Dr. Davis,

Does the context of a mixed meal blunt the impact of some of those grain choices listed? For example, if you have someone who consumes a lean source of protein and some fibrous vegetables at a meal but also happened to add a bagel or a slice or two of bread, would there be the same exaggerated response or would it be lessened on account of the protein and added fiber?

Or in the case of protein and a source of quality, undamaged fat, would this also mitigate the impact at all?

I'm not looking for a license to eat grains and such, just curious if the impact is at all close to what it is in someone who ate the grains or the pancake/syrup combo as a standalone as a standalone.

~Ralph Backstrom

I started checking my post meal glucose last Saturday.  So far, the only thing that raised it was the diluted cup of fruit juice.  I don't drink juice any longer and this provided some evidence as to why.

Thanks for the wisdom!

Behold the power of the dominant paradigm.  Go to Google and you find:

2,160,000 for "whole grain"
1,770,000 for "healthy whole grain"
502,000 for "heart-healthy whole grain"

4,980,000 for saturated fat/fats
524,000 for "limit saturated fat"
245,000 for "artery-clogging saturated fat"
206,000 for "unhealthy saturated fat"

And the voices in the wilderness
152,000 for "healthy saturated fat"

Freya

Alas, this is only true for someone who doesn't already have T2 diabetes.  I am a small woman, 5'2", weighing about 120 pounds.  If I ate 6 oz of salmon at one sitting my blood sugar would easily go to 130 at the least, and would stay high for awhile --and I'd be insulin resistant for a day or so after. I can handle only 3 ounces of protein food at a time, and even then I get some rise.

But your point is well taken for someone who can handle larger portions.

You are so correct.  I really try to eat properly for my diabetes doing this very thing and testing what raises it and what does not.  I recently got home from a trip with family where I could not control my eating but I still kept track of my blood sugars.  I was shocked at what changing my diet did to me for those few days (while still taking some diabetic medication).  I am so glad to be home so I can eat properly!

And checking your blood sugar helps you determine your individual response to different foods. For example, my blood sugar increases more when I eat rice than when I eat potatoes, even when the amount of carbs is the same.

Using a glucose meter, I have been able to keep my postprandial glucose under 120 mg/dl. Thanks for the suggestion.

What are your thoughts on fruit and veggies. With their effect on BG and a low carb diet, are you recommending lowering those as well? The only problem I have with a low carb diet is it may mean low fruit and vegetables as well.

Hi, Ralph--

It does indeed. However, the effect of the precise mix of foods and portions can be best gauged by checking your postprandial blood sugars to be certain.

Hi, Freya--

That's fabulous!

It offers an interesting insight into what the "masses" are thinking.

We don't need fruits and vegetables at all, particularly the former. Fruit are sugar bombs with trace nutrients.

is it really necessary to do this if you do not eat grains except ground flax with a diet of vegetables, meat fish, chicken and Greek yogurt such as Fage and only a handful of berries a couple times a week with a Whey protein shake?

I think some of us are going a bit overboard on the anti-fruit/vegetable crusade here.  It is impossible to eat too much kale, broccoli, and other greens.  Vegetables are the healthiest things you can eat, and I've made them the center of my diet.  Fruit jucies are dangerous, definitely.  (I wish I knew that when I was younger.)  But fruits, I think, are much, much better, because of the fiber content. Really, eating a bowl of blueberries, and apple, and a banana is not going to give you diabetes, and will do far more good than harm.  

- Vladimir

So what about 4 oz of rolled oats?

I avoid 95% of grains except for oats.

Here they claim that oats are low- glycemic...

http://blog.nutritiondata.com/

Others say that oats do not have gluten...or at least not the same type as in wheat.

If one would avoid all fruits...vegs...grains...that would be a carnivore's diet?

Dr Davis,

You have been writing about the benefits of a low-carb diets for yeears.  So why is only now that it "mainstream" doctors are catching up.  This article from BBC News:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/default.stm

Low-carb diet 'heart benefits'
A low carbohydrate diet, like Atkins, is better at cutting blood pressure than weight loss drugs, according to US research.

In this related article, the efficacy of the "high-carb" DASH diet when used alone for the control of high blood pressure is questioned:

http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2010/01/25/professional/links/20100125clin014.html

Weight management needed for DASH diet to optimize heart health

In overweight individuals with hypertension, the health benefits of the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet can be substantially increased by weight loss and exercise, according to early results of the ongoing ENCORE study.

National guidelines for controlling high blood pressure (BP) recommend the DASH diet, which is high in low-fat dairy products, fruits and vegetables, lower in fats, and rich in fiber. However, studies in "real life" situations have questioned its value independent of other lifestyle changes.

Anonymous--

Please don't regard to "no fruits and vegetables" as my advice. I believe that vegetables and SOME fruit should be the core of your diet.

You can always know whether a specific carbohydrate food is good for you if you check your one-hour after eating blood sugar. That will tell you for certain.

