Antibiotics may help make you fat, studies show

Could antibiotics make you fat?

Two studies this week suggest that using antibiotics may save people’s lives, but could also change their metabolisms. Put together, the studies suggest that taking antibiotics might alter digestion to help people absorb calories from food they normally would be unable to digest.

Every human carries pounds of microorganisms that we couldn’t live without. They break down food and extract nutrients like Vitamin K for us. Antibiotics will kill some of these beneficial organisms, which is why so many doctors now tell patients to eat yogurt after taking a course of the drugs, to replace some of the good guys.

“There is emerging evidence suggesting the importance of the microbes in our intestines and their role in absorbing food,” said Dr. Leonardo Trasande of New York University, who led one of the studies.

Read more: http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/22/13399483-antibiotics-may-help-make-you-fat-studies-show?lite

Study: Not all calories are created equal

Research shows only one out of six overweight people can maintain even 10 percent of any weight loss over the long term. Now a new study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, has found a possible explanation: all calories are not created equal.

After losing about 30 pounds weight, 21 young adult participants were put on three different diets to see how they affected metabolism: low fat, low carb and low glycemic index. While on the low fat diet, people burned fewer calories, making it harder to keep off weight. People on the low carb diet burned the most calories, but had increased risk of heart disease, while the low glycemic diet offered medium calorie burning, with little risk of negative effects. Researchers say diets that reduce a blood sugar surge after a meal, either low glycemic or low carb, may be preferable to low fat for those trying to achieve lasting weight loss. Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505269_162-57461579/study-not-all-calories-are-created-equal/

Video

New Scientific Review of Low Carb Diets

All important risk factors for heart disease improves! Read more at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22905670

Systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials of the effects of low carbohydrate diets on cardiovascular risk factors.

SOURCE

Centro Hospitalar Vila Nova Gaia/Espinho, Gaia, Portugal Centro Hospitalar do Porto, Porto, Portugal Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal Veteran Affairs Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.

ABSTRACT

A systematic review and meta-analysis were carried out to study the effects of low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) on weight loss and cardiovascular risk factors (search performed on PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Scopus databases). A total of 23 reports, corresponding to 17 clinical investigations, were identified as meeting the pre-specified criteria. Meta-analysis carried out on data obtained in 1,141 obese patients, showed the LCD to be associated with significant decreases in body weight (-7.04 kg [95% CI -7.20/-6.88]), body mass index (-2.09 kg m(-2) [95% CI -2.15/-2.04]), abdominal circumference (-5.74 cm [95% CI -6.07/-5.41]), systolic blood pressure (-4.81 mm Hg [95% CI -5.33/-4.29]), diastolic blood pressure (-3.10 mm Hg [95% CI -3.45/-2.74]), plasma triglycerides (-29.71 mg dL(-1) [95% CI -31.99/-27.44]), fasting plasma glucose (-1.05 mg dL(-1) [95% CI -1.67/-0.44]), glycated haemoglobin (-0.21% [95% CI -0.24/-0.18]), plasma insulin (-2.24 micro IU mL(-1) [95% CI -2.65/-1.82]) and plasma C-reactive protein, as well as an increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (1.73 mg dL(-1) [95%CI 1.44/2.01]). Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and creatinine did not change significantly, whereas limited data exist concerning plasma uric acid. LCD was shown to have favourable effects on body weight and major cardiovascular risk factors; however the effects on long-term health are unknown.

Read more at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22905670

Modifying Paleo for Autoimmune Conditions (i.e., The Autoimmune Protocol)

Autoimmune conditions and a leaky gut go hand in hand.  In fact, in every autoimmune condition that has been tested, a leaky gut is present and is a contributing factor to the illness (not all autoimmune conditions have been tested, but many in the paleo community assume that leaky gut is a factor in all autoimmune conditions).  For individuals with suspected or diagnosed autoimmune disease, additional dietary guidelines exist to help address the disease.  In many cases, autoimmune conditions can be put into full remission by following these guidelines.  There is some variability to these guidelines depending on who you ask, so I have reviewed them and compiled a comprehensive list of not only dietary restrictions but also food recommendations using information from The Paleo Solution, The Paleo Answer, and various podcast and YouTube interviews with Robb Wolf, Prof. Mat Lalonde and Dr. Terry Wahls (author of Food As Medicine and Minding My Mitochondria ).  These are all great sources for more information.

