[1] Why I Blog: A few weeks ago Joan asked my advice for her sister, who has suffered from eczema for over 40 years:
My 59 year old sister has Chronic Fatigue Syndrome…. Since her teens she has had from time to time small scaly patches that resolve with omega-6 supplementation…. At the present time she is taking 2 tablespoons of organic cold-pressed safflower oil 4X a day to control it. If she misses a dose her arms and face rapidly develop eczema which in a short time opens up and oozes.
As it happens, the primary symptom of an omega-6 deficiency is eczema. We discuss this in the book on p 55:
In humans, the main symptom of an omega-6 deficiency is a dry scaly skin rash. In the 1940s and 1950s, it was common to feed infants a fat-free milk formula – skim milk with sugar. After some months, these infants developed eczema which could be cured by providing lard, which is about 10% PUFA.
Why was she becoming omega-6 deficient despite eating 8 tbsp (120 ml) a day of safflower oil? If omega-6 is deficient the body won’t consume it for energy. But omega-6 (and omega-3) fats are also destroyed by oxidation; our book discusses this on pp 65-67. Controlled oxidation of the longer 20-carbon omega-6 fatty acids to eicosanoids is exploited by the body as a signal of infections and stimulant of immune activity. Uncontrolled oxidation turns omega-6 fats into dangerous aldehydes.
To destroy 100 ml of safflower oil per day requires a huge level of oxidative stress. It indicates some sort of infection, and a severe deficiency of antioxidants. So I advised supplementation with zinc, copper, selenium, vitamin C, vitamin E and glutathione, as well as vitamins D, A, and K2 which help fight infections.
This week Joan gave us an update:
Hi Paul,
You will remember 12 days ago I asked you about my sister who has CFS and was taking 100 mls a day of safflower oil to keep eczema under control….
Your advice was spot on and the results have been miraculous. She started supplementation with zinc, copper, selenium, vitamins C, E, D and K and NAC. Within 24 hours her eczema was much improved and she began reducing the safflower oil. Now 10 days later she is down to 10 mls of safflower oil and is confident she can discontinue it completely in a few days. Her eczema has completely cleared and her skin is looking good.
Not only that, but some of her CFS symptoms have improved. Her constant headache is not as severe, irregular heartbeat episodes have almost completely stopped and she is tolerating slightly more physical activity. Needless to say she is absolutely delighted and wants me to pass on her deepest gratitude to you. Her words are, “It’s a miracle”. Once again Proverbs 13:12 springs to mind. “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” Her sense of despair and resignation has gone and you have given her hope of a better future. Words seem inadequate to express thanks for that.
Congratulations, Joan’s sister! And thank you, Joan, for passing on your sister’s results. It made my day. And that’s why we blog – to try to develop and share knowledge of dietary and nutritional healing methods that, without our work, would be overlooked, leaving people to suffer needlessly.
[2] Vigilance is the Price of Liberty: Steve Cooksey, Diabetes Warrior, is being threatened by the North Carolina Board of Dietitians for giving dietary advice without a license. His crimes can be seen on this notice from the official investigation review:
If people are writing you with diabetic specific questions and you are responding you are no longer just providing information – you are counseling – you need a license to provide this service.
Here you are giving this person advice based on what she has said to you…. Counseling/advising requires a license.
You guided her (for her friend) to your meal plan – indirectly you conducted an assessment and provided advice/nutritional counseling.
The director of the Board of Dietitians consoled him: “even IF convicted, it would only be a misdemeanor.” Steve is looking for an attorney.
Of course, laws like this would make it illegal for me to respond to questions too. “Miracles” like that of Joan’s sister would be outlawed, in the hope that a few politically connected dietitians might make a few more dollars.
And it doesn’t end with licensing. The licensees get subject to standards of practice and have to conform or risk loss of their livelihood. Their ability to innovate is stifled; in time bureaucraticized medicine can sap even their will or ability to serve patients.
All of us should be outraged at these corrupt attempts to deprive us of freedom of speech, and of freedom to enter a profession as entrepreneurs with innovative approaches.
[3] Music to Read By: Rhapsody in Blue, played by piano and tap shoes:
[4] Interesting Items this Week:
Friend of the blog Allan Balliett is up and running with his Biodynamics Now podcast at www.bdnow.org. He’s kicked off the podcast with two star guests: Joel Salatin, self-described “Christian-libertarian-environmentalist-capitalist-lunatic-Farmer,” and Sally Fallon Morell, leader of the Weston A Price Foundation. An interview with Dr Thomas Cowan, author of The Fourfold Path to Healing and a Weston Price Foundation affiliated doctor, is coming up soon; visit Allan’s blog to leave questions for Dr Cowan.
Via Allan’s interview, I learned that Sally Fallon has fulfilled a dream. She owns a farm and is making cheeses.
We were very happy to see our diet mentioned in the Sunday, Jan 22, 2012 US Wellness Meats newsletter. GrasslandBeef.com, of course, is a great source of PHD-compatible food.
Chris Kresser has a new podcast: Why It’s So Hard To Lose Weight – And Keep It Off.