So, I have been eating very low carb for a few months now.  I don't have type 2 diabetes, but I am trying to lose weight, and my research is leaving me with NO doubt as to the importance of low carb eating.  My son is type 1 diabetic, so we have several meters lying around, unused.  

Since starting low carb, I haven't really checked my blood glucose readings.  But, when I read your last two blog posts, I had just eaten a low carb lunch about an hour previous.  So, I checked my blood glucose and it was 79 mg/dl.  Perfect!

I was curious how high it would be if I ate a high carb meal.  But since I hardly ever do that anymore, I didn't know when I'd get a chance.

Today I got my chance.  I went out to eat with my husband to a Japanese restaurant.  I ate rice, tempura shrimp, and a salad dressing that had some sugar in it.  So, after I got home, I checked my blood glucose at 1 hour postprandial, and guess what it was...167 mg/dl!  I was very surprised to see it that high!  I checked again at 2 hours postprandial, it had dropped to 140 mg/dl.  

So, are those pre-diabetic numbers?

In any case, I'm glad that I'm not eating that way anymore.  I'm down almost 20 lbs, and I feel great.  I'm totally convinced that the world needs to hear your message!

Bought a blood sugar meter on your recommendation, and it's been informative.  I found out why I can't do intermittent fasting without feeling like crap - BG was 63 before my meal!!!

Laurie, I'm not an expert, but I don't think you've got enough data to know.  If you began eating rice daily, and your numbers didn't normalize, then yes, there's a problem.  However, I'm uncertain what, if anything, you'd need to do about it, given that your typical way of eating probably doesn't spike glucose.

Yesterday's high readings are probably the result of 2 things: (1) an unprepared pancreas, and (2) physiologically insulin resistant muscle tissue.  

Your pancreas uses the past as a predictor of the future.  On a low carb diet, your pancreas assumes that it won't need much insulin for the next meal.  It doesn't have a large stockpile waiting just in case you decide to eat high carb one day.  

So a pancreas used to a VLC diet won't be prepared to prevent a blood sugar spike if you eat an unusual meal.  

However, if you ate higher carb for a few days, a healthy pancreas would start making more insulin.  At that point, the spike from a rice & tempura meal would (hopefully!) be lower.

Also, when your diet is low enough in carbs, your muscles become insulin resistant.  This is referred to as physiological or peripheral insulin resistance, which is not the same as pathological type II diabetes-causing insulin resistance.  

When VLC, your muscles are being fueled by fatty acids, and they don't need much glucose, so they stop accepting it from your bloodstream.  Muscle insulin resistance may also help to conserve scarce glucose for your brain and red blood cells.

Assuming that you're nondiabetic, if you ate higher carb for a while, that type of insulin resistance should reverse.

Clear as mud?  

I have a question pertaining to what the above poster said about about physiological or peripheral insulin resistance.  I believe that this is what I experienced while on a low-carb diet.  After several months, my fasting blood sugars had risen to readings in the upper 110s and even low 120s.  Throughout the course of the day, they would hover around 100.  Previous to beginning the low-carb diet, my fasting blood sugars were typically in the upper 80s to low 90s, but my one-hour postprandial sugars would rise to 140 or higher with a meal containing a moderate to high amount of carbs.

So my question is, if this type of insulin resistance can occur even when keeping carbs to a minimum, how can that be healthy in the long-term if even sugars in the 100s can cause problems?

(Apologies if this is a duplicate submission.  I got an error the first time I hit the publish button.)

Peter over at Hyperlipid has written about physiological insulin resistance and fasting blood sugar.

http://high-fat-nutrition.blogspot.com/2007/10/physiological-insulin-resistance.html

He's written other posts on the topic as well, which you can find by scrolling down to the labels section on the right hand side of the blog.

Peter's argument may explain your fasting blood glucose, but that doesn't necessarily mean everything is okay.

What is your HbA1c?  If your A1c is at or above 6%, you might want to refer to an older post on this forum (link below) and/or Bernstein's book on diabetes.

http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/2008/04/low-carb-eating-for-diabetes.html

I think you should clarify things a bit. Protein certainly does get converted to glucose via gluconegenesis, and the incretin process will give you a bit of a sugar rush as well per Dr, Bernstein. Us type 1's attempting low carb lifestyles know very well that BGs most definately are affected by all consumed foods.

John

I am really confused here now.  Dr. Davis' post says that eating beef won't raise blood sugar.  But Drs. Oz & Roizen, the authors of the "You" series, and who strike me as learned and straightforward fellows, not captured by any particular industry, say that *saturated fat* -- whether from animals or coconuts or palm trees --  causes insulin resistance.  If that's right, then eating beef and other saturated fats will reek havoc on blood sugar -- if not now, then later.  

So what gives?  Who is right?  Is the science just hopelessly confused at this point?