Read more: http://www.thepaleomom.com/2012/05/modifying-paleo-for-autoimmune.html

 

 

Dr. William Davis – The Dangers of Wheat April 29, 2012

Henrik Palmgren interviews Dr. William Davis, cardiologist and seeker-of-truth in health – “exposing “healthy whole grains” for the incredibly destructive genetic monsters they’ve become….”
He explains how modern wheat is an opiate and appetite stimulant. Dr. Davis also breaks down the internal components of wheat and how they interact with the body in negative ways linked to a slew of health problems. He also explains the great lie of gluten free bread.  For more details, find his new book: NY Times Bestseller- Dr. William Davis: ‘Wheat Belly’ or visit his Wheat Belly Blog.

The Leangains Guide: Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting and Leangains

How does Leangains differentiate itself from some other intermittent fasting based diets? Here’s a brief primer.

The basics

In-depth coverage of my approach, and the benefits of intermittent fasting, can be read about here.

A much shorter summary can be found here.

Fasting and feeding

My general position on the fasted phase is that it should last through the night and during the morning hours. Ideally the fast should then be broken at noon or shortly thereafter if you arise at 6-7 AM like most people. Afternoons and evenings are usually spent in the fed state.

However, the fast could also also be broken later in the day depending on your personal preferences and daily routine. I personally tend to break the fast as late as 4-6 PM since I work well into the night and rise later than most people with normal jobs.

The recommendation for fasting through the earlier part of the day, as opposed to the latter part of the day, is for behavioral and social reasons. Most people simply find it easier to fast after awakening and prefer going to bed satiated. Afternoons and evenings are times to unwind and eat. For adherence reasons during dieting, I’ve also found that placing the feeding phase later in the day is ideal for most people.

The protocols

I work with four different protocols depending on when my clients train. Depending on setup, one, two, or three meals are eaten in the post-workout period.

Read more: http://www.leangains.com/2010/04/leangains-guide.html

 

 

Ready, Set, Fast: How Strategic Meal-Skipping Can Help You Lose Fat, Gain Muscle, and Get Healthier

Editor’s note: This is a guest post by John Berardi, PhD.

When we were kids, Mom was always looking out for our health. Chew your food. Eat your vegetables. And always eat breakfast because it’s the most important meal of the day.

As busy grown-ups, a good breakfast often falls victim to the time crunch. Who has time to cook and eat a breakfast of champions? It’s so much faster and more convenient to just grab a coffee and a bran muffin.

Of course, deep down we know it’s not right. Not only would Mom disapprove, that pudgy physique in the mirror deserves better, too.

So what’s a guy to do?  Get up earlier and make it happen, right?  Perhaps not.

Lately, some really fit guys–men with muscles, visible veins, and abs so sharp you can grate carrots on them–are doing something a whole lot different. They’re not eating breakfast.  Healthy or otherwise. In fact, they’re not eating at all for extended stretches. And they’re getting leaner, more muscular, even healthier.

This practice is called Intermittent Fasting–IF for short–and it’s challenging everything nutritionists, dieticians, and your Mom ever told you about healthy eating.

Read more: http://artofmanliness.com/2012/01/25/intermittent-fasting/

 

LDL Cholesterol Calculator

For those of us on a low carbohydrate lifestyle – the “Iranian” formula used above can perhaps give a better “estimation” of LDL when our Triglycerides are nice and low. However the Iranian study was made with people with elevated cholesterol. Hopefully one day, a study may be done with “healthy” people (and thus develop a more accurate formula)! 

Here’s the calculator: http://homepages.slingshot.co.nz/~geoff36/LDL_mg.htm

The formulas:

Friedewald (1972) Formula: LDL = TC – HDL – TG/5.0 (mg/dL) Reference.

“Iranian” (2008) Formula:    LDL = TC/1.19 + TG/1.9 – HDL/1.1 – 38 (mg/dL) Reference.

