Seed oils and LDL and long term health

[1972RedNeck]

https://youtu.be/_lRXZfs6Sjs?si=7D2AFExlfVdq4O9z

Hope this isn't out of place but this is some info that has changed my life for the better.

At age 6, I was diagnosed with asthma and was always told I would have to "live with it". I was told if I didn't use my Albuterol and Advair prescriptions my asthma would turn into COPD.

In highschool I started having joint pain. Knees and shoulders and fingers were the worst. When I got out of bed in the morning I had to hold my hands under burning hot water to get my fingers limbered up. All this at 15 years old.

Around age 23 I was diagnosed with "idiopathic early onset rheumatoid arthritis". Asthma was worse than it had ever been. I followed USDA dietary advice to a T and did my best to exercise, even though I couldn't breathe.

At that point I called BS and walked out. I knew (or so I thought) a few things. I knew that steroid use often led to arthritis. I knew that arthritis was a major factor in COPD. I knew that letting asthma go unmedicated would lead to COPD. And I knew that my inhaler was steroids.

See the problem? I was taking steroids to avoid COPD, but I suspected they were causing my "idiopathic early onset rheumatoid arthritis" that was going to cause COPD.

I started looking for anything and everything to manage my diseases. At the time, I assumed they were both incurable as I had always been told so management was my best hope.

I came across some far out YouTube videos were people and some doctors claimed to be able to control autoimmune diseases (arthritis and maybe asthma) by a strict elimintaion diet of nothing but beef, salt, and water for 30 to 60 days. It seemed outrageous, but I liked beef so why not give it a try? So I did.

Summer of 2022 I went on a strict elimination diet. Literally nothing but beef, salt, and water. Nothing else. Threw my medications in the trash. Within 3 days, my asthma was nearly gone. For the first time in 20 years, I could actually take a deep breath. You can't even begin to understand how good it feels to just be able to breathe until you have wheezed for 2/3 of your life.

Two weeks in I started to notice that my aches and pains were noticeably less. A month in and I felt like I had never felt before. I could breathe. I could move without hurting. It felt GOOD to get out of bed in the morning.

At that point, my paradigm began to change. In one month, I had completely cured "idiopathic arthritis". My asthma that was "incurable" was nearly gone. And not a single pill to take. What was previously impossible and outlandish was suddenly reality.

So I started reading and watching everything I could find.

Initially, I thought the strict elimination diet was bad for long term health as we all know that "saturated fat is bad" and "LDL cholesterol will give you a certain heart attack".

The more I read, the more I found that we have been fed a bunch of bull since the 1950's. "The Big Fat Surprise" by Nina Teicholz is a great read for anyone interested. It seems like the furthest out conspiracy, but all the data and reference are all right there. LDL isn't cholesterol. If your doctor refers to LDL as "cholesterol", you need to find a new doctor in my opinion.

"Why We Get Sick" by Benjamin Bikman gave me great insight into how our bodies actually work. Highly recommended.

The three main commonly accepted factors for heart disease (even in the "commonly accepted" factors LDL is NOT in the top three) are high blood pressure, obesity, and insulin resistance (type 2 diabetes).

Since going pretty much carnivore, my "borderline high" blood pressure is now basement bottom low. I went from what I thought was a "healthy" 195 pounds (6' 1") to 175 pounds. Down two pant sizes and up one shirt size.

So those two factors got BETTER by eating lots of animal fat.

A little looking into type 2 diabetes will show that it is impossible to develop if your insulin levels are never elevated. And protein with enough fat will not raise your insulin at all. In fact, according to a Harvard study, a carnivore diet has "resolved" insulin resistance in 98% of type 2 diabetics in the study.

Furthermore, there seems to be some damning evidence emerging against phytosterols - the highest concentrations found in vegetable/seed oils of ALL kinds. From cancer to dementia/Alzheimers.

Just some info for those interested. Diet can be a life changer.

Your Mileage May Vary

[AJMD429]

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The science of nutrition and 'supplements' is advancing. Of course there is a lot of corruption and smoke-and-mirrors, and so on, just like with Big Pharma, but if you carefully sort through it, there is good stuff we are finding out.

One KEY thing is just to remember that with most everything, we are individuals, with different genetics, different epigenetics, different environments, different lifestyles, and thus different needs. That is one reason doctors prefer the sledgehammer of regular prescription medications over the nuances of supplements and diet - the sledgehammer pretty much always 'does the job', even if it is to flatten the rivet holding the back of your wristwatch on.

There is clearly a role for regular big-pharma medications, and those who refuse them all are foolish, but no more so than those doctors (and patients) who refuse to do anything 'natural' or use 'repurposed' medications. A good physician will be at least somewhat versed in ALL the modalities, and use whatever tools best accomplish the job for that particular patient.