For T1 and T2 diabetics:

See Dr. Richard Bernstein's book "Diabetes Solution" for the ultimate low carb eating plan.  He advocates 30 grams of carbs per DAY - sounds extreme but he's been living with T1 diabetes (juvenile, insulin dependent) for 64 YEARS!

Good luck

Ed

@  Vladimir *saturated fat* -- whether from animals or coconuts or palm trees -- causes insulin resistance
Metabolism Society Dietary fat research Read both the Krauss Meta-analysis and Dietary Fat and Coronary Heart Disease you may see the link between saturated fat and heart disease is questionable.

MCT oil (coconut oil good source of mct) can be incorporated into a weight loss program without fear of adversely affecting metabolic risk factors.

Dr Eades has an interesting blog on the Saturated Fat topic

In the comments of this recent Dr Davis blog I link to research showing when omega 3's are present effects of saturated fats are modified and the type of saturated fat consumed affects insulin response.

im consfused too... so if saturated fat causes insulin resistance(which precedes or follow leptin resistance), and protein will spike blood sugar...

makes meat sound like the WORST of both world... im so confused

A clarification: Protein and fats, including saturated fats, DO increase blood sugar. However, the magnitude of effect is much smaller than that of carbohydrates.

Now I'm starting to understand why you're against grazing, Dr. Davis!  It seems like not eating for several hours -- i.e., sticking to meals -- would be quite helpful in keeping blood glucose down.

Dr. Davis,

I've heard and read that sprouting grains (and beans) changes their starch content into a vegetable sugar making them much safer.  Some examples are 100 percent sprouted breads like Ezekiel Bread.

Any truth to this that you know of???

Steve

Dr Davis,

Another article on the dangers of a "low-fat" diet:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1247216/The-Big-Fat-Lies-Britains-obesity-epidemic.html

"While we've all been brainwashed into thinking that fat is the killer we must avoid and food manufacturers bring out more and more profitable 'low-fat' versions of foods, starch - in the shape of pasta, bread, cereals, potatoes and rice - has been quietly adding on the pounds, while we are being told that it's good for us."

The article title is:

The Big Fat Lies about Britain's obesity epidemic

"While it showed some benefits from cholesterol-lowering drugs, the assumption made by the researchers was that if you eat a diet low in cholesterol, that would have the same effect as taking cholesterol-lowering drugs.

This conclusion prompted various agencies in the U.S. to start a campaign to lower the amount of saturated fats in our diet.

At no time did this study look at the effect of saturated fats on heart attacks or heart disease.

So, on the basis of a study looking at drugs lowering cholesterol, we ended up with a message to eat less saturated fat.

This plea for sanity over the advice on fats is not a lone cry.

Several very influential experts such as Dr Laura Corr, consultant cardiologist at Guys and St Thomas' Hospital in London, and Dr Michael Oliver, from the National Heart and Lung Institute, have asked those in power to stop propagating an unproven message.

Where does the FSA find such certainty among the pile of published science which is not conclusive in its findings?

In fact, there are some statistics showing quite the contrary, especially when mixed with a low- starch and low-sugar diet.

One report looked at 27 individual studies into the link between fats and heart disease and no link could be found."

The following are my cholesterol and Triglyceride numbers from 1-13-10 and 1-30-10 (dates are when the reports were issued.

I am a male 54 year of age and considered myself in fair shape at 5’8” and 184lbs.   My starting total cholesterol was 295, LDL was 200, HDL was 46 and my VLDL was 49.  Triglycerides were 242.  Two weeks later my total cholesterol is 156, LDL is 102, HDL is 32, and VLDL is 22.  My Triglycerides are 109.

My doctor is a huge fan of Dr. Davis.  Dr. Brock outlined a program for me that includes 10,000IU of Vitamin D (my values 2 weeks ago were 28.6, was not taken this time), one tablespoon of Carlson’s Fish Oil, K and K2 complex and magnesium.  There are several other nutrients such as mixed Vitamin E included

On top of that I have modified my diet to a more plant based, lower saturated fat plan.

This is where is may become a little controversial.  From what I understand, none of the above could account for a Drop from 295 t o156.

Though my Doctor, like Dr. Davis feels the jury is still out, I decided to take 1400mg of disodium EDTA every morning and have those 2 weeks.  My goal in taking the EDTA was not to clean out calcium.  I understand that it doesn’t do that as far as anyone knows.   I had read multiple times that it lowers cholesterol and normalizes blood platelet aggregation.  

Since there appeared to be little or no risk it seemed worth a try.  I can’t say that EDTA was the reason for such good numbers now but I also can’t find any other reason for them.  The only cholesterol test I had done before those 2 was 7 years ago and my total was 270.  295 two weeks ago and 156 today.

I’m not posting this to drive the EDTA controversy.  I believe the second chance I have been given is a combination of Dr. Davis and Dr. Brocks research for which I am hugely grateful.  If EDTA had anything to do with the numbers so far, I also have Dr. Garry Gordon to thank for his research.

