Random Thoughts on Migraine Headaches, Oxytocin, and Mind-Reading

Migraine Headache Syndrome

Definition: 'A migraine is a throbbing, unilateral headache that is 
often associated with nausea, vomiting, photophobia, or an aura
~i.e., a transient disturbance of vision or of various aspects
of neurological function. More than 10% of Americans
suffer from migraines, with the prevalence in women
being about 3 times that in men. The cause of migraine is
not well understood, although it is thought to be due in
part to vasoconstriction followed by reactive vasodilatation.'

Nutritional Medicine textbook, Ch 136, Dr. Alan Gaby MD

Disclosure -- I'm not afflicted by headaches often (unless my child flunks a math quiz) and, never, migraines, yet I've met a ton of people with migraines. Many of my friends experience migraines or used to (half of my favorite gal pals and guy friends). Certain phenotypic characteristics and 'gifts' are inescapable IMHO that I have observed in these individuals: extreme intuition, sometimes clairvoyance, approachability, and super-powered senses (smell, sound, sight, sensory stimuli, barometric pressure, mind-reading).  Additionally, migraineur patients, acquaintances and friends have told me that random people just enjoy blindly going up to them and spilling their entire life stories.  (No one does that to me) I think that is notable.  What do you think of your migraineur family or friends?  I'd like to hear other perspectives on this...

These pals who suffer headaches are special to me. They read my mind and I don't need to talk or articulate...wish I could marry them (...just kidding).  Some I speak to rarely like Patrik V. who runs Paleohacks.com, yet before he has said things and I'll think 'wtf exit my head.'  When some paleo friends first convened, he reported that he had once suffered incapacitating migraine headaches since age six (hiding under tables whilst his mother couldn't find him for hours) until he serendipitously discovered the headache-banishing benefits of the grain-free and dairy-free paleo diet. That's a common story in paleo-land.

Migraine headaches are a P-A-I-N and that is a distinct understatement if you talk to any patient who suffers from migraines which are described as debilitating to the point of impairing function leading to lost quality of life and days of work, family, and leisure time. 

Takano and Nedergaard (see above photo) describe a migraine headache as a sweeping change in electrical depolarization across the brain which is followed by an extended period of neural torpor or suppression. They call it cortical spreading depression (CSD), stating 'Written accounts of migraine are nearly as old as writing itself. Descriptions of headaches, dating to roughly 3000 BCE, have been found in the ruins of the ancient Sumerian civilization.' Perhaps like narrow jaws, occclusions, and tight dental arches (per Weston A. Price), mass migraines and brain pain initiated with the advent of agriculture and the ubiquitous introduction of refined grain carbohydrates into the prehistoric human hunter-gatherer diet?  Perhaps migraineurs have indeed a set of gifts that were naturally selected for despite the outstanding pain and discomfort? 



Evolutionary Advantage of Migraine Headaches?

Harvard neurology professor Loder wrote a Cephalalgia review and presentation 'Migraineur in the Interictus' suggesting evolutionary benefits of the development of the characteristics seen in migraineurs.  Highly responsive nervous systems that detect sensory stimuli at low inputs definitely would be traits worthy of evolutionary selection and retention in the progress of human civilization.  'Hearing the approach of enemies, being eaten by a saber-tooth tiger or detecting or avoiding spoiled or adulterated food' might have been compelling pressures that were affected by the communication of low or nearly negligible levels of sensory information in the environment, plants, people, animals and other living creatures. 



Ancient Treatment for Migraine Headaches: Hole(s) in the Head, Trepanation

In ancient times, it is hypothesized that headaches and migraines were treated with trepanation (boring a hole or holes into skull to release the pressure and pulsation). If I had severe head pain I'd seriously consider but, yeah, I need a hole in my head like a new Jimmy Choo fake purse!  Several lines of evidence relating to archaeological remains report that clinical outcomes and survival were astonishingly decent:  HERE.



Photo credit: Asylum Science



Our Brains are Still Evolving

I'd wildly speculate that the ancestors of individuals with migraines had unique abilities which allowed them to thrive in certain conditions requiring sensitivity to environmental changes and influence in group cooperation, gaining trust, tight social networks and perhaps weather/storm predictions.  In is not a coincidence that the individuals with migraines (if not completely unfunctional) are frequently leaders in their little (or big) so-called tribal units, in my shallow awareness.  NY Times science writer Nicholas Wade wrote in The Twists and the Turns of History, Our DNA, 'The political scientist Francis Fukuyama has distinguished between high-trust and low-trust societies, arguing that trust is a basis for prosperity. Since his 1995 book on the subject, researchers have found that oxytocin, a chemical active in the brain, increases the level of trust, at least in psychological experiments. Oxytocin levels are known to be under genetic control in other mammals like voles.' He has written quite a bit more extensively that our sapien brains grew in size for the machinery necessary to handle intricate, complicated and peaceful social complexity.



Super Perception, e.g. Mind Reading

Many new studies highlight the salient features of oxytocin for perception, feedback, empathetic accuracy and affiliation reward reinforcement. Two recent human controlled trials showed a demonstrated increased gaze focus and the ability to visually read and interpret facial emotional cues after oxytocin administration (some authors called it mind reading). From  sciencedaily.com one of the researchers Lerknes explained "We found that oxytocin intensified test subjects' awareness of the emotions present in the photos. Faces expressing anger stood out as angrier and less happy, and correspondingly, faces expressing happiness were happier."  Graded results occurred -- "It turns out that those with the lowest aptitude for judging emotional expression properly -- that is, those with the poorest scores during the saltwater round -- were the ones who showed the greatest improvement using oxytocin."

Author Nancy Casey hypothesizes in a post 'Oxytocin Gaze' that human hunters emulated carnivorous predators in their meticulous gaze and visual assimilation of the terrain. She posits that the same gaze that is possibly related to oxytocin which maybe employed by mothers in surveying and tracking their newborn babies, meeting their needs, and ensuring their survival in the face of vast helplessness and under-maturity.





Modern Conventionally-Schooled Medical Treatment of Migraines:  Overwhelmingly Uneffective

One out of every six women experiences migraine headaches of some form in America. The population prevalence is 11.7% and comparatively higher than the insane diabetes epidemic in adult Americans (11.3%, 2011 data). Migraine headaches are no small statistic.  With a wide gender divide, women have triple (17.1%) the incidence as men (5.6%).  It's also no coincidence women have more oxytocin than men as well; for us it can regulate love, lust, labor, lactation, and maternal caregiving.  

Funny thing is that if migraineurs have mega mindfulness and their oxytocin is messed up by being either super fluctuating high/low or inappropriately inconsistent or unstable levels  (like blood glucoses in the reactive hypoglycemia model), then it may explain why oxytocin given as a I.V. drug it was 100% successful in halting immediately two cases of refractory migraines seen in an ER unit and in a prospective human study where oxytocin was provided (intranasally, ya know, like cocaine) by Yeomans and Jacobs, Stanford pain researchers, to refractory patients was associated with halting 50% of migraines and reducing 27% (total, 77% better) compared with 11% of placebo. 

My observations are that migraine prevalence and occurrence are unchanged despite great 'advances' in pharmacology (abortive triptans and preventive pharmaceuticals), diagnostic science and understanding of the physiology of this condition.  Like essential hypertension and the great majority of textbook medical conditions, the underlying pathophysiology are still elusive and undetermined, despite wonderful and fantastic fMRI and genetic sequencing techniques. A recent review confirms these considerations, the prevalence of migraines is still the same as 15 years; absolutely no improvements despite the triptan class of medications (which can abort a migraine in 20-60 min 50-70s%, versus placebo 17-40%), preventive therapy (modification of neurotransmitters and vasculature; BP drugs, antidepressants, anti-epileptic drugs), and the standard 'migraine trigger avoidance diet' of avoiding the 5 C's (cheese chocolate coffee coke citrus).  Pharmaceuticals and ridiculous wheat-based diets fail long-term.