Prof Dr Andro compares BPA, soy, and corn oil: which is the best endocrine disruptor?
Via Russ Farris, a new paper suggests that high levels of vitamin D increase inflammation and raise CRP.
Dan’s Plan credits bacon with saving the life of a 4 year old boy.
Chris Masterjohn says zinc defends against AGE production, and that vitamins A and D protect against autoimmune disease.
Michael Ellsberg explains how he overcame bipolar disorder.
Gary Taubes has an update. His colleague Peter Attia is blogging at “The War on Insulin” and they are starting an “insurgency” to wage this war. Meanwhile, a medical student at Virginia Commonwealth, Larry Istrail, has started the Ancestral Weight Loss Registry.
Seth Roberts defends personal science.
It pays to have a good marriage: an 85-year-old woman beat off a moose attack on her 82-year-old husband.
Future Pundit gives us an interesting fact about autism: the twin with the smaller birth weight is more likely to become autistic.
Iodide heart scans confirm that it’s risky to suddenly increase iodine intake: people who take a high dose of iodine for imaging studies are more likely to develop thyroid disease in subsequent years. Iodine is good for us, but protect your thyroid by starting low, combining it with selenium, and increasing the dose very slowly.
A testimonial at robbwolf.com: Paleo works better than immune suppression for ulcerative colitis.
Homeopathy for nematodes? Drinking 0.01 proof alcohol is sufficient to extend the lifespan of worms.
A mystery illness is afflicting upstate New York teens. Video at the link. Erin Brockovich is involved.
Jamie Scott continues his series on the adipogenic nature of omega-6 fats.
Emily Deans reports that Lactobacillus rhamnosus knows how to control our mood.
CarbSane reports that saturated fat is more likely than polyunsaturated fat to induce gestational diabetes.
Stephan Guyenet adds a nail to the coffin of the insulin-obesity hypothesis, but Peter Dobromylskyj pulls one out: he shows that adipose tissue needs insulin receptors if hypothalamic damage is to be obesogenic in mice.
Via Shari Bambino on Facebook, it seems you can’t trust cheap supermarket olive oil. Much of it is soybean oil mixed with low-grade olive-pomace oil.
Mat Lalonde critiques evolutionary arguments for Paleo, but some of his counter-arguments are just as flawed as the views he criticizes.
Steve Phinney and Rick Johnson discuss ketogenic diets.
[5] Cute animal:
Via naked capitalism.
[6] Dr Mercola finds our dietary advice helpful: The “safe starches” debate is still making converts:
After trying both approaches, my experience suggests that Dr. Jaminet’s position is more clinically relevant….
When I eliminated all my grains and starchy vegetables, I actually experienced some negative effects. My energy levels declined considerably, and my cholesterol, which is normally about 150, rose to over 200. It appears I was suffering a glucose deficiency and this can trigger lipoprotein abnormalities. It also seemed to worsen my kidney function. So, while carbohydrate restriction is a miracle move for most people, like most good things in life, you can overdo it.
This information really underscores how important glucose is as a nutrient, and some people can’t manufacture glucose from protein as well as others, so they need SOME starches in their diet or else they will suffer from metabolic stress….
My experience now shows me that I need to have some source of non-vegetable carbs. I still seek to avoid nearly all grains, except for rice and potatoes. I typically limit my total carbohydrate calories to about 25 percent of total daily intake, and my protein to about 15 percent, with the additional 60 percent coming from healthful fats like butter, egg yolks, avocados, coconut oil, nuts and animal fat.
However, that is what works for me. You must listen to YOUR body and perform your own experiment. The bottom line is how your body responds, and you’re the ONLY one who can determine that.
On Facebook, A.b. Dada noted health improvements when adding rice and potatoes to a too-low-carb diet:
I added back white potatoes and even white rice based on Dr. Harris’ advice and definitely feel better (less orthostatic hypotension) — plus I’m actually slimmer than I’ve ever been, yet my muscles are much stronger.
Low carb for 12 years before this year!
There were a lot of nice comments on the “Is It Good to Eat Sugar?” post, including good ones from ET and Jim Jozwiak that I’ll probably discuss this coming week.
[7] More cute animals: From the BBC, “That’s Life,” 1986:
[8] Shou-Ching’s Photo Art:
[9] Weekly Video: Jazz concert:
via this link:
Paul,
The iodine is interesting. I guessing these folks were probably selenium defecient and also consuming gluten… I worked up to 1 Iodoral tab this summer. I started with Iosol in May at 1 drop, after 4 weeks increased to 2 drops, 3 weeks at 3 drops which is about 5.4mgs… then a few weeks later 1/2 Iodoral Tab… then by end of July I was on 1 Iodoral tab. I usually remember my selenium capsule, but not everyday… I have been supplementing selenium, eating fish, liver and other organs for a while now though. In August I got some thyroid tests back that were not to my liking… my TSH was 3.55, T3 2.5 and T4 1.1. My previous labs before Iodine supplementation were much better (TSH 1.91, T3 3.5 T.4 1.1). Both times RT3 was not high at all.
