Amazing "Croissant Diet" Experiment Results (Stearic Acid/Saturated Fat)

[Vinny]

2 days of high stearic acid butter oil (of my own making, Brad's isn't available yet) with eggs scrambled in pan. Last night I had an episode - the first in my life and I am 30 years old - that was pretty frightening. I had a late breakfast at around noon, went to a friends house for burgers and shortly after I finished them my blood pressure and heart rate went up significantly. I began to sweat and worry about what was going on. I calmed myself down by focusing on my breath but I also noticed I had a pleasant euphoria in my head. It was very strange and unsettling, the only addition to what I eat being the stearic acid.

This is in line with what Haidut reported in the older stearic acid thread where he said "...heart rate and temps are unreal."

All in all - Go slow folks! I thought I was having a panic attack, I didn't expect it to come on like that.

Thank you.

 

[Vinny]

You can get 90% Stearic Acid here:

Buy Organic Stearic Acid & Triple Pressed Stearic Acid | 18c

Unfortunately, it doesn't allow me to order from a non-US/Canadian country.

Some questions:

If you,re right about the 50/50 ratio, does it really matter? What,s wrong if we ingest some palmitic bingo-bongo along with the stearic one?

Can we do it with cocoa butter only (just ordered some) and expect similar results, if any at all?

 

[ecstatichamster]

I doubt it matters. I would avoid oleic acid though.

Stearic acid appears to regulate mitochondrial fusion by stearoylation of the human transferrin receptor‑1.
"To our knowledge, this is the first time stearoylation of a human protein has
been found to regulate its function." ―Senyilmaz, 2015
Proposed interpretation: The mouse groups could've had lower body weight because stearic acid was absorbed, inducing mitochondrial fusion of cells via the transferrin receptor. (The study author thought it was due to stearic acid NOT being absorbed but disposed of in feces. I don't think this is so.

Stearic acid has the highest activity of any fatty acid to up regulate mitochondrial fusion and this is why it works, if it works.

 

[ecstatichamster]

Just to catch you up...I've been gobbling white chocolate the last few days. And a bunch of bread. Less milk and less juice than usual.

Anyway, temps really go up a LOT when I have the white chocolate. I've got the stearic acid and I'll be making the stearic-butter oil soon but meanwhile, this is very interesting.

Weirdly enough, after eating this breakfast (bread sticks, white chocolate) I was not hungry for HOURS and that doesn't normally happen with me. Just a data point.

 

[gabys225]

@Vinny no problem buddy.

@ecstatichamster my appetite is severely blunted as well. To the point where I feel like I may have difficulty eating adequate calories for the day.

Timing is definitely important. My thinking, after my experience, is that less may be more. I'm not chasing quick weight loss and i'm content to make my own stearic infused oils and use them in not so heavy handed ways.

 

[tankasnowgod]

Can we do it with cocoa butter only (just ordered some) and expect similar results, if any at all?

Sure, Cocoa Butter is actually one Brad recommends. Lots of Steric Acid- The Croissant Diet Specification - Fire In A Bottle

 

[Broken man]

I am waiting on my stearyl alcohol ....

 

[Vinny]

Sure, Cocoa Butter is actually one Brad recommends. Lots of Steric Acid- The Croissant Diet Specification - Fire In A Bottle

Thanks for the good news. Now just waiting for the stuff to come and see if it works...

 

[Broken man]

Do you think ingesting laboratory grade chemical Is big risk?

 

[Vinny]

Just to catch you up...I've been gobbling white chocolate the last few days. And a bunch of bread. Less milk and less juice than usual.

Anyway, temps really go up a LOT when I have the white chocolate. I've got the stearic acid and I'll be making the stearic-butter oil soon but meanwhile, this is very interesting.

Weirdly enough, after eating this breakfast (bread sticks, white chocolate) I was not hungry for HOURS and that doesn't normally happen with me. Just a data point.

I've ALSO been gobbling white chocolate the last few days, lol.
Dont know about my temps, but never suspected I,d crave it so so much...

 

[ecstatichamster]

I've ALSO been gobbling white chocolate the last few days, lol.
Dont know about my temps, but never suspected I,d crave it so so much...

are you

@Vinny no problem buddy.

@ecstatichamster my appetite is severely blunted as well. To the point where I feel like I may have difficulty eating adequate calories for the day.

Timing is definitely important. My thinking, after my experience, is that less may be more. I'm not chasing quick weight loss and i'm content to make my own stearic infused oils and use them in not so heavy handed ways.

How much stearic acid does one "need" to consume to accomplish decent steady weight loss, is a question I have.

 

[yerrag]

I thought, go on page 2 and there Is a study about stearic acid and mitochondria

Page 2 of which link?

 

[Krigeren]

Saw the OP on Friday and visited the link. First impression was that the blog was a good ol' boy troll put up so maybe in a few months he and his buddys could sit around the fire drinking some beer bought with the "Stearic Acid Enhanced Butter Oil" proceeds and have a few laughs.

But I continued reading and started to think that the whole thing was quite a bit more work than you'd expect for just a few laughs and some beer money. Plus he seemed pretty dilagent, cordial and open minded in his replies in the comment section of his blog posts. For example, he implied several times that Cocoa Butter or anything else with a fairly high SFA/UFA ratio and some stearic acid in it should give similiar results as his product. Can't really fault the guy for providing a service and potentially making a bit of profit from it either, as long as it's legit.

