A brief history. Eat less saturated fat. This slogan, along with others like it, has been pressed on us by nutritional authorities over the past 50 years or so. At a population level we largely listened and modified our behaviour. Meanwhile, obesity and other ‘diseases of civilisation’ steadily increased. Objectively…

Other than not coming from vegetables Plant oils would be a better term. They come from seeds (grapeseed, sunflower seed), grains (maize, rice bran), fruits (avocado, olive), nuts (almond, walnut) or legumes (peanut, soy), none of which are usually classified as vegetables. A product labelled vegetable oil will be a…

What’s going on…? The widely-held view is that we are eating too much and exercising too little, which results in an excess calorie balance that leads to weight-gain. …

The carbohydrate-insulin model of obesity — There is likely more than one reason for gaining weight across a population. This post is directed at those who follow western dietary guidelines (high-carbohydrate; low-fat) and who are nevertheless overweight, obese or diabetic. This is a significant (and increasing) proportion of the population. In particular, those who have not…

A metabolic therapy — I’ve had a short Editorial published (2021) in the journal Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics that can be accessed here: “The therapeutic potential of ketone bodies in Parkinson’s disease”. It is intended for a scientific readership, however much should be accessible to a general reader. The message is in the title. Essentially, there are reasons to expect that ketones may increase energy availability and be neuroprotective.

D is a hormone and it is critical to our biology It is conventional to refer to vitamin D as a vitamin, however this underplays its significance. The active metabolite of vitamin D is more akin to a hormone and has a ubiquitous role in our biology through modifying DNA…

Or how to lose weight without being hungry — There is likely more than one reason for gaining weight across a population. This post is directed at those who follow western dietary guidelines (high-carbohydrate; low-fat) and who are nevertheless overweight, obese or diabetic. This is a significant (and increasing) proportion of the population. In particular, those who have not…

An hypothesis for weight gain Protein is our primary biology. Indeed, the word comes from the Latin ‘protos’, meaning first. Our proteins are made up of various combinations of 20 amino acids (AA), 9 of which we must get from our diet (the essential amino acids, EAA), and the rest…

How a keto diet might lessen oxidative stress The reactive oxygen species (ROS) are a diverse group made up of free radicals, ions or small molecules — their common feature is that they need another electron to form more stable configurations. They grab this electron indiscriminately from any weak point…

Medicine is a pragmatic discipline. This means that sometimes a treatment can evolve from experience, well before it is understood scientifically. This is true for the drug metformin, for the treatment of type 2 diabetes(T2D). It is the most widely-prescribed oral medication for T2D, it is often the first-line treatment…

Where did it go… — As unlikely as it may seem, we exhale our weight. At least, we mostly do. Fat is burned for the energy that drives our metabolism. However burning fat does not reduce weight. There is a fundamental principle in chemistry: after any chemical reaction, there is no change in the total…

Its curious evolutionary basis — Most people from western societies are lactose tolerant and able to drink milk as adults, although intolerance still affects a significant minority. However, for most races, lactose intolerance is not the minority but rather the norm. It is estimated that globally, only about a third of today’s population can consume…

Is it essential? — No. Even the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (as issued by the US Department of Agriculture, 2015–2020) have acknowledged that: “Other food components, such as dietary fiber, while not essential, also are considered to be nutrients.” Nevertheless, recommendations to eat fibre riddle the document. …

And is it a risk-factor for obesity? — This question is really two conflated questions: [1] is ethanol (i.e. the active ingredient in all alcoholic beverages) a risk-factor for obesity, and; [2] are alcoholic beverages themselves a risk factor for obesity. There’s a third, related question: [3] does consuming food with either of these (ethanol or beverages) alter…

An alternative hypothesis — There are many potential mechanisms surrounding the pathogenesis of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD), spanning metabolism, environment (including lifestyle), genetic disposition and a host of associated risk-factors from various causes. Amid all of this, one hypothesis stands out in public and health perception — cholesterol. More specifically, the cholesterol carried by…

The contribution of diet to chronic inflammation — The immune system and inflammation are inseparable — the immune system invokes inflammation as part of its armoury, while inflammation provokes an immune response. So, understanding inflammation is helped by an appreciation of the immune systems that constantly (and usually imperceptibly) protect us. Our immune systems We have two immune ‘systems’ that have…

Authorities routinely blame the overweight for eating too many calories and not exercising enough. Telling obese people they eat too much is as useful as telling alcoholics they drink too much. But, what if eating and inactivity are symptoms of obesity, not causes? In that case, we should not be…

What are calories and how meaningful is it to count them? — A calorie is a superceded unit of heat energy, defined as the amount of heat required to increase the temperature of 1g of water 1 degree (from 15.5C to 16.5C). A Calorie (capitalised) is the conventional unit of dietary energy; however, it is not the same as a calorie —…

Understanding (and reversing) type 2 diabetes — Glucose from starchy carbohydrates or sugars can be dangerous and damaging for us. Glucose does this damage by a combination of inflammation, glycation, fat accumulation and insulin resistance. This can either result in, or contribute to, non-communicable diseases that are rife in western societies and that are increasing in prevalence…

A failed principle of dieting — Most people intuitively understand energy balance, particularly when it comes to weight management. This is known as the ‘calories-in calories-out’ (CICO) model, and its premise is that weight loss will occur when calories-out (CO) are greater than calories-in (CI). This is the basis for most diets, which rely on reducing…