What Does Work Long-Term for Migraines: Paleo/Oligo-Antigenic Diet (OAD)

Some of oxytocin's target organ sites include the brain, the gut and thymus. All are organs responsible for the enormous function of homeostasis, immunity and controlling inflammation. It is no wonder that the brain cannot function optimally in isolation from the gut, and no wonder at all that all things that promote healing of the gut can improve migraine headache prevention and amelioration.  

The medical literature from the last 30-80 years in fact identifies wheat (78% Grant, Lancet 1979), cow milk (37%), other cereals, cane sugar, yeast, corn, citrus, and eggs as top migraine-inducing factors.  Identification and elimination of food antigens is key to healing the gut. Sealing of the damage and microperforations by altering intestinal permeability is secondary and vital.  The paleo/ancestral diet and oligo-antigenic diets maybe best with focus on individual susceptibilities and immuno-endocrine optimization. Similar to the results obtained by Frasetto et al in their 10-day paleo experiment for reversal of pre-clinical hypertension in overweight patients, the researcher Grant (Lancet, 1979) in a seminal study looked 60 migraineurs with food antigen immunoreactivity. After only 5-days of an elimination diet (pseudo paleo) she reported 'When an average of ten common foods were avoided there was a dramatic fall in the number of headaches per month, 85% of patients becoming headache-free. The 25% of patients with hypertension became normotensive.'

Dealing with circulating antigen-antibody and immune complexes that are formed in the body when food antigens and microbial peptides (cell walls, DNA, cellular contents, junk) interact with immune system may help permanently to achieve and to maintain disease resolution, I believe. Two recently published human RCTs (Aplay et al and Mitchell et al) showed that by eliminating foods linked to high food-antigen related immune globulin IgG titers, an association for statistically significant reductions in migraine headaches occurred at 6 weeks and 4 weeks, respectively.  Heal...Seal...Deal...


References

Deciphering migraine

Takahiro Takano, Maiken Nedergaard

J Clin Invest. 2009 January 5; 119(1): 16–19. 

What is the evolutionary advantage of migraine?  [Free PDF CLICK]

Loder E.

Cephalalgia. 2002 Oct;22(8):624-32. Review.

http://www.hcop.com/PDF/Migraineur%20in%20the%20Interictus%20-%20Loder.pdf [Elizabeth Loder MD]

Resilience in migraine brains: decrease of coherence after photic stimulation

Marcelo C. A. Rodrigues et al.

Front Hum Neurosci. 2012; 6: 207. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/12/weekinreview/12wade.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print [Nicholas Wade]

http://www.lancasterlawoffice.com/Media/Wade,%20Before%20the%20Dawn.pdf [Nicholas Wade, cliff notes]

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/conversation-eo-wilson.html 

http://www.authornancycasey.com/oxytocin-gaze/

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120730094909.htm [Siri Leknes interview]

Oxytocin enhances pupil dilation and sensitivity to 'hidden' emotional expressions.

Leknes S, Wessberg J, Ellingsen DM, Chelnokova O, Olausson H, Laeng B.

Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci. 2012 Jun 29.

Oxytocin improves "mind-reading" in humans.  [Free PDF CLICK]

Domes G, Heinrichs M, Michel A, Berger C, Herpertz SC.

Biol Psychiatry. 2007 Mar 15;61(6):731-3. 

Associations between the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) and "mind-reading" in humans-An exploratory study.

Lucht MJ, Barnow S, Sonnenfeld C, Ulrich I, Grabe HJ, Schroeder W, Völzke H, Freyberger HJ, John U, Herrmann FH, Kroemer H, Rosskopf D.

Nord J Psychiatry. 2012 Jul 19. 

Migraine prevalence, disease burden, and the need for preventive therapy.

Lipton RB, Bigal ME, Diamond M, Freitag F, Reed ML, Stewart WF; AMPP Advisory Group.

Neurology. 2007 Jan 30;68(5):343-9.

Relief of acute migraine headache with intravenous oxytocin: report of two cases.

Phillips WJ, Ostrovsky O, Galli RL, Dickey S.

J Pain Palliat Care Pharmacother. 2006;20(3):25-8.

Yeomans DC, Manering N, Pascual C, Angst MS, Jacobs D, Mechanic J, Jacobs A, 

Qiao Y, Winkle C, Frey W. Nasal Oxytocin for Head Pain. 13th World Congress on 

Pain, 2010.

Yeomans DC, Pascual CR, Jacobs A, Angst MS, Jacobs D, Winkle CC, Frey WH. 

Intranasal Oxytocin for Craniofacial Pain. Annual Meeting of the Society for 

Neuroscience, 2009.

An Integrative Model of Migraine Based on Intestinal Etiology
David McMillin, MA
http://www.meridianinstitute.com/reports/headache/Appendix%20D.pdf

http://www.drcordas.com/education/Headaches/1doc.pdf  [Oligo-Antigenic Diet abstracts]

http://www.nutramed.com/kidney/nephritis_foodallergy.htm  [Benefits of binding immune complexes or OAD abstracts]

Food allergies and migraine.
Grant EC.

Lancet. 1979 May 5;1(8123):966-9.

IgG-mediated allergy: a new mechanism for migraine attacks?  [Free PDF CLICK]

Pascual J, Oterino A.

Cephalalgia. 2010 Jul;30(7):777-9.  

Role of circulating immune complexes in renal diseases.

Levinsky RJ.

J Clin Pathol. 1981 Nov;34(11):1214-22.

Diet restriction in migraine, based on IgG against foods: a clinical double-blind, randomised, cross-over trial.

Alpay K, Ertas M, Orhan EK, Ustay DK, Lieners C, Baykan B.

Cephalalgia. 2010 Jul;30(7):829-37. 

Randomised controlled trial of food elimination diet based on IgG antibodies for the prevention ofmigraine like headaches.

Mitchell N, Hewitt CE, Jayakody S, Islam M, Adamson J, Watt I, Torgerson DJ.

Nutr J. 2011 Aug 11;10:85.

Insulin and The Paleo-Ancestral Diet: Frassetto et al 10-Day Study

This site is all about evolutionary changes, health from the ancient/paleo perspective, and how our genes are imprinted to adapt and survive (whether we want to or not).




Role of Hyperinsulinemia = ENERGY DIES

Chronically high insulin (from high refined carbs, from gluten/food-stressors, hypothyroidism, low progesterone, adrenal dysfunction, metal toxicity, endocrine disruptors, etc) raises insulin resistance in our organs which can lead to increased small dense LDL, high TG and low HDLs. A cascade of further hormone changes and vascular adjustments occurs. Vascular blood pressure may increase. Pre-clinical hypertension can develop and eventually atherosclerosis ('scarring' in affected vessels) and diabetes (inappropriate and chronically elevated blood glucoses). Later, the natural progression of this hormonal storm of insulin dysfunction includes diabetes complications or target organs (kidney, eye, nerve damage), heart failure and heart events (revascularization surgery, heart attack, angina, sudden death, bypass and/or stent placements).





Keep The Insulin Low

Lamarche B et al wrote an editorial in 1996 (see Ref 1) and NEJM (N Engl J Med. 1996 Apr 11;334(15):952-7.) and wrote that the higher quintiles of insulin were highly associated with higher rates of atherosclerosis and heart events in the Quebec Cardiovascular trial. 67 pmol/L (= 9.3 mIU/L) was used as odds ratio = 1.0 (it's still high IMHO; goal = 4 mIU/L in other words less than ~28 pmol/L). See above bar graph (Ref 1).

Convert pmol/L by dividing 7.175 for mIU/L. More about 'normal' fasting insulin HERE.

The Lamarche B et al state "For example, an 11-fold increase in ischaemic heart disease [IHD] risk was noted among men with both hyperinsulinaemia and elevated apo B levels, these two metabolic abnormalities being common among individuals with abdominal obesity, especially when associated with high levels of visceral (intra-abdominal) adipose tissue.




Visceral (Intra-Abdominal) Adipose Tissue

What is Visceral Adipose Tissue? Do you have any? I do. On my belly. In my head... from the ravages of the high carb S.A.D., high omega-6 intoxification, high trans-fat/F*CK-TOSE intake from my childhood/teens/early-20s-30s (OK. a long time, most of my life), sedentary lifestyle, undiagnosed Hashimoto's autoimmune hypothyroidism, stress of LIFE, et cetera.