Anyhow, I checked the shelves and it turned out my wife had some Cocoa Butter for cooking so I decided to give it a try in my coffee this morning, as I liked my bulletproof coffee trial a while back. Also I had the day off in case I reacted the same to the cocoa butter as I did to the MCT oil (let's just say there could not be the long commute in heavy traffic that day). I enjoyed the slight chocolate taste and smoothness of the coffee.

I found myself checking the thermostat all day today, thinking my wife had turned it up, and looking at my food log I was literally surprised this evening that I had not eaten anything since having the coffee and some eggs this morning, and recalled not feeling hungry at all until around 5pm.

Also, no unpleasant or rushed trips to the bathroom and was very relaxed today even though I needed to run around a bit to get some chores around the house buttoned up for the holidays.

Looking forward to continuing the Cocoa Butter Coffee this week, but so far am a bit surprised at the quick and very noticable positive reaction to the Cocoa Butter.

ETA: 32oz coffee, 4oz Half & Half, 34g Cocoa Butter over the course of a couple of hours. Pretty heavy coffee drinker so other than the Cocoa Butter addition, that would be pretty standard.

 

[mangoes]

I’m not saying anything about the efficacy or science of this at all coz I honestly dk but let’s be real, the first pic to the last pic before/after doesn’t look the most reliable. It’s typical angled photography (idk ab photoshop). Look at the angle of the selfie, higher which is naturally slimming, not to mention he’s holding his arms up which is gonna stretch and slim his torso more, and it looks to me like he’s sucking in lol

the second candid photo is more credible and it does look like he lost a bit of weight but him stating his “spare tire is gone” is a bit of an exaggeration to me

 

[Gl;itch.e]

Has anyone said anything about calories in this whole thread? You can lose weight on any dumb diet if your calories are lower than maintenance.

 

[yerrag]

Has anyone said anything about calories in this whole thread? You can lose weight on any dumb diet if your calories are lower than maintenance.

No, and that's not the way to lose weight--by lowering caloric consumption. That is so simplistic and you need to read more about Ray Peat.

 

[Gl;itch.e]

No, and that's not the way to lose weight--by lowering caloric consumption. That is so simplistic and you need to read more about Ray Peat.

I am well read thank you. Unless this factor has been addressed you can't say there is anything magical about a croissant diet. What is the best way to lose weight? Of course it is one that is pro-metabolism and leads to increases in metabolic rate. But even this doesn't get around the math of calories in/calories out.

 

[yerrag]

I am well read thank you. Unless this factor has been addressed you can't say there is anything magical about a croissant diet. What is the best way to lose weight? Of course it is one that is pro-metabolism and leads to increases in metabolic rate. But even this doesn't get around the math of calories in/calories out.

Since you are already well-read and knowledgeable, then you should keep on reading to dissuade yourself from the idea that to lose weight you have to cut calories. That isn't to say that doesn't work, but it's important to think about the trade-offs in that approach. There are gotchas both short-term and long-term. Your answer can be critiqued because it isn't a full answer. If you know about metabolism in the Ray Peat framing of it, then why did you omit this important aspect?

 

[cbar09]

Since you are already well-read and knowledgeable, then you should keep on reading to dissuade yourself from the idea that to lose weight you have to cut calories. That isn't to say that doesn't work, but it's important to think about the trade-offs in that approach. There are gotchas both short-term and long-term. Your answer can be critiqued because it isn't a full answer. If you know about metabolism in the Ray Peat framing of it, then why did you omit this important aspect?

pretty sure Glitchie is referring to the weight loss claimed in croissant diet. How can one be so sure that the weight loss comes from stearic acid or a FA ratio if you're eating well under maintenance calories as well.

"I started doing intermittent fasting, but not really on purpose. I just wasn’t hungry. A couple times I just forgot about dinner. I FORGOT ABOUT dinner. I mean, I would have some wine and I would get busy doing something and then I’d go to bed. The number of times I forgot about dinner between 1997, the year I graduated college, and August 8th, 2019 was zero. The number of times I forgot about dinner the first two weeks of The Croissant Diet was three.

After the initial burst of weight loss I continued to lose weight but not as quickly."​

 

[yerrag]

pretty sure Glitchie is referring to the weight loss claimed in croissant diet. How can one be so sure that the weight loss comes from stearic acid or a FA ratio if you're eating well under maintenance calories as well.

"I started doing intermittent fasting, but not really on purpose. I just wasn’t hungry. A couple times I just forgot about dinner. I FORGOT ABOUT dinner. I mean, I would have some wine and I would get busy doing something and then I’d go to bed. The number of times I forgot about dinner between 1997, the year I graduated college, and August 8th, 2019 was zero. The number of times I forgot about dinner the first two weeks of The Croissant Diet was three.

After the initial burst of weight loss I continued to lose weight but not as quickly."​

That makes a lot of sense. The intake of LCSFAs helps as it takes longer to metabolize compared to short chain and medium chain fats, as it doesn't go directly to the liver to be metabolized. As its metabolism is slowed down by needing the additional step of being emulsified and encapsulated in chylomicrons means it doesn't get exhausted quickly, so it can be helpful in keeping one from getting hungry, especially with people who are get hypoglycemic.

Nice catch Glitch! Sorry I didn't make the. connection.