Modern Wheat

The Modern Wheat – and other grains.

In the post ‘Basic Nutrition Tips’, I have mentioned that “hybrid seeds and genetic modification has ruined the nutritional value of our agricultural produce”. Let’s have a closer look how, by looking at modern wheat. More than 99% of the wheat that is grown today is not the wheat that was available 50 years ago. It’s not what our forefathers had, and told historic tales about. Please don’t confuse the two.

Dr. Norman Borlaug is known as the father of The Green Revolution. This revolution ‘greened’ parts of the world and ensured food supply for many starving nations. A notable and praise worthy cause, for which he was conferred The Nobel Prize in 1990, and also The Padma Vibhushan by the Indian government in 2006. He also made it to the cover of the "Times" magazine for this worthy cause. His revolution meant that wheat output more than doubled in countries like India, Pakistan and Mexico. Not just that, wheat surpluses were available for export.  

Dr. Borlaug did that by developing newer wheat hybrid varieties. Varieties that had greater uniformity, improved colour, resistance to pests and disease, ability to withstand changing weather patterns and above all substantially increased yield per acre. Farmers became richer, people had food and everyone was happy. I’m sure he did not foresee the health problems that these newer wheat varieties would introduce. Mind you, the term “Genetically Modified” was not even born then.

Hybrid varieties are developed by cross-pollinating different varieties of plants. And then you have newer varieties which can again be cross bred with the older varieties, and so on and so forth. You could keep this up for a long time, and end up with varieties which have no resemblance to either of the original parent. The result is that modern wheat has 73 new proteins never earlier known in the human diet. Besides, all grains contain toxic anti nutrients like lectins, gluten, phytates and other harmful stuff.

After a meal, in a normally metabolic person, it is leptin that signals the brain that the person has been well fed. The nutrients are then ‘partitioned’ by the liver which sends about 40% of the calories to the peripheral tissues and the muscles. The remainder is kept as a reserve for energy to be used between meals. Leptin and Insulin play a role in this partitioning and delivery and it is imperative that the cells be leptin and insulin sensitive to receive and consume this energy. Lectins bind to the insulin receptors and the stomach and intestinal lining and cause leptin and insulin resistance. Welcome metabolic syndrome.

Gluten is made out of the proteins gliadin and glutenin. Gliadin works like an opium substrate and binds to opiate receptors in the brain that stimulate appetite. It is estimated that this increased appetite results in the consumption of approximately 400 more calories a day. More and more people are reportedly become gluten intolerant and afflicted by ‘celiac disease’. Gliadin can compromise Vit D3 and calcium absorption, and result in thyroid problems.

Wheat also contains a carbohydrate amylopectin which is rapidly broken down by the salivary juices, even before it hits the stomach. The result is rapid shooting high blood sugars. Over time this results in a diminished response to the insulin secreted, causing Insulin Resistance and Inflammation.

Phytates are esters of phytic acid. These are humanly indigestible and also capable of forming insoluble complex substances with minerals like Calcium, Iron, Zinc and other nutrients. The end result, your body cannot absorb and use the essential minerals and vitamins contained in your other foods. An unending supply of carbs causes repetitive high blood sugars. We have already examined the damage this causes in the post ‘Glucotoxicity’. The high carbs in diet also push the liver in making more fats by a process known as de novo lipogenesis (as explained in The Lipid Hypothesis). The resultant excess of lipids and triglycerides in the blood can have lipotoxic outcomes and all sorts of complications ranging from cardiovascular disease to tumors.        

Alcohol

Frequently I keep getting questions pertaining to alcohol. Most of the questions come from men, because guys like a tipple, every now and then, at least in the Indian sub-continent. Since health is an important issue the most frequent questions relate to type of alcohol and the quantity and frequency permissible. Let’s look at some of the things that are generally known and not known about alcohol.

Alcohol has been consumed by humans since ages for a variety of hygienic, dietary, medicinal, religious, and recreational reasons. Metabolically it is known to contain “empty calories”. That because alcohol provides 7 cal/gm but it does not provide any energy. In fact one becomes sluggish after consumption. If it did provide energy, more and more people would have been on an alcoholic diet. So let’s take a brief look at what happens to alcohol once in the body.

Let’s face it guys, alcohol is toxic (poisonous). As a toxin it takes metabolic priority in the system as the body must immediately get rid of it and out of the system as soon as the sin is committed. The liver gets down to the job with the first sip and is completely busy until the last of the toxin has been metabolized. So one of the preliminary problems this causes is that a lot of the other nutrients get bypassed and will exit the system without getting absorbed, because the system was busy. This is the primary reason that diabetics find their BG numbers lowered with alcohol, because most of the carbs get bypassed as above.

‘Drinking-alcohol’ contains ethanol or ethyl alcohol and is also sometimes referred to as ‘grain alcohol’. As mentioned in several places on the blog, our nutrients get broken down to a 2-carbon substance known as Acetyl-CoA which enters the ‘Krebb’s cycle’ of reactions where it is converted to ATP, the form of energy we use. This cyclic reaction is made possible by oxidation-reduction reactions and continuous electron transfer which utilize oxygen, hydrogen and micro nutrients like vitamins & minerals. To get converted to Acetyl-CoA, the ethanol must first be converted to acetaldehyde. Hereon, the conversion to Acetyl-CoA uses either of 2 pathways. ADH (alcohol dehydrogenase) if consumption is moderate or the more rapid MEOS (microsomal ethanol oxidizing system) if consumption is more.

In the Krebb’s cycle process a vitamin B3 (niacin) derivative is constantly changing form from NAD to NADH (oxidation / reduction) & vice versa. With ethanol (alcohol) the cells tend to build up a large amount of the NADH & the reconversion to NAD and the cyclic reaction stops or slows down. Thereafter the incoming Acetyl-CoA starts getting diverted to conversion into TGs (triglycerides). Much of the TG is delivered to the blood supply but some of it is stored within the liver itself. Over a course of time the TG deposits cause fatty liver and in extreme cases cirrhosis. That apart, alcohol can cause serious vitamin deficiencies and a higher consumption increases the risk for cancers anywhere through the digestive tract as per a Canadian study.

