Q & A
This page as an open thread for reader questions, especially questions about personal health concerns.
I am putting this page up as a way to share knowledge — my knowledge with questioners, but also so that others with similar concerns can read the conversation, and readers with relevant knowledge can chip in with their own thoughts.
Please keep in mind that I can’t research questions in any depth, so my answers should be considered tentative, incomplete, and subject to later correction. Also, I am not a doctor, and nothing I say should be construed as a substitute for medical diagnosis and treatment. I am only sharing opinions about disease origins and general therapeutic strategies which may or may not be applicable in any given case.
To get the page started, I’ll put up a few questions from recent emails. Here is an index by disease, with clickable links:
- Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
- Bloating, acid reflux, anxiety, depression, hypoglycemia, hypothyroidism, fatigue
- Lupus
- Depression
And here are my answers.
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
Paul,
Been following your work on the PHD before the publication of the book and commented on my CLL and the usefulness of Vitamin D once on your blog and you responded to keep an eye on my Vitamin K intake, which I do now.. Am fortunate in a way to have my form of CLL as it indolent which gives me the opportunity to experiment without the pressure of undergoing conventional treatment. The PHD, I think, is helpful in this regard.
Wonder if you could point anything out to me that may be useful. Anything at all. And I will be happy to share with you my results.
Surely you know of the helpfulness of green tea with CLL. You may not be familiar with research that points out that those with low levels of Vitamin D need treatment for CLL far sooner than those with elevated levels.
Feel strongly that your version of a ketogenic diet would be helpful but also feel I need some direction in this area. Do you have any suggestions?
Warmest Regards,
A
Hi A,
I remember your comment, thanks for writing back. I’m glad you’re enjoying our diet and wish you the best.
Thanks for the tips about green tea and vitamin D. Neither one surprises me.
Most likely CLL is caused by a viral infection. So enhancing viral immunity is probably a good idea. Good strategies may include: (1) low-protein dieting, which inhibits viral reproduction and can promote autophagy; (2) maintaining high vitamin D levels; and (3) intermittent fasting, which promotes autophagy.
Some food compounds have been reported to have antiviral effects. An example is green tea catechins, eg http://pmid.us/16137775, http://pmid.us/18313149, and http://pmid.us/18363746, and this could be why green tea is helpful against cancers, http://pmid.us/21595018, which are usually viral in origin.
I might search Pubmed for herbs and spices with antiviral effects, and use them abundantly in cooking, along with antiviral foods. Turmeric / curcumin is a good choice, this needs to be taken with black pepper to enter the body. See http://pmid.us/21299124, http://pmid.us/20434445, http://pmid.us/20026048.
Coconut oil / lauric acid also has some antiviral properties, so inducing ketosis with coconut oil could benefit you even aside from the ketosis. You could also try monolaurin supplements which may enter the body better and which some people have reported to help viral infections.
You might also try HDL-raising tactics as discussed in this series: HDL and Immunity, April 12; HDL: Higher is Good, But is Highest Best?, April 14; How to Raise HDL, April 20.
Another possible tactic is high-dose riboflavin with UV exposure on the eyes. This requires going outdoors at midday and not wearing glasses or contact lenses. Riboflavin+UV is toxic to blood-borne viruses, and the retina is a location where UV can reach circulating blood cells. Sun exposure will also help you optimize vitamin D.
That’s a few ideas, at some point I’ll do some research to come up with more and do a blog post. Do keep me posted on your results!
Best, Paul
Bloating, acid reflux, anxiety, depression, hypoglycemia, hypothyroidism, fatigue
Just came upon your website and had a question for you. I have had some health concerns for the last four years, bloating, acid reflux, anxiety, depression, hypoglycemia symptoms, female complaints (I am in my forties), thyroid antibodies at 333, weight gain around my middle and too tired to work out like I once did. I used to be fikiiled with energy and great health no depression or anxiety. My doctor thinks these symtoms are all from peri-menopause and wants to treat me with Zoloft.
Needless to say I have tried to avoid the Zoloft. I have tired every avenue out there to cure myself. Most recently the Primal type diet. When I eat no grains or dairy I get horrible hypoglycemia symptoms and don’t feel great like everyone else on a low carb diet. I feel weak and more anxious. Do you think your diet would be easier for me with the addition of rice and potatoes?
G
Hi G,
Yes, I do think our diet will be better for you. You should eat enough starches to avoid hypoglycemia.
The key thing for you is treating the infections which are consuming so much glucose and making you glucose-deficient if you don’t eat enough carbs. Whatever pathogen(s) this is, it seems to have infected your gut and caused the various gut problems; circulating pathogen-derived toxins and immune cytokines are probably responsible for the anxiety and depression. Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism may be either due to circulating toxins or a thyroid infection.
I would suspect some kind of protozoal or parasitic infection due to the hypoglycemia, but what I really recommend is getting your doctor to have a stool sample analyzed for pathogens. Metametrix has a good test. Once you know what pathogen to treat, and get on a better diet like ours, you should improve quickly.
Lupus
I am writing on behalf of my mother … We live in Dhaka Bangladesh …
Before her illness, my mom was 105 lbs, 5 feet tall and always 10ft tall in spirit…. When she was diagnosed with Lupus at the age of 30, we were all overwhelmed and out of our depths. My beautiful, athletic mother was in a wheelchair and given 6 months to live….
The doctors has advised her to eat literally nothing, minimum protein (1 small piece of chicken/fish, limited to 20g protein per day), only 2-3 types of vegetable and 2-3 fruits and of course lots of carbs to apparently compensate for her failing KIDNEY and LUPUS. She is on tons of medication, no food except the wrong foods (carbs) and in chronic pain. She currently weighs 139 lbs.
Please advise. — S
Hi S,
I believe lupus is a catch-all diagnosis for a variety of conditions which are probably caused by undiagnosed infections. In the US the infections are usually bacterial. I’ve known several people with diagnosed lupus who were cured by antibiotic treatments – in one case the problem was Lyme disease (Borrelia). I have no idea what the likely pathogens would be in Bangladesh. If she does better on low carb and coconut oil, that indicates bacteria; if she does better on high-carb, that indicates protozoa.
A healthy diet is very important. It is very bad advice to “eat literally nothing,” it is essential to be well nourished. Protein is necessary for healing and immune function, and 20 g/day is too little. Fasting is good, but it should be intermittent – not starvation! She needs healthy fats, more protein, and lots of micronutrients. Eggs, shellfish, seafood, bone broth soups, vegetable soups, and fermented vegetables may all be helpful. Coconut milk is probably good for her. You should basically follow the program in our book.
I would try to put her on a good diet, give her a little time for kidneys and other tissues to heal, and then try antimicrobial medicines. Usually, if they’re not working, then you don’t notice an effect. Any strong effect, good or bad, means they are working. Bad effects mean that pathogens are dying and releasing a lot of toxins as they disintegrate. If this occurs, detox aids (salt, water, and one of cholestyramine/charcoal/bentonite clay; also glutathione supports and vitamin C) will help.
Please stay in touch and let me know how things go.
Best, Paul
Depression
I’ve suffered from depression for decades. A few months ago, I decided to try the Dr. Kruse protocol for jumpstarting leptin sensitivity and 2 interesting things happened.
When I went very low carb – below 50 gm -. I had half-day periods where the depression suddenly lifted (something that has rarely happened otherwise). However, I also suffered from darker than normal periods.
I stopped the Dr. Kruse protocol after 6 weeks, and went back to regular paleo (approx. 200 – 300 gm. Carb/day). I’m now generally more depressed than usual, without the good periods.
These changes seem to indicate that I can have an influence on my depression with diet, but not sure what diet to try. Thoughts?
Hi Jersie,
I think your experience on very low carb is diagnostically telling.
I would interpret it this way:
- Your depression is caused by an interferon-gamma mediated immune response in the brain, probably caused by a viral or bacterial infection. This leads to tryptophan being directed away from serotonin and toward the kynurenine pathway. So you have a serotonin deficiency and kynurenine excess.
- A ketogenic diet is both therapeutic (promotes immunity against bacterial and viral infections) and mood-improving (clears kynurenine).
- However, you are at risk for hypoglycemia in the brain (especially if the infection is bacterial) and hypoglycemia causes irritability/anxiety and can aggravate depression.
So the very low-carb diet had mixed effects (ketosis, hypoglycemia).
What I would do is follow our ketogenic diet advice. Eat at least 50 g/day carbs from starches to get sufficient glucose, plus sufficient protein to reach 600 calories/day protein+carb, but add in large amounts of MCT oil or coconut oil. Also, do intermittent fasting – eat all the carbs within an 8-hour window; eat at least half the MCT oil in the 16-hour fasting window.
Once on a good diet, I might experiment with antibiotics to see if they relieve symptoms.
Please let me know how things go.
via this link:
Thanks for the suggestions Victoria, but I too have read all those books and agree with your reviews 😀 Another one that I liked was Dr. Malcolm Kendricks book, called the The Great Cholesterol Con. Not only is it very informative, but amazingly hilarious for a health book. I found myself laughing out loud on the bus while reading it on the way home from work!
Oh great to hear then. Is there any information in the great cholesterol con that isn’t in the other two books?
Good Morning, Paul:
Couple of questions:
1) For children, because they’re picky eaters, thier diets are less-than optimal that ours. Would you recommend a whole food multi-vitamin?
2) What happens when you take your daily vitamin D3 supplement of say 2000 IU for adults and 1000 IU for children with a vitamin K2 MK7 supplement and don’t supplement with magnesium?
Hi Eddie,
I no longer think a multivitamin is optimal for any one. I think I’d look at what specific things may be missing from my picky eater’s diet, and try to find other foods that may provide it.
It’s fine to take D and K2 without magnesium.
Thank you, Paul for helping me and my family. I will keep you and your family in my prayers.
Would fermented apple cider be ok to drink?
Paul, along those same lines. I have been replacing light beer with michelob light cider. 4% ABV, Cal 120, carbs 10g, sugar, 6g, protein 1g. My thoughts are that this is a better option than light beer due to no gluten. Your thoughts?
I think it’s OK.
Better than Light Beer?
Probably. Not sure the gluten in beer is a big danger after fermentation if you’re not celiac/gluten sensitive, but the cider is probably a bit better.
10-4, thx Paul.
Hi Paul,Just reposting my question because I could not find your answer. I’m confused on vit K2, there is the mk4 and the mk7. In an earlier question you had suggested that my significant other take Carlsons 5mg of k2, he has mantlecell lymphoma. I noticed that it is menatetrenone (mk4)with no mention of mk-7.
My questions are:
What is the difference between mk-4 and mk-7?
Should he be taking mk-7 also?
Do you still recommend the Carlson Vit K2 (menatetrenone) for him.
And for myself: I don’t have any issues, but how much and what kind of vitamin K-2 should I be taking?
In your book you recommend MK-7 once per day or Mk4 and Mk7 once per week.
I’m confused on this supplement thing. Any suggestions of what kind to take would be much appreciated. Thanks, Syl
Hi Syl,
MK-4 and MK-7 are similar, but MK-7 has 7 isoprene residues on a side chain and MK-4 has 4. These isoprene residues are non-functional, so they mainly affect absorption and destination of the molecule, rather than its vitamin function.
MK-4 can be made synthetically, whereas MK-7 has to be generated by bacteria. This makes MK-4 a much cheaper way to get high doses. However, MK-7 is more natural.
I don’t think it’s necessary to take both, but in real life our diet contains a mix of both, so if he wants to obtain a mix there’s nothing wrong with taking both.
