"Life Without Bread"

[RedFox]

Beef heart is good roasted or slow cooked (you don't have to cut it up), I did try cutting it up one (taking all the 'chewy' bits out - the aorta and valves) but it took forever. The 'chewy' bits are actually ok if cooked for long enough.
You should be able to cut most of it into strips though - I fry it just like a steak.

Lamb/mutton and pork hearts are really easy to cut into pieces, and always end up tasting like a really rich steak to me when fried. There 'chewy' bits can be fried quickly too.

Getting over the emotional/psychologic programming to eating organ meats is always tricky, so I just kept reminding myself of the data - that these things are loaded with all the nutrients we need to survive/thrive at a fraction of the cost in the most bio-available forms around.

 

[shijing]

Beef heart is good roasted or slow cooked (you don't have to cut it up), I did try cutting it up one (taking all the 'chewy' bits out - the aorta and valves) but it took forever. The 'chewy' bits are actually ok if cooked for long enough.
You should be able to cut most of it into strips though - I fry it just like a steak.

I usually eat beef heart at least once per week. Sometimes I fry it, but I like it best when I cut it up and cook it as part of a stew in a crock pot -- that softens up the tougher parts, and flavors the broth really nicely too. Chicken, lamb, and pork hearts are also good, but this is my favorite.

 

[Gertrudes]

Beef heart is good roasted or slow cooked (you don't have to cut it up), I did try cutting it up one (taking all the 'chewy' bits out - the aorta and valves) but it took forever. The 'chewy' bits are actually ok if cooked for long enough.
You should be able to cut most of it into strips though - I fry it just like a steak.

I usually eat beef heart at least once per week. Sometimes I fry it, but I like it best when I cut it up and cook it as part of a stew in a crock pot -- that softens up the tougher parts, and flavors the broth really nicely too. Chicken, lamb, and pork hearts are also good, but this is my favorite.

Something similar here. I eat free range or organic organ meat a few days a week. It is either beef, chicken or lamb heart, kidneys, or liver. I usually stew it, and find that organ meat can't be cooked for too long otherwise it will became hardened.

Back in my home country we used to be able to get other organs (intestine, brain, lungs, gizzards) but here the choice seems to be restricted to these three. Well, three is already better then nothing :)
The other thing I love, and this is my favorite, is ox tongue. My new quest now is to find some properly sourced fish roes, which are also very nutritious.

As for members who are having difficulty eating organ meat, I suppose it really is about getting used to it, and thinking of it for what it is (as suggested above by RedFox): highly nutrient dense foods, may reset all the negative programing many have been under. By eating it more often, your taste begins to adapt so that perhaps you'll get to eventually enjoy it?

Edit: added words for clarity

 

[Gertrudes]

I found a highly informative article on cholesterol increase after adopting a paleo diet. For those of us who have experienced it, it may be well worth a look.

Here is the link for the article: _http://perfecthealthdiet.com/?p=4457

And a little summary of several hypothesis for an increase in LDL cholesterol levels below, taken from said article:

1. Saturated fat: The increase in saturated fat created a superabundance of cholesterol which the liver cannot handle. Also, Loren Cordain has claimed that saturated fat downregulates LDL receptors.
2. Temporary hyperlipidemia: The surge in lipids is the temporary consequence of the body purging visceral fat. Jenny Ruhl has argued that within a period of months the situation should settle down and lipids should normalize.
3. Hibernation: The metabolism has gone into “hibernation” with the result that the thyroid hormone T4 is being converted into rT3, an isomer of the T3 molecule, which prevents the clearance of LDL.
4. Malnutrition: In March, Paul wrote that malnutrition in general and copper deficiency in particular “… is, I believe, the single most likely cause of elevated LDL on low-carb Paleo diets.”
5. Genetics: Dr. Davis has argued that some combinations of ApoE alleles may make a person “unable to deal with fats and dietary cholesterol.”

The author explores hypothesis 3, Hibernation, since a deregulated thyroid was his main problem. However, every single one of the theories above has links to other (apparently) comprehensive articles.
So far I have only read this one article, but plan to make my way through all of them.

 

[Mrs. Peel]

A cheaper alternative is eating organic outdoor bread animal heart (liver and kidneys are good too).

I think you meant outdoor "bred" animal heart. Perhaps a subliminal slipup for the Life Without BREAD thread? :D

 

[Psalehesost]

Regarding meal timings, I should note my experiences with Jack Kruse's Leptin Rx protocol. (quoted from here and on)

Adjusting my eating habits (meal size/proportions and timing) accordingly, I find that I sleep less and wake up feeling pretty well around 4:00 to 5:30 most mornings. (at which point I have a very large breakfast ASAP) I had been a long-sleeping often-night owl with randomly fluctuating sleeping patterns for many years - almost a decade - before this sudden change.

As Kruse points out, meal timing very greatly influences our circadian rhythm. I had no idea such a small change of habits (meal timings) could have such a large effect.

 

[beetlemaniac]

I found a highly informative article on cholesterol increase after adopting a paleo diet. For those of us who have experienced it, it may be well worth a look.

