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Medications that Increase Blood Glucose Levels

by Mila McManus MD

There are several medications that can cause blood glucose destabilization and weight gain, insulin resistance, or type 2 diabetes.

One of the more common complaints my patients present with is weight gain, and sometimes medications are the culprit. Our goal is to identify root causes for diseases of any kind, and through lifestyle choices and natural approaches, work to correct problems rather than prescribing medications, which often cause more negative side effects.

There are several medications that can cause blood glucose destabilization and, as a result, weight gain, insulin resistance, or type 2 diabetes. If you are currently on any of theses medications, talk to one of our medical providers to discuss alternative ways to address your issues and possibly not need to take a prescription drug. Never stop a prescription medication without guidance from a medical practitioner.

The medications most commonly known to cause weight gain and metabolic disturbances are:

Glucocorticoids/corticosteroids (e.g., prednisone, dexamethasone, methylprednisolone)
Antipsychotics (e.g., clozapine, olanzapine)
Antidepressants (e.g., Abilify, Seroquel, lithium)
Thiazide diuretics (e.g., hydrochlorothiazide, chlorthalidone)
Statins (e.g., simvastatin, rosuvastatin, atorvastatin)
Beta-blockers (e.g., atenolol, metoprolol, propranolol)

Everyone benefits from diet and lifestyle habits that support healthy blood glucose levels. Dietary and lifestyle changes often eliminate the need for many of these drugs. Moreover, there are other natural approaches worth trying to avoid using prescription drugs, where possible.

Be Well.

Resources:

Jain, A.B., MD., Top 5 Medications That Can Increase Blood Glucose Levels. www.medscape.com, January 30, 2024.

By Mila McManus MD|2024-04-03T14:04:36-06:00April 4th, 2024|General|

by Mila McManus, MD

We now carry an organic, antioxidant rich, mold free, coffee option in our office that only uses organic beans, Purity Coffee.

Last year, we posted this ARTICLE https://woodlandswellnessmd.com/coffee-talk.html about the many health concerns with coffee and how to avoid them. Because coffee lovers abound, and so many people enjoy starting their day with a cup or two, we now carry an organic, antioxidant rich, mold free coffee option in our office.

Purity Coffee uses only organic beans sourced from regenerative bio-dynamic farms. In other words, this coffee is not destroying the rainforest, or the animals and birds that live there. It also means you get pure, non-genetically modified, pesticide-free, clean pure coffee. Additionally, Purity Coffee is packaged in a way to prevent mold growth on the bean, another toxic aspect of most common grocery store and coffee shop coffees.

Purity coffee comes in four formulas:

Ease Purity Coffee is crafted for easy digestion and is an organic arabica coffee, also an excellent cold brew option. This formula has a reduced acid profile and increased antioxidant compounds which protect against free radicals. The taste profile for Ease is dark chocolate, roasted walnut and brown spice.

Flow Purity Coffee is a medium roasted organic formula for overall health. The taste profile boasts roasted nuts, dark chocolate and juicy apple-like high notes and is rich in antioxidants, yet gentle on the stomach.

Balance Purity Coffee is a medium roast coffee with one third the caffeine of most coffee, but with a high antioxidant content. The taste profile is vanilla, berry, and roasted almond flavors.

Protect Purity Coffee is a light-medium roast with sweet citrus characteristics, specifically sourced and roasted for liver care and metabolic vitality and offering the highest achievable levels of antioxidants. The taste profile is toasted hazelnut, hint of brown spice and sweet, juicy notes.

This coffee comes in whole bean, sachet [used like a teabag], and pods. We carry whole beans 12 oz bags and sachets, and pods or 5 lb bags can be special ordered. Call or come by to get your perfect cup of joe!

Reference: 2023 Product Guide published by Purity Coffee

By Mila McManus MD|2024-03-27T14:16:08-06:00March 28th, 2024|General|

by Mila McManus, MD

There has been significant research demonstrating the value of omega-3 fatty acids but several new studies reveal many other benefits!