Vitamin K2 is safely non-toxic and beneficial, so it’s really a matter of personal preference. I take either the 5 mg MK-4 or the LEF 1 mg MK-4 / 100 mcg MK-7 / 1 mg K1 formulation each day. But less is probably 99.9% as good, and less expensive. Once a week is enough as far as the scientific evidence goes.
Hi, Paul–
We’re just starting out, transitioning from what I call lapsed paleo (grain snuck back in, but not gluten–corn and oats–and legumes). Here is our problem: we only eat grassfed beef, but we can’t afford much of it. We usually eat chicken and pork with a little bit of beef and a little bit of fish. We also eat eggs and cheese. Never gave up cheese, even paleo. 🙂
But if we’re going to eat 3/4 to a full pound of meat apiece, about twice what we eat now, I don’t know how we can afford it, especially if the larger part should be beef. I’ve tried to get organ meats down my family but nothing doing. I like it but the rest don’t. Am I going to have trouble if I can’t feed us majority beef? I’ve been managing it about once a week for one meal plus leftovers (made into breakfast fritters or just sliced for lunch or in soup), but that’s all.
Thanks for your time.
Hi Lynn,
I would try mixing organ meats from grassfed animals with muscle meats from conventional animals.
Organ meats are cheap and muscle meats really don’t differ much between grassfed and conventional.
If you cut the organ meats finely and mix them in dishes like spaghetti, lasagna, hamburgers, meatloaf, etc, they may not notice.
Also, note some of our tips for making organ meats taste better, eg simmering briefly in water and discarding the water to clear blood and impurities.
Finally, eggs are an inexpensive meat substitute.
Hi Paul–
Thanks for your response! We do eat a lot of eggs, so it’s good to know that’s okay. My main issue was substituting chicken and pork for beef.
As for organ meat, I’ve tried ground organ meat with ground beef and everyone spotted it even though I didn’t tell them. 🙁 I’ll keep trying! I just don’t understand how people couldn’t like pâté or chicken liver! 🙂
Well, if you have to give them chicken or pork, at least you can be happy they’re not vegans!
Hi, Lynn –
As a producer of grass finished meats (lamb, beef and chicken), I’m at a loss to understand why you find grass finished meats to be too expensive. Are you in a position to buy a whole, half or quarter animal directly from a producer in your area? If you are, the cost should be fairly reasonable. If you can’t do that, you should be able to find bulk burger or roasts at fairly reasonable prices buying directly from producers at farmers markets. (Even the cheapest cuts of beef can become tastey and tender if slow cooked or sous vide cooked for the appropriate period of time) I’m curious what the situation is for grass finished pricing in your area. Also, did you make the organ meat/muscle meat ground mix at home or did a butcher make it? I know so many people who have found this mix to be either delicious or ‘undetectable’ that I’d encourage you to try it again with a different grind, different fat to lean ratio and a different organ to muscle ratio. This is such a good and easy way to get the organ meats down. (But who doesn’t like fried chicken livers 😉
Hi, Allan! We are rarely in a position to do the big outlay for a whole or partial steer or pig. We’ve done it in the past and saved a lot of money, and I wish we had the money to do it again–the lump sum up front is hard for us to get together.
I live in Portland, OR, and the farmer’s markets here are often MORE expensive than the same item in the store! We belong to a co-op and can get grassfed beef through them, but recently their supplier of inexpensive bulk hamburger (about $4/lb) was dropped. The cheapest cuts I can get otherwise are at least $6/lb, and these are the tough ones. I know how to braise cheap cuts, in fact, I’ve got a pork arm roast stewing in the oven right this minute. 🙂 I can’t remember the last time I had steak.
I did not make the mix at home; one of the co-op’s suppliers did. And my family is crazy enough not to like chicken livers fried or otherwise! 🙂
I live in Portland, too, and have seen the same thing. At the store I frequent for meat, regular chuck roast is 3.99, 4.99 in a ‘better’ locally grown brand, and 7.99 or more for the Grass Fed. I sometimes get a cheap one that’s “outdated” for 4.99. (It’s in the crock-pot at the moment.) Grass Fed Ground Beef is usually 5.99. This is at a store that carries it fresh-ground in store.
Oddly enough, things like NY Steak and Prime Rib are the same price as the ‘better’ conventionally grown stuff.
And beef bones around here are at least $3.00 a pound, when I can find them.
Lynn, do I know you?
Possibly. Last name starts with S. 🙂
I couldn’t reply below, but yes, it ends with an “S”.
Sounds like the “Portlandia” effect on your farmer market prices!
Unfortunately, nowadays most of the vendors at farmers markets are a monsterous hybrid of Yankee Peddler and local farmer. They are going to the market primarily to make as much money as they can and often have pricing that doesn’t reflect what the true price is, or should be. In this area (DC), unfortunately, even real farmers at farmers markets are usually selling from stock they purchased elsewhere (local butcher shops, for example), which makes the farmer market experience quite downgraded from what we assume it to be.
Retailers, too, gouge for grass finished items. (You have to always remember: the USDA sold “organic” to retailers as a way of making more profits on all products. You can always get better pricing/value by supporting the original grassroots organic farming movement in your area. (Yes, the HIPPIES!! ;0))
To get best pricing, you need to buy directly from a producer, one who sells cuts from a locker on his farm (if you can’t afford a quarter, etc) The easiest way to find producers like this is to consult eatwild.com or, perhaps better, if price is your main concern, localharvest.org Just go to the farm listings, punch in your zip code and you should see the contact for several local producers with on-farm-sales of grass finished beef.
Until there is broader customer support for grass finished beef, it will continue to be produced only by small producers. Continuing to buy grass finished products as often as you can will bring the price down. (Plus, supporting pasturing is so very eco-friendly that it’s one of the best ways to Vote with Your Fork for a better world.)
Whatever you do, don’t let the on-line ‘grass finished’ meat retailers charge you high $$s and then ship you beef from New Zealand! Not only are the inputs to NZ beef questionable, but by importing beef we are neglecting the AMERICAN grass finished meat “industry” at a time when “every Fork Vote “counts!
In my humble opinion, if I’m eating for my health, I have to stay away from feedlot beef for many reasons.
Dr Mercola calls grass finished beef ‘a health food of the highest order’ and says this:
“REAL Beef is Grass Fed Beef and a Major Source of Omega 3 fats
When we switch from grainfed to grassfed meat, then, we are simply returning to the diet of our long-ago ancestors, the diet that is most in harmony with our physiology. Every cell and every system of our bodies will function better when we eat products from animals raised on grass.
Grass-fed beef is naturally leaner than grain-fed beef.
Omega 3s in beef that feed on grass is 7% of the total fat content, compared to 1% in grain-only fed beef.
Grass-fed beef has the recommended ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 fats (3:1.)
Grass-fed beef is loaded with other natural minerals and vitamins, plus it’s a great source of CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) a fat that reduces the risk of cancer, obesity, diabetes, and a number of immune disorders.
Beef, in its natural grass-fed state, is a health food of the highest order.”
I forgot to ask: Can’t you get a good price on STEW MEAT? Looking at PHD reminds me that that could be an excellent economical way to get benefits from grass finished beef in your meal cycle.
Allan, I agree with everything you’ve said. 🙂 Our co-op buys direct from small producers and adds a 10% fee on top unless you’re buying a whole or part animal, then it caps at like $25. The 10% is less than gas to get out there. Stew meat is currently around $6/lb. I’m just doing my best to rejigger everything to manage. Thanks!
Hi Paul,
Looks like I’m going to have to order Metametrix through DirecLabs.com (Thanks for the link!!!)
Can you tell me if this is the one that will detect all/most of the bad guys?
“Microbial Ecology Profile-METAMETRIX KIT”
BTW, you are right about getting stool tests. I’m now positive I have gut problems. My food sensitivity/face red dots returned!
Yes, that’s it.
Hi Paul, I have posted you twice and did not get a reply, I’m wondering if its my computer. The latest post was December 19 2012 at 12:46pm. You answered a post to Monnyica right below it. If you don’t reply to this one I will assume there are some issues. I have recieved your replies in the past. Thanks Syl
Hi Syl,
Sorry, I’m just busy. Reply is directly above.
Hi Paul
I have written before. Just to recap- I had been dx’ed with fibromyalgia many years ago (and more recently with IBS-C). I did the CAP protocol (Nov 2010 to Nov 2011). I stopped it because of lot of nausea. While on the protocol I was able to eat meat and starch only. The antibiotics really helped with my fibromyalgia sx. However, over the past several months, I started having the following:abdominal pain, distention, and bloating, joint pain and numbness, tingling in arms and legs, feeling exhausted after eating, burning eyes, cramping in hands and feet (fingers were turning inward for instance), being short of breath, feeling spacey and dissociated, itchy skin, feeling cold, and occasional difficulty with words, racing heart. My primary care doc ran a bunch of tests – my blood serum vitamin levels are normal, no inflammation, no rheumatoid arthritis, cortisol levels are normal. My total cholesterol is high (measured in 2010- the doc refuses to do a new test since I won’t take statins) (total Cholesterol:265 mg/d, LDL Cholesterol:185; HDL Cholesterol:65 mg/dL; Triglyceride:72). Thyroid results are normal (Free T3:2.7; Free T4:0.88, TSH 1.15). Vitamin D levels are low (20). Skin testing for food allergies came back all clear.
After this my primary care doc said she has no idea what is going on with me. She referred me to a GI specialist who suspected celiac- however, biopsies of the gut and oesophagus have come back clear (I have been gluten-free for many years now). He says I should see a naturopath. The Metametrix test says I am low in some obligate anaerobes and low in E. Coli. However, I am high in H. pylori (5.6E), and have a parasite present (taxonomy unavailable).
For food, I am following a mixed GAPS and SCD diet- predominantly chicken soup, some clarified butter, and a banana a day as well as 1 tsp of Bubbies sauerkraut juice. Yesterday I had some spinach. The diet has reduced the intensity and duration of the symptoms and the abdominal symptoms have gone away. I tried honey for several days but that leads to numbness and tingling around my mouth. I’ve tried probiotics but they don’t seem to help, same with HCL. I figured the SCD diet might help with some gut issues at the very least but being this low-carb is hard to sustain. I’d appreciate any input on what direction to go in next- at this point, I’m out of ideas and don’t even know what to ask my doctors.
Thanks a lot.
Hi Radhika,
I must say I’m shocked that your doctor won’t perform an inexpensive and valuable diagnostic test like serum cholesterol out of revenge for not taking a drug. I would consider that malpractice myself. Particularly when the last test, two years ago, showed elevated LDL.
Re your issues, it can take several years after antibiotics for the gut flora to recover, and during this time of limited bacterial diversity (during antibiotics and after) you’re vulnerable to getting an overgrowth of one type, or an infection by a pathogenic species. It sounds like something like that happened.
This sort of thing might be prevented by fecal transplants at the end of the antibiotics, but that’s not standard yet unfortunately.
(I’m assuming here that the problems happened 9+ months after the end of antibiotics, so it wasn’t toxicity from antibiotics.)
It sounds like you may have a leaky gut and food sensitivities too, possibly some sort of autoimmunity.
If honey is a problem that suggests something high in the digestive tract, unless fructose malabsorption is letting fructose travel down. Does dextrose give you trouble?
You could try treating the parasite, that’s a relatively safe step that isn’t likely to cause problems. There are naturopathic ways of addressing parasites too, like bentonite clay, undecylenic acid, enzymes, etc.
It’s tricky to deal with gut issues and there is experimentation required. It sounds like you’ve done a good job finding foods that cause minimal trouble, you have to keep looking for ways to expand the range of foods you can eat so that you’ll be better nourished.
