Ketogenic Diets and Aging
Chances are, you or someone you know has tried the keto diet at some point in time. This high-fat, very low-carbohydrate eating plan appeals to many due to its promise of rapid weight loss. In this blog, Dr. Sears explores some of the latest scientific findings on ketogenic diets and provides caution before hopping on this trend. What is a Ketogenic Diet? The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, very low-carbohydrate eating plan. This significant reduction in carbohydrates to induce a metabolic state is called ketosis. This only occurs when there is not enough carbohydrates in your liver to completely convert fatty acids to carbon dioxide and water. The normal conversion generates the chemical energy (ATP) that keeps us alive. In the absence of ketosis, each fatty acid generates 108 molecules of ATP when oxidized in the mitochondria. Ketone bodies make less ATP when they are metabolized by mitochondria. How much less? About five times less. This is like switching the gasoline in your car from high-octane fuel to low octane fuel as ketone bodies increase in the blood. Furthermore, contrary to popular belief, ketones are not an ideal energy source for the brain, as glucose remains the preferred fuel for ATP production in brain cells. Lack of blood glucose is a highly stressful situation for the brain. This is why the body secretes the stress hormone cortisol from the adrenal glands during ketosis to breakdown protein and convert the amino acids into glucose for the brain. This explains why even under complete starvation for 38 days, the blood glucose levels never dropped below 68 mg/dL. This is still considered as a normal blood sugar level. Where did this blood glucose come from if there was none in the diet for 38 days? The answer is neo-glucogenesis primarily using lean body mass. Ketogenic Diets Pros and Cons Interest in ketogenic diets rises and falls about every 20 years. They’re very low-carbohydrate diets that claim that carbohydrates make you fat and keep you fat. This is simply not true. It is not carbohydrates per se but a disrupted metabolism that makes you fat. To be more specific, it is the inhibition of AMPK, the master regulator of your metabolism that makes you fat. Why? As AMPK activity increases, you burn stored fat faster. Frankly, I’ve always been amazed by the re-emergence of ketogenic diets. Eighteen years ago, I published the premier clinical study demonstrating that, under equal calorie intake in which all the food was provided to the subjects for six weeks, the Zone Diet was better than a ketogenic diet in reducing total weight, excess body fat, and inflammation. Now, a recent study revealed some more very concerning findings about the long-term effects of ketogenic diets. This new study indicated that following a keto diet causes a rise in senescent cells, popularly known as “zombie cells.” Zombie Cells are damaged cells that no longer divide but don't die. That’s bad enough, but zombie cells continue spreading inflammation throughout the body. As the number of zombie cells increases in your body, they become a living nightmare. Why? Zombie cells accelerate aging because they cause the earlier development of many chronic diseases. In this study they found that zombie cells in the animals began to appear while they were on a ketogenic diet. The zombie cells then disappeared when researchers changed the diet to a “non-ketogenic diet” (i.e., the Zone diet). And when the animals were given a Keto diet again, the zombie cells reappeared. Notice a trend? If you want to hear more about this study you can listen to our recent podcast at Dr.Sears.com. Based on earlier blogs, this adds to the list of downsides for following a ketogenic diet versus the Zone Diet. PROS Rapid initial weight loss: This is primarily due to the loss of retained water from the glycogen stores in the liver, which is rapidly used up to maintain blood sugar levels. Since these glycogen stores in the liver contain significant levels of retained water, much of the initial weight loss is water rather than stored body fat. If your main goal is loss retained water, this can be seen as a benefit. Of course, going to a sauna would also work. Reduced hunger: Ketogenic diets are rich in protein. Any increase in protein intake can help reduce hunger. CONS Production of acetone: One of the ketone bodies produced during ketosis is acetone, which is also the main chemical in nail polish. Increased calcium loss: A ketogenic diet can lead to higher calcium loss from bones. Limited fat utilization: High levels of dietary fat reduce the likelihood of using stored body fat for energy unless you also significantly restrict calories. Reduced energy levels: The lack of ATP production on a ketogenic diet can lead to easier fatigue during mild exercise. Damage from cheat meals: After seven days on a keto diet, a single high-carb cheat meal can damage blood vessels. Lack of polyphenols: This makes it difficult to activate genes that optimize metabolism by improving mitochondrial efficiency in converting fat into ATP. No long-term weight loss advantage: Long-term studies show no difference in weight loss between a ketogenic diet and a low-fat, high-carb diet. No short-term metabolic advantage: Careful studies demonstrate that fat loss on a ketogenic diet is the same as on a low-fat, high-carb diet with the same caloric intake. Compromised gut health: A lack of fermentable fiber from carbohydrates can lead to poor gut health and an increased risk of developing a leaky gut, which can cause significant inflammation. Furthermore, short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) are the metabolic product of fermentable fiber. These SCFA are powerful epigenetic signaling agents that enhance gene transcription. Ketosis generates a different type of hydroxylated short fatty acid (3-hydroxyl butyrate, that has no effect on gene transcription. In addition, the lack of SCFA has significant negative consequences on the gut-brain axis. Cortisol build-up: To produce glucose for the brain, cortisol levels increase to breakdown protein to make sufficient glucose via neoglucogenesis. Excess cortisol can lead to insulin resistance that cause regain of some of initially loss body fat. In addition, increased cortisol levels cause a depressed immune system as well as destruction of memory cells in the hippocampus. The initial benefits of following the ketogenic diet result in some initial weight loss (primarily water weight rather than fat loss), long-term studies show no significant differences in overall weight loss. Now new findings show a ketogenic diet may lead to significant adverse health consequences by accelerating the formation of zombie cells. Call me crazy, but I feel the key to longevity and wellness comes down to better metabolic control instead of living in a constant state of ketosis. Following Metabolic Engineering® for a lifetime provides that pathway of losing body fat without ketosis. References 1. Johnston CS, Tjonn SL, Swan PD, White A, Hutchins H, and Sears B. “Ketogenic low-carbohydrate diets have no metabolic advantage over nonketogenic low-carbohydrate diets.” Am J Clin Nutr 2006 83:1055-61. 2. White AM, Johnston CS, Swan PD, Tjonn SL, and Sears B. “Blood ketones are directly related to fatigue and perceived effort during exercise in overweight adults adhering to low-carbohydrate diets for weight loss: a pilot study.” J Am Diet Assoc. 2007 107:1792-1796. 3. Sung-Jen Wei, Joseph R Schell, E Sandra Chocron, Mahboubeh Varmazyad, Guogang Xu, Wan Hsi Chen, Gloria M Martinez, Felix F Dong, Prethish Sreenivas, Rolando Trevino Jr , Haiyan Jiang, Yan Du, Afaf Saliba, Wei Qian, Brandon Lorenzana, Alia Nazarullah, Jenny Chang, Kumar Sharma, Erin Munkácsy, Nobuo Horikoshi, David Gius. Ketogenic diet induces p53-dependent cellular senescence in multiple organs. Sci Adv. 2024 May 17;10(20):eado1463. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.ado1463. 4. Owen OE, Felig P, Morgan AP, Wahren J, Cahill GF Jr. Liver and kidney metabolism during prolonged starvation. J Clin Invest. 1969 Mar;48(3):574-83. doi: 10.1172/JCI106016. 5. Chriett, S., Dąbek, A., Wojtala, M. et al. Prominent action of butyrate over β-hydroxybutyrate as histone deacetylase inhibitor, transcriptional modulator and anti-inflammatory molecule. Sci Rep 9, 742 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-36941-9. 6. Silva YP, Bernardi A, Frozza RL. The Role of Short-Chain Fatty Acids From Gut Microbiota in Gut-Brain Communication. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2020 Jan 31;11:25. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2020.00025.