Hi Gertrudes,

I am currently having the same "problem" as you. I've moved from the worrying phase, trying to find the "cure," and now I'm looking for a way to understand it. I read that blog post as well. The thyroid symptoms in particular were interesting and they seemed to resonate with my condition. I'm still in the process of researching, but I've stumbled upon something that may relate to it. Adrenal fatigue. It seems that the adrenals are most commonly the first to become dysfunctional, followed by the thyroid. So right now I'm trying to understand how the adrenals work, and how the exhaustion sets in. One link that may be interesting is that the adrenals need LDL to make its hormones. I think some interesting feedback loops are happening in that area which could affect high LDL levels, especially when it is in a state of exhaustion and having a deficient stress response. Not very clear on everything right now, so I'm sorry if I'm being vague or confusing. I'll just drop some links here and hopefully it helps you. :)

Jack Kruse's point of view (I think he's awesome, lol):

What to look for in you: People with adrenal fatigue tend to wake up tired (low cortisol) and not wanting to eat breakfast. Most people don’t have enough fuel in their livers/muscle for gluconeogenesis to sustain the day’s needs. In this scenario if you don’t eat you are basically stressing your adrenal gland further to sustain sympathetic tone to make that energy your liver does not have. You are demonstrating poor post workout recovery. You get sick more often and your recovery from illness is slower. Usually you have bloating and signs of a leaky gut and poor immune function. Your nails will be brittle and your temps might fluctuate. Your vitamin D level falls for no reason. You will also have a lower BP and tend to feel cold most of the time. Heart palpitations and chest pain are possible as well. Women will have more premenstrual symptoms and will notice more food intolerances over time. Sometimes a contributor is emotional stress in the history. Divorce, cheating, spousal death/disability are huge drivers of this syndrome. Hypoglycemia is very common especially with activity. In women, I look for (OAT) ovarian, adrenal and thyroid syndrome that have symptoms such as PMS, low body temperature, endometriosis, PCOS, cystic breast, menstrual irregularities, fibroids suggestive of ovarian dysfunction and Estrogen Dominance; dry skin, weight gain, fatigue, low energy, blunted response to thyroid medications suggestive of secondary hypothyroidism; salt craving, frequent infection, hypoglycemia, insomnia, anxiety and adrenaline rushes suggestive of sympathetic overtone common in late stage Adrenal Exhaustion.

A blog post about adrenal fatigue:

We always hear about stress-induced high cortisol, which does all kinds of not-fun things like increasing belly fat and killing brain cells! But what happens when you've cranked out the stress hormones for so long that you've exhausted your adrenals? You start experiencing hormone cascade disruption in the form of "pregenolone steal":

What happens is that, instead of converting pregenolone into DHEA and then into sex hormones, it gets shifted toward cortisol production (cortisol is more vital to our existence than sex hormones are and so it gets prioritized. Cortisol is a major steroid hormone and too little of it really drives up inflammation).

A nice extensive article on Adrenal exhaustion, I picked out the part relating to the thyroid:

Thyroid hormone imbalances lead to clinical or sub-clinically hypothyroidism that is refractory to thyroid replacement therapy. In Adrenal Exhaustion, one of the body's primary down-regulation mechanisms is reduced thyroid function. This is the body's way of conserving energy to maximize its chances of survival. Low adrenal function worsens thyroid function by increasing thyroid binding globulin and reducing T4 to T3 conversion. In addition, a body under stress may produce more reverse T3 (rT3) which acts as a braking system against T3 to slow down the metabolic rate by tying up thyroid receptors. Body temperature remains low.

In addition, the thyroid is intricately related to the ovarian system. By the thyroid's regulation of metabolism, it affects the reproductive gland activities, the menstrual cycle, and the ability to become pregnant. Thyroid hormones also stimulate progesterone production in the ovaries. It is not unusual for women to overcome infertility problems when their subclinical hypothyroidism becomes resolved.

One thing I need to look for is how LDL production is regulated and dysregulated by stress/maladapted stress response. I think in the end the high LDL is serving a protective function in the body although I can't say for sure. It supposedly has immune functions as well. This part of the PHD post says it:

Two other facts we’ve recently blogged about help us interpret this result:

LDL particles are not only lipid transporters; they also have immune functions. See Blood Lipids and Infectious Disease, Part I, Jun 21, 2011; Blood Lipids and Infectious Disease, Part II, Jul 12, 2011.
T3 becomes low when glucose or protein are scarce. Thyroid levels alter to encourage resource utilization when resources are abundant and to conserve resources when they are scarce. See Carbohydrates and the Thyroid, Aug 24, 2011.

We can now assemble a hypothesis linking low carb diets to high LDL. If one eats a glucose and/or protein restricted diet, T3 levels will fall to conserve glucose or protein. When T3 levels fall, LDL receptor expression is reduced. This prevents LDL from serving its fat transport function, but keeps the LDL particles in the blood where their immune function operates.

If LDL particles were being taken up from the blood via LDL receptors, they would have to be replaced – a resource-expensive operation – or immunity would suffer. Apparently evolution favors immunity, and gives up the lipid-transport functions of LDL in order to maintain immune functions during periods of food scarcity.

