Human foie gras

18. September 2010 William Davis (10)
If you want to make foie gras, you feed ducks and geese copious quantities of grains, such as corn and wheat.

The carbohydrate-rich diet causes fat deposition in the liver via processes such as de novo lipogenesis, the conversion of carbohydrates to triglycerides. Ducks and geese are particularly good at this, since they store plentiful fats in the liver to draw from during sustained periods of not eating during annual migration.

Modern humans are trying awfully hard to create their own version of foie gras-yielding livers. While nobody is shoving a tube down our gullets, the modern lifestyle of grotesque carbohydrate overconsumption, like soft drinks, chips, pretzels, crackers, and--yes--"healthy whole grains" causes fat accumulation in the human liver.

Over the past few years, there has been an explosion of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and non-alcoholic steatosis, two forms of liver disease that result from excess fat deposition. The situation gets so bad in some people that it progresses to cirrhosis, i.e., a hard, poorly-functioning liver that paints a very ugly health picture. The end-result is identical to that experienced by longstanding alcoholics.



While Hannibal Lecter might celebrate the proliferation of human fatty livers with a glass of claret, fatty liver disease is an entirely preventable condition. All it requires is not eating the foods that create it in the first place.
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Comments (10) -

  • Anonymous

    9/17/2010 6:32:37 PM |

    What a great analogy.  Many thanks.

  • Anna

    9/17/2010 6:39:49 PM |

    Don't forget the fruit juices that everyone thinks are so healthy to drink in frequent and large quantities - let's not be fooled by 100% fruit juice labels, either (legal for juice processors to claim because the added sugars are concentrated fruit sugars instead of other sugars like cane or corn sugars) or otherwise.  

    Even though I no longer drink fruit juice, I'm veyr much enjoying reading the book, Squeezed, What You Don't Know About Orange Juice.  A bit dry at times because of all the narrative involving the 1960s-era FDA hearings on the of the exploding pre-squeezed OJ industry, it's still a great tale because of its parallels with other foods that are widely considered to be minimally processed (like dairy), yet are anything but.  There's a reason why orange and dairy processing plants look like refineries...

  • Anonymous

    9/17/2010 8:11:39 PM |

    Hannibal prefer Chianti with liver.

  • Bling

    9/17/2010 8:57:58 PM |

    Dr Davis, Glad to see you obviously read my comment on your previous post about "Foie Gras". Yes, I always thought it was uncanny that the medical profession never saw the similarities between Foie Gras and NAFL. Smile
    Meanwhile, I'm still here after a year on low carb, giving low carb a bad name because I am still so big. I'm off to find an NHS doctor to prescribe me Metformin since I think it's a good idea. I think I may have to fake diabetes though, since technically I am prediabetic. Wish me luck.
    Peace out.

  • john

    9/17/2010 9:20:42 PM |

    Hi Dr. Davis,

    I ate many carbs (including lots of sugar) in my younger years yet have always had good body composition...  

    Is fatty liver without obesity common?

  • Anonymous

    9/17/2010 10:41:17 PM |

    Did you blog on the unexpected benefits of gluten-free? I.e. no more IBS, no more heartburn, etc. In recent days, I have visited many blogs and I cannot find it. I have a hand written note that I found it on your site. Thanks

  • Anonymous

    9/17/2010 10:44:05 PM |

    I found the unexpected effects of a gluten free diet in September through a Google search. thanks.

  • Anonymous

    9/18/2010 3:00:10 AM |

    Clarification please, I'm a new reader: This avoiding "healthy grains" that is being advocated, is it the avoidance of wheat only?  Are oats, brown rice ok?
    Sarah

  • praguestepchild

    9/18/2010 11:30:14 AM |

    I eat a lot of paté and foie gras. I consider it to be an ideal food, except that one can actually OD on all the vitamins. It seems expensive but it's filling, a few tablespoons make a light meal.

    Ironic that a great way to avoid a fatty liver is to eat fatty liver.

  • homertobias

    9/18/2010 4:38:36 PM |

    Oh Dr. D

    You should let your sense of humor out more often!  It is delightful!
    Thanks for making me laugh this morning.

    Of course I love Silence of the Lambs and Anthony Hopkins in particular. And yes, it was eat his liver with fava beans and a glass of good chianti.

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Summer in Wisconsin

Summer in Wisconsin

25. September 2007 William Davis (10)
It's been a glorious summer in Wisconsin.

For weeks straight, we've enjoyed bright, sunny days with temperatures in the 70s and 80s. Even now, in late September, our windows are wide open and the days are warm and sunny. Yesterday, it was 84 degrees. Yes, it did rain for a stretch of about 10 days in August, but for the most part it has been a wonderfully sunny summer.

So it struck Andy as a big surprise when we checked his 25-OH-vitamin D3 blood level: 15 ng/ml--severe deficiency.

"I don't get it. I'm outside almost every day. Look at me! How do you think I got this tan?"

Indeed, Andy sported a nice dark tan over exposed areas.

