Zero carb diet will help prevent Alzheimer’s

[Julie G]

I've just skimmed, but here's a seemingly balanced article about the health effects of the carnivore diet. I haven't listened to the interview yet, but plan to when I get a chance.

[Barry Pearson]

I’m 72 and ApoE3/4.

During 2019 I’ve eaten a variant of the Carnivore Diet because I think it is healthiest and safest.

I’ve had several health-checks this year. They all give good or excellent results.
My results were good in previous years. (I was not damaged). I think they are better now I’m Carnivore.

The “4” variant was in hunter-gatherers, pre-agriculture. “3” then “2” arose to cater for agriculture.
I intend to avoid pretty-well anything from agriculture onward, especially anything invented by the food companies in the last 150 years.
(I avoid fiber. I believe it is part of the problem, not part of any solution).
Given the many reports of the damage that plants can do to the human brain, I consider it wise to avoid them. I find it easy to do so. I’ve consumed pretty-well zero plants during 2019.
(Apart from their fruits, plants have evolved defenses to avoid being eaten. Humans are “collateral damage”).
In effect, I eat more like a hunter than a hunter-gatherer.

Our distant ancestors were primarily meat-eaters. This enabled our large brains to evolve.
They certainly didn’t spend most of the day eating vegetables and pooping like our primate cousins!
I eat oily-fish for my first of two meals, every day. This is massively good for brains.
(Cholesterol is also necessary for brains. Obviously, I avoid statins or PCSK9-inhibitors!)

Some of my health-check results in 2019:

Inflammation: My HS-CRP in April 2019 was 0.28. Very low! How many non-ApoE4 people are that low?
(I would expect low inflammation from a meat-only diet).

Blood glucose: 2 14-day Continuous Glucose Monitor sensors showed very good blood glucose.
Very low fasting glucose; low and steady average glucose; tiny occasional peaks in restaurants.
(Their A1C estimates were 4.6% and 4.4% respectively).

Omega-3 status; Excellent. Omega-6: Omega-3 ratio of 2.2: 1. Vastly better than average.

Lipids: High HDL, very low Triglycerides. No pathological Insulin Resistance.
Plenty of undamaged LDL, which is good for the immune system and repair system.
Probably no damaged (glycated and/or oxidized) LDL. They are caused by excessive blood glucose, etc.
(I’m pretty-well a “Lean Mass Hyper Responder”).

Blood pressure: Hovers around 130/80, as it has for several years.

Saturated fat (or “stable fat”) has unwarranted bad press.
It is Omega-6 cooking oils that are bad!
A raw rib-eye steak comprises 2% saturated fat out of its total of 7% fat.
(Plant oils can contain saturated fat. Coconut oil has more than any other product. EVOO has significant amounts).

The recent GRADE-based analysis of risks of meat consumption, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, pretty-well graded all studies claiming meat was dangerous as “junk-science”.
(Based on silly food-frequency questionnaires, and epidemiological methods incapable of identifying “cause and effect”).

For interest:
There is a Facebook group with 14,000 members who have been Carnivore for 10+ years.
(Carnivore Facebook groups probably total 100,000+ members).

I am also using two technology assists:
I wear a sleep monitor to help me optimize my sleep.
I use Red Light (+ Near-Infra-Red) Panels for their mitochondrial-health benefits.

(I tweet a lot on issues like this under my own name).

[DaleBru]

Wow, I think we are twins, but I'm one year younger. Also 3/4, same diet, same numbers (LMHR) etc., and I agree 100% with what you've written. Thanks for sharing.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

[Barry Pearson]

Yesterday (2019-12-13) I posted on my experience and health-checks from being on a Carnivore Diet during 2019.

Arguably that was a bit off-topic because this topic is "Zero Carb". However, there is almost total overlap! One is focused on getting nutrients entirely from meat. The other is focused on entirely avoiding plants.

I'll expand on some reasons why I think "Zero Carb" is likely to be good for reducing the risk of Alzheimer's. Then I'll expand on other things I mentioned such as sleep-monitoring and Red Light Therapy.

(I realise that anything I say is likely already to have been covered on this website. And perhaps refuted! But I want to give my perspective because it guides what I do).

I eat Two Meals A Day. On average to a 16:8 pattern. They are pretty-well Zero Carb. Therefore the "Area Under My Insulin Curve" over a day is very low. Why does that matter?