You usually won't find a physician who crosses those lines if they accept insurance, though - the insurance companies punish anything that is not per some rigid one-size-fits-all protocol, and the break-even point for making zero dollars take-home for a primary care physican who accepts insurance is a time-in-exam-room of around eight minutes, last time I calculated it. Six minutes makes you $125k or so a year, and 4 minutes something like $250k. So they bop in-and-out, and gloss over stuff, force-fit you into a 'protocol', and refer anything that takes more than four minutes or so to a 'specialist', further fragmenting care and increasing costs.

DirectPay physicians break outside that box, but generally we either still sacrifice much income versus if we took insurance, OR we do a bit of snake-oil selling ourselves, pushing glitzy stuff that isn't always needed. At least those who have a NP on the side doing bo-tox or filler or lasering off pubes for cosmetic profits, are not taking advantage of sick people (just getting paid like a hairdresser - to make someone look prettier).

Glad you figured out the 'seed oil' thing - it doesn't work for everyone, but I do think there is some solid science behind it.

[1972RedNeck]

Glad you figured out the 'seed oil' thing - it doesn't work for everyone, but I do think there is some solid science behind it.

The seed oils actually weren't a major short term problem for me.

Synthetic niacin (nicotinic acid) is the worst trigger for my asthma. The smallest amount pushes me right over the edge. Took me over a year to pinpoint it. And it's in literally 95% (if not 100%) of all grain products on the store shelves.

Seed oils just make me feel a little "off". Nothing major, but noticeable. I like feeling like I have the world by the tail so I avoid them.

That, and I have a lot of dementia in my family history post 1980 so I suspect the ApoE4 gene may run in my family. Just another nail in the coffin for seed oils in my diet.

And in case anyone wants to paint me as a biased against seed oils, I will be growing a couple fields of non GMO canola for human consumption this year.

[348win]

What's a quick list of your diet

I'm 35 and would love to NOT be in pain everyday!!!
Getting out of bed is rough, I am very mobile...but spent a working life doing physical work, standing on concrete in factories, riding bone shaking Harleys (in the cold too), and processing firewood by hand.

If you don't mind sharing,
I'd sure be interested in trying a different diet for 30-60 days to see if it helps.

I got enough pain an inflammation to keep me from sleeping, so I'm open to suggestions!

I'm a believer in diet effecting lots. The body needs SLEEP, and NUTRIENTS to REPAIR, and with the wrong diet and improper rest; its steady decline. Just your average guys opinion!!!

[Bill in Oregon]

Interesting thread, Redneck. Glad you have found a path that works for you. I think further understanding of individual/family genetics and the epigenetics doc mentioned will shed bright light on our individual health profiles in years to come. 23andMe says my genes are 99 percent from the British Isles, so I may have to look at a Cornish pastie and Guinness diet to see if it helps with my myriad complaints.

[1972RedNeck]

What's a quick list of your diet

I'm 35 and would love to NOT be in pain everyday!!!
Getting out of bed is rough, I am very mobile...but spent a working life doing physical work, standing on concrete in factories, riding bone shaking Harleys (in the cold too), and processing firewood by hand.

If you don't mind sharing,
I'd sure be interested in trying a different diet for 30-60 days to see if it helps.

I got enough pain an inflammation to keep me from sleeping, so I'm open to suggestions!

I'm a believer in diet effecting lots. The body needs SLEEP, and NUTRIENTS to REPAIR, and with the wrong diet and improper rest; its steady decline. Just your average guys opinion!!!

My original elimination diet that started me on this road was just beef, salt, and water. After about 6 weeks I stated adding food back into my diet one at a time to see what sat well with me.

There are very few plant products that don't give me any negative effects.

For the last 6 months, I have been eating nothing but beef, pork, and high fat dairy. I have a couple drinks of low carb alcohol every now and then. Not saying it's healthy, but it doesn't seem to be negative for me.

I used to come down with all the crud that goes around in the winter time. This past winter I haven't had so much as a single sniffle. And if anything, my exposure has been more than normal.

I sleep really well nowadays. I used to need 10 hours of sleep in the winter time and it took me a while to get going in the morning. Nowadays 8 hours is all I can sleep and I'm ready to go first thing in the morning. Running on 6 hours is no problem, but like you, I think quality sleep is important.

[1972RedNeck]

Interesting thread, Redneck. Glad you have found a path that works for you. I think further understanding of individual/family genetics and the epigenetics doc mentioned will shed bright light on our individual health profiles in years to come. 23andMe says my genes are 99 percent from the British Isles, so I may have to look at a Cornish pastie and Guinness diet to see if it helps with my myriad complaints.

