Hey guys, look! A new paper on World Religions! I mean, Diets!
The NEW STUDY results from Max Petersen’s group at University of Washington in St. Louis is probably, at least to some people, as surprising as something labeled “Washington” being located in Missouri. So here we go!
The researchers ultimately assessed 42 people with obesity (average BMI around 39, body fat percentage ~46%) evenly split into 3 dietary groups: Low-Carb Ketogenic, Mediterranean, and Plant-Based Low-Fat. Despite vast differences in macronutrient distribution (for instance, 20g of carbs vs 250-350 in the Mediterranean and Plant groups), each group consumed the SAME AMOUNT OF CALORIES…this is important!
Over the 5-month intervention period, each group lost >10% body weight and no changes were observed between groups in regards to ApoB or LDL-C. Additionally, all three diets improved muscle and liver insulin sensitivity, decreased intrahepatic triglycerides, reduced blood sugars, and decreased fatty liver. Nice! This is consistent with my catchphrase, “There are multiple dietary strategies that can improve your Metabolic Home Security System and maintain the safety of your Lipid Neighborhood…the Standard American Diet (SAD) just isn’t one of them.” And the “How Much You Eat” lever continues to be undefeated in regards to weight loss interventions.
However, the LOW-CARB GROUP experienced the most profound improvements in parameters of blood glucose and insulin sensitivity…it doesn’t look like the 52g of daily saturated fat “clogged up their pancreatic beta cells” or caused their LDL cholesterol to go through the roof. And only the low-carb group reduced the inflammatory markers PAI-1 and TNF-alpha. (PAI-1 stands for Plasminogen Activation Inhibitor…too much of this, and you’re theoretically more likely to throw clots, since plasminogen is the body’s Clot Buster).
Elaborating further, the low carb group reduced HOMA-IR levels (a measure of insulin resistance: at the very least, we want folks <2) from 6.7 to 2.8. Still some work to do, but the Mediterranean and Plant groups still had a HOMA-IR of >4 at the study’s conclusion. Additionally, 7 of the 14 in the low-carb group improved their blood sugars enough to un-classify as pre-diabetic, while 4 Mediterranean Munchers and only 1 Plant Person achieved this outcome. Furthermore, the low-carb group dropped their triglycerides from 180 to 99; the other two groups still had levels of 131 and 147, respectively.
It’s almost as if your cells can’t distinguish whether your food is from Sicily, Greece, or Laguna Beach.
It’s almost as if your cells don’t possess “Plant Receptors.”
It almost seems like the hormonal and physiologic responses to macronutrients play a role in metabolic health outcomes.
So if you decide to eat Italian dandelions and drench your mulched lawn clippings in olive oil while on your weight loss journey, go for it! But maybe paying attention to protein, carbohydrates, and fat might be a little more useful than simply drinking the Plant Kool-aid seemingly recommended on every other medical Podcast.
Prioritize protein. Eat real food. Prioritize performance. Fuel the machine with what it needs to thrive😊
