tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995754777906978314.comments2023-10-20T05:56:15.365-07:00Evolving Healthdaviddespain.secrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13271527839470084409noreply@blogger.comBlogger287125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995754777906978314.post-42719455689228580972013-04-12T10:03:32.028-07:002013-04-12T10:03:32.028-07:00David
Another home run. I most definitely will re...David<br /><br />Another home run. I most definitely will read the book. We do look at ourselves (as humans) as unique. We are not as unique as we think. Thanks for taking the time to interview the authors. Personally, loved the comment about Physicians are doctors who treat just one species. I wonder if that will help with their God complex?<br /><br />ChetAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10745118415736408948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995754777906978314.post-37516645551564915602013-03-18T00:35:48.836-07:002013-03-18T00:35:48.836-07:00The color in our skin and hair is because of melan...The color in our skin and hair is because of melanin which is produced by the melanocytes. But it has been recently shown than the behavior of melanocytes can be modified by manipulating keratinocytes which do not have any pigment of their own.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11697985789503833415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995754777906978314.post-82828278889714130532013-03-05T12:58:31.486-08:002013-03-05T12:58:31.486-08:00the architect is correct is saying that lo han guo...the architect is correct is saying that lo han guo is not xylitol. It comes from monkfruit and is available in different forms. Xylitol is indeed a sugar alcohol and may cause gastrointestinal distress.foodscientisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11057049553524617951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995754777906978314.post-10321767287624700192013-03-02T11:50:14.764-08:002013-03-02T11:50:14.764-08:00if sugar is really toxic, then a lot more people w...if sugar is really toxic, then a lot more people would be dead. Even I with my basic education in biology and human physiology know that it's all about the DOSE i.e. Amount ingested.. and in fact the body requires energy. Jeanninehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15993195224327501364noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995754777906978314.post-53173802504374673262013-03-01T06:16:38.516-08:002013-03-01T06:16:38.516-08:00Oliver,
When I wrote this post, I thought about ...Oliver, <br /><br />When I wrote this post, I thought about rehashing Cordain's and Eaton's papers. However, I've written about Cordain and Eaton's papers on this blog previously. Plus, there are thousands of other blogs that have detailed out their research. I deemed it unnecessary to do so again. Most people who read my blog are familiar with it. <br /><br />I also I don't think this post was unfair. I've met Cordain and Eaton and believe they are both fine people. But their diet appears to ignore the evidence regarding the above. <br /><br />I would take issue with the fact that the website, thepaleodiet.com, refers Cordain as "The World's Leading Expert on Paleolithic Diets" (which he's not, given the expertise above). But that's probably the work of a marketer and not of the exercise scientist himself. <br /><br />David daviddespain.secrethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13271527839470084409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995754777906978314.post-9759426892911935142013-02-26T02:01:32.187-08:002013-02-26T02:01:32.187-08:00Loren Cordain -- the "founder of the Paleo Di...Loren Cordain -- the "founder of the Paleo Diet" -- bases his dietary recommendations on evidence that includes:<br /><br />Kuipers, R. S., Luxwolda, M. F., Dijck-Brouwer, D. A. J., Eaton, S. B., Crawford, M. A., Cordain, L., et al. (2010). Estimated macronutrient and fatty acid intakes from an East African Paleolithic diet. British Journal of Nutrition, 104(11), 1666-1687. <br /><br />Cordain, L., Miller, J. B., Eaton, S. B., Mann, N., Holt, S. H. A., & Speth, J. D. (2000). Plant-animal subsistence ratios and macronutrient energy estimations in worldwide hunter-gatherer diets. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 71(3), 682-692.<br /><br />People might disagree with Cordain et al, but it's a little unfair to pretend that there is no evidence at all.Oliver Scott Curryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12408278265152439643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995754777906978314.post-20153028622221751052013-02-24T22:57:48.594-08:002013-02-24T22:57:48.594-08:00I fail to understand the merits of dealing with ca...I fail to understand the merits of dealing with calories one way or another as it concerns public health. It just distracts us from dealing with the real possible problems like over-consumption of gluten, fructose and pufa or the under-consumption of fiber and animal fat. With proper nutrition there is no biological/evolutionary reason why we would consume one extra calorie and with improper nutrition no amount of calorie-counting will save us. Mikihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01336665212024168702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995754777906978314.post-64637891889520872512013-02-24T21:32:19.346-08:002013-02-24T21:32:19.346-08:00I have immense respect for the experts who partici...I have immense respect for the experts who participated in the meeting and have read most of there relevant work and have written a paper of my own on the subject. The opposition to the "there were many Paleo diets" statements is summarised in a blog post. (http://www.paleostyle.com/?p=2109. Here I would just like to express my amazement that the cooking hypothesis is still alive. In short - the hypothesis relates to early humans 2 million years ago (MYA). Usually fires in archaeology are situated next to smashed bones and stone tools. They are there at the sites 2 MYA but there is no sign of fire. One site 0.78 MYA do show carbonized residue but alas there is a lava flow that cross the site