Curious about your Gut Health & your LCD ?
RalfLott
Posts: 5,036 Member
Here's a great start page for Low Carbers curious about the effect of an LCD on your gut microbiome and, consequently, on your metabolism and other aspects of your health.
Among other things, there's a good interview with Dr. Westman, who sees no reason at this point to question a ketogenic diet. For a somewhat contrary view, this article by the Human Food Project's Jeff Leach is interesting. Both acknowledge there are few answers at this early stage on the connection between what's in the gut of a Low Carber and metabolic conditions, including obesity and diabetes.
That should begin to change as the American Gut Project (really!) collects more information about what's in our guts. For more info, there's a short overview of the project with plenty of links and a good TedTalk by the project's leader, Rob Knight.
Low Carbers were specifically urged to participate in the project.
If you're interested in participating (and getting a report on the samples you submit), you can start here .
Among other things, there's a good interview with Dr. Westman, who sees no reason at this point to question a ketogenic diet. For a somewhat contrary view, this article by the Human Food Project's Jeff Leach is interesting. Both acknowledge there are few answers at this early stage on the connection between what's in the gut of a Low Carber and metabolic conditions, including obesity and diabetes.
That should begin to change as the American Gut Project (really!) collects more information about what's in our guts. For more info, there's a short overview of the project with plenty of links and a good TedTalk by the project's leader, Rob Knight.
Low Carbers were specifically urged to participate in the project.
If you're interested in participating (and getting a report on the samples you submit), you can start here .
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“By taking away the carbohydrate in the food, I can pretty much fix every gastrointestinal problem that affects people today.” – Eric Westman, M.D.
Yep, pretty much this. This is why I stay zero-carb. My gut is much happier, healthier, and [dare I say it] normal now.
Already participated in the American Gut Project, after one year of nearly zero carb. I don't know that it provided any interesting information. I only did it because someone else paid for it. I really don't care too much about things like that anyway. I can tell from the obvious results that this is better for me.0 -
I don't think I'm grasping what you're trying to say - it sounds like "unless I'm consciously symptomatic, I'm fine."
But there are plenty of folks everywhere with diabetes, hypertension, cancer, etc., who will attest otherwise (and many more who don't know yet but will wish they'd known sooner).
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There's is quite a lot of work on lchf woe and gut microbia. The focus has been on a reduction of carbs (especially resistant) as prebiotics and the resulting effect on gut microbia. It's a hard situation to call as no-one is exactly sure what should be in our gut, and what shouldn't on an individual level. That's what it boils down to, individuality. I measure appropriateness of an individual patients microbia by their general health and mood.
As @FIT_Goat says his digestive problems disappeared when he took out carbs from his diet, however that doesn't tell us anything about his microbia. What it does tell us, is he has figured out the best way of eating for him. Whilst absence of symptoms does not necessarily mean good health, it's a pretty good place to start. Another factor in good health is, the less you worry about the possibility of a problem, the healthier you stay. So I'd say @FIT_Goat has the right outlook. However if you look at most patients with un-diagnosed health issues, you will find that the overwhelming majority have some symptoms, it's just they haven't been listened to long enough or linked.
In practice I find that 80% of my patients gut issues disappear with lchf, the other 20% require other tweaks to their diet, usually eliminating FODMAP's. I've found the main culprits to be sugar alcohols e.g. avocado, cauliflower, mushrooms and artificial sweeteners ending in -ol and fructans e.g. onion and garlic. These have to be eliminated for a patient to be symptom free.
To remedy gut flora problems I encourage patients to get into fermenting food. Kefir is probably the easiest one to start with. I can't think of a patient whose gut issues and health haven't resolved with a three pronged approach: lchf, FODMAP's and fermented foods.
It is an exciting time for individualised health care and functional medicine with regards to research agendas. Lets hope the work is not supported by big pharma or big food and we get unbiased publication.0 -
randomventures wrote: »There's is quite a lot of work on lchf woe and gut microbia. The focus has been on a reduction of carbs (especially resistant) as prebiotics and the resulting effect on gut microbia. It's a hard situation to call as no-one is exactly sure what should be in our gut, and what shouldn't on an individual level. That's what it boils down to, individuality. I measure appropriateness of an individual patients microbia by their general health and mood.