You might look for natural ways to treat H pylori also, I haven’t investigated that but it might help.
I’m glad your fibromyalgia has gone away.
Best, Paul
Thanks Paul.
In all fairness, my doc has said- there seems to be no point in assessing your cholesterol level as it hasn’t changed much in the last couple of tests. But I do wish I did not have to push her for all these tests.
I have not tried dextrose yet. I do think I have some fructose malabsorption – more than 2 bananas seems to exhaust me.
Would you recommend I see a Naturopathic Doctor?
Also, would a fecal transplant help after all this time?
I appreciate all the thought and effort you put into responding to my post. Many thanks!
Hi Radhika,
With so many dietary changes and a long course of antibiotics and changes in your health, I don’t see how it can be assumed cholesterol levels will be the same as they were in 2010.
I’m not sure what is best but I think it’s probably desirable to try natural methods as much as you can. Apart from treating the parasite or another round of antibiotics to attack the H pylori, it’s hard to see what pharmaceutical methods could do.
A fecal transplant might help, but no guarantees.
Thanks Paul, appreciate it.
Hi Paul,
I wanted to check something with you. I found out today from my gastro’s office that the biopsy samples (taken during the endoscopy) were negative for H. Pylori; however, Metametrix showed I had high H. Pylori. The doc’s office says this was a false positive and the biopsy is more reliable. I’m not sure what to believe at this point, especially since I do have some sx of H. Pylori (the dizziness, anxiety, and racing heart, fatigue/tiredness) and have had them for some time.
I’d appreciate any thoughts?
Also, I did some research on natural treatments for H. Pylori and they recommend Monolaurin, Mastic Gum, and also biofilm treatment (using Interfase). I don’t know if it would be harmful to use this supplement if I don’t have H.Pylori. It seems like its fairly harmless treatment but I’d appreciate your thoughts on that also.
Thanks so much
you could take a look at d-limonene as a ‘natural’ way to h pylori in check. Tho, there only seems to be anecdotal evidence.
But there does look to be studies showing it is a potential remedy for acid reflux, gerd, heartburn etc.
I’d be interested to hear from anyone who has tried it.
some refs,
http://barrettsesophagus.blogspot.com.au/2009/09/h-pylori.html
http://www.livestrong.com/article/483401-d-limonene-and-heartburn/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18072821
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19410566
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20934418
Hi Paul, it looks like my last comment has got stuck in your spam folder. just letting you know. thx
Hi Radhika,
I think the Metametrix test is very reliable. I think it’s likely that the H pylori is in the digestive tract but not where the biopsy was taken. Do you know where the biopsy was taken from?
I would say the monolaurin and mastic gum are pretty safe, interfase I think the enzymes are pretty safe but I have doubts about EDTA. You can get an interfase without EDTA.
Darrin, I approved a comment of yours, and deleted the rest of the spam, so I hope that was the only one. Limonene is interesting, you can use orange zest or lemon zest as a substitute I think.
yep just the one comment. thx.
I’ll post up some feedback on limonene and my reflux symptoms (once tested), i currently have some on order.
in the meantime i may give the zest a go, nothing ventured, nothing gained
Hi Paul,
(there was no reply button next to your last response to my last post).
He took biopsies from my oesophagus and small intestine. He was essentially checking for eosinophilic esophagitis and celiac.
I did find this link where Metametrix says that the biopsy is the gold standard and that sometimes the metametrix test is not positive while the biopsy is.. However, they don’t say anything about the reverse. Here is the link if you are interested:
http://www.metametrixinstitute.org/post/2011/09/07/What%E2%80%99s-the-H-pylori-Story.aspx
Thanks for the input on the meds.
Hi Darrin, Thanks for the tip. I’ll add it to my list.
Paul, I am also looking for other interfase meds without EDTA. I am not finding anything else but you had mentioned that there are other options available.
Thanks
Radhika
Hi Radhika,
Interfase Plus has EDTA (https://www.protherainc.com/prod/proddetail.asp?id=K-INTP), Interfase doesn’t (https://www.protherainc.com/prod/proddetail.asp?ID=K-INT-12).
Hi Paul,
re your comment about the honey, if it is something higher up in the digestive tract, what could it be? Any thoughts? OR what tests might be useful to figure that out? I do have some fructose malabsorption issues but my understanding has been that honey gets absorbed so quickly that it does not matter.
Thanks
Hi Paul
Just thought I’d provide an update and also ask a follow-up question.
I went to a Naturopath who suggested I treat the H. Pylori infection (even tho the biopsy did not indicate an infection while the Metametrix test was positive). I am doing Monolaurin, Mastic gum, DGL, and Interfase and Oil of Oregano. It seems to be helping with some of the brain fog as well.
I still have a lot of fatigue and get worn out easily. He thinks I have Adrenal Fatigue (AF) which causes me to get re-infected repeatedly and has ordered a saliva test. My symptoms do fit AF. In the meantime, at my request, he recommended dessicated adrenal.
I am curious about your recommendations for Adrenal Fatigue. What do you think is the best approach?
Hi Radhika,
I don’t have strong opinions about how to treat adrenal fatigue, but I very much recommend circadian rhythm enhancement (see Chapter 42) and treating any hypothyroidism.
Hi Paul
Just a brief recap- I’ve been having joint pains and numbness/tingling in arms and legs after eating (even chicken soup with shredded chicken). The metametrix test showed H.Pylori and low levels of good bacteria. I am currently treating it with monolaurin and Mastic gum. Naturopath has also diagnosed me with adrenal fatigue for which I will be taking supplements. Biopsy of small intestine and stomach was all-clear for any intestinal damage. Just to be sure, I had a intestinal permeability test done. I just got the test results and there is no permeability. Any thoughts on why I might be having joint pains after eating? I’m on a really restricted diet these days which does not seem to be helping at all.
Many thanks
Radhika
Hi Paul, Thanks for your reply. Syl
Re: Exercise…
$20 Is this cool or what?
http://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2012/11/cardboard-bicycles?spc=scode&spv=xm&ah=9d7f7ab945510a56fa6d37c30b6f1709
video: http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1275223–cardboard-bike-that-will-retail-for-20-ready-to-be-put-in-production
Great work on the new book Paul I love it ! My question is about smoking. Iv managed to get everything about my health in check with the diet, sleep, exercise, meditation but the one flaw in my lifestyle is that I smoke hookah pipe maybe two or three times a week and its hard stopping when all your friends and family do it! I know it’s bad overall, but wanted your views on it and smoking in general (cigartetes etc) and if it can possibly affect immunity against infections, acne and the thyroid. Your advice would greatly motivate to try harder at stopping this horrible habit many of us have! Tyler
Hi Tyler,
Well, I think you know it’s bad!
I am working on a post on aids for quitting cigarettes, maybe some of those ideas will be transferable to you.
Tyler , I think a step in the right direction would be to first eliminate the harmful effects of smoking by going smokeless then take the next step in quitting altogether. The best option seems to be Swedish Snus as they use an entirely different production process than American dips/snus. Although both go thru a similar, initial drying process, the American version adds another step which makes it unique. Piles of sawdust, primarily from Oak or Hickory, are lit and allowed to smolder in the barn. This generates smoke that flavors the tobacco. After that, the smoked, dried tobacco is placed in barrels and allowed to ferment for up to 5 years to develop its character. After that its cut, flavors and sweeteners are added and then it’s canned.
Swedish snus is processed much differently. Tobaccos from around the world, including the U.S. and Sweden, are chosen and bypass the smoking and fermenting. These tobaccos are mixed and stored in a cool warehouse for about 2 years before they are ground together. After that, the ground tobacco is dried and moved into a steam chamber to cure at a low temperature and then moved into flavoring vats. After that, it’s packaged and placed in a cool room for up to 2 weeks to allow the flavors to combine.The major difference between Swedish snus and American dip is the safety factor. Swedish snus has a considerably lower amount of Tobacco Specific Nitrosamines (TSNA’s), which is a carcinogen, than American Dip. This is due to the omission of the smoking and fermentation steps that American Smokeless brands go thru and the low temperatures that Swedish snus is kept. Here is a good reference for the benefits to switching to snus from smoking. http://switchandquitowensboro.org/switch-to-smoke-free/smoke-free-benefits/ The best Swedish snus option for former smokers/dippers is Northerner Purified Snus http://us.northerner.com/n_usa/swedish-snus-usa/dry-white-mini-portion-snus-usa.html
I’m working on my dad and brother on this very issue..and previously sent them the same info after researching it. Some people need their Vitamin N. If so, better to use the safest option leading towards quitting but if they don’t quit or it takes awhile it’s still 90% plus less harmful than smoking.
Great sc, thanks for the information ,I’m looking into it
Hi Paul,
First off, your book is amazing. However, I was hoping you could expand upon infections.
I live in NY and unfortunately the NDs, of which there is few in my area, are prohibitively expensive. For the cost of about a visit and a half I could spend the money on the MetaMetrix DNA Stool analysis.
http://www.metametrix.com/test-menu/profiles/gastrointestinal-function/dna-stool-analysis-gi-effects
Do you think this would be effective in finding out what could be the cause of my current symptoms?
Would one of their cheaper tests be just as effective?
Symptoms:
-Intolerance to sugars and fruit
-Tongue coating and recurring balanitis
-Eating meat causes my tongue to get coated more and furry
-Starches will make my balanitis symptoms improve and then in a few days it seems that I lose the battle again, however this is much better than when I was avoiding starches
-Itchy skin(leads to acne) and a flare up of symptoms when I eat fermented foods/coconut kefir. Same thing happens with apple cider vinegar
One final question, could using coconut oil with my starches feed whatever is causing my infection with ketones?
Thanks
I’d also like to point out that eating starches causes my mouth to become dry, I have no idea why.
I’ve also been eating fermented foods/coconut kefir for 2+ months now so I really don’t believe it is die off.
Hi Kimanyd,
I don’t recognize your symptoms so have no idea what it is or whether a Metametrix test might tell you something. It sounds like possibly some mix of SIBO and systemic fungal infection, but don’t take that as any more than a guess.
I do like the Metametrix test because it is reliable. If it says you have something, you do. That at least gives you confidence to go ask for treatment.
Since without a diagnostic test it will be hard for you to know what to do, I think it’s a very reasonable thing to get.
The other approach would be to try therapies, eg try an antifungal drug and see if that helps.
I don’t know about the coconut oil, but if you used enough it might. You could try swapping it for olive oil or dairy and see if they do better.
Thanks for the reply Paul.
I have these capsules called Allimed and I believe they are highly concentrated allicin, do you thing these could help kill off anything fungal?
Would this harm my good gut flora, seeing as how I can’t really stomach fermented foods I wouldn’t want to damage it further.
Thanks
They are antifungal, but you could also just eat garlic. They can irritate the digestive tract lining. I think overall the modulatory effect on the gut flora would probably be favorable as long as you eat garlic (or the capsules) in moderation.
Chopping garlic very finely and letting it sit for 15 min increases allicin. Then swallow with water like a pill. No garlic breath and works well for me.
If Kimanyd has fructose malabsorption the garlic will produce symptoms of fungal dieoff, but it is probably it is just a combination of fructose malabsorption and garlic.
Maybe F.M is something else to look into.
Kristopher
I wonder what the verdict is on sesame seeds or tahini is this part of a healthy diet?
check the fatty acid composition on the back, if it’s high in polyunsaturated fats then the answer is no. I think tahini is high in omega 6, but check the label for confirmation.
Hi Dr.jaminet. Just a quick question – what are your thoughts on the MTOR pathway? Do you beleive excess protein consumption may contribute to cancer (or increase susceptibility thereof) by over-activating the Mtor pathway? thanks.
