London Trip, Social & Comments Growth, and Even More Shawn Baker

I had one helluva whirlwind trip to London. I don’t have time to discuss it in detail, so here’s the short version… (1) Nick Mailer tweeted about an upcoming event in London I didn’t know about just a week and a half ago. (2) After seeing the people who’d be there, I decided to jump on a plane at the last minute to attend. (3) I got to get in a couple meal chats with two key people I’ve never met in person before, Dr. Aseem Malhotra and Dr. Malcolm Kendrick. Both are well known in the low carb community, but don’t often attend or speak at conferences in “The States”.

On top of that, I got to connect with many of my favs like Ivor Cummins, Dr. Zoe Harcombe, and of course, Gary Taubes. As a final surprise, they invited me to join the panel discussion on the final Sunday.

Social & Comments Growth

Yes, I know I have a big backlog of comments to respond to. Yes, I know I haven’t been as responsive on Twitter as I “normally” am. But please note:

  • I just got back from the trip to London (above) and always have a number of post-conference connections I have to work through afterward.
  • And more importantly, I’m now getting way, way more comments here and on social media than even a couple months ago — much less a year ago!

Meanwhile, my twitter following had crossed the 10k last week and is already up another 300. Are you kidding me? At the beginning of last year, I didn’t even have 1000.

I don’t say this to brag — quite the contrary — I’m telling you this in order to explain why I haven’t been able to get to everyone’s comments like I once could.

Bill Murray illustrates the feeling I have at times in the movie Lost in Translation…

 

Even More Shawn Baker

It’s been less than a week since my original post on this and the internet has been on fire over the numbers. Many like The Woo expressed grave concern in her very wry prose while others like Peter of Hyperlipid were breaking down the deeper biochem pathways involved (something he’s exceptionally good at).

I got some criticism lobbed my way as though my prior post was an endorsement of ignoring higher glucose and A1c. To be honest, I found that kind of amusing. But perhaps it will be helpful to really hammer home what my current position is on both the general and specific.

  • If you have a Fasting Glucose of 126 mg/dL, an A1c of 6.3, and an unknown insulin — you likely have a high fasting insulin and are at risk for diabetic complications.
  • If you have a Fasting Glucose of 126 mg/dL, an A1c of 6.3, and a high insulin level — you likely are at risk for diabetic complications.
  • If you have a Fasting Glucose of 126 mg/dL, an A1c of 6.3, and a low insulin level — …I have no idea what you are at risk for.

I spent about two hours looking for any studies with a focus on heightened glucose with low insulin that includes no genetic abnormalities – and (…prepare to be shocked…) I came up empty. Yes, this is an extremely unusual circumstance around an unusual individual. Would you believe Shawn Baker at 50+ setting athletic records while only eating meat would be a corner case?

So to get this on the record with extra emphasis: I have no worldly idea of what the long-term health ramifications are for Shawn Baker. But I haven’t heard a compelling case in either direction to sway me yet. It’s just a lot of unknowns… and that’s okay!

Maybe I’m the odd one out here, but I expect lots of uncertainty and appreciate the opportunity to tackle it.

 

 

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Colleen
Colleen
5 years ago

I wonder if there is any data on the Inuit (eating a traditional diet only) on blood glucose levels? I cannot think of any other traditional populations eating a meat only or very low carb high animal product diet.

One question I had on Shawn’s numbers is whether the FBG was measured or calculated? I had a similar A1c (6.1) and low insulin (under 3) and high calculated FBG, but when I measured the BG it is never that high. I don’t think we know a lot about “optimal” states on a low carb or Keto individual.

BobM
BobM
5 years ago
Reply to  Colleen

It may be wrong. My last HbA1c level was 5.0 (not totally meat diet…but nearly so), which calculates to an average blood sugar level of 97. However, my continuous glucose monitor showed that level only in the morning,and estimated my HbA1c in the low 4s.

Nick Andre
Nick Andre
5 years ago
Reply to  Colleen

Inuit had a genetic mutation that altered their metabolism to avoid ketosis, which was interesting. They may not be comparable to blood labs in a non-mutated person for that reason.

Jack Ruston
5 years ago

Hi Dave. Thanks for all this – glad things are going so well.

I feel that the waters are further muddied with Shawn, not in spite of but because of his levels of physical performance. On the one hand it’s hugely encouraging that he’s so physically capable, but on the other, it’s a bit of a confounding factor. His body is subjected to an unusual level of….use. If it were to, er, wear out early, it might be difficult to say whether that was because of an unusual diet, or because he demanded a lot from it. I’m not saying he shouldn’t do what he’s doing – I’m doimg it myself, but as you say, it’s hard to draw any conclusions, and I’m not sure whether time will in fact tell in this case.