There has been significant research demonstrating the value of omega-3 fatty acids for cardiovascular benefits, and several new studies reveal many other benefits as well! It should be no surprise since omega-3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory.

Brain Function: Learning, Memory, Behavior, Anti-Aging[1]

Nutrition Neuroscience presented a systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on brain-derived neurotrophic factor (aka BDNF). BDNF is a protein in the brain and nerves that preserves nerve cells as well as encourages the growth of new nerves. The growth of new nerve cells in the brain is called “neuroplasticity”, or “brain plasticity”. This refers to the brain’s ability to heal and direct activity over new pathways. BDNF supports brain function as we age, as well as plays an important role in learning, memory, and behavior at all ages.

Migraine Headaches[2]

Advances in Nutrition posted a review of a meta-analysis of 6,616 participants treated over 18 weeks showed high dose omega-3 fatty acids EPA/DHA outperformed existing pharmaceutical drugs in reducing the frequency and severity of migraine headaches.

Reduced Risk for Autoimmune Disease[3]

The randomized VITAL trial reported that among 21,592 participants who agreed to be followed for an additional 2 years after discontinuation of the trial, found that the benefits of daily marine omega-3 fatty acids remained statistically significant even two years after taking it to protect against autoimmune disease. Both Vitamin D and Omega-3’s were found to be protective while being taken, but the Omega-3 benefit continued to be prevalent even two years after supplementation was discontinued.

Ideal dietary sources for Omega 3 fatty acids, which can be difficult to get in the standard American diet (aka SAD), include fatty fish such as mackerel, anchovies, herring, sardines, rainbow trout, and salmon. Flaxseed, chia seed, and walnuts are also rich sources. Supplemental krill or cod liver oil are also excellent sources. A note–farmed salmon is extremely toxic, so be mindful about eating wild Pacific Salmon only!

Talk to your medical provider to determine if Omega-3 supplementation is right for you and to ensure the appropriate dose and type of supplementation for you.

Reduce inflammation. Be Well.

[1] Ziaei, S., et. al., A systematic review and meta-analysis of the omega-3 fatty acids effects on brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Nutrition Neuroscience, August 17, 2023. Doi: 10.1080/1028415X.2023.2245996.

[2] Tseng, P.-T., et.al., High dosage omega-3 fatty acids outperform existing pharmacological options for migraine prophylaxis: A network meta-analysis. Advances in Nutrition, August 8, 2023. Doi.org/10.1016/j.advnut.2023.100163.

[3] Osterweil, Neil. Preventing autoimmune disease: New findings on vitamin D,o Omega-3 supplements. Medscape Medical News. February 7, 2024.

By Mila McManus MD|2024-03-20T10:01:53-06:00March 21st, 2024|General|

Greetings,

I’m excited to extend a personal invitation for you to join me and unlock YOUR path to youthful vitality! I will be speaking at a virtual summit alongside other experts in their field. The summit is titled: “Longevity Reset to Eternal Vitality: Rewind Your Biology to Youthful.”

As someone deeply invested in living longer while being healthier, I know you will find your tribe at this summit. Here’s a glimpse of what we’ll dive into:

Optimize Your Brain and Gut Health: Discover strategies for enhancing mental clarity and digestive wellness.
Detox and Cellular Health: Uncover the secrets to opening detox pathways, eliminating parasites, and supporting your mitochondria.
Innovations in Longevity: Explore cutting-edge insights into nootropics, stem cells, and bioregulatory peptides.
Holistic Dental Care: Learn about biological dentistry and how to understand your blood work.
Lifestyle Practices for Longevity: Delve into breathwork, bioenergetics, going organic, and avoiding toxic exposure.
Animal Longevity: Tips on extending the health and happiness of our furry friends.

Best part? It’s completely free to sign up and watch.

Here’s how it works: Starting March 18, you will receive exclusive virtual interviews directly to your inbox daily for ten days. The interviews will feature some of the brightest minds in anti-aging and longevity. Take advantage of this opportunity to reset your biological clock and embrace a future filled with youthful vitality. Don’t miss out!. Click here to sign up to attend.