Although I doubt the theory of glucose deficiency holds any weight, adding carbs is more of a stopgap measure I think. It's much likely to be a hormonal dysfunction at the adrenals. For example the adrenals when stressed cannot produce enough cortisol, and supposedly at the same time there is a tendency for high insulin, causing hypoglycemia (which I often experience as a dizziness, after going without food for a while)

Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) is common in Adrenal Exhaustion and this is usually due to the combination of low cortisol and high insulin levels when the body is under stress. The normal stress response, by the adrenals, is to increase the blood glucose level by increasing the cortisol output. This is commonly seen in Stage 1 and 2 of Adrenal Fatigue. As the output of cortisol is reduced in Adrenal Exhaustion (Stage 3), discharge of glucose is slowed and the blood sugar level tends to fall. At the same time, insulin modulation becomes more dysregulated at this stage due to irregular and unstable blood sugar levels associated with metabolic syndrome if it is present. The release of insulin from the pancreas tends to be over-reactive at times and is thus high in such a condition. The combination of low cortisol, along with a high insulin level, leads to hypoglycemia and common symptoms of low blood sugar include dizziness and fainting. As cellular energy demand is not being met by a sufficient level of blood glucose, the body will turn to proteins and fats as the source of energy. This pathway is not as efficient; but is nevertheless put on overdrive in order to provide the much needed energy. Without adequate cortisol levels to elevate the blood sugar levels by facilitating the conversion of glycogen, fats, and proteins to new glucose supplies, this increased demand is difficult to meet. Clinically, one of the hallmarks of Adrenal Exhaustion is irregular blood sugar patterns with hypoglycemia. People with Adrenal Exhaustion often find themselves in a no-win situation. When people are under stress (even a mild stress such as a mild argument or excessive homework), the demand for blood glucose increases, but their exhausted adrenals cannot produce enough cortisol to generate higher glucose levels from the body's reserves. In the presence of increased insulin and decreased cortisol, the blood sugar level will drop off rapidly.

Hypoglycemia itself is a significant stress on the entire body, and especially on the adrenals. While this can be overcome with a "sugar fix "consisting of an instant load of sugary drink or foods such as coffee or soda, this is a short term emergency remedy only. Usually the symptoms will go away immediately, but then return after one to two hours. Reactivation and restoration of normal cell function requires extra amounts of energy beyond the requirements for normal maintenance. With each hypoglycemic episode, more cells are damaged. Thus, the body reaches a new low with each recurrence of hypoglycemia. If this happens at the same time as the body faces an increasing demand for glucose, the stage is set for an adrenal crisis. With each plunge, Adrenal Fatigue increases and hypoglycemia worsens. By the end of the day, the person may feel nearly exhausted without having done anything productive. Low blood sugar levels are most likely to occur around 10:00 AM, 2:00 PM and from 3 - 4:00 PM. If not reversed, it often progresses to adult onset diabetes as well.

That's all I have right now that I can remember. I hope I'm not leading you into a ditch, but I feel that I'm getting somewhere with this, at least as a way to understand my particular condition. Everyone is different but there seems to be a common element in all of this.

 

[Gaby]

One thing I need to look for is how LDL production is regulated and dysregulated by stress/maladapted stress response. I think in the end the high LDL is serving a protective function in the body although I can't say for sure. It supposedly has immune functions as well. This part of the PHD post says it:

Here is another article that might help in this topic (see original article for more links) :

http://www.sott.net/articles/show/243112-LOW-Cholesterol-The-Risks-Dangers-The-Reality

LOW Cholesterol: The Risks, Dangers & The Reality

[...]

Low Cholesterol & Autoimmune Disease

Numerous studies on various autoimmune diseases note the prevalence of low cholesterol values in autoimmune processes. This study reveals that total cholesterol and LDL were significantly decreased in the 5 years before RA diagnosis.

Other studies such as this one cites the prevalence of low cholesterol is Sjrogren's. This study identifies low cholesterol in type 1 diabetes. This study identifies low cholesterol, LDL and lipid values in Crohn's Disease.

The implication that I derive from these correlations is that because cholesterol is anti-inflammatory, decreases in cholesterol production is associated with a higher susceptibility to oxidative stress, infections, inflammation and free radical damage. To say that an autoimmune patient suffers from these is an understatement.

Click here to read more about autoimmune disease.

Low Cholesterol, Toxicity & Infections

Cholesterol is an essential component for bile synthesis. Bile contains conjugated toxins from the liver's detoxification pathways. Inadequate bile production is strongly associated with toxicity and liver distress.

Studies such as this have shown that LDL cholesterol has the capability of reducing pathogens and infectious bacteria. Endotoxins from gram negative bacteria bind to LDL particles. When bound to LDL, they are inactivated. Additionally, when endotoxins are bound to LDL, the toxins are unable to trigger the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-a. Therefore if there is insignificant cholesterol and LDL, a person may be at an increased risk for infection.

[...]

Here is another article by Robb Wolf:

http://robbwolf.com/2012/03/09/paleo-diet-inflammation-metformin/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+RobbWolfThePaleoSolution+%28Robb+Wolf+|+The+Paleo+Solution+book+and+podcast+|+Paleolithic+nutrition%2C+intermittent+fasting%2C+and+fitness%29

[...]

2012: An Inflammation Odyssey

This needs to be a 30,00ft treatment for inflammation (I know, bummer!) I’m not an immunologist and we really would have only 6 listeners/readers if I went full nut-case on this. But inflammation is important in a lot of things, both “good” and “bad.” Most folks would provide White Hats to things like inflammation related to adaptation to exercise and longevity (yes, you need inflammation and oxidative stress to age effectively), while Black Hats would go to things like cancer, neurodegeneration, insulin resistance and sepsis. Let’s take a look at an overview of the immune system to get a sense of some of the players.