Moderately consumed, alcohol is “supposed” to have some benefits, especially for the cardio vascular system. Moderate has been defined by medical circles to mean about 45 ml/day. Stacking up a backlog for 6 days a week and consuming 350 ml on the 7^th day is also not such a good idea. Wines are generally preferred as they are made by fermenting alcohol naturally and not by adding ethanol. Beers are carb heavy and therefore avoidable by diabetics.

As an Ortho molecular nutritionist my final word on the subject is – Don’t drink, it IS toxic. As a moderate consumer I’d say – Drink very little, and only the good stuff.  

Inflammation

The art of healing comes from nature, not from the physician.

Therefore, the physician must start from nature, with an open mind.

                                                                                       — Paracelsus 

We keep hearing the term ‘Inflammation’ a lot, with regard to health. Each one of us has his/her own understanding & definition of the term. But I’m sure that most of us do not understand the complexities of inflammation – it’s nature, process & damage. External inflammation is easy to deal with (in normal cases), it is the internal inflammation that we are concerned with here. It goes unnoticed, is more dangerous and is very difficult to control. Let’s first understand what inflammation is.

Inflammation is the first response by the immune system to infection or irritation. It presents itself with the cardinal signs of redness ( Latin: rubor), heat (calor), swelling (tumor), pain (dolor), and dysfunction of the organs involved. Acute inflammation is needed to help heal acute trauma, abrasions, broken bones, or acute invasion of a foreign substance such as bee venom from a bee sting. The body reacts immediately to acute trauma by increasing substances in the body that stimulate swelling, redness, pain, and heat. These responses are important because they keep the body from doing further damage to the injury or wound by promoting pain and swelling all around the injured area. This causes an individual to be more cautious when moving the affected part. For example, if you break your wrist, the pain and inflammation will force you to protect the wrist from further damage that could occur if you used it or moved it too often or too quickly.

However, chronic inflammation is an ongoing, low level of inflammation, invisible to the human eye that usually occurs as a response to prolonged or repetitive injuries. We are now also finding that chronic inflammation is associated with many diseases. The key words here are “chronic & low level”. Externally, a good example to understand, would be the way in which most of us get a pinch from new shoes. We continue to bear it, and ignore it, and soon the body gets accustomed to it. The blister so formed behind our heel turns into hardened skin and it soon becomes a part and parcel of our life. Forgotten.

Internally, similar things can happen with bad dietary choices. One may experience heart burn, gurgling, burning, stomach upsets, flatulence and other such effects. But with repetitive bad dietary choices our systems start to tolerate these effects more and more and we neglect & ignore these signs and get used to them.

Once the core nutritive components enter into our blood stream some may start to exercise their damage on our vascular system and that damage goes largely unnoticed. Over years it can result in serious consequences. I’ve been repeatedly mentioning in several posts that insulin is a “pro-inflammatory” hormone. In excessive quantities it promotes inflammation. And what causes a surge in our insulin productivity & secretion. Short & sweet answer – Glucose, or in other words, carbohydrates.    

Normally, atoms have paired (even numbered) electrons, but atoms or groups of atoms with unpaired (single or odd numbered) electrons are known as free radicals. Free radicals are formed usually when Oxygen interacts with molecules. Once formed these highly reactive radicals can start a chain reaction, like dominoes. Their chief danger comes from the damage they can do when they react with important cellular components such as DNA, or the cell membrane. Cells may function poorly or die if this occurs. To prevent free radical damage the body has a defense system of antioxidants. Antioxidants are molecules which can safely interact with free radicals and terminate the chain reaction before vital molecules are damaged. Although there are several enzyme systems within the body that scavenge and neutralize free radicals, the principle micronutrient antioxidants are vitamin E, beta-carotene, and vitamin C. 

In the delivery of our nutrients, within our body, many of the delivery molecules become free radicals. Since most of our diet now does not contain natural or real foods our bodies lack the amount of antioxidants required to neutralize the free radicals, thereby allowing the chain reactions (as explained above) to grow unabated. Thus starts the oxidation of the cells which is known as oxidative damage. This gives rise to inflammation.

The standard diet today contains its own set of pro-inflammatory agents. This is so because most of our food comes either in box, packet, jar or bottle. And to deliver it to the consumer in a ready to consume state 4 to 6 months after production (manufacture) a lot of preservatives (chemicals), flavours (chemicals), colors (chemicals), stabilizers (chemicals) and emulsifiers (chemicals) have to be added. Even if these were absent, the very process of industrial manufacture involving so many mechanical processes like peeling, slicing, cutting, blending, mixing, squeezing, shredding cause the natural death of the good stuff.

The answer may lie not just in consuming fresh & real foods, but also in restricting our dependence on carbs. That should eliminate the need to secrete a lot of insulin and keep our vascular integrity intact. Healthy endothelial cells in a vessel are able to resist the interactions of free radicals and do not get compromised ensuring sound overall function.  

Supplements

I keep getting very promising feedback from the MaxC users every now and then. Regretfully, very few leave feedback on the blog. Not all of my blogger friends are net savvy. Even amongst the more knowledgeable, there is a tendency to think of MaxC as a drug and not as a supplement which is what it really is. I would therefore, like to put things in their proper perspective and would love to see a sea change in that mindset.

Drugs or medicines as they are called in everyday language are supposed to deliver instant relief in today’s instant world. Some do but most don’t, and depending on their metabolic action and pathways they may cause more harm from various side effects. Drugs potentially target “what” is happening rather than “why” it happens. They do so by targeting the symptoms rather than the cause of the symptom. 