Warmest regards,

Mila McManus, MD

The Woodlands Institute for Health and Wellness

P.S. This is a rare opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and experts passionate about turning the tide on aging. Join us as we explore the frontier of what’s possible for our health and longevity. See you there!

By Mila McManus MD|2024-03-11T17:13:28-06:00March 12th, 2024|General|

by Mila McManus, MD

The grain family includes most commonly wheat, corn, rice, millet, barley, amaranth, sorghum, spelt, buckwheat, rye, and oats, and others.

We often get asked whether grains should be included in a healthy diet. Understandably, many foods we have grown up eating, such as cereal, bread, and pasta are made from grains and are also favorite foods. For purposes of this article, the grain family includes most commonly wheat, corn, rice, millet, barley, amaranth, sorghum, spelt, buckwheat, rye, and oats, though many others exist.

We view grains as a food group that may work better for some people than others. Individuals who are active, have normal weight and metabolic functioning, may be able to consume some grains, if chosen and eaten properly. Regardless of the frequency with which they are eaten, it’s important to choose carefully to avoid the problems associated with grains.

Broadly speaking, grains tend to be pro-inflammatory, rather than anti-inflammatory. The more processed they are, the less nutrient-rich they become. As a result, we put a much higher emphasis on vegetables and fruits, animal products, nuts, and seeds as the most anti-inflammatory, nutrient dense foods to consume. Grains should be consumed infrequently and more as a condiment-sized serving, or small side dish, rather than as a primary component of a meal.

In America, most grains are heavily treated with pesticides and herbicides. Many are genetically modified. For these two reasons, organic grains are a much better choice. Additionally, the bread aisle at the grocery store contains the most highly processed food in America. Pasta, and most cereals, also fall into this ultra processed category where it is generous to even call it food. In addition to pesticides, herbicides, and genetic modification, wheat is especially further altered through a process called deamidation. Acids and enzymes are applied to wheat to make it water soluble so that it mixes more easily with other foods. One study published in the European Journal of Inflammation concluded that this wheat “compound” may be the major cause of hidden inflammatory responses to foods.[1] Datis Kharrazian, DHSc, DC, MS, says our wheat is truly a fake, man-made substance that should not be honored with the name “food”.[2]

If you conduct an internet search, you will find that both wheat and gluten are in the top 10 highest food sensitivities and food allergies. [3] Food sensitivities typically cause symptoms a few days after a food is eaten. Food allergies[4] are more immediate, usually within minutes to an hour of eating it. For this reason, we recommend to all of our patients that they try a period of time without wheat, gluten, or other grains to see if inflammation and symptoms are reduced, weight is lost, and cognitive function improves.

One final concern regarding grains. When pulverized into flour [e.g. wheat flour, rice flour, corn meal], not only does it lose most of its beneficial fiber and good vitamins, it also digests very rapidly, destabilizing blood sugar, causing a glucose spike and dump, which leads to pre-diabetes, weight gain, mood swings, and inflammation. Stabilized blood sugar is one of the foundational concepts of good health. We recommend adults wear a continuous glucose monitor [CGM] for a couple of weeks so that you can understand how your body is responding to grains and other food combinations. In our observations with glucose monitor results, grains are one of the most common blood sugar-destabilizing food groups.

Be Wise. Be Healthy. Be Stable.

[1] Vojdani A, O’Bryan T, Kellermann GH. The immunology of immediate and delayed hypersensitivity reactions to gluten. European J of Inflammation. 2008;(6):1-10.

[2] Kharrazian, D. Why Isn’t My Brain Working?, Carlsbad, CA., Elephant Press. 2013. P. 134.

[3] https://www.medicinenet.com/what_are_the_most_common_food_intolerances/article.htm

[4] https://www.fda.gov/food/buy-store-serve-safe-food/food-allergies-what-you-need-know

By Mila McManus MD|2024-03-06T11:05:46-06:00March 7th, 2024|General|

Getting started with your sensors:

Your sensors have finally arrived. It is time to set up your accounts with Theia and Libra. This will give you and our medical team a visual tool to optimize your nutrition.

