Came across this fantastic article that pretty much confirms my the conclusions I came to after my recent thyroid tests, only she says things much more eloquently and comprehensively!… Read More
Month: April 2013
The Effect of a Ketogenic Diet on Thyroid Hormone
During my most recent cholesterol blood work, I also checked my thyroid hormone levels in an effort to figure out why my cholesterol has gotten so high while I’ve been in nutritional ketosis.
One of the possible explanations was that:
Chronic low carb -> Hypothyroidism (low T3) -> Decreased expression of LDL receptors in the liver -> Higher serum cholesterol
Background – Here is an oversimplified explanation of thyroid physiology
- Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) – This is the hormone your brain sends out telling your thyroid gland to produce more thyroid hormone.
Rare Rickson Gracie Documentary
Great documentary even though it’s in Japanese and the quality isn’t so great. Found it through Kid Peligro.
Love the single leg squats on the balance beam, seeing young Kron, and the family BJJ session.… Read More
The Spirit of Jiu Jitsu
The Effect of a Ketogenic Diet on Cholesterol Part 3
As you can see with my cholesterol numbers, despite cutting back on my saturated fats for 3 weeks by restricting the amount of coconut oil and grassfed butter that I typically eat, my LDL-C and Total Cholesterol have continued to go up!
Here is a brief summary of potential explanation as to why LDL and total cholesterol can be elevated in people who are in ketosis from Part 2:
- Increased consumption of saturated fats -> Increased liver production of fats -> High serums cholesterol
- Deficiency in certain micronutrients such as choline and copper -> Through some unknown mechanism -> High serum cholesterol
- Natural response of the body being in ketosis is to mobilize more fat for energy -> Higher serum cholesterol
- Chronic low carb -> Hypothyroidism (low T3) -> Decreased expression of LDL receptors in the liver -> Higher serum cholesterol
So it looks like I’ve eliminated #1 as a potential explanation. … Read More
How little we actually know about our fat and muscle…
Great article from Outside Magazine reframing how we should now view fat and muscle. Fat shouldn’t just be viewed as a form of energy storage, it should also be considered as a hormone secreting organ that sends out signals to the rest of the body. This also applies to muscle tissue. It’s much more than just a way to help us move around because it too secretes hormones that can affect the rest of the body.
I’d known that fat cells actually can produce estrogen (which is why obese men develop gynecomastia, or as described in Fight Club with the more politically incorrect term). … Read More