I don’t agree with Cywes, he gives off the impression of being very confident on his speculations but the theory he presents is worth discussing.
If I understand it correctly -
- LMHR Carnivores have low GLP-1 Response to food
- This accounts for the increase in LDL
- This is a risk? (he wasn’t super clear) for carnivores
- People in this LMHR Carnivore setting should eat carbohydrates (20-50g) to prevent the LMHR phenotype for optimal health
This appears to mirror Paul Saladino’s experience where he wasn’t getting enough insulin secretion on his carnivore diet.
Other’s in the Carnivore space MD Baker/PhD Bart Kay - have spoken of needing a large enough protein bolus to trigger a insulin response. Whey Isolate has been recommended as a possible trigger for people having trouble eating enough protein.
We are well outside of the literature and measured clinical trials. We are deep into mechanistic speculation land.
I don’t agree with Cywes the LMHR group has elevated risk, and the study he references while not being conclusive is also a prospective matched epidemiological study.
What are your thoughts on engineering insulin spikes?
summerizer
WHY ARE CARNIVORES AT RISK FOR HEART ATTACKS?
Dr. Robert Cywes discusses the findings of the LMHR study, which indicates that individuals on a carnivorous diet are at the same risk for heart disease as those on a standard American diet. He elaborates on how high cholesterol and LDL levels do not correlate with plaque formation, while also pointing out possible increases in soft plaque among lean mass hyperresponders. The video emphasizes the importance of insulin resistance and insulin sensitivity, rather than just cholesterol levels, in understanding heart disease risk.
Key Points
LMHR Study Overview
The LMHR study, led by Dr. Feldman and others, analyzes individuals classified as lean mass hyperresponders who have high LDL and low triglycerides. The study found that high cholesterol does not correlate with increased cardiovascular risk.
Soft Plaque Formation
Contrary to expectations, the study revealed that lean mass hyperresponders experienced an increase in non-calcified plaque volume over time, aligning their risk of plaque progression with those consuming a standard American diet.
Cholesterol vs. Insulin Resistance
Dr. Cywes highlights that the real issue is not elevated cholesterol levels but rather insulin resistance caused by carbohydrate intake, suggesting that plaque formation may be a result of insulin suppression in carnivorous individuals.
Importance of GLP-1
GLP-1 plays a crucial role in insulin regulation, and its insufficient triggering in a strict carnivore diet can lead to elevations in blood sugar and insulin resistance, which may produce vascular inflammation and plaque.
Diet Recommendations
The doctor argues for the reintroduction of small amounts of carbohydrates in diets for those with insulin suppression to help prevent plaque formation and maintain healthier metabolic function.
The LMHR group is fairly rare, its someone who is in deep keto for a long time and with very low body fat. Cywes strong opinions are not the same thing as evidence. There is no demonstrated benefit to spiking insulin in a asymptomatic LMHR person.
Cywes doesn’t even address the plaque progression was based on existing plaque and not ketone levels…
There are some people, such as Paul Saladino, that do report symptoms being in the LMHR group over a long period of time. Since this population is vanishingly small we only have anecdotes that a carbohydrate bump or a whey isolate bump is enough to resolve their symptoms.
On a personal note Cywes always gives me pushy salesman vibes, especially when he pushes his ketone supplement.
I suppose this boils down to modern food availability and eating patterns mean someone can eat carnivore/keto having small meals throughout the day, not one big meal with a big piece of protein.
While this means their blood sugar remains in control they might be avoiding the periodic insulin spike that is, maybe, needed for optimal health.