Shaza
Shaza
5 years ago
Reply to  Dave

I would have thought wear and tear on the body would show up on his HS -CRP. CRP flies when the body is under stress, his was 0.6 That is the confounder to me. His fructosamine test will be more revealing.

Shaza
Shaza
5 years ago

RE: Dr B’s results: Well, I found something interesting re HbA1c and get bacteria:https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/893776?src=soc_tw_180314_mscpedt_news_mdscp_micobiome&faf=1 So is it lack of fiber causing (via Microbiome ) A1c to rise? Wild Wild West down in the gut!

BobM
BobM
5 years ago
Reply to  Shaza

I’m a gut bacteria questioner. Amber O’Hearn (http://www.empiri.ca/) has looked into this. Not only does she also eat only meat, but she also has arguments that “fiber” is not necessary. I tend to agree, especially considering entire segments of the human race get along fine without much if any fiber (see Comanches in the US, which ate basically buffalo). I think your body and your bacteria adapt to whatever you eat. If it didn’t, we’d be dead as a human race thousands of years ago.

I eat very few vegetables (no grains, no fruit…90%-100% meat, depending on day) and my HbA1c was 5.0 last time I checked it. I only workout 2 times per week, though.

Daniel
Daniel
5 years ago
Reply to  BobM

Good point. I had a discussion the other day, about gut bacteria adopting to whatever food we feed it and gave as an example, the British who had his biom mapped, before spending time with the Hadza and eating whatever food they ate. Upon his return, he got retested and discovered that his gut was now populated with new spices of bacteria. Alas it didn’t last, once he went back to eating what he was used to.

Currently, I’m on meat only diet after transitioning from Keto. During this time, I saw my HBA1c drop from 4.6 to 4.3.

Shaza
Shaza
5 years ago

Correction: GUT bacteria

sharperhawk
sharperhawk
5 years ago

“If you have a Fasting Glucose of 126 mg/dL, an A1c of 6.3, and a low insulin level — …I have no idea what you are at risk for.”
People with untreated Type I Diabetes have high FBG and very low insulin. They die an early death. Insulin is a good thing.

Shaza
Shaza
5 years ago
Reply to  sharperhawk

My husband is a type 1 diabetic, they get sick very fast and do not linger at the gym before diagnosis! Shawn does not have type 1 ! I did carnivore trial and remained so, I had same thing in Australia, daily glucose averaging about 4.6 with range 4.3 to 4.9 yet my A1c was 5.3! I am going to have fructosamine test that zeros in on 2-3 weeks via albumin. I can not repeat A1c as it is only offered once a year in Aus to non diabetics. ( for free that is!)

sharperhawk
sharperhawk
5 years ago
Reply to  Shaza

I didn’t say that Shawn has Type 1 Diabetes. I was responding to Dave’s insulin-centric analysis, which seems to suggest that low insulin is the Holy Grail. One counterexample is enough to show that low insulin and bad health can coexist. I doubt that much can be made of one FBG of 126, regardless of insulin, other than it’s a little weird. Then again, eating only meat by choice is a little weird.

George Henderson
5 years ago
Reply to  sharperhawk

Hi Sharperhawk, if you had T1D insulin levels you would lose body mass quickly. Obviously Shawn has enough insulin to bulk up. It’s just the case that his insulin response isn’t so interested in endogenous glucose as it is in digested protein.
His picture is similar to this.
http://hopefulgeranium.blogspot.co.nz/2016/08/glucokinase-mutations-diabetic.html

Shaza
Shaza
5 years ago

@ Dave feldman, Here is another pattern emerging with the carnivores, super super low HS CRP! Here is a contrast: My husband a type 1 diabetic on LCHF runs CRP 3.7.

Type 2 diabetics are notorious for higher CRP values.

On LCHF I was 1.4, after Carnivore trial CRP plummeted to 0.6. Shawn’s CRP super low too, 0.6 as well.

How can type 1 or 2 have super lower CRP? ( they don’t on normal diet) . For me that is the deal breaker re these higher A1c reading with low CRP and low DAILY glucose readings. Shawn’s last daily glucose he posted after 300g steak was 4.9 or 88. Shawns daily glucoses are low too. That is where is mystery is!

Lots of papers on high CRP pre type 2 diagnosis. I don’t think Shawn is pre-diabetic.

