3 ms·

I eat all fish and shellfish (oysters, mussles), no other fats, but for some lean meats, game meats like venison and bison. And only olive oil if any oil. Very

I eat all fish and shellfish (oysters, mussles), no other fats, but for some lean meats, game meats like venison and bison. And only olive oil if any oil. Very low carbohydrates but a lot of berries, and a lot of seaweed and mushrooms (I am a FUT2 non-secretor and these are high in Fucose). Basically I eat like the Sami. Before this, at around 45 years old I was a vegan (a good vegan) and my cholesterol was VERY high and HDL too low, hypertensive, IBS-D, and mood instability and they did a brain scan at one point because it looked like I was getting MS. Note I have a family history of hyperlipidemia. My cholesterol totally corrected and reversed, IBS is gone, BP is much better, still some mood issues but no need for meds anymore. Basically the gene polymorphisms I saw that were relevant to my diet were FADS1, FADS2, FUT2 (non-secretor) CPT1A, BTD, PNP, and GCH1 among some others. But yes, the CPT1A polymorphisms protects me from ketosis.

depressedpanda 5y ago
What do you mean when you say you are protected from ketosis? Ketosis is a metabolic state that provides the brain with an extra energy source -- ketones -- when glucose is levels are low. As such being unable to go into ketosis seems like a bad thing.
- astrange 5y ago
  He might be thinking of ketoacidosis, but that doesn't sound right either.
- FollowingTheDao 5y ago
  Polymoprphisms in the CPT1A gene control the amount of fatty acids that enter the cell to be broken down into ketones. Since the Inuit eat so much fat, after generations this gene has selected to be slower so they are not in a constant state of ketosis and therefore save glucose. The Inuit have a very low glucose diet so this makes sense that they need to try to hoard glucose. You will notice in kids with full CPT1A deficiency that they have an almost total inability to make ketones and suffer hypoglycemia when fasting. The problem is that you are thinking like a Caucasian when it comes to ketosis and you all think ketosis is always good. It is not always good, it should be balanced. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32088118/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32088118/ The role that Omega 3 plays in all of this, for people like me who need it, is so underestimated it is depressing. I had to lower my Omega 6 fats so drastically before I saw any change sin my lipids. It was amazing honestly. You see, only the Inuit and people with these genetics should be eating a very low carbohydrate diet. All you "Farmers", stick to your oily grains, nuts and seeds.
  - depressedpanda 5y ago
    > Since the Inuit eat so much fat, after generations this gene has selected to be slower so they are not in a constant state of ketosis and therefore save glucose. I'm not following - ketosis happens after glucose levels are low. How would making the switch to a ketogenic metabolic state a slower process save any glucose? Ketosis doesn't consume sugar, as far as I know. Also, what are the detrimental effects of ketosis?
    - FollowingTheDao 5y ago
      I worded that poorly, sorry. "and therefore save glucose" would have better read, "the body does not need glucose for energy". This question is doing more for me than you know. I hope I can explain everything right now since it is all a just a picture in my head. So if this does not make sense I can go on. I want to take a step waaaay back. Most people think it is ketones, glucose, protein, or fats that the body wants for energy. Well, they are all wrong. The body wants Actyl-CoA for energy. Acetyl-CoA drives the TCA cycle and that is what keeps us alive. All of those things are sources of Acetyl-CoA. https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Origin-and-fate-of-acetyl-coenzyme-A-Acetyl-coenzyme-A-is-a-critical-intermediate-for_fig3_312005662 https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Origin-and-fate-of-acety... Next, the body does not prefer ketones as a source of Acetyl-CoA, in MOST PEOPLES (depending on genetics) it prefers glucose above all else. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493179/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493179/ "Most organs and tissues can use ketone bodies as an alternative source of energy. The brain uses them as a major source of energy during periods where glucose is not readily available. This is because, unlike other organs in the body, the brain has an absolute minimum glucose requirement." So being in ketosis is a rescue situation when there is not enough Acetyl CoA being made from glucose. You want proof of this? Fasting increases ketones levels more than any diet. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324599#_noHeaderPrefixedContent https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324599#_noHeaderPr... If a person genetically prefers glucose over fats for making Acetyl CoA, my guess is that they will go into ketosis much more slowly. So once the body runs out of it's preferred source of energy, glucose, it resorts to its second best source; fat. Now how are fats used for energy? https://els-jbs-prod-cdn.jbs.elsevierhealth.com/cms/asset/e172a8cd-1964-4188-a840-f1dec7b58b0e/gr1.jpg https://els-jbs-prod-cdn.jbs.elsevierhealth.com/cms/asset/e1... They are turned into Acetyl CoA BEFORE it enters the cell and needs CPT1A to enter the cell. Both glucose and protein enter the cell and THEN are turned into Acetyl CoA. But all this is NOT TRUE of the Inuit. Their preferred source is from fat, not glucose. Why? Because of the genetic changes resulting from a diet high in fat. So for the Inuit, a high glucose diet causes problems like a high fat diet does for most European caucasians. Let's look at the problem for people with CPT1A deficiency. They enter a state of "hypoketotic hypoglycaemia". Low glucose AND low ketones. So we know that we need CPT1A to function to make ketones to power the TCA cycle. I am still trying to reason why CPT1A transport slows down so much for the Inuit. But I know it is because of generational dependance on a high fat diet. It seems that Omega 3 might change the expression of CPT1A making it more effective. Omega 9 fats increase CPT1A activity. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41431-020-0674-0 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41431-020-0674-0 This is probably the best Paper on this confusing topic. https://escholarship.org/content/qt8wz5h9kp/qt8wz5h9kp.pdf?t=q3sb1q https://escholarship.org/content/qt8wz5h9kp/qt8wz5h9kp.pdf?t... "Given that the PUFA content of traditional Arctic diets may compensate for the genetic reduction of CPT1A activity, and that the absence of urinary ketones found in early studies in North America may reflect fat adaptation and limitations in testing technology, current speculation about the lack of a ketogenic state in traditionally living Arctic peoples cannot be considered settled." I mean, if you think about it, having high ketones means your body is not USING the ketones for energy. Wow, that just blew my mind! Time to look at my ketone genetics! Thank you!
DoreenMichele 5y ago
Thank you.
cleancoder0 5y ago
This sounds a bit like you went from a low calorie diet that triggered various metabolic shutdowns to a high calorie diet that made your body work again. Sounds like you went from hypogonadism ( which is associated with all of your listed issues) to something healthier. Quite impressive if diet solved it, although it might be the calories, not the content.
- FollowingTheDao 5y ago
  No. If anything I am eating less calories now. I was heavier then as well. It was causing a multitude of deficiencies. B6, Zinc I know for sure because my doctor tested them. But it is interesting you bring up hypogonadism, not that I had it, but I was born with a cryptorchidism and had to have the testicle removed when I was three. This is a known effect of zinc deficiency which is one reason they tested me. http://www.ivsajournals.com/article_3146_21dc13f2fb1df514b896b81f3ec25ff7.pdf http://www.ivsajournals.com/article_3146_21dc13f2fb1df514b89...
  - cleancoder0 5y ago
    Yeah, being overweight, having hypogonadism and eating a low calorie diet can result in no weight loss or even weight gain. The energy distribution is all over the place and the lack of calories affects cognition, hormone production etc. If you were a "good" vegan, as you mentioned, I cannot imagine what kind of foods you ate to have more calories compared to fat (calorie) rich foods like fish, mussels or meat. 500 grams of raw beans is 2000kcal (very little for an avg 45 year old man), contains about 120g of protein, but is around 1.5kg of beanwater sludge when cooked. Impossible to eat in a day for most people. Adding rice, pasta, or other sources of calories still does not help a lot. It takes a lot of food to get to 2500-3000kcal. Many vegans lack calories in their diet. Older and sedentary vegans that are starting to develop protein resistance (due to age or sedentary lifestyle) also consume way too little protein. A perfect recipe for various metabolic issues and aging related diseases.
    - FollowingTheDao 5y ago
      It is not just about calories. I cannot metabolize short chain fatty acids well and they all come from plant food. Stop assuming you know anything about my life to fit your paradigm. I was always starving when I was vegan so I ate more. I know how many calories I eat it is is way less. It is NOT just about food, it is also about genetics.
Bradlinc 5y ago
Do you worry about consuming too much mercury? I brought down my fish consumption after reading about this risk but I could be overblowing it. Do you have have any advice on how to deal with this?
- someguydave 5y ago
  Eat fish which are on bottom of the food chain - sardines and sprat are low in organic mercury but high in omega3 fatty acids. https://www.foodwatch.org/fileadmin/Themen/Quecksilber/Quecksilber_Beratungsdokument_DG_Sante.pdf https://www.foodwatch.org/fileadmin/Themen/Quecksilber/Queck... This says the tolerable weekly intake for methylmercury is 1.6 μg per kg body weight per week. For a 200 lb man that is 80 milligrams of shark meat (p95 1835 mg/kg) or 11 lbs of sprat (p95 0.029 mg/kg) or 2.9 lbs of sardines (p95 0.112 mg/kg).
- coderintherye 5y ago
  Easiest step is if you eat tuna, don't eat Albacore, instead eat Skipjack. If you can afford it then go with brands which have thorough testing (e.g. Wild Planet, Safe Catch, etc.). Granted best to go further down the food chain, but this is an easy first step to take.
- FollowingTheDao 5y ago
  NO, for two reasons. I eat mostly salmon and sardines, and some small mackerel only. If you look up fish low in mercury there are a ton of links. But secondly, they found that the nutrients, mainly selenium, in the fish actually help the body remove mercury through the thioredoxin system, so the worry might be exaggerated. I do not eat fish everyday as well, I eat shellfish on the off days and I fast. Oysters are really high in selenium. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/014765139190074Y https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/014765... https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29124976/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29124976/

