I agree. Look up Ketogenic Diet. After 2 months on it, my cholesterol and triglycerides were the best they had been in 20 years. Glucose levels were back in the normal range and I had lost 10 pounds. All while eating bacon, eggs, cream and other meats and green vegetables. Carbs are the culprit for poor health. Keto is hard to do for a long time without cheating. I miss ice cream and chocolate and fall off of the low carb wagon every few weeks.
The keto diet is being increasingly considered for the treatment of many neurological diseases and injuries, a list that includes Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, stroke, and even traumatic brain injuries. The keto diet can also improve memory function in older adults with increased risk for Alzheimer’s.
Though it was originally developed to treat patients with epilepsy, interest in the ketogenic diet has taken off in recent years as we've learned more about its therapeutic and health benefits. Here’s what you need to know about ‘keto’ and why some health experts believe it's good for your body — especially your brain.
Ketones are acidic chemicals that include acetone, acetoacetate, and beta-hydroxybutyrate. Needless to say, this can lead to some serious problems; starvation is obviously not good! If left unchecked, ketones can increase blood acidity, which can affect urine and cause serious liver and kidney damage.
But, when done correctly and responsibly, the keto diet can be used to effectively treat a number of health conditions.
A keto diet can take on many forms, but it typically involves the restriction of carbohydrates to no more than 50g per day. Sources should typically come from whole foods like vegetables, nuts, dairy, and so on. Refined carbohydrates, like bagels, pasta, and cereals, should be avoided, as should refined sugars (including high-sugar fruits and fruit juices).
Meals, therefore, should mostly be comprised of protein and some healthy fats (like olive oil, coconut oil, and avocados). A good rule of thumb is to follow the 60/35/5 rule in which 60% of calories come from fat, 35% from protein, and 5% from carbs. Protein should be set at about 1.5 to 1.75g of protein for every kilogram of your ideal body weight.
For comparison, a typical Western diet is about 5-15% protein, 10-20 % fat, and 65-85% carbohydrates.
It’s also important to not overdo the protein; a high-protein diet may prevent the body from entering into ketosis. Also, this is not a form of intermittent fasting
Why it works
Actually, we’re not entirely sure why it works so well. But some theories are beginning to emerge.
Keto diets have beneficial effects in a broad range of neurological disorders, particularly those involving the death of neurons. Scientists think it may have something to do with the effects of cellular energetics.
As already noted, the keto diet is associated with increased circulation of ketones in the body, which is a more efficient fuel for the brain. Ketones may also increase the number of brain mitochondria — the power packs inside of cells.
It’s possible that the boosted energy production capacity created by these effects is what gives our neurons an enhanced ability to resist metabolic challenges. Other biochemical changes — namely ketosis, high fat levels, and low glucose levels — may contribute to neuronal protection through a number of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions.
.... The keto diet can also improve memory function in older adults with increased risk for Alzheimer’s.
Cancer
The keto diet may also help in fighting off certain types of cancer and various tumors. It seems to do a good job treating brain tumors, likely a consequence of its neuroprotective qualities.
In one case, it seems to have helped an elder woman mange her brain tumor. It can also work well in conjunction with radiation therapy to treat brain tumor cells — at least in mice. Some scientists believe that a restricted keto diet is “a viable alternative to the standard care for managing malignant brain cancer.”
A 2011 pilot study indicated that the ketogenic diet is suitable for even advanced cancer patients, claiming that “It has no severe side effects and might improve aspects of quality of life and blood parameters in some patients with advanced metastatic tumors."
Hello, I don't have Parkinson's. I found this web site in a search engine, duckduckgo. I may have gotten here in the searching of Linus Pauling. A quote from a hearttechnology website, regarding a link said, "A study published in the October 16, 2013 online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, provides overwhelming evidence that dementia and Alzheimer's patients are known to have pronounced arterial plaquing, which Pauling's theory conclusively proves is caused by the body's "patching" of weak brain arteries due to collagen/vitamin C deficiency."
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