Over the years, in my quest to identify the most effective and healthiest way to eat for optimal wellness, I have found that, like many of you reading this article, it cannot be very clear.
Undoubtedly, we can now say with 100% certainty there are die-hard diet camps.
I am surprised by the number of people who stand firm on their method of losing weight.
May it be Paleo, Ketogenic, Vegan, Vegetarian, Carnivore, Weight Watchers, Zone, Nutrisystem, Jenny Craig, Atkins, South Beach, Elimination diets, and many more, you are bound to find those who simply claim that their way of eating is the best.
Most will stay in their diet camp.
Most of the loyalists of specific diet camps simply will not let go of their beliefs about how and why they eat what they eat.
Many are influenced by what else but “Influencers.”
An influencer is someone in your niche or industry who has the ability to sway over their target audience.
Many people easily gravitate to these Influencers with impressive and impeccable credentials providing peer-reviewed medical citations to convince their audience that their way of eating for improved health is the ONLY and CORRECT way.
You can find peer-reviewed medical citation(s) to support everything and anything in the diet wars.
Most diet influencers are dogmatic and rigid about what they believe is the BEST way to eat.
Debating these firmly positioned diet Influencers, in many cases, is futile for both parties.
I want to make one thing perfectly clear: ALL DIETS WORK (for some time).
A point that should be taken seriously on the topic of optimal eating should be data-driven, based on each person’s personalized constitutional makeup.
What works for one person may be less effective for another.
As someone with a passion and, I must say, a high level of expertise in clinical nutrition and functional medicine, I focus on careful assessments and testing to clearly identify the dietary needs of each unique patient.
I am not shy about admitting that I will sometimes pivot based on what I believe is best for each patient.
This is always based on data-driven information, using a thorough history and testing (labs, imaging, etc.).
I have learned that some aspects of some of the most popular diets are valid and have helped people/patients improve their health and well-being.
Although some reading this article may think I am contradictory in what I have discussed above, I have come to learn with a high level of preponderance of the evidence that the best of most diet wars comes down to the low glycemic/plant-dominant/Mediterranean diet without the exclusion of some quality protein in the way of grass-fed, antibiotic meats, fish, and a few eggs per week. I also recommend adding some high-quality plant-based proteins.
For those looking for metrics on meat overconsumption, look no further than measuring the lab tests TMAO and IGF-1 levels.
TMAO (Trimethylamine N-oxide)-LabCorp code: 123413– (Optimal levels are <3.3)
IGF-1 Insulin-Like Growth Factor- LabCorp code: 010363–(Optimal range 90-170)
TMAO (Trimethylamine N-oxide)
A diet rich in red meat can increase trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) levels, a gut-generated chemical linked to heart disease. In one study, participants who ate a red meat diet for a month had triple the TMAO levels of those who ate white meat or plant-based proteins. The study found that red meat consumption increases TMAO production by gut microbes and reduces the kidneys’ ability to remove it. However, the study also found that TMAO levels decreased significantly when participants stopped eating red meat and switched to white meat or a non-meat diet for another month.
IGF-1 Insulin-Like Growth Factor
Some studies have shown that elevated levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in older adults.
A study published in Aging Cell found that older adults with high levels of IGF-1 have an increased risk of CVD, dementia, diabetes, and osteoporosis.
A study found that genetic predisposition to high levels of IGF-1 was associated with a higher risk of coronary artery disease and type 2 diabetes.
Some studies have shown that high levels of IGF-1 are associated with poor outcomes in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF)
Increased consumption of animal protein, including meat, dairy, and eggs, can increase insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels. IGF-1 is a growth hormone that helps build muscle and lean mass during childhood and fetal development. However, high levels of IGF-1 after the body’s natural growth period can harm health. Elevated IGF-1 levels have been linked to an increased risk of cancer, uncontrolled cell growth, and a reduced lifespan.
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With the above lab information understood, I still recommend a low-glycemic, plant-dominant, Mediterranean diet with careful attention to the amount of quality meat protein sources.
Now to pivot to something that will give you belly laugh please watch the following video:
Click on the following link to watch video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ua-WVg1SsA
Dr. T’s Comments
I hope you found the above video humorous and put a smile of your face.
Enjoy and Strive for a Life of Optimal Health and Wellness.
Share this article with friends and people you love!:)
On a serious note, making the best choice on what to eat again can be perplexing when it appears that well-intentioned, well-credentialed people are providing conflicting eating recommendations.
Again, although I have seen, through consistent testing and improved health factors, that the low-glycemic/plant-dominant/Mediterranean diet has a great track record, I will admit there is still no perfect diet across the board.
I propose that everyone reading this article make the appropriate adjustments to their diet by measuring the following metrics.
1: Weight
2: Bodyfat (Not your BMI)
3: Waist Measure
4: Strive for optimal lab metrics below:
- Cholesterol: <190
- LDL Cholesterol: 70-90
- HDL: >50
- Apolipoprotein B: <90
- Triglycerides:85-110
- Triglycerides/HDL: <2.0
- Glucose: 85-90
- Fasting Insulin: <5.0
- Hemoglobin A1c–<5.0
- C-Reactive Protein (high sensitivity)- <1.0
- Ferritin: 60-80
- Uric Acid: <5.5
- TMAO: <3.3
- IGF-1: 90-170
- OmegaCheck: >8
As a result of the above results, you can accurately gauge what adjustments need to be considered to improve what you put in your mouth at the end of the fork or spoon.
The following articles I recently wrote may be of value in your quest to achieve optimal health and wellness.
Understanding The Three-Legged Stool Concept to Winning the War on Cardiovascular Disease
https://www.functionalmedicineuniversity.com/public/1998.cfm
Article that shows Lifestyle changes can stop 40-50% of cancers from happening in the first place and lower the death rate of cancer by 50%
The Science of Losing Weight (Fat) and Achieving Optimal Health
https://www.functionalmedicineuniversity.com/public/2033.cfm
Insulin Resistance Causes, Treatment and the Best Measurement Tools and Calculations
https://www.functionalmedicineuniversity.com/public/2035.cfm
References:
https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/108/10/e1092/7124430
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9680907/
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-52082-z
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2792495
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/study-links-frequent-red-meat-consumption-high-levels-chemical-associated-heart-disease
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/red-meat-tmao-and-your-heart
https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/108/10/e1092/7124430
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4164051/
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2023.1142644/full
https://www.drfuhrman.com/blog/35/animal-protein-is-linked-to-increased-risk-of-cancer
https://nutritionfacts.org/blog/animal-protein-and-igf-1/