A High-carb Diet May Explain Why Okinawans Live So Long

[jyb]

To be honest I think this quote speaks among the most volumes.



Sunlight is extremely anabolic/healing.

I believe sun is beneficial generally, but how do you explain the fact that the skin area of the body with most ageing (wrinkles) is often the face? I find that pattern to be especially striking for people with pale skin. I tend to notice this with Australians a lot and tell myself it is due to the fact they are always under the sun, but this could just be a sample bias.

 

[Cirion]

I believe sun is beneficial generally, but how do you explain the fact that the skin area of the body with most ageing (wrinkles) is often the face? I find that pattern to be especially striking for people with pale skin. I tend to notice this with Australians a lot and tell myself it is due to the fact they are always under the sun, but this could just be a sample bias.

Hmm, can't say for sure. but if I had to guess, a lot of people who are "naturally pale" probably are not very resilient to sunlight so when they do get it, it doesn't sit well with them. this lack of resilience is I think both a function of lack of sunlight in the first place but also probably PUFA filled diets. Just a theory.

I have not yet confirmed that low PUFA cures sun burn problems as I've only recently started a low PUFA diet, so only time will tell for me and btw I'm normally pretty pale although not as bad lately as I have attempted to get more sun. but if you ask around, many people have noted they don't burn anymore when they eat low PUFA.

 

[Lynne]

I like sweet potatoes but I started to feel off going 2 lbs a day, probably because vitamin A overdosing. 1 lb a day seems to be about my limit to avoid those effects

What colour Sweet Potato were you eating @Cirion?
The Okinawan purple sweet potato has less betacarotene and a much higher anthocyanin content than the common orange ones (pictured in the BBC article), and I wonder if this may counteract at least some of the negative effects of the beta carotene in some way ...

 

[Jackrabbit]

Just thought I’d point out there is a HUGE difference in the glycemic index number of a baked sweet potato (93; close to pure glucose!) or boiled (44, less than white potatoes boiled or baked). This is for a light colored middle sweet potato. The bright orange ones boiled is more like 63.

 

[Captain_Coconut]

Starch may be better for oral health than sugar. How are the Okinawan’s teeth?

 

[Jackrabbit]

I t

Starch may be better for oral health than sugar. How are the Okinawan’s teeth?

I thought many island nations people’s teeth were pretty great before the westerners came along, a la Weston Price’s research

 

[Cirion]

Sugar is not what causes problems for the mouth/teeth.

I forget off the top of my head the real culprit but I believe it is a vitamin and/or mineral deficiency like calcium or vitamin K or something.

 

[yerrag]

Just thought I’d point out there is a HUGE difference in the glycemic index number of a baked sweet potato (93; close to pure glucose!) or boiled (44, less than white potatoes boiled or baked). This is for a light colored middle sweet potato. The bright orange ones boiled is more like 63.

That's helpful to know for people with blood sugar problems tending towards hypoglycemia. It's like white rice vs. brown. But for people with healthy sugar cellular absorption profiles, the difference barely registers. I started to bake my sweet potatoes lately as mineral content is lost with boiled sweet potatoes.

 

[Jackrabbit]

That's helpful to know for people with blood sugar problems tending towards hypoglycemia. It's like white rice vs. brown. But for people with healthy sugar cellular absorption profiles, the difference barely registers. I started to bake my sweet potatoes lately as mineral content is lost with boiled sweet potatoes.

Yeah but I think that lower glycemic rates are preferable even from a Peat perspective. I mean, consider his efforts to point out the glycemic index of fructose vs. whole grains. I think that is something is really high in the index most people probably shouldn’t eat too much of it too fast because blood sugar will go up very quickly.

 

[Waremu]

Starch may be better for oral health than sugar. How are the Okinawan’s teeth?

Not in my experience. I reversed cavities twice on a high fruit/sugar starch-free died. Starches were actually one of the main contributors to my cavities returning, like due to endotoxin/serotonin and too much phos. relative to calcium. The key is brushing your teeth properly and washing your mouth out properly after *every* meal. I don't think many who had cavity issues did that. A few other posted about similar experiences on this forum as well.

 

[Runenight201]

Not in my experience. I reversed cavities twice on a high fruit/sugar starch-free died. Starches were actually one of the main contributors to my cavities returning, like due to endotoxin/serotonin and too much phos. relative to calcium. The key is brushing your teeth properly and washing your mouth out properly after *every* meal. I don't think many who had cavity issues did that. A few other posted about similar experiences on this forum as well.

I think poorly prepared starch causes problems, but when mixed with other food items (fats, salt, veggies), it completely changes the tooth’s reaction to the starch.