A year from now I plan to have a second CT scan.  As you might guess my CT score was not go.  I was in the top 10 percent for my age.  Scary given that my grandfather died in 1932 of “acute indigestion” (wink) and my father died in 1989 of a heart attack.

Thank you Dr. Davis.  By the way, Dr. Brock would not let me leave is office without a copy of “Track Your Plaque”.

Steve

I bought the onetouch mini today and Im gonna do some pre-post eating tests next week.
One thing I noticed is the manual says that after a meal the samples taken from a finger can be as much as 70 mg/dl higher than samples taken in a lab. Adding this to the 20% accuracy means that getting a 150 mg/dl after a meal with this device could be 50 mg/dl if tested in a lab

Protein raises bg.  I use insulin and have to use half as much for protein as for carbs; i.e. 1 unit Novolog covers 5g carb or 10g protein.

Both protein and fat can be converted to glucose via gluceoneogenesis.  

However, in practical experience, fat has no effect except to slow the raise caused by carb and protein (the "peak" bg after a fatty meal occurring later than for a lower-fat meal).

Whoa! Not only does protein raise BG (via gluconeogenesis), but for someone on a low-carb diet, their average BG (and A1C) will be dominated by the glucose produced by protein. In fact, this is why advanced diabetics cannot ultimately control their condition by low-carb diets alone - the protein they need to survive is enough to raise their BGs to unacceptable levels.

Stress is always a very big factor in stimulating all diseases as they arise from the mind.salt and sodium in excess also leads to many diseases of the body.

That isn’t good. Large blood sugar excursions to 140 mg/dl have been clearly associated with greater risk for heart attack, progression to diabetes, inflammatory responses, and other adverse health effects. In fact, blood sugars as low as 100 mg/dl after eating have been associated with increased cardiovascular risk.

Dr Cannell has added further detail to his Autism/Vitamin d theory at various other online discussions.

Readers may like to read his contributions to the thread
Autism suspect #85: Vitamin D deficiency
on
The Island of Doubt scienceblogs.com

Dr Cannell clearly has more patience in dealing with ill informed argumentative fools than I have. I just wish that people would provide the sources of their evidence when making what appear to be outrageous claims.

I had to chuckle when I saw the Adsense ad on this post from "Honey Bunches of Oats".  I get that crap on my blog, too.

This is such a good reminder to avoid processed foods even gluten free ones. I have to ask myself why these kinds of foods are so popular even though they are usually expensive. I guess they are convenient and easy to grab and go and make a sandwich for lunch. Maybe it is time to experiment with almond flour and see what kind of bread it makes. I have the flour but haven't tried it. It's all about daily habits and having the right kind of foods on hand. Processed carbs seem to have a calming effect too which might be why I want to reach for them when I am feeling stressed. I mean why would bagels and bread be so popular if there wasn't something soothing about chewing on them. I'll let you know if I come up with a suitable substitute using almond flour.
Dr. Davis, thanks for your work and for sharing it with everyone. You are improving  quality of life for many people.

Any hint if the "gluten-free" wheat products are lectin free?  My hunch is they are not - thus we probably should avoid all wheat foods.

Wheat has changed quite a lot in the last 50 years - twice the lectin containing gluten.

@Carolyn I've never used almond flour to make bread, never eat bread anymore, because of Dr. Davis's no wheat advice on this blog which is great.

I have used almond flour to coat fish with and then pan sear in olive oil. Especially with trout, kind of like Trout Almondine.

Tastes great too.

Oh please bring your products to Canada... I went to a gluten free food fair and didn't really try any food. Nothing was healthy and I was not impressed! All they had were substitutes for foods you shouldn't even be eating anyways, noodles and brownies, breads and cupcakes.. they even had samples of Chex cereal.. Not worth my $5 spent at all!!

I agree, there is too much junk food in the GF world but it seems that is what the majority of the GF people want to eat. People have told me that being GF is a big enough sacrifice and they don't want to be deprived of any more foods.

When I stopped eating gluten it did not take me long to figure out that I felt better when I eliminated all grains and sugars. Gluten was easy because it made me feel so ill, but it took me a while to completely get off sugars and other grains and go primal.

I am interested in seeing what foods and recipes you will be bringing out.

Karl - from what I have read, all food contains lectins. Grains, legumes and nightshades have the highest amount. The Lowdown on Lectins

They just can't get away from the notion that the body needs carbs and "healthy whole grains."  It's just more of what Kurt Harris calls "candy cigarettes."

This gluten-free food craze reminds me of an evening when I went to a vegan restaurant with a friend and the menu had a lot or"meat" dishes made out of various grains and tofu.  I had an allergic reaction to all the grains which my friend couldn't understand because all of the food was so "healthy"!