Fatty calcified livers (e.g. NASH, fatty liver, NAFLD, foie gras) ?

Fatty calcified atherosclerotic plaque?

Fatty calcified atherosclerotic plaque in arteries: Renal, Carotid, Coronary, Peripheral, PENILE (e.g. ***Erectile Dysfunction BABY -- you do not have a Viagra-deficiency) ?

Fatty calcified thyroids ?

Fatty calcified adrenal glands ?

Fatty calcified pineal glands (e.g. insomnia) ?

Fatty calcified pancreas glands (e.g. metabolic syndrome, diabetes) ?

Fatty calcified gallbladders (e.g. GERD, dyspepsia, heartburn, gas/bloating)?

Fatty calcified ovaries/ fallopian tubes/ fibroids/endometriosis/ PCOS?








Keep The Insulin Relatively LOW

Many benefits improve on lower carb Paleo/ancestral diets. Why? It works and best matches our DNA genetic expression.

Lamarche B et al in Quebec, Canada have elucidated a few things about insulin, e.g. chronically high insulin and insulin resistance (IR).

Insulin and IR are related to high TG, low HDL, and high dense LDL and high visceral fat and high belly circumferences.

MOREOVER... More morbidity. More mortality.



From their JAMA publication (see Ref 2 and below Table 2) they showed in the Quebec Cardiovascular trial that 3 factors are highly associated with death and cardiovascular events:

(1) elevated fasting INSULIN

(2) elevated TRIGLYCERIDES (because these reflect HIGH dietary carbohydrates and LOW essential saturated dietary and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids)

(3) apoB, any amount sdLDL, high sdLDL (refers to 'small dense LDL' not total LDL -- total LDL is total CR*P and though the authors talk about total LDL here they correct and clarify themselves in Ref #3, 5, and 8; these French Canadian investigators are not full of cr*p)




Lamarche B et al Also Showed That...

Associated with coronary plaque in the French-Canadian Quebec Cardiovascular trial (see reference list):

--Ref 3: presence of sdLDL

--Ref 4: low HDL2, the 'good' large HDL particles which are highly associated with regression of disease (the higher, the better in normal bell-shaped curves)

--Ref 5: Beyond LDL... total-LDL is meaningless, only sdLDL really matters. Conventional cholesterol panels and LDL are CR*P. The lipoproteins need to be fractionated by size and buoyancy for a progressive,  accurate and sensitive reliable metric.

--Ref 6: visceral fat, it'll kill ya if exceeds a threshold

--Ref 7: high fibrinogen (which reflects high carbs, low n-3, low sat fat) + Lp(a) associated with DEATH and cardiovascular events

--Ref 8: 13 years later after the Quebec Cardiovascular STUDY... only thing that matters is sdLDL... the small dense LDL subfraction... related to death and cardiovascular events. Large LDL do not matter, the authors concluded. In fact many experts believe large buoyant LDL are anti-atherogenic and antioxidants. I highly agree. The larger, the PHATTER, the merrier.








Paleo Works. In Only Ten Days: Lynda Frassetto MD et al

Why is eating a (semi) unrefined, ancient-styled diet the way to go for reversal of chronic diseases and longevity? No simple answers but Paleo lowers chronic hyperinsulinemia. Frassetto et al at the University of California, San Francisco recently published a 10-day trial comparing metabolic changes and hypertension improvements on the paleolithic diet.

Paleo controls insulin better than Zone 40/30/30 and of course WAY way better than the S.A.D.

HOMA is a measurement of insulin resistance. Paleo (despite being high carb and low sat fat) achieved a 72% reduction in insulin resistance, HOMA (p=0.07). This was a high carb, low glycemic index with carbohydrates at ~~ 200 g/day diet. It was matched to the SAD diet. What an ingenius diet trial! Lower carb of course may be preferred for those with significant insulin resistance and fat-burning challenges. Higher sat fat, IDEAL in my opinion.

In this trial (see below Table 3), in terms of lipoproteins, Trigs were still high (e.g. excessive dietary carbs in the form of honey, pineapple, carrot juice, melon and excessive n-6 mayo) and HDLs still marginally suboptimal (e.g. saturated fat deficiency). HDLs often mirror the LDL particle size.


Lower carb high sat fat Paleo would have improved these parameters. See prior animal pharm posts:
Benefits of High Saturated Fat Diets: My Paleo PEEPS With High HDLs


The premise is to alter the neolithic, post-agriculture diet macronutrients and micronutrients (glycemic load, glycemic index, gluten, lectins/phytic acid, legumes and dairy). Amazing insulin changes happen.

Is this what our genes were designed for 2.5 million years to do? We don't live in a land of honey, sweets and fruit. We are meant to starve sporadically, lift heavy things occasionally, move intensely intermittently, relax daily, play, hug, make babies (umm.. do I need to elaborate?) and eat foods that our ancestors thrived on. Complying to the genetic programming and optimizing where the genes and genetic expression are screwed up will provide a reprieve in these neolithic times IMHO.

"CONCLUSIONS: Even short-term consumption [10 days worth] of a paleolithic type diet [no grains, no legumes, no dairy, low glycemic index, ALBEIT HIGH CARB matching the s.a.d. diet] improves BP and glucose tolerance, decreases insulin secretion, increases insulin sensitivity and improves lipid profiles without weight loss in healthy sedentary humans." [some were overweight UCSF medical school students]




UCSF Frassetto et al Shows Paleo Controls IR and Insulin

Compared with the 'usual diet' (e.g. standard American diet), the Paleolithic Hunter-Gatherer diets controlled insulin, HOMA (insulin resistance) better than the usual S.A.D. in overweight men and women ages 18+ years old. These results are nothing short of phenomenal in a Big Pharma-dominated medicine tradition. No drug replicates these results, especially in only 7-10 days. No drugs (except glandular, hormonal or omega-3 fish oil pharmaceuticals) are disease reversing; they serve only to band-aid and hide in my experience. In modern, conventionally-schooled medicine, no cause or pathophysiology is assigned to the disease known as hypertension. Apparently the role of insulin and refined dietary carbohydrates (or other endocrine disrupting factors) are not considered. Conventional weight loss, diet ('low fat') and exercise are always prescribed yet rarely in my observations is hypertension stopped or reversed by these means successfully and long-term. Why?


Previous blogosphere hits on Frassetto's seminal study:

--Dr. Mike Eades MD discussed HERE.

--Mark Sisson of Mark's Daily Apple HERE 

--Matt Metzgar recently discussed as well HERE.

--Even Lyle discussed briefly HERE.

--My bud master Chris @conditionresearch.com which is one website that lead to my rapid health reveral discusses naturally of course HERE.

--Dr. Briffa discussed HERE.

--My bud O Primitivo discusses HERE in Portuguese.

--And even Dr. Davis discusses HERE linking back to the inimitable, matchless Protein Power Dr. Mike Eades.




Aging and Insulin: EORS (Epigenetic Oxidative Redox Shift)

Aging and oncogenesis are related to insulin.

Brewer (Ref #10) has explained how aging is related to insulin and insulin resistance. What degrades mitochondrial efficiency?

In the modern Western diet (now currently imported globally to Europe and China along with Western diseases), high refined carbs, refined fructose, industrial pesticides, toxic heavy metals, and refined vegetable oils brimming with omega-6 PUFAs are the typical culprits adding to the insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia burden. Chronically elevated blood insulin leads to an overall fattening effect which can calcify and harden the liver, the arteries, and many other organs (thyroid, adrenals, arteries, endothelium, vasculature, pancreas, gallbladder, brain etc).

Brewer describes "This metabolic shift is epigenetically enforced, as is insulin resistance to reduce mitochondrial turnover. The low mitochondrial capacity for efficient production of energy reinforces a downward spiral of more sedentary behavior leading to accelerated aging, increased organ failure with stress, impaired immune and vascular failures and brain aging. Several steps in the pathway are amenable to reversal for exit from the vicious cycle of EORS. Examples from our work in the aging rodent brain as well as other aging models are provided."

