Feb
04
2017

Benefits Of The Ketogenic Diet

By | Cardiovascular disease, Diabetes, diet, heart attack, Inflammation, Nutrition, Prevention, Stroke, sugar, Weight loss

Dr. Jeff Volek, PhD, RD gave a talk that clarified the benefits of the ketogenic diet. He is a professor at the Department of Human Sciences at The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, and teaches in the Kinesiology Program. His lecture was part of the 24th Annual World Conference on Anti-Aging Medicine in Las Vegas, Dec. 9 to 11, 2016.

There were 58 slides, some of them very detailed. I will summarize as best as I can what the presentation was all about.

History of diets

Dr. Volek stated that there were unintended consequences when the low fat/ high carb diet was introduced in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Ancel Keys, a physiologist had proposed in his diet heart hypothesis that saturated fat was the culprit that caused heart attacks.

As a result all major health agencies recommended the low fat/high carb diet. Obesity, diabetes, heart attacks, and strokes were the consequences. Another offshoot later from this was the statin craze where everybody was put on statins as high cholesterol was symptomatically treated. Nothing changed the diabetes and obesity wave and heart attacks and strokes continued to kill the affected persons. Among performance athletes the hypothesis was formed that carb loading would increase muscle performance. Researchers showed evidence that carb loading would improve performance. But athletes were dissatisfied with prediabetes and metabolic problems. Both the average consumer as well as the performance athlete noted that they felt better on a low carb/high fat diet. This is what the ketogenic diet is all about.

Diet heart hypothesis

With the diet heart hypothesis the saturated fat was removed from the diet and replaced by vegetable oils rich in linoleic acid. Dr. Volek explained that blood tests and other investigations were done on people who ingested the low saturated fat/high carb diet. The question was whether this would reduce heart attack rates and deaths by lowering serum cholesterol.

The Minnesota Coronary Experiment was a double blind study, which answered this question.

Cholesterol was reduced in the experimental group. But there was no reduction of heart attacks or strokes compared to a control group. Of concern was the large amount of refined carbohydrate content with the low fat diet. This essentially was responsible for the obesity and diabetes wave. The excess sugar turned into fat deposits and to insulin resistance, which caused diabetes. The low saturated fat/high carb diet of the 1960’s to 1990’s did not reduce heart attacks and strokes. To the contrary: the obesity/type 2 diabetes wave it had caused increased mortality from strokes and heart attacks further.

Laboratory tests on low fat/high carb diet versus the ketogenic diet

Forget hypotheses for a moment. Let us review what the different diets do in terms of lab tests. In a study where physicians put 40 overweight people with metabolic syndrome on a low fat diet or a low carb/ketogenic diet, they received the following blood test results. There were 20 patients in each group.

  1. Low fat/high carb diet

Triglycerides in the blood went down by 20%, saturated fatty acids by 22%. LDL (the bad cholesterol) rose by 4%. Insulin levels went down by 17% and leptin levels also down by 17%. Glucose levels were down by 1%.

  1. Low carb/ketogenic diet

Triglycerides went down by 52%, saturated fatty acids by 57%. LDL (the bad cholesterol) went down by 18%. Insulin levels went down by 49% and leptin levels by 42%. Glucose levels were down by 11%.

In this group of 20 subjects for each group the body mass index went down by 5% for the low fat diet and by 10% for the ketogenic diet after 3 months. The abdominal fat went down in that time by 12% for the low fat diet and by 20% for the ketogenic diet. The conclusion from these laboratory results and from the body measurements is that the low fat diet is showing some results of weight loss, but the ketogenic diet has superior results. The same is true for the blood tests. Only the ketogenic diet showed reduction of 7 key anti-inflammatory markers. In contrast, the low fat diet did not trigger the production of a single anti-inflammatory marker.

Anti-inflammatory benefits of the ketogenic diet

A 2008 study showed that several anti-inflammatory markers were greatly reduced from the ketogenic diet while a low fat diet did not show such a reduction.

