Zone Living Articles
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!