Low carbohydrate diet (15%) in rodents extends longevity and minimizes tumour growth compared with S.A.D. low fat, high carb diet. See Ref #12.

Resistance training reverses aging. See Ref #13. Burn baby burn.




References


1. Risk factors for ischaemic heart disease: is it time to measure insulin?
Després JP, Lamarche B, Mauriège P, Cantin B, Lupien PJ, Dagenais GR.
Eur Heart J. 1996 Oct;17(10):1453-4.

2. Fasting insulin and apolipoprotein B levels and low-density lipoprotein particle size as risk factors for ischemic heart disease.
Lamarche B, Tchernof A, Mauriège P, Cantin B, Dagenais GR, Lupien PJ, Després JP.
JAMA. 1998 Jun 24;279(24):1955-61.

3. Small, dense low-density lipoprotein particles as a predictor of the risk of ischemic heart disease in men. Prospective results from the Québec Cardiovascular Study.
Lamarche B, Tchernof A, Moorjani S, Cantin B, Dagenais GR, Lupien PJ, Després JP.
Circulation. 1997 Jan 7;95(1):69-75.

4. Associations of HDL2 and HDL3 subfractions with ischemic heart disease in men. Prospective results from the Québec Cardiovascular Study.
Lamarche B, Moorjani S, Cantin B, Dagenais GR, Lupien PJ, Després JP.
Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 1997 Jun;17(6):1098-105.

5. Atherosclerosis prevention for the next decade: risk assessment beyond low density lipoprotein cholesterol.
Lamarche B, Lewis GF.
Can J Cardiol. 1998 Jun;14(6):841-51. Review.

6. Visceral obesity and the risk of ischaemic heart disease: insights from the Québec Cardiovascular Study.
Lamarche B, Lemieux S, Dagenais GR, Després JP.
Growth Horm IGF Res. 1998 Apr;8 Suppl B:1-8. Review.

7. Is lipoprotein(a) an independent risk factor for ischemic heart disease in men? The Quebec Cardiovascular Study.
Cantin B, Gagnon F, Moorjani S, Després JP, Lamarche B, Lupien PJ, Dagenais GR.
J Am Coll Cardiol. 1998 Mar 1;31(3):519-25.

8. Low-density lipoprotein subfractions and the long-term risk of ischemic heart disease in men: 13-year follow-up data from the Québec Cardiovascular Study.
St-Pierre AC, Cantin B, Dagenais GR, Mauriège P, Bernard PM, Després JP, Lamarche B.
Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2005 Mar;25(3):553-9.

9. Metabolic and physiologic improvements from consuming a paleolithic, hunter-gatherer type diet. [Free PDF CLICK]
Frassetto LA, Schloetter M, Mietus-Synder M, Morris RC Jr, Sebastian A.
Eur J Clin Nutr. 2009 Aug;63(8):947-55. Epub 2009 Feb 11.

10. Epigenetic oxidative redox shift (EORS) theory of aging unifies the free radical and insulin signaling theories.
Brewer GJ.
Exp Gerontol. 2009 Nov 26.

12. A low carbohydrate, high protein diet slows tumor growth and prevents cancer initiation.

Ho VW, Leung K, Hsu A, Luk B, Lai J, Shen SY, Minchinton AI, Waterhouse D, Bally MB, Lin W, Nelson BH, Sly LM, Krystal G.

Cancer Res. 2011 Jul 1;71(13):4484-93.

13.  Resistance exercise reverses aging in human skeletal muscle.
Melov S, Tarnopolsky MA, Beckman K, Felkey K, Hubbard A.
PLoS One. 2007 May 2;2(5):e465.

[Revised from my Nephropal blogpost]

Pesticides in Shanghai and Globally

Titanium (Cover of Sia, David Guetta)
Collin McLoughlin

Pesticides -- Shanghai Problem

Pesticides, herbicides and fungicides are big problems here in Shanghai. Apparently we live in the city with the highest reported field application of pesticides (kilograms per hectare) out of the whole country. According to the report by Zhang et al 'Global pesticide consumption and pollution: with China as a focus' Shanghai applies 12.72 kilograms per hectare of pesticides, which was the heaviest utilization of 32 cities and provinces studied. The lowest utilization rates were in the least industrialized provinces, Inner Mongolia and Tibet (0.15, 0.01 kg/ha respectively).

Prior animal pharm: Pesticides May Cause U.S.A. Insulin Resistance and Obesity Trends





Pesticides are (Obviously) Toxic and Kill

Pesticides, herbicides and fungicides may not be lethal to large mammalian hosts like humans but the mechanisms in which they wreak chemical havoc to pests, weeds/grasses and fungus/molds can affect us either directly or our gut ecosystem which contains 100 trillion mitochondrial-like creatures (bacteria, mycobacteria, protozoa) and fungi. ~~Half of the deaths that occur worldwide secondary to pesticide exposures are here in China. 'According to a report of WHO and UNEP, worldwide there are more than 26 million human pesticide poisonings with about 220,000 deaths per year (Richter, 2002). In the United States, there are 67 thousands human pesticide poisonings per year. In China, there are 0.5 million human pesticide poisonings with 0.1 million deaths per year. (Zhang et al 2011)'

The mechanisms of toxicity of pesticides, herbicides and fungicides usually target a specific neurochemical or metabolic mechanisms that translate toxicity to the cellular, organ and organismal levels:
--sodium channel disturbances (yes our sodium channels are vital; see prior nephropal Evolutionary Brain)
--glyphosate toxicity (see Dr. Tourgeman's nephropal post: Can Glyphosate Herbicide Formulations Damage Humans?)
--mitochondrial toxicity -- electron transport
--mitochondrial toxicity -- fatty acid metabolism
--mitochondrial toxicity -- respiratory complex
--trace heavy metals -- mercury, asenic, cadmium and lead --which severely depress metabolic enzymes (mitochondrial, thyroid, adrenal, neural, gut i.e. DPP IV, pancreatic/digestive, etc)




Pesticides: Global Problem

Although the knowledge and understanding are incomplete, the data and information on how pesticides, herbicides and fungicides are transported, degraded and distributed into the ecosystem are pretty damning. The toxicity effects may not immediately disable and maim but may be chronically sublethal and epigenetic. Since all life on earth is interconnected, the network of disturbances can be subtle. Damaging effects perhaps act in concert either additively or synergistically with other stressors, gut dysbiotic factors and amplified by our trigger-happy immune systems. Zhang et al say that 99% of pesticides, herbicides and fungicides do not even hit the intended target. 99% of pesticide applications are distributed into the environment and ecosystem by spray drift and surface water runoff. The investigators Zhang et al state 'High-residual pesticides like DDT have been detected in the Greenland ice sheet and the bodies of Antarctic penguins which were resulted from atmospheric circulation, ocean currents and biological enrichment of pesticides.' The early players of the damage and adverse effects are the bees, insectal larvae and algae on land and in related water masses. In the next tier of ecological effects, their predators (insects, fish, sealife) are affected either indirectly by reduction of food availibility or direct biochemical, metabolic, immune, endocrine, sexual and reproductive disruptions.

And... Up and up the PREDATOR ECOSYSTEM CHAIN.

[I doubt humans can claim being apex predators, but perhaps apex pests and homo purgare]



Fish: One of the Most Pesticide-Ridden and Toxic Foods

My family and stopped eliminated 80-90% of our fish and seafood consumption (both farmed and wild) when I was first pregnant 12 years ago. I figured what wasn't safe for my baby and I just was not safe, PERIOD. We try to eat ancestrally but seafood just is not part of the equation at this time. Many cultures who subsist on fish and their marine predators (seal, whale) are documented to have elevated levels of persistent organic pollutants (POPs, pesticides, PCBs, solvents, etc) and heavy metals: Great Lake Anishinaabe, Arctic and Greenland Inuit, natives of the Alaskan Aleutian Islands, Amazon Brazilians, Peruvians, and Faroe Islands inhabitants. Where is the source? Pesticides and industrial pollution are bioaccumulated in algae, daphnia, marine life and large predacious fish and marine mammals. Human variance shows that not everyone is severely affected by heavy metals (mercury) and pesticides but certainly some are more sensitive than others or bioaccumulate at extremely higher rates than other individuals. The carriers of apo E4 allele, the ancestral 'efficiency' allele, appear to exhibit higher harboring and decreased detoxification of trace heavy metals (iron, copper, lead, mercury). This may explain the link between increased incidence of central obesity, metabolic syndrome, T2DM, Alzheimer's and dementia and those of ethnic descent where the apo E4 allele is more dominant (Inuit, Amerindians, aborigine subpopulations, northern Chinese, northern European, Africa).