So I quit Iosol, and just stuck with Iodine 1-3 drops daily. Sometimes just one. Haven’t tested the thyroid since. I will say though, I had no symptoms of hypo on Iodoral and was feeling fantastic. I was really expecting better labs. Not sure what happened there.
You write: “Mat Lalonde critiques evolutionary arguments for Paleo, but some of his counter-arguments are just as flawed as the views he criticizes.”
Don’t leave us hanging ;).
Hi Beth,
He talks as if epigenetic changes are the only or primary way gene expression changes on evolutionary time scales, which is far from the case. He understates the genetic differences between chimps, the common human-chimp ancestor, Paleolithic hominins, and modern humans. For instance, at 4:20 he says that human and chimp genomes are virtually identical, which is not true; there are differences to the coding or regulatory regions of nearly every gene.
To illustrate, there are 3 billion nucleotides in the human genome, over 1% differ from the chimp genome or over 30 million altered nucleotides, which is vastly larger than the ~20,000 genes. And single nucleotide changes can have significant effects, even if it’s in a non-coding region; changes to regulatory and untranslated regions can make big differences in gene expression and in relative expression of transcriptional variants.
Possibly Mat is equating “genes” to the coding regions only, not the genome as a whole, and “epigenome” to not only epigenetic changes but also genetic changes outside the coding regions. However, even with this non-standard usage, very few human and chimp genes are 100% homologous, so his assertion still wouldn’t follow.
He’s right that the arguments he criticizes are weak. And many of his statements are good, eg re toxins “the proteins are the problem.” From anyone else I wouldn’t remark upon a few mis-statements, but given Mat’s crusade for scientific accuracy in communication I thought it was notable.
I second Beth!
I am sorry if this grates, but shheeeee … you guys DO NOT live in “the land of the free”. I really feel for Steve and wish him well – I really hope he gets a great lawyer who goes and stuffs the evidence down the throat of the so-called Nutrition Board. In fact, I hope he photocopies to have a copy for each of them. What a bunch!
Great news from Joan’s sister! Damn, I’m still really pissed off about Steve’s situation … who do they think they are? I guess you (Paul) will need to err on the side of caution. I wonder if we all do, on forums and the like?
I mean, now that the US think they can extradite … well … anyone for breach of YOUR laws in ANYONE else’s country, I have to worry. I mean, you guys have only got Kerrygold over there! I’d miss my Yorkshire butter incarcerated in some attitude and mind correctional facility on your soil 🙂
Damn it! That is really bad about Steve.
Keep it up, Paul – stay legal … stay on the right side of mind control! Or when the lawyers come knocking, just tell the lawyers that you have a PhD in something they can’t even spell and they should just piss off!
Sorry for the language. Grrrr! This really has got to me. This is health fascism at its worst, and I fear it’s only just beginning.
re: licensing in general — I’ve been a psychologist for almost 40 years and I would
say licensing (and the allied insurance industry) has pretty much destroyed whatever art there used to be in my profession.
The amount of consumer protection achieved by
ever-more-constrictive licensing guidelines is outweighed by the intimidation by fear. The licensed bad apples mess up people anyway and natural born therapists are discouraged from entering the profession.
Yay for blogs and yay for you!
Hi Paul,
I plan to continue living as if I’m free, and challenge those who think they can make it otherwise to prove it.
I think you might have a hard time getting anything as good as Kerrygold in a US prison. We have to support our subsidized farmers after all. Soy margarine only for you, if you get extradited for your dietary advice.
Hi Holly,
Thanks! I feel bad for conscientious professionals. There must be times when navigating the bureaucracies makes you miserable. Blogging does not pay much, but you do have freedom to follow your conscience.
Soy margarine? The horror! I couldn’t bear it!
That’s it! I’m no longer a radical … head down, drudge on like the rest of the downtrodden masses until death brings its blessed release. [Irony]
Meanwhile, drinking 0.01 proof alcohol is sufficient to extend the lifespan of worms? Wheeee! Think what a glass of red wine can do! Here’s to you!
Thanks for linking to my interview with Steve Phinney and Rick Johnson on meandmydiabetes.com. I really like the posts you’ve shared here, including the “healing from Bipolar” story and the new registry for low carbers – and I’m curious how Jim Hill views that registry idea!
@Paul “For instance, at 4:20 he says that human and chimp genomes are virtually identical, which is not true; there are differences to the coding or regulatory regions of nearly every gene.”
Thanks for pointing this out. I’ve heard Lalonde say things that were questionable in my mind, especially from someone who portrays themselves as being a “real scientist”. This strikes me as similar to those who don’t understand the relevance of Europeans and Asians having 1-3% Neandertal genes.
@Paul Hallidy, I mean, now that the US think they can extradite … well … anyone for breach of YOUR laws in ANYONE else’s country, I have to worry.
Paul, you have to worry about what? Are you referring to the Megaupload thing? It sucks, I agree, but it was the NZ government that allowed the US govnmt to play world cop. On the other side of the coin, France was quite happy to shelter Polansky from rape and sodomy charges merely to spit in the eye of the US, or was that simply solidarity?
I’m far from the biggest fan of US policies, but as a long time US ex-pat in Europe I think you ought to be careful of being so indignantly self-righteous.