I have went down the genetics rabbit hole a ways. As a farmer, genetics have intrigued me. I spent a year in college working on a research center that had been line breeding cattle for almost 90 years for genetics research. Outside of rare genetic conditions such as type 1 diabetes, I think we as a society blame genetics for a lot of problems that are caused by our personal choices and not our genetics.

Genetics will determine how we react to certain conditions, but you have to go after the root cause.

Type 2 diabetes for instance. Not a genetic disease at all. ANYONE can reverse type 2 diabetes by diet.

But genetics will play a roll in how quickly one develops type 2 diabetes on a crappy diet.

Cancer may be in the same category. Take a look at cancer cells' insulin interactions and glucose metabolism.

Carrying the ApoE 4 gene has shown to increase risk of developing dementia compared to the other ApoE genes. But if you remove phytosterol consumption, that increased risk goes away. Genetics effect how bad a condition might get, but if you fix the root cause, the genetic roll is minimized.

[Walt]

I'm glad your health has improved, 1972RedNeck. That's a victory for sure. And Doc AJ, just want to thank you for your carefully reasoned, informative responses. Regarding the medical system, I'm proud of your principled views, practices and dedication.

I would be proud to have you as my doc.

[GunnyMack]

I too was an asthmatic child. I also suffered with terrible allergies. Inhalers and allergy shots were the norm for me. As I got older I stopped the shots but kept the Albuterol on hand. By my late teens I noticed that when I used the inhalers I would get the shakes like too much caffeine. Im now 55 and haven't used an inhaler in 30 odd years after giving it up. Knock wood I haven't had an attack since.
As for my allergies, I know what triggers me, cats and horses are the big things. I don't like either animal so it's no big deal for me.
I started seeing a chiropractor as a teenager, this particular doctor held 3 doctorate degrees-chiropractic, nutrition and Chinese medicine. This guy was the younger brother of General McAuliffe who served under Patton. He was on the 68 Olympic shooting team too. Anyhow, this doc could look at you, muscle testing and diagnose just about anything!
He got me on a vitamin and mineral regimen that I continue with today.
Now I'm fighting with tendonitis, started in my right ankle, moved to my right elbow. I've begun using ultrasound to treat myself. Guess what, it works! No steroids!!!
No offense to Doc AJ( if I was closer geographically I would see him weekly just to talk guns!)but most MDs are just guessing and stuffing pills down your throat.
The majority of people are dehydrated. That leads to more issues than they realize. Drinking all that squeaky clean bottled water does nothing for you other than make your kidneys work. The human body NEEDS minerals. You might not believe me but if I drink bottled water it does absolutely nothing but if I drink water from my well I can literally feel myself hydrating. It's weird I know.
Salt is needed by us, not just for taste but for cellular function. It keeps our 'eletrical system ' operating.

[Walt]

Doc AJ, my father was a physician who like you was more concerned with patient care than anything else. He brought the family over from Germany in 1953 and after practicing in several eastern states "found" New Mexico which had a large population of tuberculosis patients who came here for the dry, cool weather which was considered to be beneficial for recovery. His specialty was chest diseases in general and TB in particular. Tuberculosis was prevalent on Indian reservations and among poor Hispanic communities; he traveled around the state doing skin tests, followed by a mobile x-ray unit in a van. A large group of itinerant Mexican farm workers come across the border seasonally to pick chili in southern NM and a significant portion of his testing was in that area.

He was employed by the NM Health Dept so he didn't have the complexities of private practice and relished his time in the field. There were several large TB sanitoriums in the state as well as smaller satellite locations and he eventually became the medical director of the the entire system which he rather detested because of his preference for face-to-face interactions. Nevertheless, he continued on with the administrative requirements until he retired and the need for hospital stays had been all but eliminated due to the development of drugs that made TB essentially non-communicable.

The discovery of tuberculosis in some of the most remote regions of Mexico really excited him. The enormous Copper Canyon held tiny communities so remote that there were simply no medical facilities so he took it upon himself to remedy that. Grants provided generators for electricity in some of the larger villages; he scoured the US and European countries for medical equipment such as x-ray machines, centrifuges and microscopes. There was a tiny airstrip which allowed him to fly in periodically as the only road in was long, steep and frequently impassable.

His lasting achievement was a program that he instituted for residents in the New Mexico School of Medicine, whereby medical students still spend a month in Copper Canyon to experience the challenges of working in a primitive environment under the most demanding conditions.

[Tycer]

I think part of the problem with seed oils is that they oxidize rapidly becoming toxic and inflammatory. I have a press and the difference between fresh sunflower oil and bottled is remarkable.