The Jungle: Food Safety in China

Living in China has many 'challenges' (I could list but that would be a brick of novella) but I would have to say food safety TOPS my MANY MANY MANY lists. On one hand Shanghai is one of the most progressive cities of the world I have been fortunate to visit (Paris, Hamburg, NYC, Chicago, SF, Tokyo, Kyoto, Taipei) yet in the context of food safety and standards of quality, I think it is one of the cities with the least quality control and national oversight. For every daily food safety scandal that hit the media, I always wonder how many dozens didn't hit the media under China's scrupulous censorship. We live here in the times that pre-date Upton Sinclair's 'The Jungle' (free PDF HERE, courtesy of Penn State).

Super wonderful people here in Shanghai have been graciously generous in sharing their food suppliers ('The Avocado Lady'), chains of safe food purveyors and organic grassfed meat and egg sources, CSAs (see picture BIOFarm) and safe homemade goodies. Part of the adventure of expat living has been meeting other like-minded freaks in a foreign country.





References

Global pesticide consumption and pollution: with China as a focus. Zhang et al. Proceedings of the International Academy of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, 2011, 1(2):125-144.

Greenpeace 2009 News. Pesticides: Not Your Problem?
http://www.greenpeace.org/eastasia/news/China-pesticides/

Medscape, Maternal Fish Consumption, Mercury Levels, and Risk of Preterm Delivery: Discussion
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/553133_4

Is "USDA Organic" a seal of deceit? The pitfalls of USDA certified organics produced in the United States, China and beyond.

Mercury Toxicity and Treatment: A Review of the Literature. Robin A. Bernhoft. J Environ Public Health. 2012; 2012: 460508.

Sources of Mercury Exposure for U.S. Seafood Consumers: Implications for Policy. Noelle E. Selin, Elsie M. Sunderland, Christopher D. Knightes, Robert P. Mason. Environ Health Perspect. 2010 January; 118(1): 137–143.

The influence of nutrition on methyl mercury intoxication.L Chapman, H M Chan. Environ Health Perspect. 2000 March; 108(Suppl 1): 29–56.

Neurobehavioral effects of developmental methylmercury exposure.[low chronic levels cause neurologic effects] S G Gilbert, K S Grant-Webster. Environ Health Perspect. 1995 September; 103(Suppl 6): 135–142.

New Evidence on Variations of Human Body Burden of Methylmercury from Fish Consumption.René Canuel, Sylvie Boucher de Grosbois, Laura Atikessé, Marc Lucotte, Paul Arp, Charles Ritchie, Donna Mergler, Hing Man Chan, Marc Amyot, Robin Anderson. Environ Health Perspect. 2006 February; 114(2): 302–306.

Impacts of traditional food consumption advisories: Compliance, changes in diet and loss of confidence in traditional foods. Claire McAuley, Loren D Knopper. Environ Health. 2011; 10: 55.

The Changing Landscape of Arctic Traditional Food. Tim Lougheed. Environ Health Perspect. 2010 September; 118(9): A386–A393.

Apolipoprotein E (APOE) allele distribution in the world. Is APOE*4 a 'thrifty' allele? Corbo RM, Scacchi R. Ann Hum Genet. 1999 Jul;63(Pt 4):301-10.

Apolipoprotein E and atherosclerosis in Greenland Inuit. Boudreau DA, Scheer WD, Malcom GT, Mulvad G, Pedersen HS, Jul E.Atherosclerosis. 1999 Jul;145(1):207-19.

Synergy between the C2 allele of transferrin and the C282Y allele of the haemochromatosis gene (HFE) as risk factors for developing Alzheimer's disease. [the effects areextremely exacerbated in apoE4 carriers] Robson KJ, Lehmann DJ, Wimhurst VL, Livesey KJ, Combrinck M, Merryweather-Clarke AT, Warden DR, Smith AD.J Med Genet. 2004 Apr;41(4):261-5.

Alzheimer disease: mercury as pathogenetic factor and apolipoprotein E as a moderator. Mutter J, Naumann J, Sadaghiani C, Schneider R, Walach H.Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2004 Oct;25(5):331-9.

An observational study on the influence of the APOE-epsilon4 allele on the correlation between 'free' copper toxicosis and EEG activity in Alzheimer disease.Zappasodi F, Salustri C, Babiloni C, Cassetta E, Del Percio C, Ercolani M, Rossini PM, Squitti R.Brain Res. 2008 Jun 18;1215:183-9.

Bioaccumulation syndrome: identifying factors that make some stream food webs prone to elevated mercury bioaccumulation. Darren M. Ward, Keith H. Nislow, Carol L. Folt. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2010 May; 1195: 62–83.

Fish Consumption and Advisory Awareness in the Great Lakes Basin. Pamela Imm, Lynda Knobeloch, Henry A. Anderson, the Great Lakes Sport Fish Consortium. Environ Health Perspect. 2005 October; 113(10): 1325–1329.

Evaluation of Mercury Exposure Reduction through a Fish Consumption Advisory Program for Anishinaabe Tribal Members in Northern Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota. J. A. Foran, A. D. DeWeese, M. J. Hudson, N. E. Kmiecik. J Environ Public Health. 2010; 2010: 802584.

Adult Women’s Blood Mercury Concentrations Vary Regionally in the United States: Association with Patterns of Fish Consumption (NHANES 1999–2004). [higher mercury in the more affluent, more Asian, more coastal, more fisheating] Kathryn R. Mahaffey, Robert P. Clickner, Rebecca A. Jeffries. Environ Health Perspect. 2009 January; 117(1): 47–53.

Elevated Mercury Concentrations in Humans of Madre de Dios, Peru. Katy Ashe. PLoS One. 2012; 7(3): e33305.

Research into Mercury Exposure and Health Education in Subsistence Fish-Eating Communities of the Amazon Basin: Potential Effects on Public Health Policy.José G. Dórea. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2010 September; 7(9): 3467–3477.

A preliminary study of mercury exposure and blood pressure in the Brazilian Amazon. Myriam Fillion, Donna Mergler, Carlos José Sousa Passos, Fabrice Larribe, Mélanie Lemire, Jean Rémy Davée Guimarães.Environ Health. 2006; 5: 29.

Hydroxylated PCB metabolites and PCBs in serum from pregnant Faroese women.Britta Fängström, Maria Athanasiadou, Philippe Grandjean, Pál Weihe, Ake BergmanEnviron Health Perspect. 2002 September; 110(9): 895–899.

Levels of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) and Three Organochlorine Pesticides in Fish from the Aleutian Islands of Alaska.Sara Hardell, Hanna Tilander, Gretchen Welfinger-Smith, Joanna Burger, David O. Carpenter. PLoS One. 2010; 5(8): e12396.

Re-evaluation of blood mercury, lead and cadmium concentrations in the Inuit population of Nunavik (Québec): a cross-sectional study. Julie Fontaine, Éric Dewailly, Jean-Louis Benedetti, Daria Pereg, Pierre Ayotte, Serge Déry. Environ Health. 2008; 7: 25.

Assessment of dietary exposure to trace metals in Baffin Inuit food.H M Chan, C Kim, K Khoday, O Receveur, H V Kuhnlein. Environ Health Perspect. 1995 Jul-Aug; 103(7-8): 740–746.

Determinants of polychlorinated biphenyls and methylmercury exposure in inuit women of childbearing age.G Muckle, P Ayotte, Dewailly E, S W Jacobson, J L Jacobson. Environ Health Perspect. 2001 September; 109(9): 957–963.