Insulin has to be degraded after use. There is an "Insulin Degrading Enzyme" (IDE) for the purpose. IDE has other purposes too. But its primary role is degrading insulin, and only if there is any left do these other uses take place. One other use of IDE is "Amyloid beta peptide" degrading. Accumulation of Amyloid beta peptide can eventually lead to the building of Amyloid beta plaques.

Apparently, a low "Area Under the Insulin Curve" can leave a surplus of IDE which may reduce the (unwanted) conversion of Amyloid beta peptide to Amyloid beta plaques. (I don't believe this accumulation is the primary cause of Alzheimer's. But I'm not aware of any science that says it doesn't matter).
Amy Berger has good YouTube videos on this, and in her book [3].

So "low blood glucose" and "low insulin" are independently good. The body can make any blood glucose it needs. So there is no need to consume any carbohydrates. It is important not to have pathological insulin resistance. "Low Carb" and "Ketogenic Diets" help here. "Zero Carb" and "Carnivore" are stronger versions of these.
Or: "Be Kraft-1, not Kraft-2,3,4". See books [1] and [2].

I mentioned previously that my HS-CRP was 0.28. I put this down in part to eating oily-fish (with its anti-inflammatory EPA and DHA Omega-3s) every day, over last 2+ years. I'm not certain how well "low HS-CRP" contributes to low "Brain Inflammation"; my guess is that it plays a part.

Sleep monitoring:
See book [4]. Enough good sleep appears to be very important for brain health.
From October 2019 I've worn an OURA Ring in bed to monitor my sleep. (REM/Non-REM; light, medium, heavy; other details).
For example, over the last week my average sleep has been 7hrs 43min. Maximum 8hrs 14mins; minimum 7hrs 25mins.
I have tweaked my bed-time (etc) to improve my sleep.

Red Light Therapy:
Actually "Red Light and Near-Infra-Red" therapy. (My equipment uses 660 and 850 nanometers).
Or "Photobiomodulation"! Books [5] and [6].
I've used this from October 2019, primarily (combined with exercise) for muscle building and recovery.
But it appears to have benefits for far more than muscles. In fact, for mitochondrial activity and health generally.

Brains need lots of mitochondrial activity! Studies show transcranial Near-Infra-Red light can help brain functioning.
Studies on its potential for delaying (or reversing) Alzheimer's show promise but need a lot more research.
I haven't see any study specifically about Red Light Therapy and ApoE4.
Since I have the equipment for muscle develop purposes, I ensure my head gets a dose "just in case". Who knows?
(i haven't seen any studies saying it is risky used in the way I do. Nor studies proving it doesn't work).

Thought: When humans and pre-humans were evolving, there was a lot of red light in the mornings and evenings. Had this been incompatible with ApoE4, "4" would presumably have been selected against. Perhaps "3" or "2" would have evolved earlier.
I believe Red Light Therapy is compatible with "4". I don't know if it is especially beneficial for "4".

Books:
[1] "Diabetes Epidemic & You" Joseph R Kraft.
[2] "Ear Rich Live Long" Ivor Cummings & Jeffry Gerber.
[3] "The Alzheimer's Antidote" Amy Berger.
[4] "Why We Sleep" Matt Walker.
[5] "Low-Level Light Therapy: Photobiomodulation" Hamblin et al.
[6] "Red Light Therapy" Ari Whitten.

Disclaimer: I have no conflicting interests. I make no money from anything I post here or tweet, (etc).

[mike]

Thought: When humans and pre-humans were evolving, there was a lot of red light in the mornings and evenings.

Where does this come from!?

[wocky]

I’m 72 and ApoE3/4.

During 2019 I’ve eaten a variant of the Carnivore Diet because I think it is healthiest and safest.

I’ve had several health-checks this year. They all give good or excellent results.
My results were good in previous years. (I was not damaged). I think they are better now I’m Carnivore.

The “4” variant was in hunter-gatherers, pre-agriculture. “3” then “2” arose to cater for agriculture.
I intend to avoid pretty-well anything from agriculture onward, especially anything invented by the food companies in the last 150 years.
(I avoid fiber. I believe it is part of the problem, not part of any solution).
Given the many reports of the damage that plants can do to the human brain, I consider it wise to avoid them. I find it easy to do so. I’ve consumed pretty-well zero plants during 2019.
(Apart from their fruits, plants have evolved defenses to avoid being eaten. Humans are “collateral damage”).
In effect, I eat more like a hunter than a hunter-gatherer.

