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 …
Obesity explained episoeds 8 and 9 are out. They are based on a trio of really great papers that have come out since 2018. Two are in the journal Nature and one is in PNAS, but remarkably all three are publicly available. The papers are (Kim, 2018), (Kim, 2020) and (Huang, 2022). Kim (2018) shows …
Turnips green, buttermilk and potatoes. Obesity Explained episodes 8 and 9. Read More »
Food Reference Lists: Linoleic Acid. Highest and lowest foods, percent of calories. Folate. Highest foods per calorie. Vitamin B12. Highest foods per calorie. Vitamin B6. Highest foods per calorie. So I’m having fun making these food reference lists. All of the data is from the USDA food data central, but sometimes when you slice the …
The 1000 foods highest and lowest in linoleic acid (And folate and B12) Read More »
The list is here! I just fired up a database on the google cloud and populated it with data from the USDA Nutrient database (Food Data) that some hero has put into MySQL format. My frustration with the available sources of this information is the inability to ask simple questions like, “calorie per calorie, which …
People think about the gut microbiome as something that is passively managed. Eat some fiber and pro-biotics and hopefully it will grow and bloom. Whose microbiome is it anyway? Obesity Explained, Episode 5. Watch the video version below if you prefer: Hibernators adjust their microbiome to fatten In the case of hibernating mammals, it is …
The AhR Actively Manages the Gut Microbiome for Fatness Read More »
Episode 4 of Obesity Explained is out! Watch The Video! Video Summary It’s January. Days are short, the light is dim. This one is about circadian rhythms, daylength, body weight and torpor. My working hypothesis is that the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor is A, if not THE, master regulator of torpor. Kynurenine is a tryptophan metabolite …
Torpor, Circadin Rhythms and the AhR: Obesity Explained, Episode 4 Read More »
I wanted to make a quick post to point out a real bias in the literature about how the phrase “saturated fat” is used. Lard is always referred to as saturated fat. Never mind that it’s always less than 50% saturated. I also wanted to apologize for not getting around to make summary posts of …
Saturated Fat is in the Eye of the Beholder; also Ants and Torpor Read More »
Over at Firebrand Meats I sell heirloom berkshire pork that has been raised on a diet that is low in PUFA. Animals cannot make polyunsaturated fat, so if you limit what’s in their diet, you can lower the amount that is in the meat. I summarized the problems with PUFA in pork and poultry in …
Save Thirty Bucks on Low-PUFA Pork! Pork without seed oils. Read More »
This paper from Finland is literally the greatest nutrition paper I’ve ever seen. (Lankinen, 2019) It’s long been known that high plasma levels of linoleic acid predict low diabetes risk. (Kroger, 2010) Furthermore, plasma levels of linoleic acid are a biomarker for intake. At this point people of a certain predisposition will say, “See! I …
