Bettina's Backyard Babies: March 2013

This is my response to Anja Paskulin PT, Nutrition Coach and her Facebook post Low carb diets...the hidden truth

I read this post a few days ago and got very upset since the message differs so much from my own experiences and the sources I have read for almost two years now. After today´s research I figured out that Anja probably is discussing low-carb/high-protein diet. I am eating low-carb/high-fat since two years. There seems to be big differences in how the body react and I sincerely thinks that everyone in health business need to know the differences.

So here comes Anja's allegations and my answers:

Low carb diets cause harmful acidity causing osteoporosis and kidney stones

Anja say: "to make it simple… when there are no sufficient carbohydrates in the body, the body starts to mobilize the fat and use it for energy. this situation leads into a harmful acidity of the body. the body needs to regulate the ph and it does it by releasing calcium from the bones. this can lead to osteoporosis and kidney stones."

This problem is related to low-carb/high-protein diets. If you instead use fat while cutting cut down the carbs as a - then you will stay healthy.

High Protein, Low Carb Diets

Low carb diets blows your thyroid

Anja say: "your T3 levels which leads into a slower metabolic rate. they practically mess with your thyroid.. and messing with the thyroid is like messing with the tiger… you know who pays the price at the end…."

My answer to this is a post: Do low-carb diets lower thyroid function? Let's ask the experts!

"two of the top low-carb nutritional health researchers in the world Dr. Stephen Phinney and Dr. Jeff Volek — say this phenomenon with low thyroid while on a low-carbohydrate diet promoted by people in the Paleo community like Kresser and Paul Jaminet is "a myth" and has not manifested itself in any of the research subjects in their numerous studies of people who are properly following a well-formulated low-carb diet with adequate calories over the past three decades."

Adam Nalley writes in comment section:

"Many low carbers may not be replaceing the Omega 3 fatty acids correctly and may be getting poor quality Omega 6 fatty acids. Just taking a fish oil capsule doesn't always do it. The symptoms of hair loss, cold extremities, feeling horrible that Kesser implies are easily corrected by using adequate amounts of flax seed and olive oils or Udo's oil. Many low carbers are affraid to increase their fat intake and may experience these symptoms due to caloric deficiency as well."

My experience is that most people eating low-carb/high-fat diets get a higher metabolism. Burning fat makes makes us warmer. It keeps me warmer at least.

Low carb diets means you lose water instead of fat

Anja say: "a lot of weight you drop on a low carb diet is from water. 1 g of carbs in fact hold 3-5g of water in the body. "

True – my initial loss of weight was 2 kilo first week I lost 5 totally but I was never fat so I am more than content. I have friends who lost 30 - 50 kilo and I assure you it wasn´t 40-50% water they got rid of as in my case. Here is one fellow: Before and after 46 weeks on low-carb/high-fat

Besides - what is the problem with losing some water if you later lose all the extra pounds you are carrying around?

28 May 2013 New research in this area.
Very-low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet v. low-fat diet for long-term weight loss: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

U.S. National Library of Medicine

Low carb diets make you carb sensitive

Anja say: "the longer you are on a low carb diet, the more carb sensitive you become, meaning your body doesn't tolerate carbs as much as it did before and starts storing them as opposed to using them for energy."

Where did you get that? I have never heard about this. But if it is true - why is it bad not burning the carbs we eat? I mean we on low carb diets burn fat instead for carbs and we manage perfectly well anyhow. I actually think it is good if my liver catch up filling its deposit when needed. I have no problem with some glucose to fill up my muscles. Why is this bad?

I know people getting carb sensitive by low-carb diet in that sense that their tummies protest a lot after eating bread, pasta and other starch or sugar based stuff. I guess this is an initial effect just as when vegetarians are eating meat. But I feel this might be a very good thing. We are definitely not built for feeding on carbs the way most of us do. We only had this amount of carbs available for about three thousands years. Our bodies have definitely not adapted to this diet. Diseases like gluten intolerance are evidence of that. Increasing heart and cardiovascular diseases as well. New research show these diseases are started up by an inflammation created by starch, sugar and too much omega-6. The cholesterol is not the thief - it is actually trying to mend the inflammation. Read Forget cholesterol, inflammation's the real enemy, CBN News to get the whole picture.

For my own part while "overeating" carbs I burn my carbs instantly if allowed. If they have time to fuel my muscles with glucose I might get some lactic acid while training. That is the worst side effect I have found while overeating. I never got that effect when I eat right – that is about 20-50 carbs per day. Then I am fat burning all the time meaning I never hit the wall when switching fuel from carbs to fat. I can train for hours. This is the main reason why marathon and triathlone athletes try low-carb/high-fat diets. This is one of the main reasons why I eat low-carb/high-fat food.

The only really nasty side effect of not having carbs in my body is while drinking alcohol When my liver is occupied by cleaning my blood it stops burning fat meaning a lactic acid flood is created in my body if I try dancing But I really cannot take that problem as a problem. It makes me think twice before drinking.

The brain needs glucose

Anja say: "our brain needs about 140g of glucose per day, but when there are no carbohydrates available, the body will have to create them. how? simple.. by breaking down muscle tissue. this process is called gluconeogenesis"

The truth is the brain manage perfectly well without external carbs. Our body can produce that glucose from protein eaten and do so much more easily than breaking down muscles. At least while on low-carb/high-fat diet. We can create glucose from fat as well. Read: We really can make glucose from fatty acids after all! Once gluconeogenesis is established, our bodies can readily make glucose from the protein or fat we eat.

Glucose, glycogene and gluconeogenesis
luconeogenesis: The body is making its own carbs

Low-carb diet is actually good for epileptic seizures (well known for decades) and research is going on regarding ADHD. There are less nasty chemicals residues created while running the brain in ketos than as ordinary on glucose. There are research going on showing improved health for Alzheimer's patients.

