• Some forms of cancer

I admit, I haven't heard of many of these... Also the early symptoms of an autoimmune disease are "problems" most of us associate with day to day life which makes diagnosis a problem as they can be attributed to many other things not associated with autoimmune disease:

• Allergies
• Anxiety and depression
• Blood pressure changes
• Digestive problems
• Extreme fatigue
• Gallbladder disease
• Low blood sugar
• Malaise
• Memory problems
• Migraines
• Muscle or joint pain
• Muscle weakness
• PMS
• Rashes and other skin problems
• Recurrent headaches
• Resistance to weight loss
• Sleep disturbances
• Susceptibility to infections
• Swollen glands
• Thyroid problems
• Unexplained weight changes
• Yeast infections

However, if you have any of these symptoms, don't panic, it is not a foregone conclusion that you will develop an autoimmune disease if you have any of these symptoms.

Recently an article was published officially linking processed foods to autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and including alopecia, asthma and eczema.

A team of scientists from Yale University USA and the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, in Germany say that junk food diets could be partly to blame for a sharp increase in these diseases.  They attribute the large amounts of refined and processed salt found in fast food to be one of the environmental factors driving the increased incidence of autoimmune diseases.  

Fast food restaurants and high availability of processed foods in supermarkets are the largest sources of sodium intake from refined salts.  The Canadian Medical Association Journal sent out an international team of researchers to compare the salt content of 2,124 items from fast food restaurants such as Kentucky Fried Chicken, Domino's Pizza, Burger King, McDonald's, Subway and Pizza Hut.  They found that the average salt content varied between companies and between the same products sold in different countries.

U.S. junk foods more often have twice the salt content of other countries.  In other countries, government-led public health campaigns and legislation efforts have managed to reduce refined salt levels, but the U.S. government has been reluctant to press the issue - letting the junk food companies free to do as they please, says Norm Campbell, M.D., one of the study authors and a blood pressure specialist at the University of Calgary.

The team from Yale University studied the role of T helper cells in the body.  These activate and help other cells to fight dangerous pathogens such as bacteria and viruses and battle infections.  Previous research suggests that a subset of these cells called Th17 cells, also play an important role in the development of autoimmune diseases.

The latest study discovered that exposing these cells in a lab to a table salt solution made them act more "aggressively".  They found that mice fed a diet high in refined salts saw a dramatic rise in the number of Th17 cells in their nervous systems that promoted inflammation.  They were also more likely to develop a severe form of a disease associated with multiple sclerosis in humans.

Lab tests revealed that salt exposure increased the levels of cytokines (proteins used to pass messages between cells) released by the Th17 cells as 10 times more than usual.

So, refined, processed and bleached salts are the problem.  Salt is essential to our health and is the most readily available nonmetallic mineral in the world.  Our bodies are not capable of processing refined sodium chloride as it has no nutritional value.  However, when a salt is filled with dozens of minerals such as rose-colored crystals of Himalayan rock salt or the grey texture of Celtic salt, our bodies benefit greatly when these types of salts are included in our diet.

"These mineral salts are identical to the elements of which our bodies have been built and were originally found in the primal ocean from where life originated," says Dr. Barbara Hendel, researcher and co-author of Water & Salt, The Essence of Life.  "We have salty tears and salty perspiration.  The chemical and mineral composition of our blood and body fluids are similar to sea water.  From the beginning of life, as unborn babies, we are encased in a sack of salty fluid."

"In water, salt dissolves into mineral ions.  These conduct electrical nerve impulses that drive muscle movement and thought processes.  Just the simple act of drinking a glass of water requires millions of instructions that come from mineral ions.  They're also needed to balance PH levels in the body."

So, it isn't a question of eliminating all salt from your diet, it is a question of using the RIGHT salts that will complement a healthy diet for optimal health and minimize your risk of developing an autoimmune disease.

Social Nutrition:  You can make an appointment to improve your health with Social Nutrition either in person (Madrid) or online (Skype).  Just send an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com

 

Pure Coconut Oil. A "cure" for Alzheimer's?

I was left totally amazed yesterday... my caring uncle who sends me hundreds of emails a week (mostly jokes) sent me this little gem which really had me investigating further.

Dr. Mary T. Newport M.D. had to face the terrible news that her husband had advanced Alzheimer's Disease.  As a pediatrician she didn't know much about Alzheimer's so investigated as much as she could on the disease.  She likens it to a type of diabetes of the brain where insulin issues prevent the brain cells from obtaining the glucose that they need for fuel.  When deprived of glucose the brain cells eventually shrivel and die.