Supplements on the other hand have a fundamentally different philosophy. They are meant to cover for a shortfall of key vitamins, minerals or some other substances that may promote the synthesis and mechanisms of these vitamins & minerals. Usually such shortfall is the result of dietary imbalances, environmental toxicity or lower bioavailability of the substance. Bioavailability refers to the amount of absorption of the substance within the body. Poor bioavailability usually results in rejection and excretion, which happens all too frequently.

Supplements therefore work in a very slow manner and in extended time frames. They have to be taken over a long period of time ranging from months to years depending on the substance & deficiency both. Most of the times they are very safe if toxic or mega doses are avoided. In many cases any excess is easily excreted from the body. The presence of the supplement in the body should do no harm even if it fails to provide the targeted benefit/s.

I started off with believing that supplements are also avoidable and one must try to obtain everything naturally. My Vit D3 levels were very poor (9 ng/ml) and I decided to obtain it naturally from exposure to sunlight. Only about 5% of the UV-b rays of the sun are able to penetrate the atmosphere between 1100-1400 hours. So for 3 months I dutifully stood in the sun for 20 minutes during those hours with more than 40% of my body exposed. By doing so my Vit D3 levels rose to just 14 ng/ml. I now take a 5000 I.U pill every day in the morning and that has increased my levels to about 48 ng/ml. Still short by about 20 ng, but I hope to reach there in a couple of months or I will think about increasing my intake to 8000 I.U. A recent meta-analysis of 167 Vit D studies has indicated that the deficiency of the Vitamin is not a cause but a symptom of the problem at hand. Be that as it may, maintaining Vit D levels is crucial for bone health, improved cardiovascular function, glucose management and a host of other conditions.

Based on the health issues and the blood reports and many other factors, dosage & frequency has to be carefully worked out to specific needs of the individual. Based on my most recent blood work I now take 2 capgels of Omega 3 rich fish oil, 1 capgel of 5000 IU Vitamin D3, 1 tablet of Chromium Picolinate & at least one 30 ml dose of our very own MaxC every day. I am also toying with the idea of importing some good supplements directly from known manufacturers for the use of my blog friends. That should surely be more cost effective and much cheaper for all of us. So finally it has to be said that whether we like it or not, whether it is the right way or not, sometimes it is required to give that little push to dietary imbalance with the help of supplements. 

Minerals

Minerals play a vital role within the body. They are a part of several key metabolic processes. Minerals in the body are divided into two sub-classes, Major minerals & Trace minerals. The dividing factor between them is a requirement level of 100 mg/day. Major minerals are required in higher quantity than that, and trace minerals are required in lesser quantity. As the name suggests ‘trace’ minerals are required or stored in the body in very tiny amounts.  

The Major minerals (required) in the body are Sodium (Na), Chloride (Cl), Potassium (K), Phosphorus (P), Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg), and Sulfur (S).

Both Na (Sodium) and Cl (Chloride) are provided by our salt intake, where Na is approximately 40% in content. They work in maintaining the water balance within and outside of our cells. They also play an important part in transmitting our nerve impulses. Separately, Na also participates in glucose and amino acid absorption, while Cl forms part of the HCl (hydrochloric acid) in the stomach and thereby helps in maintaining acid-base balance.

While plant sources are the best for K (Potassium), it is also found in meats, milk, grains and dried beans. It has practically the same functions as Na & Cl in maintaining water balance, imparting nerve impulses and muscular contractions.

P (Phosphorus) as a part of ATP (our unit of energy), is an essential mineral required by every cell in the body. It is also a part of the phospholipids that form the cell membranes and the cholesterol transport system. P is a major component of bones and teeth as well. Many hormones depend on their  phosphorylation to become activated.

Dairy sources are the best for providing Ca (Calcium) to the body. Though plant sources also contain Ca, the absorption of plant based Ca is very low in the body. Ca is an important part of our bones and teeth. In the growing years, the body’s absorption of Ca is much higher than in the adult years. Ca also works as part of fibrin within blood clots, and also in nerve impulses, and muscle contractions.

The chlorophyll in plants is the best source for Mg (Magnesium), however, milk and meats can also provide it. Mg helps stabilize ATP by binding to phosphate groups and is used by over 300 enzymes that use ATP. It also has a subsidiary role in maintaining water balance.

S (Sulfur) is provided by proteins containing amino acids methionine and cysteine. S is widely used in biochemical processes and metabolic reactions. S compounds serve as electron donors, and S is an important part of many enzymes and in antioxidant molecules.

Trace Minerals are essential inorganic substances required in very small quantity. All trace minerals even when combined, are less than 1% of the minerals in the body. The important trace minerals are Iron (Fe), Zinc (Zn), Copper (Cu), Iodide (I₂), Flouride (Fl), Manganese (Mn), and Selenium (Se). There are several more, and many are being added to the nutrient list constantly.

Animal sources of Fe (Iron) are preferred by the body over plant sources. Fe is the most important of the trace minerals yet its deficiency is very common. As a part of “heme”, it is an essential part of the proteins hemoglobin and myoglobin. It also works in oxidation/reduction reactions within cells as a carrier of our Oxygen. It also plays a vital role in energy metabolism as a part of a co-factor for all major neurotransmitters. It’s deficiency can compromise Immunity, work performance and cause anemia.

Meat and seafood are the best sources for Zn (Zinc), though it can be provided by alternates like nuts, beans and wheat germ. More than 300 enzymes use Zn. Zn contributes to DNA/RNA synthesis, heme formation, bone formation, taste activity, immune function, growth & development.

Cu (Copper) is a component of many enzymes because of its ability to alternate between 2 oxidative states ^{(+1) & (+2)}. It is an essential mineral which has vital functions as a part of many important proteins and enzymes in the body. Organ meats, shellfish, nuts & seeds are good sources.

I₂ (Iodine) is present in foods as iodide. The sole function of I₂ is to synthesize the Thyroid hormones in the body. Seawater fish, seaweed, iodized salts & dairy products are good sources for this mineral.