In fact, Andy was among the dozen or so people this month with deficiencies of this magnitude.

Deficiency is not the exception; it is the rule. Of course, if Andy's blood level is at the level of severe deficiency in September, he will only trend lower over the next few weeks and months. He would likely have shown vitamin D blood levels of <10 ng/ml by January--profound deficiency.

With deficiency of this severity, Andy has been exposing himself to risk for prostate and colon cancer, diabetes and metabolic syndrome, low HDL, higher triglycerides, higher blood sugars, higher C-reactive protein, osteoporosis, arthritis . . .

Correcting the deficiency is easy. But, as you can see, getting sun is not always the answer. Even with an active, outdoor lifestyle and a tan, Andy still remained significantly deficient. Oral replacement with vitamin D3, or cholecalciferol, is an absolute necessity.
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Comments (10) -

  • Bad_CRC

    9/25/2007 2:17:00 PM |

    Dr. Davis, what dose did you prescribe Andy?  I'm curious because mine was 14.3 in August, after several lengthy outdoor activies and (I thought) much sun exposure.  I've been taking 4000 IU/day and will re-check soon, but perhaps I should have started even higher.

  • Dr. Davis

    9/25/2007 10:58:00 PM |

    I suggested that he begin with 6000 units of a gelcap D3 per day. I suspect his eventual dose will lie somewhere between 6000-10000 units per day.

    However, the dose is based on body size, age, sex, and some other factors.

  • Anonymous

    9/26/2007 6:17:00 AM |

    Dear Dr Davis,

    Thanks for your very informative blog.

    Have you any idea why some people apparently don't make proper amounts of cholecalciferol when they are exposed to UV-B?

    I know this inability is rather common in the elderly, but younger people should make plenty of vitamin D when outdoors in September.

    Thanks in advance for your reflection.

    Melle Mulder
    The Netherlands.

  • Dr. Davis

    9/26/2007 11:46:00 AM |

    The capacity for vitamin D-generation in the skin is tremendously age-related. Dr. Michael Holick has published data to this effect. I have seen it in real life.

    For instance, I saw a 81-year old man recently who is a clear-cut sun-worshipper, complete with dark leather-like skin. He is outdoors in Wisconsin in summer, Florida in winter. 25-OH-vitamin D3 level: 7 ng/ml--profound deficiency.

    Yet a 25 year old may have a blood level of 42 with modest and occasional sun exposure.

    I am unsure of the explanation behind the age-dependent loss in capacity. It will be fascinating to see if a basic researcher somewhere provides an explanation.

  • over&out

    9/29/2007 8:44:00 PM |

    Dr Davis, My wife(type 2)thin and exercising, was having trouble keeping her #'s down, 170 -180. Even on 4 X Metf. After seeing all your info on D3 I was cross checking over on PubMed and saw a couple studies of D3 benefiting Diabetics. She cautiously started taking a 1000IU in oil base gel capsule daily, 2 weeks ago and her counts have been slowly dropping into the 120's. I am sending her off for blood draws this week to see where she is at.
    Ever hear of such a thing? We are VERY happy and grateful to you. XXX000 (from my wife)

  • over&out

    9/29/2007 8:44:00 PM |

    Dr Davis, My wife(type 2)thin and exercising, was having trouble keeping her #'s down, 170 -180. Even on 4 X Metf. After seeing all your info on D3 I was cross checking over on PubMed and saw a couple studies of D3 benefiting Diabetics. She cautiously started taking a 1000IU in oil base gel capsule daily, 2 weeks ago and her counts have been slowly dropping into the 120's. I am sending her off for blood draws this week to see where she is at.
    Ever hear of such a thing? We are VERY happy and grateful to you. XXX000 (from my wife)

  • Dr. Davis

    9/29/2007 11:02:00 PM |

    Yes. Though variable, I have witnessed this effect many times. Vitamin D facilitates insulin responses.

    I love when wonderful, beneficial effects derive from simple solutions,  don't you?

  • Anonymous

    1/26/2008 3:55:00 AM |

    Dr. Davis: Last March, per your recommendation, I started on a vitamin program which includes niacin, fish oil, DHEA, magnesium citrate and Vitamin D.  Before that time, I had been quite ill for about 3 years with either a cold or the flu.  It seemed like I could never get over these illnesses.  Well I'm happy to report that I have not been sick one day since March, 2007!  I have been watching my diet and exercising more as well.  I have stayed on the 6,000 mg of Vitamin D and I truly have seen the benefits.  In addition, my blood pressure has dropped to a normal level - thank you!

  • Dr. Davis

    1/26/2008 5:08:00 AM |

    That's fabulous!

  • Anonymous

    7/2/2008 3:01:00 AM |

    Dr. Davis,

    If a person uses sunscreen every time he or she is outdoors, it's my understanding that the body will not make D3.  But if a person doesn't use sunscreen and is outdoors every day in Wisconsin during the summer, will he still need to take D3?

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