Comments on: ‘Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show’ Episode 229: Dr. Larry McCleary Says Our Brains Function Best On Low-Carb Diet

By: Angela

Angela — Tue, 26 May 2009 02:35:47 +0000

Another excellent program! I’m almost through all of your podcasts….and just when I think “my brain is full”, you pull out another great episode.
Thanks so much!

Glad you enjoyed it, Angela! There’s more where that came from too for the rest of 2009!

–Jimmy

By: Jimmy Moore

Jimmy Moore — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 23:11:04 +0000

Okay, Peter, I just heard back from Dr. McCleary about your question:

I think that there are several potential factors. They include activity, calories, and quality of carbs. In this instance I believe the main factor is the lower level of fructose in their diet. Starchy foods raise insulin levels and can lead to metabolic problems. When this is the only factor and calories are not excessive, the body can deal with it fairly well.

However, if you mix in fructose (HFCS and sucrose) the combination of elevated insulin levels, insulin resistance and a persistent dietary consumption of fructose makes the metabolic situation much worse. For example, if one looks at brain atrophy (shrinkage), hypertension and smoking are major contributors.

However, fructose consumption surpasses them both as a risk factor for brain atrophy! Brain atrophy is a consistent finding in Alzheimer disease and other neurodegenerative disorders. I believe that fructose plays a role both by its peripheral metabolic effects as well as its unique ability to glycate proteins and cause oxidative stress. It does this 10X as efficiently as glucose does. Glycation is linked with brain atrophy and inflammation.

If you mix in the impact of elevated insulin levels and insulin resistance, then the brain is more severely impacted. I believe this (lower fructose consumption) is the primary factor for the lower incidence of AD in Japan in the face of a high rice diet.

Thanks,

Larry

By: Peter Silverman

Peter Silverman — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 11:39:55 +0000

Yes, I would love to know what he thinks. Peter

By: Peter Silverman

Peter Silverman — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 13:16:12 +0000

Different day, same question. Wonder why the Japanese have lower Alzheimers rate than we do even though they eat polished rice all day long.

I doubt if it’s genetics since when they move here they have as much Alzheimers as we do, and in some places, like Hawaii, they have more than we do. And supposedly the lowest Alzheimer’s rate seems to be in places in India where they don’t have a word for low carb.

I don’t have any answers, it just doesn’t seem as simple as carbs are bad for your brain, just like Taubes’s law: carbs drives insulin drives fat accumulation doesn’t seem to apply to Asians either, except the ones that move here. His explanation, ITSS(it’s the sugar,stupid), might be right , though I can’t find any data. It used to be the Japanese ate brown rice and couldn’t get enough to eat as Taubes points out in his book, but my impression is those days are long gone and they still have a 2% obesity rate.

Still, very interesting show. Thanks, Jimmy,

Stumped in Oregon.

How about I ask Dr. McCleary to respond on the brain function and carbs question, Peter?

–Jimmy

By: Tom Bunnell

Tom Bunnell — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 02:41:16 +0000

The Mayo Clinic Brothers founding partner, I’m sorry I don’t know his name but his studies centered on the Thyroid Gland and Thyroid Diseases, Hypothyroid and Hyperthyroid Disease, often called Graves Disease and named for it’s discover Dr. Graves. — Mayo dates from the late 1850′s and early 1900′s. The Mayo Brothers themselves Operated extensively on the Thyroid Gland from early on and treatment and research and studies have been ongoing ever since.

From day one The Mayo Clinic has been dealing with Thyroid Disease and it’s effect on our brains and mental disease as well as organic brain disease.

To this day The Mayo Clinic remains the eminent source of Thyroid Disease Treatment.

From roughly 1850 until 1950 the prevalence of thyroid disorders throughout the Midwest Region of The United States as opposed to Coastal Regions near salt water was thought to be linked to a lack of Iodine in our diets because of the distance from the central United States to the oceans and salt water fish and seafood which has always been a mainstay for coastal tribes and nations and people and has lots of iodine.

Iodine was thought to be far less a part on the inland diet as the ocean peoples diet. — So they added Iodine to salt to help this problem as well as Rickets if I’m not mistaken as well as Scurvy.

This was then thought to be wrong and pretty much disproved from about 1950 through to our present time. — It is now again, an unknown as to the cause of these Thyroid Disease’s.

According to this Doctor you are interviewing Omega Three’s and cold water ocean fish have profound effects on our brains and glands and hormones.

Could this be the thing that was lacking and making what appeared to be more Thyroid Disease throughout the Midwest, rather than lack of Iodine?

http://www.mayoclinic.org/graves-disease/research.html

http://www.emro.who.int/publications/EMHJ/1103/article24.htm