Yeah, we were eating up some of the gluten-free foods, until I came across this blog and found out about cornstarch and potato starch, etc.  Most of the time, when they remove the gluten, they replace it with these kinds of ingredients.

I know you're not crazy about grains, Dr. Davis, but what's your take on quinoa, since it is genetically a seed?


Thanks for this blog, Dr. D!

Tim

Reasons I don't eat quinoa - it spikes my blood sugar and saponins and lectins contribute to leaky gut. Wish it were not true.

Thanks so much Dr. D for all the hard work you put into the info you provide here in your blog!!! It is very informative and I appreciate all your information.

Please tell us more about your GF line of foods and when it will be coming out. Thanks so much!

You can't trust the food processors. This reminds me of the stuff produced by Atkins, its  a question of breaking away from this approach to eating entirely, and going back to "real foods." I'm interested in almond flour though. As an experiment I ground down a packet of walnut halves in the blender to make a cheesecake base and then mixed with melted butter which left in the fridge to set. Just don't grind them up too much to get a bit of "crunch." I guess almonds would do too.

This works for me (diabetic, on steroids, tested thoroughly) and my SO (celiac and ulcerative colitis)

Low Carb Gluten-free  Bread Substitute

Makes 8 pieces

Melt 100g butter in the microwave or a pan
Add 200g almond flour (ground almonds)

Flavour to taste with all or some of
Grated cheese
Finely chopped onion
Herbs (dried or fresh)
Pine nuts
Cashews etc etc

Or for a sweet version, flavour with
Cinnamon, nutmeg and/or ground ginger,
Lemon or orange peel
Pour the batter over fruit (eating apples, berries, plums, dried or fresh apricots) This adds to the carb count...


Stir all very well and add one large or two medium eggs and a little milk or water to make a stiff batter (think cake-mix) For the sweet version make the batter a little thinner so that it pours nicely

Decorate with flaked almonds if you like..


Oil and flour (use cornflour or gram flour for gluten-free) a flat baking tin

Bake for approx 35 minutes at 200c.  It’s done when a knife comes out clean

Looks like flapjack, tastes like heaven

Savoury version has around 4-6 g carbs per piece
Sweet about 6-8 according to the fruit used

I avoid gluten products as much as possible.  Now that I'm following The Glycemic Load Diet (by Dr. Rob Thompson), my grain intake is so limited anyway, that it's not a problem.

I am very interested in low carb/gluten free products.  I notice the Atkins bake mix is full of gluten, and their pasta is laughable - full of gluten and too high a carb count for my liking

Please bring us some healthy, gluten free products.  There is too much gluten free junk out there!

Thanks, Helen. Very creative!

There needs to be more gluten free recipes. Thanks for your efforts.

How does a thin person maintain a somewhat normal weight without consuming at least some grains?  Also, having hypoglycemia, I could not maintain any level of energy without ingesting some carbs for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

The gluten free industry will have to go into the animal husbandry or vegetable farming business to have a more beneficial impact.  I'm thinking they'll go down fighting instead.

"gobs"


Hahaha... I can so tell you are from Milwaukee. That is such a Wisconsin expression.  

Another take on the Greek philosophical question: what is time? Even tho' they could count days and years, their answer was: "time is the measure of change". But perhaps that should be reversed to: "change is the measure of time".

Doc, it seems to me the burden of proof was on the guy. You simply say: you only left high school three years ago? Gosh, there are no reports that any male has undergone the developmental changes I can see, in such a short time!
Another point, the number of telomeres at the end of cells has to be calibrated against other measures, such as the sun going round the earth. All any particular individual has to claim is: my telomeres are lost 10 times faster than any one else's, now YOU prove otherwise.

Y'all have a good day, now.

"If George were a tree, I'd cut him down and count his rings"
Too funny, Dr Davis.

George's telomere's....reduced to T-stumps.

Ellie

Lovely blog...it is scary the way we are being attacked by the diseases at very early ages also.

Al Sears says that high homocystein levels shortens telemores three times faster.

I take vitamin D and I want to live longer.  I believe it will help because you said so,and I believe everything you say, including when you say you're not sure.

Regarding "gobs", this is a popular expression in Oregon, too, and I'm not sure how you tell where an expression originated.

Very cool post, Dr. D!!!

I've been into telomeres for awhile!!  Mag-deficiency is associated with reduced telomeres in vivo in rats(and reduced glutathione). HERE

NAC can ameliorate some of the Mag-deficiency oxidative stress in vitro. NAC is the precursor for one of the most potent antioxidants, glutathione. HERE

Glutathione peroxidases which generate more protective glutathione are selenium-containing enzymes. Selenium was correlated to longer telomeres and lower BP. Selenium.

Glutathione strongly and positively affects telomere lengthening and telomerase activity. Role of nuclear glutathione as a key regulator of cell proliferation

Curiously, (?via epigenetics and X-related telomere genetics?) maternal diet can shorten telomeres in rats. Epigenetics: maternal diet shortens aortic telomeres.

