Ben Greenfield Life: The Toxicity Of Plants, Carnivore For Athletes, Does Meat Cause Acidity, The “Game Changers” Debate & Much More With Dr. Paul Saladino.

The Toxicity Of Plants, Carnivore For Athletes, Does Meat Cause Acidity, The “Game Changers” Debate & Much More With Dr. Paul Saladino.

Feb 27, 2020

Paul Saladino is back. The CarnivoreMD, after originally appearing on my show in the episodes...

- Everything You Need to Know About the Carnivore Diet

- Carnivore Diet, Cleaning Out Your Colon, Eating Brains, Hunting Zebras & Much More

...has just put the finishing touches on his new book The Carnivore Code, and graciously agreed to record an epic solosode for my listeners in which he delves into all the questions you asked him in the comments section after our first couple episodes together.

Prepare for a complete carnivore education, including:

-How Paul defines the carnivore diet...5:42

It's a diet that emphasizes and focuses on animal foods
The majority of our nutrients comes from animal foods
Aware of plant toxicity; minimal (or no) plant matter
The best place for vitamins and minerals is animals, with the exception of Vitamin C
"Nose to tail" idea
Most toxic plant foods:
- Grains, legumes, nuts, seeds
- Seeds are highly defended by the plants; high levels of toxicity
- Most leafy greens are toxic for humans
- High oxalate foods - almonds, root veggies
Moderately toxic:
- High fructose foods: honey, berries
- Sweet potatoes, other sweet tubers and roots
Least toxic:
- Avocados, olives, squash
Ben's cronometer of his daily diet
A carnivore diet is not simply muscle meat
- Nose to tail
- Includes bones, marrow, cartilage
Carnivore diet is a "soft" keto diet
1:1 ratio (1 gram of protein per pound of body weight)

-How the carnivore diet affects athletic performance...17:25

1. Metabolic characteristics of keto-adapted ultra-endurance runners
2. Effects of a 4-Week Very Low-Carbohydrate Diet on High-Intensity Interval Training Responses
3. Keto-adaptation enhances exercise performance and body composition responses to training in endurance athletes
Ensure you check your salt levels if on a low-carb diet (10+ grams per day)

-How to get adequate iodine while on the carnivore diet...29:30

Redmond Sea Salt (from the ground in Utah)
- No microplastics
- 10 g of Redmond has 150 mcg of iodine (equivalent to the RDA)
Red meat
Egg yolks (100 mcg w/ 4 egg yolks)
Don't take too much iodine

-Whether the entire global population could be on a carnivore diet...32:45

Is the current agricultural system working?
- Currently U.S. system is mono crop agriculture (nutrient depletion, no animals to replenish nutrients)
- Just plants on land is "feed lot feeding" of plants
Regenerative agriculture (ecosystem feeding)
Grass feeding and finishing is the optimal situation
Regenerative agriculture is carbon negative
White Oak Pastures is a good example of regenerative agriculture
Multiple species on the same lot reduces parasite presence
The current agriculture system is unsustainable

-Why the stressor of eating plants is different from a "good" stressor like exercise...42:09

Plant molecules are plant pharmaceuticals
Plant and human biochemistry and mutually dependent
There is no "package insert" of side effects that comes when eating plants
Paul's first podcast w/ Ben talked about "collateral damage" in plants
Plants ameliorate symptoms, not treating the root cause
Glutathione levels in cold water study
We don't need sulforaphane to get adequate glutathione
If we live a "radical lifestyle" of environmental hormetics, we don't need the plant molecules
Studies referenced:
- 4. Uric Acid and Short-Term Glutathione Levels During Whole Body Cold Exposure

-How the carnivore diet activates pathways in our bodies...54:50

Environmental hormetics: heat, cold, exercise, etc.
Nrf2 pathway is affected positively by plant intake
Sirtuin pathways activated by resveratrol
Doses in a nose to tail diet are adequate
Studies referenced:

-Do PH levels reach acidic levels on the carnivore diet?...1:13:36

Yes, if it is not constructed properly
Acid load is balanced on: protein and minerals
If we get enough minerals, it will balance the protein acidity
Many on the carnivore diet don't get enough calcium
Many minerals that are only present in bones
Bone broth is the easiest way to do this (just add vinegar)
Studies referenced:

-IGF and mTOR when it comes to the carnivore diet...1:26:32

Paul's podcast w/ James Clement: Will eating an animal based diet over-activate mTOR?
The Switch by James Clement
No ketones in the blood is not a good thing
Depleted liver glycogen produces ketones
High carb diet will activate mTOR
Balance w/ intermittent or complete fasting
Gain muscle on a carnivore diet by eating more frequently: 4 oz. of meat 3-4 times a day
Paul's podcast w/ Gabrielle Lyon: Does protein cause cancer?

-Is the carnivore diet a concern for Alzheimers?...1:30:57

APO e4 is a variant of apolipoprotein E
- It is the most ancestral isoform
- "It was eating meat that made us human"
Paul's podcast w/ Tommy Wood: Should you worry about ApoE4 on a keto/carnivore diet and how to avoid Alzheimer’s disease
APO e4 is only an issue if we're insulin resistant
The vast majority of Americans are insulin resistant
It can be beneficial in populations that are not insulin resistant
Remain in the elite of the population (insulin sensitive)
Studies referenced:

-What about doing a carnivore diet w/ FTO mutations and are an over methylator?...1:42:28

Saturated fats come from mislabeled trans fats or junk food
People who eat animal products eat more healthy saturated fats
Epidemiology can only produce hypotheses
Paul's typical daily diet:
- 16 oz. grass fed organic steak
- 85 g of suet mixed w/ homemade bone broth
- 4-5 egg yolks w/ a generous serving of salt
- For dinner: all of the above, plus liver, brain, heart, suet w/ bone broth and salt
There are no over or under methylators
Get riboflavin from organ meats and heart (need 2-3 mg per day)

-What do Paul's lab results look like?...1:50:00

LDL-HDL levels
No correlation between HDL when LDL rises and cardiovascular disease
The higher the LDL, the longer we live (provided we're insulin sensitive)

-Rapid fire questions...1:53:54

How long should you do the carnivore diet before you know of its efficacy?
- No "cheat days" - don't reward yourself w/ bad food
- Carnivore diet benefits is from an immunological perspective
- Minimum 60 day reset is advocated in the book
Are chicken and eggs okay on the carnivore diet?
- Info that says animal products are low in Vitamin K count only Vitamin K1; they are high in Vitamin K2
- Eggs are fine; Paul prefers the yolks only
What parts of the animal should you not eat?
- The adrenals
Does Paul take supplements?
- None at the moment
Would a woman need time to adapt to the carnivore diet?
Is the carnivore diet advisable for pregnancy, breast feeding or children?

-Phospholipid forms of DHA w/ the carnivore diet...2:01:48

We get phospholipids from our food
Paul is not a fan of omega 3 supplementation (they're highly oxidized)

-Do cruciferous vegetables cause hypothyroidism?...2:05:23

-And much more!

Resources from this episode:

-The Carnivore Code by Dr. Paul Saladino

-BGF podcasts w/ Paul Saladino:

-Fundamental Health podcasts mentioned:

-The Switch by James Clement

-White Oak Pastures

-Ben's new album, Rocky Roots

-Studies mentioned by Paul:

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