The science behind carbohydrate restriction promoted by Metabolism Society
If you are an active member of the growing low-carb community and are not already familiar with the great work of The Metabolism Society, then I urge you to team up with this incredible organization because they are working hard to change the conversation about nutrition and health by revealing the truth that science is showing us about the amazing benefits of carbohydrate restriction. They believe that livin’ la vida low-carb is “under-investigated and under-utilized” and have asserted that they will continue to “support research in this area.” Please consider making a contribution to The Metabolism Society TODAY!
With board members featuring a virtual who’s who of low-carb researchers and activists, including Dr. Richard Feinman, Dr. Eric Westman, Dr. Jeff Volek, Valerie Berkowitz, Dr. Jay Wortman, Dr. Gil Wilshire, among others, The Metabolism Society has been leading the charge ever since the late, great Dr. Robert C. Atkins was taken from us in 2003. His legacy with low-carb diets is what drives the science to confirm much of what he shared with real patients for decades prior to his untimely death early in the 21st Century. This is the very heartbeat of everything that Laurie Cagnassola, Dr. Feinman and his group does on a daily basis through The Metabolism Society.
As has been the case for the past few years, The Metabolism Society has piggybacked on an established conference with weight loss doctors who are members of The American Society of Bariatric Physicians (ASBP) to offer physicians wanting to offer their overweight, obese, and diabetic patients another treatment option. With the onslaught of quality research that has been released in recent years, it is imperative that these medical professionals are given as much information as they can possibly obtain to best assist their patients with the latest strategies. I’ve been privileged to attend and report on The Metabolism Society symposiums in Brooklyn in 2006, Nashville in 2007, Phoenix in 2008, and Charleston in 2009.
Meeting the best and brightest minds studying and researching the effects of low-carb diets on health is one of the greatest privileges of my career as a layman blogger writing about the health benefits of high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carb living. In the grand scheme of things, what I do is so insignificant compared with the monumental work these men and women who are dedicating their lives to get the message out in published scientific journals are doing. They are the ones who are putting forth quality research that will determine the future of nutritional health policy in the United States and worldwide and that’s quite a responsibility on their shoulders for bucking the trend rather than parroting the conventional dietary wisdom of our day. They risk being ostracized and blacklisted among their peers all for the sake of sharing the truth — which in the end will prevail.
I’ve been stunned to watch the growth in interest about low-carb diets among the bariatric physicians build and build each year from just about 30 at the Nashville event, then 80 in Phoenix, followed by around 130 in Charleston last year. With yet another Metabolism Society Symposium scheduled for Seattle, Washington in April 2010, I wouldn’t be surprised to have 150-200 bariatric physicians being exposed to and being enthusiastic about taking home to their patients the most up-to-date information about low-carb diets that is out there. As just a layman who seeks to educate, encourage, and inspire others to seek out the truth about what they’ve heard about diet, health, and nutrition, I’m stoked about the positive impact that The Metabolism Society is having on our culture one doctor, nutritionist, and clinician at a time.
The Seattle Metabolism Society Symposium will be a two-day event taking place at the Hilton Seattle Hotel & Conference Center beginning on Saturday, April 17, 2010 with a focus on “A Carbohydrate Restriction Clinical Practice Guideline” designed to help physicians understand what it would be like to set themselves up as one of the growing low-carb doctors practicing this nutritional therapy with their patients. Then on Sunday, April 18, 2010, a full “Update on Low Carbohydrate Diet Research” will be presented by the real movers and shakers in the low-carb scientific community. The objective of this course will be to educate on the possible role that carbohydrates play in certain medical conditions, how to implement and educate patients low-carb diets, recognizing the powerful effects of low-carb nutrition on hormones, understanding the very latest low-carb research, and to provide dietary solutions to patients with nontraditional obesity ailments.
Full extended education accreditation is provided for attendance at this event which is open to any medical professional “wishing to learn the latest scientific advancements regarding the implementation of carbohydrate restriction in clinical practice.” Additionally, anyone living in the greater Seattle area who would like to learn more about low-carb diets and their impact on health should consider attending as well where you will get to rub elbows with the researchers themselves and Christine and I would love to get to meet you in person. Here’s the proposed schedule of speakers along with the subject matter of their 45-minute lectures:
SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 2010
• The Practical Application of a Low Carbohydrate Lifestyle – Jackie Eberstein
A low carbohydrate lifestyle has many benefits. In addition to weight normalization, this lifestyle can improve a patient’s quality of life and decrease their need for medications. Learn how to evaluate which patients will benefit most from controlling their carbohydrate intake.