As this 2009 study showed the LDL particles were getting bigger under the influence of a ketogenic diet, but they were getting smaller with a low fat diet.

Large LDL particles are also called pattern A particles, while small LDL particles are also called pattern B particles.

As this link shows there is good evidence that small LDL particles oxidize easier and are more atherogenic (causing hardening of the arteries). This means they lead to hardening of the arteries easier translating into heart attacks and strokes down the road. It is one thing that a ketogenic diet leads to larger LDL particles, which are more resistant to oxygenation. But it is another good thing that this diet is also anti-inflammatory. Overall this means that a ketogenic diet is counteracting the development of heart attacks and strokes.

Are saturated fatty acids in the diet causing heart attacks or strokes?

Dr. Volek discussed several large studies that have investigated this question. One of these studies discussed was a metaanalysis from 2010. Like all the other studies it showed that saturated fatty acids do not cause heart attacks and strokes. This is the secret behind the Inuit and the Eskimo diet. It is a high fat and meat diet. There is lots of seafood on the menu as well, which provides omega-3 fatty acids.

Dr. Volek pointed out that if you replace a certain percentage, let’s say 5% of saturated fatty acids with carbohydrates, this would cause 7% more heart attacks. He showed literature evidence to back this up. What causes increased heart attacks and strokes is more refined carbs in your diet (sugar and starchy foods!).

Do saturated fatty acids in your blood increase the risk for disease?

Dr. Volek showed several slides with references to various publications. Elevated saturated fatty acids in the blood cause a higher risk of getting a heart attack, heart failure, metabolic syndrome and diabetes. But this does not happen with a ketogenic diet. The values of the saturated fatty acids in the blood are 4% lower with the start of a ketogenic diet. With a low carb diet the calories derived from carbs are 12%. In comparison a low fat diet has 56% of carbs. Protein content in the low fat diet is 20%, in the ketogenic diet 28%. Saturated fat content in the low fat diet is 24%, in the ketogenic diet it is 59%.

Comparison of saturated fatty acid diet with the ketogenic diet

Let’s assume that both diets remain at 1500 Cal. per day. Then the saturated fat content for the low fat diet is 12 grams and the carbohydrate content is 208 grams. For the ketogenic diet these values are as follows: 36 grams of saturated fat and 45 grams of carbohydrates. Although there was a threefold higher saturated fatty acid intake, measurements of the circulating level of saturated fatty acids were 4% lower.

You are what you eat, but go easy on carbs

Dr. Volek pointed out that what makes you healthy or sick is how many carbs you include in your diet. If you follow a ketogenic diet with only 12% carbs you are much better off than when you follow a diet like the low fat diet with 56% of carbs. The higher the carb percentage in your food, the higher the production of saturated fatty acids in your system and the higher the storage of saturated fatty acids in your body fat. Conversely, the lower the carb percentage in your food is the higher the oxidation of saturated fatty acids will be.

Low fat diet compared to ketogenic diet

In other words the saturated fatty acids disappear from your blood. Also, with a ketogenic diet the storage of saturated fatty acids is lower in your body fat. With a low fat diet your insulin resistance increases, while with a ketogenic diet insulin resistance decreases. The difference in calories in these two diets (56% derived from carbs in a low fat diet versus 12% derived from carbs in a ketogenic diet) explains why the obesity/type 2 diabetes wave has developed and why heart attacks and strokes still top the mortality figures today.

Endurance athletes win medals on a ketogenic diet

Dr. Volek shared a few cases of world-class athletes that are on a ketogenic diet. They did well for themselves winning medals. Tim Olsen won the Western States 100-mile endurance run from Squaw Valley to Auburn, CA in 2012. Zach Bitter was the 100-mile track record holder in 2015. Mike Morton won the American 24-hour distance running record for 172 miles. Two Tour De France bicyclists made first and second place, Chris Froome (first place) and Romain Bardet (second place).

Sports teams also have been successful on a ketogenic diet: the Columbus Crew soccer team; New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly called the All Blacks; the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team are all on ketogenic diets.