Hi Marcus,
It’s plausible that excess protein would promote cancer, but I’m not aware of much data showing that it actually does. Some amino acids promote cancer growth, eg glutamate. Low protein is a risk factor for cancer too.
yes, I know vegetarian diets are associated with a higher risk of brain, breast and reproductive cancers.
Re: Circadian Rhythm Therapy
I just read about this device in a health newsletter. It’s basically a pair of lenseless glasses that shine a 500nm (blue-green) light into one’s eyes for 50 minutes to signal that it’s daytime and thus can help re-set your internal clock. http://re-timer.com/ I sure could use it here in SW Washington where it’s been gray and overcast for the last two months – I find myself going to bed later and later, and need to get back on track. I appreciate and will follow all the other suggestions too.
I believe watching porn on computer during the day is good for circadian rhythms.
The thing is ridiculously expensive though.
Too bad trips to Hawaii aren’t cheaper too!
BABY FOOD (5-7 months): Hello Paul and PHD folks. This is a different flavor on a question I asked previously regarding PHD and babies.
#1: I am wondering if we should wait as long as possible (as long as the baby is satisfied) to introduce food given that breast milk is the perfect food.
#2: I am hoping to get more input regarding first foods to introduce to a baby (5-6 months).
We plan to start with avocado, sweet potato, banana. I am curious about peoples thoughts on adding cooked egg yolk to the mix somewhat early on. Also.. what about a tiny bit of ghee, coconut oil or butter with sweet potatoes to soften it up more and increase fat content. Any websites/opinions/experiences would be appreciated.
Best!
BSG
Note: Our initial introduction will be after he has breastfed to primarily introduce him to taste and texture.
Hi BSG,
I’m not an expert on baby feeding but …
#1 I think it’s good to introduce real food around 4 months in small amounts and 6 months in larger amounts. There’s no need to totally wean however for a while. There’s some evidence that exposure to immunogens in food helps shape immune tolerance and prevent later food allergies, so total food avoidance during the first six months may be inappropriate. After six months the baby’s immune system is well developed so food should be healthful, but there’s nothing wrong with continued breast feeding as a partial source of food.
#2 I think a diversity of foods is the best strategy — not too much of any one — and using PHD foods. I think PHD proportions are good, slightly higher carb and lower protein but similar fat, so ghee, coconut mik, and butter are all good parts of a baby’s diet!
http://westonaprice.org/childrens-health/feeding-babies
https://secure.westonaprice.org/CVWEB_WESTON/cgi-bin/msascartlist.dll/ProductInfo?productcd=J01
There is some information in these
Ellen
I forget whether I read this in something you wrote or not, but is there evidence that alcohol consumption on a regular basis may help our bodies process other things like menthol or methanol more effectively and be protective in that sense? If so, do you know where you mentioned this or do you have a reference? Thanks
Hi Zack,
Anton Tand introduced me to that theory here:
http://perfecthealthdiet.com/2011/02/jaminet%E2%80%99s-corollary-to-the-ewald-hypothesis/comment-page-1/#comment-86333
Alcohol actually makes methanol break down more slowly, so that you are exposed to less formaldehyde at any one time. I doubt this is an issue for very many people but working with formaldehyde, or excess aspartame, could perhaps cause lasting sensitivity to methanol.
I take a whey protein powder with added Bovine serum albumin. This means it contains growth factors and immune stimulating compounds. The addition of Bovine serum albumin gives the whey 5 times the immunoglobulin of typical whey proteins on the market. Specifically, bovine serum albumin is over 45% IGG, 4-5% IGM, a small amount of IGA, all of which are growth factors. I know raw unfermented dairy has a high level of IGF-1 and this stimulates growth, yet shortens lifespan. Do the above mentioned compounds have similar negative effects on longevity? (They whey I use is the one Dave Asprey carries on his site, since it is grass-fed, and he tends to focus on longevity, so I was curious.) Thanks
Hi Zack,
It’s a good question but I don’t know the answer offhand, I would have to research that.
Hi Paul,
In your opinion, is the fear of pasturized and homogenized milk warrented? Are the studies implying that these processes are harmful to health the result of animal studies and/or observational studies of humans on the SAD diet? Do you know if there are any really good studies to support these claims? Thanks.
Hi Olga,
Well, I think there’s little question that industrial processing of milk degrades its quality as a food. Whether that makes it outright harmful is another question. I don’t think pasteurized/homogenized milk is necessarily net harmful, but I think you can get nearly all the benefits with less risk by eating fatty or fermented dairy preferentially.
Olga, I’m no expert but my understanding is that pasteurization, whether it can adversely affect milk components in other ways or not, was originally applied to dairies after outbreaks of disease from poorly raised cows in dirty, contaminated intercity industrial a reas in the U.S. in the early 20th century. It renders modern milk, from cleaner although also unhealthy and overworked, cows mostly sterile and although it’s drinkable, it’s healthfulness is debatable and it’s ripe for invasion by harmful bacteria. Raw milk, though, from healthy naturally raised cows (the only ones allowed to produce raw milk for sale) contains beneficial bacteria that tend to fight off pathogens. Milk is a suspension, and grass-fed Jersey cows’ yellowish colored raw milk’s constituents and particle forms are different from that of the blue-white, chalky liquid from the supermarket. It tastes like liquid ice-cream. And if you should keep it sitting around for a long enough time that it ‘spoils’ it will become a sour, thick curdled stuff that’s still drinkable, unlike supermarket milk which you wouldn’t be able to get within 5 feet of without nose plugs. Raw milk tastes great but of course contains lactose, so I make fermented kefir with it.
I would say that the comparison of regular to raw milk is similar to that of storebought, pasteurized, non-organic pickles containing vinegar, preservatives and pesticide and herbicide residues to the home-made, fermented, organic variety.
http://realmilk.com/
Hi Jack,
Thanks for the info. I am aware of the virtues of raw milk and would dearly love to have access to it. But, it’s difficult to get where I live, so I guess what I am really trying to find out is just how bad is the processed stuff? I get that it’s not the healthiest option, but is it out right bad for you? Thanks again.
Hi Paul,I seem to have digestive issues with platains and most starches except for white rice.I seem to handle beans very well,with proper preparation.Since i am of Hispanic ancestory.Which beans were and are very prevelent in my bloodlines,could this be something that i can consume regulary without any negative health effects?And would the same hold true for sprouted corn tortillas?
Hi Sabrena,
If you can prepare them properly, with overnight soaking and sprouting and then thorough cooking, then they aren’t bad. I am not willing to endorse corn, but a case can be made for sprouted corn.
Hi Paul,
For Men in their 50-60s, is the cause of hair loss due to:
(a) age, genetics
(b) chemicals in shampoo (Head & Shoulders)
(c) daily hair washing v.s. every other day
(d) diet
or something else?
e. Hypothyroidism
f. Infections
g. Mitochondrial dysfunction
h. Circadian rhythm disruption
Basically it’s due to some combination of age and genetics, and unhealthy or poorly functioning cells, so anything that impairs health will promote it.
Thanks Paul, I have a few additional questions…
Is frequency of hair washing a major or minor cause of hair loss?
Due to his work schedule, he sleeps 2am-9am. Is this considered bad circadian rhythm?
Also he takes Levothyroxine due to Hyperthyroidism (removed his thyroid in his 20s with nuclear).
Hi Monnyica,
I don’t think so.
Just shifting the schedule, as long as he keeps everything aligned (exercise, food in daytime, sun exposure), should be OK.
Too bad he lost his thyroid but it is essential to replace the missing thyroid hormone. He might do better with some T3 and he might benefit by carefully timing when he takes the pills to match normal thyroid hormone rhythms.
Hi Paul,
Regarding timing when to take Levothyroxine. How should he go about this? Is there a universal ideal time to take it?
Interesting. He eats late. First meal at 3pm. And he hasn’t exercised for months. Thanks for pointing out things I would never have found researching on my own! And thank you for being generous with your time in these comments!
Hi Monnyica,
http://thyroid.about.com/od/thyroiddrugstreatments/a/bedtime.htm
In Functional Approach to Hypothyroidism: Bridging Traditional and Alternative Treatment Approaches for Total Patient Wellness, endocrinologist Kenneth Blanchard reports most of his patients do best taking T3 with breakfast, T4 with dinner. And that weight gain often occurs taking thyroid hormone on an empty stomach.
Thanks Mark! Good to know.
Paul, do you think taking extra Lecithin would help reduce bad cholesterol?
Paul, do you think taking extra Lecithin granules would help reduce bad cholesterol?
Yes, but egg yolks would be even better.
For background on choline deficiency inducing dyslipidemia, see http://perfecthealthdiet.com/2010/11/dangers-of-a-zero-carb-diet-ii-micronutrient-deficiencies/
Hi Paul, love the new edition, very easy read and much easier for me to absorb. I’m a type 2 diabetic am very interested in choline and how it relates to insulin resistance. The books makes reference to Adequate Intake level of 550 MG for men but goes on to say this may be too low. I try to have 3 egg yolks each day and will start with 1/4 lb beef liver weekly but think that a supplement might be called for. Is there a UL on choline? What is your recommended dose?
Thanks
Hi Brian,
There’s no known toxicity to choline, but I think egg yolks are probably the cheapest source, so there’s not much reason to supplement unless you have an egg sensitivity or want so much choline that the omega-6 content of egg yolks becomes a concern.
I really, really enjoy your book. I just got it on the 11th and I’ve been pouring through it! I’m currently working on changing my diet so I can be happier, healthier, and sexier too! 😀
Anyways, I wanted to ask what you know about coconut oil and yeast overgrowth. I tried supplementing with a tablespoon or two everyday with coconut oil but had to stop. (I have Nature’s Way, organic, cold-pressed coconut oil). I love how it tastes, but it was making my armpit B.O. smell funny (kind of vinegary/sharp-smelling, not like the usual onion-smell). Also, I started to get what I’m pretty sure was a constant yeast infection (so itchy down there). I stopped supplementing with C.O. and within a week or so the yeast infection went away. However, my armpits still smell different than before (and I bathe pretty much everyday, with soap, so I’m not an unhygienic person).
I know its just how my armpits smell (which is a little silly), but I wanted to ask if this is a symptom of systematic candidiasis. I’ve tried Googling a link between C.O. consumption and yeast infections but I’ve found nothing.
I really want to start eating some C.O. again but I don’t want to get more yeast infections or smell weird. Any advice?
Hi AP,
I do believe that ketosis promotes systemic/disseminated fungal infections, and coconut oil is ketogenic. However, the effect should be greatest on a low-carb diet. I don’t think that coconut oil promotes fungal infections much if the diet has sufficient carbs and does not have a calorie excess.
However, I would say that polyphenol-rich oils like extra virgin olive oil have antifungal properties, so you may want to shift your diet toward them a bit.
Paul,
Thank you for your quick response! I really appreciate it as I’ve been pretty confused about what my problem with C.O. is! Thank you once again and I will try to shift my diet more towards polyphenol-rich oils. 🙂
-AP
If any readers want more information on coconut oil versus olive oil in relation to fungal and bacterial growth, I found a link that includes some more information from Paul. He also gives some resources to back up his reply. 🙂
http://onibasu.com/archives/cl/45375.html
Very interesting…if one partakes in carb backloading where you eat mostly fat/protein early in the day and all of your starchy carbs with dinner, is this enough to cause fungal issues with coconut oil consumption? I usually have a bit of butter/coconut oil with my coffee in the morning before having a big lunch…not sure if that’s enough to put me in ketosis if I’m having at least 50G starchy carbs at night.