Our distant ancestors were primarily meat-eaters. This enabled our large brains to evolve.
They certainly didn’t spend most of the day eating vegetables and pooping like our primate cousins!
I eat oily-fish for my first of two meals, every day. This is massively good for brains.
(Cholesterol is also necessary for brains. Obviously, I avoid statins or PCSK9-inhibitors!)

Some of my health-check results in 2019:

Inflammation: My HS-CRP in April 2019 was 0.28. Very low! How many non-ApoE4 people are that low?
(I would expect low inflammation from a meat-only diet).

Blood glucose: 2 14-day Continuous Glucose Monitor sensors showed very good blood glucose.
Very low fasting glucose; low and steady average glucose; tiny occasional peaks in restaurants.
(Their A1C estimates were 4.6% and 4.4% respectively).

Omega-3 status; Excellent. Omega-6: Omega-3 ratio of 2.2: 1. Vastly better than average.

Lipids: High HDL, very low Triglycerides. No pathological Insulin Resistance.
Plenty of undamaged LDL, which is good for the immune system and repair system.
Probably no damaged (glycated and/or oxidized) LDL. They are caused by excessive blood glucose, etc.
(I’m pretty-well a “Lean Mass Hyper Responder”).

Blood pressure: Hovers around 130/80, as it has for several years.

Saturated fat (or “stable fat”) has unwarranted bad press.
It is Omega-6 cooking oils that are bad!
A raw rib-eye steak comprises 2% saturated fat out of its total of 7% fat.
(Plant oils can contain saturated fat. Coconut oil has more than any other product. EVOO has significant amounts).

The recent GRADE-based analysis of risks of meat consumption, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, pretty-well graded all studies claiming meat was dangerous as “junk-science”.
(Based on silly food-frequency questionnaires, and epidemiological methods incapable of identifying “cause and effect”).

For interest:
There is a Facebook group with 14,000 members who have been Carnivore for 10+ years.
(Carnivore Facebook groups probably total 100,000+ members).

I am also using two technology assists:
I wear a sleep monitor to help me optimize my sleep.
I use Red Light (+ Near-Infra-Red) Panels for their mitochondrial-health benefits.

(I tweet a lot on issues like this under my own name).

Have you had your oxLDL tested? My crp was .29, HDL>60, trigs<60...and oxLDL flagged super high at 204. My diet was probably 80% animal products, and I watched my carbs. I’m less than half your age too. Perhaps this is why apoe4s are told to limit sat fat?

[Barry Pearson]

I haven't had my oxLDL tested.
I've deduced that it is very low or non-existent by secondary means. I'll refer to my sources below.

Here are my key serum lipids months after adopting a variant of the Carnivore Diet:
Total: 304
HDL: 122
LDL: 170
TG: 50

This would make many people panic and cause many doctors to recommend statins or PCSK9-inhibitors.
I see nothing in those numbers to worry about. The sources below show why.

While I believe I have (close to) zero oxidized LDL, I supplement with Astaxanthin "just in case":
https://healthcareweekly.com/astaxanthin/

My glucose levels are relevant because this influences the degree of LDL-glycation:
I've used 2 14-day Continuous Glucose Monitor sensors.
From the most recent one:
Average over 14 days: 81. Typical fasting: about 60. Peaks (restaurant meals) 123.
Estimated A1C: 4.4%

If my LDL were 200+ I would be a true "Lean Mass Hyper Responder". I'm close enough to be in the Facebook LMHR group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/LeanMassHyperResponder/

Some sources:

"Is LDL cholesterol really bad? Dr Paul Mason discusses how sugar damages LDL causing problems"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-P2McPkgfg

"Dr. Paul Mason - 'Blood tests on a ketogenic diet - what your cholesterol results mean'"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXKJaQeteE0&t=4s
(An interesting discussion at about 17:00 minutes).

"Ratio of triglycerides to HDL cholesterol is an indicator of LDL particle size in patients with type 2 diabetes and normal HDL cholesterol levels."
https://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/diacare/23/11/1679.full.pdf

Saturated fat:

I'm not aware of any credible science that saturated fat is bad.
(For reasons above, the fact that it tends to raise LDL is irrelevant. Or perhaps good as we get older).
As far as I can tell, all claims that saturated fat is bad are based on junk-science.
Saturated fat is in all natural foods, whether plant-based or animal-based, that have any fat.
Our distant ancestors would have consumed it as part of their diet when they were eating meat.