Shaza
Shaza
5 years ago
Reply to  Dave

Fantastic, It is an area I think will hold a lot of clues, if not answers. (Sorry late thanks, I am in Australia vis a vis big time difference) What if all meat diet is a way to lower CRP and all the knock on effects. Before LCHF my CRP was 1.6, on LCHF it was 1.4 before Carnivore. After carnivore trial it came in at 0.6 Now I am adding small carbs back to diet to what happens on next HS CRP …. about 20 – 40 g a day. Will take blood test in 6 months.

Kym Connolly
Kym Connolly
5 years ago

Perhaps through glucagon mechanisms??

Rebecca Puckett
Rebecca Puckett
5 years ago

Hey Dave. I’ve been enjoying your website and videos on cholesterol. I am metabolically dysfunctional with high trigs. My first goal through keto/lchf is to impress the socks off of my cardiologist in June. It is my understanding that I need to reduce my trigs first. I also understand that my overall cholesterol panel will somewhat normalize as I lose weight. Is it correct to believe that the key to lower trigs is to stop sugar? If so, I’m on the right track. I also understand that prior to my blood test I need to stop using body fat as energy, lock that fat up into cells so it’s not free in the blood, by means ingesting high amounts of good fat. You mentioned you ate bread for a couple of days prior to your blood test. Did that raise your glucose? I want both to be stellar. Also, I have a question. How does the fat (trigs, even cholesterol) leave the body? Through poop? Burned up as energy? I see a lot how it is recycled through the liver and redistributed. But I want it gone. Does that only come with decreased adipose tissue, or will I be fighting my doc over statins forever?

Rebecca Puckett
Rebecca Puckett
5 years ago
Reply to  Dave

CholesterolCode.com/Report v0.9.2 ====–
…1.5 months on Keto (less than 20g carbs) ::: 12 hours water fasted…
Total Cholesterol: 242 mg/dL 6.26 mmol/L
LDL Cholesterol: 164 mg/dL 4.24 mmol/L
HDL Cholesterol: 39 mg/dL 1.01 mmol/L
Triglycerides: 239 mg/dL 2.7 mmol/L

–CHOLESTEROL REMNANTS–
Remnant Cholesterol: 39 mg/dL 1.01 mmol/L >>> Medium-High Risk Quintile
Remnant Chol to HDL: 1 >>> High Risk Quintile
Go to https://tinyurl.com/y8hokam2 for more on Cholesterol Remnants

–ATHEROGENIC INDEX OF PLASMA (AIP)–
AIP: 0.427 >>> Highest Risk Third
Go to https://tinyurl.com/ycccmmnx for more on Atherogenic Index of Plasma

–CONVENTIONAL MARKERS AND RATIOS–
Friedewald LDL-C: 155 | Iranian LDL-C: 256
Total/HDL Ratio: 6.21
TG/HDL Ratio in mg/dL: 6.13 | in mmol/L: 2.67

George Henderson
5 years ago

Here’s a study of a population with HbA1c 6.9% and low insulin.
Looks pretty good, if you avoid glucose spikes, as Shawn does.
http://hopefulgeranium.blogspot.co.nz/2016/08/glucokinase-mutations-diabetic.html

Dawn
Dawn
5 years ago

So I just did the 3 day protocol and this is so cool. I have a spreadsheet of all my food data and test results (I tested at home with the cardiochek almost everyday) I also have several years of test results, and the results of the three day protocol support supports what you are saying, it is really cool!! Are you interested in any of this data from people? and if so is there a place to send the excel sheets to? Thank you so much for your work. Next I am testing if I can get the same results with a little less calorie intake, it was not a fun 3 days LOL. Have you considered seeing if there is a percentage of calorie increase that will work per individual based on their normal calorie intake?

Siobhan Huggins
Admin
Siobhan Huggins(@siobhanh)
5 years ago
Reply to  Dawn

Hi Dawn! Any data we can add to our blood pool is appreciated, you could submit in the comments as text or if you’d prefer to send the file in to the team you can email it to me at siobhan.e.huggins@gmail.com or to the general cholesterol code email at cholesterolcode@gmail.com

As for calorie intake, I’m not too sure, perhaps it is something Dave has thought about, so I’ll ask him when he’s back from his hiatus. 🙂
Agreed on the difficulty though! I’ve done the feldman protocol as well, and despite how it sounds eating a lot is just not fun!

Roger
Roger
5 years ago

While doing the Feldman protocol, he mentions avoiding coffee. Is this because of caffeine? If not, why?

Siobhan Huggins
Admin
Siobhan Huggins(@siobhanh)
5 years ago
Reply to  Roger

Caffeine, and possibly coffee in general, increases fat trafficking in the body and can increase triglycerides and LDL. This isn’t 100% confirmed yet but has shown to be a source of problems for people who have done the protocol, and there is research to back up the mechanism so it’s recommended to avoid it as it may skew results.

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