Cannot tolerate fat. Responding with diarrhea

egle

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Dec 11, 2012
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I have been on the diet for about two months. ~40% fats , 30% proteins (meat and fish), 30% carbs (lots of raw and sometimes cooked vegetables and 4-5 apples/day). At times I have tried to reduce carbs by as much as I could by increasing fats. During the last two weeks I developed a strong diarrhea and it seems it is connected to fats. Initially I was consuming mostly coconut oil. After my diarrhea started I was advised to replaced the coconut oil with butter. It was ok for serveral days until I got an even more sever diarrhea again. I could only stabilize it with rice/ buckwheat and no fat for several days. I feel I cannot continue with 40% and even I think 20% of fats in my diet.

I have Hashimoto Thyroidytis and symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome ( which is unconfirmed officially). After I started this diet my bowel got much better, my bloating stopped and my Thyroid antibodies have decreased. But I feel I have to modify my diet. What can be the reason for not being able tolerated fat?
 

cliff

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You probably aren't digesting it properly.

You should favor carbs over fat anyways tho, 20% fat is about perfect. Once you have a better functioning thyroid could probably eat more fat but not really any point imo.
 
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egle

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cliff said:
You probably aren't digesting it properly.

You should favor carbs over fat anyways tho, 20% fat is about perfect. Once you have a better functioning thyroid could probably eat more fat but not really any point imo.


Do you think my inability to tolerate fats is related to low thyroid function?
 

cliff

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how much fat do you eat in a meal? If I eat a ton of fat in one meal(like 90g+) I'll have diarrhea too
 

Birdie

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Who told you to eat 40% fats? Seems far from what I've read/heard from RP. Have you listened to the Eluv interview? Ray says low fat is better than whole for most people since we drink so much milk for nutrients...
 

Rachel

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Hi, egle!

Sorry that I don't have a specific answer to your question regarding fat. There are probably other things at play.
I do have a few tips in in bold below.
egle said:
I have been on the diet for about two months. ~40% fats , 30% proteins (meat and fish), 30% carbs (lots of raw and sometimes cooked vegetables and 4-5 apples/day).
Most vegetables are not recommended due to their fiber, PUFA, and antithyroid/toxic properties. The apples are also very high in fiber and pectin - which is stressful to the intestines and creates more endotoxin. The daily raw carrot is one of the exceptions and helps lower endotoxin levels. If you feel compelled to eat vegetables or apples, cook the hell out of them. They are more acceptable like that, yet they're still far less than optimal.
At times I have tried to reduce carbs by as much as I could by increasing fats.
Carbs are your friend. And by carbs, I really mean sugar from fruit. Dr. Peat gets half of his calories from fruit and he typically recommends 180-250 grams of carbohydrate or more for the average person. Melons, cherries, and citrus are the best choices.
During the last two weeks I developed a strong diarrhea and it seems it is connected to fats. Initially I was consuming mostly coconut oil. After my diarrhea started I was advised to replaced the coconut oil with butter. It was ok for serveral days until I got an even more sever diarrhea again. I could only stabilize it with rice/ buckwheat and no fat for several days. I feel I cannot continue with 40% and even I think 20% of fats in my diet.
As Cliff and Birdie mentioned, you don't need anywhere near that much fat. The focus should be on getting enough healthy fruit carbs and a minimum of 80 grams of protein per day.
I have Hashimoto Thyroidytis and symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome ( which is unconfirmed officially).
The apples, vegetables and starches are definitely not helping you with the IBS.
After I started this diet my bowel got much better, my bloating stopped and my Thyroid antibodies have decreased. But I feel I have to modify my diet. What can be the reason for not being able tolerated fat?
Egle, have you seen the thread "Ray Peat Diet, Food Choices, and General Guidelines'?
Here's a link: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=20

It's a great place to help clarify dietary "dos and don'ts". :)
 

RRT

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In hypothyroidism there is decreased production of bile salts from cholesterol, leading to detoxification slow downs, fat maldigestion, and potentially an unfriendly bowel environment. The shorter chain fatty acids are digested and metabolized differently than than longer chain fats. The shorter chain fatty acids do not require bile to be broken down and do not require the carnitine transport system to enter the mitochondria. Consider normalizing the thyroid as best you can with dietary and lifestyle changes while getting more vitamin A (liver, egg yolks) and dietary fats mostly from coconut oil (and chocolate and dairy fats).

"In the healthy organism, cholesterol is constantly being synthesized, and constantly converted into steroid hormones, and, in the liver, into the bile salts that are secreted to emulsify fats in the intestine. Thyroid hormone and vitamin A are used in the process of converting cholesterol into pregnenolone, the immediate precursor of progesterone and DHEA. Anything that interfered with these processes would be disastrous for the organism. The supply of cholesterol, thyroid and vitamin A must always be adequate for the production of steroid hormones and bile salts. When stress suppresses thyroid activity, increased cholesterol probably compensates to some extent by permitting more progesterone to be synthesized." -Dr. Peat
 

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