Hi Paul,
I have posted a few questions in the past and you have been extraordinarily helpful! I have a lengthy question regarding my brother:
My brother is currently experiencing these symptoms:
– Migraine headaches and neck aches
-Occasional, slightly enlarged lymph nodes
-Enlarged liver (shown on CAT scan) with consistent pain under his right rib cage.
His health history:
6 years ago- He contracted the tick disease Ehrlichiosis. It was misdiagnosed and was ongoing for a long time until he was given a course of Doxycyline and his symptoms went away.
2 years ago- He fractured his neck. It was a mild fracture, but still a significant trauma.
(After this his list of symptoms above started to appear in a very mild form every few months)
A few months after the neck fracture- He contracted another tick disease (a common one for Southern California. He had a rash, fever, tick bites). He was given another course of Doxycycline. His symptoms went away.
3 months after the latest tick disease, his symptoms above have become chronic. He has currently had them for 16 months. He has had bloodwork done, CAT scans, and he has not autoimmune disease, no cancer and no infections. All his tests have came back totally clean. His Rheumatologist is calling it Fibromyalgia. He definitely has low vitamin D (and is also a carrier for Cystic Fibrosis, not sure if that matters). So I’ve convinced him to start Vit D and Vit K2.
I have not convinced him to start the PHD yet (he’s stubborn) so I know that would help. He briefly went on a low carb diet to lose weight for about 2 1/2 months and his symptoms became much milder. He, of course, started eating poorly again and the symptoms came back.
I’m sorry this question is so long. It’s hard to know how to proceed. Obviously the PHD diet is the place to start. I am giving him the book for Christmas. But do you have any ideas about what this could be? It definitely seems related to the tick diseases but I’m not sure how, and whether there is a treatment.
THANK YOU SO SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME!!!!!
CB
Hi CB,
It’s common for pathogens to cause acute symptoms after infection but then to recede, especially after some treatment, but persist with milder chronic symptoms.
Then as the chronic infections flare up, or multiple infections are contracted, or the infections combine with a bad diet, you can get a highly variable set of chronic symptoms that are hard to diagnose.
Diagnostic testing is in a primitive state, and you can have undetectable chronic infections. Also, treatment may be ineffective at eradicating the infections as long as the diet is bad.
So I strongly recommend following a good diet and all the other recommendations of our book. This will help improve health and clarify symptoms, aiding diagnosis.
Since he found that a low-carb diet helped, he knows that diet can affect things. That’s an important discovery.
I would suggest that he implement our diet and lifestyle recommendations, read patient forums at places like cpnhelp.org, read up on possible infections like rickettsial diseases (http://www.atsu.edu/faculty/chamberlain/Website/Lects/RICKETT.HTM), pursue diagnostic tests, and when his diet and lifestyle are optimized, experiment with antibiotic treatments.
I don’t specifically recognize what his pathogens may be, I think he will need diagnostic testing or a willingness to experiment with antimicrobial drugs.
Best, Paul
I have very much enjoyed the book. However, I am stumped by one simple item of measurement. To wit, when you speak of rice and its appropriate weight for consumption, are you speaking of ‘cooked’ rice and its weight or ‘uncooked’ rice and its weight. Thanks…..swshipman
Hi Stephen,
Cooked rice, so the weight includes a lot of water.
Correction to last post: His symptoms started mildly after the Ehrlichiosis, not the neck fracture. They weren’t full blown until a few months after the most recent tick disease.
H. Pylori update:
Good morning. Just thought I would check in to say that I stopped the Interfase Plus and the Undecylex beginning last Saturday. But Tuesday evening back pain returned. Experienced some on Thursday, but yesterday afternoon it was constant. Decided I will start the 2 month protocol of Nattokinase, Interfase Plus, NAC,Lactoferrin, monolaurin, Xylitol, and Serrapeptase. Last night I took a half a scoop of the monolaurin to see if it would help and my back pain disappeared in a half hour.
Paul, not sure how much NAC to take for the purpose of disrupting biofilm. Thoughts?
Also, stumbled on an article about using mice in research. The article is very long and I read slowly, also was exhausted from a difficult week of long days at school. So…in truth, I did not read the entire article, but was interested in the bit about mice responding completely differently to research trials when they are subjected to intermittent fasting. I struggled with IF until I got the HP diagnosis in August and have been quite successful with it since.
Here is the link: http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/the_mouse_trap/2011/11/lab_mice_are_they_limiting_our_understanding_of_human_disease_.html
Hi Lana,
It’s great that the monolaurin is so effective for you.
NAC doesn’t disrupt biofilms so far as I know, but it does support immune function and aid detoxification, so it’s generally good to take in most health conditions.
Thanks for the Salon article, it raises a very important issue!
hi lana,
i’m interested to know where abouts your back pain is located.
& what you think may be the source or cause of it?
thx
The pain is just below my shoulder blades, across my back in a strip. I was visiting with a recent graduate of Bastyr University about my H.P. diagnosis and mentioned the back pain. He said that pain at that location — mid-back — correlates with the stomach. Also, when I first began treating the HP with Thorne SF 734, after 2.5 weeks I noticed that my back pain, which usually came on with fatigue, was gone. For the rest of the two months that I took the SF734 I experienced no back pain. This was amazing. Then, after the two months, when I stopped the SF734 the back pain returned worse than ever, not just when I was tired, but all the time. Then I googled pylori and back pain and got over 823,000 hits. Mastic gum also makes the pain go away, as does the SF734. The pain is a burning sensation. I have read that pain in the back can be an ulcer. I tend to anthropomorphize this bacteria and consider that it is balking big time at my efforts to take back my stomach, and when I let up on the assault it triem to gain territory.
Paul, in my notes from Chris Kresser’s talk at Wise Traditions ’12, I have written a quote from him, “NAC disrupts biofilm.” Also, Dr. Ettinger lists it as necessary along with several other things in the eradication of HP. Just got the recordings of the conference today, so when I get to Kresser’s talk I’ll take better notes and will share them here.
Thanks, Lana, there are some papers on NAC disrupting biofilms: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=NAC%20biofilms
thx for your response lana.
I was just reading about monolaurin, after seeing you mention it, very interesting.
Have you had a chance to see if really is helping your back pain yet, or too soon to say?
& how much is half a scoop.
I saw on iherb that Solgar sell it in 500 mg capsules and its cheap.
http://www.iherb.com/Solaray-Monolaurin-500-mg-60-Veggie-Caps/42053
…make that Solaray (not Solgar)
I got the one that Dr. Ettinger said he used, Lauricidin from Med-Chem Labs. Think I got it through Amazon. It comes with a small scoop. Not sure if it is helping. Pain is nearly gone but I’m seriously off schedule with meals waiting too long for those empty stomach enzymes I have to take. On the hunt for Nike basketball socks with stripes up the back. That’s all my 12-year old grandson wanted when I asked, and I thought it would be easy to pick them up, but cupboards are bare. I came home with football socks, which are not going to work. It’s 8:30 PM here and I’m about to leave for the mall, as they are holding a pair for me. The Lego days were so much easier.
Darrin, if you have HP and are looking for a natural treatment, here are two sites that may be helpful:
http://amyking.wordpress.com/2009/02/20/im-so-happy-i-have-h-pylori/
http://www.advancedhealing.com/blog/2009/09/13/heartburn-gastritis-gerd-achlorhydria-h-pylori-treatment/
At Amy K’s site, search for “Elena,” as she lists the steps that she took to rid herself of this thing.
At Dr. E’s site be certain to read what he says about biofilms and check the links he has for biofilm.
Frankly, in terms of feeling better, I think the Thorne SF734 seemed to be better at that. The back pain went away and did not return at all until I stopped taking it. But I was also taking Manuka honey and mastic gum. The HP numbers were so high that when I started the SF734, M. honey, and m. gum, it stirred them up and I had four bouts of 90 minute palpitations and very, very irregular heartbeats. Would have been scary, but I had read that it was one of the severe symptoms that drove Amy K to a cardiologist before she knew what she had. It seems to be usual for the cardiologist to be the first doc HP people see.
This morning I read where many people stay on their natural products for six months and then do a maintenance of the mastic gum and monolaurin. The toughest thing for me is that Amy’s diet recommendations strictly forbid white rice, and that’s about the only safe starch I can do. Taro, thus far, has been pretty boring. Probably operator error. I have been eating rice throughout, but am wondering if that is what I need to let go of until this thing is behind me. I’ve tried but get severely dry eyes.
Off to the mall. Hope this is helpful.
Thanks lana, and good luck with your sock hunt
fyi, 1 blue scoop of Lauricidin = 3.0 grams.
http://lauricidin.com/instructions/
Merry Christmas
Hi Paul,
Is there any speculation about how much carbohydrate would have been consumed by paleo man? Would pre agriculture man have been able to find 70-100 g of carbs on a daily basis?
Hi Olga,
We discuss that fairly extensively in the book. Also in this post: http://perfecthealthdiet.com/2011/02/hunter-gatherer-macronutrient-ratios-new-data/
Dear Paul,
I really appreciate all of your and Shou-Ching’s hard work. It all makes great sense.
I am 70 years old and found out in my 30’s the importance of proper nutrition. It was the answer to my almost incapacitating hypoglycemia and, probably fibromyalgia, but more,importantly , to my husbands intestinal problems and pain. At one time I was on Pritikin with very poor results: bad joints, dry eyes to the point of not being able to open them sometimes, and very sensitive teeth.
When I started eating more sensibly those problems fairly deminished but not the cravings. I don’t remember how I happened onto your site, but am very happy I did. I ordered your book…my biggest concern is our son who has myasthenia Gravis. Hopefully his wife will take agree that this would be good for him.
My cravings have stopped and I feel good. My question is about clogging of the arteries. I was born with a myocardial bridge…for the sake of your readers…one of the arteries that is suppose to be on the outside of the heart muscle tunnels through part of it. Each time my heart beats that artery is squeezed. After finding this out I have been very thankful that I have been diet conscious. My dad and all uncles died from heart attacks in late 50’s and early 60’s. If that artery clogs up I wouldn’t just get a stent, the heart muscle would have to be cut. I am trusting your findings that if I adhere strictly to the PHD, the excess fat will not cause clogging. I am use to sticking to olive oil. I think I am just wanting reassurance…..it is the cakes, cookies, pies, that cause the clogging, right? It is confusing that a lot of the bad foods are called carbohydrates along with the good stuff.
Also, what is NAC?
Thank you so much,
Jeri
Hi Jeri,
Atherosclerosis has no single cause; as you go through the book you’ll see a number of causes — high omega-6, low vitamin D, low vitamin K2, lack of collagen in the diet, and many more — but in the general population high omega-6, high sugar, hypothyroidism, and conditions of energy excess caused by high omega-6 and high sugar diets are probably major causes. Toxicity from things like wheat may also matter. Infections are important.
Cakes, cookies, and pies are bad because of their omega-6 fats, sugar, wheat, and lack of nutrients. They certainly contribute to clogged arteries.
Since your cravings have stopped and you feel good, odds are high that you’ve already significantly reduced your risk of vascular disease. Just keep going and tending to all the little things we discuss in the book. It is a large pile of straws that breaks the camel’s back. I would encourage you to use some coconut milk and dairy fat as well as olive oil, but olive oil is good. And don’t eliminate carbs, just eat whole plant foods rather than processed carbs.
NAC is N-acetylcysteine. It is a therapeutic supplement we recommend in many diseases, it supports immune function and detoxification.
Paul,
Under the doubling strategy every 4 weeks I am now up to 900 mcg if Iodine a day, and 400 mg of Selenium (broken up in two 200 mg doses per week).