On the left side of this graphic we have cells that make up the innate immune system. They are the first responders to things like exercise induced trauma, infection and exposure to toxicants. I would also put LDL cholesterol in that innate immune system category. That will make sense when we talk about sepsis and lipopolysacharide (LPS) in just a bit. On the right side of the graphic we see elements of the adaptive immune system which is responsible for making antibodies to both foreign invaders (good) and in the case of autoimmunity, our bodies own proteins (bad). What is not represented in the graphic is a dizzying array of cellular communications players including interleukins, prostaglandins, tumor necrosis factor etc. These chemical messengers largely determine whether or not the immune system is on high alert or cruising along peacefully. As an analogy, let’s think about the full immune system like a civil defense force in that if one section of the defense force is on alert or active, ALL elements are on higher alert.

[...]

High blood glucose, high circulating free fatty acids (FFA’s), glucose spilling out of the liver due to both gluconeogenesis (conversion of amino acids to glucose) and glycogenolysis (release of stored hepatic glycogen).

Now, it’s perhaps worthwhile to back-up and define what sepsis IS. For our purposes its an infection or a situation in which bacterial products (LPS) end up in contact with the blood stream and by extension, the immune system. A great question at this point would be: “How do we get bacteria into our blood stream on a day to day basis?” The answer to that is intestinal permeability. Our gut is full of bacteria, some beneficial, some not, but when we get a dose of LPS (the outer membrane material of some bacteria) our immune system goes into the metabolic cascade described above. Interestingly, one of the first lines of defense against the effects of LPS is actually LDL/HDL cholesterol, which binds to LPS and helps to remove it from circulation. Hence the inclusion of LDL/HDL cholesterol as part of innate immunity. While I was writing this piece I received an email from a chap who nearly died from a septic event. Here are his pre and post sepsis cholesterol numbers:

Been following a strict paleo diet for several years now. Cholesterol numbers from May 2011:
Total – 226
HDL – 58
TG – 60

Cholesterol while hospitalized, Jan 2012:
Total – 98
HDL – 15
TG – 97

That after HDL is REALLY low and very dangerous. Undergo a septic event with low cholesterol levels and you are likely going to die. As a bonus question that folks can tackle in the comments: What would the effects of LOW GRADE CHRONIC sepsis be on cholesterol levels?

Here is an interesting observation: All of the issues I listed above (sleep debt, fructose etc) have direct impact on immune function and intestinal barrier function. Miss a night of sleep? You experience compromised immunity and an increase in LPS entering the blood stream. Vitamin d is a potent immune modulator, fructose is kinda nasty with regards to endotoxemia.

So, in my book, this gut permeability/endotoxemia/sepsis story lays the foundation for not only metabolic derangement, but also autoimmunity, as Fasaono’s work alludes with celiac disease. Where once intestinal permeability or “leaky gut” was a career death sentence, it is now one of the hottest areas of immunology and clearly an important player in everything from diabetes, to cancer to autoimmunity. [...]

 

[Gaby]

Another article from the same author quoted above:

Autoimmune Conditions and LOW Cholesterol: Understanding Correlations

http://www.sott.net/articles/show/244146-Autoimmune-Conditions-and-LOW-Cholesterol-Understanding-Correlations

or a great number of years, people have been led to believe by medical authorities that the lower the total cholesterol and LDL levels, the better. As more and more research surfaces, it is apparent that this belief is terribly incorrect.

A very interesting correlation exists between many different types of autoimmune diseases and the incidence of low cholesterol values. It is very common that autoimmune conditions such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Diabetes Type I, Celiac Disease, Crohn's Disease, Sjogren's and others typically feature low serum cholesterol and lipo-protein profiles. A large body of medical research studies support these findings.

Cholesterol: A Vital Anti-Inflammatory Lipid

Various studies demonstrate that cholesterol is a potent anti-inflammatory lipid, which serves to inhibit the formation of pro-inflammatory fatty acids such as Leukotriene and Thromboxane, via the 5-LOX and 5-COX inflammatory pathways.

LDL has been incorrectly labelled as "bad cholesterol" and HDL as "good cholesterol". These terms are of course fictitious. In reality there is no such thing as "good" or "bad" cholesterol. It is important to understand that LDL (low density lipoprotein) is not cholesterol. It is the carrier mechanism for cholesterol to the tissues. HDL (high density lipo protein) removes cholesterol from the tissues and returns it to the liver. In order for cholesterol's anti-inflammatory effects to be utilized in the tissues where inflammation exists, LDL is the essential transport.

The inflammatory, autoimmune bowel disease Crohn's typically features low concentrations of serum cholesterol, LDL and HDL values. THIS study indicates Rheumatoid Arthritis patients tend to exhibit significant decreases in both LDL and total cholesterol measurements in the 5 years prior to RA diagnosis. Other studies such as THIS indicates the tendency for decreased cholesterol synthesis in autoimmune Type I Diabetes. Sjrogren's patients tend to exhibit low total cholesterol.

LDL Is Essential For Life Processes: Hormones, Reducing Infections

Besides functioning to transport cholesterol to the cells, LDL also carries powerful and essential antioxidant nutrients such as Vitamin E.

Additionally, LDL is required for the transport of cholesterol,which is used to synthesize steroidal hormones such as pregnenolone, cortisol, DHEA, estrogen and testosterone.

It is very common for certain autoimmune diseases (such as RA) to feature various types of infection. Studies such as THIS have shown that LDL has the capability of reducing pathogens and infectious bacteria. Endotoxins from gram negative bacteria bind to LDL particles. When bound to LDL, they are inactivated. Additionally, when endotoxins are bound to LDL, the toxins are unable to trigger the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-a. Therefore, if there is insignificant cholesterol and LDL, a person may be at an increased risk for infection.