• Carbohydrate Restriction and Medical Illness – Dr. Mary Vernon
How does carbohydrate restriction impact medical conditions? Do all medical conditions respond positively to carbohydrate restrictions? Clinical patient outcomes from a practicing physician will be presented.
• Carbohydrate Restriction for Cardiometabolic Risk Reduction – Dr. William Davis
LDL cholesterol is responsible for the majority of heart disease cases and LDL levels can be hugely magnifi ed by high-fiber, high-carbohydrate diets. Research suggests that a diet containing at least 30% fat is probably more ideal than a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet filled with wheat, corn starch and processed carbohydrates.
• Carbohydrate Restriction in Different Populations – Dr. Jay Wortman
The traditional diet of the Canadian west coast’s Aboriginal population was low in carbohydrates, high in fats, and included a unique marine lipid. Learn about the benefits of a modernized version of their diet for treating obesity, metabolic syndrome, and Type 2 diabetes.
• Low Carbohydrate Diets for Neurological disorders – Dr. Eric Kossoff
The traditional ketogenic and modified Atkins diets can be used to successfully treat neurological disorders, particularly epilepsy in adults and children. These diets may also treat migraines, Alzheimer’s, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, brain tumors, and autism. Learn about the possible mechanisms of action, side effects occurring with short and long-term use, and the history of these diets.
SUNDAY, APRIL 18, 2010
• Why Saturated Fats Exist: Aligning Physiology With Evolution – Dr. Steven Phinney
If saturated fats are harmful to humans then why are they so prevalent in nature? Why do humans and most farm animals produce and store saturated fats, often in preference over polyunsaturates? Saturates have many beneficial physical and physiological properties and their aggressive avoidance may not be best for long term health.
• Protein Thresholds at Meals Determine Body Composition – Dr. Donald Layman
Dietary protein is more than a substitute for carbohydrates. Discoveries about the essential amino acid leucine are providing new understanding about adult needs for protein quantity and quality. These needs are particularly important during energy restriction for weight loss.
• The Hormone-Altering Effects of Low Carbohydrate Diets – Diane Stadler
Very low carbohydrate diets induce weight loss due in part to a sense of food disinterest. Those consuming these diets reduce their energy intake by an average of 25-30% yet do not feel hungry. Research suggests that very low carbohydrate diets differentially impact hormones that influence regulation, which may help explain weight loss results between different diets.
• A History of Carbohydrate-Restricted Diets & Lipophilia Hypothesis – Gary Taubes
The American Heart Association says that carbohydrate-restricted diets are fad diets that should not be taken seriously. To the contrary, these diets have a pedigree going back almost 200 years, and are supported by a hypothesis of fat regulation that itself is a century old.
• How Dietary Choices Influence Alzheimer’s – Dr. Giulio Maria Pasinetti
There is a growing body of evidence supporting a direct link between nutrition and AD neuropathology. Did you know that bioactive natural compounds from foods might provide beneficial Alzheimer’s Disease (AD)-modifying activities? This session will review recent studies supporting the hypothesis that an individual’s calorie intake, among other non-genetic factors, influences their relative risk for age-related cognitive deterioration and AD clinical dementia.
As you can see, this is quite a line-up of the most cutting-edge low-carb data available in 2010. With the release of a brand new Atkins book in March 2010 by Dr. Westman, Dr. Phinney, and Dr. Jeff Volek featuring much of this research and information presented at these Metabolism Society conferences, it should be intriguing to watch the response from the medical community to this information. I believe many in the bariatric groups are indeed open to hearing the low-carb message and implementing it with their patients. That’s an encouraging sign that can only continue in the years to come. Will we see this same kind of receptiveness to low-carb from the diabetic doctors and practitioners? That’s still left to be determined.
You can register for The Metabolism Society Symposium online or feel free to contact ASBP by calling (303) 770-2526. Be sure to let them know you are a consumer interested in attending the Metabolism Society portion of the 2010 Seattle conference to further your education on low-carb nutrition. If you run into any problems getting registered, then let me know and I’ll see if I can assist. This is a fantastic way to be ahead of the game with all things related to the healthy low-carb lifestyle! Hope you can come!