right smack in the middle. Genetics, in my opinion, should have provide the final blow to the cooking hypothesis. The findings (detailed in my post) that adaptation to significant starch consumption is much more recent than 2 MYA. For science to be efficient it has to take advantage of the fact that you can easily falsify a hypothesis with just one show of inconsistency. Unfortunately the cooking hypothesis seems to be immunized from the due process of science, for the time being anyway.Mikihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01336665212024168702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995754777906978314.post-90972369625552974982013-02-21T08:33:56.633-08:002013-02-21T08:33:56.633-08:00It comes with great interest that Dr Sievepiper re...It comes with great interest that Dr Sievepiper received a LOT of money travel expenses etc from Coca Cola company. Oh yeah xpung you beat me to that. Whenever i see someone extolling the virtues of sugar or saying that is not that bad for us I go and check theie alliances and so far 100% of times they receive payments from interested parties....I agree with the hypercaloric argument of sugar consumption but this is the point made by Yudkin and prof Lustig. We do eat more because sugar and fructose in particular make us do so and then we put on weight! A food that makes you eat more than you need, that disrupts your internal energy balance CANNOT be good for you.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07730791390249737926noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995754777906978314.post-62824202569822514242013-02-20T14:03:34.228-08:002013-02-20T14:03:34.228-08:00Thanks for the comments, everyone.
Dr. Haub make...Thanks for the comments, everyone. <br /><br />Dr. Haub makes an excellent point about micronutrients becoming more bioavailable. We often hear that "raw foods have more micronutrients" and that processing/cooking removes them to a degree. However, beta-carotene is an excellent example of how micronutrients can be more bioavailable with processing. There are also other examples such as folic acid (in cereals/pasta) and lycopene (in tomatoes) that become more bioavailable when processed or used to fortify processed foods. daviddespain.secrethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13271527839470084409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995754777906978314.post-65014534736847793042013-02-20T08:43:01.633-08:002013-02-20T08:43:01.633-08:00Let's not forget that processing tends to make...Let's not forget that processing tends to make ALL nutrients (micro and macro) more bioavailable. Thus, the desire to minimize processing may negatively impact availability of other essential nutrients (iron, vitamins, etc). Here is an example:<br /><br />http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9567003<br />Mark Haub, PhDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15822873174512724284noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995754777906978314.post-42309245461099050022013-02-20T04:49:04.292-08:002013-02-20T04:49:04.292-08:00Great article, makes perfect sense in the same way...Great article, makes perfect sense in the same way as cooking or processing a food changes its Gi value and affect on blood sugar and insulin response. Its naive to expect that the body handles different foods with different nutrient contents in the same way - the fact that there's complex biochemical processes at work in our body mean that the reactions will differ depending on what the inputs to it are. That just simple Science 101.Brian MacNamarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01984069332750647972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995754777906978314.post-5279986100483160112013-02-20T04:39:37.318-08:002013-02-20T04:39:37.318-08:00Well done David! I hope your "max kcal" ...Well done David! I hope your "max kcal" concept sticks.Mark Haub, PhDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15822873174512724284noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995754777906978314.post-26866786656157092152013-02-20T04:39:21.434-08:002013-02-20T04:39:21.434-08:00Well done David! I hope your "max kcal" ...Well done David! I hope your "max kcal" concept sticks.Mark Haub, PhDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15822873174512724284noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995754777906978314.post-31178339539500137162013-02-19T20:16:58.896-08:002013-02-19T20:16:58.896-08:00Excellent post! Especially liked the hot snake and...Excellent post! Especially liked the hot snake and McDs -- so much info to process. Thanks!Jeanninehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15993195224327501364noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995754777906978314.post-8861215011545109462013-02-19T18:18:31.921-08:002013-02-19T18:18:31.921-08:00What a great dissection of this issue. Thanks very...What a great dissection of this issue. Thanks very much. I saw the meeting tweets and was very curious about what the details were.Mary Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11690284205118746208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995754777906978314.post-35250545806281728882013-02-19T17:57:46.363-08:002013-02-19T17:57:46.363-08:00That's a very good discussion of the calorie i...That's a very good discussion of the calorie issue.<br />Depending on your health needs you might not want to cheat yourself of nutrients by eating raw. It won't always be better, though it may help weight loss IF you're already nourished.<br />Barry Groves has stated, in Trick and Treat, that the true caloric value of triglycerides depends on their chain length, because glycerol has the lower value of a carbohydrate. The longer the fatty acids in a triglyceride, the lower the proportion of glycerol. Thus, say, coconut oil MCTs will have significantly fewer calories per gram than very long chain fish oil triglycerides.Puddleghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00953398103675945541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995754777906978314.post-7092179278780032832013-02-13T01:49:37.597-08:002013-02-13T01:49:37.597-08:00Thanks for this post.
