John Parsons ·
from Dr jack Kruse (paraphrased by me):
How does low cholesterol make your brain soft?
The most important role of cholesterol in humans is its unique ability to allow freedom of movement to ions in cell membranes because of its chemical composition. It has both a lipid and polar component that allow it to have diversity of chemical benefits in animal cells.
This allows the molecule of cholesterol to have both fat and water soluble abilities in our bodies. This allows for the formation of” lipid rafts” in tissue that allow for ion transfers. In fact, insulin is taken up into muscle cells because of the presence of these cholesterol lipid rafts in the membranes!
Plants contain no cholesterol at all. Moreover, all of our hormones in the human body are also made form cholesterol. Hormones are the manner in which the brain is able to control the 20 trillion cells in our body. Its importance cannot be more apparent.
Our liver is designed to make the LDL our brains need to thrive....
It has never made any sense to me why cardiologists do not exam the brain data closely about longevity because it is clear higher LDL levels are protective of life and don’t confer a shortened lifespan even from heart disease. It also follows, with this evidence why higher cancer rates are associated with LOWER cholesterol levels.
Cancer is a disease of cellular stress hence it is associated with lower cholesterol levels. This result has been found in numerous studies in the literature as well...
Here I have laid out two biochemical reasons why a ketogenic diet ( high in protein and fats, low in carbs) works in our brains to increase cognition. It also makes sense why in neurodegeneration we see brains starved of cholesterol and DHA levels.
The ketogenic diet is the best and most ideal way to restore both of these key fats to the brain in this time of stress to increase cognition.
The bottom line is as you age, the evidence is accumulating, that you should be eating a more ketogenic diet with a liberal amount of saturated fat in MCT (coconut oil and pastured butter) and one that supports a substantial production of LDL from your liver via your diet…that is also devoid of glycosylation from carbohydrates.
This describes the ancestral paleolithic diet well. It is a version of the ketogenic diet. If one has a formal neurologic condition a more stringent version of the paleo diet should be entertained. But if you are interesting in optimizing for longevity as you age a ketogenic diet confers huge advantages. If you are overweight and wish to shred weight this option is an excellent choice. As always, discuss this with your doctor before deciding what to do.
I recommend the book “The Paleo Solution” to my patients as a resource to get them started on what the paleolithic diet means.
So how should we consider eating as we age when neolithic diseases (eg Alzeimers) increase in incidence and prevalence?
1. First, eat fats (MCT and saturated fats, PUFA’s last to decrease inflammation) then consider moderate protein (controls mTOR pathway) and then low carbs (to decrease inflammation and glycation)
2……and those macro’s should increase as one ages for health and longevity to keep your hormones in the best balance they can be. Remember every single hormone we have are made from cholesterol!!!! If you go into aging with hormonal imbalance due to a bad diet, you will age much faster. If you eat a SAD you will age and die much faster of neolithic diseases....
4. I completely reject the lipid hypothesis as it currently stands. I think this blog makes you understand why. You may want to consider throwing your statin Rx away at some point. The data on statins for people over the age of 60 without any risk factors says no one should be on a statin based upon the data. Only those people who listen to the opinions of cholesterol panelists that have ties to big pharma will tell you its a good thing to do.
The older you get the more LDL your brain needs and the less carbohydrate it needs
.
CITES:
1. http://jcs.biologists.org/content/123/4/595.full.pdf (Tong et al. 2009)
2. http://bms.ucsf.edu/sites/ucsf-bms.ixm.ca/files/varoninjillian_04072011.pdf
3. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1471-4159.2010.06768.x/pdf (cholesterol deficiency decrease synapse vesicle recycling)
4. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1550413110003980
5. http://www.pnas.org/content/107/17/7927.full.pdf
Friday, 21 September 2012
Monday, 10 September 2012
boosting immunity with cold showers
Strengthening immunity: According to a study done in 1993 by the Thrombosis Research Institute in England, individuals who took daily cold showers saw an increase in the number of virus fighting white blood cells compared to individuals who took hot showers. Researchers believe that the increased metabolic rate, which results from the body’s attempt to warm itself up, activates the immune system and releases more white blood cells in response.
