Chris Masterjohn on saturated fat

[petersonwood]

Thank you all for the nice welcome and all of the information. I have begun to read the primer but am a bit overwhelmed by all the information and deciding whose opinions I should consider. There is a great deal of information that doesn't always come together. I am hoping for a bit of clarification. My doctor said "no saturated fats" simply because her basic understanding of the APOE4 gene is "the brain of someone with APOE4 cannot remove saturated fats so there is a higher risk of plaque forming in the brain which is seen in Alzheimer's." This is simplistic but is there some accuracy in this?

If there is some accuracy in this, is it that my brain can't process just saturated fats or all fats well?

Also, where my confusion lies, is understanding what markers indicate better health. If my cholesterol numbers are all within range does that mean saturated fats and/or all fats are being processed appropriately or could it still be that plaque is possibly forming in the brain? Is there an indicator/test result of brain health in regards to saturated fats and/or all fats?

Lucy you said, "found protocols that have delivered results for them". What does "delivered results" mean? What should a person with a APOE4 be trying to accomplish? is it overall good health or are there specific goals we should keep in mind?

I am 54 and have diabetes. I have significant insulin resistance. I have experienced success with the Keto lifestyle but went off it while I healed my adrenals. I stayed grain free just avoided going into ketosis. From what I am reading, it appears insulin resistance is a huge issue. So since my adrenals are doing well, I have recently decided to go back on keto to drop the extra weight and to try and reverse insulin resistance. From what I know, dropping weight, reversing insulin resistance and avoiding foods like carbs and sugars that spike my blood sugars are not only good steps for my overall health but also my brain health. Any thoughts?

Again thank you for the conversation and guidance. This is all very helpful. Take care. Karen

[CarrieS]

From what I know, dropping weight, reversing insulin resistance and avoiding foods like carbs and sugars that spike my blood sugars are not only good steps for my overall health but also my brain health. Any thoughts? Karen

Hi Karen,
I'm focusing on what you've listed above too and am finding that it also works for me. It's been a process figuring things out (I've tried all kinds of things that have worked for others) and I've found that, over the years, I have changed what I eat as my body has healed and I'm better at recognizing what it needs. I'm very carb sensitive so I avoid refined carbs but make sure to include small amounts of starchy root vegetables, legumes and some grains (like organic Spelt) 2 or 3 times a week to support my gut microbes. For me, adding fat in the form of high quality extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil and ghee (made from Kerry Gold Butter) helps with my glucose response. We're all unique so none of us will have exactly the same regime. Kudos to you to recognize what has been working for YOU!
Carrie

[mike]

Karen, hi from another T2D. Your basic goals of losing the extra weight and lowering carbs make sense. To what degree depends on your condition. I've had it for 20 years, and that is my primary focus. I try to cut almost all carbs - no grains, no pasta, no rice, no veggies grown below ground. This minimizes sugar/insulin swings. This is good for diabetes, but also good for Alzheimer's. Where are you on your diabetes journey? Are you talking meds? Probably the single other most important thing to think about is increasing exercise. this helps both diabetes and Alzheimer's.

[petersonwood]

Thanks Carrie & Mike,

I am on insulin and have been diagnosed diabetic for six years. When I started keto 2 years ago I cut my insulin use by 2/3's. I am hopeful if I can stay on keto and lose my extra weight that I can get off insulin. I am curious about your thoughts on fats. I can not eat daily the amount of fat for keto with just avocados, olive oil and nuts. I think I would fail if I pushed for that. My cholesterol has been good with eating saturated fats but I am wondering what markers others are using to determine they are helping the brain? If we become physically healthy(daily exercise, appropriate weight, good sleep, etc), while eating some saturated fats, does that mean plaque could still be building up in the brain or is overall health and good cholesterol numbers a good indicator that the brain is being well cared for? Thanks for your thoughts. Karen

[slacker]

Hi Karen;

If you read this entire thread from the beginning, you will see that there is little consensus on saturated fat for ApoE4s. There are no easy answers on this subject. It is up to the individual to explore, read, make a decision on initial approach, and change tactics if and when needed.

Other sources of information on this site are the Primer and the wiki. Both of these sources have separate chapters about fat and lipids. You may find these helpful.

[mike]

Thanks Carrie & Mike,

I am on insulin and have been diagnosed diabetic for six years. When I started keto 2 years ago I cut my insulin use by 2/3's. I am hopeful if I can stay on keto and lose my extra weight that I can get off insulin. I am curious about your thoughts on fats. I can not eat daily the amount of fat for keto with just avocados, olive oil and nuts. I think I would fail if I pushed for that. My cholesterol has been good with eating saturated fats but I am wondering what markers others are using to determine they are helping the brain? If we become physically healthy(daily exercise, appropriate weight, good sleep, etc), while eating some saturated fats, does that mean plaque could still be building up in the brain or is overall health and good cholesterol numbers a good indicator that the brain is being well cared for? Thanks for your thoughts. Karen

As Slacker just mentioned, there is little consensus on this site regarding saturated fats, or diet in general. Most on this site follow a LCHF diet, while trying to keep saturated fats low. I myself follow a low carb, high protein, moderate fat diet. My protein is almost all animal based. A VERY expensive whey protein in my homemade organic whole milk kefir for breakfast, 4 pasture raised eggs at around 10 am, Homemade bone broth based soup heavy on meat for lunch. Meat and green veggies for dinner. When I was put on insulin, I did not respond well - upward spiral of weight and blood sugar and higher doses. I try to replace some of the animal fat with other fats, but I'm not crazy about it. As a diabetic, I think the most important thing is to get your insulin resistance down, and that means lowering your sugars. I also believe that it is your highs more than your averages that cause the most damage, so trying to minimize your sugar swings. At this point, do what it takes to stay keto, and if that means adding some high energy-dense animal protein, then do it. Your immediate goal should be to eliminate your need for insulin, which it sounds like you are trying to do.

[Craig46a]

Hi all
I am a bit confused with the saturated fat issue. Got myself in to a panic a year ago when I discovered I was 4/4. I radically changed my diet consuming lots of monosaturated fats, greens and protein. I wasnt really able to get any energy from monosaturated fats. I lost lots of weight and felt generally crap. Feel much better with saturated fats, particulalry coconut oil and my blood sugar and ketone levels are good. Need to follow up my Cholestrol levels. What are peoples thoughts, are saturated fats a no no or are carbohydrates the real villan?

[MarcR]

Craig, have you read this topic from the beginning and followed the links to read them as well? If not, I recommend it.