Paul, thanks for the additional info. I feel a little better that I didn’t catch that … genomics is not even my weak suit ;). Given the audience for this video, I might be inclined to give him a bit of a pass, but given his other science/credibility comments, being precise rather than casual might be prudent.
Hi Paul:
Would love to hear more about the Eczema. What kind was it? Was it atopic which as you know is genetic and related to asthma, hay fever, and other airborne allergies? Most studies of atopics have shown that the administration of N-6 fat principally in the form of evening primrose oil have been failures; maybe the supplementation did the trick, and if this is atopic derm, a lot of dermatologists and drug companies will not be to happy!
Also, how best to tell what level of starch works for a person? Only difference for me is that when i add starch at the level of PHD suggestions, my NMR results show lots of small LDL; when i eliminate them the small LDL goes to zero. Interesting thing is that my blood glucose is around 76, and A1C of 5.4. Am guessing maybe postprandial spikes cause the formation of the small particles. Oh, i have no weight issues, vit D, thyroid. Family history of heart disease, and my brother seems to generate lots of small LDL; must be something with our livers; at least that is my guess.
Regards,
Steve
Paul,
Joan’s sisters results are fantastic. The supplements you recommended caught my eye as they are similar to what we are seeing mentioned in our search for an acne cure for our 17 year old son. I know you have experienced problems with acne in the past and wondered if you might be planning a blog post or if you could offer any specific recommendations to try. Our son had some improvement in the past with long term antibiotic use but the side effects make this a poor option. My wife and I have been following your diet for about a year but our teenager is only half way there. He removed all dairy and grains from his diet for the past two weeks without any success. We are close to taking the Doctors advice to put him on accutane but are desperately searching for other answers.
Hi Jeff, For whatever it is worth, I have some thoughts about accutane if you have not already gone down that road. First, I used accutane when it first came out–around 1985–and it worked well for a while. A few years later I had GERD and a few years after that major gut problems which I am currently trying to resolve. Accutane, as you may know, has been implicated in inflammatory bowel disease. Anyway, I didn’t put the accutane/gut connection together initially, otherwise I would not have put my older son on it when he was 14. It did work for him, only now, at age 19, he is starting to show gut problems including GERD. Dr. Cannell over at the Vitamin D Council thinks Vitamin D helps acne and, as you may know, large doses of Vitamin A–which is what accutane is– competes with Vitamin D. Plus Vitamin D itself is very strongly associated with gut health, which may be why many accutane people end with gut problems, i.e. basically because we may have drastically deprived our guts of vitamin d for the duration of accutane treatment and beyond. Anyway, I just started to give my older son Vitamin D for his GERD and it seems to be helping (knock wood). My younger son, who also had pretty severe acne but we decided not to use accutane with because of mood issues (another possible vitamin d disruption side effect of accutane?), has started on vitamin D 5k daily with vitamin K2 and a small amount of vitamin A (about 4000k) plus zinc and his skin looks better than ever. Again, for whatever it’s worth, I would look into Vitamin D, low vitamin A, plus zinc before going with accutane since vitamin D seems to have greatly helped my younger son, and seems to be helping the GERD of my older son (fingers crossed) which may be a delayed side effect of accutane. Good luck, Patricia
Paul any thoughts on the Vitamin D disruption& gut probs & accutane?
Hi again Jeff, I realize that if you have already given your son accutane, my other post may be a little scary. So I am wondering what Paul thinks about giving a relatively high dose of vitamin D while on accutane and continuing afterward to prevent possible gut probs? Makes sense to me, but I’m not an MD. Dr. Cannell recommends 5k daily for everyone. Paul?
Hi Patricia,
Optimizing vitamin D is important for gut health, and maybe even more important when taking Accutane since that is a vitamin A analog. I would also take vitamin K2 with Accutane. Sounds plausible. But 5k may not be the right dose. I use 2.5k in winter, none in summer, and try to get mid-day sun exposure.
according to google, Accutane comes in the 10, 20 and 40 mg doses of isotretinoin.
out of interest does anyone know what these doses of isotretinoin roughly equate to in terms of Vitamin A IU’s ?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isotretinoin
Hi Steve,
Perhaps Joan or her sister can fill us in on the symptoms. The omega-6 deficiency eczema is a dry rash so I would assume pustules would be from an accompanying bacterial infection that flares up when the immune system runs out of antioxidants.
Your low blood glucose is disturbing. Is this fasting? Is it with or without the starches? Any known kidney or liver issues?
There isn’t enough data yet on small LDL to know if we should be concerned about that. It is more prone to oxidize, which is a bad thing to have around on a bad diet, but might be a good thing to have in your body on a good diet, since food won’t oxidize it and you’ll have more sensitive immune function.
Hi Jeff,
You might try vitamin A, along with D and K2, before the Accutane. Accutane is basically a large dose of vitamin A. Cod liver oil, if it’s unfiltered, has about 5000 IU per teaspoon, so that along with liver is a good way to get vitamin A. 15,000 IU/day vitamin A would be a reasonable dose to test, supported by D (~4000 IU) and K2.