Dr. Sears Q&A: Weight Loss
With so much interest in weight loss and so much buzz around weight loss drugs, we put together some of the top questions we get in this latest Q&A blog. Here Dr. Sears answers your questions on weight loss, weight loss drugs and what he thinks is the most scientifically backed way to lose weight. See what he has to say.Question: What medical conditions could impede weight loss, and how can they be identified? Answer: Any condition associated with insulin resistance will make it difficult to lose weight. This would include diabetes, heart disease, neurological disease, etc. Also, any drug that induces insulin resistance will also make it difficult to lose weight. These include corticosteroids and many neurological drugs. Question: How do hormones affect weight loss, and which imbalances are most detrimental? Answer: High levels of insulin (caused by insulin resistance), high levels of cortisol (caused by stress), and low levels of satiety hormones such as GLP-1 will make weight loss difficult. Question: Is there a connection between sleep quality and weight loss? Answer: Poor quality sleep increases cortisol levels that lead to insulin resistance. The higher your level of insulin resistance, the more difficult it is for any organ to remove glucose from the blood for transport into the cell, where it can be converted to energy. This i Question: Do any weight loss supplements work? Answer: Not really. You have to restrict calories to activate AMPK which causes your body to effectively burn excess stored body fat. Question: What medications are FDA approved for weight loss? Answer: There are number of approved older drugs, but the most widely used is still an old drug (Phentermine) that was only recently approved for long-term use. However, the new injectable GLP-1 receptor agonists are more powerful and more popular. The scientific name for the most well-known injectable weight-loss drug is semaglutide, which is marketed under the tradenames Ozempic and Wegovy. In simple terms, these injectable drugs activate the release of the hormone GLP-1 from the gut that goes directly to the brain to tell you to stop eating. These drugs were initially developed to treat type 2 diabetes, but the clinical studies in overweight and obese individuals demonstrated significant weight loss at higher levels. Question: What are the unintended side effects of weight loss medications (i.e. GLP-1s, dual GIP/GLP-1). Answer: One major problem is that the lack of hunger caused by the drug makes you less likely to consume sufficient protein to maintain lean body mass. Lean body mass is defined as functional tissue such as organs (including the brain) and bone. Nearly 40 percent of the weight loss in obese patients comes from loss of lean body mass. Without adequate protein (especially on a diet that is calorie-restricted because of lack of hunger), the replacement of damaged cells is compromised. The skin and hair are the first site to suffer. This lack of protein also makes it difficult to maintain mitochondrial function that provides energy for each of your 30 trillion cells. As a result, fatigue (both mental and physical) is often experienced. Question: Would you recommend an injectable weight loss drug? Answer: The answer is no. There is a big difference between weight loss and fat loss. Weight loss is the combined loss of stored body fat and lean body mass (i.e., muscle). You want to lose fat but not muscle. Although the weight loss using weekly semaglutide injections is impressive according to the literature, a deeper look shows that about 40 percent of that weight loss is due to loss of lean body mass. That is not a good sign. It suggests that the injections reduce hunger to the extent that the person has little desire to eat enough protein to maintain muscle mass. In essence, the drug increases the patients' sarcopenia (muscle loss). One of the consequences of sarcopenia is increased frailty. Also once you stop using these weight loss drugs, the weight quickly returns. Question: Does a high protein diet help with weight loss? Answer: Most high protein diets are ketogenic diets that disrupt metabolism in addition to being high fat. The appropriate diet is protein-adequate (about 30 grams of protein at each meal), carbohydrate-moderate (primarily non-starchy vegetables, low-fat (to reduce calories) and rich in fermentable fiber. The common name for such a diet is the Zone diet. The ideal amount of protein at each meal for weight loss is about 30 grams. Less than 30 grams of protein at meal will not generate the hormonal signals from the gut to stop hunger. Too much protein at meal, greater than 30 grams, will inhibit AMPK activity which helps cells burn excess stored fat.
Aging: Can You Slow It Down?
