Episode 140 - Low Carb Sydney with Dr Paul Mason

#1

Very illuminating discussion, with additional information on what (apparently) “my doctor never told me” or “what my doctor told me was misinformed.” In this case especially on fiber. Dr. Mason, with enthusiastic support from Richard, is keen to debunk the idea of using fiber-rich food to end constipation and encourage “regularity.”

The impression I, and perhaps others, got was as a result, fiber is not an important component in a good diet. Is this really the case? Nasha Winters and Jess Higgins Kelley in their book “the Metabolic Approach to Cancer” state emphatically that without fiber the body’s detoxification process cannot work. ““Toxin infused bile then binds to fiber [in the gut] and is exceted through feces”(p103) and “Bear in mind that for any of the detox foods to work, a high fiber diet is essential. Fiber acts like the car that drives toxins out of the body.” (pp 107-108.) Without the vehicle to take the toxins out of the body, they are likely to be reabsorbed and will continue their destructive activities. The authors look at the role of fiber again in their section on 'The Metabolic Microbiome Reboot Plan.” They appear to be adherents of the fibrous solution to constipation (p 134) but do not cite any research. What is also a puzzle to me, is that they also promote fasting as another method of reducng toxic load - 3 - 5 day water or green tea fasts. (pg 115) If one is not ingesting fiber “to drive toxins out of the body” during the fast, how then are detoxification processes completed? And if “toxins are stored in fat cells” that the keto diet cum fasting get rid of, a large store of toxins is released into the body - and need to be properly cleared out.

Would Dr Mason and/or Richard like to comment on this - if fiber is a counter-productive tool in treating constipation, is it also useless/unncessary in the detox process?

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #2

The experience of many people on these forums is that fiber is indeed necessary on a high-carb diet, but that on low-carb it is not necessary, and actually causes problems for some people. Granted, this is anecdotal evidence, but I’ve read quite a few anecdotes. That, combined with my own experience, suggests that fiber is not a concern with our way of eating.

#3

Thanks Paul.
Do I assume then that Winters and Kelly are missing something - they promote the ketogenic diet?

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #4

When was their book published? The science changes from time to time, as we learn more, so it’s possible they gave the best information they knew at the time.

#5

They published it in May 2017 - not yet two years ago. N. Winters is actively treating/coaching patients also.

Another nutritionist - Miriam Kalamian (“Keto for Cancer”) gives a more nuanced picture of soluble and insoluble fiber, explaining a little more on their respective good and bad sides, values and dangers. She does mention that soluble fibers can bind to certain minerals (and medications) and slow down or hinder absorption. She has a much more thorough look at constipation and offers a long list of “helps” - It appears she sees the danger of excessive use of fibre, but does include fiber in her “solution” list - in other words, the reliance on, or use of, fiber should be treated on a case by case basis. I know individuals who swear by additional fiber (psyllium seed fiber) as a method to deal with constipation. It works for them. Maybe Dr Mason would say its the placebo effect … they would say “yeah for the placebo effect!”

(Carl Keller) #6

Jason Fung says soluable fiber reduces carbohydrate absorption, which reduces blood glucose and insulin levels. He likes to use the analogy that foods high in glycemic load are poison and fiber is the antidote. So if we are not eating poison, the need for antidote is diminished.

He cites the Health Professionals Follow-up Study which included 42,759 men over six years. When these men ate a diet high in glycemic load and low fiber, their rate of diabetes went up by 217%.

On the other side of it, he cites the Nurses’ Health Study which followed 88,757 women over 16 years and found that high fiber intake led to no significant benefit in reducing colon cancer.

Moreover Fung says:

Where whole, unprocessed carbohydrates virtually always contain fiber, dietary proteins and fats contain almost none. Our bodies have evolved to digest these foods without the need for fiber: without the poison, the antidote in unnecessary. Here again, Mother Nature has proven herself far wiser than us.

Fiber and fat are often removed in the refining process to change texture, taste and extend shelf life. So when we eat a diet high in processed foods we simply need to put that fiber back into our diet. The much easier solution is to just not eat processed foods.

*From The Obesity Code