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 …
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 …
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 …
Human Metabolic Syndrome Resembles Mammalian Torpor (New Evidence) Read More »
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 …
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 …
How I Both Aced and Failed My Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) Read More »
This video serves as a sort of road map of Fire In A Bottle topics. On the blog and video series I’ve drilled into numerous topics and their relationship with obesity: PUFA, MUFA, The ROS Theory of Obesity, reductive stress, D6D, SCD1, the AhR, PPAR alpha, etc. Sometimes it’s useful to zoom out and see …
Video Summary The Inuit live in the Arctic on the seal blubber. This would be considered a ketotic diet, yet they are not heavily in ketosis. The reason is that they have a genetic deficiency in a gene called CPT1 that doesn’t allow them to import long chain fats – normal things such as stearic …
Why the Inuit Aren’t in Ketosis: The Redox Apocalypse Read More »
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 …
Our Livers SHRED omega 3 PUFA. For better or for worse. Read More »
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 …
Fat Metabolism in Context: PPAR alpha, Saturated Fat and NAD+ Read More »
In the latest video I explain the basics of the ethanolamide system. Â You may have heard of OEA, an ethanolamide made from oleic acid (olive oil) when you eat. Â 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 …
Stearic acid as a signalling molecule: SEA. Stearoylethanolamide. Read More »
This is a summary of the latest video: We are not made the same as we used to be. The bodyfat composition of Americans has shifted dramatically over the past 80 years. The first solid data that we have was published in 1943. In 1943, American bodyfat was approximately 36% saturated, 43% monounsaturated and 10% …
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 …
List of Branched Chain Amino Acids as Percent of Calories Read More »
In this video I ask how mammals get out of torpor. Grizzly bears are the most appropriate model organism: monogastric, large-bodied, omnivorous hibernators. We also happen to have very detailed knowledge about their diet and it may not be what you think. Before that, I look at the argument that you really ARE in torpor, …
This post serves as a summary of the key points of my video, “How Olive Oil Makes You Fat”. Much more evidence is presented in the video, including epidemiological data in humans, feeding trials in rodents and pigs and stuff about grizzly bears. Plus jokes. This paper looked at oxidized linoleic acid metabolites AKA oxlams …
I made this video to push back on the idea that starchy tubers are “fallback foods” for humans. I would argue that the evidence that we have suggests that starchy tubers have been fundamental to human development. I’d also argue that we should rethink paleolithic peoples role in the environment. There is significant evidence that …