The first few weeks of the New Year are often focused on the resolve to lose weight, when in actuality people should focus their goals on slowing down aging, no matter the time of year. The only regimen that clinically achieves results in slowing the aging process is calorie restriction without malnutrition. Why? It’s not simply losing weight but orchestrating the complex interplay of reducing senescent cells, reprograming your metabolism, and changing gene expression, leading to a longer and better life. A Timeline of Calorie Restriction The first recorded human experiments with calorie restriction began with the written books of Luigi Cornaro in the 16th century, as I outlined in my book The Anti-Aging Zone, published in 1999. However, the molecular mechanisms of why calorie restriction is so effective required more recent breakthroughs in metabolism and epigenetics that were confirmed with the CALERIE study that carefully controlled the diets of 225 participants over two years and then ongoing testing of their retained blood samples. The results of the CALERIE study have been impressive. However, the one clear take-home lesson was that reduction of insulin resistance was the most predictive blood marker correlated with the genetic changes and the decrease in senescent cells that ultimately accelerate aging. The Zone on Calorie Restriction The Zone diet is a calorie-restricted diet that was patented to reduce insulin resistance. It requires balancing macronutrients at each meal to generate the rapid hormonal changes that give rise to satiety. Only then can you follow calorie restriction for a lifetime without hunger and fatigue. It starts with having enough protein at each meal to create satiety in the brain's appetite control center. You need about 30 grams of protein (no more, but no less) at each meal to generate the same hormonal responses induced by the recent injectable weight loss drugs. However, you also must balance that protein with an adequate level of low-glycemic carbohydrates (about 40 grams) to stabilize blood glucose levels, and then add a dash of monounsaturated fat (about 15 grams). Over the years, it has been demonstrated by more than 40 research publications that the Zone diet is superior to ketogenic diets and the Mediterranean diet under controlled clinical research. A New Technology to Slow Down Aging Unfortunately, many people think the Zone diet requires too much thinking. That’s why I developed Zone Foods to overcome that problem. The first generation of Zone Foods demonstrated dramatic reductions in insulin resistance compared to a control group, getting an equal number of calories (1). The second generation of Zone Foods offers greater variety and even more appetite suppression without thinking. This second generation will include new and improved versions of the Zone Pasta and Zone Bars, with new additions of Zone Muffins, Zone Oatmeal, Zone Granola, Zone Soups, and Zone Cookies (coming soon!). Each Zone Food contains 15 grams of protein, balanced with the appropriate level of low-glycemic carbohydrates, so any combination of two Zone Foods will provide the critical 30 grams of protein at a meal to stop hunger and maintain peak mental awareness for the next five hours. The growing variety of Zone Foods makes following the Zone diet incredibly easy. If you are never hungry, that indicates that you are reducing insulin resistance. The long-term benefit to you is slowing aging, which is only possible with lifelong use of Metabolic Engineering that starts with the Zone diet as its foundation. You May Also Like: Reaching the Zone Using Metabolic Engineering
Why Dietary Protein Is the Key to Weight Loss
The new generation of injectable weight loss drugs has captured national attention. Of course, it is always helpful to read the fine print. These drugs do cause weight loss, but nearly 40 percent of that loss is lean body muscle. Your metabolic efficiency decreases when you lose lean body mass (like that found in your organs). Consequently, once you stop taking these injectable drugs, the weight loss rapidly returns, but primarily as increased body fat. Essentially, these injectable weight loss drugs are “forever” drugs. Great news for the drug companies, but not so good for the patient because the same drugs cause numerous side effects. Finding a Dietary Alternative The first thing is to understand that these injectable weight loss drugs use the metabolic pathways that have existed for millions of years. The second thing to realize is that dietary protein is the natural stimulus for releasing the hormones that suppress appetite. Finally, to achieve fat loss, you must reduce insulin resistance (1). So, could a dietary system providing adequate dietary protein and decreasing insulin resistance provide a pathway for fat loss without losing lean body mass? Fortunately, such a dietary system has been shown to do that. That dietary system is the Zone diet. The foundation for the Zone diet was first described in my book, The Zone, published in 1995 (2). The basic patent for using the Zone diet to reduce insulin resistance was applied in 1992 and issued in 2000 (3). Since that time, I have continued to add several dietary enhancements to the basic concept to make the Zone diet an appropriate alternative to Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and other potential hormonal-based drugs not only for weight loss but also as a treatment for diseases that are strongly associated with insulin resistance such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The term that describes this evolving overall technology is Metabolic Engineering™. How can the Zone diet increase the hormones that cause satiety? The essential hormones that cause satiety are released from the gut in response to the protein levels at each meal. If you have adequate protein levels at a meal, these hormones will travel directly to the brain to stop hunger. If you don’t have enough protein at a meal, these satiety hormones will not be released, and appetite quickly returns. So, what is the right amount of protein you need to consume at every meal? The answer is about 30 grams of protein. Another benefit of consuming this level of dietary protein at a meal is that it stimulates three additional hormones to suppress hunger as opposed to the current injectable drug approved for weight loss. Why not consume more protein at a meal for even greater satiety? There are two reasons. The first reason is that higher protein levels stimulate insulin release from the pancreas. Excess insulin secretion slows down fat loss (1). The second reason is that extra protein overstimulates the gene transcription factor mTOR, inhibiting AMPK activity (4). Furthermore, any reduction of AMPK activity slows down the burning of stored body fat. The Nutritional Power of Balance Additionally, you must balance that appropriate amount of protein with the correct amount of low-glycemic carbohydrates to maintain stable blood sugar levels. If the 30 grams of protein at a meal is balanced with carbohydrates rich in fermentable fiber, this allows the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) by gut microbes that further enhance satiety hormones from the gut (5). The best carbs are low glycemic carbohydrates, primarily non-starchy vegetables, just like your grandmother told you to eat. To maximize the satiety benefits, you will need about 30 grams of protein at every meal, but you will also need about 40 grams of fiber-rich carbohydrates at each meal to generate the maximum satiety effect. This allows short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) by gut microbes that further enhance the release of satiety hormones from the gut (5). . This is the foundation of the Zone diet’s patented ability to reduce insulin resistance, which is the key to losing excess body fat. References Ruderman NB et al. AMPK, insulin resistance, and the metabolic syndrome. J Clin Invest 123:2764-2772 (2013). doi: 10.1172/JCI67227 Sears B. The Zone. Regan Books. New York, NY. (1995) Sears Method of and nutritional and pharmaceutical compositions for reduction of hyperinsulinemia. U.S. Patent No. 6,140,304 (2000) Gonzalez A et al. AMPK and TOR: The Yin and Yang of cellular nutrient sensing and growth control. Cell Metab 31:472-492 (2020). doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2020.01.015 Christiansen CB et al. The impact of short-chain fatty acids on GLP-1 and PYY secretion from the isolated perfused rat colon. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 315:G53-G65 (2018). doi: 10.1152/ajpgi.00346.2017
Lean Body Mass Q&A with Dr. Sears