When I eat plain rice or bread, I feel tooth sensitivity and gum recession. When I eat salted rice with mushrooms, onions, garlic, and olive oil, I get no such tooth sensitivity. Same with bread + butter, no tooth sensitivity or gum degradation.

Too much acidic fruits for sure cause gum degradation for me. I feel my gums start becoming inflamed and red once I eat too much fruit and sugar. Although different types of fruit cause worse reactions. Too much oj will eventually cause gingivitis, but I’ve learned when my body has had enough oj and switch to other sugar sources, like apple juice, pears, or watermelons, which are more friendly on the teeth and gums.

Any type of improperly balanced food consumption I believe to cause problems. it’s quite the task experimenting, balancing, and traversing the dietary terrain.

 

[yerrag]

Yeah but I think that lower glycemic rates are preferable even from a Peat perspective. I mean, consider his efforts to point out the glycemic index of fructose vs. whole grains. I think that is something is really high in the index most people probably shouldn’t eat too much of it too fast because blood sugar will go up very quickly.

Before I got to my present understanding of carbohydrate metabolism, I was very much into the glycemic index of food. It helped me deal with hypoglycemia, as I found it very helpful for me to eat brown rice instead of white rice, given that brown rice does not as quickly turn into blood glucose as white rice does. But that was before I turned my metabolism around by avoiding PUFAs for many years. When my body started to metabolize sugar well as a result, I ditched brown rice and returned to white rice. Then I got to understand what Ray Peat meant when he said: The degenerative diseases that are associated with hyperglycemia and commonly called diabetes, are only indirectly related to insulin, and as an approach to understanding or treating diabetes, the “glycemic index” of foods is useless. Physiologically, it has no constructive use, and very little meaning (Glycemia, starch, and sugar in context).

If I'm absorbing and metabolizing sugar readily, as a healthy body does. I'm not given to raising my blood sugar even if I take in highly glycemic food. The body cam just as easily clear out the blood sugar as it comes in, whether it comes in at a high rate or a slow rate. And so, I agree with Peat in how he sees the concept of the glycemic index. I'm not saying I can eat tons of sugar with impunity though. I'm saying this in the context of eating in regular quantities.

 

[Waremu]

I think poorly prepared starch causes problems, but when mixed with other food items (fats, salt, veggies), it completely changes the tooth’s reaction to the starch.

When I eat plain rice or bread, I feel tooth sensitivity and gum recession. When I eat salted rice with mushrooms, onions, garlic, and olive oil, I get no such tooth sensitivity. Same with bread + butter, no tooth sensitivity or gum degradation.

Too much acidic fruits for sure cause gum degradation for me. I feel my gums start becoming inflamed and red once I eat too much fruit and sugar. Although different types of fruit cause worse reactions. Too much oj will eventually cause gingivitis, but I’ve learned when my body has had enough oj and switch to other sugar sources, like apple juice, pears, or watermelons, which are more friendly on the teeth and gums.

Any type of improperly balanced food consumption I believe to cause problems. it’s quite the task experimenting, balancing, and traversing the dietary terrain.

I've always consumed my starch with fat, so that wasn't there issue for me. I am not just talking about tooth sensitivity though. As I mentioned, the calcium to phos. was more skewed eating a lot of starches, so it was hard to get a more favorable one. This and the endotoxin issues I got with starch played some type of role. It seems the higher fructose, and favorable calcium to phos. ratio from using fruit over starch made a more favorable environment for my teeth to heal using the fat soluble vitamins than just using them alone. Adding fat helps lower endotoxin, but it never abolished the endotoxin and serotonin effects I got from it.

I don't think fruit acidity is an issue for me if mouth is washed thoroughly immediately after and teeth brushed. Also, if ripe fruit is picked it is often less acidic. Especially fruit juice where the fruit sugar isn't coming into contact with teeth for very long. I will usually wash my mouth out thoroughly after drinking fruit juice, with baking soda, and then wait 20 minutes and brush. This has never failed me and as long as I do this, acidic juice doesn't cause any issues. Starch particles can often get stuck in between teeth to feed bacteria, so I personally don't think fruit juice is worse for teeth in that regard. At least not in my experience.

 

[Cirion]

The degenerative diseases that are associated with hyperglycemia and commonly called diabetes, are only indirectly related to insulin, and as an approach to understanding or treating diabetes, the “glycemic index” of foods is useless. Physiologically, it has no constructive use, and very little meaning (Glycemia, starch, and sugar in context).

Good quote. solidifies the thought that its not the sugar, its you. (Regarding failure to metabolize sugar / insulin resistance / diabetes). More and more we come back to the basics which is avoid PUFA and all is well in the long run.

