[podcast flashvars=”titles: ‘Fruit Fly Research (Ep. 29)'”]http://www.thelivinlowcarbshow.com/shownotes/wp-content/uploads/llvlcep29.mp3[/podcast]
Howdy Low-Carbers! This is the final episode of our “Fact-Filled February” series here at “The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore!”
In Episode 29 today, Jimmy will be looking at fruit flies. SAY WHAT?? No, seriously…fruit flies.
Why?
Well, without giving away any surprises (listen to the show to find out what it’s all about!), let’s just say there is some heavy-duty research about the Atkins/low-carb nutritional approach that Jimmy’s gonna fill you in on.
Hold on to your hats, folks, because this just might knock your socks off! 🙂
LINKS MENTIONED IN EPISODE 29
- Low-carb retailer LowCarbAndMore.com
- Learn about the “Go Red For Women” campaign at FreshExpress.com
- Dr. Sean Oldham’s research on the TOR gene and metabolic syndrome
- Dr. Jeff Volek and Dr. Richard Feinman’s research on low-carb diets and metabolic syndrome
- New over-the-counter obesity drug called “Alli”
- Jimmy Moore’s “Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb” blog
Did you miss something Jimmy said? Access a full transcript of Episode 29 by clicking on the link below!
TRANSCRIPT for Episode 29:
Hey there and welcome to Episode 29 of “The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore.” Today is the final podcast show of this month as we wrap up our exciting “Fact-Filled February” series that has focused on the latest and greatest research about the low-carb lifestyle. We’ll discuss one more study today looking at the role of the Atkins low-carb nutritional approach to the condition known as metabolic syndrome. Get ready for more hard evidence proving low-carb is all that and a bag of chips…low-carb ones, of course!
Speaking of low-carb chips, have you paid a visit to our sponsor LowCarb And More yet? Go to LowCarbAndMore.com to find a wide variety of low-carb and sugar-free products that will fit your low-carb lifestyle. LowCarb And More really wants to be THE “one stop shop” for diabetics and low-carbers alike. This incredible online retail store has a comprehensive selection of low-carb and sugar-free foods from all the biggest name brands and specialty manufacturers around! LowCarb and More believes in providing people with delicious, nutritious, and healthy foods for their permanent low-carb lifestyle change. It’s all at LowCarb and More…where low-carb meets great taste. Check ’em out today at LowCarbAndMore.com.
You really have to admire what Fresh Express is doing right now teaming up with the American Heart Association and their “Go Red For Women” campaign. I saw the point of purchase materials at my local grocery store this week while picking up my weekly stock of fresh greens and remembered their promise to donate a portion of the proceeds to this effort to bring awareness to the heart health of women. The next time you are out shopping for groceries, swing on over to the produce section and look for the special red dress logo on the packaging of your favorite Fresh Express salad products. And visit FreshExpress.com to see what “Go Red For Women” is all about. Because at Fresh Express, they take your health to heart.
In Episode 29, I’d like to share with you about metabolic syndrome. You might be wondering to yourself, “What the heck is that?” Well, while not a lot of people know what “metabolic syndrome” is, chances are millions of people are walking around right now with it and haven’t got a clue that they do. The quadruple threat of obesity, insulin resistance, heart disease, and high cholesterol is literally destroying the health of millions of people who could benefit from making some rather basic changes in their diet. That’s the conclusion of some research released in August 2006 that found an impressive new treatment option for people who have metabolic syndrome which also happens to explain why the Atkins diet is so effective. WOW, you gotta hear this to believe it!