Most of us are familiar with the advantages of lean body mass from a physical perspective; the more you have, the more fat you burn. It turns out that this topic is a bit more complex than burn fat faster. In this Q&A, Dr. Sears answers your questions about the science of lean body mass, how to gain it, and what makes you lose it. Question: What is the difference between lean body mass and muscle mass? Lean body mass is your total weight minus your total body fat. Lean body mass includes muscle, organs, bones, skin, and water. Although your muscle mass is the main part of the “lean body mass” component that can grow, the other components of lean body mass require incoming protein to maintain themselves too. This is because you are losing about one million damaged cells per second and must replace those removed damaged cells. Without adequate incoming protein, that cellular replacement process slows down. Question: What are some possible reasons why you may be losing muscle? Answer: It impossible to measure muscle mass directly because nearly 80 percent of muscle weight is composed of water. The best way to determine if your muscle mass is increasing or decreasing is your strength. If you are losing strength, you might be losing muscle mass for several reasons, but the primary one is not consuming enough protein to maintain your lean body mass. Emotional stress is another factor that can lead to muscle mass loss as it causes increased insulin resistance. This is because insulin is required to activate the building of muscle. Insulin resistance makes it difficult for insulin to activate the appropriate receptors to stimulate new muscle synthesis. Finally, you only build muscle by stressing it by exercise. This means you not only have to have adequate protein but also be doing resistant exercise to maintain and hopefully increase your existing muscle mass. Question: What part of my lean body mass gets access to incoming dietary protein? Your body’s primary concern is protecting your organs. Therefore, they get the first crack at incoming dietary protein. The goal for those trying to lose weight is to lose fat and maintain lean body mass. The classic way is to reduce calorie intake, but you must ensure that you take in adequate protein to preserve your lean body mass. This ensures that weight loss is primarily fat loss, not lean body mass. For example, the current generation of injectable weight loss drugs stops hunger, which often leads to decreased protein intake. As a result, nearly 40 percent of the weight loss using these injectable drugs comes from losing lean body mass. (Read more about injectable weight loss drugs here.) Question: How much protein do you recommend daily to maintain lean body mass? Answer: The average person requires about 30 grams of protein at each meal to maintain lean body mass. This is about 90 grams of protein per day for most individuals. Very active individuals may need up to 40 grams of protein at each meal or about 120 grams of protein per day. The first 30 grams of dietary protein go for maintaining existing lean body mass. Any amount over that can be used to build new muscle, but only if the muscle is being stressed by exercise. Beyond 40 grams of protein at a meal, you start to develop insulin resistance, and there are no further benefits in building new muscle. Question: What are your recommendations for individuals looking to gain weight healthfully or gain muscle mass? Answer: The key is to have adequate, but not excessive, protein at each meal balanced with enough carbohydrates to maintain satiety between meals. That will be about 30 grams of protein and 40 grams of low-glycemic load carbohydrates consisting of primarily non-starchy vegetables and a dash of fat. That is about 400 calories per meal. This will allow you to maintain lean body mass without increasing stored body fat. To increase muscle mass, you need to increase your protein intake to no more than 40 grams of protein coupled with about 50 grams of low glycemic carbohydrates, plus exercise your muscles to stimulate their growth. The best exercise to induce muscle formation is high-intensity interval training (HIIT). The following best method is standard resistance training to fatigue. Question: What foods would you recommend using for weight gain? Answer: Getting adequate protein at dinner is usually no problem, but it is more difficult to do at breakfast and lunch. Once you get the desired protein amount (about 30 grams per meal), balance it with moderate amounts of low-glycemic carbohydrates (non-starchy vegetables being the best), followed by a dash of fat. That could be a vegetable omelet with eight egg whites in the morning, a lunch salad with four ounces of chicken breast with extra non-starchy vegetables, and six ounces of fish with more non-starchy vegetables at dinner. Question: Is there a way to tell if you are gaining weight correctly? Answer: Gaining new muscle requires effort, but it is worth it. You know when you taking in too many calories if your waist-to-height ratio exceeds 0.5. Question: When should you see a healthcare provider about losing muscle? Are there any specific signs and symptoms to look for? Answer: The underlying cause of loss of muscle mass is increased insulin resistance coupled with decreased physical activity. The primary consequence of loss of muscle mass is increased frailty. This is most frequently seen in older demographics. It is difficult to maintain muscle mass as one ages. Therefore, reducing insulin resistance, consuming adequate protein, and increasing physical activity are critical at every age. Question: Why do we lose muscle mass as we age? Answer: There are three reasons that muscle mass is lost with aging. Insulin resistance (i.e., metabolic inefficiency) is the primary one, as insulin is anabolic hormone that activates mTOR. If you have insulin resistance, the simulating effect of insulin is reduced. Another is the reduction of growth hormone secretion that causes production of IGF-1 that uses the same pathway for mTOR activation as insulin. The third is decreased stress on the muscle that is needed to work in combination with mTOR for skeletal muscle synthesis. Finally, it becomes increasingly difficult to consume adequate protein with age to provide the necessary building blocks (e.g. the amino acid leucine) which is a direct stimulator of mTOR. I spoke about many of these concepts in The Anti-Aging Zone published in 1999. Have more questions for Dr. Sears? Let us know in the comments below!
Reaching the Zone Using Metabolic Engineering
People often ask, “What exactly is the Zone, and what are the benefits of being there?” The short answer is that the Zone can be defined as the absence of insulin resistance, and the benefit of being in the Zone is living a longer and better life. “How do I get in the Zone?” The process of getting “in the Zone” is a little more complex because it involves understanding Metabolic Engineering™. You have probably heard that genetic engineering is the future of medicine. However, I believe that Metabolic Engineering™ will have a far more significant impact. The reason is that controlling your metabolism is far more complex and vastly more impactful than any breakthrough envisioned by the biotechnology industry using genetic engineering. Your metabolism converts food into energy, controls your immune system, regulates the expression of your genes, controls tissue regeneration, and finally controls your aging rate. It’s an impressive list. But to get those benefits, you must continually manage the metabolism in each of the 37 trillion cells in your body. Although this may seem like Mission Impossible, Metabolic Engineering™ makes it possible. Understanding Metabolic Engineering™ I started the field of Metabolic Engineering™ nearly 30 years ago with the publication of my first book, The Zone, in 1995. The patent for the Zone diet as a drug to reduce insulin resistance was issued in 2000. However, just as the understanding of the complexity of metabolism has been expanding, so has the evolution of my original dietary concepts of controlling metabolism on a lifetime basis. Metabolic Engineering™ is a comprehensive dietary system to activate the master regulator of your metabolism (AMPK) in every one of your 37 trillion cells. By doing so, you can reduce, if not eliminate, insulin resistance in a short period (clinical studies indicate as little as four days). Unfortunately, it can reappear just as quickly. Therefore, controlling your metabolism is a lifetime effort if you want a longer and better life. Why? Because the longer you have insulin resistance, the more likely you are to develop obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, liver and kidney disease, and neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Think of Metabolic Engineering™ as a three-legged stool. Sitting on a one-legged stool is impossible, and a two-legged stool is just as precarious. But if you have three legs of equal length, that stool becomes incredibly stable. The three legs of Metabolic Engineering™ are the Zone diet, omega-3 fatty acids, and a particular class of polyphenols known as delphinidins. Each is useful individually, but when combined into a consistent dietary system, they become a powerful force to reduce insulin resistance by reprogramming each of your 37 trillion cells. How to uncover if you have insulin resistance? Your blood will tell you if you currently have insulin resistance. There is a simple blood known as HOMA-IR. If your HOMA-IR level is less than one, you have no insulin resistance, and your health future is bright. About one percent of Americans are in this group. On the other hand, your HOMA-IR is greater than two, you have insulin resistance, and your health future is bleak. The average American has a HOMA-IR of 2.7. This level of insulin resistance in Americans explains our rapidly increasing cost of health care. However, that future can be changed by following Metabolic Engineering™. Rather than focusing on treating chronic disease, my vision is that the future of medicine will be refocused on maintaining chronic wellness. That means living in the Zone for a lifetime.