Accutane did work for me, but if I were doing it over again I would try natural methods.
Being well nourished is a basic thing that helps nearly all health issues.
Acne may commonly be caused by bacterial toxins that infiltrate from the gut. Taking charcoal or bentonite clay between meals may relieve symptoms. If so that suggests circulating toxins from the gut are contributing. That’s a useful diagnostic test to do.
Best, Paul
Paul, Thanks for the recommendations, we’ll give them a try and report back in a few weeks.
Hi Paul,
I would be interested to hear your thoughts on Bill’s experience with iodine supplementation (first comment above). Why might high-dose iodine supplementation impair thyroid function, as it seems to have done in Bill’s case?
Did he simply not give his thyroid enough time to adapt before testing (increased dose at the “end of July,” then tested in August)?
Perhaps certain counter-regulatory mechanisms were still operating in response to the increase in iodine dosage…?
Hi Paul
Thanks for featuring my sister’s story in today’s blog. She is continuing to make progress. She did have a small recurrence of the eczema a day or so ago. But was thinking she may have come off the safflower oil too quickly. She did, however, mow the lawns (!!??) that day and agrees with me, that may have caused an increase in oxidative stress. I think her new sense of well-being led her to increase her activity level too quickly!
I’ve just received a copy of your book (which I devoured in 36 hours). I’ll pass it onto her. You have set things out so clearly in the book which makes it very understandable and easy to implement. I’m sure with dietary changes and implementing other strategies you outline, my sister’s health will continue to improve.
Thanks again for your help and I certainly hope the day never comes when it is illegal for you apply your knowledge to help individuals abandoned by the medical profession. I’m thrilled reporting her results “made your day” 😉
Kind Regards
Joan
Hi Steve
Regarding her eczema: She hasn’t had a firm diagnosis but I doubt it is atopic eczema. It seems to fit the description of omega-6 deficiency eczema. The eczema goes through a cycle of starting out as dry and scaly, then develops little pimples and after about 5 -7 days it becomes scabby. At this point it will sometimes crack open and bleed. She remembers as a teen her Dr giving her hydrocortisone cream for it, which only temporarily alleviated symptoms. She went many years with no eczema at all and then it re-surfaced around the time she developed CFS symptoms. This all supports Paul’s idea that it is caused by oxidative stress. The anti-oxidants have certainly brought the improvement.
Kind Regards
Joan
Greetings Paul,
Re: item 2 of your January 29 posting. You mentioned, “freedom to enter a profession as entrepreneurs with innovative approaches”. I am not a lawyer but this led me to think firstly about (1)the right of personal ownership of one’s body and its conditions, (2)the right of any person to contract with another on any issue including matters of health and illness and, (3)the concept of restraint of trade.
It seems to me that the North Carolina Board of Dietitians could be considered to be practicing restraint of trade in their enforcement of statutes of law. Perhaps conscious folk, ought to head off governments apparent intent to restrict through law our freedom to decide how we address our health.
We should consider the value of instituting capitalist economic and democratic principles such as “laissez-faire”-(is an environment in which transactions between private parties are free from state intervention) and the “right to contract” in order to regain and protect our ownership of our own bodies.
Some may not have considered that government has a stake in and lays claim to such ownership but the enforcement of state laws in regards to health is for me a key indicator that contracts about which we have no idea, have been drawn against “we the people”. This is no different than government’s plan to restrict the internet. I believe that Vigilance and concerted action is the price of freedom.
Thank you both for creating one of the best collaborative sites on the still free Internet. It feels evolutionary.
Howard
Hi Paul,
Would you recommend a supplement strategy similar to Joan’s sisters for someone with mild psoriasis? I have had psoriasis for 20 years (I’m 28 now), and have been a vegetarian for most of my life until I discovered your book about 6 months ago. I have been supplementing my diet based on the recommendations in your book, as well as with pro-biotics and beef gelatin.
I have also recently been diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis. To combat this, I have started following the steps outlined in your Bowel Disease series. Is this a good start? Do you have any other recommendations for treating psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.
Thanks so much to you and Shou-Ching for the information in your book and on this website!
Bill wrote:
“…by end of July I was on 1 Iodoral tab…In August I got some thyroid tests back that were not to my liking… my TSH was 3.55, T3 2.5 and T4 1.1. My previous labs before Iodine supplementation were much better (TSH 1.91, T3 3.5 T.4 1.1)…
I will say though, I had no symptoms of hypo on Iodoral and was feeling fantastic. I was really expecting better labs. Not sure what happened there.”
Bill, elevated TSH is common and benign after beginning iodine supplementation, just a sign that the thyroid is being stimulated to take in sufficient iodine now that it is available. That’s probably why you felt great–you weren’t going hypothyroid, just misled by the TSH result.
Your T4 (free T4, I assume) stayed constant, consistent with this.
Free T3 labs (I assume that’s what was measured) are not consistent; they vary a lot by time of day and other factors. It’s also far from clear that it’s generally better to be higher in the range. I would not take your T3 results as an indication of anything. (My endocrinologist doesn’t even measure T3 since the interpretation is not straightforward and can be misleading.)
