Can burning fat release toxins and make you sick/sluggish?

Aaron_K123

I'm just wondering if anyone's heard this before. For the last week, I've felt really tired and just sick (with out actually being sick, no cough, no stuffy noise, no fever etc)

Well, I guess my husband was talking about me at work (nice to know huh lol), and one of the girls he works with says that when you burning stored fat, sometimes it can release toxins stored in your fat cells from the food you were previously eating (if you were guzzling down soda & Wendy's Triples for the last 6 months...kind of thing), and can make you feel just as icky as if you actually ate those foods again, even if you didn't.

I've never heard that before, but I thought I'd ask, to see if anyone else has heard something like that.

The answer to your question posed in the title is no. Random husband colleague doesn't know what she is talking about.

SteveJWatson

TEH TOXINZZZZZ!!!!11!

Aaron_K123

Common falacy to associate things your mind is occupied by (in this case fat loss) with any feelings you may be experiencing at that time. Negative feelings or feeling ill will tend to become the focus of ones attention since it is concerning. Starts with the mind correlating the two and follows by suspicuon of causation. Way to spot when this is the likely source is when all evidence provided of the supposed causation is completely anecdotal. Having bad stuff happen to you during weight loss does not in and of itself demonstrate causation. If there is an epidemiological study that provides causitive evidence please provide but personal anecdote is the lowest form of evidence and I do not find it convincing at all.

Rocbola

Oh my lord. Can somebody please tell me what these "toxins" are?

First, the exogenous toxins, (Things from outside the body)

Environmental toxins, like pesticides, heavy metals, prescription and non-prescription drugs, residues from food processing, VOCs from paint, glues, etc around your house, chemicals from your household cleaners and deodorizers, food additives, by products of high heat food cooking, etc.

When people from all around the world get fat biopsies, these environmental toxins are found in the fat. This is not news.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1845365/pdf/brmedj02584-0011.pdf
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2481028/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1008301/

Then, of course, there are endogenous toxins, which are normally occurring substances in the human body, that may become a problem when there is excess. Things such as CO2, cholesterol, uric acid, urea, sodium, etc.

Exercise and fasting both cause these toxins to be released from the fat cells where they are stored, and then the body mobilizes and removes them. This can be an unpleasant process. If moderate exercise alone causes such a rapid detoxification that you get sick, you could try starting with a water only fast. The most important thing you can do to avoid exposure to these toxins is to eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, and very light on anything processed, and animal foods. Remember, animals store their toxins in their cells, and when you eat animal fat, you are taking on a lifetime of toxin storage.

Quarkles

TEH TOXINZZZZZ!!!!11!

Oh thank the Good Dude. I was wondering if I was the only one who read the word 'toxins' all drawn out and hissy in my mind during these discussions. Good to know I'm not alone

Aaron_K123

Things such as CO2, cholesterol, uric acid, urea, sodium, etc.

The only one of those that is lipophillic is cholesterol. Urea is lipid soluble at least but the rest? Not sure why the rest would end up concentrated in fat being mostly hydrophilic or even ionic. Was this a list of fat localized "toxins" or just a list of things that can cause harm at the wrong concentration either to high or to low?

beautifulwarrior18

That sounds like a load of crap to me. My guess is you're either feeling like crap because
a. you're not eating enough
b. you're not eating enough carbs and or protein
c. you are having withdrawls from caffeine

Give it a week if you still feel like crap I'd increase your calories (or protein and carbs).

SteveJWatson

Oh my lord. Can somebody please tell me what these "toxins" are?

First, the exogenous toxins, (Things from outside the body)

Environmental toxins, like pesticides, heavy metals, prescription and non-prescription drugs, residues from food processing, VOCs from paint, glues, etc around your house, chemicals from your household cleaners and deodorizers, food additives, by products of high heat food cooking, etc.

When people from all around the world get fat biopsies, these environmental toxins are found in the fat. This is not news.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1845365/pdf/brmedj02584-0011.pdf
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2481028/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1008301/

Then, of course, there are endogenous toxins, which are normally occurring substances in the human body, that may become a problem when there is excess. Things such as CO2, cholesterol, uric acid, urea, sodium, etc.

Exercise and fasting both cause these toxins to be released from the fat cells where they are stored, and then the body mobilizes and removes them. This can be an unpleasant process. If moderate exercise alone causes such a rapid detoxification that you get sick, you could try starting with a water only fast. The most important thing you can do to avoid exposure to these toxins is to eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, and very light on anything processed, and animal foods. Remember, animals store their toxins in their cells, and when you eat animal fat, you are taking on a lifetime of toxin storage.

You are forgetting the existence of those magnificent organs, the liver and kidneys.