Inuit Genetics Show Us Why Evolution Does Not Want Us In Constant Ketosis

[atomicspacebunny]

Ever wonder why; when your fully fat adapted why your ketones are so low?

Hint: Watch the entire video before you go into a tailspin?

“…Why were the Inuit never in ketosis, despite their traditional high-fat diet? CPT-1a deficiency known as “the Arctic variant” is only found in the Arctic and it is nearly universal in the Arctic. …”

Inuit Genetics Show Us Why Evolution Does Not Want Us In Constant Ketosis: “…Why were the Inuit never in ketosis, despite their traditional high-fat diet? That question is answered in this lesson. The answer provides a stunning example of human evolution and makes it clear that evolution does not “want” us in a constant state of ketosis. CPT-1a deficiency is a genetic disorder in the ability to make ketones and to derive energy from fatty acids needed to make glucose during fasting. In its severe form, it is extremely rare, dangerous, and fatal if not treated with frequent feeding and often a high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet. A much more mild form of CPT-1a deficiency known as “the Arctic variant” is only found in the Arctic and it is nearly universal in the Arctic. It causes a serious impairment in the ability to make ketones, dramatically raises the risk of developing hypoglycemia while fasting, and causes a three-fold increase in infant mortality. Yet virtually everyone native to the Arctic has it and it is usually asymptomatic. What is utterly stunning about this is that this variant took hold of the Arctic in one of the strongest selective sweeps ever documented in humans. This means that evolution judged this variant as better suited to the Arctic environment than almost any human gene has ever been suited to any environment. How on earth can an impairment in fat metabolism be well suited to an environment that forces a high-fat diet on its inhabitants? Watch the full video to find out. …” …More

[Don_Q]

Total bro-science…

Actually no. This vid totally blew my mind. Absolutely fascinating. I subbed his channel. I can’t wait to see his vid on the “Utility of the Ketogenic Diet as a Tool” follow up vid.

Thanks for posting!

[Dantheman]

Chris is awesome, I listen to him all the time and I’m a masterpass holder which gives you all his products in one place without ads, anyway, I viewed that video a couple times and I don’t remember if Chris eluded to it or not but my thought was maybe evolution weeded out people able to produce ketones (and really deeply) because of ketoacidosis was killing them, I’m probably way off but who knows. edit, oh yeah, you can also do keyword searches on his videos (paid version) and it will take you to each time he says that word, plus other features too like rewinding a certain section over and over, etc… much more

[Alpha]

too advanced for me

[Don_Q]

Too advanced for me too lol.

This guy is very pro keto by the way. I get the impression he’s come to believe it’s best used as a tool rather than a lifelong WOE.

His claim is that if people were meant to be in ketosis their whole lives, the Artic wouldn’t have driven people capable of it nearly extinct via natural selection. Kind of hard to argue with the fact that 98% of Canadian Inuit are nearly incapable of ketosis, and that brief fast (<24hrs) will kill them due to a heritable genetic trait. The same is true with indigenous populations in the arctic across the globe.

It’s a bombshell claim, with solid data, and multiple sources.

[Alpha]

please help me understand

if the Canadian Inuit are incapable of making ketones how did they flourish on dietary fat?

[ctviggen]

So, some genetic variant that’s “bad” has what to do with those of us who don’t have that genetic variant?

And, no, I did not watch the video. I read 1000 times faster than I watch videos, and don’t have time for videos.

[Alpha]

OK

I searched the net about the topic.

very interesting if the arctic people were living on the dietary glycogen and protein.

then how do they metabolize fat if not converting it to ketones?

and what about Vilhjalmur Stefansson report about the Eskimos and his own experiment?

[Freefall_Doug]

Inuit genetics only show that evolution doesn’t want Inuits in the arctic to be in constant ketosis.

Hard to draw any other conclusion.

There are lots of genetic traits that most likely had an evolutionary benefit in the past, but no longer have an edge and often a disadvantage in modern times. I recall hearing that APOE e4 gave an advantage against infections and pathogens in ancient times, but it today’s age that doesn’t give much a benefit and increases the risk of Alzheimer.

[atomicspacebunny]

very interesting if the arctic people were living on the dietary glycogen and protein.

then how do they metabolize fat if not converting it to ketones?

Possible answer: The Inuit were not doing a ketogenic diet, they were not restricting their high intake of carbs, fats or protein purposely, like we do here on the forum, they eat way more meat and fat than a ketogenic diet would allow (high carb like {type} territory or a higher blood glucose threshold)?

Eating a very very high meat, fat and less carb diet is probably what triggers that Arctic variant gene to react, we all probably have a copy of it in our gene pool, it is just dormant?

[SlowBurnMary]

Fascinating! Thanks for posting this. Haven’t listened to the videos but read the quotes and looked at those graphics. Covers nuances and facts that are rarely touched on in invader-settler culture, and makes a lot of sense.

[CFLBob]

Didn’t Stefansson say that the Inuit tended to eat the liver and other organs, leaving the muscle meat to their dogs? ISTRC that in Phinney’s book.

[Rclause]

leaving the muscle meat to their dogs?

From what I have read the lean or tenderloin was feed to the dogs and organ meat and fat were prized.

[CFLBob]

From what I have read the lean or tenderloin was feed to the dogs and organ meat and fat were prized.

Yeah, that sounds very familiar.

Maybe the Inuit were getting more glycogen that way? I don’t know if the ruminants store more glycogen in their livers like we apparently do.

[atomicspacebunny]

I think about this in the context of raw?

Most of the muscle meat part of the animal are going to be very tough unless you cook them?

Some organ meats are going to have a more tender mushy texture (e.g. brains, eye balls and liver etc.) and be more nutrient dense and have more taste than a tough hunk of muscle meat?

They also boil/melt the fat (e.g. seal blubber) and dip the raw meat into it before it slithers down the ole esophagus…lol

Fermenting (e.g. fermented seal flipper) the meat also probably cooks the meat a little!

[CFLBob]

Good points about texture. I assumed they cooked it all, but not sure why I assumed that.

[240lbfatloss]

You metabolize fat by converting it to fatty acids and glycerol. It’s the fatty acids that are the major energy source during Lipolysis. Ketones are only a secondary energy pathway mainly to provide nourishment to the brain, which cannot use fatty acids. Focusing on Ketones and ketosis can prevent the wider understanding of Lipolysis, of which ketosis plays a minor, or secondary part.

[Dread1840]

You metabolize fat by converting it to fatty acids and glycerol. It’s the fatty acids that are the major energy source during Lipolysis. Ketones are only a secondary energy pathway mainly to provide nourishment to the brain, which cannot use fatty acids. Focusing on Ketones and ketosis can prevent the wider understanding of Lipolysis, of which ketosis plays a minor, or secondary part.

You explain this so nicely.

[Alpha]

many thanks

[Deitketo]

Very technical for me too. So is carb cycling
recommended if not constant ketosis.?
That’s what I think humans have been doing. They ate when they were hungry. And had access to less carbs then we have today.