Precursors of glutathione are:
--NAC (sulfur proteins)
--undenatured whey protein (sulfur proteins, like glutamine, arginine, taurine)
--SAMe

(PO suppl w/ GSH apparently doesn't work well)

Of course there are many other ways to increase glutathione... Like the TYP program -- flavonoids, fish oil, alpha lipoic acid, MELATONIN, silymarin (WCCA's fave), selenium, magnesium, zinc, etc.

I believe the omega-6:3 index is one of the best biomarkers for aging, at least until we can count our 'tree rings'! In post-MI rats, n-3 PUFAS increased glutathione and was incredibly protective. HERE

The traditional 1960s rural Cretans shared the same low CAD rate as Japan with a high fat diet. To me,  the Cretan diet is  associated with high glutathione, selenium, low n-6, high high  n-3 ALA EPA DHA, 41% fat (like TYP Diet 3), intermittent fasting (Greek Orthodox practice), pastured-raised eggs, chicken, goat, mutton, wild seafood/snails, and very fatty sheep/goat yogurt and cheeses (rich in taurine and saturated fatty acids). HERE and HERE. And Simopoulus.

-G

Very cool post, Dr. D!!!

I've been into telomeres for awhile!!  Mag-deficiency is associated with reduced telomeres in vivo in rats(and reduced glutathione). HERE

NAC can ameliorate some of the Mag-deficiency oxidative stress in vitro. NAC is the precursor for one of the most potent antioxidants, glutathione. HERE

Glutathione peroxidases which generate more protective glutathione are selenium-containing enzymes. Selenium was correlated to longer telomeres and lower BP. Selenium.

Glutathione strongly and positively affects telomere lengthening and telomerase activity. Role of nuclear glutathione as a key regulator of cell proliferation

Curiously, (?via epigenetics and X-related telomere genetics?) maternal diet can shorten telomeres in rats. Epigenetics: maternal diet shortens aortic telomeres.

Precursors of glutathione are:
--NAC (sulfur proteins)
--undenatured whey protein (sulfur proteins, like glutamine, arginine, taurine)
--SAMe

(PO suppl w/ GSH apparently doesn't work well)

Of course there are many other ways to increase glutathione... Like the TYP program -- flavonoids, fish oil, alpha lipoic acid, MELATONIN, silymarin (WCCA's fave), selenium, magnesium, zinc, etc.

I believe the omega-6:3 index is one of the best biomarkers for aging, at least until we can count our 'tree rings'! In post-MI rats, n-3 PUFAS increased glutathione and was incredibly protective. HERE

The traditional 1960s rural Cretans shared the same low CAD rate as Japan with a high fat diet. To me,  the Cretan diet is  associated with high glutathione, selenium, low n-6, high high  n-3 ALA EPA DHA, 41% fat (like TYP Diet 3), intermittent fasting (Greek Orthodox practice), pastured-raised eggs, chicken, goat, mutton, wild seafood/snails, and very fatty sheep/goat yogurt and cheeses (rich in taurine and saturated fatty acids). HERE and HERE. And Simopoulus.

-G

Dr. Davis,

Have you heard about ELC (earlobe crease) as a possible key sign of aging? It seems that tons of studies show a very strong positive connection between younger people with an earlobe crease and CVD. What do you think?

3) The Ornish diet.

http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045(08)70234-1/fulltext

Doc Davis,

Last week, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force came out with a review and with recommendations about using emerging risk factors for predicting and managing heart disease.  I think there's a lot in there that you'll agree with.  But they were negative about calcium scoring.

Sandy Swarz, whose scholarship is pretty sharp, gives a summary.

I'd really like to see your response to all this.

It is scary how many young people are getting elderly diseases. I know someone who died of a massive MI at the age of 26. I am also proof of that. I have CAD, hypothyriodism, Low Vitamin D, Low B12, gastritis, and valve disease and I am only 35. I am looking forward to being able to reverse some of these diseases naturally.

Michelle

Hi, Matthew--

I believe there's some evidence that ear lobe creases are associated with increased coronary risk, but I don't know of any data relating them in younger people specifically.

I have one myself, and it's been there for as long as I can remember and does indeed correlate with my family's aggressive heart disease pattern.

Hi, G--

As always, you are full of unique observations.


Hi, Ellen--

Perhaps I should have said "oodles."

Dr. Davis,

See David Throop's comment above.  I actually came looking to see if you might have commented on this yet.  Curious your take.

Scott Pierce

Hi Dr. Davis,

Have you observed a correlation between earlobe creases and coronary calcification among your patients?