 

 

The straight dope on cholesterol – Part I

I’ve been planning to write at length about this topic for a few months, but I’ve been hesitant to do so for several reasons:

  1. To discuss it properly requires great care and attention (mine and yours, respectively).
  2. My own education on this topic only really began about 9 months ago, and I’m still learning from my mentors at a geometric pace.
  3. This topic can’t be covered in one post, even a Peter-Attia-who-can’t-seem-to-say-anything-under-2,000-word post.
  4. I feel a bit like an imposter writing about lipidology because my mentors on this topic (below) have already addressed this topic so well, I’m not sure I have anything to add.

But here’s the thing.  I am absolutely – perhaps pathologically – obsessed with lipidology, the science and study of lipids.  Furthermore, I’m getting countless questions from you on this topic.  Hence, despite my reservations above, I’m going to give this a shot.

Read more: http://eatingacademy.com/nutrition/the-straight-dope-on-cholesterol-part-i

 

Related Posts

 

Dear Mark: Primal Compromises for Athletes

I’ve been getting a slew of emails lately from marathon runners and other endurance athletes among our group, many in response to our 30-Day Primal Health Challenge. Questions have run the gamut but generally get at how to combine endurance training and Primal Blueprint methodology:

How do I combine a low carb diet with marathon training? (Hint: you generally can’t)

What would you recommend for carb refueling post-race?

Can I even do the PB challenge if I have to adapt the diet for training purposes?

The Cholesterol Myths

Click on the blue arrows if you want references to the scientific literature

 1  Cholesterol is not a deadly poison, but a substance vital to the cells of all mammals. There are no such things as good or bad cholesterol, but mental stress, physical activity and change of body weight may influence the level of blood cholesterol. A high cholesterol is not dangerous by itself, but may reflect an unhealthy condition, or it may be totally innocent.

 2  A high blood cholesterol is said to promote atherosclerosis and thus also coronary heart disease. But many studies have shown that people whose blood cholesterol is low become just as atherosclerotic as people whose cholesterol is high.

 3  Your body produces three to four times more cholesterol than you eat. The production of cholesterol increases when you eat little cholesterol and decreases when you eat much. This explains why the ”prudent” diet cannot lower cholesterol more than on average a few per cent.

 4  There is no evidence that too much animal fat and cholesterol in the diet promotes atherosclerosis or heart attacks. For instance, more than twenty studies have shown that people who have had a heart attack haven’t eaten more fat of any kind than other people, and degree of atherosclerosis at autopsy is unrelated with the diet.

 5 The only effective way to lower cholesterol is with drugs, but neither heart mortality or total mortality have been improved with drugs the effect of which is cholesterol-lowering only. On the contrary, these drugs are dangerous to your health and may shorten your life.

 6  The new cholesterol-lowering drugs, the statins, do prevent cardio-vascular disease, but this is due to other mechanisms than cholesterol-lowering. Unfortunately, they also stimulate cancer in rodents, disturb the functions of the muscles, the heart and the brain and pregnant women taking statins may give birth to children with malformations more severe than those seen after thalidomide.

 7  Many of these facts have been presented in scientific journals and books for decades but are rarely told to the public by the proponents of the diet-heart idea. 

 8  The reason why laymen, doctors and most scientists have been misled is because opposing and disagreeing results are systematically ignored or misquoted in the scientific press.  

 9 The Benefits Of High Cholesterol

Troubleshooting High Cholesterol on the Paleo Diet

Even although high cholesterol isn’t necessarily a bad thing, why might someone have high cholesterol on a Paleo type diet?
As I concluded in the previous post, the HDL: triglyceride ratio is more predictive of heart disease and is actually relevant to the underlying biological process.
It would make sense when considering risk factors for heart disease for them to be relevant.  Currently total cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C, HDL-C:LDL-C and triglycerides are used, with much emphasis on total cholesterol.
Total cholesterol isn’t an important risk factor, because it’s intended to be a negative measurement based on the sum of other measurements some are considered good, neutral and bad, nor is it based on the actual process of atherosclerosis (it’s possible that an increase in HDL-C, a good thing, puts one over the threshold for high cholesterol and then the doctor prescribes a statin).  HDL-C:LDL-C is closer.  Pretty much all disease (including atherosclerosis) is based on the damage: repair ratio.  It assumes HDL-C is repair and LDL-C is damage.  Although not all LDL-C will do damage, only the pattern B LDL does, pattern A LDL is neutral.  Unfortunately many blood tests don’t differentiate between the different types of LDL.  Triglycerides and carbohydrates as a percentage of total calories can be used to predict the amount of pattern B LDL.  Since triglycerides predicts something that damages it could be used in the damage side of the ratio, making the ideal risk factor the HDL: triglyceride ratio.