Sunday, 9 September 2012
leptins rock
From Dr. Kruse:
“Leptin for Dummies”
“Here is the bottom line in as few words as possible.
Humans are either sugar burners or they are fat burners as determined by diet.
The High Carb – Low Fat Diet insures that we are sugar burners, and store fat.
The High Carb diet also dulls the brain’s sensitivity to LEPTIN.
The following skips all the scientific mumbo jumbo to explain a very complex & confusing subject for Dummies.
Leptin For Dummies
* Leptin = Hormone that comes from fat and is sent to the brain & all other cells to control energy
* Leptin is the MASTER Hormone that controls all other body hormones including insulin
* Leptin is the feedback loop between fat cells & the brain and all systems that use energy.
* Leptin Sensors in the brain are the “Gas Tank” that measures fat stores
* Leptin HELPS tells the Brain when to eat, when to stop eating with the incretin hormones
* Anything that uses Energy in the body is therefore tied to leptin status.
* The more energy dependent the physiologic process the more coupled it is to proper leptin function.
* Leptin allow the body to burn fat very efficiently even when sugar/carbs are plentiful
* Leptin allows the brain to live through “Starvation Mode”
* Leptin signaling can be blocked in the brain = High Leptin levels = Leptin Resistant = Starvation Mode/Obesity
* Starvation Mode = body told to burn sugar, then eventually it causes osteoporosis and fatty muscles
* Leptin sensors in the brain OK = Low leptin levels = Leptin receptor Sensitive = body is able burn fat well.
* We can train our bodies to be a fat burner by a special diet to restore Leptin sensitivity
* IF the leptin receptor is permanently damaged we can train our brain to re read leptin signal with the Leptin Rx.
* Blood testing can measure Leptin levels, but they are rather useless clinically.
* The Liver makes energy for use between meals and is our metabolic engine, the thyroid is the gas pedal, and leptin is the computer who modulates control over both using hormone signals.
Characteristics of the Sugar Burner = High levels of leptin = Brain Leptin Resistant (LR) – A lifetime of eating high PUFA containing foods, High Carb foods, a life of elevated cortisol with poor sleep damages the Leptin Receptors in the brain
* Brain receptors that are blocked, do not detect Leptin well any longer, and in some cases may be damaged
* When the Leptin receptor is blocked the brain sees the body as in “Starvation Mode” to store even more fat with every meal.
* In obese, you are hungry even when overweight, urges to snack, no signals to stop eating when full
* In anorexia no hunger, thyroid shut down and you consume your own bodies protein, bone, and fat. * Dieting wont work when LR; exercise is highly inflammatory when your are LR and wont help because you still won’t burn fat well at muscle level until you become LS.
* Blood sugar can become out of control, leading to diabetes: Intracellular loss of Magnesium is the first step in LR.
* Thyroid Gland is no longer under control of brain in LR, and basically not functioning well regardless of lab findings
* Thyroid shuts down, preventing muscles from burning fat
*A nation of Obese People are walking around in “Starvation Mode” because their brain is blind to their fat stores.
* Liver gets overloaded with energy, becomes fatty and sluggish causing our Ferrari’s engine to become inefficient
* Belly fat accumulates as LR continues for the obese and waistline increases. Anorexics waste away and die.
Characteristics of the Fat Burner = Low levels of Leptin = Brain Leptin Sensitive (LS)
* Satisfied after eating, can even skip meals without getting hungry, no desire for snacks,
* Body burns fat instead of sugar - – Exercise & Dieting results in burning stored energy, then fat cells and NOT muscle & bone
* Blood sugar under tight control because your liver will be optimized once again to run like a Ferrari engine * Thyroid functioning normally because leptin will allow the brain to control its gas pedal once again. * Body no longer in “Starvation Mode,” healthy weight controlled for the obese or the anorexic
*The reset can use Low Carb Diet high protein or high fat diet timed correctly to reset how our neurons work once again and allow us to once again become effective fat burners. - – Hormone levels are properly controlled and normal levels will eventually return as leptin function normalizes - – You will be able to eventually eat anything you want & not gain weight once your brain is retrained. So bottom line, people who can’t lose weight or who have diabetes- can blame it on their epigenetic switches that are set to partition calories differently than a normal persons metabolism because the are likely to be Leptin Resistant. No amount of dieting will work until Leptin Receptors get trained to function properly again. This normally takes 6 to 8 weeks of the “Leptin Reset” protocol which use adaptive neuroplasticity to allow our brain to once again be sensitive to our fat stores and restore us to energy efficient again.