Thanks,

David

Hi Dr. B G,

Interesting.  Magnesium deficiency vs telomeres length could also be explained as a secondary effect caused by the excessive metabolism of carbohydrates as the primary factor.  High magnesium intake is required for glucose metabolism, see for example Implications of oxidative stress in high sucrose low magnesium diet fed rats

Similar situation may exist with glutathione, high glutatione may be a secondary marker for a diet high in dairy and (thus automatically) lower in carbohydrates.  This paper you linked Maternal diet influences DNA damage, aortic telomere length, oxidative stress, and antioxidant defense capacity in rats seems to be pointing to a high carb diet as one of the factors that may cause accelerated growth of low birth weight babies (the paper discusses human studies as well), which then is correlated with higher CVD risk, shorter telomeres and worsens other markers (bones abnormality etc).

   In contrast to this, high fat low carb nutrition seems to slow down babies and infants growth and slows the onset of puberty, which according to the logic presented by the papers discussed above, ought to reduce oxidative stress, slow down the shortnening of telomeres and reduce the CVD risk later in life.
Regards,
Stan

Hi Stan,

Yes -- there are many implications to such data and other epi-genetic data. Low protein maternal  diets increase Met Syn for 2 generations in rat pups.

Low Sat Fat maternal diets?  High carb, low protein, allergenic wheat maternal diets?  I believe we are epi-genetically affecting many future generations and their metabolism, growth hormone, thyroid hormone, leptin/ adiponectin and perhaps even vitamin D hormone pathways... This may explain why right now CAD and diabetes is rampant compared to just 1-2 generations ago. I have 80-90s year old patients how are 20x more healthier than my 30-40 year olds! Have we genetically predisposed ourselves to the 'over summer' mode that Dr. T at Nephropal has talked about by our mother's diets and her lack of sunlight, rich fatty foods, omega-3, and excess omega-6 in utero??

I believe so.

-G

Hi Stan,

Yes -- there are many implications to such data and other epi-genetic data. Low protein maternal  diets increase Met Syn for 2 generations in rat pups.

Low Sat Fat maternal diets?  High carb, low protein, allergenic wheat maternal diets?  I believe we are epi-genetically affecting many future generations and their metabolism, growth hormone, thyroid hormone, leptin/ adiponectin and perhaps even vitamin D hormone pathways... This may explain why right now CAD and diabetes is rampant compared to just 1-2 generations ago. I have 80-90s year old patients how are 20x more healthier than my 30-40 year olds! Have we genetically predisposed ourselves to the 'over summer' mode that Dr. T at Nephropal has talked about by our mother's diets and her lack of sunlight, rich fatty foods, omega-3, and excess omega-6 in utero??

I believe so.

-G

However, more recent thought among geneticists is that telomeres shorten with aging and provide the body's cells a timeline of aging. This way, George's cells act like they are 70, not 13, and don't start producing gobs of growth hormone and testosterone in preparation for puberty.

What is shocking is that enormous prescriptions for statins are written based on the calculated LDL.

Yes, $22 billion last year, in fact. All prescribed for a number that is a crude estimate, sometimes a complete fiction. Imagine your state trooper ticketed you because his radar device said you were doing 60 mph when you were really doing 35 mph.

Why NMR over the other tests Berkeley Heart Lab or VAP?

I don't understand.  If in this example, the doctor (wrongly) thinks the LDL number is 120mg/dl, how does that cause the prescription of Lipitor? Unless I'm reading it backwards, and the doctor is actually telling the patient their LDL is 170mg-220mg, but unwittingly, it's actually 120mg/dl.

And, if a low HDL causes the LDL number to be inaccurate, does that also cause the total cholesterol number to be inaccurate too?

[...]    I was looking at a lipid test from 10 years ago and I had HDL 58, LDL 138, trigs 177.   Low HDL makes Dr. Friedewald a liar     LDL cholesterol is calculated from the following equation: LDL cholesterol = Total cholesterol [...]

Life extension had article recently about Metformin
Any comments about this med in the non diabetic to help with insulin

How long after eating?

Thanks for the post, Dr Davis. If blood glucose goes down after eating a meal, for instance 113 pre meal (fasting) and 97 1 hour after eating - is this an indication of insulin resistance, and excess release of insulin?

Maureen  I Love You and you need to stop eating wheat. Vince

I can't find this exact model in stock online.  What features do you recommend so I can look for an alternative?

I know you've been recommending this for some time.  I'm now at the point of being ready to act on it.  Do you have a brand of glucose monitor that you recommend or think works best?  I thought folks used to have to have a doctor's Rx to purchase these.  No longer true?

You don't need an Rx at all to buy a glucose meter, unless you're trying to get it reimbursed through insurance of some kind. What you do need is a fat budget for test strips if you're diabetic or plan to do lots of testing over the long run. The meters themselves are only $15-$50. One touch ultra seems to be decent. You want to look for the ones that only need a super small drop of blood, which allows you to stick your forearm or other places. The old type meters required a huge drop from a fingertip, and you really had to slaughter yourself with a needle to get a decent amount. Some of the new ones are also calibration-free and they're very compact - not much bigger than a stopwatch. I may pick up one myself. Where do we find info on what is a reasonable post-pranadial level to shoot for, say 1 or 2 hours after eating?