Fl (Flouride) is the ionic form of fluorine. It helps in fighting tooth cavities and decay. Though it is available in seafood, many countries are supplementing the water supply with it. Tooth paste also contains added Fl.

Both Mn (Manganese) and Se (Selenium) are a part of many enzymes and proteins and take part in several metabolic reactions. While Se is found abundantly in seafood and meats, Mn can be sourced from whole grains, cereals, nuts and legumes.

Max-C

Ever wondered why animals don’t get heart attacks? Simple answer – They make their own Vitamin C (ascorbic acid). With few exceptions all animals synthesize their own ascorbate by conversion from glucose. These exceptions are Humans, Bats, Guinea Pigs & Fish. Somehow our ancestors seem to have lost the ability to make our own Vitamin C some 40 million years ago. This was the result of a mutation of a gene. As a result of this mutation, we became dependent only on dietary ascorbate intake.

Recent studies indicate that the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) are way off the mark for the vitamin & mineral requirements today. Dr. James Enstrom from the University of California studied the vitamin intake of over 11,000 people for 10 years. He found that 300mg of vitamin C a day reduced risk of heart disease by 50 percent in men and 40 percent in women. Dr G. C. Willis found that people taking 1,500mg of vitamin C a day for 12 months reversed plaque while those who didn’t take vitamin C had worsening plaque. It is clear that vitamin C is necessary for vascular health. A research team at the University of California, Berkeley (my alma mater) found new evidence that vitamin C can significantly reduce levels of oxidative stress, which is associated with a variety of chronic diseases, for people exposed to environmental stress.

Here is some expert advice on the subject

• The primary cause of coronary heart disease and other forms of atherosclerotic disease is a chronic deficiency of vitamins and other essential nutrients in millions of vascular wall cells. This leads to the instability of the vascular walls, lesions and cracks, atherosclerotic deposits and, eventually, heart attacks or strokes. – Dr. Mathias Rath – MD.
• Ascorbate deficiency is the precondition and common denominator of human Cardio Vascular Disease (CVD). The invariable morphological consequences of chronic ascorbate deficiency in the vascular wall are the loosening of the connective tissue and the loss of the endothelial barrier function. Thus human CVD is a form of pre-scurvy. Scurvy is a fatal disease. It is characterized by structural and metabolic impairment of the human body, particularly by the destabilization of the connective tissue. Ascorbate is essential for an optimum production and hydroxy-lation of collagen and elastin, key constituents of the extracellular matrix. – Dr. Linus Pauling – Ph.D
• Optometrist, Dr. Sydney Bush’s retinal artery observations has documented reversal of atherosclerotic plaque with Vitamin C supplementation. 
• Richard T. Lee, MD, and his colleagues at the Harvard Medical School, tested 880 chemical compounds for their effect on embryonic stem cells derived from mice. The stem cells were pretreated so that they would emit a green color if they grew into heart muscle cells.  Of all 880 compounds, which are approved for use in people, only one promoted activity in the stem cells, and that was vitamin C.
• Vitamin C is known to perform many critical functions within the body involving detoxification, tissue building, immune enhancement, pain control, and controlling or killing pathogenic organisms. It is known to be helpful for wound and bone healing, healthy skin and eyes, fighting infections, stress control, toxic exposure, and repairing damaged tissue of all types. At very high dosages administered intravenously vitamin C is also known to be able to treat and bring cancer into remission even with late-stage cancer patients. – Dr. Scott Greenberg – MD.
• Vitamin C can help curb the growth of cancer cells, according to New Zealand scientists who claim breakthrough research to provide the first real evidence of a connection between the vitamin and cancer remission.- Prof Margreet Vissers
• Study from Univ. of Maryland - Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, meaning that your body doesn't store it. We have to get what we need from food, including citrus fruits, broccoli, and tomatoes. You need vitamin C for the growth and repair of tissues in all parts of your body. It helps the body make collagen, an important protein used to make skin, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels. Vitamin C is needed for healing wounds, and for repairing and maintaining bones and teeth. Vitamin C is an antioxidant, along with vitamin E, beta-carotene, and many other plant-based nutrients. Antioxidants block some of the damage caused by free radicals, substances that damage DNA. The build-up of free radicals over time may contribute to the aging process and the development of health conditions such as cancer, heart disease, and arthritis.
• Univ of California, School of Medicine - Vitamin C functions as a regulator of the catabolism of cholesterol to bile acids. For individuals with high total cholesterol concentrations, greater than or equal to 5.20 mmol/L (200 mg/dl) and less than full tissue saturation, increasing the concentration of vitamin C may have a salutary effect on total cholesterol. Vitamin C's effect on promoting the production and inhibiting the degradation of prostacyclin is reviewed, as are implications of these findings regarding thrombosis and atherogenesis. Evidence indicative of a protective effect on lipid peroxidation by vitamin C is examined. Analysis of the literature regarding groups at high risk for coronary heart disease reveals that men, the elderly, smokers, diabetics, hypertensives and perhaps oral estrogen-containing contraceptive users have lowered plasma vitamin C levels.

Though, Vitamin C is found in citrus fruits and some vegetables, it’s bio-availability to the body remains uncertain. Therefore having supplements for this critical component of good health is not such a bad idea.  Many commercial brands of chewable Vitamin C tablets are available in the market. However, even these are mostly excreted from the body. The best method of delivering adequate quantities of Vitamin C to the body is to do so intravenously. But that is (1) a very expensive way & (2) it would require a proactive medical establishment, which is very hard to find.

Recently, a new approach of effective Vitamin C delivery was achieved by “fat encapsulation of liquid Vitamin C”. The encapsulation is done by separating the fats & the Vitamin C by means of sound waves. The fat molecules engulf the Vitamin C and are able to deliver it direct to the blood stream without it getting absorbed by the digestive system. A guy called Alan Smith from New Zealand was brought out of a coma by the use of this type of lypospheric Vitamin C delivery. This was after the doctors had given up all hope of his remaining alive. You can read his full story by clicking here.