What is essential to understand is that insufficient cholesterol in the tissues and low LDL levels can result in high levels of inflammation, decreased immunity, susceptibility to infections, decreased antioxidants and hormone insufficiencies. Due to the fact that roughly 80% of the cholesterol in the blood is made by the liver, a decreased production of cholesterol may be highly reflective of liver toxicity and/or bile insufficiency. The fact that cholesterol is an anabolic lipid (life building and supporting; anabolic processes inhibit inflammation and degeneration) suggests that low levels of cholesterol is reflective of catabolism, degeneration, and the cell and tissue destructive effects of free radical activity.

It is stated here that sufficient cholesterol available in human tissues possesses the capacity to inhibit the pro-inflammatory immune signalling cascades that are so strongly at the root of the auto-immune process. Furthermore, diminished cholesterol activity may be a primary factor in the development of certain autoimmune conditions.

 

[Search]

Recently I had a scary dream in which I accidentely forgot that I don't eat bread and drink milk. And I drank from,a bottle '1.5 litre' and ate some bread. :)
I not so long ago start change my diet, maybe that is why I had such dream. I just had to share this.

 

[webglider]

quote from bettlemaniac:

Although I doubt the theory of glucose deficiency holds any weight, adding carbs is more of a stopgap measure I think. It's much likely to be a hormonal dysfunction at the adrenals. For example the adrenals when stressed cannot produce enough cortisol, and supposedly at the same time there is a tendency for high insulin, causing hypoglycemia (which I often experience as a dizziness, after going without food for a while)

I found after awhile on the paleo diet that my energy level has become so low that I can barely function. Perhaps this because I cut out everything at once, or I'm not doing it right.

However, after several weeks of being able to take my morning walk with my dog which before I changed diets lasted from one to three hours, now I can walk only for about an hour before becoming totally exhausted. I've spent several weeks sleeping throught the afternoons and walking up feeling that I have 100 pound sandbags strpped to my arms and legs.

So the last two days I did use a stopgap measure - I drank two cups of black coffee and ate an apple each day, I felt better, can function, but I don't feel good about myself since I broke the diet.

It's just that I couldn't function and I have so much to do.

I now have a doctor who has agreed to treat the cancer by testing for imbalances in the blood. I made it very clear that I wanted an approach that views cancer as a systemic problem of imbalances that need to be realigned. I could be wrong, but it's the only type of treatment I will accept. No surgery. No chemo. No radiation He is a former oncologist who is now practicing alternative medicine. He himself advised against chemo, but tried to push surgery. My argument about surgery for breast cancer is that they often take out some or all of the lynph nodes which actually keep the cancer from spreading. He did not contradict me when I raised this point, and he made a half-hearted push for radiation. All doctors have to offer those three treatments in the U.S. or risk losing their licenses.

One of the tests he ordered is one that measures the ratio of zinc to copper. An imbalance in this ratio causes extremely serious physical and mental health issues one of which is breast cancer and another is adrenal imbalance

Maybe this information will help someone:

Copper Toxicity


Do you know anyone who suffers from headaches, fatigue, insomnia, depression, spaciness, learning disorders or premenstrual syndrome? These can be symptoms of a copper imbalance.

Copper, an essential trace mineral, is vitally important for both physical and mental health. It has been studied for years, including at government laboratories. However, its importance for health is still largely unappreciated. The following is but an introduction. The author is deeply indebted to Dr. Paul C. Eck, an avid copper researcher.

Copper's Role in the Body

Copper is critical for energy production in the cells. It is also involved in nerve conduction, connective tissue, the cardiovascular system and the immune system. Copper is closely related to estrogen metabolism, and is required for women's fertility and to maintain pregnancy. Copper stimulates production of the neurotransmitters epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine. It is also required for monoamine oxidase, an enzyme related to serotonin production.

It is possible to become copper-toxic or copper-deficient, and there is a condition called biounavailable copper. In the latter, copper is present, but cannot be utilized. Toxicity and biounavailability are seen most often. This article uses the words copper imbalance when more than one situation is possible.

Physical conditions associated with copper imbalance include arthritis, fatigue, adrenal burnout, insomnia, scoliosis, osteoporosis, heart disease, cancer, migraine headaches, seizures, fungal and bacterial infections including yeast infection, gum disease, tooth decay, skin and hair problems and female organ conditions including uterine fibroids, endometriosis and others.

Mental and emotional disorders related to copper imbalance include spaciness, depression, mood swings, fears, anxiety, phobias, panic attacks, violence, autism, schizophrenia, and attention deficit disorder. Copper deficiency is associated with aneurysms, gout, anemia and osteoporosis. Interestingly, the symptoms of premenstrual tension are identical to the symptoms of copper imbalance.

Copper Sources

Today, many children are born with excessive tissue copper. It is passed from high-copper mothers to their children through the placenta.

Stress from any cause contributes to copper imbalance. Stress depletes the adrenal glands and lowers the zinc level in the body. Whenever zinc becomes deficient, copper tends to accumulate. Our soil is low in zinc. Refined sugar, white rice and white flour have been stripped of their zinc. The trend toward vegetarianism reduces zinc in the diet, since red meat is the best dietary source of zinc.

Copper is found in many foods, particularly vegetarian proteins such as nuts, beans, seeds and grains. Meats contain copper, but it is balanced by zinc which competes for its absorption. Chocolate is high in copper. A desire for copper may help explain chocolate cravings.

Another source of copper is drinking water that remained in copper water pipes, or copper added to your water supply. During a recent dry summer, several Oregon cities added copper sulfate to their reservoirs to reduce algae growth. Accident and disease rates increased.