depressedpanda 5y ago

What do you mean when you say you are protected from ketosis? Ketosis is a metabolic state that provides the brain with an extra energy source -- ketones -- when glucose is levels are low. As such being unable to go into ketosis seems like a bad thing.

astrange 5y ago
He might be thinking of ketoacidosis, but that doesn't sound right either.
FollowingTheDao 5y ago
Polymoprphisms in the CPT1A gene control the amount of fatty acids that enter the cell to be broken down into ketones. Since the Inuit eat so much fat, after generations this gene has selected to be slower so they are not in a constant state of ketosis and therefore save glucose. The Inuit have a very low glucose diet so this makes sense that they need to try to hoard glucose. You will notice in kids with full CPT1A deficiency that they have an almost total inability to make ketones and suffer hypoglycemia when fasting. The problem is that you are thinking like a Caucasian when it comes to ketosis and you all think ketosis is always good. It is not always good, it should be balanced. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32088118/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32088118/ The role that Omega 3 plays in all of this, for people like me who need it, is so underestimated it is depressing. I had to lower my Omega 6 fats so drastically before I saw any change sin my lipids. It was amazing honestly. You see, only the Inuit and people with these genetics should be eating a very low carbohydrate diet. All you "Farmers", stick to your oily grains, nuts and seeds.
- depressedpanda 5y ago
  > Since the Inuit eat so much fat, after generations this gene has selected to be slower so they are not in a constant state of ketosis and therefore save glucose. I'm not following - ketosis happens after glucose levels are low. How would making the switch to a ketogenic metabolic state a slower process save any glucose? Ketosis doesn't consume sugar, as far as I know. Also, what are the detrimental effects of ketosis?
  - FollowingTheDao 5y ago
    I worded that poorly, sorry. "and therefore save glucose" would have better read, "the body does not need glucose for energy". This question is doing more for me than you know. I hope I can explain everything right now since it is all a just a picture in my head. So if this does not make sense I can go on. I want to take a step waaaay back. Most people think it is ketones, glucose, protein, or fats that the body wants for energy. Well, they are all wrong. The body wants Actyl-CoA for energy. Acetyl-CoA drives the TCA cycle and that is what keeps us alive. All of those things are sources of Acetyl-CoA. https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Origin-and-fate-of-acetyl-coenzyme-A-Acetyl-coenzyme-A-is-a-critical-intermediate-for_fig3_312005662 https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Origin-and-fate-of-acety... Next, the body does not prefer ketones as a source of Acetyl-CoA, in MOST PEOPLES (depending on genetics) it prefers glucose above all else. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493179/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493179/ "Most organs and tissues can use ketone bodies as an alternative source of energy. The brain uses them as a major source of energy during periods where glucose is not readily available. This is because, unlike other organs in the body, the brain has an absolute minimum glucose requirement." So being in ketosis is a rescue situation when there is not enough Acetyl CoA being made from glucose. You want proof of this? Fasting increases ketones levels more than any diet. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324599#_noHeaderPrefixedContent https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324599#_noHeaderPr... If a person genetically prefers glucose over fats for making Acetyl CoA, my guess is that they will go into ketosis much more slowly. So once the body runs out of it's preferred source of energy, glucose, it resorts to its second best source; fat. Now how are fats used for energy? https://els-jbs-prod-cdn.jbs.elsevierhealth.com/cms/asset/e172a8cd-1964-4188-a840-f1dec7b58b0e/gr1.jpg https://els-jbs-prod-cdn.jbs.elsevierhealth.com/cms/asset/e1... They are turned into Acetyl CoA BEFORE it enters the cell and needs CPT1A to enter the cell. Both glucose and protein enter the cell and THEN are turned into Acetyl CoA. But all this is NOT TRUE of the Inuit. Their preferred source is from fat, not glucose. Why? Because of the genetic changes resulting from a diet high in fat. So for the Inuit, a high glucose diet causes problems like a high fat diet does for most European caucasians. Let's look at the problem for people with CPT1A deficiency. They enter a state of "hypoketotic hypoglycaemia". Low glucose AND low ketones. So we know that we need CPT1A to function to make ketones to power the TCA cycle. I am still trying to reason why CPT1A transport slows down so much for the Inuit. But I know it is because of generational dependance on a high fat diet. It seems that Omega 3 might change the expression of CPT1A making it more effective. Omega 9 fats increase CPT1A activity. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41431-020-0674-0 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41431-020-0674-0 This is probably the best Paper on this confusing topic. https://escholarship.org/content/qt8wz5h9kp/qt8wz5h9kp.pdf?t=q3sb1q https://escholarship.org/content/qt8wz5h9kp/qt8wz5h9kp.pdf?t... "Given that the PUFA content of traditional Arctic diets may compensate for the genetic reduction of CPT1A activity, and that the absence of urinary ketones found in early studies in North America may reflect fat adaptation and limitations in testing technology, current speculation about the lack of a ketogenic state in traditionally living Arctic peoples cannot be considered settled." I mean, if you think about it, having high ketones means your body is not USING the ketones for energy. Wow, that just blew my mind! Time to look at my ketone genetics! Thank you!