I've always consumed my starch with fat, so that wasn't there issue for me. I am not just talking about tooth sensitivity though. As I mentioned, the calcium to phos. was more skewed eating a lot of starches, so it was hard to get a more favorable one. This and the endotoxin issues I got with starch played some type of role. It seems the higher fructose, and favorable calcium to phos. ratio from using fruit over starch made a more favorable environment for my teeth to heal using the fat soluble vitamins than just using them alone. Adding fat helps lower endotoxin, but it never abolished the endotoxin and serotonin effects I got from it.

I don't think fruit acidity is an issue for me if mouth is washed thoroughly immediately after and teeth brushed. Also, if ripe fruit is picked it is often less acidic. Especially fruit juice where the fruit sugar isn't coming into contact with teeth for very long. I will usually wash my mouth out thoroughly after drinking fruit juice, with baking soda, and then wait 20 minutes and brush. This has never failed me and as long as I do this, acidic juice doesn't cause any issues. Starch particles can often get stuck in between teeth to feed bacteria, so I personally don't think fruit juice is worse for teeth in that regard. At least not in my experience.

In your experience, did supplemental calcium help at all (did you try this?) or is getting calcium from foods (milk) superior to supplementation?

Also, just curious, where did the idea that fruits being acidic come into being? My body is highly alkaline (tested recently) after a stint of eating a LOT of grapes.

I don't even think you need to brush the teeth more than once or twice a day if the foods are quality. I haven't gotten a single cavity in quite some time and I confess - I only brush once a day lol.

 

[Runenight201]

Good quote. solidifies the thought that its not the sugar, its you. (Regarding failure to metabolize sugar / insulin resistance / diabetes). More and more we come back to the basics which is avoid PUFA and all is well in the long run.



In your experience, did supplemental calcium help at all (did you try this?) or is getting calcium from foods (milk) superior to supplementation?

Also, just curious, where did the idea that fruits being acidic come into being? My body is highly alkaline (tested recently) after a stint of eating a LOT of grapes.

I don't even think you need to brush the teeth more than once or twice a day if the foods are quality. I haven't gotten a single cavity in quite some time and I confess - I only brush once a day lol.

The pH of various fruits is between 3 and 4, making them inherently acidic. How they change the ph balance of the body I know nothing about. All I know is that when I abuse oj (and just about any fruit) my gums bleed and recede. Idk what the mechanism is, but I know that it’s not good lol.

 

[Cirion]

Ray Peat Diet Causes Cavities?

Lots of theories here as to what causes cavities and it seems like sugar is not one, in fact several people in that thread cured their problems with sugar.

Seems like - high thyroid function, not eating bad foods, getting the fat solubles are some possible solutions. Some foods in general aggravated some people there like wheat, ice cream, dried fruit to name a couple. I will add a +1 to dried fruit. I no longer eat raisins. They don't seem to sit well with me.

 

[Waremu]

Good quote. solidifies the thought that its not the sugar, its you. (Regarding failure to metabolize sugar / insulin resistance / diabetes). More and more we come back to the basics which is avoid PUFA and all is well in the long run.


In your experience, did supplemental calcium help at all (did you try this?) or is getting calcium from foods (milk) superior to supplementation?

Also, just curious, where did the idea that fruits being acidic come into being? My body is highly alkaline (tested recently) after a stint of eating a LOT of grapes.

I sometimes took some eggshell powder here or there, but no, the vast majority of the time my high calcium intake came from foods alone. With fruit and raw dairy, my calcium to phosphorus ratio was well above 1 to 1, but the fructose also added a lot of benefit as well, as Ray Peat has written about (fructose being protective for teeth and bones from phosphorus, etc.). Yeah, I am not too sure where that idea came from, but many fruits out there are not really acidic. And it is really only an issue if someone consumed fruit and doesn't wash their mouths out thoroughly right after and maybe brush. Even most dentists say that fruit isn't an issue for most people as long as they wash and brush. It's when the acid and sugar is left on the teeth for a long period of time to feed bacteria, etc. A lot of the time I blend my juices in shakes I make blended with milk too, so the calcium in milk will likely buffer the acidity in the fruit juice, which is a plus as well.

I don't even think you need to brush the teeth more than once or twice a day if the foods are quality. I haven't gotten a single cavity in quite some time and I confess - I only brush once a day lol.

I used to think that way, until I began to have cavities a few years down the road. Trust me, it is better safe than sorry because that dental bill isn't pretty, lol. I went a few years without any cavities and then BAM, some time down the road I notice them. It caught up with me.

 

[Rafael Lao Wai]

The pH of various fruits is between 3 and 4, making them inherently acidic. How they change the ph balance of the body I know nothing about. All I know is that when I abuse oj (and just about any fruit) my gums bleed and recede. Idk what the mechanism is, but I know that it’s not good lol.