Injectable Weight Loss Drugs: The Truth About Ozempic and Wegovy
Injectable Weight Loss Drugs: Promises and Pitfalls Injectable weight loss drugs are the hottest topic on social media and the board rooms of pharmaceutical companies looking to make billions of dollars in future sales. But beneath this glamour is some significant caution. GLP-1 Receptor Agonists: Semaglutide and Its Weight Loss Potential Injectable weight loss drugs are known as GLP-1 receptor agonists. The scientific name for the most well-known one is semaglutide, which is marketed under the tradenames Ozempic and Wegovy. In simple terms, these injectable drugs activate the release of the hormone GLP-1 from the gut that goes directly to the brain to tell you to stop eating. These drugs were initially developed to treat type 2 diabetes, but the clinical studies in overweight and obese individuals demonstrated significant weight loss at higher levels (1). The Difference Between Weight Loss and Fat LossUnfortunately, there is a big difference between weight loss and fat loss. Weight loss is the combined loss of stored body fat and lean body mass (i.e., muscle). You want to lose fat but not muscle. Although the weight loss using weekly semaglutide injections was impressive (about 34 pounds) after 68 weeks, you had to go deep into the bowels of the supplementary feature section (Supplementary Index Section 5b) of the article to find that about 40 percent of that weight loss was due to loss of lean body mass. That is not a good sign. It suggests that the injections reduce hunger to the extent that the person has little desire to eat enough protein to maintain muscle mass. In essence, the drug increases the patients' sarcopenia (muscle loss). One of the consequences of sarcopenia is increased frailty. The Downsides of Stopping Injectable Drugs Once you stop injecting weight loss drugs, the weight immediately begins to return (2). Not surprisingly, any metabolic benefits initially seen while taking the drug were lost with the weight regain. I suspect that much of the returning weight is primarily as fat since it takes minimal effort to regain lost body fat compared to far greater effort to rebuild lost muscle mass. That data was not studied in the second study and unsurprisingly, both studies were sponsored by the drug company that makes semaglutide. I can understand why they didn’t include the body composition data as it would be bad for marketing. Zone Diet: The Key to Achieving Lasting Results Injectable weight loss drugs don't sound too promising if it means you must inject this “wonder” drug for the rest of your life. But is there another way to achieve the same results? I believe the answer is yes if you are following the Zone Diet. Drugs like semaglutide cause the release of GLP-1 and so does intake of dietary protein. So how much protein do you need? The answer is about 30 grams of protein at every meal. Not less, but not more, as excess protein can cause transient insulin resistance. Next, you must balance that protein with the correct amount of low-glycemic carbohydrates to prevent excess insulin secretion, which causes low blood sugar and increases hunger. This concept is the foundation of the Zone diet. That is also why the Zone diet was granted a patent to reduce insulin resistance (3). Zone Diet: Scientifically Proven ResultsThe Zone diet has been shown to reduce insulin resistance within days (4). It is insulin resistance that causes you to gain weight. The Zone diet has been shown to help with remission of pre-diabetes (i.e., metabolic syndrome) caused by higher levels of insulin resistance (5). This same eating plan is used by the Joslin Diabetes Center at Harvard Medical School to treat type 2 diabetes caused by severe insulin resistance (6-9). So, what’s the problem with following the Zone diet for life? People seem to believe it is too much effort to balance protein and carbohydrates at each meal. Zone Foods: A Breakthrough Solution To address compliance, I applied for another patented technology. This technology enhances the activation of GLP-1 release in the gut to increase satiety dramatically. It does so by slowing the protein absorption rate in the upper region of the small intestine so that more protein reaches the lower part of the small intestine, where specific cells (L-cells) that sense protein and release GLP-1 are concentrated. The result is greater appetite suppression. Furthermore, if you could combine the right balance of protein and carbohydrates into a single food product, no thinking is involved. This breakthrough was the foundation for producing Zone Foods. Clinical Trials: Zone Foods vs. Injectable Weight Loss Drugs So, does it work? To answer that question, you must do clinical trials. We published the results in 2017 (10). In subjects consuming Zone Foods for six weeks the total weight loss was virtually the same as the study referenced above using weekly injections of semaglutide. However, the body composition was dramatically different between the two approaches. Those consuming Zone Foods were gaining muscle mass and losing more fat. Although weight change in the control group was about the same as those in the Zone Foods group, it consisted primarily of near equal portions of fat loss and muscle loss, just like the subjects getting their weekly injections of semaglutide. Bottom line, using Zone Foods not only induced greater loss of fat than taking semaglutide injections but also increased muscle mass. Not surprisingly, the use of Zone Foods reduced insulin resistance by 140 percent compared to the control group (10). Now that’s what I call a “wonder drug.” References1. Wilding JPH et al. Once weekly semaglutide in adults with overweight or obesity. N Engl J Med 384:989-1002 (2021) doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa20321832. Wilding JPH et al. Weight regain and cardiometabolic effects after withdrawal of semaglutide: The STEP 1 trial extension. Diabetes Obesity and Metabolism 24: 1553-1564 (2022) doi: 10.1111/dom.14725. 3. Sears, B. “Method of and nutritional and pharmaceutical compositions for reduction of hyperinsulinemia.” U.S. Patent No. 6,140,304 (2000)4. Markovic TP et al. “The determinants of glycemic responses to diet restriction and weight loss in obesity and NIDDM.” Diabetes Care 21:687-694 (1998) doi: 10.2337/diacare.21.5.687.5. Stentz FB et al. “High protein diet leads to pre-diabetes remission and positive changes in incretins and cardiovascular risk factors.” Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis 31:1227-1237 (2021) doi: 10.1016/j.numecd.2020.11.027.6 Giusti J and Rizzott J. “Interpreting the Joslin Diabetes Center and Joslin Clinic clinical guideline for overweight and obese adults with type 2 diabetes.” Curr Diab Report 6:405-408 (2006) doi: 10.1007/s11892-006-0014-y.7. Hamdy O. “Diabetes weight management in clinical practice—the Why Wait model,” U.S. Endocrinology 4:49–54 (2008) doi: http://doi.org/10.17925/USE.2008.04.2.498. Hamdy O and Carver C. “The Why WAIT program: improving clinical outcomes through weight management in type 2 diabetes.” Curr Diab Rep 8:413-420 (2008) doi: 10.1007/s11892-008-0071-5.9. Hamdy O et al. “Long-term effect of intensive lifestyle intervention on cardiovascular risk factors in patients with diabetes in real-world clinical practice: a 5-year longitudinal study.” BMJ Open Diabetes Res Care 5:e000259 (2017) doi: 10.1136/bmjdrc-2016-000259.10. Johnson CS et al. Use of novel high-protein functional food products as part of a calorie-restricted diet to reduce insulin resistance and increase lean body mass in adults: A randomized controlled trial. Nutrients 9:1182 (2017) doi: 10.3390/nu9111182.