Other sources of copper are copper cookware, dental materials, vitamin pills, fungicides and pesticides residues on food, copper intra-uterine devices and birth control pills. Mrs. Robinson and her 6-month-old, breast-fed baby both began to experience hair loss. The cause was a daily prenatal vitamin containing 4 milligrams of copper, far too much for this high-copper mother.

Deficiencies of manganese, iron, B-vitamins and vitamin C can cause copper to accumulate. Adrenal hormones cause the liver to produce ceruloplasmin, the main copper binding protein in the body. Therefore, sluggish liver or weak adrenal glands may cause copper to build up in the tissues.

The Copper Personality

There is a high copper personality. Positive traits include a warm, caring, sensitive, emotional nature, often with artistic orientation and a child-like quality. Often high-copper people are young-looking. Many traditional feminine traits are associated with copper, such as softness, gentleness and intuitiveness.

When the personality is not fully integrated or the copper becomes too high, negative traits show up. These include spaciness, racing thoughts, living in a dream world, childishness, excessive emotions, sentimentality, a tendency to depression, fearfulness, hidden anger and resentments, phobias, psychosis and violence. Artists, inventors and other high-copper types often "live on the edge", in part due to their high copper level.

The copper personality tends to accumulate copper easily. Copper functions as a psychological defense mechanism. It causes one to detach slightly from reality. This provides relief from stress for the sensitive individual. It works well as long as the copper does not become too high. Very high copper can cause a psychotic break from reality, a type of schizophrenia.

An 18-year old schizophrenic patient had a hair copper level of 40 mg% (normal is 2.5 mg %). She hallucinated and attempted suicide twice while in the Scottsdale Camelback Mental Hospital. When her copper decreased to normal through a diet and supplement program, her symptoms disappeared and she has remained well.

Copper and Society

Is it possible that our mineral balance affects our attitudes? Copper is called the 'psychic' mineral, the 'intuitive' mineral, and a 'feminine' mineral because it is so important for the female reproductive system. Its level generally parallels that of estrogen. While many factors influence our attitudes and values, the rise in tissue copper levels in both men and women in the past twenty years parallels renewed interest in feminism, in psychic and intuitive knowledge, and 'nurturing' movements such as environmentalism.

Copper and Sexuality

Women tend to have higher levels of copper than men. Women also have more symptoms related to copper imbalance. These include yeast infections, migraine headaches, adult acne, various menstrual symptoms and depression.

Copper-toxic women are often estrogen dominant. They may benefit from progesterone therapy to help balance their hormones. Women with biounavailable copper are often low in estrogen. Their bodies are often more linear in shape. Of course, copper is not the only factor affecting hormones. Some pesticides, for example, mimic the effects of estrogen and can affect the hormone balance.

Men, by contrast, should be zinc-dominant. Zinc, a 'masculine' element, balances copper in the body, and is essential for male reproductive activity. Today, however, many men have symptoms of copper toxicity including depression, anxiety and other symptoms. Homosexuality may be related to copper levels.

Copper and Children

Children are often born with high copper levels. Young children are very sensitive and intuitive. They often lose some of their sensitivity and 'psychic abilities' as their copper levels diminish around age four.

Persistent elevated copper levels in children are common today. The problem often begins during gestation, when high-copper mothers pass on excessive copper (and often low zinc) to the fetus through the placenta. This is called congenital, rather than genetic high copper. It can be prevented by correcting one's copper metabolism before becoming pregnant. After birth, poor nutrition, stress in the home, and overuse of prescription drugs can aggravate a child's copper imbalance.

Copper imbalance in children is associated with delayed development, attention deficit disorder, anti-social and hyperactive behavior, autism, learning difficulties and infections such as ear infections.

Vegetarian Diets

Excess copper interferes with zinc, a mineral needed to make digestive enzymes. Too much copper also impairs thyroid activity and the functioning of the liver. If severe enough, a person will become an obligatory vegetarian. This means they are no longer able to digest meat very well. Conversely, if one becomes a vegetarian for other reasons, most likely one's copper level will increase. Vegetarian proteins are higher in copper, and lower in zinc.

At times, the vegetarian orientation is health-producing. In many people, however, restricted diets do not work well. Fatigue, spaciness and other symptoms begin to appear. Many people, including the author, felt they were becoming more spiritual on a vegetarian diet, when in fact it was just copper poisoning! The taste for meat often returns when copper is brought into better balance.

Some people with high copper dislike all protein. They crave high-carbohydrate diets. Protein feels heavy or causes other symptoms. Eating protein stimulates glandular activity. This releases stored copper which causes the symptoms. However, these individuals usually need to eat protein. The symptoms will eventually disappear.

Copper-toxic individuals may also be drawn to sweets or salty foods due to adrenal insufficiency. Some sea salt is often beneficial. Sweets, including fruit juices, provide a temporary lift but may worsen the condition.

Adrenal Burnout

Adrenal burnout, characterized by chronic fatigue and other symptoms, is often related to fear and copper imbalance. Although correcting emotional and other factors are necessary, improving the copper imbalance, supporting the adrenals and releasing fearful thoughts go hand in hand to restore optimum health.

Copper and Addiction

Compulsive behavior may be related to copper and the adrenals. Exercise, for example, stimulates the adrenals. This helps keep copper available and makes one feel better. If one stops exercising, unbound copper builds up and one may feel fatigue, mood swings and depression. In some people, this can create a compulsive need to exercise. Other ways to temporarily control copper toxicity include the use of caffeine or other stimulants.