I have obtained the imported equipment and the ingredients and have started making the encapsulated Vitamin C. I am taking one dose of this vital daily requirement. That delivers approximately 1 gm of Vitamin C directly to my vascular blood supply. This is equivalent to a much larger intravenous and oral intake. Studies have shown that the effects are very beneficial and the science supports the idea. Let’s see what my next blood panel reports indicate.

At some point maybe we’ll take the product to a commercial level. I have thought of calling it - “Max-C”.      

Vitamins

Some facts about Vitamins.

Vitamins are essential, organic substances needed in small amounts in the diet. The requirement of vitamins in the body is miniscule when compared to the macronutrients. Just about 40 gms of vitamins are needed in 100 kgs of food. The Vitamins A, D, E & K are known as the fat soluble vitamins. On the other hand, the B Vitamins ( 8 in all ) and Vitamin C are water soluble. Herebelow is a short note on each of the vitamins.

Vit-A pre-formed is available in liver, fish, fish oil and eggs. Compounds which can be converted into Vit-A are found in yellow/orange fruits and vegetables and dark green leafy vegetables.

This vitamin is particularly important for pregnant women as it has a big role in fetal development. It helps regulate the formation of messenger RNA & proteins in our cell nucleus. In the eyes it helps with creation of visual pigments. Also helps to keep our endothelium within the blood vessels healthy.

Vit-D is synthesized in sunlight, from a fat under our skin, known as 7-dehydrocholesterol. For this conversion one needs around 20 minutes of exposure of 40% of the body area between 1100-1300 hours. In foods Vit-D is found in fatty fish, cod liver oil or eggs, but in very small quantities.

Vit-D has many functions in the body, but primarily it is responsible for bone health. Supplementation is very common due to reduced levels of Vit-D in a majority of the population.

Vit-E is found in many vegetable oils, seeds and nuts. Fruits like Avocado are also a good source.

Vit E’s principal function is to stop free radical damage of fatty acids in the body. To accomplish this it works in tandem with Vit-C.

Vit-K is the only fat soluble vitamin that can be excreted from the body. The others are stored in the liver and fatty tissue. Vit-K is found in fish oils, meats, and also in dark green leafy vegetables. It helps regulate the clotting mechanism within the blood supply. Absorption could be poor in new-borns and infants due to under formed gastric tracts and low bacterial synthesis in the intestines.  

The water soluble Vitamins are easily excreted from the body and hence toxicity is relatively unknown. All these vitamins form some co-enzyme and work as catalysts in energy metabolism.

B1 (Thiamin) is found widely in organ meats, pork, legumes, seeds, peas, whole grains, mushrooms. It works in carbohydrate & protein metabolism. Excessive alcohol can cause depletion.

B2 (Riboflavin) is found in eggs, meats, milk products or grains. It works to help in oxidation and reduction reactions in energy metabolism. Also helps with the Immune system.

B3 (Niacin) The best sources for this vitamin are poultry, fish, meat, peanuts, mushrooms or protein rich foods. It works in at least 200 reactions during energy metabolim.

Pantothenic Acid The name is derived from the greek word pantothen meaning everywhere. It is found in meat, eggs, milk, many vegetables, peanuts, mushrooms, broccoli and soy. As a part of co-enzyme A it is to be found in all metabolic reactions in the breakdown of carbohydrates, proteins, fats and alcohol.

Biotin is found widely in a variety of foods like eggs, nuts, legumes, whole grains. Unlike other vitamins in this class, this is stored in liver and muscles, hence deficiency is rare. It works in adding CO2 to many compounds in metabolism.

B6 found in meat, poultry and seafood is better absorbed within the body as compared to plant sources like carrots, spinach, avocado, potatoes and bananas. It works in over a 100 metabolic reactions and in the synthesis of hemoglobin and many neurotransmitters.

Folate is found in fortified foods or the bioactive form is found in organ meats or dark green leafy vegetables, legumes, avocados and oranges. This vitamin is required in synthesis of and maintenance of new cells and the DNA. Hence deficiency can cause anemia.  

B12 (Cobalamin) is found predominantly in foods from animal sources. It works in protein absorption and synthesis of DNA/RNA. It also plays a part in fatty acid metabolism. The absorption of this vitamin reduces with age. A shortage of this vitamin also leads to anemia and nerve degeneration.   

Vit C is available in most fruits and vegetables, but the best sources are citrus fruits, peppers and green vegetables. Its co-enzyme works in collagen formation and therefore it plays a part in bone and tissue health. It also works as a part of the Immune system by reducing damage from free radicals. In fact it so important to our health, that I have devoted an entire post to Vitamin C

Hunger & Appetite

Have you ever wondered what is the difference between the two. If you thought that they are the same thing, think again. Hunger is defined as “the physical need for food” whereas appetite is known as “the psychological desire to eat”. That’s right, hunger is a need, while appetite is a desire. We all follow a clock based approach to food, which means that we eat because of appetite, and don’t listen to hunger at all. Back in the day, some thousands of years ago, our hunter gatherer forefathers would have probably eaten to a mixed need / desire system. Desire when there was ample food, like for a couple of days after a hunt, and, need based when food was in short supply and had to be severely rationed.

Our eating behavior is controlled by very complex hormonal signals. Many hormonal secretions control our food behavior but the two key hormones that regulate our eating habits are Ghrelin & Leptin. Grehlin which is secreted mostly by the lining of the stomach signals hunger, while Leptin a secretion of our fat cells, signal satiety to the brain, indicating that we have had enough. Both of these hormones stimulate the hypothalamus and give rise to senses of being hungry or well fed. They also play a part in energy partitioning, making them a very important part of our metabolism.