Also, if you decide to go back on Iodoral, you may want to do the entire protocol as recommended by its creator, Dr. Guy Abraham, which includes not only selenium, but also magnesium, Vitamin C, and unrefined salt. That’s what has such a good track record of helping many conditions safely.
Hi Paul and Shou-Ching,
Like the rest of the posters here, I’m so upset by Steve’s situation and I really hope and pray that his case will be won on the side of freedom. Fear is no good! I was just listening to a pastor this morning talking about the spirit of fear. I admire you guys and all the others out there too who are educating and sharing often buried or hidden information even in the face of situations like Steve’s. I didn’t read the story yet but I hope that his supporters (or anyone who enjoys their freedom!) are rallying and making a loud noise about how unconstitutional this is. Is there a petition or something we can sign if we want to? I should go read the link…
Also, thank you for the link to Shelley’s site (meandmydiabetes.com)– this is exactly the kind of encouragement I’m looking for!
Thank you Shelley for blogging and telling your story to help the rest of us keep hope that it might not have to be this way! I didnt finish reading through your story, but I was so amazed and intrigued by your C-Peptide and insulin levels increasing (right now I’m on the page where you checked your insulin levels again in 2009 and they shot up (in response to the sugar) way higher than four years before. That is so encouraging!) I didnt even get to the interview Paul linked to yet because I wanted to read your story first. Thank you SOOOOO much for sharing! I’m unfortunately already 10, almost 11, years into this (type 1 diabetes, diagnosed at age 25) but I’m still hoping that there’s some potential for healing. I’m going to ask my doctor to add C-peptide test when I get blood taken for labs tomorrow (the last time I had that checked was, sadly, 9 years ago).
Ok, sorry to go on… just wanted to thank everyone. You all are very encouraging and inspiring. Thank you so much.
KH
Thanks Joan:
I was guessing it was not atopic eczema which is genetic, and related to asthma, hayfever,etc. For some infants, kids certain foods may provoke the eczema, typically those that are the large allergy provoking foods: eggs, shellfish,dairy, wheat. Perhaps elimination of these on a rotation basis and continuing the supplementation program your sister is following and PHD diet recommendations may be helpful and do the trick.
Paul:
My fasting glucose was without starch and was fasting as part of recent colonoscopy exam. When i consume starch it is in the 80’s. The lab range for the 70’s number range was 60-100. Aside from the CAD and particle count issue- I produce tons of particles whether i am on a high carb diet, or lowish carb diet. I beiieve it is in genes as family history of heart disease and heart attack is prevalent, and my brother has elevated particle count that is discordant with LDL measurement as well. My LDL for example is only around 100 and yet particle count is at 1700. To many particles hanging around means trouble in in face of low oxidation environment.
@Bill
Thanks! Thats very helpful! Have alot to consider now.
wow, 4 TB x 4 /day = 120 ml/day. that is a lot of sunflower!
i have had skin issues throughout my life. Eliminating NAD’s helps a great deal but not completely eliminate it. (used to have outbreak once/month; now it’s about twice/year)
my nutritionist friend also suggested i may be EFA deficient. but i really doubt it, as your book correctly pointed out. so i may try same supplements.
you have done more than most dermatolgists are capable of — all they have done is giving me strong hydracortisone.
“Christian-libertarian-environmentalist-capitalist-lunatic-Farmer”
best,
Over here in the UK the Steve situation just fits in with general views of crazy American legal system. If no money changes hands and people are reminded of their own responsibility and choice, I don’t see how he can be considered as a practitioner.
I find your views thought provoking and helpful.
On the iodine snippet, I take mine transdermally and find that the body takes what it needs that way.
Paul,
Regarding charcoal for endotoxins, what is an effective dose? And provided that it is taken away from food and supplements, is there any danger in too much or too often? Sorry if these are stupid questions.
Hi MM,
They’re not stupid questions at all.
First, i would consider these as diagnostic tools more than as things you want to take for an extended period of time. So you can take a high dose for a brief period to see if they help. If they do then titrate down the dose to find the minimum that helps. Then try to fix things so you can reduce dose further.
You want to avoid any dose so large that your serum lipids are affected, ie don’t let your serum cholesterol decrease.
Best, Paul
I would advise anyone on the receiving end of onerous and bureaucratic dictates to familiarize themselves with the Institute for Justice (http://www.ij.org/index.php.) This page lists some of their ongoing battles as well as settled ones.
http://www.ij.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=557&Itemid=240
Paul wrote:
“Iodide heart scans confirm that it’s risky to suddenly increase iodine intake: people who take a high dose of iodine for imaging studies are more likely to develop thyroid disease in subsequent years. Iodine is good for us, but protect your thyroid by starting low, combining it with selenium, and increasing the dose very slowly.”
Paul, why are you so quick to blame iodine for these results? Even if there really is a causal relationship between iodinated contrast media and thyroid disease (certainly not demonstrated by this observational study), could the reason not be the toxic organic contrast compounds rather than the iodine bound to them?
An analogous example is amiodarone, an iodinated drug used to treat cardiac arrhythmias. It’s regarded as one of the most toxic drugs used in medicine. My own endocrinologist very reluctantly went on this drug for atrial fibrillation since nothing else was stopping it.