The LEPTIN RESET IS RETRAINING LEPTIN NEURONS TO RESIGNAL TO APPROPRIATE SIGNS USING TIMING OF THE MEALS AND AND FUELS AND GUT SENSATIONS TO REORGANIZE HYPOTHALAMIC FUNCTION IN THE HYPOCRETIN NEURONS.
The more systemic inflammation one has the longer the reset can take. This means the timing of return of the leptin reset is dependent upon variables in each one of us. Patience is the key.
For more details, refer to Dr. Kruse’s Blog Articles & message threads on Leptin here: http://tinyurl.com/Dr-Kruse-References LisaAPB Says:
“Here is the bottom line in as few words as possible.
Humans are either sugar burners or they are fat burners as determined by diet.
The High Carb – Low Fat Diet insures that we are sugar burners, and store fat.
The High Carb diet also dulls the brain’s sensitivity to LEPTIN.
The following skips all the scientific mumbo jumbo to explain a very complex & confusing subject for Dummies.
Leptin For Dummies
* Leptin = Hormone that comes from fat and is sent to the brain & all other cells to control energy
* Leptin is the MASTER Hormone that controls all other body hormones including insulin
* Leptin is the feedback loop between fat cells & the brain and all systems that use energy.
* Leptin Sensors in the brain are the “Gas Tank” that measures fat stores
* Leptin HELPS tells the Brain when to eat, when to stop eating with the incretin hormones
* Anything that uses Energy in the body is therefore tied to leptin status.
* The more energy dependent the physiologic process the more coupled it is to proper leptin function.
* Leptin allow the body to burn fat very efficiently even when sugar/carbs are plentiful
* Leptin allows the brain to live through “Starvation Mode”
* Leptin signaling can be blocked in the brain = High Leptin levels = Leptin Resistant = Starvation Mode/Obesity
* Starvation Mode = body told to burn sugar, then eventually it causes osteoporosis and fatty muscles
* Leptin sensors in the brain OK = Low leptin levels = Leptin receptor Sensitive = body is able burn fat well.
* We can train our bodies to be a fat burner by a special diet to restore Leptin sensitivity
* IF the leptin receptor is permanently damaged we can train our brain to re read leptin signal with the Leptin Rx.
* Blood testing can measure Leptin levels, but they are rather useless clinically.
* The Liver makes energy for use between meals and is our metabolic engine, the thyroid is the gas pedal, and leptin is the computer who modulates control over both using hormone signals.
Characteristics of the Sugar Burner = High levels of leptin = Brain Leptin Resistant (LR) – A lifetime of eating high PUFA containing foods, High Carb foods, a life of elevated cortisol with poor sleep damages the Leptin Receptors in the brain
* Brain receptors that are blocked, do not detect Leptin well any longer, and in some cases may be damaged
* When the Leptin receptor is blocked the brain sees the body as in “Starvation Mode” to store even more fat with every meal.
* In obese, you are hungry even when overweight, urges to snack, no signals to stop eating when full
* In anorexia no hunger, thyroid shut down and you consume your own bodies protein, bone, and fat. * Dieting wont work when LR; exercise is highly inflammatory when your are LR and wont help because you still won’t burn fat well at muscle level until you become LS.
* Blood sugar can become out of control, leading to diabetes: Intracellular loss of Magnesium is the first step in LR.
* Thyroid Gland is no longer under control of brain in LR, and basically not functioning well regardless of lab findings
* Thyroid shuts down, preventing muscles from burning fat
*A nation of Obese People are walking around in “Starvation Mode” because their brain is blind to their fat stores.
* Liver gets overloaded with energy, becomes fatty and sluggish causing our Ferrari’s engine to become inefficient
* Belly fat accumulates as LR continues for the obese and waistline increases. Anorexics waste away and die.