Once you receive your sensors, please follow the step-by-step guide below to set up your Theia and Libre accounts:

By Mila McManus MD|2024-03-02T22:24:48-06:00March 2nd, 2024|General|

by Mila McManus, MD

Supplements are not all created equal! On Amazon, 1 out of every 2 sold is counterfeit. Identifying quality supplements is quite complex.

Supplements are not all created equal! Natural products and supplement choices have exploded as Americans search for the next magic bullet for good health and longevity. On Amazon, 1 out of every 2 supplements sold is counterfeit. More recently, the FDA threatened legal action against Amazon for selling male energy supplements that contained undeclared quantities of Cialis and Viagra in them.[1] Frankly, identifying quality supplements is quite complex. In this article, I will attempt to point out many of the variables I’ve discovered over the years in my efforts to ensure the best quality, potency, purity, and production standards.

First, generally speaking, you DO get what you pay for with regard to supplements, and there are also expensive well-known brands that should be avoided. Still, if you are faced with making a decision when purchasing a supplement with no one to offer guidance, choose the more expensive and avoid the cheapest, generic supplements.

Second, carefully scrutinize the ‘other’ and ‘inactive’ ingredients on the labels and choose those with the fewest number of them. Binders, colors, coatings, sweeteners, and fillers are often potential allergens (e.g., yeast, gluten, corn, soy) or known carcinogens (e.g., food colors, talc, dyes, artificial sweeteners). Some harmless ones include silicon dioxide, cellulose, and citric acid.

Third, look for third-party tested supplements to ensure quality control and purity. One study of 55 different brands of vitamin D showed that the actual amount of vitamin D per dose varied from 9 to 146% of what the labels listed. Several years ago, Consumer Labs studied numerous brands of multivitamins and nearly half of them didn’t have in the bottles what the bottles listed were in the bottles.[3] Higher-end, reputable supplement manufacturers use the best raw materials, create formulations based on solid scientific data, and use third-party testing to ensure quality and purity of their products. These factors command a higher price.

Fourth, be aware that common contaminants found in vitamins and supplements include mold, pesticides, and heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, and mercury. You won’t see that listed on the label! While USP, GMP, and NPA are common quality seals on supplements that suggest it has met at least some minimum quality standards, it does not necessarily ensure top quality. There are many top quality supplements without these seals. Remember, supplements are not very regulated. So who are you going to trust?

Fifth, the amount of active ingredients varies widely across supplements. A supplement may appear great because of numerous healthy ingredients listed, such as CoQ10, turmeric, spirulina, chlorella, ginger, fruits, and vegetables, but they may be insignificant amounts that aren’t doing much good, if at all. It’s also noteworthy that the RDA (recommended daily allowance) is often very suboptimal. For instance, the RDA for vitamin C may be enough to prevent scurvy, but it’s hardly an optimal amount to support immune function, alleviate seasonal allergies, and neutralize the onslaught of free radicals and chemicals to which we are exposed on a daily basis.

Sixth, when looking at nutrient labels on vitamin and mineral supplements, it’s important to know the difference between their forms. You’ll notice, for example, that there are several forms of magnesium. Magnesium glycinate, magnesium oxide, magnesium citrate, and magnesium malate are all different chelated forms of magnesium. If your magnesium supplement is magnesium oxide, it’s nothing more than a good laxative. You aren’t absorbing that magnesium for its internal benefits. Calcium is another good example. Calcium carbonate is very inexpensive and also not well absorbed. If this is the form in your multivitamin, it’s time to find a better one.

Seventh, it seems intuitive that taking a ‘natural whole food’ supplement would be better than a synthetic form; however, that’s often not the case. A supplement claiming to have nothing but fruits and vegetables in it may be contaminated with pesticides, and it’s also difficult to get optimal doses of nutrients from fruits and vegetables. Sure, it’s obviously important to eat your fruits and vegetables, but these days our bodies require much more than those can provide. This is mainly due to depletion of nutrients available in soil, and increased toxins in the environment. Another reason that whole food based supplements may not be ideal for some is the yeast content. Yeast is a common allergen that could be affecting you without you realizing it.