Part of the appeal of cocaine, Ritalin and amphetamines may be their ability to help lower copper temporarily by stimulating the adrenals. Cadmium found in marijuana and cigarettes drives copper back into storage. These drugs may make one feel better by affecting the copper balance.

Copper and Yeast Infections

Our bodies use copper to help control the growth of yeast. This may be because copper favors aerobic metabolism. Copper is required for the electron transport system, where most of our cellular energy is produced. Yeast organisms use anaerobic metabolism.

Copper sulfate is often sprayed on crops to kill yeast and fungus. Copper is also used in some swimming pools and hot tubs to control yeast and bacterial growth.

When copper is out of balance, our bodies cannot control yeast overgrowth. This often led to chronic Candida albicans infections that are resistant to treatment.

Detecting Copper Imbalance

Blood, urine and even hair analysis may not reveal copper toxicity directly. Copper is stored mainly in the brain, liver and other organs, not in the blood or urine.

Challenge tests with a chelating agent such as EDTA may be used to detect excess copper. Several indirect indicators on a hair mineral test are also excellent to detect copper imbalance. These include a hair calcium level greater than about 100 mg%, a potassium level less than about 3 mg%, a sodium/potassium ratio less than 2.5:1, a zinc/copper ratio less than 6:1, an elevated mercury level or a copper level less than 1.0 mg%.

Balancing Copper

The author dealt with severe copper imbalance in himself and with many others for the past 18 years. Six methods are used to reduce copper in the tissues:

Reduce exposure to sources of copper.
Antagonists such as zinc, manganese and iron compete with copper for absorption and utilization. Vitamins B6 and folic acid may also be helpful. Selenium and cysteine may be helpful. Research indicates copper may be excreted by binding with glutathione and metallothionine which require these nutrients.
Chelators of copper include vitamin C, molybdenum and sulfur-containing amino acids. These bind and remove copper. More powerful chelators may be used, but can have side effects.
Enhance the eliminative organs, such as the liver, skin and colon.
Balance body chemistry, enhance energy production and improve adrenal gland activity. To support the adrenal glands, avoid sweets, eat protein with each meal, and supplement your diet with vitamins A, C and E, manganese, zinc and B-complex vitamins. Animal protein is very helpful due to its higher content of zinc, B-vitamins and sulfur amino acids including cysteine and taurine. Adrenal glandular substance is also frequently helpful.
Reduce fear and stress. Methods range from a change in location or work to meditation, therapy, more rest and other changes.

Copper Detoxification Symptoms

One of the difficulties in reducing excess copper are symptoms that arise during the process of elimination. As the body begins to mobilize excess copper from tissue storage sites, it enters the bloodstream on its way to the liver and kidneys for elimination. While in the bloodstream, the copper can cause headaches, skin rashes, racing thoughts, strange odors, digestive upset, mood swings and energy fluctuations. In men, testicular pain is not uncommon. Women s periods may be affected. If one knows what is occurring, it is possible to take measures to minimize these temporary elimination symptoms. Enemas, sweating, and drinking more water can help promote copper elimination. Reducing the nutrition program for a few days may also help slow the reactions and reduce symptoms if they are severe. Supplements particularly molybdenum, bile acids, laxative herbs and vitamin B6 may also mitigate elimination symptoms.Attitude for

Copper Balance

Adequate rest and sleep are important. Any technique to help handle stress is also helpful. A simple but powerful technique for handling all negative emotions is given in an excellent book, Emissary of Light, by James Twyman. He suggests feeling our negative emotions purely, dissociating them from thoughts. Feel them in the body. Then move the feeling to the heart area, visualize a small door just in front of you, open the door and release the emotion. Realize that all feelings are just energies. They can be transmuted, sent forth and used for good.

High copper people are often sensitive, must acknowledge this and 'live their own truth'. At the same time, a careful look at one's attitudes, especially hidden fears, angers and resentments, is very important. Overcoming copper imbalance often involves overcoming deep fears.

Life is not always easy for the copper-toxic person. There is a temptation to become resentful or depressed at times. With understanding, nutritional help and endless compassion for oneself, these obstacles can be overcome. Then the creative, intuitive and loving qualities of the high-copper individual can shine through to the world.

References

1. Eck, P. and Wilson, L., Toxic Metals in Human Health and Disease, Eck Institute of Applied Nutrition and Bioenergetics, Ltd., Phoenix, AZ, 1989.

2. Gittleman, A.L., Why Am I Always So Tired? Harper San Francisco, 1999.

3. Nolan, K., "Copper Toxicity Syndrome", J. Orthomolecular Psychiatry, 12:4, p.270-282.

4. Pfeiffer, Carl, MD, PhD, Mental and Elemental Nutrients, Keats Publishing, New Canaan, CT., 1975.

4. Twyman, James F., Emissary of Light, Warner Books, New York, 1996.

By Lawrence Wilson, MD
Displaying: 4 Results, 10 at a time. View All »

 

[nicklebleu]

Well the pork is pastured on a local farm and isn't fed exclusively grain, but is supplemented to a percentage I'm currently not aware of. The beef I've been getting from the same farm is 100% grass, but not the pork. I'm mainly wondering, since pigs aren't ruminants and only have one stomach, how much does them eating a portion of their diet as grain matter?