Even melons?

I've always consumed my starch with fat, so that wasn't there issue for me. I am not just talking about tooth sensitivity though. As I mentioned, the calcium to phos. was more skewed eating a lot of starches, so it was hard to get a more favorable one. This and the endotoxin issues I got with starch played some type of role. It seems the higher fructose, and favorable calcium to phos. ratio from using fruit over starch made a more favorable environment for my teeth to heal using the fat soluble vitamins than just using them alone. Adding fat helps lower endotoxin, but it never abolished the endotoxin and serotonin effects I got from it.

I don't think fruit acidity is an issue for me if mouth is washed thoroughly immediately after and teeth brushed. Also, if ripe fruit is picked it is often less acidic. Especially fruit juice where the fruit sugar isn't coming into contact with teeth for very long. I will usually wash my mouth out thoroughly after drinking fruit juice, with baking soda, and then wait 20 minutes and brush. This has never failed me and as long as I do this, acidic juice doesn't cause any issues. Starch particles can often get stuck in between teeth to feed bacteria, so I personally don't think fruit juice is worse for teeth in that regard. At least not in my experience.

Maybe it's because fructose increases CO2 more than starch. And CO2 is very important for strong teeth and bones.

Before I got to my present understanding of carbohydrate metabolism, I was very much into the glycemic index of food. It helped me deal with hypoglycemia, as I found it very helpful for me to eat brown rice instead of white rice, given that brown rice does not as quickly turn into blood glucose as white rice does. But that was before I turned my metabolism around by avoiding PUFAs for many years. When my body started to metabolize sugar well as a result, I ditched brown rice and returned to white rice. Then I got to understand what Ray Peat meant when he said: The degenerative diseases that are associated with hyperglycemia and commonly called diabetes, are only indirectly related to insulin, and as an approach to understanding or treating diabetes, the “glycemic index” of foods is useless. Physiologically, it has no constructive use, and very little meaning (Glycemia, starch, and sugar in context).

If I'm absorbing and metabolizing sugar readily, as a healthy body does. I'm not given to raising my blood sugar even if I take in highly glycemic food. The body cam just as easily clear out the blood sugar as it comes in, whether it comes in at a high rate or a slow rate. And so, I agree with Peat in how he sees the concept of the glycemic index. I'm not saying I can eat tons of sugar with impunity though. I'm saying this in the context of eating in regular quantities.

Yeah, I feel the same. After restricting PUFA for some time now, and making sure to use a lot of vitamin B1, caffeine, some potassium bicarbonate and good amounts of niacinamide, I can eat a ton of carbs in one go and I feel very good. I think fructose played na important role in this as well. I remember that when I restricted fructose intake, I couldn't even eat white rice, because my blood sugar would spike and then drop, causing a stress reaction. But when I started eating a lot of sucrose, I started tolerating white rice much better. Stable blood sugar is very important, and fructose helps a lot with that.

 

[Waremu]

Ray Peat Diet Causes Cavities?

Lots of theories here as to what causes cavities and it seems like sugar is not one, in fact several people in that thread cured their problems with sugar.

Seems like - high thyroid function, not eating bad foods, getting the fat solubles are some possible solutions. Some foods in general aggravated some people there like wheat, ice cream, dried fruit to name a couple. I will add a +1 to dried fruit. I no longer eat raisins. They don't seem to sit well with me.

Personally, I don't think it's just one thing. I think it's likely more than one thing that creates an environment in which teeth get cavities. I do think that the conventional idea has merit, but I don't think that is all, and I think thyroid and other things play a role. Someone with a very good thyroid and good metabolism and bone health can probably get by without brushing teeth for a while, regularly, but I think it eventually catches up with a lot of people. I knew some of the healthiest and athletic people who went 10 years without brushing much and got cavities. The effects aren't accumulative...until they accumulate or become accumulative. Yeah, dried fruit can really get stuck in the teeth. I always floss when I eat such foods.

 

[Rafael Lao Wai]

Personally, I don't think it's just one thing. I think it's likely more than one thing that creates an environment in which teeth get cavities. I do think that the conventional idea has merit, but I don't think that is all, and I think thyroid and other things play a role. Someone with a very good thyroid and good metabolism and bone health can probably get by without brushing teeth for a while, regularly, but I think it eventually catches up with a lot of people. I knew some of the healthiest and athletic people who went 10 years without brushing much and got cavities. The effects aren't accumulative...until they accumulate or become accumulative. Yeah, dried fruit can really get stuck in the teeth. I always floss when I eat such foods.

For me, flossing is absolutely essential. Brushing is good to prevent plaque buildup, but I notice that scratching my teeth with my nails works even better than using a toothbrush. They look really clean after doing it.