Eighth, popularity does not mean quality. For instance, Centrum® is one of the most popular brands of multivitamin, however, it contains corn and soy (highly allergenic and genetically modified), 3 food dyes including red dye #40, Talc (yes, baby powder, and has been linked to cancer), and contains the cheapest and least absorbable minerals, namely calcium carbonate and magnesium oxide.

Ninth, there are synthetic and natural forms of many vitamins. Remember that synthetic means it has been man made through chemical synthesis. While some water soluble vitamins can be acceptable in their synthetic form, the fat-soluble dl-alpha vitamin E should be avoided! The best form of vitamin E is “mixed tocopherols”.

Overwhelmed? Well, we’ve done our homework and offer several product lines at our facility to make your life easier. And we’re happy to ship them to you.

Be Well. Choose Health.

[1] https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-receives-fda-warning-over-male-energy-supplements-containing-viagra-2023

[2] https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/health-issues/dietary-supplements-what-the-industry-does-not-want-you-to-know/#gsc.tab=0

[3] O magazine, June 2004 (Article on Consumer Labs study)

Other Resources:

Blog, Herbs and Supplements, Holistic & Functional Nutrition: Trending Topics/ July 26, 2023. The Hidden Dangers of Buying Supplements on Amazon and eBay.

http://www.drwhitaker.com/choosing-the-best-supplements-to-take/

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/26/health/policy/26herbal.html

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12867165

http://www.forbes.com/sites/melaniehaiken/2013/02/11/that-vitamin-d-youre-taking-it-may-not-be-vitamin-d/#7dc9ca6e6b6a

http://www.drwhitaker.com/how-safe-are-your-supplements/

http://www.consumerlab.com/

By Mila McManus MD|2024-02-20T08:21:30-06:00February 28th, 2024|Articles, General|

by Mila McManus, MD

In my clinical experience, most patients come into our practice with at least one or more nutrient deficiencies, and I recommend supplements. Why are so many people deficient in nutrients? Well, it’s certainly not due to a lack of food availability. We have plenty of restaurants and grocery stores, and about 75% of the population is overweight or obese.

So why don’t we get everything our bodies need from the food we eat?

Here are the top 4 reasons:

Most of our soil is over-farmed and depleted of nutrients due to commercial agricultural farming operations (CAFO’s). Deficient soil grows deficient plants.

Most of our fruits and vegetables are harvested very early, before ripening, so that they can be shipped, stored, and distributed over long distances. Nutrients develop in the ripening process on the tree or vine and in the sunshine, so when they are picked early, they are already deficient. Once picked, nutrients are also lost as the food ages and is exposed to heat. By the time we get our fruits and vegetables in the grocery store, they are very deficient in vital nutrients.

Ultra-processed food, 85% of what is found in grocery stores and fast-food restaurants, is grossly deficient in nutrients due to the destructive nature of food processing. Any vitamins or minerals added back in by the food industry are cheap formulations that are not very absorbable by the body. For example, calcium carbonate is added to nut milks to claim they have the RDA (aka recommended daily allowance) of calcium, but this is not a form of calcium that’s well absorbed.

Our bodies are assaulted every day by our environment – stress, pollution, chemicals… just to name a few. Your body does an amazing job of coping with all of this; however, it does so by demanding more vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and quality nutrition. When your cells cannot obtain everything they need to do their jobs, you experience symptoms of illness, rather than wellness.

Hopefully this helps you understand why it’s important to supplement your diet properly with vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. Guidance from a trained medical professional will help to ensure you are getting what you need, in a form your body can absorb, while avoiding unnecessary ingredients and supplements. This also explains why we recommend a whole food diet, organic and regenerative farming practices, and a healthy lifestyle.

Of course, that brings us to the next obvious question. In a vast marketplace capitalizing on the supplementation craze, how do you know what supplements are worth buying? Stay tuned! Next week we will address the many important considerations when choosing supplementation.

By Mila McManus MD|2024-05-08T22:35:07-06:00February 20th, 2024|General|

by Mila McManus MD

Synbio milk is not recognized by spell check, and you might best not recognize it either. Synbio milk is synthetic.