Question: I feel fine. But curious as to what symptoms I should look for in case I am taking too much iodine or selenium for my system.
thank you,
Evan
Hi Evan,
Any symptoms of hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism. You might google those.
Hi Paul,
I know you recommend Chocolate, but most of it I find with sugar. Usual 3oz with 70%coco has around 24 grams of sugar, so that 12 grams of fructose right? You recommend not to go over 15-25grams of fructose per day in your new book right?
Also, even out of curiosity, how do you fit in 1 pound of Sugary Berries/Beets/Carots per day?
Since you eat within 8 hour window, lets say I can get 4 oz of Carrots in a Soup, but I do not think I can eat 12oz of Berries in the morning with my Eggs :).
Hi St,
3 ounces is 84 grams which is a lot of chocolate to eat daily. If you want to eat that much I would go for darker chocolate. Fructose is a concern but at low “treat” doses of dark chocolate I don’t think it’s a big deal.
I usually have a banana during the day, which is 1/3 lb, maybe some berries, might have a carrot as a snack, we make beets often, we make stews with carrots and other vegetables. When cooked they’re easier to eat.
Hi dr.jaminet. I’ve been reading a lot about transgenic animal experiments, particularly with mice, where the researchers ‘knock out’ genes related to insulin and IGF regulation/production.
Essentially, by down-regulating and lowering the production of insulin and IGF the researchers were able to increase the lifespan of mice by about 25% (and insects by up to 100%).
This has been used as a rationale for low-carbohydrate diets in increasing longevity, because such diets inevitably down-regulate insulin/IGF and reduce their production.
However studies show that calorie restriction does not lower IGF in humans while protein restriction does. However according to a study on this website http://www.ergo-log.com/lowcarbwithouttraining.html the increase IGF was released at the muscle site specifically and therefore aided muscle mass gain and would probably not increase cancer risk.
I was wondering what your thoughts are on the dietary implications of these experiments?
Do you believe that carbohydrate restriction might lower IGF in humans, thereby increasing lifespan and lowering cancer risk? Might the same also hold true for protein restriction?
Hi Marcus,
It’s an interesting and complex topic. I’m planning to research it further and do blog posts on it.
A lot of the animal results don’t generalize to humans, in part because we’ve evolved for longevity already, so a lot of the pathways that lead to longer lifespans in rodents have already been optimized for longevity in humans by evolutionary selection.
Any remaining longevity opportunities are sure to have downsides, eg lost muscle mass, which probably increase the risk of premature death. So it’s more likely that interventions will increase the variability of lifespan than that they’ll extend the mean significantly.
Our book more or less presents our recommended strategy for optimizing lifespan. I think the lifestyle components are probably as important as the dietary components. I think 30% carbs and high saturated fat are optimal for lifespan in humans. I think low protein may help but has risks.
Thanks for the information dr.jaminet.
I was also interested in your thoughts because you in your book you suggest that calorie restriction may increase the lifepsan of animals chiefly by reducing insulin secretion (page 40).
However, if this is true shoudln’t we expect to see similar life extension results in animal studies by using carbohydrate restriction without restricting calories? My understanding is that high fat low carbohydrate diets have not been shown to increase longevity in animal studies.
Hi Marcus,
I think you’re referring to the original edition. I’m less optimistic now about reduced insulin levels promoting longevity.
I think you’re right about the animal studies.
Hi paul,
do you think elevated IGF may increase cancer susceptibility and reduce longevity in humans?
thanks.
I would also like to draw your attention to these studies which apparently show a link between IGF/insulin and longevity in humans specifically –
^ Guevara-Aguirre J, Balasubramanian P, Guevara-Aguirre M, Wei M, Madia F, Cheng CW, Hwang D, Martin-Montalvo A, Saavedra J, Ingles S, de Cabo R, Cohen P, Longo VD (February 2011). “Growth hormone receptor deficiency is associated with a major reduction in pro-aging signaling, cancer, and diabetes in humans”. Sci Transl Med 3 (70): 70ra13. doi:10.1126/scitranslmed.3001845. PMC 3357623. PMID 21325617.
//www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3357623/.
1. ^ Pawlikowska L, Hu D, Huntsman S, Sung A, Chu C, Chen J, Joyner AH, Schork NJ, Hsueh WC, Reiner AP, Psaty BM, Atzmon G, Barzilai N, Cummings SR, Browner WS, Kwok PY, Ziv E (August 2009). “Association of common genetic variation in the insulin/IGF1 signaling pathway with human longevity”. Aging Cell 8 (4): 460–72. doi:10.1111/j.1474-9726.2009.00493.x. PMID 19489743.
2. ^ Suh Y, Atzmon G, Cho MO, Hwang D, Liu B, Leahy DJ, Barzilai N, Cohen P (March 2008). “Functionally significant insulin-like growth factor I receptor mutations in centenarians”. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 105 (9): 3438–42. doi:10.1073/pnas.0705467105. PMC 2265137. PMID 18316725.
//www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2265137/.
^ http://stm.sciencemag.org/content/3/70/70ra13.abstract
and in the conclusion of this study http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3295030/, here is a pertinent quote –
“Preliminary data indicates that genetic variation in IIS pathway genes and metabolic features reminiscent of enhanced FoxO activation associate with human longevity as well.”
While this study also shows that protein restriction reduces IGF-1 in humans http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2673798/
and of course we already know that carbohydrate restriction reduces insulin in humans, however I am not sure if it reduce IGF as well as I have notbeen able to find any studies to confirm it.
Hi Marcus,
IGF is much more likely to do this than insulin.
IGF depends mostly on protein and total calories. It isn’t affected much by the carb proportion. So lower protein and lower total energy intake suppress IGF1.
Thanks for the paper links! Merry Christmas!
Thanks paul, merry christmas mate.
Hi Paul,
What do you think overall about supplementing with Saccharomyces boulardii? Can we get it in regular food somehow?
I do eat a lot of Kimchi, is most bacteria there Lactobacillus?
Hi St,
I think Wikipedia hits the pros and cons: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saccharomyces_boulardii. I would say it is likely beneficial in bacterial gut infections / food poisoning, possibly beneficial as an occasional probiotic supplement in healthy people, dangerous in people with fungal infections.
If the kimchi is eaten at the proper time in its fermentation then most species will be lactic-acid producing bacteria. If it is eaten too late then there will be molds. Too early and there can be pathogenic bacteria.
Hi Paul, I struggle with fermented vegetables personally, I cannot make them correctly so I have found a source both in a grocery store and a farm. The kimchi and kraut I purchase don’t taste sour at all. The woman who makes these at our farmers market ferments with whey (she is a dairy farmer), and they taste like salty cabbage mostly. Do you think perhaps this kraut and kimchi are being put in jars too early like you describe to St above to be eating? Also, do you think the grocery store krauts are being eaten too late in the process due to shelf life? The one I found in the Whole Foods here is organic, and made in small batches (very artisan), but I wonder if it is a good source (grocery krauts in general). I would appreciate your thoughts very much. I have heard that grocery krauts are too acidic and should not be eaten. I am so confused. Thank you so much.
Hi Dede,
I’ve never tried fermenting with whey so I don’t know what that tastes like. I wonder if she adds more salt later in the process? You might ask how it is made.
I understand most of the grocery ones are pasteurized, so they’ll have vitamins generated during fermentation and other benefits, but not live cultures. Again, that would be something to check with.
I think acidity is OK, it’s the acid that promotes lactobacillus type strains.
Thank you and Merry Christmas! My husband and I are making your recipe for beef roast with beets and potatoes today, by the way!
I will stick with the brand I found at Whole Foods until I can find out more on the whey ferments. The store brand I found, Farmhouse Culture is raw according to the label, so I assume it is not pasteurized. Here is a link to this small artisan company if you have any interest: http://farmhouseculture.com/
Thanks for the link, Dede. That looks like a good company that makes the real deal. But I know what you’re saying about the less than fully sour taste. Here in the Portland/Vancouver area, Whole Foods and other health food stores carry a local, naturally fermented kraut called Pleasant Valley Farms, which states right on the label ‘not pasteurized’ and it too, although okay, isn’t very sour compared to my home-made crock ferments. I almost wonder if in order to comply with some gov’t regulation they’re forced to stop the batches early in order to keep a total bacterial count below a maximum limit or something.
How are you making your ferments? What seems to be wrong?
And just as Paul says, acidic (sour) is good in a natural ferment. The acetic acid in a canned product isn’t a sign of the presence of good bacteria, but the lactic acid sourness in a natural ferment is a good thing. The sourness goes along with the health benefits.
By the way, if you’re interested in making whole milk kefir, here’s a link for the starter grains. Best thing one can do with milk, be it real raw milk or just the supermarket junk.
http://kefirlady.com/
Thank you Jack. Yes, this Farmhouse Culture seems to be the real deal. VERY sour krauts, by the way.
I didn’t feel well when drinking a raw goat’s milk kefir, I wasn’t fond of the taste either, but thank you for the link.
My own ferments I have tried just bubble out of the jars, no matter what level of water. There is just too much room for error in making them and I seem to make all of the errors! 😉
Paul, so I assume it could be very beneficial to try for Rosacea right?(since it is more bacterial right)
How can you tell overall if you have fungal issues instead of bacterial? Would only stool tests tell you?
If one is prone to lets say Jock Itch, what does that tell you?
Hi St,
In my case rosacea seems to have been mainly fungal, it arrived with antibiotics and left with antifungals.
Unfortunately there are no good diagnostic tests, and it is difficult to get doctors to try experimental treatments.
Jock itch is generally fungal, so it suggests some proneness toward fungal infections.
Paul, if you do not mind, was it fluconazole or nystatin? For how long do you need to take it? I just want to know what to ask the doctor when I go.
Assuming it is more fungal, does it mean that I should not try for example low carb Keto with Coconut/MCT oil?
Hi St,
I took fluconazole but I hesitate to say that my own experience can be generalized to others. So I think you should consult with your doctor about your case.
Hi Paul,
One more question, since I might be more vulnerable to fungal, does that mean I should NOT try Ketogenic diet?
I also think I have GERD, so it just seems like all has to do with the gut.
I read that you suggest Dextrose, to avoid bacterial fermentation of starches right? But is that only for Ketogenic? I would imagine it would be hard to get 20-30% of diet in dextrose. But then if it is only for KEtogenic, then you are still producing KEtones that certain pathogens will feed on right?
I am just trying to understand what to do, would you suggest for GERD to follow just regular PHD and do FODMAPS?
Hi St,
Insofar as you aren’t sure what ails you, a ketogenic diet may be worth an experiment, but you should be watching yourself closely and be aware that it’s possible to have a negative reaction to it (or an initial positive response followed by a negative response later).
Using a dextrose in place of food carbs is a rare strategy against severe cases of SIBO plus IBD, to try to nourish the body with some glucose while minimizing intake of slower-digesting fermentable carbs.
In ketogenic diets, we recommend avoiding sucrose (which makes the diet less ketogenic) and eating starch instead as a carb source.
If you were on a ketogenic diet and had SIBO/IBD then one might want to use dextrose as a carb source. That would be an extreme situation.
For GERD I would follow regular PHD and aim to be well nourished and support digestive function.
Hi dr.jaminet,
I was wondering if you could comment on the apparent link between higher SAFA diets and insulin resistance in human and animal studies?
I was reading the literature on diabetes and the role of SAFA and found a number of studies which implicated SAFA in insulin resistance.
And isn’t it also true that experimenters can induce insulin resistance in rats by feeding them high fat diets? Thanks.
