Brad Marshall

What Did We Eat?

New year, new me! I think they say that. Anyhoo, there’s been a lot of discussion of macros in the last year, with me going on about the redox advantages of carbohydrates and that studies in mice show that branched-chain amino acid restriction reverses obesity. So I thought I’d start the year by putting fresh …

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Send Your Metabolism The Right Signal With SEA

Did you know that your body fat composition is a signal to your metabolism? Should you be fattening up for winter? Do you live in a land of eternal summer? Your body turns fat into ethanolamides which act as signaling molecules. Arachidonic acid as a signalling molecule is called AEA (arachidonoylethanolamide). AEA is an endocannabinoid, …

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Videos Mentioned In My Interview With Paul Saladino, MD

Here’s the primer of essential videos that Paul and I discussed. The Emergence Diet In 12 Minutes How Olive Makes You Fat The Reality Of Metabolic Health In The Mediterranean Why Aren’t The Inuit In Ketosis The History Of Body Fat Composition Insect Fat As A Signal How To Fatten A Mammal The Redox Case …

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How Much Protein Do You Need?

I’ve been advocating reducing protein intake, and particularly reducing consumption of the the branched chain amino acids (BCAA) isoleucine, leucine and valine. The goal of the protein restriction is to increase insulin sensitivity to aid in weight loss. For years I’ve struggled with fasting blood glucose in the prediabetic range (115-120). This morning my fasting …

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Is BCAA-Catabolism The Mechanism Of MCT Oil?

MCT oil has long been associated with weight loss. This is especially true of the 8 carbon MCT, caprylic acid. I have yet to see any reasonably definitive reason for why this might be. I have recently been talking about restriction of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs: valine, leucine and especially isoleucine) for weight loss. Obese …

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Human Metabolic Syndrome Resembles Mammalian Torpor (New Evidence)

I’ve argued that obesity, diabetes and heart disease are the human expression of mammalian torpor, an altered metabolic state characterized by high levels of desaturase enzymes and high circulating branched chain amino acids (BCAAs): leucine, isoleucine and valine. A torpid mammal prefers to store fat rather than burn it. Two 2023 papers add significant evidence …

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Scale Receipts: 28 days on The Emergence Diet

So I’ve been promising that I would share my weight progress after I had done The Emergence Diet for 28 days. My argument is that weight loss isn’t about calories, it’s about burning glucose efficiently. To burn fat you need NAD+. Burning fat lowers NAD+ availability and burning carbohydrate increases it. “Fat burns in the …

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How I Both Aced and Failed My Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT)

I’ve been consuming what I’m now calling the “induction phase” of the Emergence Diet. In short, this is a very high carbohydrate (>400g/day) diet that is low in fat and which the protein source is mainly collagen based proteins: bone broth, gelatin, headcheese, pork rinds, pigs feet, beef tendon, etc. I am also supplementing with …

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Our Livers SHRED omega 3 PUFA. For better or for worse.

Video Link First, tl;dw Summary Article Below Summary Omega 3 PUFA activate PPAR alpha, which in turn activates peroxisomes. This is what gives PPAR alpha the name Peroxisome Proliferator. Peroxisomes carry out the process of beta-oxidation: breaking down long fat molecules into acetyl-CoA. Acetyl groups are 2 carbon units that are the building blocks of …

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Fat Metabolism in Context: PPAR alpha, Saturated Fat and NAD+

PPAR alpha is a nuclear receptor that is often said to be crucial for fat metabolism.  It increases the activity of enzymes that increase fat flow into mitochondria and increase beta oxidation: fat burning. Having said that, the functions of PPAR alpha are largely redundant with PPAR delta, which is more highly expressed in most …

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Stearic acid as a signalling molecule: SEA. Stearoylethanolamide.

In the latest video I explain the basics of the ethanolamide system.  You may have heard of OEA, an ethanolamide made from oleic acid (olive oil) when you eat.  OEA can lower caloric intake and inflammation. Ethanolamides can be made from any fat.  When made from the omega-6 arachidonic acid they become AEA and trigger …

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List of Branched Chain Amino Acids as Percent of Calories

This is the list of foods sorted by percentage of calories supplied by branched chain amino acids. In general, branched chain amino acids are proportional to protein as a percent of calories. Most protein is between 16-23% BCAAs, and this is the same for plant foods and animal foods. BCAAs are of interest because they …

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