Everyday a new-fangled food shows up in the grocery store. Consumer BEWARE! Synbio milk is not recognized by spell check, and you might not recognize it either. Synbio milk is synthetic. The Oxford Dictionary defines “synthetic” as made by chemical synthesis, especially to imitate a natural product. This is another example coming from the food engineering world that believes we can replace whole foods with lab-grown, chemically concocted alternatives that are wholly equivalent to the original ancestral real food diet. Reality check…. that’s simply impossible.

Dr. John Fagan is a molecular biologist who worked with the U.S. National Institutes for Health for almost a decade. The co-founder and chief scientist at the Health Research Institute (HRI) now, Fagan says this “synbio milk-like product” contains compounds that have never before existed in the human diet. In fact, through cutting-edge mass spectrometric technology, he identified 92 unknown compounds![1]

Fagan says you can’t say this is nutritionally like milk in any way. The same concerns exist with animal free meat. In both cases, mysterious compounds are detected that don’t exist in real milk or meat. These compounds are so uncommon, they have yet to be named. They have never been found in the human food chain. None of these compounds have been tested for safety by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration[2], and they have been put on the market by the FDA that we are paying taxes to watch and make sure our food is safe.

This is an excellent example of the ultra-processed food [UPI’s] criteria we discussed in a recent article about the NOVA food classification system used in the Food Engineering industry. It is a globalist and profit driven system, vastly opposite from agricultural ranching and farming. Be tuned in for industry buzzwords such as “precision fermentation”, a term in biotech industry being used to piggyback off the popularity of the truly health-promoting natural fermentation we encourage you to consume.[3] The processes are wildly different! The long-term outcomes are entirely unknown, but the marketing techniques are stealthy.

Be wise. Eat real. Cherish Health.

References:

[1] The Checkout, Episode 157, Dr. John Faga’s Concerning New Findings About “Animal Free” Dairy.

[2] Food Business News October 27, 2023

[3] Mercola.com, article Synbio Milk, Dairy-free. December 2023.

By Mila McManus MD|2024-02-14T10:53:10-06:00February 15th, 2024|Articles, General|

by Mila McManus, MD

Many chefs will attribute a high smoke point as culinary benefits but is it possible that we should consider if it is healthy?

The most popular culinary chefs on your cooking channel are likely proponents of cooking in plant oil {vegetable or seed oil], such as olive, avocado, peanut, grapeseed, sesame, or canola oil. Most hot preparation recipes call for one of these. Many chefs will attribute a high smoke point and light flavor as culinary benefits to using them. But is it healthy?

Industrially Manufactured -What is a high smoke point oil? High smoke point oils are produced by manufacturers using industrial refinement processes such as bleaching, filtering, and high-temperature heating. The refinement process serves to extract and eliminate the extraneous compounds that burn, or smoke, at a certain point. This also makes the oil shelf-life longer[1]. This industrial refinement applies to most of the oils labeled “high smoke point” including avocado, canola, cottonseed, grapeseed, olive, peanut, safflower, soybean, and sunflower oils. Refinement increases manufacturers’ profitability while making them more pro-oxidative, pro-inflammatory, toxic, and nutrient deficient[2].

Damaged and Adulterated – Cooks are focused on taste – not necessarily on what is in the best interest of your body. Light, heat, water, and air are enemies of cooking oils. For this reason, it doesn’t make health-sense to cook with them. Whether cooking with high temperatures for short duration [think searing a roast in a pan at 375-400°], or lower temperatures for a longer duration [think roasting vegetables for 30 minutes at 350° or higher], heat will breakdown and destroy these cooking oils. They are not structurally secure chemical formulas. There is considerable speculation that, much like olive oil and grapeseed oils, avocado oil is also being refined, tainted, and blended with cheaper seed oils. At this point, it’s difficult to discern a clean, unadulterated oil from a damaged one on the grocery store shelf. Carefully selected unrefined olive and avocado oils are healthy choices for cold preparations which allow you to reap the natural, unadulterated benefits of these mostly mono-unsaturated fats.