I think most meters now only need tiny drop. Walmart's Relion has lowest cost strips by far but it does suffer from some variability in readings.  My experience is AccuChek is excellent.

This study seems to indicate that the one hour sugar (I would think the absolute peak whenever it comes) is the best marker to follow:

http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/33/3/557.abstract

Among upcoming posts will be how to use postprandial blood sugars to achieve all these benefits.

As one of the anonymous commenters suggested, OneTouch Ultra is a good device, as are Bayer Contour, Accuchek Aviva, and the Walmart device. We've had nothing but problems with the Walgreens' device.

I have a digital thermometer, a BP meter, a BG meter but with respect, without a home basal insulin meter we lack the single most important tool.

Hi jehane,
You want to know pre-1st meal of the day blood glucose. This is only called "fasting" blood sugar level since overnight went without food. You may know this;
maybe I've confused your phrasing.

That pre-prandial reading is your reference to see how after meal(post-prandial) blood sugar reacts. Since your data sounds unusual it would help responders to specify if 113 number is on an empty morning stomach (as opposed to between meals and pre-next meal).

There are 3 types of accuracy for blood glucose monitors: absolute, relative, consistent. Absolutely accurate means the reading is the same as a quality lab would give. Relatively accurate means the readings are always the same distance up or down from what a quality lab would give, so all you have to do is add or subtract a fixed amount to get the true readings. Consistent means the device gives the same readings when multiples samples are taken at the same time. A device might be consistent but not relatively accurate, if the deviation from the true readings is not constant but rather varies with the blood glucose level.

I have confirmed that my Walmart Reli-on Confirm model glucose tester is consistent. That is, if I take three samples within a space of 5 minutes, they will agree to within about 5 mg/L. The Reli-On Confirm test strips are $0.40 each, which is much cheaper than most meters. These strips requires only a tiny bit of blood, so the lancing device doesn't hurt much at all and the puncture quickly heals.

I ordered the control solution, to test whether the Reli-On is absolutely accurate, but it hasn't arrived yet. Another way to test absolute accuracy is to measure with the Reli-On within a few minutes of getting blood drawn at a laboratory.

Note that Reli-on also sells an inexpensive ($9) mail-in home H1Abc test.

I learned a lot from my Reli-On (assuming it is accurate). First, when I went on a paleo diet, my insulin sensitivity declined, so that my blood sugar was skyrocketing after eating a huge bowl of oats. Then when I went back to my usual high-carb diet, my insulin sensitivity returned to a reasonable level. Second, when I stepped up my exercise program ever slightly (10 minutes of one-legged squats in addition to my usual leisurely yoga), my insulin sensitivity rose to a very high level for the next few hours, so that eating a huge bowl of oats within that time had very little effect on blood sugar. This makes sense, since those squats probably deplete glycogen stores in the legs.

I wholeheartedly agree with measuring blood glucose.
I was, unbeknownst to me, on my way to Type 2 diabetes until I found this blog and read the doc's previous posts on blood glucose  levels.
If you all really like to get into the nitty gritty of cholesterol, blood glucose, etc. and relish numbers and stats like I do then join the TYP forum. It's a veritable bonanza of numbers, advice and data crunching.

What would you say is a good number to have as your postprandial glucose?

And would you say that the lower the better or is there a lower level people should try to stay above?

I've been trying to keep my glucose under 100 an hour after eating since you suggested it last summer.  Haven't lost any weight but my fasting blood sugar and HgA1c are both down a little after going up for years.  I like having a simple rule (don't eat meals that raise my blood sugar over 100) but I sure do miss rice and beans.

I don't think the cost of the strips is prohibitive since it doesn't take long to figure out which foods jerk your blood sugar around: whole grains being the main thing in my case.

Well I bought one an Accu Check blood sugar checker yesteday, but I do wonder.Yesterday I checked four hours after eating a MacD breakfast (but left the bread)so it was mainly egg and burger with some potato has thing. Got a reading of 82, however this morning after a 12 hour fast got 118 (which I thought a little high for a non diabetic). Its understanding whats going on. Is the body busy swilling insulin around to keep my sugar down to 118 or has the pancreas intervened overnight to pump in some glucagon to get my blood sugar up? Without knowing some of the other dynamics it can be difficult to fathom out. I'm sure some kind of insulin test would be better.

Sorry my fasting blood sugar was 97.2 or 5.4 mmol/l (I'm from the UK). It was indeed 118 two hours after a meal last night of steak chop and buttered roast parsnips last night plus a thin wedge of chocolate brownly with double cream and a sprinkling of walnuts. After reading this blog however will have to reduce my love for proper butter and roasting food too

Does whey protein isolate with unsweetened almond milk raise blood glucose levels?