Pesticides May Cause U.S.A. Insulin Resistance and Obesity Trends

Emancipator
'Greenland'

Modern Big Tobacco-Agra/Monsatan Crops

Crops are generally coated with pesticides for the last 30-50 years. Are they toxic? Pesticides are upregulated into the food chain via consumption (corn, soy) by feedlot livestock and poultry. Let's not forget tobacco (cigarettes, snuff, cigars, etc). 'Tobacco is a pesticide-intensive crop. With nearly 27 million pounds of pesticides (including insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and suckercides) applied to the U.S.-grown crop from 1994 to 1998, it ranks SIXTH in terms of the amount of pesticides applied per acre. The tobacco industry regards pesticides as essential to tobacco production, stating that “the crop could not be produced economically without them”.'

Additionally pesticides are employed in municipalities (public schools, parks, government land) and personal home use (termites, ant control, weeds control, lawns, etc). Although pesticides do not taste, smell or look toxic, they are not benign and without metabolic dysregulation consequences.

New studies in PubMed are cropping (pun intended) up in number pointing directly to insulin resistance, obesogenic, neurologic and inflammatory damage secondary to this broad group of pervasive chemicals known as persistent organic pollutants (POPs). They are difficult to avoid as once in the soil, air or bodies of water, fish, birds and animals, they typically fail to degrade and significantly impact the environment.

The researcher Alavanja states 'Over 1 billion pounds of pesticides are used in the United State (US) each year and approximately 5.6 billion pounds are used worldwide (1). In many developing countries programs to control exposures are limited or non-existent. As a consequence; it has been estimated that as many as 25 million agricultural workers worldwide experience unintentional pesticide poisonings each year (4). In a large prospective study of pesticide users in the United States, the Agricultural Health Study, it was estimated that 16% of the cohort had at least one pesticide poisoning or an unusually high pesticide exposure episode in their lifetime (5).

Although attempts to reduce pesticide use through organic agricultural practices and the use of other technologies to control pests continue, exposure to pesticides occupationally, through home and garden use, through termite control or indirectly through spray drifts and through residues in household dust, and in food and water are common (6). The US Department of Agriculture has estimated that 50 million people in the United States obtain their drinking water from groundwater that is potentially contaminated by pesticides and other agricultural chemicals (7, 8). Children from 3-6 years old received most of their dermal and non-dietary oral doses from playing with toys and while playing on carpets which contributed the largest portion of their exposure (9-12).'

U.S.A. Obesity Trends With Pesticide Use

Guess what?

Pesticide use on crops grown in the South (tobacco) and Mid-West (corn, wheat, soy) trends well with U.S.A. obesity patterns [hat tip: LePine MD]. Above is the trend of obesity that starts mid-1980s then grows exponentially each few years. Maps are from Lim et al and BFRSS data.

Smart people in Korea (Lim et al) report that 'There is an apparent overlap between areas in the USA where the herbicide, atrazine (ATZ), is heavily used and obesity-prevalence maps of people with a BMI over 30. Given that herbicides act on photosystem II of the thylakoid membrane of chloroplasts, which have a functional structure similar to mitochondria, we investigated whether chronic exposure to low concentrations of ATZ might cause obesity or insulin resistance by damaging mitochondrial function.'




Pesticides Kill Pests, Including Our Bug-like Mitochondria

It's therefore not surprising to read about the toxic effects of pesticides on pests whose networked pathways overlap almost precisely with our own cells. Atrazine is a mitochondrial toxin, and our mitochondria are the sole energy generators and powerhouses whether the substrate is glycogen, glucose or fatty acids.




Mitochondrial Dysfunction Causes Fatness and Insulin Resistance (IR)

'A close association between mitochondrial dysfunction and insulin resistance is well established [1]–[3]. In in vitro studies, we found that artificial induction of mitochondrial dysfunction induced insulin resistance [4], [5].' This is discussed by Lim et al. He and his colleagues performed an experiment on rodents. They fed low levels of atrazine to rats then examined lab parameters for insulin resistance (IR). What happened? The higher the dose of atrazine, the higher the obesity and insulin resistance. Atrazine was associated with mitochondrial dysfunction, higher visceral (organ) fat deposition, higher blood glucoses and decreased energy metabolism.

Another group of researchers, Ruzzin et al, tested a similar hypothesis. They fed crude Atlantic salmon oil to rodents and examined IR parameters. They state 'POPs accumulate in the lipid fraction of fish, and fish consumption represents a source of POP exposure to humans (Dougherty et al. 2000; Hites et al. 2004; Schafer and Kegley 2002). Therefore, certain European countries have dietary recommendations to limit the consumption of fatty fish per week (Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition 2004).' They discovered similar insulin resistant results when they exposed fat cells in vitro to a POP mixture that mimicked the relative abundance of contaminants found in crude salmon oil. Insulin signalling was broken and impaired.





References

BRFSS, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System www.cdc.gov/brfss

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCNW-NgYZ2s [Obesity trend map and cdc slides]

http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/trend/maps/obesity_trends_2006.pdf [BRFSS raw data by state and year]

Pesticides Use and Exposure Extensive Worldwide. Michael C.R. AlavanjaRev Environ Health. 2009 Oct–Dec; 24(4): 303–309.

The Tobacco Industry and Pesticide Regulations: Case Studies from Tobacco Industry Archives. Patricia A. McDaniel, Gina Solomon, Ruth E. Malone. Environ Health Perspect. 2005 December; 113(12): 1659–1665.

Chronic Exposure to the Herbicide, Atrazine, Causes Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Insulin Resistance. Soo Lim, Sun Young Ahn, In Chan Song, Myung Hee Chung, Hak Chul Jang, Kyong Soo Park, Ki-Up Lee, Youngmi Kim Pak, Hong Kyu LeePLoS ONE. 2009; 4(4): e5186.

Persistent Organic Pollutant Exposure Leads to Insulin Resistance Syndrome. Jérôme Ruzzin, Rasmus Petersen, Emmanuelle Meugnier, Lise Madsen, Erik-Jan Lock, Haldis Lillefosse, Tao Ma, Sandra Pesenti, Si Brask Sonne, Troels Torben Marstrand, Marian Kjellevold Malde, Zhen-Yu Du, Carine Chavey, Lluis Fajas, Anne-Katrine Lundebye, Christian Lehn Brand, Hubert Vidal, Karsten Kristiansen, Livar FrøylandEnviron Health Perspect. 2010 April; 118(4): 465–471.

Effect of Endocrine Disruptor Pesticides: A ReviewWissem Mnif, Aziza Ibn Hadj Hassine, Aicha Bouaziz, Aghleb Bartegi, Olivier Thomas, Benoit RoigInt J Environ Res Public Health. 2011 June; 8(6): 2265–2303.

Major Demything...

XerXes
'Cell Progression'
Photography from a hot-air ballon by Yann Arthus-Bertrand

"With Earth from above, I simply want people to see the Earth as it is today, as faithfully as possible. What motivates me is the impact a photograph can make within the framework of environmental preservation. The great novelty of our time is that mankind has the power to change its environment and I want my photos to testify to this fact so people can realise this."

--Yann Arthus-Bertrand



Demything Myths in My Mind

A couple of things I harass and harp on are now shaded in grey instead of the archetypical black-white which I tend to prefer for simplicity and reductionism. My kids eat gluten (at school and parties) and in choosing my battles, I've accepted certain facts of life. They're going to be exposed, they like it and we just all have to do our best. And our best is a template based on strictly relative terms (e.g. my mood). Gluten is definitely a struggle stillsince it permeates all restaurant food and sauces. On alibaba.com, one can purchase cheap bags of high-protein (high-toxicity) hybridized modern wheat or maize gluten (vital wheat gluten 75% of total protein wet content) in which a restaurant, supplier or large-scale cook can 'doctor up' their goodies. Gluten imparts many favorable food benefits: moisure, 'perfect viscoelasticity', taste, addiction, bounciness, baked good fluffiness, sauce thickening, dough extension, sausage filler, meatball tenderness (lionhead casseroles are infamous), petfood 'protein', etc.