Grains Rob Your Brain Power – Avoid It for Clearer Thinking

Grains should represent a small part of your diet, regardless of your age. I personally seek to avoid most grains, except rice.

But if you’re going to eat some grain-based foods, how much is too much?

This debate heated up earlier this year when two nutritional experts, Dr. Paul Jaminet and Dr. Ron Rosedale, engaged in a debate over how many starches are too many.

Dr. Rosedale believes there is no such thing as a “safe starch” and that all starchy carbohydrates should be avoided, which of course includes all grains.

Dr. Jaminet, on the other hand, is a little more forgiving of some of the “safer starches,” such as potatoes and rice. He believes some people need a small amount of these in their diets.

This is an interesting debate.

It’s well thought out and well articulated, but quite lengthy.

If you have time, I do recommended you reading through all of it to see the nuances of their contrasting views.

Read more at: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/01/23/wheat-or-rice-as-safe-starch.aspx

How to Interpret Advanced Cholesterol Test Results

After last week’s post on interpreting traditional lipid tests, I promised a follow-up post on interpreting the advanced VAP and NMR Lipoprofile tests that provide measurements of particle size and all the various sub-fractions of HDL and LDL particles. I even hinted that it might be worth bypassing the traditional test entirely and going straight to the advanced stuff if you were going to get your cholesterol measured anyway, because of the greater accuracy and more detailed picture of your lipids the VAP and NMR tests provide.

Low Carb High Fat for Beginners

Do you want to eat real food (as much as you like) and improve your health and weight? It may sound too good to be true, but LCHF (Low Carb, High Fat) is a method that has been used for 150 years. Now, modern science backs it up with proof that it works.

There is no weighing your food, no counting, no bizarre “meal replacements,” no pills. There is just real food and common sense. And all the advice here is 100 percent free.

Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Dietary advice
  3. Theory
  4. Tips and Recipes
  5. Cookbooks and more
  6. Frequently asked questions

Introduction

A LCHF diet means you eat less carbohydrates and a higher proportion of fat. Most importantly you minimize your intake of sugar and starches. You can eat other delicious foods until you are satisfied – and still lose weight.

A number of recent high-quality scientific studies shows that LCHF makes it easier both to lose weight and to control your blood sugar. And that’s just the beginning.

The basics

  • Eat: meat, fish, eggs, vegetables growing above ground and natural fats (like butter).
  • Avoid: sugar and starchy foods (like bread, pasta, rice and potatoes).

Eat when you’re hungry until you are satisfied. It’s that simple. You do not need to count calories or weigh your food. And just forget about industrially produced low fat products.

Real food. Add some good fat (like butter).

There are good scientific reasons why LCHF works. When you avoid sugar and starches your blood sugar stabilizes and the levels of the fat storing hormone insulin drops. This increases your fat burning and make you feel more satiated.

Note for diabetics

  • Avoiding the carbohydrates that raise your blood sugar decreases your need for medication to lower it. Taking the same dose of insulin as before might result in hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). You will need to test your blood sugar frequently in the beginning and adapt (lower) your medication. This should ideally be done with the assistance of a knowledgeable physician. If you are healthy or a diabetic treated by diet alone or just with Metformin there is no risk of hypoglycemia.

Dietary advice

Eat all you like

  • Meat: Any type. Beef, pork, game meat, chicken. The fat on the meat is good as well as skin on the chicken. Try to choose organic or grass fed meat if you can.
  • Fish and shellfish: All kinds. Fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel or herring are great. Avoid breading.
  • Eggs: All kinds. Boiled, fried, omelettes. Preferably organic eggs.
  • Natural fat, fat sauces: Using butter and cream when you cook can make your food taste better and make you more satiated. Béarnaise, Hollandaise, read on the packages or make it yourself. Coconut fat and olive oil are also good options.
  • Vegetables growing above ground: All kinds of cabbage, such as cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts. Asparagus, zucchini, eggplant, olives, spinach, mushrooms, cucumber, lettuce, avocado, onions, peppers, tomatoes and more.
  • Dairy products: Always select high fat options. Real butter, cream (40% fat), sour cream, fat cheese. Turkish yogurt. Be careful with regular milk and skim milk as it contains a lot of milk sugar. Avoid flavored, sugary and low fat products.
  • Nuts: Good to eat instead of candy in front of the television (preferably in moderation).
  • Berries: Okay in moderation, if you are not a super strict /-sensitive. Good with whipped cream.