Sugar, Sugar Substitutes, and Reality
Sugar has many things going for it. It is sweet, it is cheap, and it is addictive. Along with fat and salt, it is one of the mainstays of the industrialized food industry to make their otherwise bland products both edible and desirable. But unfortunately, it is also a cause of insulin resistance, the underlying cause of various chronic diseases. No wonder the food industry is constantly seeking sugar substitutes, but only if they are cheaper than sugar and nearly as sweet. One such candidate has been sugar alcohols and, in particular, erythritol. And it is safe, or at least we thought so until a recent study (1). This study found that a quarter of individuals who consumed the most erythritol had a doubling of their risk of a heart attack. To put this in perspective, this is about the same increase in cardiovascular risk level as having type 2 diabetes. OK, that was only an association. To confirm their initial finding, they gave healthy volunteers a dose of 30 grams of erythritol to see what would happen. This level of erythritol is similar to what many people consuming keto-friendly products typically consume daily. However, this level of erythritol caused significant amounts of excess clot formation in their blood. The study's lead author stated that they weren’t even looking for this connection. And if this is true for erythritol, it is likely to occur with other typical sugar alcohols like sorbitol, xylitol, maltitol, mannitol, and others. However, unlike erythritol, these other sugar alcohols have more significant laxative effects. Does this mean everyone should return to dumping good old sugar into their foods to make them more palatable? That’s probably not a good idea unless you want to increase insulin resistance which makes you gain weight, have lower mental and physical performance levels, and accelerate aging. I forgot to mention that insulin resistance is also strongly associated with the development of diabetes, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s. Fortunately, there is a way out of this dilemma, and it is a different type of sugar known as allulose. First, a little information on sugar. Sugar is a disaccharide with one glucose molecule linked to one fructose molecule. The link between these two sugars is rapidly broken down in the stomach, so the sugar you initially put in your mouth enters the small intestine as pure glucose and pure fructose. Both are quickly absorbed. The glucose goes directly into the blood to cause insulin secretion. Still, the fructose goes directly to the liver to induce the synthesis of palmitic acid (it’s called de novo lipogenesis). Excess levels of either glucose or fructose can cause insulin resistance. Allulose is different. It is also quickly absorbed, but your kidneys just as quickly excrete it into your urine. However, allulose has another critical benefit: it stimulates AMPK production (2). Why is that important? AMPK is the master regulator of your metabolism, and it reduces insulin resistance (3). This background is why we reformulated our ZoneRx® shakes and bars and our future products will contain allulose to help reduce insulin resistance, resulting in greater metabolic efficacy while lowering the likelihood of developing chronic diseases associated with insulin resistance. Losing weight and living longer is what food technology should be about. References Witkowski et al. The artificial sweetener erythritol and cardiovascular event risk. Nature Med. 2023 Feb 27. doi: 10.1038/s41591-023-02223-9. Lee et al. D-allulose ameliorates adiposity through the AMPK-SIRT1-PGC-1α pathway in HFD-induced SD rats .Food Nutr 2021 Dec 21;65. doi: 10.29219/fnr.v65.7803. Sears and Saha. Dietary Control of Inflammation and Resolution. Front Nutr. 2021 Aug 10;8:709435. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2021.709435
Metabolism Q&A
When we think about metabolism we often think about it tied to body weight. The thought being that those with fast metabolisms are leaner, those with slow metabolisms are overweight. You might be surprised to learn that the size or composition of an individual, isn't necessarily tied into whether their metabolism is fast or slow, but how efficient it is. In this Q&A, Dr. Sears talks about metabolism, how it plays a role in things outside of body weight, and why the focus should change from increasing your metabolism to making it more efficient. Q. What is Metabolism? A. Metabolism can be defined as the ability of the body to convert the food you eat into energy. When you consume excess calories your metabolism becomes less efficient and more of these incoming calories become stored as excess body fat instead of being used to make the energy needed to maintain optimal performance. Your metabolism is what controls your immune system and orchestrates your ability to repair damage in each of your 37 trillion cells. It’s a highly dynamic system that keeps you alive. It can be controlled (and optimized) by your diet.Q. What dietary factors are most important to have a healthy metabolism?A. An efficient metabolism requires a combination of macronutrients (protein, carbohydrate, and fat) as well as fermentable fiber and polyphenols. Maintaining those nutrients within appropriate ranges is the key to improved metabolic performance. For a more efficient metabolism, you need approximately 30 grams of protein (but not more) at each meal to increase the release of hormones from your gut that go directly to the brain to tell you to stop eating. You also need adequate fermentable fiber, whose metabolism in the gut will further enhance the release of those satiety hormones from the gut. You can get more omega-3 fatty acids by eating more fatty fish or taking fish oil supplements. All three work together to improve metabolic efficacy. This is what I call Metabolic Engineering.Q. What do you recommend as a starting point for someone who wants to start implementing these changes to their diet?A. Your goal with metabolism is to focus on increasing its efficiency. The starting point is consuming the least number of calories you need at each meal to generate the complex hormonal cascade that stops hunger. Excess glucose and fat inhibit the master regulator of metabolism (AMPK) in every cell in your body. To begin, start a meal with protein to curb calorie intake and hunger. Regardless of your weight, sex, or age, you need to consume about 30 grams of protein to set in motion the complex metabolic cycle that stops hunger for the next five hours. You will then need to balance that protein with moderate levels of low-glycemic load carbohydrates (i.e. non-starchy vegetables, small amounts of fruit) and low levels of fat to generate the optimal hormonal responses that eliminate hunger. That is the basis of the Zone diet.Q. In the past you recommended the Zone Body Fat Calculator as way to determine your protein needs, have these protein requirements changed?A. The Zone Body Fat Calculator determines the minimum daily protein levels needed to maintain your current muscle mass, not necessarily enough to suppress hunger for the next five hours. To get this hunger suppression is why I recommend 30 grams of protein at a meal. If you are hungry, you are likely to consume excess calories throughout the day, decreasing overall metabolic efficiency.Q. What benefits will you see in someone who has optimized their metabolism?A. The benefits of an efficient metabolism look like the following: Burns fat faster: Yes, you know about this benefit. But did you know that when your metabolism is optimally efficient, excess body fat comes off and stabilizes without sacrifice, starvation, or grueling workouts? It’s true. Maintains physical energy and mental focus: Your metabolism’s job is to turn food into energy. Do you get tired shortly after meals or in the afternoon? Do you have brain fog or trouble concentrating? That means your metabolism is not doing its job maintaining energy production. Slows the aging process to maintain wellness: Humans are designed to remain lean, strong, and vital for far longer than you might think. Again, when an inefficient functioning metabolism doesn’t provide enough energy to your cells, aging speeds up, and wellness decreases. Have more questions for Dr. Sears? Drop them in the comments below!