Hi Victoria,
I think saturated fats increase the dynamic range of insulin sensitivity. They make people who are insulin sensitive more insulin sensitive, and people who are insulin resistant more insulin resistant.
I think this is actually good for us if we’re eating a healthy diet, and promotes longevity.
But on a bad diet it can make certain consequences worse.
“High fat diet” generally means a diet high in sugar as well as fat. Usually they are around 40% carb 40% fat. What induces insulin resistance is a calorie excess. Rodents confined to shoebox cages like tasty sugary-fatty diets and will tend to overeat them if food is available at all times.
Ok, so if you restrict carbohydrates and eat a high SAFA diet, that would tend to improve insulin sensitivity?
Any thoughts on why MUFA does not increase insulin resistance on a bad diet, but SAFA does? thanks.
Hi Victoria,
No, eat a calorie-minimizing diet which I think is about 30% carbs, and then a 50% fat / 30% SAFA diet should be good for insulin sensitivity.
Peter at Hyperlipid has been discussing this very issue over the least ~4 months on his blog. That would be a good place to go for mechanisms. It has to do with mitochondrial control of cellular energy uptake — SaFA give mitochondria the most control.
great i’ll check it out. Doesn’t your diet book recommend 20% carbs, 15% protein and 65% fat?
Hi Victoria,
More like 20-30% carbs, 15% protein, 55-65% fat. I think 30% carbs is fine.
I looked at peter’s posts. Strangely a ketogenic diet seems to cause insulin resisance as well as a diet high in SAFA and carbs. So SAFA can cause insulin resistance on a low carb diet and a high carb diet apparently.
About 10 months ago, I started incorporating fermented food into my diet. It’s likely that the sauerkraut and kimchi was improperly fermented, because a few months later I started having gut issues, for the first time in my life. I took digestive enzymes with meals for a few weeks during that time. My doctor said it looked like laryngopharyngeal reflux and recommended avoiding acid foods (fermented food, lemon, vinegar, tomato, etc, etc). For months now, I’ve been taking things out little by little until now even things like coconut oil, bananas, and rice cause a feeling of a lump/mucus in my throat. I’ve stopped taking vitamins and supplements, and am down to eating meat, potatoes, ginger, and salt.
Either the fermented food introduced pathogenic bacteria (or mold), or digestive enzymes caused excessive stomach acid. I’m not sure which, because they were both at the same time.
Do you have any suggestions for repairing the damage from improperly fermented food, or whatever the digestive enzymes caused? Thank you for your time.
I hope you have a wonderful Christmas. I’ve ordered the second book and am looking forward to reading the updates and additions–and one day getting back to a PHD compliant lifestyle.
Hi Mari,
I’m sorry you’ve had a bad experience.
Some keys to a good ferment are starting with plenty of salt and keeping the container largely oxygen free (sealed, not much air volume) to avoid mold growth; and then eating it at the right time — too early and the brine won’t have turned acidic enough to kill pathogenic species; too late and it will become moldy.
Some signs of a failed ferment:
– Lack of acidity / sourness in the brine
– A white film on top from mold or dead bacteria
If the ferment is not right then it should be discarded or the vegetables boiled to make a soup.
Repairing a gut dysbiosis is tricky but I don’t think removing nourishing foods is a good course, and certainly not acidic foods because those promote good flora. I would try to reintroduce at least rice vinegar and some kind of healthy oils, plus egg yolks if you don’t have a sensitivity to eggs.
You might try betaine hydrochloride with meals, see if that helps; and take probiotics and NAC. Maybe bentonite clay during your fast.
Green leafy vegetables should be helpful; I would make a home made dressing with good quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar; and experiment with onions and garlic to see if they help or hurt. Salads are good for gut dysbiosis.
I think stopping supplements is prudent, except for vitamins D and K2 and maybe C.
I do hope you have a joyful Christmas, and recovery soon!
Thank you so much. I appreciate your reply. I will try your recommendations. I wish you the best Christmas, and may you be rewarded many times over for the help and health that you’ve given to others.
Paul, I just read your comments above about signs of a bad ferment, and I think I can assume that the farm kimchi, beets, and kraut I have been purchasing may not be a good choice due to it’s lack of a sour taste? If you don’t agree, I’d love to hear. Having celiac disease and some autominnune issues beyond gluten damage make me so scared of eating a lot of things that might cause an immune flare. Thank you as always for reading this and I hope to hear from you. Have a wonderful holiday season with Shou-Ching. p.s. I was very excited to see Vogue magazine’s mention of PHD!
Adding a tiny bit of vinegar resulted in a very warm sensation down my chest and in my stomach. Will try the other recommendations but wait on reintroducing vinegar, and hope my stomach acid goes back to normal.
I think in your section about lithium supplementation and lithium carbonate, you compare them without recognizing that the amount of elemental lithium in lithium carbonate is a fraction of the number of milligrams. I’ve seen 10%, 16%, and 19% but don’t know what is accurate, but apparently it’s significantly less, so lithium as a supplement is stronger compared to the prescription drug than you imply.
Love the book.
Thanks, Peter. I’ll have to look more closely into the commonly prescribed dosages.
The molar amount of lithium in lithium carbonate would be 7/67.
What about Lithium Aspartate, or is that already elemental form?
The amount Paul recommends is total of elemental form?
7/140, so even less than LiCO3
Hi St,
I tried lithium aspartate and it seemed stronger than lithium orotate for a certain amount of lithium.
A discussion here: http://www.ehow.com/about_6582987_lithium-aspartate-vs_-lithium-orotate.html
Hi Paul & Merry Christmas,
On the store bought fermented vegetables topic.
Are there still benefits to eating fermented vegetables even without the bacteria ie. most likely pasteurised products
These are quick & handy some times, & taste good, just wondering if they still contain beneficial nutrients
Hi Darrin,
Yes, there are benefits. It will have vitamin K and vitamin B12 generated by the bacteria, plus other potentially useful compounds. Lactic acid may be beneficial for instance.
So…just a slight deviation to send you PHD folks a rather nice video Christmas card. Many blessings for a wonderful, health-filled year.
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=GBaHPND2QJg&feature=youtu.be
Thank you lana!
Hi Doctor Jaminet,
Does eating only dinner and fasting 24 hours per day pose any health risks?
Many Thanks,
J
Hi Jackson,
If it leads you to undereat calories, it does.
Hi Doctor Jaminet,
Thanks for the response. One more question for you:
I am considering cooking a month’s worth of meals ahead of time and freezing them. I think this would make my hectic lifestyle a bit less stressful.
I am wondering if I was to thaw a meal at around 7 AM in the microwave, would it still be safe to eat at noon and 6 PM? I haven’t been able to find an answer to this question.Would there be too much bacteria?
Merry Christmas,
J
Hi Jackson,
Food should keep in the freezer for a month, so the issue is what happens during the defrosting. Is it refrigerated?
It would probably be fine but you should be able to tell by smell or taste whether it is bad. Also, high sugar content is the main risk factor for going bad quickly, so make foods without sugar.
Hi Paul,
I do not have your new book yet, as i am eagerly awaiting the Aus release next month.
So, just a quick question on the new macro recs,
One of your original recommendations was to get a minimum of 600 calories from carbs+protein per day.
Given that you now suggest around 600 carbohydrate cals per day (~30%),
has your minimum carbs+protein per day number increased?
Hi Darrin,
No, but I think it’s worth emphasizing that minimum and recommended are two different things, and we think the recommended intake is better.
Hey Paul, hope you had a very merry christmas! I just wanted to ask about fasting and meal/workout timings. I can only workout in the morning around 8-9am and have to work straight after and can only really eat at lunch around 1pm and have to have dinner with the family at 7 or 8. Is it really compulsory to eat within 2 hours post workout if the type of training is one which doesnt deplete glycogen or muscle damage? and is their any need to go over 600 carb calories to maybe 700 in weight training days?
For example light cardio ala primal blueprint ‘maintain the zone that burns mostly fat. For very fit people, this could be as high as 70-80% of your maximum heart rate, but we’re really talking 60-70& for most people.’ and low volume weight lifting with low reps, long rest between sets,not training to failure all which dont induce muscle damage and glycogen depletion but enhance muscle stregnth and the nervous system.
Hi Abu,
It’s not compulsory, if you overeat in the 24 hours following your workout it will protect against muscle loss, but you will find it more difficult to add muscle than you would if you ate immediately after your workout.
Yes, “overeating” after an intense workout means overeating everything, including carbs and protein, so carb consumption should be higher than 600 calories after an intense workout. A 20-25% increase is sufficient. So 700-800 calories carbs.
Hi Paul,
Thank you for the links to articles about NAC. I had searched before but couldn’t find much. After looking over the links you sent I searched again and found this one, specific to HP: http://www.naturalmedicinejournal.com/article_content.asp?edition=1§ion=3&article=342
Tough to consider cranberry juice a health food, as the sugar content is so high.
Also, can you give us a link to something that would help convince unbelievers that leaky gut is real and likely impacting the health of many Americans? My daughter-in-law has a microbiologist friend who has told her that leaky gut is an invention of snake oil salespeople in order to make sales.
I had a wonderful Christmas with my family, but, per usual, was again reminded of the formidable task it is to get people to rethink their adherence to long held unhealthy food traditions. I was silent about it all, but also saddened. When I asked my son if he thought he would find time to read his new copy of PHD, he said, lovingly, “Only if you can give me another day in the week.” Meanwhile, he and one of my precious grandchildren struggle with frequent halitosis, one grandchild has chronic migraines, and they are frequently sick with gut issues and coughs and colds.
Thanks for your time, Paul.
Hi Lana,
Mixing whole cranberries into food would be a better strategy, all the commercial cranberry juices and sauces have added sugar.
The microbiologist may wish to browse Pubmed, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=leaky%20gut. For instance, here’s one: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22955358: “Decreased expression and structural rearrangement of tight junction proteins in the small bowel and colon leading to increased intestinal permeability have been observed, particularly in postinfectious IBS and in IBS with diarrhea. These abnormalities are thought to contribute to the outflow of antigens through the leaky epithelium, causing overstimulation of the mucosal immune system.”
Other useful searches are intestinal permeability or mucosal permeability, eg http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=mucosal%20permeability, since many papers are reluctant to use the casual term “leaky gut”.
It is indeed difficult for people to change their foodways, but health problems have a way of motivating change. If they see your health improve, perhaps a seed will be planted.
Happy New Year!
Here is a link in recent news. This guy burnt a whole in his stomach after eating one bowl of Chinese spicy mala soup. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2253881/Doctors-hole-mans-stomach-orders-spiciest-soup-menu-Chinese-restaurant.html
Hi SC,
Yet another illustration that the dose makes the poison!
Yep, another article today that a man dies from eating 28 raw eggs on a bet that he could eat 30. Yes, the dose makes the poison…what a shame.
http://www.latimes.com/features/food/dailydish/la-dd-food-fyi-man-eats-28-raw-eggs-dies-20121227,0,3748833.story
Hello! I just finished your most recent book and appreciate the research you have included to support your ideas. I am convinced that a change to PHD would be beneficial; however, I have a couple issues with some of the foods, namely what to eat for breakfast. I can only eat 2 eggs at a sitting, and I can’t really force them down without sausage, which I know is bad. I just don’t really like eggs. Also, I hate plain yogurt of all types. It is so bitter and sour it tends to make me want to vomit. Finally, I detest liver of all types. Do you have any suggestions for foods for breakfast, especially to get my choline? My husband and I are considering having children soon so I really don’t want to take a folic acid supplement.
Hi Rachael,
The easiest solution is just to eat whatever you would normally have for lunch as your first meal of the day.