I am not sure if grain fed to pigs is such a big issues. Pigs after all are omnivores, they are capable to survive on almost anything (including feaces of other animals). My hunch would be that a seizable portion of feed could be grain in pigs without adverse effects. The problem is probably more what sort of grain, GMO or not, pesticide use etc.

And then also what kind of pig it is as the pigs have been bred to deliver progressively lean meat, which also render them more prone to illness, which again requires antibiotics etc to keep them alive.

I have long tried to find one of the heritage races for consumption (like the wooly variants or the Mangalitza) but so far without success.

Personally I worry less about grain feed in pigs than I worry in beef - but maybe I'm wrong ...

 

[beetlemaniac]

Thanks for the articles Psyche, it was really eye opening. Especially the specific role of LDL when it comes to inflammation. A lot of the data seems to tell us that LDL cholesterol is just part of the healing process.

Continuing from the adrenal stuff, I hear this concept of "inflammation in the brain" being thrown about but I never really understood it. It appears again in this summary of Nora G's talk at Paleo Summit. It appears that the problem doesn't just start at the adrenals, instead it probably starts way up at the brain and it's coordination of hormonal balance. Jack Kruse mentions that obesity is caused by inflammation in the brain as well, so there's something to that I'm sure.

Nora Gedgaudas on Adrenal Function, Hypoglycemia, and Chronic Infection
These notes are for one section of a talk given by Nora Gedgaudas during the Paleo Summit. She was refuting the idea of safe starches, put forward by Paul Jaminet (author of The Perfect Health Diet), and discussing hypoglycemia. She explains that hypoglycemia only occurs in people who are (unnaturally) temporarily adapted to getting glucose from dietary sugars and starches, and that for people who are fat burners- which is what the human body is adapted for- mood and cognitive functioning are not dependent on blood sugar levels. The human body can make all of the glucose it needs in the liver from amino acids, there is no need to get it from the diet.

The exception to this, she explains, is when people have chronically depressed cortisol levels. What really caught my attention is that she says that this low cortisol production is not because the adrenals themselves have been "exhausted" by stress, which she says is an outdated idea. She says that cortisol output is not controlled by the gland itself, but by the brain. It is mitigated by the HPA (Hypothalamus Pituitary Axis), specifically by a group of cells inside the hypothalamus called the Paraventricular Nuclear cells (PVN). The level of cortisol that we produce depends on how these cells are stimulated- whether the balance of neurochemicals leans towards excitatory or inhibitory, but in particular by the presence of inflammatory cytokines. To rephrase that, low cortisol levels are caused by inflammation in the brain. Various stressors on the body result in the release of these cytokines, including chronic infection. This process can also impact our balance of neurotransmitters.

Levels of cortisol that are either suppressed or too high can have a negative effect on immune activity in our guts. Adequate cortisol levels are necessary to regulate our glucose needs. Without adequate cortisol, we feel chronically fatigued and inflamed. She says that hypoglycemia isn't a glucose deficiency, but rather it's an infection or some other source of inflammation that needs to be addressed. Blood sugar surges suppress our immune function, which she sees as further evidence that low carb diets are not to blame for the rampant immune suppression going on currently- rather low fat diets, which tend to be high in sugar and starches, are a more likely culprit. She says that the cultivation of a fat-burning metabolism is a life-saver for people with auto-immune conditions.

 

[Oxajil]

On a different note, after years of abstinence and the odd exception here and there, I have started eating butter again with no visible reactions (hooray!). Boy, am I loving it! It is sooo tasty :D

Yay! Gotta love butter! Good to hear. :)

However, after several weeks of being able to take my morning walk with my dog which before I changed diets lasted from one to three hours, now I can walk only for about an hour before becoming totally exhausted. I've spent several weeks sleeping throught the afternoons and walking up feeling that I have 100 pound sandbags strpped to my arms and legs.

Hey webglider, thanks for the update. Many of us have gone through feelings of tiredness in the beginning of transition. May I ask what supplements you're taking? Are you for example taking enough salt, potassium, L-Glutamine, L-Carnitine (which will help your body's energy producing factories (mitochondria) to use the fats as energy)? I know that these supplements helped me greatly with overcoming the tiredness, and some pains I experienced in the beginning.

And don't worry too much about having eaten an apple, try to add some more veggies instead, like green beans, if you feel like you need some more carbs. You might also want to eat more fat, if you think you could have more. Fwiw.

 

[Gertrudes]

Many thanks for the articles beetlemaniac and Psyche.

I don't think that adrenal fatigue is my case as I don't have the symptoms. I am convinced that I suffered from it during my late childhood and teenage years, I remember very well the fatigue and the inability to eat breakfast or anything whatsoever until around 1pm or 2pm. My levels of energy are now consistently high though, and I feel very well.

The whole cholesterol issue is complex. Indeed, the recommended levels being pushed are ridiculously low and lead to even greater problems. However, there may be a between point, going either too much above or below it my be a sign not to be dismissed. In my case total cholesterol levels were in the range of 423mg/dl in September, and are now at 313mg/dl. TG and HDL levels are "normal", and LDL that was at 286 is now 212. "Normal" levels are considered to be around 116mg/dl. When I read "Normal", I always think above it, for all the reasons already mentioned here regarding cholesterol, but even so, there may be a limit as to how high it can go before being a sign of an issue to be addressed?

I'm also curious to test it again in a couple of months. That I'm aware of I have changed nothing in my diet since September and cholesterol levels have changed, possibly showing an adaptation to the diet. As many researchers have said, changing to the paleo diet does take a while to adapt to, and some changes can take place even years down the road.