Dr. Volek also pointed out that the military has tested the ketogenic diet. A ketogenic diet restores metabolic health, gives the soldiers more endurance, more stress resistance and decreased fatigue.

Benefits Of The Ketogenic Diet

Benefits Of The Ketogenic Diet

Conclusion

A ketogenic diet is on the one end of the carb spectrum with only 10 to 12% of calories derived from carbs. At the other end is the low fat/high carb diet that caused the obesity/diabetes wave. The Mediterranean diet is in the center. The more you are able to cut down the carb percentage in your diet by cutting out sugar and starchy foods, the more your metabolism stabilizes and blood tests can be measure this. The ketogenic diet makes you lose weight down to your ideal weight and makes you gain more muscle strength and physical endurance. Sophisticated blood tests have shown that inflammatory markers go down on a ketogenic diet and factors that lead to hardening of arteries also go down.

The end result of being on a ketogenic diet

The end result on the ketogenic diet is that the rate of heart attacks and strokes goes down, something which was the original goal of Ancel Keys. It did not work, but it promoted a wave of diabetes and heart disease! Ironically adding saturated fat and other healthy fats while cutting down carbs will achieve disease prevention. This is the opposite of what Ancel Keys had recommended to do and what the processed food industry has mimicked. The ketogenic diet lowers mortality by cutting down heart attacks and strokes. With this knowledge it will finally be possible to get people on a path to better health.

More information about ketogenic diet: https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/keto

Jan
14
2017

How To Avoid Being Hungry

By | Cardiovascular disease, diet, heart attack, Heart Disease, Nutrition, Obesity, Stroke, Weight loss

Dr. Ludwig gave a lecture about how to avoid being hungry at a conference in Las Vegas. The actual topic was “Always Hungry?” I attended the 24th Annual World Congress on Anti-Aging Medicine (Dec. 9-11, 2016) in Las Vegas where this lecture was given. Dr. Ludwig is a Harvard-based endocrinologist who has been researching weight loss methods and obesity for over 20 years. Here is a list of his major publications.

Dr. Ludwig stated that the low fat/high carb diet popular in the1980’s until the early 2000’s was misguided and probably even harmful. The theory at that time was that obesity was caused by too much saturated fat. This has since been proven to be wrong. Instead it has been proven that increased sugar intake is responsible for the obesity wave.

General information about weight gain

The carbohydrate-insulin model states that without insulin you cannot gain weight, because in order to store fat in fatty tissue you need insulin to transport fatty acids across the cell membrane of fat cells.

In this context it is important to note that high glycemic index food increases the blood sugar. This leads to stimulated insulin production, and the liver converts the extra sugar into fatty acids that get deposited as fat in fatty tissue.

The glycemic load from a person’s diet is the single best predictor for a rising blood sugar level. After food intake the blood sugar goes up, glucagon goes up, epinephrine goes up within 4 hours. It is the epinephrine, which after 4 hours makes you hungry again.

The nucleus accumbens is the addiction center. At 4 hours after a high glycemic index milk shake the nucleus accumbens was stimulated in 12 subjects of a double blind trial.

The nucleus accumbens does not work in isolation. It is not only involved in food satisfaction, but also in sexual satisfaction and even plays a role in satisfaction that some people get from playing video games.

Low-carbohydrate, Mediterranean or low-fat diet

In an Israeli study from the New England Journal of Medicine in 2008 investigators were interested to find out which diet was helping people to lose most weight.

322 moderately obese subjects that were aged 52 years on average were randomized to one of the following diet groups.

They compared

  1. a low fat diet (Atkins type, restricted calorie) with a
  2. Mediterranean diet (low carb, restricted-calorie) and a
  3. Low fat/high carb diet (low fat, non-restricted-calorie)

What was the result? The mean weight losses were: 2.9 kg (low fat group), 4.4 kg (Mediterranean diet group), and 4.7 kg (low fat/high carb group). Of the 272 participants who had completed the intervention after two years of the study the weight loss was 3.3 kg, 4.6 kg, and 5.5 kg in the same sequence as above.

