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New research questions the evidence for health benefits of eating less red meat

nytimes.com

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Re: New research questions the evidence for health benefits of eating less red meat

#151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The body doesn't need carbohydrates to function. If you consume exclusively fats and protein (with very low levels of carbohydrates: less than 25g/day), the process of ketosis will kick in: your body will start converting fats to ketone bodies, specifically beta-hydroxy-butyrate, which as used as energy in the brain, heart, etc. instead of glucose.

Ketosis is a terrible process that your brain and body hates.

The converse, too many carbs -- leads to diabetes, the number 1 preventible condition in western societies, which is probably a more terrible process that your body also hates.

Re: New research questions the evidence for health benefits of eating less red meat

#152
post #12

I guess this study gives credence to the relatively old idea that modern bad health (chronic inflammation, cardiovascular diseases, dental problems, etc.) is driven by the high levels of carbohydrate and linoleic acid (omega 6, found in large quantities in sunflower and other seed oils) in our diets and not the traditionally "bad" foodstuffs like red meat and foods containing high cholesterol and saturated fat. I'm l…

Over the years we have heard categorical statements of what food is beneficial and what is detrimental. Only problem is the beneficial and detrimental flip back and forth. I doubt any thing put forth after 50 years of really bad advice from the government, doctors, nutritionists, PBS fundraisers, and your crazy sister in law.

Re: New research questions the evidence for health benefits of eating less red meat

#153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The body doesn't need carbohydrates to function. If you consume exclusively fats and protein (with very low levels of carbohydrates: less than 25g/day), the process of ketosis will kick in: your body will start converting fats to ketone bodies, specifically beta-hydroxy-butyrate, which as used as energy in the brain, heart, etc. instead of glucose.

Ketosis is a terrible process that your brain and body hates.

That may have been your experience, but plenty of people have the opposite experience.

Re: New research questions the evidence for health benefits of eating less red meat

#154

I’m always skeptical when I see counter studies to businesses that have a strong financial foothold on certain industries. Case in point, did the meat industry have any weight in this study? Generally I feel through certain lobbying efforts theses types of industries will produce a counter study that gets enough backing to be read on the nightly news and now people go back to the way things were or are confused. Havi…

As if there are not other industries that benefit from meat being deemed unhealthy by science? Non-expert perspective on this: I find it very difficult to believe that there is such a thing as too much meat (and easy to believe that too much bad quality meat is the root of the problem as commonly discussed), given that most preagricultural environments lacked sufficient carbohydrate density to support anything other…

According to Wikipedia, agriculture started roughly 12 thousand years ago. I'm definitely not an expert, but it seems likely to me that our bodies have adapted in that time.

I wonder what the macro-nutrient ratios would be in societies relying on traditional agriculture.

Re: New research questions the evidence for health benefits of eating less red meat

#155
post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The body doesn't need carbohydrates to function. If you consume exclusively fats and protein (with very low levels of carbohydrates: less than 25g/day), the process of ketosis will kick in: your body will start converting fats to ketone bodies, specifically beta-hydroxy-butyrate, which as used as energy in the brain, heart, etc. instead of glucose.

Or that's a half-understood idea some push [1], mostly looking into first order effects, and unaware of the bigger picture (except from cherry-picking this or that pro-keto study, which are themselves a dime a dozen, like most nutrition studies are). [1] Nutrition in general, is at this point scientifically half-understood. Science has tons of things it still tries to understand and needs to explain on nutrition...

The process of converting fats to ketone bodies, and the body using those ketones as energy, is a well-understood process.

Re: New research questions the evidence for health benefits of eating less red meat

#156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd like people to stop pitching diets as a way to fix climate change. It makes people take global warming less seriously and it won't help enough to matter.

What would you like people to pitch as an alternative effective action? It's something that most people can look at immediately. You eat every day so what you eat does have a relatively large impact on your personal carbon footprint. It's also something people can do that doesn't have to cost them a cent.

Change the way people talk about global warming.

It’s not about saving the rain forest, endangered species, pigs and cows. It’s about power and survival. That other stuff is just feel good moral values that won’t matter if we go extinct.

A technological innovation is the only way to get us out of this mess. Whoever figures it first and establishes control over the method is going to have a significant amount of global power. If you can control the worlds climate you’d basically be the most powerful person in the world. Everyone is at least a little intrigued by the quest for power.

I just am sick of how bad people are at selling the fight against global warming. We need everyone working on it and don’t have the luxury to divide ourselves into good and bad groups.

Re: New research questions the evidence for health benefits of eating less red meat

#157
post #141
post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My wife tried every diet known, when she started eating Keto style and even strict carnivorous all of her stomach issues went away. Just from observing her and the kids I think there are huge benefits to not eating carbohydrates. Some of this benefit could be related to the chemicals in the foods but every time she eats any grains or grain products she gets stomach issues I dont have any stomach issues except I gain…

Anegdotal evidence are just that, anecdotal. Most of the studies show that all the unprocessed complex and fibrous carbohidrates are very good for health, but eating spoons of sugar is obviously bad. All the longevity experts that I listened to and read what they say also agree that in general protein should be at a very slight nitrogen positive balance (so less then 100g per day for most of people) and rest is carbs…

Unfortunately the state of the science is such that finding what works best for you yourself is about the best we can do. I'm certain there are some folks that do best strict carnivore, and some others that do best strict vegan, and everywhere in between.

Re: New research questions the evidence for health benefits of eating less red meat

#159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The body doesn't need carbohydrates to function. If you consume exclusively fats and protein (with very low levels of carbohydrates: less than 25g/day), the process of ketosis will kick in: your body will start converting fats to ketone bodies, specifically beta-hydroxy-butyrate, which as used as energy in the brain, heart, etc. instead of glucose.

Ketosis is a terrible process that your brain and body hates.

Why is it terrible? What evidence is there that your brain _hates_ it?

From what I understand, there is evidence that the brain may function better deriving energy from ketones, and ketosis may be neuroprotective: https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/mind-guest-blog/the-fat...

Re: New research questions the evidence for health benefits of eating less red meat

#160
post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As an anecdote, my wife gave up vegetarianism after ten years and suffered no consequences coming back onto meat. She started with a tiny bit of pork and the next day was eating chicken, pork, etc. The fact is humans are omnivores.

My wife tried every diet known, when she started eating Keto style and even strict carnivorous all of her stomach issues went away. Just from observing her and the kids I think there are huge benefits to not eating carbohydrates. Some of this benefit could be related to the chemicals in the foods but every time she eats any grains or grain products she gets stomach issues I dont have any stomach issues except I gain…

Warning, very large pdf: https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015-scientific-report/...
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