With all that said, since moving to Shanghai, quite honestly I have been surprised by the number of people aware of gluten intolerance and progressive in that manner, and grateful that the volume of gluten is far less here in China than the USDA-Big Agra-permeated culture of the U.S.

Anyway. Call me skeptical today...



Seven (Paleo) Myths that I've Slowly Come to Highly Suspect

1. Gluten is 100% bad and toxic
--Demyth: Not for everyone (especially if no intestinal permeability), every moment, every minute, every dose

2. Dairy is non-paleo
--COME ON. Human variance, intestinal permeability, status of DPP-IV (casein enzymes) and gut flora determine this. Same with gluten...

3. Intermittent fasting is 100% safe
--See prior adrenal tagged posts. Martin Berkham fanboys [I'm jealous of y'lls kevlar-coated adrenal glands] may go please very gently f*ck yourselves...and continue cortisol-inducing yo-yo dieting and eating cheesecake. Sorry. #FAILEO if one has f*cked up adrenals.

4. VLC/ketosis is 100% safe
--Demyth: see above

5. High glycemic index safe starches are 100% safe
--Demyth: high GI carbs can induce inflammatory cascades of gene expression. For who? See the FUNGENUT study. I dunno...

6. Low carb (less than 200 grams/day) or VLC/ketosis induces 100% fat loss
--Demyth: it depends on hormones and insulin sensitivity(primarily adrenal/NE/EPI and anabolic ones, progesterone and testosterone and if there is excessive E or xenoestrogens). See Ebbeling Ludwig et al JAMA 2007; side figure those who exhibit decent insulin sensitivity (maintain low insulin after 75 grams of lines of glucose) can lose weight on any kind of diet (this study used hypocaloric, low GI, 170 g v. 220 g carbs). IR=insulin resistance

7. High glycemic index safe starches (white stuff -- lines of dextrose, white rice, white modern potatoes, table sugar, etc) induce 100% optimal health and fat loss
--I'm ambivalent because I cannot and I know a lot people who this is the case. Why? Hormone fluxes are sometimes OFF and subOPTIMAL. Who loses fat and gains optimal health with higher glycemic loads and higher GI foods? I've seen this work well in the athletic, the insulin sensitive and the ones who perform high or decent volume glycolytic activity. See Poliquin on Carb Intake to Meet Glycolytic Repetition Volume. Also gotta see Sloth and Astrup.




What I Do Know

1. Modern wheat is SUPER TOXIC, SUPER ADDICTIVE, SUPER FATTENING, SUPER INFLAMMATORY

2. Modern wheat contains an estimated SEVERAL HUNDREDS-FOLD more (toxic) proteins than heirloom or non-hybridized wheat

3. The USDA is playing a joke on us... I don't trust the pyramid or anything else they purport, especially if it involves Monsatan or their former executives who now frequently staff places like the FDA or EPA (Environmental 'Protection' Agency). BRILLIANT.

4. If intestinal permeability exists, you'll be guaranteed suboptimal health, chronic sublethal infections and significant levels of cellular inflammation which may or may not ever be detectable by standards of non-integrative medicine

5. Pharmaceuticals generally do not work and in fact worsen. The worse pharmaceuticals cause long-range adverse effects on intestinal permeability and endogenous hormone fluxes (broad spectrum antibiotics, Z-paks, proton pump inhibitors, acid blockers, oral birth control, synthetic hormones, glucocorticoids, prednisone, etc)

6. Too much sugar is toxic, addictive, fattening and inflammatory. When I'm not stressed out and working out a ton, I can do sugar with relative impugnity. YET. During certain times of my menstrual cycle or when I am not strenuously working out, I notice if I hit (some) sugar (e.g. organic palm, organic coconut sugar, white stuff, etc) then I will inevitably want to do lines of crack/sugar over and over and over and over infinitum again (e.g. candy cigarettes or almond flour pound cake or cookies).

7. Everything makes horrorific sense in light of evolution

8. Bell shaped curves -- I like these; these typically represent well

9. I don't need RCTs to tell me the sky is blue or that something makes sense
(sometimes the ridiculousness in Pubmed makes me throw my hands up)

10. We're omni-whores, consumers of everything and we still survive



References

Live probiotic Bifidobacterium lactis bacteria inhibit the toxic effects induced by wheat gliadin in epithelial cell culture. K Lindfors,* T Blomqvist,* K Juuti-Uusitalo,* S Stenman,* J Venäläinen,† M Mäki,* and K Kaukinen‡. Clin Exp Immunol. 2008 June; 152(3): 552–558.

INFECTIONS, TOXIC CHEMICALS AND DIETARY PEPTIDES BINDING TO LYMPHOCYTE RECEPTORS AND TISSUE ENZYMES ARE MAJOR INSTIGATORS OF AUTOIMMUNITY IN AUTISM. A. VOJDANI,J.B. PANGBORN; E. VOJDANI; E.L. COOPER. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF IMMUNOPATHOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY Vol. 16, no. 3, 189-199 (2003).

Low glycemic index diets and body weight. B Sloth and A Astrup. International Journal of Obesity (2006) 30, S47–S51.

Effects of a Low–Glycemic Load vs Low-Fat Diet in Obese Young Adults. Ebbeling, Ludwig, et al. JAMA. 2007;297(19):2092-2102. 297(19):2092-2102.

Shanghai

Rumer
'Slow'

Ex-Pat Living

The singer above Rumer grew up as an expat kid in Pakistan she said once in an interview. My 11- and 12-year old daughters are also gaining a global experience and deeply learning a second language here in Shanghai, China. For me, it has been a semi-rough transition with a couple of maladapted bumps... Some days are excellent and other days just kind of 'man I miss the states' days...!




Shanghai Top 10

Things so far that I love, looking at the positive side...

10. Excellent food. For the Chinese, eating is a friend and family sport here (high end restaurants are all Vegas-glam and top in taste, presentation, style)

9. All 4 seasons exist -- cold, COLD, hot, humid-HOT

8. Socializing is mind blowing. Actually I've been very fortunate to meet the utmost friendliest and coolest people from all over the world (and many from my old hood, the Cali BayArea and even the small East coast town that I grew up until ~9 in Philipsburg, PA). I am meeting the rare paleolithically-persuaded folks contrary to predictions *ha ahaa!* Courtesy of the net.

7. Yes there are athletes here. In fact, I met Macca an elite Australian triathlete at an event last November! See side picture. D*mn Aussies, they're so HAAAAWWT.

6. My kids attend international school so we're lucky to have both American and Chinese holidays... lots of fun traveling so far (tropical paradise SanYa, Kyoto Japan, little weekend trips, etc). We hope to visit Thailand, Korea, Taiwan and Europe...

5. Like Cali, near the water (Shanghai means 'on the water' in Chinese)

4. Unmistakenly cultured and open, Shanghai is also known as the New York City of the Orient

3. No rules (it's C-h-i-n-a). They have capital punishment but little control over the common running of red lights or other driving hazards (cell phones, pedestrian right-of-way, speeding, drunk driving, etc)

2. Cheap shopping

1. Cheap labor (the excellent ayi, e.g. housekeeper/cook/shopper, costs US$100-150 per month for a few hours every other day)

Adrenal Fatigue and Jimmy Moore's LLVLC Podcast

Beautiful People
Courtesy Youtube.com

Jimmy's Moore's LLVLC Podcast!

I did Jimmy Moore's podcast! And joined the beautiful people... We initially had some technical (cough cough Chinese (?saturated broadband/censorship)) difficulties which required EIGHT ATTEMPTS, but it's complete. I think Jimmy let out a BIG gentlemanly sigh of relief. Jimmy talked also about his latest and pending labs, the idea for the next epic post on sustainable, local farming/livestock and his thoughts on heavy metal chelation, which I am really REALLY into.

I was/am Jimmy, hormonally. Like Jimmy I have been stubbornly challenged with regaining and relosing 10-20% of my body weight in the last few years after the initial epic loss of 50 lbs (Jimmy, ~180 lbs).(!!!!frustr-WTF-ating!!!!)