Next the researchers examined the ratio of total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, which is a measure for the heart attack risk. It was 20% lower from the baseline in group 2 (Mediterranean diet group). The low fat groups (group 1 and 3) were 12% lower from the baseline.

36 subjects had diabetes. There was a clear winner with respect to lower fasting blood sugar and insulin levels, namely the Mediterranean diet (group 2).

The authors concluded that the Mediterranean diet is preferable to low fat diets as they have shown an improvement in lipid profiles and in control of diabetes.

The “POUNDS LOST” study

This was a 2-year study that investigated 4 different lower calorie diets to help people lose weight. Despite the significant difference in diet composition, these 811 free-living overweight or obese adults ages 30-70 from Boston, MA and Baton Rouge, LA lost 16 pounds at 6 months and 9 pounds at the end of two years. The diets were 1) low fat (20%) or 2) high fat (40%) 3) average protein (15%) or 4) high protein (25% of total calories).

The authors concluded that any reduced, calorie-controlled diet would help obese or overweight people to achieve weight loss that lasts. It is interesting that it did not matter whether the diet was low or high in fat, or had low or high protein content. What did matter was that all diets were low in sugar.

Sugar is the driving force

Dr. Ludwig pointed out that without insulin you couldn’t gain weight. High glycemic index food increases blood sugar. The glycemic load is the single best predictor to indicate whether a person will gain weight or lose weight when you consume food. It is an irony that in the 1980’s and 1990’s the wrong assumption that a low fat/high carb diet would be heart healthy created the obesity wave. We have abundant data available that show otherwise: high sugar content of food brings the calorie count up as everybody can read on the food labels.

Sugar stimulates the food addiction center

This will lead to weight increase, which has been abundantly proven. Sugar also stimulates your nucleus accumbens, the food addiction center. As you probably know it is extremely difficult to get out of this food addiction cycle unless you cut out sugar. You even need to go one step further and include many starchy foods that will within 30 minutes of digesting them turn into sugar. Your system makes no difference whether you eat a few teaspoons of sugar or two slices of white bread. The response of your pancreas is insulin, which gladly stores the fatty substances your liver made as fat.

How to get out of the vicious food cycle

As the quoted publications and many other ones have shown, it only matters that you limit your refined carb intake. You can vary the fat content and you can vary the protein content and still lose weight provided you watch the low carb intake. You also need portion control, which is a given! Study glycemic index and glycemic load sites on the Internet. The links I provided are just some examples. The more you educate yourself about carbs, the better for you. Note that many fruit and vegetables belong to the low-glycemic load/index foods. Avoid the high glycemic index foods like dates and cornflakes. Stick to low-glycemic index foods, which are less than 55. With regard to low-glycemic load food the values should be below 10.

The Mediterranean diet is a very desirable diet, which has been proven to be anti-inflammatory.

The zone diet of Barry Sears is also an anti-inflammatory diet and he summarizes this in this link.

How To Avoid Being Hungry

How To Avoid Being Hungry

Conclusion

I have summarized the content of a talk given by Dr. Ludwig. We learnt from this that sugar and refined carbs are the driving force that leads to “feeling hungry”. This stimulates your nucleus accumbens, the food addiction center. Let’s assume that a person is obese or overweight and wants to lose some weight. You need to start by being strict with yourself. Cut out sugar and high-glycemic foods. This will remove the food addiction factor that keeps you going back to the wrong, high calorie foods. You will also consume more low calorie vegetables and fruit, which have more fiber that fills you up.

Monitor your body mass index

Once you are used to the new way of eating, there is no need to count calories. I recommend that you weigh yourself daily on body composition scales and record the results. This allows you to monitor your body mass index (BMI), your weight, your fat percentage, and your muscle percentage. Typically you will lose 2 to 3 pounds per week on such a low-calorie diet. Later the weight loss will slow down to 1 to 2 weeks per week until you reach your goal. Don’t go lower than a BMI of 21.0 to 22.0 and discuss your goal with your doctor.