This is what I do. I do intermittent fasting, so it happens that my “breakfast” is at lunch time, but if you don’t want to fast you could eat the same meal in the morning.
Another idea is to eat desserts (eg rice pudding) or snacks (eg, cheese and fruit) as breakfasts.
You may find that mixing egg yolks into meals, like soups or bi bim bap, and cooking them in the microwave makes the egg yolks more palatable. Most of the nutrition is in the yolks so there’s little need to eat the whites.
If you don’t like yolks, and you won’t eat chicken liver which may be easier to take than beef liver, then I would suggest taking choline and/or lecithin supplements.
I would also add that gall bladder problems run in my family, and research I have done indicates that high fat diets, especially including eggs, can cause gall bladder problems. You didn’t mention gall bladder issues in your book. Thoughts?
Hi Rachael,
I don’t believe that high-fat diets cause gallbladder problems by themselves. However, if you have gallbladder problems (eg gallstones) increased bile flow on a high-fat diet can aggravate symptoms. Also, unhealthy high-fat diets, such as high omega-6 diets which cause liver disease or small intestinal dysbiosis, or nutrient-deficient diets such as low-choline or low-taurine or low-vitamin C or low citrate diets, can increase the risk of gallbladder disease.
I think that infections of the small intestine which propagate backward into the gallbladder are major causes of gallbladder disease. So anything that causes gut dysbiosis will tend to promote gallbladder disease.
Eggs are a frequent allergen which is another source of inflammation in the small intestine which might contribute to gallbladder risk.
Hi Paul:
I have a copule of questions:
1) Copper and magnesium are also included in dark cocoa powder and other foods. Would you still recommend copper and magnesium supplementation in conjunction with food intake for adults and children?
2) Must Vitamin K2 be consumed the same time as Vitamin D or can you take Vitamin D and later in the day, take Vitamin K?
Hi Eddie,
I think it’s difficult to optimize copper and magnesium if you don’t eat liver or drink magnesium-rich mineral water. However, if you work hard at finding the right foods you could probably do it. You have to decide if the trouble is worth your while, because it does take effort to get these from food (though copper is easy if you’ll eat beef or lamb liver).
Both vitamin D and vitamin K2 are fat-soluble and should be taken with a meal; vitamin D should be taken with the first meal for circadian rhythm reasons. It is not necessary to take them together, but that may be the most convenient way and is certainly a very good way to take them.
I just finished reading the new edition of your book a few days ago and am in the process of learning more and starting to implement your diet. I do have a question about seeds (I apologize in advance if you’ve answered this somewhere already; I tried poking around the website a bit to see if it had been addressed but didn’t find anything.) So somewhere in the book or else in one of your posts here (I don’t recall which anymore), you’d said to eat tropical fruits but not their seeds. Some tropical fruits, such as kiwis, for instance, have seeds that would be very difficult to separate out from the flesh. Are these dangerous to eat in your view? There are also fruits that are not quite tropical but from the Middle East, such as pomegranates, where the seeds are commonly eaten, and I think you’d actually suggested using them for a recipe I saw somewhere on the site. Based on your evolutionary explanation of why some plants are toxic, it would obviously make sense for plants with fruits to have evolved defenses to make their seeds poisonous so that animals (and humans) would eat the fruits and discard the seeds. This would suggest that, except where there are specific research findings to the contrary, one should be careful in eating any seeds. Am I missing something? Or are there findings you’re aware of that suggest that kiwi seeds, pomegranate seeds, tomato seeds and other fruit seeds that are commonly eaten as part of the fruit’s flesh are okay to eat? Also, why the distinction between tropical fruits and non-tropical fruits? And thanks in advance for any time you take to respond to this, which I very much appreciate.
Hi Alex,
It’s a good question. I think pomegranate seeds and kiwi seeds are probably pretty safe, and we eat them. If we haven’t researched a food’s toxicity, we tend to let historical/traditional consumption be our guide.
Probably seeds protected with toxins will also tend to be protected by a hard shell, so that might be a useful cue. The ones you mentioned are all soft.
Paul, are BMR calculators accurate, they always seem to show different numbers of calories burned and im trying to figure out how much i need to eat to maintain, and to add 200extra calories to on workout days for about 45min of light exercise. But im also confused because when tracking my food i get 2000 calories in, but do i take into consideration the thermic effect of food and take off 10percent which bring me to 1800calories consumed. Should we all just go with the average of 2000calories?
Also i get 150grams of carbs from fruits and safe starches, but by having around 200g plain greek yogurt and 30g of dark chocolate, it adds an extra 15-20g carbs naturally (with fiber taken off ofcourse). Should i lower my safe starch and fruit carbs to stay under 150g or is their a bit of leeway?
Your diet is easy to follow and the macros (15,30,55) and maintainence calories of 2000-2400 are always easy to fall into. I see it as 600 carb calories, 300 protein calories with about 700 fat calories coming from that protein. Thats 1600calories, with 4 tbsp healthy cooking fats getting to 2000calories as a base diet. Then 400 calories for pleasure foods (dark chocolate,yogurt,cheese, nuts) and any extra fat here and there 🙂
also should the protein from safe starches like potatoe and rice (about 10g) be accounted for towards protein recommendations?
Hi Tyler,
All of our recommendations are approximate so you don’t need to worry about 15-20 g carbs more or less. Let your taste preferences guide you when it comes to such fine questions.
BMR calculations are not accurate, or at least not better than +- 20%. You can’t calculate how many calories you need that closely. 2000 calories is typically within 20% of what a well nourished, ordinarily active person needs, but calorie expenditures vary a lot with age and other personal matters.
Protein — again, eat to taste to refine the amounts. You shouldn’t need to count calories for more than a few days just to get a general feel for quantities of foods. Once you have that education, let your taste preferences refine the diet for you.
Yes, you have our diet recommendations down!
Hi Paul,
Recently I got a huge amount of bloodwork done trying to get a baseline of where I am. I exercise 4-5 times a week, with varied exercise, and trying to find the right combination of food for energy but also overall health. Most everything looks fine and the doctor reviewed the results with me, but one item intrigued me.
My TSH levels for thyroid is off the charts. normal is .35- 3.0. (Or 2.0 or 4.0 depending on what you read) Mine was around 7.6. Trying to figure out what I can do naturally to reduce it. I know more iodine like salt, kelp, seaweed etc. but looking for more options Other items were that I had a hypo thryoid and my sterols absorption markers were all on the hyper range. No real symptoms and feel fine but trying to be pro-active. Thanks in advance for any thoughts or advice you may have.
Hi Keith,
It’s very unusual to have such a high TSH without hypothyroid symptoms. Did you recently increase iodine?
If you do have hypothyroidism, it’s usually a good idea to treat it and then as you improve diet, nutrition, etc, let the dose you take come down.
“It’s very unusual to have such a high TSH without hypothyroid symptoms.”
Paul, this is actually not all that unusual at all. I was just reading my own endocrinologist’s new book (http://www.amazon.com/Functional-Approach-Hypothyroidism-Traditional-Alternative/dp/1578263875/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1356644036&sr=8-1&keywords=Functional+approach+to+hypothyroidism) and he addresses this situation in detail.
He says every experienced physician has seen patients present with TSH far, far higher than this commenter, even 50-100, with few if any apparent hypothyroid symptoms. Doctors who believe the standard teaching that TSH is a reliable measure of thyroid status cannot understand how these patients are still standing. It’s a paradox — much like the French paradox—which only exists because of belief in a faulty model.
Hormonal regulation is complex, something the standard TSH doctrine fails to recognize. Some people compensate quite effectively as their thyroids fail, probably in large measure by increasing the conversion of T4 to T3 at the tissue level. Since, in addition to its other functions, TSH stimulates the Type 1 deioidinase enzyme, very high TSH is exactly what allows these people to feel well.
This is one reason it is impossible to state what any particular person’s TSH level should be (barring gross extremes). Many hypothyroid people in fact feel much worse shortly after beginning conventional treatment, because T4-only therapy suppresses their TSH to the point that tissue level conversion of T4 to T3 is compromised. They may have perfect lab numbers according to the TSH doctrine, but at the tissue level they are more hypothyroid than they were before they went to see the doctor! Employing the faulty, simplistic, conventional model of thyroid function, the doctor has unwittingly prevented the patient’s body from making functional compensations and at the same time failed to provide optimal therapy.
There are many other reasons TSH levels can be very poor markers of thyroid status. I think it’s clear that failure to grasp this has fatally confused the discussion of many subjects, including iodine supplementation and low-carb diets.
good info Bill,
i’ll have to get that book the next time i place an order on amazon.com
out of interest, in the book, those people that test with a high TSH with no symptoms,
does it mention any other lab results for those people? just wondering if other markers fall within the ‘normal’ lab ranges ie. t3/t4/ft3/ft4…
I don’t believe he mentioned the other labs, but his point is that some people can compensate extremely well for low thyroid levels by upregulating the conversion of T4 to T3 in tissues. The high TSH is part of that upregulating process. So I think a low total or free T4 could be seen in such people as well.
He never measures T3 or reverse T3. He never found those labs useful. They don’t seem to correlate well with how patients feel and they are useless in guiding his treatment.
This is one reason I’m extremely suspicious of using low T3 levels as, for example, an argument against low-carb diets. As my endo says, a priori he really has no idea what any particular person’s T3 level, or other thyroid levels, should be. I don’t think anyone else does either.
Paul,
I did not recently increase my iodine but the doctor recommended that I should. I’ve started to take some supplements recently, Icelandic Kelp, for about 450 mcg per day. As far as the other blood work, my Free T4 was .88 and my iron was 145. I couldn’t find my T3 levels located on the bloodwork, at least not if it’s labeled T3.
I feel that my diet is very healthy following the majority of your core recomendations. I’m always willing to try something new though if it makes sense.
Solid conversation and enjoy the discussion
Paul, Is it ok to be eating 150-180g of butter a day?
I’m currently living overseas in a non-western country and it seems like my best option for fat.
The best fat choices I have are New Zealand butter (obviously pasteurized), lard, chicken fat, and maybe some duck fat. There is no beef fat I can render down and no beef meat at all (only imported beef which is very expensive). The animals are not freely raised and pastured here.
The meat choices I have are chicken, duck, lots of seafood, and some lamb. So protein wise I’m fine, carb-wise I’m fine, but just finding the best quality fats I can is somewhat challenging.
Roasted pork belly is abundant here but I know you don’t recommend it highly… let alone poorly raised pork in general.
Any thoughts would be appreciated!
Hi Judith,
If you’re active, eating a lot of food, and well nourished in the rest of your diet, then it’s OK. If you don’t eat much, the butter takes too many calories and it will be hard for you to be sufficiently well nourished from the remainder of your diet.
As a fat source butter is excellent, but remember it is largely empty calories as far as micronutrients are concerned.
For most people, 2000-2400 calories is sufficient, and 150-180g butter would be 1350 to 1620 calories just from butter. Then the meats and eggs would have some fat also, possibly some plant foods too (nuts, avocados, etc), so total fat could easily be reaching close to 2000 calories. Then if you’re getting adequate carbs and protein, you’d be approaching 3000 calories, which is a very active woman’s calorie needs.
Yes I am quite active (weight lifting and cardio). I try and over-eat +20% on my workout days and under eat -10% on my rest days.
I’m currently aiming for 2900 calories on workout days.
I guess I was just wondering if it’s ok to eat that much of one fat (butter) each day… and it seems like your answer is “yes”.
I tend to stick to butter because I know it is grassfed, and my other choices (lard, pork belly, etc) aren’t as optimal is sounds like from your opinion.
Thanks
J.