Characteristics of the Fat Burner = Low levels of Leptin = Brain Leptin Sensitive (LS)
* Satisfied after eating, can even skip meals without getting hungry, no desire for snacks,
* Body burns fat instead of sugar - – Exercise & Dieting results in burning stored energy, then fat cells and NOT muscle & bone
* Blood sugar under tight control because your liver will be optimized once again to run like a Ferrari engine * Thyroid functioning normally because leptin will allow the brain to control its gas pedal once again. * Body no longer in “Starvation Mode,” healthy weight controlled for the obese or the anorexic
*The reset can use Low Carb Diet high protein or high fat diet timed correctly to reset how our neurons work once again and allow us to once again become effective fat burners. - – Hormone levels are properly controlled and normal levels will eventually return as leptin function normalizes - – You will be able to eventually eat anything you want & not gain weight once your brain is retrained. So bottom line, people who can’t lose weight or who have diabetes- can blame it on their epigenetic switches that are set to partition calories differently than a normal persons metabolism because the are likely to be Leptin Resistant. No amount of dieting will work until Leptin Receptors get trained to function properly again. This normally takes 6 to 8 weeks of the “Leptin Reset” protocol which use adaptive neuroplasticity to allow our brain to once again be sensitive to our fat stores and restore us to energy efficient again.
The LEPTIN RESET IS RETRAINING LEPTIN NEURONS TO RESIGNAL TO APPROPRIATE SIGNS USING TIMING OF THE MEALS AND AND FUELS AND GUT SENSATIONS TO REORGANIZE HYPOTHALAMIC FUNCTION IN THE HYPOCRETIN NEURONS.
The more systemic inflammation one has the longer the reset can take. This means the timing of return of the leptin reset is dependent upon variables in each one of us. Patience is the key.
For more details, refer to Dr. Kruse’s Blog Articles & message threads on Leptin here: http://tinyurl.com/Dr-Kruse-References LisaAPB Says:
Friday, 7 September 2012
Vitamin B12 deficiency and you
Just been exploring vitamin B12 deficiency:
Since vitamin B12 plays a role in so many bodily functions, it’s no wonder B12 deficiency has been linked to a variety of serious health conditions. Studies have shown that over time, a B12 deficiency that is not corrected can lead to the following:
1)Heart disease
2)Certain types of cancer
3)Alzheimer’s
4)Fibromyalgia
5)Stroke
6)Chronic depression
7)tinnitus
8)erectile dysfunction
A vitamin B12 deficiency will cause high homocysteine levels in the bloodstream. High homocystein levels in the bloodstream can be toxic and lead to the development of serious diseases like cancer, heart disease, stroke and even Alzheimer’s disease. Conversely, getting enough B12 will help you avoid these diseases by naturally lowering your homocysteine levels.
The important role vitamin B12 plays in the brain means that a deficiency, especially when it is undetected for a long time, will disrupt brain function and lead to problems that are difficult to reverse. The brain and nervous system are impacted the most from a B12 deficiency. Even when the deficiency is corrected with better nutrition and supplements, impaired neural functioning may persist. It may be some time before chemicals in the brain are balanced and depression is alleviated, and the patient may have an elevated risk of developing Alzheimer’s in the future.
B12 deficiency can easily be responsible for many all-too-common illnesses such as fatigue, depression, memory loss, brain fog all the way on to dementia, Alzheimers, Autism, and many more. It can mimic the symptoms of MS and Parkinsons. These are illnesses that we will ALL come across at sometime in our lives, either affecting ourselves or someone dear to us. And age has nothing to do with it. B12 deficiency can affect everyone. And if our doctors look at B12 deficiency before they look at anything else, many of these illnesses can be treated simply, quickly and cheaply long before they become a threat, long before they destroy a life, long before they devastate families and ultimately affect probably millions of people
As a vegetarian (mostly) I suspect I may be short of this vitamin - I have been experiencing tired legs on even mild exertion and ear problems (tinnitus,etc) so went to a health food shop in Chorley and bought some vitamin B12. The sort suggested from my internet research is methylocobalmin 1000UG tablets taken sublingually - from Solgar. Since taking it every day for a few days I have felt more energy and my tinnitus has deminished.
will keep posted
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