I pointed out to him Dr. Guy Abraham’s speculation that the benefit of the drug came from the iodine it contained while the terrible toxicity came from the organic compound carrying the iodine. If so, you could gain the benefit without the risk by simply taking inorganic iodine. Some of the doctors using Dr. Abraham’s protocol have had good luck with this.
My endocrinologist weaned himself off the amiodarone and started taking iodine. HIs afib went away and, as of the last time we spoke, hasn’t returned.
I’m sure his cardiologist isn’t amused.
I think the study you cited is just one more example of what Dr. Abraham calls medical iodophobia. It is not believable evidence against iodine, regardless of dose. It is, at best, weak observational evidence against letting doctors give you toxic contrast media without an awfully urgent reason.
Hi Bill,
It’s a good point. I didn’t realize the iodinated contrast media may be toxic. So you’re right, it could be the media.
Great story about your endocrinologist.
Great story about the eczema. 🙂
Take a look at r/tl;dr (too long; didn’t read):
http://www.reddit.com/r/tldr all managed by one moderator kind of like the links you post but just for interesting reddit links. Here’s one I found from the tldr subreddit:
Fast food secrets
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/m5ail/fast_food_workers_of_reddit_whats_the_one_thing/
–
And reddit has to be viewed with reddit enhancement suite addon for browsers:
http://redditenhancementsuite.com/download
I was honored to be mentioned as someone who provided a good comment on the “OK to eat sugar” post, so let me throw out a related idea that I have never seen mentioned anywhere. My experiments show that chromium picolinate primarily increases muscle takeup of glucose, but that yeast-derived “GTF” chromium is the one that increases liver glycogen synthesis when you eat sugar, either lactose or sucrose, and thus the latter is the form of chromium which provides the best mood boost. Yes, I know there is probably no such thing as the “Glucose Tolerance Factor,” but this is the form of chromium that feels just like the chromium from beer or blackstrap molasses if you can feel the sometimes subtle effects.
Lance Strish, thanks
nice links,
Jim Jozwiak, not okey to sugar
paul Smith, It is OK to eat sugar, about 130 grams a day from fruit and milk, because, without the fructose and/or galactose, liver glycogen replenishment from eating only starch is poor and mood suffers. On the other hand, if you omit the necessary starch, there is no physical exuberance because muscle glycogen stores are then inadequate for anything more than middle-aged plodding.
Ancestral Weight Loss Registry is not really Ancestral Weight Loss Registry, it is instead a Low Carb Weight Loss Registry.
Even a vegetarian can have spectacular weight loss going on traditional diets with higher vegetables and using PHD principles of low toxin diet. I myself though not vegetarian lost 20Kgs on a high carb diet, which was low toxin and relatively high in meat and vegetables. I was not low carb, but was following ancestral principles.
Coming from India there are several such examples on a friends website hbfser.wordpress.com. A good example went on today. 30Kgs in 10months on a pure (no eggs) vegetarian diet.
It really bothers me when I hear the excuses and how people will say: “I am trying to lose weight….” I say to myself: “How about you stop trying and just do it.” It’s easy. I even have gotten down to single digit BF% numbers and that was using your fat shredder diet which for a guy that weighed 150 lbs, was a lot of food. The reality is that even with minor changes in your eating, you can drop weight.
I tried to lose weight before but it didn’t work out. 😕 But that’s fine. Now, I’m careful in what I mostly eat. I avoid sugar and carbs. Exercise. I take in supplements, especially probiotics and vitamin K2.
Any additional supplements or restrictions for scalp psoriasis?
Ok, I hope this was the correct place to post this.
I’ve been dealing with Seborrheic Dermatitis–otherwise known as eczema–on my face for the past 2 years. Since that time I’ve experimented with different diets, and I’ve been following PHD food recommendations for the past two months. I haven’t started supplementing yet as I’m hoping for some general advice before I proceed. I think I’m fairly covered from the wide variety of food I eat and I do get at least 30 minutes of sun per day.
For me, it seems like this condition is at least partially connected to sugar consumption–natural sugars included–and allergies (runny/stuffy nose and some fatigue). Prior to developing eczema it was fairly uncommon for me to experience allergies, and now It’s almost an every day event. A holistic healer friend of mine claims that eczema and psoriasis are caused by a yeast overgrowth called “Candida” and Candida feeds off sugar. Also, there was mention of nightshades contributing to inflammation as well. So I conducted a test on myself. I went on a 5 day sugarless juice fast. Without sugar in my diet, I only had 1 breakout on my face that seemed more like a flushing of symptoms than a genuine flare-up. My skin seemed like it was recovering, or at the very least, inflammation was 98%+ reduced. Normally I use a very small amount of a topical immunosuppressant cream to keep my condition under control once a day or every second day. But during this sugar free juice fast, I only had to use it once the entire week. However, with the removal of “safe” starches and very small amounts of berries, my digestion became very sluggish and I had to incorporate “safe” starches and moderate amounts of berries into my diet for it to normalize.