Triglyceride versus Ethyl Ester Fish Oil
Fish oils are more common in the consumer marketplace which requires individuals be more educated about what they are consuming. This isn’t as easy as you think if you don’t know what to look for. In this blog, Dr. Sears explores fish oil purity and what to know about the difference between ethyl esters and triglycerides. The Growth of the Fish Oil Market Before 2001 the sales of fish oil products in the United States were minimal. Prior to 2001, most of what was sold at that time consisted of the same cod liver oil that your great-grandparents gave your grandparents before they could leave the house each morning. It tasted terrible because it wasn’t purified and required having to take a tablespoon daily because it wasn’t very concentrated since it was derived from extracted cod livers. All of that changed starting in 2002, as shown by this graph taken from the Washington Post. In 2001, I wrote extensively about this change in my book The OmegaRx Zone: The Miracle of the New High-Dose Fish Oil. I described the breakthroughs taking place in the processing of omega-3 fatty acid concentrates and how this could eventually usher in a new era of medicine. Yet less than eight percent of American adults were consuming fish oil supplements by 2012 (2). Why Not Just Eat Fish? Consuming fish solely as a source of omega-3 fatty acids in the diet sounds good in theory, but what is considered an acceptable level of intake? The goal should be to consume enough omega-3 fatty acids to deliver at least 2.5 grams of EPA and DHA daily. You require those levels because omega-3 fatty acids are essential nutrients the body cannot make, and the diet must supply them. If you were to translate 2.5 grams of EPA and DHA into fish consumption, that would be about 40 oz. of canned tuna or 8 oz of canned salmon daily. Unfortunately, the types of fish that Americans prefer to eat are lean fish that have minimal amounts of EPA and DHA. Furthermore, fish don’t make omega-3 fatty acids; they accumulate them from marine sources (such as plankton) that can produce them. Unfortunately, another downside to consuming large quantities of fish is that they accumulate toxins that we have thrown into the oceans, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Without adequate levels of EPA and DHA, it is impossible to control inflammation in every organ in the body. Currently, the average American consumes about 100 mg of EPA and DHA. Unfortunately, those are deficient levels resulting in an increase in inflammation-driven diseases over the past 20 years. How EPA and DHA are increased in fish oils To increase the concentration of EPA and DHA found in crude fish oils and reduce the PCBs found in all fish oils, you must convert crude fish oil into ethyl esters and then concentrate the EPA and DHA by molecular distillation. You can’t do that with the natural triglycerides found in crude fish oils that you consume eating regular fish. Once you convert crude fish oils into a high-potency omega-3 fatty acid ethyl ester, they become exceptionally prone to oxidation. Some manufacturers reassemble the purified ethyl esters back into triglycerides. Unfortunately, this synthetic step causes increased oxidation and the repositioning of EPA and DHA from their natural position into unnatural configurations in reconstituted triglycerides. These reconstituted fish oils are essentially “Frankenstein fats” that make it difficult for the body to convert the omega-3 fatty acids into phospholipids which are the final depots for omega-3 fatty acids in the body. What To Know When Choosing an Omega-3 Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for human health, but only if they are purified from PCBs, not oxidized, and easily converted into phospholipids for long-term storage. Let’s start with PCBs. PCBs are never completely removed from an omega-3 fatty acid concentrate, but depending on the refining technology, they can be reduced to very low levels. At Zone Labs, we only use selected lots of crude fish oil processed to have incredibly low PCB levels. As a result, we have the most rigid standards for the upper limits of PCBs (less than two parts per billion (2 ppb) all 209 PCB isomers) for any company, including drug companies. Furthermore, we test every finished lot of our final product used by the consumer and post the results on our website. Another major problem is oxidative stability. Any processing of crude fish oil will cause increased oxidation leading to rancidity. Rancidity is measured by a standard test known as TOTOX which measures the levels of peroxides, aldehydes, and ketones in the final product you purchase. TOTOX levels govern all edible oil trading in the world. If the TOTOX level of any oil is greater than 26 milliequivalents/kg, it is considered unsuitable for human consumption. You can also smell these oxidation products, so even the freshest fish begin to smell. As you might expect, omega-3 fatty acid concentrates are more prone to oxidation. To get around that smell problem, some manufacturers add lemon flavors to their products. This dramatically increases the TOTOX levels in the finished product that you purchase. If a fish oil product has a lemon taste and smell you can likely assume its TOTOX levels are far greater than the upper limit of 26 milliequivalents/kg, and it is not suitable for human consumption. Safety of Ethyl Esters Virtually all long-term clinical studies of the safety of omega-3 fatty acids have been done with ethyl esters. These ethyl esters are ultimately converted into phospholipids that can be measured in the blood (3 ). A recent study has demonstrated that the higher the omega-3 fatty acids in the phospholipids in the blood, the lower the levels of cardiovascular disease and mortality (4). This is also true of chronic kidney disease (5). Of course, those benefits will only be obtained if the omega-3 fatty acid product quality going into the patient is suitable for human consumption. This is why we pride ourselves in having the omega-3 fatty acids products with the lowest levels of PCBs and TOTOX compared to any company worldwide, including the largest drug companies. References Sears B. The OmegaRx Zone. Regan Books. New York, NY (2001) Clarke TC, Black LI, Stussman BJ, Barnes PM, Nahin RL. Trends in the use of complementary health approaches among adults: United States, 2002-2012. Natl Health Stat Report 2015:1-16. 3, Browning LM, Walker CG, Mander AP, West AL, Madden J, Gambell JM, Young S, Wang L, Jebb SA, Calder PC. Incorporation of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids into lipid pools when given as supplements providing doses equivalent to typical intakes of oily fish. Am J Clin Nutr. 2012 Oct;96(4):748-58. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.112.041343. Harris WS, Del Gobbo L, Tintle NL. The Omega-3 Index and relative risk for coronary heart disease mortality: Estimation from 10 cohort studies. Atherosclerosis. 2017 Jul;262:51-54. doi: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2017.05.007. Ong KL, Marklund M, Huang L, Rye KA, Hui N, Pan XF et al. Association of omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids with incident chronic kidney disease: pooled analysis of 19 cohorts. BMJ. 2023 Jan 18;380:e072909. doi: 10.1136/bmj-2022-072909.