Since Leptin is a creation of fat cells, it infers, that the fatter the person, the more leptin he/she secretes, the fuller he/she should feel. But nature has it’s own ways of working. Obesity has been strongly associated with insulin resistance and here leptin resistance also comes into play. You may be secreting enough leptin to tell your brain that you have eaten enough, but the resistant brain cells don’t listen. Your brain may even feel that you are starving. Major corporations selling packaged foods add leptin suppressant chemicals to their wares. Therefore you get addicted to their stuff, the more you eat, the more you want to eat, till your stomach starts to stretch and you have to give up. That’s the real reason why a soft drink will never be able to quench your thirst, as advertised. You will always want more.

From the time we’ve adopted a low carb high fat way of eating, we’ve found our portion sizes gradually diminishing with time. Now, we need lesser and lesser amounts of food. We’ve also learnt to listen to our body signals. That soft burp, is leptin telling you, it’s time to stop eating. Among my 2015 resolutions, is a very important one concerning regulating my food habits to align with my body signals. Though I’ve not yet started doing it, very soon I will abandon eating by a clock based system. Eating breakfast, lunch or dinner at stipulated times will not happen. Rather I will eat only when hungry and stop the minute my body tells me so. With that I think my stagnated weight loss will be kick started again, and I will have a leaner body, that I so badly want.

Take home message, Feed your hunger, not your appetite.

Thyroid

I’m writing to tell you about another ‘metabolically relevant’ part of the body, that people talk a lot about. A majority of the women I’ve known have told me that they suffer from thyroid problems. The overweight ones try to justify their bulginess, and the skinny ones, why they won’t put on any weight. Both of these statements could be true, but in many cases are not. However, two things need to be acknowledged, it’s mostly the women who get struck by thyroid problems, in the ratio of something like 4 : 1 as compared to men. And that thyroid issues are pretty much common, rarely checked & not very well understood.

The thyroid is a small 2 inch gland which sits in the front part of the neck, just above the larynx or the voice box. It’s shaped like a butterfly, with two equally sized distinctive lobes on either side of the food pipe. As a part of the endocrine system it releases some hormones (T3 & T4) into the body, which then regulate metabolic activity in target organs or cells. This thyroid action is controlled by the pea sized pituitary gland, a tiny part of the brain, by the secretion of another hormone (TSH). Having received this signal the thyroid makes it’s hormones from iodine in the body.

Analogically, if the body was to be compared to a car, the liver for sure would be the car engine, and the thyroid could be thought of as the accelerator. It controls how fast or slow the car will go. It is the body’s Metabolism Regulator - now that’s a very important role. Virtually every cell in the body has receptors for the thyroid hormones, which then regulate how efficiently the cell converts/utilizes energy. Therefore, many everyday symptoms require a look into the thyroid functioning first, before proceeding with other tests and analysis.

So this is how the system works. The pituitary gland secretes TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone or thyrotropin) to stimulate the Thyroid to increase/decrease its production/secretion of T3/T4. This is based on the levels of circulating thyroid hormones T3 (triiodothyronine) & T4 (thyroxine) & cellular requirement. The thyroid gland mostly produces T4 & a very marginal amount of T3. T4 contains 4 atoms of iodine, and most of the T3 in circulation is converted from T4 by removing 1 iodine atom. T3 is the active form of the hormone which is usable by the cells.

The T4 & T3 in circulation are known as Total T4 & T3. These are mostly bound to a protein TBG (thyroid binding globulin). Until they are bound to the TBG the thyroid hormones are not usable by the cells. To become usable they are freed from the TBG & are then known as Free T4 & T3 (FT4 & FT3). Each of these hormones has a different role in the body & when tests are done; their levels also mean differing conditions to your medicare team. When a full thyroid panel is ordered, T4, T3, FT4, FT3, TSH are reported along with the presence of antibodies to the proteins. This would indicate if there are any auto immune issues within the body.

When the thyroid hormones are in excess supply the thyroid is overworking and the condition is known as Hyperthyroid, and when the hormonal supply is lower, the thyroid is supposed to be sluggish & the condition is called Hypothyroid. Naturally both the conditions can have differing causes, symptoms, diagnoses & treatment. If the thyroid is under attack by the body’s own immune system, then the hypo condition is termed as Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis & the hyper condition is known as Grave’s Disease. The thyroid is also susceptible to overgrowth which can either be cancerous or benign which condition is known as Goiter.

Thyroid problems need a keen eye to be determined and that is why they generally go unnoticed. The usual symptoms can run into hundreds with each individual exhibiting maybe a group of ten out of these. Normally a hypothyroid will give indications of fatigue, weakness, insomnia, difficulty in weight loss, hair loss, feelings of cold sensations, muscle cramps, joint pains, constipation, depression among others. Most of these are also shared by the hyperthyroid people. They can also exhibit fatigue, weakness, sleep problems, hand tremors, mood swings, nervousness, palpitations or irregular heartbeat, skin dryness and weight loss.

This makes proper diagnosis a team effort between the doctor & the patient. Treatments are trickier as the proper analysis of a full thyroid panel requires a fair bit of adrenal & endocrine knowledge. A good treatment plan would involve a lot of trial and error & a lot of patience is required. If the treatment is on the right track & proper protocols are followed, thyroid remission is also possible. That is the reason we find that in many cases the treatment for hyperthyroid can cause hypothyroid & vice versa. But by and large, though not always, treatments are easy but lifelong.  

Energy Balance

We’ve talked about this theory on a number of pages. Now let’s look at the hypothesis a little exclusively. The Energy Balance Hypothesis owes its origin to a fundamental principle of physics – The 1^st Law of Thermodynamics a.k.a The Law of Conservation of Energy. This law says that energy cannot be created or destroyed but can only be transformed from one form to another. Applied to human metabolism it infers that “Eating more and exercising less, results in weight gain” or more popularly Calorie In – Calorie Out = Calorie Balance (+ve or –ve).

A calorie is the amount of heat required to raise the temp of 1 gm of water by 1^o C. Food calories are measured in a contraption known as a “Bomb Calorimeter” where a measured amount of the food item is incinerated and the resultant rise in the temp of the water surrounding it is taken. But, we don’t burn or incinerate food anywhere in our metabolism. As early as in 1893 Prof. Fick had shown that a human body is not a heat engine and therefore the calorie theory does not apply to it. As we move further let's remember that Carbs & Protiens contain 4 cal/gm, Fats have 9 cal/gm whereas Alcohol provides 7 cal/gm.