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It is an exciting time for individualised health care and functional medicine with regards to research agendas. Lets hope the work is not supported by big pharma or big food and we get unbiased publication.
Thank you for your thoughtful commentss.
I'd be curious how you determine someone's general health and mood. ??
I don't doubt that in retrospect, most people and their providers would agree symptoms were present in late-diagnosed diseases. But it can be awfullly difficult to detect them timely, since we can't immediately compare our general health and mood now with what they would be if we were on a different diet, didn't have the disease, or hadn't just started a stressful job, a great romance or an exercise program, acquired pets or grandkids, etc.
I assume you're not opposed to screening. Isn't the goal of getting better and more timely screening on an individualized basis something we should pursue and support?
Sadly, the prospect of the work being captured by big business is something to keep on the radar. It's not just big pharma, but big charity as well - such as "public information" sources, like AAA and the ADA, in addition to for-profits like WebMD, etc. - which would slim down, involuntarily, if there were fewer afflicted.
Q on fermented foods - Are there any resources you'd suggest for people interested in good, individualized recommendations?
Thanks!
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randomventures wrote: »There's is quite a lot of work on lchf woe and gut microbia. The focus has been on a reduction of carbs (especially resistant) as prebiotics and the resulting effect on gut microbia. It's a hard situation to call as no-one is exactly sure what should be in our gut, and what shouldn't on an individual level. That's what it boils down to, individuality. I measure appropriateness of an individual patients microbia by their general health and mood.
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It is an exciting time for individualised health care and functional medicine with regards to research agendas. Lets hope the work is not supported by big pharma or big food and we get unbiased publication.
Thank you for your thoughtful commentss.
I'd be curious how you determine someone's general health and mood. ??
I don't doubt that in retrospect, most people and their providers would agree symptoms were present in late-diagnosed diseases. But it can be awfullly difficult to detect them timely, since we can't immediately compare our general health and mood now with what they would be if we were on a different diet, didn't have the disease, or hadn't just started a stressful job, a great romance or an exercise program, acquired pets or grandkids, etc.
I assume you're not opposed to screening. Isn't the goal of getting better and more timely screening on an individualized basis something we should pursue and support?
Sadly, the prospect of the work being captured by big business is something to keep on the radar. It's not just big pharma, but big charity as well - such as "public information" sources, like AAA and the ADA, in addition to for-profits like WebMD, etc. - which would slim down, involuntarily, if there were fewer afflicted.
Q on fermented foods - Are there any resources you'd suggest for people interested in good, individualized recommendations?
Thanks!
YouTube. Thousands of how to's. I'm doing fermented foods now (last 3 months). Reletively easy, some foods are harder than others. The easy ones carrots, butternut squash, pickles. Harder ones are Kombucha, kimchi, natto.
And, you don't have to do sauerkraut for your first fermentation! I actually tell people to wait until they make the simple ones before doing sauerkraut.
Milk kefir is pretty easy, but get a good sized starter culture (message me and I'll tell you where I get mine).
I would write a long post, but its late. Friend me. I post stuff every once-in-a-while.
I hope this helps,
Dan the Man from Michigan
Keto / The Recipe Water Fasting / E.A.S.Y. Exercise Program
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bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-03-14/how-gut-bacteria-are-shaking-up-cancer-research
Gut health is really making the news.0 -
GaleHawkins wrote: »bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-03-14/how-gut-bacteria-are-shaking-up-cancer-research
Gut health is really making the news.
I read that yesterday. Amazing!
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Yes, there's a lot of advice on Youtube on gut health, just as there are many diabetes cures and diabetic cookbooks....
Best bet so far looks like vids and writings by Dr. Gerard Mullin at Johns Hopkins (also here and here), who explains his recommendations very clearly and thoroughly.
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Yes, there's a lot of advice on Youtube on gut health, just as there are many diabetes cures and diabetic cookbooks....
Best bet so far looks like vids and writings by Dr. Gerard Mullin at Johns Hopkins (also here and here), who explains his recommendations very clearly and thoroughly.
I think he just meant step by step "how to make", not opinion based stuff.0
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