DoreenMichele 5y ago

Thank you.

cleancoder0 5y ago

This sounds a bit like you went from a low calorie diet that triggered various metabolic shutdowns to a high calorie diet that made your body work again. Sounds like you went from hypogonadism ( which is associated with all of your listed issues) to something healthier. Quite impressive if diet solved it, although it might be the calories, not the content.

FollowingTheDao 5y ago
No. If anything I am eating less calories now. I was heavier then as well. It was causing a multitude of deficiencies. B6, Zinc I know for sure because my doctor tested them. But it is interesting you bring up hypogonadism, not that I had it, but I was born with a cryptorchidism and had to have the testicle removed when I was three. This is a known effect of zinc deficiency which is one reason they tested me. http://www.ivsajournals.com/article_3146_21dc13f2fb1df514b896b81f3ec25ff7.pdf http://www.ivsajournals.com/article_3146_21dc13f2fb1df514b89...
- cleancoder0 5y ago
  Yeah, being overweight, having hypogonadism and eating a low calorie diet can result in no weight loss or even weight gain. The energy distribution is all over the place and the lack of calories affects cognition, hormone production etc. If you were a "good" vegan, as you mentioned, I cannot imagine what kind of foods you ate to have more calories compared to fat (calorie) rich foods like fish, mussels or meat. 500 grams of raw beans is 2000kcal (very little for an avg 45 year old man), contains about 120g of protein, but is around 1.5kg of beanwater sludge when cooked. Impossible to eat in a day for most people. Adding rice, pasta, or other sources of calories still does not help a lot. It takes a lot of food to get to 2500-3000kcal. Many vegans lack calories in their diet. Older and sedentary vegans that are starting to develop protein resistance (due to age or sedentary lifestyle) also consume way too little protein. A perfect recipe for various metabolic issues and aging related diseases.
  - FollowingTheDao 5y ago
    It is not just about calories. I cannot metabolize short chain fatty acids well and they all come from plant food. Stop assuming you know anything about my life to fit your paradigm. I was always starving when I was vegan so I ate more. I know how many calories I eat it is is way less. It is NOT just about food, it is also about genetics.

Bradlinc 5y ago

Do you worry about consuming too much mercury? I brought down my fish consumption after reading about this risk but I could be overblowing it. Do you have have any advice on how to deal with this?

someguydave 5y ago
Eat fish which are on bottom of the food chain - sardines and sprat are low in organic mercury but high in omega3 fatty acids. https://www.foodwatch.org/fileadmin/Themen/Quecksilber/Quecksilber_Beratungsdokument_DG_Sante.pdf https://www.foodwatch.org/fileadmin/Themen/Quecksilber/Queck... This says the tolerable weekly intake for methylmercury is 1.6 μg per kg body weight per week. For a 200 lb man that is 80 milligrams of shark meat (p95 1835 mg/kg) or 11 lbs of sprat (p95 0.029 mg/kg) or 2.9 lbs of sardines (p95 0.112 mg/kg).
coderintherye 5y ago
Easiest step is if you eat tuna, don't eat Albacore, instead eat Skipjack. If you can afford it then go with brands which have thorough testing (e.g. Wild Planet, Safe Catch, etc.). Granted best to go further down the food chain, but this is an easy first step to take.
FollowingTheDao 5y ago
NO, for two reasons. I eat mostly salmon and sardines, and some small mackerel only. If you look up fish low in mercury there are a ton of links. But secondly, they found that the nutrients, mainly selenium, in the fish actually help the body remove mercury through the thioredoxin system, so the worry might be exaggerated. I do not eat fish everyday as well, I eat shellfish on the off days and I fast. Oysters are really high in selenium. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/014765139190074Y https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/014765... https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29124976/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29124976/