"it has been shown in past-published research on how a lower carbohydrate diet can help reduce the risk of Alzheimer's. This is further evidence that a lower-carbohydrate, lower sugar diet with higher proteins and higher fats is a healthy eating approach and will help reduce the risk for cognitive impairment."

Lower your Carbs and lower your Alzhemer´s risk
Your brain on Ketos How a high-fat diet can help the brain work better
A High Fat, Low Carbohydrate Diet Improves Alzheimer's Disease In Mice

Low carb diet kills your immune system

Anja say: "your liver is exposed to extra stress as it is forced to assist with manufacturing glucose from fats and proteins. toxic amounts of ammonia are produced as proteins are converted into glucose and this kills the immune system"

I cannot find anything proving this paragraph. It looks like you quoted this from:
The hidden dangers of a low carbohydrate diet The writer say he has an answer to that problem but I cannot find that blogpost. I have never heard this in the debate about low-carb food in Sweden – and trust me we have "enemies" here too.

You lose muscles on low-carb diet

"so less, muscle equals to a slower metabolic rate. muscle is the live material, fat is dead. muscle requires calories to function, fat doesn't. moreover, by lowering your carb intake, the muscle density decreases and the muscles flatten out and become softer."

Since gluconeogenesis doesn't need to take part with your own muscles as fuel this paragraph fails. That is if you eat low-carb/high-fat food: Many bodybuilders all over the world are trying low-carb food for it is more easy to build muscles - would all of them be wrong? Eating low-carb/high-fat makes it more simple than low-carb/hig-protein since that diet reduces the risk for gluconeogenesis based on bodys own muscles.
How to build muscle and lose fat at the same time

You get diabetes by low carb diet

"low carb diets can lead into diabetes. this is because carbohydrates stimulate the production of insulin more than fats and protein… but if the pump (the pancreas) is not working as frequently as it should, it can eventually stop working at all… you know what happens with a machine that you don't use for months or even years…."

THIS IS ABSOLUTELY HILARIOUS!
In Sweden the government have approved low-carb/high-fat diets for curing diabetes type 2. They are evaluating the diet regarding diabetes type 1. An American study going on for 20 years shows low carb diet reduce the risk for diabetes. Read Study Finds Low-Carb, High-Protein, High-Fat Diet Associated with Lowered Diabetes Risk

I have a friend having diabetes type 1 who has reduced his need of insulin with 40% with help of low carb food. His blood sugar never spikes now a days. He is reducing the risk of nasty side effects caused by uncontrolled high blood sugar.

There are lots of research in this area - both Swedish and American:

Do Low-Carb Diets Help Diabetes?
Diabetes and low-carb diets
Does a high-fat diet cause type 2 diabetes?
Study finds low-carb, high-protein, high-fat diet associated with lowered diabetes risk

You get cancer by low-carb diet

"low-carb diets promote cancer. by not eating carbohydrates, you miss some very important vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants they contain."

First of all it is called low-carb diet - not no-carb! You may eat low carb vegetables, berries and fruit. Paprika is for example higher in vitamin C than an orange. It is high-carb veggies (more than 5 gr carbs per 100 gr) like corn, beans, peas that are forbidden. Lots of veggies like carrots and tomatoes balance on the edge but you can eat them in small volumes. Vitamins is not any problem unless you eat wrong.

Fibers are not needed for digestion when you are on low carb food. Those problems are mainly related to cereals, pasta and bread. Meat, fat and vegetables make your tummy performing excellent. If you get plumed - eat a spoon of cocoa oil. The only time I get problem if I eat to much diary like yogurt.

Regarding the risk to get cancer I recall there is a higher risk for low-carb/high protein diets. I think it was cancer in colon but I cannot find any trace of these studies on Internet. Low-carb/high-fat may increase the chance to get breast cancer among women. But overall googling on low-carb and cancer does hardly show anything at all. If this had been a big problem I am sure there had been more hits.

Before striking down on increased breast cancer and cancer in colon think some about what types of cancer ordinary food gives? What diseases do you get from starch- and cab based everyday food all over the world? Cancer cells are actually nourished by glucose - you starve them to death by ketogenic diet as shown in Ketogenic diet may be key to cancer recovery. Starch is also starting up inflammations in blood vessels causing heath and cardiovascular diseases as I mentioned above.

You can get kidney disease on low-carb food

"consuming too much protein puts too much pressure on the kidneys, which can make you susceptible to kidney disease. "

True – do not eat more protein than needed due to your training and weight. Fill up with fat instead and you will not get this problem. I presume this happens to anyone overeating protein - in fitness business as well as in ordinary life.

Summary
Anja - as I get it the mistake you did was titling your blog post to "Low carb diets...the hidden truth" - using plural on "diets" without realizing low-carb/high-fat has another impact on our bodies than low-carb/high-protein has. As a nutrition coach I think you must know the difference. You can start here:

http://www.dietdoctor.com/.
http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf

I also think that you as a nutrition specialist and leading star must use references and sources in your posts. People depend on you. People deserve a balanced picture and I cannot say your blog post gave that impression at all. To me it looked like it was based on hear saying and lose fragments found on Internet brought totally out of its context.

I am not a med, I am not a nutrition specialist as you are but I can read on Internet, I am active in nutrition discussing groups and I always try to find sources proving my ideas. I always refer to them while speaking up. I think that is what anyone should do before speaking up regarding anything as essential as food.

Else - I like you page :)

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Thursday 14 March 2013

Response to - "Low carb diets...the hidden truth" by Anja Paskulin

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