Polyphenols, Maqui and Delphinidins: What You Need To Know
Polyphenols are the chemicals that give vegetables and fruits their colors. They also represent the plant’s primary defense against invading bacteria and other parasites. Their intake is essential for gut health as they control the bacterial composition of our digestive system. There are about 8,000 known polyphenols from various sources, but Dr. Sears considers those from the blueberry family the best. The polyphenols in the blueberry family include American blueberries, Russian blueberries (bilberries), and Patagonia blueberries (maqui berries). Maqui berries have the highest concentration of a subclass of polyphenols called delphinidins. What makes delphinidins superior to other polyphenols is they are water-soluble and can be isolated as monomers which means they are more likely to get into the blood. In clinical studies delphinidins have been shown to help improve blood sugar control and reduce oxidative stress. The Health Benefits of Polyphenols It is becoming recognized that polyphenols are essential nutrients for human health. They are potent antioxidants, have anti-inflammatory effects, and help activate AMPK, the master regulator of your metabolism. The more you can activate AMPK, the more you increase energy production, activate your immune function, and help repair damaged tissue. Equally important, you need adequate levels of polyphenols to maintain the appropriate balance of bacteria in your gut, which is critical to maintaining long-term health. If that balance is disturbed by a lack of polyphenols in your diet, the result will be increased cellular inflammation throughout your body. The Amount of Polyphenols You Need Ideally you should consume 5-10 servings of fruits and vegetables daily to have adequate intake of polyphenols. This equates to about 1000mg of total polyphenols. All polyphenols are excellent for the gut, but getting the proper amounts into the blood is quite difficult since very few are water-soluble making it difficult for them to be absorbed. Of the 8,000 known polyphenols, very few can be directly absorbed. The exceptions are maqui berry and cacao polyphenols. Your body can readily absorb more than 95 percent of purified maqui berry polyphenols and approximately 10-15 percent of isolated cacao polyphenols. Many clinical studies showing the benefits of polyphenol supplementation have used either maqui or cacao polyphenols. How Do You Know If You Are Getting Enough? There is no specific test to measure polyphenols in the blood since their lifetime in the body is short. That said, you can take a standard test to determine whether you are taking enough to activate AMPK. This test is called hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). HbA1c is a measure of the average circulating levels of glucose over a 3-month period of time. If you can maintain a HbA1c level between 4.9-5.1 percent, you are probably doing a good job getting enough polyphenols through diet and supplementation. If your HbA1c levels are higher, you may need to add more polyphenols to your diet. Why are Delphinidins "the Best of the Best"? Delphinidins have a unique structure compared to all other polyphenols that allow them to activate AMPK, giving them unique anti-inflammatory and anti-aging benefits. The richest source of delphinidins is the maqui berry, found only in the Patagonian region of Chile. The maqui berry has 14 times more delphinidins than blueberries whereas strawberries and raspberries have little to no delphinidins. The health benefits of maqui berry concentrate, rich in delphinidins, have been shown to help activate AMPK, the master switch that controls your metabolism. The increased activity of AMPK has been shown to help with appetite control, blood sugar support, lipid levels, reduction of inflammation, and the repair of damaged tissue. I consider delphinidins to be the “best of the best” in polyphenols to improve your metabolism. As part of your total polyphenol intake, I recommend aiming for about 75-100mg of delphinidins daily. Even a diet rich in fruits and vegetables will not contain those levels of delphinidins. Can You Get Enough Maqui in Fresh Berries, Freeze-Dried Powders or Juice? Polyphenol extracts significantly increase the levels of polyphenols and reduce their carbohydrate content. Extracts are more concentrated and purified than simply drinking fruit juice or consuming a dry powder made from fruit juice. With extracts, the dry powder is further processed to increase the polyphenol content significantly. For most purified extracts (such as MaquiRx), the final concentration step involves a complex purification process that produces a refined extract with about 40 percent of polyphenols by dry weight. Why MaquiRx®? MaquiRx® is composed of monomers of delphinidins, which can enter the blood more readily than other polyphenols, thus supporting the activation of AMPK. One capsule of MaquiRx has the same amount of delphinidins found in 48 glasses of red wine, 7 cups of blueberries, and 272 cups of raspberries.
HbA1c Blood Test: What to Know
We’re excited to offer the Hemoglobin A1C Blood Test as another valuable blood marker of your current wellness. To familiarize you with the power of this test, we sat with Dr. Sears this week to answer some questions. Here’s what he had to say. What is the Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) Blood Test? Glucose is a critical energy source for every organ in the body, especially the brain. However, if the glucose circulating in your bloodstream remains elevated over time, this excess glucose can cause damage to blood vessels and organ tissues. Your average long-term blood glucose levels are measured by a simple finger-stick blood test known as hemoglobin A1c. This is the primary test used to determine if you are developing diabetes or the extent of your existing diabetes, as it reflects your average blood glucose over the past three months. Does the HbA1c Blood Test Measure Only Blood Sugar? HbA1c is used primarily as a marker of blood sugar control, but it can also be used as a surrogate marker of the activation of AMPK. AMPK is the master switch of metabolism that controls your ability to repair damaged tissue. A pro-inflammatory diet inhibits AMPK activity. If AMPK activity is decreased, the cell cannot remove glucose from the blood, and HbA1c increases. Furthermore, maintaining elevated blood glucose inhibits AMPK activity, creating a positive feedback loop that further decreases your metabolism's efficacy. This reduces your immune function, causes the accumulation of stored body fat, makes it more difficult for injuries to heal, and accelerates aging. Understanding this linkage between HbA1c and wellness makes the knowledge of your current HbA1c one of the most critical numbers you need to know. If You Make Dietary Changes, How Soon Can You Expect to See Changes in your A1c? AMPK activity is under robust dietary control. Restricting calories by using the Zone Diet is one way to increase AMPK activity, as is increasing your intake of EPA and DHA from fish and fish oils. However, the most potent dietary intervention may be increasing your intake of polyphenols. Of the 8,000 known polyphenols, the most powerful to activate AMPK is a class known as delphinidins. Delphinidins are found in low concentrations in blueberries, red grapes, and red wine. However, delphinidins can be concentrated by special techniques to much higher levels. For example, one capsule of MaquiRx contains the same levels of delphinidin as found in consuming 48 glasses of red wine. Clinical studies have shown that using delphinidins can help lower HbA1c levels in 90 days. What is the ideal range for HbA1c? The ideal range of HbA1c should be between 4.9-5.1%. Although an HbA1c level of less than 5.7% is considered “normal,” it is high enough to inhibit AMPK activity, causing insulin resistance. Furthermore, an HbA1c level of 5.7% to 6.4% indicates the presence of prediabetes caused by significant insulin resistance. An HbA1c level greater than 6.5% indicates the existence of type 2 diabetes caused by severe insulin resistance. Once you have type 2 diabetes, you are four times more likely to develop heart disease and twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s. Therefore, many neurologists consider Alzheimer’s to be type 3 diabetes. What do you do if your HbA1c is below 4.9? Is that still good? For optimal health, you need to keep HbA1c in a zone. For example, if your HbA1c level is less than 4.9%, you may not have enough glucose in the blood to maintain optimal glucose levels for the brain, and mental fatigue will be likely. Is there a difference between doing a finger-stick blood test versus a venous puncture to measure HbA1c? A venous puncture to obtain the blood needed for the test will usually have a 0.1 percent lower HbA1c readout than the blood taken from a finger stick. How Does the Blood Test Process Work? The process for this test is very similar to our Cellular Inflammation Blood Test if you are familiar with that. The kit arrives at your door; you register your sample, do the finger stick test, and put it in the mail. Within 1-2 weeks, your results will be in your e-mail inbox. The difference between the two tests is that the HbA1c requires three total drops of blood to be analyzed, whereas the AA/EPA test only requires one. This test does not require an individual to be fasting. Have more questions for Dr. Sears? Drop them below!
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