One of the problems with th...Thanks for this post.<br /><br />One of the problems with the Paleo diet is they anchor themselves to historical studies on Inuits and the aboriginal people of the world. Also, the name itself lends itself to confusion since people who follow the diet think they need to replicate the paleolithic diet as closely as they can. This is due to the lack of critical thinking among most people. The founders behind the diet never meant for it to be taken literally. However, a lot of people do.<br /><br />This is where I think using the label Low Carb High Fat (LCHF) is a more friendly term for the public to understand. Plus, it is easier for people to connect with since it is the diet many North Americans had up until 1970s or 1980s. So, it seems pointless to defend the advocates of the Paleo diet when the followers make horrible arguments for it which cause academics to be skeptical of it.<br /><br />I know many LCHF Europeans who look at advocates of the paleo diet like if they are crazy, but in reality there is very little difference between LCHF and Paleo. The difference is how the followers present their cases.souggyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13783332076848171594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995754777906978314.post-68996822534937522132013-02-12T11:54:26.386-08:002013-02-12T11:54:26.386-08:00Erik,
Thanks for your comment. In fact, I believ...Erik, <br /><br />Thanks for your comment. In fact, I believe we'll learn more about Wrangham's research in the near future. The word is he'll be presenting at AAAS in Boston more officially next Monday, which I'll be attending. So, perhaps it'll be the subject of one of my next posts. <br /><br />Your comment about dietary fats is interesting. It makes sense to me intuitively that early humans placed a high value on fats. I agree that more emphasis should be placed on the role of dietary fats in health (we shouldn't lump them altogether like we do on nutrition facts panels!), although I'm not so quick to dismiss the epidemiology. <br /><br />The nitrogen isotope flaws are highly surprising as Schoeninger relates. It should really no longer be used as a "cornerstone" for making the argument that early hominins were top predators. <br /><br />Daviddaviddespain.secrethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13271527839470084409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995754777906978314.post-85131164401019016162013-02-12T10:53:44.176-08:002013-02-12T10:53:44.176-08:00I'm curious to learn more about the new data W...I'm curious to learn more about the new data Wrangham presented and if it represents a departure from his previous extrapolations of observations on nonhuman apes. The role of cooking in hominid evolution suggested by "Catching Fire" was less than soundly supported, but I'm open to the idea that that doesn't mean it was wrong. There's just so little clear evidence either way at present.<br /><br />It does sound like there's still a hangup about discussing changes in fat intake except as relates to elevating calorie intake (though I haven't watched the videoa yet); innovations such as cracking bones for marrow and brains and the existence of much organ-cavity fat on pleicostene megafauna strike me as some rather serious factors to ignore. Reading in 1930's and earlier texts recently I have been struck by (even with my pro-fat bias) the reverence for fat as a source of nourishment that existed prior to the emergence of our present mess of epidemiology.<br /><br />The note on isotope analysis is interesting, as those have been a cornerstone of extremist-carnivore diet regimens. The mentioned question of return investment certainly suggests that our ancestors (varied as they were) certainly wouldn't turn down available plant foods just because game was abundant, whether they were the most effective predators around or not.<br /><br />It's nice that nutritionists are coming around to the therapeutic potentials of higher-protein diets in one way or another, but I'm more looking forward to the reopening of some serious discussion of fats. As long as many "health-conscious) are feeling fine about a lean tenderloin marinaded in canola but guilty about a well-marbled ribeye with a dry rub, something is off. Not that genuine research into the evolution of hominin diets can really tell us that much about it; other present-examining medical sciences are better equipped to provide that information, though the myriad exonerations of saturates etc. have yet to be well represented in the mainstream cultural awareness.Erikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09965863238694382738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995754777906978314.post-46358472184633149152013-02-12T06:05:35.018-08:002013-02-12T06:05:35.018-08:00Happy Darwin Day to you too, Tuck. To be clear, ...Happy Darwin Day to you too, Tuck. To be clear, these scientists weren't criticizing Paleo-minded folks' diets based on nutritional grounds only the premise that it was based on actual diets of the Pleistocene. It was a question of, "Where's the evidence that it?" <br /><br />But now that you've brought it up: According to Loren Cordain, who many consider as the "founder of the Paleo Diet" and is a professor