Toxic to Cells – Research is revealing how toxic these oils are to your mitochondria, the organelles found in every cell in your body necessary to produce energy and keep the cell alive and functioning[3]. Research suggests refined vegetable/seed oils [i.e. avocado, canola, cottonseed, grapeseed, olive, peanut, safflower, soybean, and sunflower] are implicated in the rise of lifestyle diseases of today, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity. These oils are found in all processed foods, fast food, and most restaurant food[4]. They are on the oil aisle touted as high smoke point options.

Omega 3:6 Ratios – Vegetable/seed oils are also extremely high in omega-6 fats, even when fresh from the source. While we need omega-6 fats, they are very easy to get from our diet. Most people eating the standard American diet, which is highly processed, consume five times more omega-6 fats than omega-3 fats, creating excess oxidation, inflammation, and toxicity. One good example of a common health outcome of eating too many Omega-6 fats is excess LDL cholesterol and a high total cholesterol. Lowering omega -6 fats in the diet and increasing Omega-3 fats contribute important antioxidant, anti-inflammatory benefits for the whole body and can lower LDL cholesterol and improve total cholesterol. But omega-3 fats are much more difficult to get through the diet. Getting the proper balance of Omega-3 to omega-6 oils requires action from both aspects: reduction of vegetable/seed oils high in omega-6 fats and increases in quality sources of omega-3 fats such as wild anchovies, mackerel, herring, and cod liver oil, as well as grass-fed beef, pasture raised eggs, walnuts, and appropriate supplementation[5].

Carcinogenic Potential – The smoke point of an oil, also known as the burn point, is where the oil breaks down and releases free radicals and a substance called acrolein, the chemical taste and smell of burnt oil. Acrylamide is the common substance released from burnt plant foods such as potatoes, found to be cancer causing in mice[6]. Extremely high heat cooking will most likely result in oxidation and release of toxic acrylamides from the food being cooked. So whether it’s from the oil, or the food being cooked, the natural structure of both the oil and the food [meat, veggie, egg, etc.] are also being de-natured, reducing its nutrient value and increasing its toxicity. It’s best to minimize high heat cooking.

Solutions – Use saturated fats for medium high, medium, and low heat stovetop, roasting, and baking. Saturated fats, which are solid, not liquid, at room temperature, are structurally double bonded chemical formulas. That is what gives them their solid nature. They tolerate light, heat, and air much better than the oils already mentioned above. Our earlier ancestors left butter on the counter all the time. They are also generally lower in Omega 6 content, and higher in Omega 3, less easily oxidized, and less inflammatory or pro-oxidative. They are good for brain and heart health and promote absorption of important fat soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K which promote healthy bones, skin, and vision, just to name a few. They tolerate heat better for longer periods of time, offer better nutrition, and are not industrially refined in the first place. Start with an undamaged oil the way it is found in nature such as ghee, butter, beef tallow, pork or chicken fat, and coconut oil. Ideally, animal fats should come from animals that ate their natural diet grazing and foraging, and should be organic whenever possible. All animal fats have a smoke point equal to or higher than avocado or olive oil. The French are well known for cooking in duck fat. The flavor is delightful.

Cook wisely. Be Well.

[1] https://www.seriouseats.com/cooking-fats-101-whats-a-smoke-point-and-why-does-it-matter#toc-chart-smoke-point-index

[2] Knobbe, Chris A. (May 14, 2023). The Ancestral Diet Revolution. Ancestral Health Foundation.

[3] Rogers, Kara. (January 9, 2024) Science & Tech: Mitochondrion. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com.

[4] Knobbe, Chris A. (May 14, 2023). The Ancestral Diet Revolution. Ancestral Health Foundation.

[5] https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/12-omega-3-rich-foods. Updated October 6, 2023. Accessed 1/18/2024.

[6] https://www.cancer.net/blog/2023-01/can-eating-grilled-or-charred-foods-cause-cancer

By Mila McManus MD|2024-02-07T10:45:10-06:00February 7th, 2024|Articles, General|

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