[Barry Pearson]

Thought: When humans and pre-humans were evolving, there was a lot of red light in the mornings and evenings.

Where does this come from!?

Note that I mentioned this in the context of using Red Light Therapy. I wasn't saying anything we don't already know.

Before we had artificial lighting, we were constrained by sunlight. In Africa, being nearer the equator than most places today, there is more consistency of lengths of daylight. So our distant ancestors evolved with redish light early and late, (sunrises and sunsets are redish), and white light in the middle of the day. I assume our bodies (including brains) are compatible with that.

Now that many of us live far from the equator, and we use a lot of artificial light, it is far less likely that we are running our bodies (including brains) in a way that is compatible with our evolved state. Our times are different and vary, and we get a lot of bluish light because of modern lamps and screens, etc. This can interfere with sleep, and probably various other aspects of our circadian rhythms.

I try to compensate for this: my bedroom windows are blacked out and there are no other distracting lights in my bedroom, so my sleep patterns are not dictated by artificial lighting or the spectra of modern screens and lamps. I use f.lux on my PC, and mild-blue-blocking clip-ons while watching TV. My light bulbs have a colour temperature of 2700 Kelvin, a bit "warmer" than typical bulbs.

I use Red Light Therapy in a way that I think is more consistent with the light experiences of our distant ancestors: I use it at about the same times each day, morning and evening. Not at times dictated by what the sun is doing outside.
I believe therefore that it is certainly safe, and very likely beneficial, in a number of ways.

The science isn't as solid as we would like, but it shows some promise. For example:

"Turning On Lights to Stop Neurodegeneration: The Potential of Near Infrared Light Therapy in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease"
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4707222/

"Photobiomodulation for Alzheimer’s Disease: Has the Light Dawned?"
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6664299/

"Alzheimer's: How light therapy could protect the brain"
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325118.php#1

At 72 I can't wait for all the science to come in! I've placed my bets on the assumption that at least I'm not doing any harm.

I have a genetic extra risk of Macular Degeneration, and I have traces of drusen in my eyes. They appear to have stabilised, but there are suggestions that Red Light Light Therapy can help with eye-health too.

(I also have a genetic extra risk of Celiac Disease. I'm not genetically blessed! I've avoided gluten for years).

[mike]

Before we had artificial lighting, we were constrained by sunlight. In Africa, being nearer the equator than most places today, there is more consistency of lengths of daylight. So our distant ancestors evolved with redish light early and late, (sunrises and sunsets are redish), and white light in the middle of the day. I assume our bodies (including brains) are compatible with that.

Except that the "red" light at sunrise and sunset are in the visible range of light, which is quite a bit different than the longer wavelengths of Infrared light. Early man was much more likely to encounter Infrared radiation in the middle of the day, as sunlight warms objects which then in turn emit infrared. Here is a good link to learn more about the Electromagnetic Spectrum:

http://labman.phys.utk.edu/phys222core/ ... ctrum.html

[wocky]

Barry-
You should get tested, it's not an expensive test. The point of my post was that I SHOULD have low oxLDL because of my diet (I took krill oil astaxanthin too) and all other numbers point to that, but it's not the case for me. I have had a difficult time finding information on what causes the oxidation of LDL in the blood. Everyone says high blood sugar but my personal experience doesn't jive with that. Here's my other data point: My sister in law has familial hypercholesterolemia. Her LDL-C is well over 200, her doctor wanted to put her on statins. She's a vegan...so her diet is rich in carbohydrates/grains, probably has a fair amount of seed oils. She underwent a CAC and full lipid panel. Her crp was similar to mine @ .3, her triglycerides are great, oxLDL was 29, and CAC came back at zero. How does the IR hypothesis explain this? I am thinking my genes just suck and apoe4s like to oxidize their LDLs more than other genotypes. I think caution is warranted.

My doctor has had me up my vegetables from 1 serving per day to 5-6 servings per day. I also stopped doing IF and am eating 5-6 smaller low carb meals per day, and I'm slowly swapping out red meats, bacon/sausage, and cheese (all my favorite foods), for seafood, avocados, and olive oil, all of which I am able to source locally. I'm really not happy about it though and want to believe that a carnivore diet will work for me, but my oxLDL number quite frankly has me terrified. I'm retesting in January and will report back.