of health and exercise science at Colorado State, the diet is described as one higher in protein and lower in carbohydrates, where 19 to 35 percent of calories come from of dietary "staples" like grass-fed meats and seafood, and 35 to 45 percent of calories come from non-starchy fruits and vegetables. On the list of foods to avoid completely are cereal grains, legumes, dairy, potatoes, and processed foods. <br /><br />Dietary restrictions aside, nutritionist KJ Acheson has suggested that the energy distribution of the Paleo Diet, as outlined by Cordain, may actually be one to consider because of its possible benefits to body weight and cardiovascular health. Acheson authored a review paper last November in which he discusses that the weight loss people achieve on the Paleo diet may largely be because of its macronutrient composition providing a distribution of energy in the order of around 30 percent from protein, 35 percent from carbohydrates, and 35 percent from fats. <br /><br /> Protein offers some significant satiety. Acheson writes that for every 1 percent increase in protein intake, replacing fat or carbs, observed decreases of energy intake range from 32 to 51 calories. He also writes that the animal protein may stimulate greater energy expenditure slightly but significantly more than vegetable proteins. In addition, the higher protein percent can be valuable because of its support to muscle maintenance over time. Doesn't sound too bad! <br /><br />In general, more and more nutritionists are starting to come around to the idea of higher protein diets as easier ways to reduce consumption of total calories, better control blood sugar, and guard against age-related muscle loss. Just know that any such diet may or may not have any bearing to actually paleolithic ones recognized by any of our ancestors.daviddespain.secrethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13271527839470084409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995754777906978314.post-61469517657348122992013-02-12T03:55:23.343-08:002013-02-12T03:55:23.343-08:00"The fact is, there was never one Paleo Diet;..."The fact is, there was never one Paleo Diet; it's more likely there were hundreds of them and that they were continually changing and broadening over evolutionary time."<br /><br />Advocates of the Paleo diet are perfectly well aware of this fact. These "experts" are criticizing something they clearly don't understand well.<br /><br />The point of the paleo diet is not that you should eat mammoth at the barbeque, but that you should not be eating foods like refined sugars, grains, and seed oils that were not a large part of our diet in the paleolithic.<br /><br />Removing those items from your diet can have pretty revolutionary effects on health, as both the anecdotal and scientific evidence shows clearly. It can reverse many of the "diseases of civilization", which should really be the point of a discussion about the Paleo diet.Tucker Goodrichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09455436946187786398noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995754777906978314.post-2474525809371863352013-02-01T17:34:06.178-08:002013-02-01T17:34:06.178-08:00Thank you. Very timely discussion.
Lustig's d...Thank you. Very timely discussion.<br />Lustig's dismissal of exercise as important in weight control is counterintuitive and in conflict with population studies and everyday experience, but the calories burned during exercise are indeed fairly minimal. Can David or someone summarise the metabolic reasons why exercise is indeed important to prevent and treat weight gain? <br />Lustig also does not believe that Calories consumed should balance Calories burned. This is contrary to both the laws of thermodynamics and nearly all known metabolic and nutritional knowledge, yet he offers little evidence to support his extraordinary but appealing view.<br />I hope Australian journalists find your blogs before Lustig's book is released here.<br />(I have no conflicts of interest to declare) myocytehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04870128766983723129noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995754777906978314.post-5865167387054149522013-01-27T12:39:10.363-08:002013-01-27T12:39:10.363-08:00David
I always enjoy your posts. As an exercise p...David<br /><br />I always enjoy your posts. As an exercise physiologist, I love this one. Trying to get people to understand how many calories we don't burn due to our sedentary lifestyle is difficult. Great example. I think intermittent fasting also mimics the way we evolved. <br /><br />Thanks again.<br /><br />ChetAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10745118415736408948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995754777906978314.post-60798494677543700902013-01-27T09:40:00.656-08:002013-01-27T09:40:00.656-08:00Teech,
No, I hadn't read about the "cer...Teech, <br /><br />No, I hadn't read about the "cereal grains" element of the story. Although I knew of examples such as the Inuit, who have maintained the melanin in their skin because of their diet rich in marine foods. <br /><br />Thanks for your comment, <br />Daviddaviddespain.secrethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13271527839470084409noreply@blogger.com