At the worst, my hormone signatures might resemble what Jimmy reported (if I actually measured):
-- high rT3, unstable cortisol, leptin resistance, insulin resistance
-- estrogen dominance
-- wacko FSH/LH (like a menopausal 'menopot')
-- testosterone/thyroid/adrenal deficiencies



Massive Endocrine Disruption (x3), Weight Re-Gains and Reversal

I wish that the Paleolithic Diet was enough. It's not. Paleo is emphatically not enough for decades of neolethal disease and accumulated damages on our biochemical pathways, adipose storage and mitochondrial health (modern toxins -- omega-6, seed oils, pharmaceuticals, dental amalgams, AMA sanctioned mercury laden vaccines, industrial solvents, new house and carpeting 'gas off', bromide antifungals on food, in California ubiquitous flame retardants, etc).

My problem was 5-10 lbs yo-yo wt gains and yo-yo losses over the last few years after the initial 50 lb loss, which I attribute to MASSIVE endocrine disruptions (three times). The first hormone dyscrasia involved the Mirena IUD (levonorgestrel, a potent fake/mimicker of progesterone), then followed by adrenal fatigue with the popular intermittent fasting and ketosis, and lastly gut dysbiosis with mercury and metal toxicity (tetanus shot, accumulation of annual flu shots/vaccines, and a drilled on titanium dental implant). What helped me after multiple episodes of adrenal fatigue including one after moving to Shanghai, China was a high carb (150-200 g/day) non-paleo 'adrenal reset' modeled by Diana Schwarzbein MD in her book 'The Schwarzbein Principle II'.

It worked.

My daily consumption of low and high GI foods went up (rice, meat/vegs, ice cream, chocolate) and carbs totalled 150-200 grams daily, most days. It worked; I gained 8-10 lbs of fat and my adrenals stabilized. More importantly the serum insulin ECLIPSED the serum cortisol which was high/inappropriate due to various factors (stress from transcontinental moving, circadian shifts from jet lag, gut dysbiosis, metal toxicity, etc). Similar plans are in the blogosphere (high carb Bulletproof, PHD, Masterjohn, Kresser, high carb MDA, high carb GAPS (fruit+honey), Ray Peat, high carb Archevore, 4-Hour Body Slow Carb, Matt Stone). Many individuals have kevlar adrenals and perfectly execute IF/ketosis whilst hiking twenty mountain tops sans food, fasting. NEARLY BAREFOOT. (Asclepius and J. Stanton) But the rest of us are mere mortals.

Successful ketosis requires adequately timed and sufficiently secreted (and appropriately down-regulated) cortisol and adrenaline (NE, EPI).

Someday... I'll re-grow my kevlar and bulletproof organs... *haa ahaaa!*

However after getting tired (and frustrated) with the 8-10 lbs of weight gain, I finished the Schwarzbein 'adrenal reset' and easily transitioned to a high carb Kruse 'leptin reset'. I did attempt the Kruse leptin reset with 100g/day (50 g carbs in the morning) but it didn't work the first few times until AFTER I had gained 8-10 lbs on the Schwarzbein 'reset'. I dunno why this was the case. Recently I returned to a stable LC (paleo) + rice + workouts (which worked for my initial 50 lbs fat loss; 50-100 grams carbs/day) and lost a few kilograms in the last month and half.




Adrenal Resets are Leptin Resets IMHO And Vice Versa

The beauty of the Kruse 'reset' is that imho it is also an 'adrenal reset' (and vice versa). Notwithstanding, I believe for many who are adrenally challenged and severely metabolically damaged (like in cases of metal toxicity, environmental toxicity or former vegetarians, yo-yo dieters, over-trainers, under-eaters, etc), the value of an extreme high carb reset (150-200 g/day) with (or without) fat gain may be inconceivable and controversial but UNQUESTIONABLY HIGH if all else fails... Per Schwarzbein, she reports for some extremely metabolically damaged folks two years on the program are mandatory. For me apparently 2 months was ok and sufficient. To safeguard, FYI I still avoid all ketosis, VLC (very low carb) and IF'ing (intermittent fasting). I continue to consume 1/4 to 1/2 tsp Real salt (Utah Redmonds) and maximally play/nap/laugh as much as I can. Adaptogens, liver/GI support, getting morning sunlight, slow BSS/burn, and 'oxygenizing' (employing slow-twitch muscles) without driving excessive cortisol squirts are unbelievably key to staying on track for me. Also my carbs are substantially higher on workout days (100-150 grams wholly based on glycolytic activity and stress) and the weight is still going down without triggering the adrenals.




Heavy Metal Toxicity and Chelation

Jimmy and I talked about chelation and our thoughts; my family and I are still chelating as it requires a minimum of 6-12 months time. I don't endorse many products but this is one I exceptionally fancy because I find it to be safe, gentle, and gradual; the product has been used for over 10 years in physician and practitioners' offices: ExtendedHealth's oral chelator.




More info on Adrenal 'Resets' and Hormones (T, E1 E2 E3, DHEA-S, Preg, P, Cortisol, Leptin, FT4 FT3 rT3):

• Pretty in Primal: Adrenal Fatigue


• Integrative hormone approach Case Study in insulin resistance and identifying inflammation causes By Dr. Alicia Stanton, Chief Medical Officer of BodyLogicMD


• Another integrative medicine approach to thyroid and adrenal insufficiency (Paul Reller, L.Ac.) - he reports 80% of sluggish thyroids (hypometabolism) is co-related to adrenal insufficiency


• Charles Poliquin (integrative practitioner, instructor, elite athlete trainer): Top 10 Rules for Carbohydrate Intake for OPTIMAL Body Composition (depends on glycolytic physicality and activity)


• Jack Kruse MD: Leptin Reset and Post-Leptin Reset


• The intrepid brainiacs at the Paleohacks.com on Adrenal Function: 'adrenal' tag


• WAPF blogger, Wise Traditions presenter Kaayla Daniel PhD CCN with Galen Knight PhD 'How to avoid toxic metals and clear them from the body'


• Robb's testosterone blogpost 'Paleo and Testosterone' biohacking


• Chris Espinosa, blogger at robbwolf.com, xfitter and Poliquin-certified, Testosterone Part II and Estrogen Balance


• Jack Kruse MD: Hormone Cascade 101 (Testosterone/E, Cortisol/Adrenal, Thyroid) , Gut and Hormones, and Adrenal/Adaptogens

The LLVLC Show (Episode 520): Jeff O’Connell’s ‘Sugar Nation’ And ‘Animal Pharm’ Blogger Dr. B G


The topics in our e-coffeetalk (from Jimmy's site)...

• The infectiousness of her e-mail writing style
• Her work in a plant biology lab that showed she hated research
• The love/hate relationship she has with the USDA
• The one-year residency she did working in geriatrics
• The certified diabetes education that she pursued
• Her hesitancy to start blogging with so many great bloggers
• Her contributions to the PaleoHacks.com web site
• The “chronic cardio” she believes is right for her
• The slow rate of weight loss she experienced (50 pounds in 5 years)
• How Keith Norris has a “Zen-like charm” about him
• What her experience was like at the Ancestral Health Symposium
• The important message of Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt in Sweden
• How Aaron Blaisdell and Brent Pottenger are changing the world
• Recollections of past interviews with Gary Taubes
• The positive contributions Taubes has made to the low-carb cause
• How the Dietary Guidelines are making Americans sicker
• The autoimmune issues she and her siblings dealt with growing up
• How even some grass-fed beef can taste a little “off”
• The “scary” nature of finding real food in China
• Whether America would have been successful without carbs
• Her take on the “safe starches” debate that’s happening right now
• The great admiration she has for Dr. Robert Su
• How there are plenty of Asians who get “sick” eating white rice
• How she “completely burned out my adrenals” on intermittent fasting
• Why some people have issues that make it more difficult to get healthy
• The high-carb adrenal resets that need to have for many people
• Why you have to have balance with all of your hormones
• Her weight gain from heavy metal toxicity
• What the future of her “Animal Pharm” concept is
• The book she is writing with her sister on gut health with recipes
• Why she wants to open up a gluten-free cafe to teach cooking
• Her desire for us to outsource the Low-Carb Cruise to China