Maximum 5 grams of carbohydrate (excluding fiber) per 100 g of food is a basic tip for beginners.

Avoid if you can

  • Sugar: The worst. Soft drinks, candy, juice, sports drinks, chocolate, cakes, buns, pastries, ice cream, breakfast cereals. Preferably avoid sweeteners as well.
  • Starch: Bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, french fries, potato chips, porridge, muesli and so on. »Wholemeal products” are just less bad. Moderate amounts of root vegetables may be OK if you’re not too strict with the carbohydrates.
  • Margarine: Industrially imitated butter with unnaturally high content of omega-6 fat. Has no health benefits, tastes bad. Statistically linked to asthma, allergies and other inflammatory diseases.
  • Beer: Liquid bread. Full of malt sugar, unfortunately.
  • Fruit: Very sweet, plenty of sugar. Eat once in a while, treat it as a natural form of candy.

Once in a while

You decide when the time is right. Your weight loss may slow down a bit

  • Alcohol: Dry wine (regular red wine or dry white), whisky, brandy, vodka, drinks without sugar.
  • Dark chocolate: Above 70 % cocoa, preferably just a little.

Drink most days

  • Water
  • Coffee: Try it with full fat cream
  • Tea

 

Read more at: http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf

 

How to Eat to Get Pregnant

There are two common reasons why many women fail to get pregnant. Here fertility specialist dr Michael D. Fox, M.D., discusses the first one: PCOS, an ovulation disorder.

PCOS, or “Polycystic Ovary Syndrome”, is very common in people following a western lifestyle. It’s connected to weight issues and may also cause acne and excess facial hair due to the hormonal imbalance.

This disease can be effectively treated by a relatively simple lifestyle change. Here dr Fox discusses the remarkable success seen at his clinic in recent years. Pregnancy rates unheard of with just medication: The vast majority of couples get pregnant with no need for expensive IVF treatment.

If you struggle with your weight and have a hard time getting pregnant then you should watch this video.

 

Low Carb Paleo with Mark Sisson

Here’s a man who wants to improve the health and lives of 10 MILLION people! And he might just succeed.

Mark Sisson runs the wildly popular fitness blog Mark’s Daily Apple, and is the author of a number of books including the bestseller The Primal Blueprint. He’s also one of the leaders behind the growing Paleo movement.

Despite running a small fitness / health empire Mark Sisson also finds the time to stay in a shape that would be the envy of just about anybody half his age. And he seems to enjoy every minute. How is it possible? In this interview he shares his secrets.

Furthermore, as the debate rages whether Paleo is low carb or not, Mark Sisson stays calm and sticks to what works.

 

The Science of Low Carb

Do you want to improve your health and weight by eating real food? After 150 years of on-off popularity, low carb diets are finally getting the scientific support they need to be taken seriously.

Dr Eric C. Westman, MD and president elect of the American Society of Bariatric Physicians (weight loss doctors), has 15 years of experience helping patients lose weight and improve their health using low carb. He has also helped do several high-quality scientific studies on low carb.

Here Eric C. Westman talks about the science and the practicalities of using real low carb food for improving your weight and health.

 

The Paleo Diet Explained

What is the Paleo diet and why should you care? Well, it’s the original human diet and it’s probably still the healthiest way you could eat.

Here the world’s #1 expert, professor Loren Cordain, explains what you need to know and answers common questions. For example: Is Paleo always low carb? What’s wrong with vegan diets? What single dairy product is ok to eat?

 

The Food Revolution – AHS 2011

Do you want to improve your weight and health by eating real food? With no calorie counting, no diet products, no hunger? This talk from Ancestral Health Symposium 2011 shows you how to do it the natural way.

The epidemics of obesity and diabetes are continuing to spread across the western world. Now we know why. Modern science has revealed our mistake.