Now let’s see, an apple contains ~ 13 % carbs. So if it weighs 100 gms, it contains 13gms of carbs, which would mean a total of 52 cal. The apple’s journey from the tree to our mouth may take anything from a week to months if cold storage is involved. Would the time line not make a difference to the calorie content and would it remain a constant. Many experts believe that “a calorie is not a calorie”. What that means is that a calorie in physics (heat energy) is not the same calorie that we think of as contained in foods.

Dr Robert Lustig, a pediatric endocrinologist at the University of California, San Francisco gives 4 valid reasons for this belief. (1) All fibers are not digested, but they are made up of complex-carb chains which means that they do have calories which we do not absorb. (2) Proteins contain the same number of calories as carbs, yet their conversion to glucose via gluconeogenesis itself consumes energy. (3) All fats contain 9 cal/gm but the different type of fats have differing pathways and action in the body yet they are all supposed to be equal where calories are concerned. (4) Table sugar (sucrose) contains equal amounts of the simple sugars fructose & glucose. Glucose is metabolized all over the body for energy, but fructose is metabolized only by the liver and goes exclusively to fat (TG) formation. We cannot assume that they both provide the same amount of energy.

Gary Taubes, in his bestselling book, “Good Calories, Bad Calories” argues about the absurdity of the theory, thus. Based on a 2500 cal/day diet, we consume close to a million calories a year. If we exceed our daily quota by just 20 calories (less than 1% for the day), theoretically we would put on 20 lbs extra every decade. 20 cal is about ¼ th of a slice of bread. That’s impossible to regulate, and if it were true we would all be carrying much more than 100 lbs extra weight in 50 years.

The Calorie Balance Hypothesis is also not able to explain why some naturally skinny people can eat a lot of food (calories) and never gain an ounce of weight whereas most of us will add weight even while we watch our intake microscopically. Eating less, exercising more has also frustrated most of us at some point of time or the other. It has never worked & never will. The Lipophilia Hypothesis is better able to explain these observations. On a nutritionally ketogenic way of life, the calories lose their meaning and are not be counted at all. There are established cases of people losing all of their excess weight on intakes ranging from 6000 to 10000 cal/day. Go figure !!! 

Blood Sugar

Everywhere on the blog we’ve referred to Blood Sugar as (BG) Blood Glucose, which is the more technically correct term. Table sugar as we know it consists of glucose + fructose in equal measure. Glucose is metabolized in all the cells of the body, fructose though is metabolized only in the liver. It is the glucose that circulates in the blood, hence BG. I use the term blood sugar here, because of it’s popularity among the general public.

Of all the general health parameters, Blood Sugar is probably THE MOST IMPORTANT one. Other parameters like weight, BMI, temperature, cholesterol or blood pressure pale in comparison as health indicators. Blood Sugar should be ideally kept within a narrow 30-40 point limit (80-120 mg/dl) throughout the entire day. Glucose concentrations in blood beyond 20 points on either side of the range are fraught with dangers. It disrupts the homeostatic (balanced) metabolism and that can give rise to all sorts of problems and disease including cancer. Barring traumatic accidents or inborn genetic disorders, all health issues begin with a dysfunctional metabolism, hence it’s value as an indicator.

Wellness practitioners often use analogies in explaining body function and processes, especially to those who do not possess a scientific disposition. It is one of my favourite tools as well. I use the firemen analogy to explain the irrelevance of cholesterol (on it’s own) as a cardiovascular risk factor. A fire naturally requires firemen to come & douse the fire. It is natural to expect a few of them to lose their lives, every once in a while. Where there is fire, there are bound to be firemen. But are they to be blamed for starting the fire? Such is the relation between cholesterol & cardiovascular problems. I also liken drugs that suppress symptoms to cutting off the red warning lights on your car’s dashboard. Symptoms are like those red warning lights that indicate problems within the bonnet. Getting rid of the warning light is not really the right therapeutic approach. When drugs are required, they are, but most times they do not serve purpose, and are prescribed with gay abandon, without so much as a thought to their side effects & other consequences.

To explain the glucose metabolism and blood sugar related issues I came up with an analogy that I would like to share with you. Let’s use a BUSINESS model to understand this one. Imagine RAW MATERIALS being used by a FACTORY to manufacture a PRODUCT. It then requires a WAREHOUSE to store the product until it is released in the market. Suppose this business uses a door to door model and thus employs many SALESMEN to distribute / deliver the product to its CONSUMERS. If the business were to misjudge the product’s demand and keep on over producing it, very soon there would be a GLUT in the market. Consumers would point blank refuse to have any more of it. Salesmen would be roaming with unsold stock, getting frustrated in the process, and would start to negatively affect the business. If this keeps up for long, a total COLLAPSE would follow and the business would have to shut down.

Now in the above scenario replace the capitalized words as follows ;

You (BUSINESS),

Carb rich food (RAW MATERIALS),

Digestive system (FACTORY),

Glucose (PRODUCT),

Liver (WAREHOUSE),

Insulin (SALESMEN),

Cells (CONSUMERS),

Insulin Resistance (GLUT) &

Metabolic Syndrome (COLLAPSE).

Get the picture ? 

Insulin

I was recently invited to give a talk to a group of savvy corporate youngsters which was titled as "The Healthy Weigh of Life". The latter half of the title was chosen because the group consisted mostly of women, eager to shed a few kilos and inches. The spear-head of the talk was high carbohydrate consumption and its proportionate Insulin response within the body and subsequent problems. I called Insulin the “nectar of life”. Insulin, and its action are the titles of many a voluminous biological textbook. But here we are looking at the hormone in a snapshot review. For those who were not present, here’s what I meant.