Lead researcher Dr. Sean Oldham, an assistant professor at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research, found there is a single gene discovered in the genetic makeup of fruit flies that helps to regulate vital bodily functions such as insulin, glucose, and fat metabolism. A mutant form of the gene called TOR, an acronymn for the “target of rapamycin” gene that is present in virtually every plant and animal in the world, was created and bred with the fruit flies so Dr. Oldham and his fellow researchers could follow the gene’s pathway to see what impact it would have on them. What they found was the mutant TOR was directly responsible for reducing the influence of that gene on the body and led to a lowering of blood glucose levels and cholesterol. Additionally, an insulin-signal mediator in the body was also blocked and showed improvements in the glucose and cholesterol levels. Interestingly, the fruit flies with the mutated TOR lived longer than the control group of fruit flies. Before this study, the exact function of the TOR gene was unknown as it relates to insulin-regulation and metabolic syndrome. But this research, which was published in the scientific journal Cell Metabolism, certainly provides scientific evidence why and how the Atkins diet works to control and reverse metabolic syndrome. Dr. Oldham agreed and had this to say: “This study provides the first direct evidence that reducing TOR function could be clinically beneficial to counter insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome and diabetes. We believe further studies on fruit flies are invaluable to discovering more details about this pathway.” So, what exactly does all of this mean for people who are livin’ la vida low-carb? Actually, this is NOT new information for many us because we already knew that the Atkins/low-carb approach was an excellent way to control insulin levels and blood sugar. Noted researchers Dr. Jeff Volek from the University of Connecticut and Dr. Richard Feinman from SUNY Downstate in Brooklyn, New York have already previously “connected the dots” between low-carb and metabolic syndrome and shared their discovery in November 2005 in the scientific journal Nutrition & Metabolism. What they found when looking at the features of metabolic syndrome was that carbohydrate-restricted diets improve each of the factors that make up metabolic syndrome. Dr. Volek put it this way: “Make a list of the features of metabolic syndrome, then, make a list of the things that carbohydrate restriction is good at fixing. They’re the same list. Somehow, we never really noticed that. We know the cause of metabolic syndrome is often linked to disruption of insulin. Thus, the key to treating metabolic syndrome is to control insulin, and carbohydrates are the major stimulus for insulin.” Dr. Feinman took that point a step further by examining how our current dietary recommendations have actually exacerbated the problem: “The most obvious factor in the obesity epidemic is the drastic increase in carbohydrate consumption in recent years and the decrease in fat consumption, so the story is consistent. I think people have learned the value of reducing carbohydrates during the media popularization of low-carb diets, but they are still making it hard for themselves by also trying to reduce fat, when fat seems to be much less important a factor than carbohydrates. The bottom line is that if you reduce carbohydrates, you can be less concerned about your fat intake, and that often makes it much easier to stick to a beneficial new diet or lifestyle change.”
Very well stated, Dr. Feinman! It’s nice to know see that real researchers like Dr. Volek and Dr. Feinman are getting the word out about this well-known fact! In my blog interview with diabetes physician Dr. Mary Vernon a few months ago, she remarked that the cost of the medication needed to treat metabolic syndrome currently averages around $550 per month! “How much healthy food (including leafy greens and protein sources) could someone buy for $550.00?” Vernon said during the interview. “Enough to eat well and decrease the need for drugs, as well as to reverse the progress toward diabetes.” When people tell me they can’t afford to eat the low-carb way, my response is you can’t afford NOT to if you hope to lose weight and ward off diabetes, heart disease, and even premature death. Dr. Oldham said his study revealed “unexpected and novel levels” of insulin regulation and lends credence to the much-maligned low-carb diets that has existed so prevalently over the past few years. Here’s what Dr. Oldham had to say about that: “This study provides the first details of how TOR may … [work in the] coordination of weight reduction effects caused by caloric restriction and, in humans, it may explain the effects of the Atkins diet.” He added that lowering the TOR function could very well be the treatment option researchers have been looking for regarding metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance. But I was disappointed to hear they will be using this research to begin working on a new drug that reduces TOR levels in the body. Whoa, whoa, wait just a minute! Why oh why would they do this when the study just concluded this can happen NATURALLY in the body by livin’ la vida low-carb? It’s like all these new obesity pills like the new over-the-counter Alli drug that keep coming out. How is taking an expensive new drug with questionable side effects supposed to change the bad lifestyle habits of the people stuffing their mouths with gobs of sugar and excessive carbohydrates? Do these people who want these drugs think they will have the luxury of eating Twinkies and Ho-Ho’s all day as long as long as they pop their pill? UGH! WAKE UP PEOPLE! You don’t need a drug to control your obesity or metabolic syndrome. The answer really is as simple as making a lifetime commitment to a new way of eating that has improved the weight and health of millions upon millions of people worldwide. It’s livin’ la vida low-carb! Don’t get fooled into thinking this was just some passing diet fad that has no scientific basis for existence. While it’s true the “fad” part of the diet that came with all the so-called “low-carb” foods a few years back is now thankfully dead and gone, the science behind low-carb is still making a BIG SPLASH in 2007 and will continue to do so for many years to come. I expect even MORE research to come down the pipeline in the coming months and years as the late great Dr. Robert C. Atkins is indeed vindicated posthumously for promoting such a healthy and sound nutritional approach throughout the course of his amazing life. God rest his soul.
That’s it for Episode 29 of “The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore.” Thanks so much for supporting the “Fact-Filled February” series this month and I will certainly keep an eye on all the latest research that continues to pour in about the low-carb lifestyle. Visit my blog at LivinLaVidaLowCarb.com to stay on the cutting edge of nutritional science that comes out about low-carb living and we’ll be all over it whether the media talks about it or not. That’s my promise to you. THANK YOU for your support of this podcast show which just keeps growing and growing as people are attracted to the truth about low-carb living. So, until next time, keep on livin’ la vida low-carb!