So I’m not sure where I proceed from here as I feel like I’m exhausting my options. I do not feel very healthy eating a diet absent starches and it certainly doesn’t agree with my digestion.
I’m active. I do short bursts of 10-20 minutes of exercise per day every day. Ride a bike, lift weights, do yoga and meditation.
I eat a very large amount of food per day. I have a fast metabolism and consume around 5-7 pounds of vegetables per day–not including starches. I also eat a huge amount of healthy fats. Basically, the overwhelming majority of food you recommend in your book, I eat and I never deviate and consume something I shouldn’t. I haven’t tried the bone broths yet.
I smoke 5-10 cigarettes a day, which I know isn’t good for me. Beyond that, I have no unhealthy habits. So some advice would be appreciated.
Hi Anon,
Seborrheic dermatitis is usually due to a fungus called Malassezia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malassezia. Eczema is usually due to inflammation and nutritional deficiencies. They are quite different.
You need the starches, so don’t cut those. It’s mistaken to think that cutting starches will help address Candida — it will cause the Candida to get worse.
Iodine supplements and liver may help you, also vitamin C and the stock, maybe taurine too.
Best, Paul
Hi Paul, thanks for the response.
Sometimes I confuse the two conditions as visually they are very similar and my dermatologist wasn’t 100% certain for many of our visits if it was eczema or seborrheic dermatitis. He often used the terms interchangeably, so it became confusing. I do think he ultimately settled on SD as a diagnosis and based on the photos I’ve seen online, the condition most closely resembles seborrheic dermatitis. It’s exclusively on my face, which is a very common spot for this condition.
So would your recommendations to treat SD be different than what you’ve suggested for eczema?
I think I would be covered for Iodine as I eat seaweed–dulse & nori–on a daily basis. Other foods such as Himalayan Crystal Salt, Fish, Cheese and Yogurt should have me covered for the iodine.
Also, I would think the absurdly high amount and wide variety of vegetables I eat per day would have me covered for vitamin C.
By “stock” I assume you’re referring to the bone broth soups?
Below is a list of food items I consume on a regular basis in large quantities. Other than the organ meat and “stock” I feel I’m fairly well covered.
Vegetables & Spices:
Inulin or Chicory Root (Fiber Supplement)
Spinach, Chard, Kale, Broccoli, Celery, Cucumber, Zucchini, 2x Avocado a day.
Red & Green Cabbage, Napa Cabbage, Bok Choi, Mixed Greens, Dulse and Nori Seaweed, Asparagus, Unpasteurized Sauerkraut
Watercress, Mung Bean Sprouts, Alfalfa Sprouts, Parsley, Cilantro, Onion, Garlic, Oregano, Thyme, Rosemary, Anise, Cardamom, Turmeric, Ginger, Cinnamon.
Nuts:
15-20 Almonds a day, occasionally Walnuts for variety.
(Soaked for 12 hours before consumption)
Meats: Sardines, Cod, Wild Salmon (At least
a few times a week) Organic Beef & Sometimes Grass Fed/Finished 5-6x a week.
3-4 Organic Free Range Eggs a day. Sometimes chicken, but very rarely.
Fats:
I use these to cook with or I consume raw. (I never cook with Olive Oil).
Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, MCT Oil,Grass Fed Ghee, Organic or Grass Fed Butter.
HI Paul
happy to see you are responding to comments just this month. I have SLE and have been on a PHD type diet more or less for 28 years. Fo rthe past 4-5 I have been super stict AIP and then totally removed all nuts seeds grains and legumes. 3 weeks after that my (childhood) eczema returned with a vengence and is still flarign up. I have become very paranoid about food and allergies as there does seem to be a histamine component but when I read the OP I have been wondering if maybe I need *some* Omega 6 since it is an *essential* fatty acid. I’m not thinking of drinking safflower oil like the OP but if I wanted to see if some intake of O6 would help me, what would you suggest I try?
Hi Paul,
I’m hoping you can help 🙂
I have a 20month old toddler who has just developed some angry looking eczema on her ankle.
She has multiple food allergies, and avoids all of the common allergens, as well as her unique triggers. I’m trying out low histamine atm, as the introduction of kefir and blueberries may have occurred around the same time her eczema appeared.
Last time we looked at her blood, her Leaky Gut markers had all but disappeared, so I thought we were making progress with healing her gut, and now this…
Is supplementation recommended for toddlers, and should I start with Omega 6’s? I just bought some lard today 🙂
Would be so grateful for a reply,
Love your work!
Fleur
Hi Fleur,
Don’t supplement omega-6. Rather, supplement anti-oxidants: vitamin C, N-acetylcysteine, taurine, glycine (these 4 obtain as powders and sprinkle on food); vitamin E as mixed tocotrienols; zinc; feed your toddler liver in small amounts, 1 teaspoon per week, and get her sunshine on bare skin. Do feed her egg yolks, that should be your source of omega-6.
Best, Paul
Thanks so much Paul – you are so generous with your help 🙂
I do feed her yolks and she loves chicken liver – but eats a lot more than a tsp when she has it.
I will start your recommendations and let you know of any improvements.
Kind, happy, grateful regards!