Insulin is secreted by the (beta) b-cells within the “islets of Langerhans” - a region of the Pancreas. They are so named because of their discoverer Dr. Paul Langerhans. Apart from the b-cells, the islets also contain (alpha) a-cells & (gamma) g-cells which have other secretions which we will not go into at this time. The secretion of Insulin begins as soon as any food is ingested, probably even before that with the smell, sight or thought of food.

Insulin’s preliminary role in carb, lipid and protein metabolism is that of distribution and storage. That is why it is so essential to life. Primarily it distributes glucose to target cells for energy metabolism. Beyond that it encourages the storage of glucose as glycogen and also its further conversion to triglyceride and storage as fat in adipose tissue. In fact it is the primary regulator of fat deposit in the body. On a lesser scale it also plays a role in the storage of several key minerals in the body. These events are essential for normal growth and development and for normal homeostasis.

Once at the target site insulin signaling & reception results in a large array of biological outcomes. Understanding these mechanisms and pathways is the subject matter of a large number of studies under way. These studies could lead to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of insulin resistance which is associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes. Insulin Resistance is dealt with in more detail on the next post, but it should be said that Insulin is also a pro-inflammatory hormone. Excessive amounts of Insulin could therefore result in abundance of free radicals which cause extensive damage wherever and whenever they get a free run.

In my humble opinion Insulin is certainly the hormone of life. It is a sort of time keeper of our metabolic age. Because we have become so accustomed to a carb loaded diet, we use more and more of Insulin on a daily basis & that is why we are ageing much faster. After all AGE (advanced glycation end-products) is the cause of age. For confirmation all you need to do is compare the advent of puberty in children these days with that of 30-40 years ago. And that is why I say that the “Fast Food” label is a half-truth. Not food but certainly fast. So to live a longer, fuller & healthier life watch your Insulin. Keep the clock ticking slower & longer. After all THE IDEA IS TO DIE YOUNG AS LATE AS POSSIBLE.     

Healthy Regards.

Nutritional Food Data

Here's some nutrition data on some of the foods especially from an Indian point. Please note that the P, C, F numbers in the table below are percentage content, or in other words gms/per 100 gms of the food item. So you need to weigh the food item and then use these tables

Food	P	C	F	Food	P	C	F
NUTS-SEEDS				VEGETABLES
Badam (Almonds)	21	10	59	Frenchbeans	2	4	0
Akhrot (Walnuts)	16	11	64	Karela	2	4	0
Pista (Pistachhio)	21	25	50	Brinjal	1	4	9
Cashew	1	12	66	Cauliflower	3	4	0
Cashew Roast salted	14	32	46	Cucumber	0	2	0
Raisins	0	77	0	Capsicum	1	4	0
Peanuts	28	18	49	Bhendi	2	6	0
Black Chana (Grams)	19	60	6	Parwal	2	2	0
Dates	1	76	0	Carrot	1	11	0
Flaxseeds	18	29	42	Potato	2	23	0
Lotus seed	15	64	2	Cabbage	2	5	0
SPICES				Cowpea	24	54	1
Cardamom	10	42	2	Chana Black	24	60	1
Coriander	14	22	16	Green peas	7	16	0
Garlic	6	30	0	Lentil	25	59	1
Black Pepper	11	49	7	Rajmah	23	61	1
Turmeric	6	69	5	Chana Red	22	58	2
Oregano	0	67	0	Lettuce leaves	2	4	0
SUGARS				Broccoli	4	7	0
Table Sugar	0	100	0	Cabbage Chinese	2	3	0
Jaggery	2	95	0	Spinach	4	4	0
Honey	0	79	0	Methi	4	10	0
				Tinda	1	3	0
				Turia	1	4	1
EGGS - MEATS				Corn – yellow or white	4	22	2
Egg	13	0	13	Tomatoes	1	4	0
Prawns	19	1	1	Onions	1	11	0
Surmai	20	0	1	Spring Onions	2	6	0
Mutton	18	0	13	Ginger	2	12	1
Roast Chicken	31	0	4	Green chillies	3	3	1
Liver	20	0	3	Nimbu (Lemon)	2	9	0
Salami	25	5	35	Mushrooms	62	14	24
Ham	21	2	6	Soyabean	43	21	19
MILK PRODUCTS-FATS				READY FOODS
Butter	0	0	81	Paratha	8	48	13
Ghee	0	0	100	Dosa Sada	7	50	9
Milk - Cow	3	4	4	Kachori	7	38	36
Milk - Buffalo	4	5	6	Dalia (Oatmeal)	3	9	4
Chaas	1	0	1	Puri	6	44	18
Curds	3	3	4	Roti / Thepla	7	43	1
Cheese	24	6	25	Mutton Biryani	7	16	17
Brittania Cheese Cubes	19	4	26	Khichdi	5	21	7
Brittania Cheese Slice	17	4	25	Veg Pulao	2	25	5
GO Pizza Cheese	21	1	24	Potato bhaji Dry/Gravy	2	15	4
Nestle Dahi	4	6	2	Lobia	9	18	2
Amul Fresh Cream	2	3	25	Lentils cooked	9	17	1
Skimmed Milk	4	6	0	Sprouted Lentils	9	22	0
Tofu	8	3	4	Masoor dal	8	18	0
Paneer	17	2	1	Urad dal	8	14	0
Yoghurt whole milk	4	6	4	Samosa Veg	5	30	9
Salted Butter	1	0	85	Pakora Veg	4	21	13
Peanut Butter	31	19	50	Veg salad with dressing	4	9	2
FRUITS				FRUITS
Pomegranate	0	10	0	Mango	1	17	0
Avocado	2	9	15	Watermelon	0	3	0
Grapes Green	0	16	0	Orange	1	11	0
Grapefruit	1	10	0	Papaya	1	7	0
Guava	1	11	0	Strawberry	1	10	0
Jambu	1	14	0	Banana	0	27	0
Mausambi	1	7	0	Apple	0	13	0