However there is an alternative fuel in the form of KETONES which are metabolized in the liver after you eat medium chain triglycerides.  One form of medium chain triglycerides is pure coconut oil.  Dr. Newport began to incorporate pure coconut oil into her husband's diet and the first signs of improvement were seen in just 2 weeks.  At his diagnosis they asked him to draw a clock - he was not able to, after 2 weeks of pure coconut oil, he was able to, another 2 weeks later his clock was perfect.  His speech had improved, his coordination had improved he even had more energy and a more positive attitude... absolutely amazing for such a short space of time.  Dr. Newport even documented her husband's progress in her book Alzheimer's Disease - What if there was a cure?

What is known is that Professor Kieran Clarke Ph.D of Oxford University (UK), and her team have created a Ketone Ester that is 10 times more powerful than pure coconut oil and could be a wonder remedy.  Sadly, it all comes back to money... they need millions of pounds to mass produce it and it wouldn't be a profitable business for the investors.  This is sad when you consider that by the year 2050 there will be 15.000.000 people in the United States alone with Alzheimer's Disease.  Maybe it's time to stop looking at profits and start thinking about reducing the burden on the State produced by 15.000.000 people suffering from Alzheimer's Disease.

You can watch the CBN News report here: http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=ZZOR-Qd3QSg it only takes 5 minutes and may change your life.

As far as Pure Coconut Oil is concerned here are some helpful tips:

Coconut oil can be substituted for any solid or liquid oil, lard, or butter in stove top cooking o baking.  It can be mixed directly into previously prepared dishes.  Some people like to take a spoonful straight up, but this can be disagreeable for some people so mixing it with something else is more palatable.

Coconut oil used to have a bad name as it was considered to raise cholesterol levels... that was before scientists discovered that there are two types of cholesterol; LDL or bad cholesterol and HDL which is the good cholesterol that protects the heart.  Coconut oil has been found to raise the HDL marker and therefore protects the heart.  Coconut oil has also been found to contain small amounts of phytosterols which are one of the components of "statins" used for lowering cholesterol.

It is important to use PURE coconut oil, you must make sure it is non-hydrogenated with no transfat.  Coconut oil that are hydrogenated or have been super heated because it changes the chemical structure of the fats.  You must look for products called "virgin", "organic" or "unrefined".

Coconut milk is a combination of the oil and the water from the coconut and most of the calories are from the oil. Coconut cream is mostly coconut milk and sometimes has sugar added.  Grated or flaked coconut can be purchased unsweetened or sweetened and is a good source of fiber and coconut oil and contains about 15 grams of oil and 3 grams of fiber per 1/4 cup.  However, canned or frozen coconut meat normally contains a lot of added sugar and not much oil per serving.  A fresh coconut can be cut up into pieces and eaten fresh.  A 2x2 inch piece has about 160 calories and contains 15 grams of oil and 4 grams of fiber.  Coconut water does not contain coconut oil usually, but does provide other health benefits.  Its electrolyte composition is similar to that of human plasma and is useful in the prevention or treatment of dehydration.

Incorporation of pure coconut oil into the diet is beneficial to those people who have a neurodegenerative disease that involves decreased glucose uptake in neurons such as Alzheimer's Disease and other Dementias, Parkinson's, ALS, Multiple Sclerosis, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, autism, Down's syndrome, and Huntington's chorea.

Ketones are also an alternative fuel for other cells in the body that are resistant to insulin or cannot transport glucose, they could also potentially lessen the effects of diabetes I and II on the brain and other organs.

Incorporating pure coconut oil into the diet should be done slowly, too much too soon could produce indigestion, cramping or diarrhea.  Start by taking 1 teaspoon of oil with food per meal, increasing gradually, as tolerated, over a week or longer to 4-6 tablespoons a day spread between 2-4 meals.

However, if you have a weight problem or you gain weight easily then you must be careful, as with any fat.  You can substitute your usual oils for pure coconut oil but if that isn't enough then you should cut back on the amount of carbohydrates you are consuming.  You can also cut back from full fat milk to skimmed milk inorder to balance out the amount of fats you are ingesting.

Remember most of the cells in the body are regenerated within 3-6 months so any damage you may have sustained from consuming trans fats in vegetable oils, could be improved and after that time you may notice an improvement in your skin and a decrease in certain problems such as yeast and fungal infections.

For more information go to: www.coconutketones.com