The third phase of covid-19 can be brutal

[PaulL]

Daisy Brackenhall’s most recent “Keto Woman” podcast is the first part of a conversation with Richard Morris that is extremely relevant to this discussion.

[OldDoug]

Isn’t this information indicating the plausibility of a narrative that many people are either inflamed, or primed in a pro-inflammatory physiological state due to the food and living environment?

I think unquestionably so. ‘Many people’ is very easy to satisfy, there, and if we’re talking about what is ‘plausible’ then a multitude of things line up in accordance. Our tissues react to things - chemicals, radiation, etc. - and on both an acute and chronic basis, that some things are injurious to us is a given, at this point, no?

For a lot of us, isn’t it as simple as too much insulin response leads to bad things? Many of us develop cardiovascular disorders and/or diabetes, and while I’m not ruling out other potential causes, as of now I take it for granted that insulin is the culprit for many of us, me included.

I didn’t become officially diabetic until 3.5 years ago, but I was working toward it my whole life. There’s nothing remotely as sensible as concluding that I just ate too much of the wrong things.

The chronic effects are aways with me - still obese, impaired glucose tolerance, 1/2 of one little toe being numb forever. I’m very lucky this stuff is not worse. And on a shorter-term basis, I can feel what happens, in the nerves of my feet, hands, and upper arms, and in my joints, when I eat too many carbohydrates. They get inflamed.

At what point do we say we are having an immune system response? I think many people have subclinical immune system activation on a regular basis, and that it contributes to some neurological disorders and probably to certain types of cancer. I can’t connect everything in a perfect, mechanistic explanation, and I may be simply making some assumptions. To generalize, however, I’d say that there is some pretty good correlation here, if not outright causation, i.e. markers of immune system response and even something as simple as the level of C-reactive protein (our poor livers, already tasked with so much, responding to a higher inflammation level) do point toward increased chances of chronic disease, especially as we age.

I find it so frustrating that co-morbities- and metabolic health- are not part of the official narrative. It’s incredibly clear that metabolic dysfunction makes you more susceptible to serious problems with COVID, and there’s pretty good evidence that vaccines are less effective in folks who are metabolically compromised, so the folks who need the vaccine the most might actually get the least protection from it.

I totally agree, Madeleine. It is amazing to me that this is not loudly emphasized. And yet there doesn’t seem to be even a “normal” amount of recognition. It’s like most officials are turning their backs and ignoring it. Hey, those who speak to the masses and those who make policy should be addressing this.

And I wonder - is it as simple as that it’s at least partially due to the self-interest of food-processing companies and drug companies? Without doubt - in the past they’ve not always been advocates of what ‘health’ truly is. If they are damping things down, here, then it’s a severe understatement to say they are doing people a disservice.

[ajbennett]

I find it so frustrating that co-morbities- and metabolic health- are not part of the official narrative. It’s incredibly clear that metabolic dysfunction makes you more susceptible to serious problems with COVID, and there’s pretty good evidence that vaccines are less effective in folks who are metabolically compromised, so the folks who need the vaccine the most might actually get the least protection from it.

Agree 100%. The public health authorities would do well to be screaming at the top of their lungs:

• stop eating all seed oils
• stop eating all sources of added fructose
• stop eating all grains and legumes
• keep your carbohydrate intake as low as you can sustain over the long term
• prepare and cook your own meals from individual whole-food ingredients
• focus on meat, eggs, and low-starch vegetables as the foundation of your diet, and use nuts, cheese, and natural fats to enhance your meals.
• limit fruits and other foods with high concentration of carbohydrate

Of course, that’s pretty much keto 101, and I’m one of those crazy low-carb fanatics, so what do I know? Just because people have the information doesn’t mean that they have the will to take action on it. The people who participate here are much more interested in health and nutrition than average.

It’s much lazier to trust your doctor and get a pill or a shot for the problem, and many people - even highly intelligent people - seem to be content to do that.

[SteveTheShark]

Just listened to this. I’m disappointed (but not really surprised) in the casual embrace of collectivist and utopian thinking. Richard is laser focused on combatting this one virus without any appreciation of other problems that society is facing – both the long-standard ones now on the back burner (heart disease, murders, suicides) and new ones caused by fighting COVID single-mindedly and foolishly (starvation, malnutrition, alcoholism, etc).

For example, they basically said (paraphrasing here) that Asian countries have a low rate of COVID deaths now because the population willingly goes along with what their overlords tell them to do. No mention of maybe a different baseline health profile of the populations. They did mention Vitamin D levels, even acknowledging how important that factor is, but that didn’t seem to inform their view of how Asian countries might be faring better than Western countries. Fifth-grade level analysis, really.

[lfod14]

This probably a bit to controversial for most, so I should not be in covid19 discussions.

We’re the same brand of wacky! I donate blood 4-5 times a year and now antibody tests are done every time and each time I’ve gotten the email back that tells me I tested negative for covid antibodies I’m pissed off about it.

[SomeGuy]

• stop eating all seed oils
• stop eating all sources of added fructose
• stop eating all grains and legumes
• keep your carbohydrate intake as low as you can sustain over the long term
• prepare and cook your own meals from individual whole-food ingredients
• focus on meat, eggs, and low-starch vegetables as the foundation of your diet, and use nuts, cheese, and natural fats to enhance your meals.
• limit fruits and other foods with high concentration of carbohydrate

Fully agree with your bullet points. Excellent lessons for healthy living.

I submit that the reasons we don’t get such advice along these lines from the day we’re born are primarily as follows…

• Current global oil seed production = 597 million metric tons annually (per USDA)
• Global fructose market size = $4.4 billion USD in 2020 (per Grand View Research)
• Global corn production = 1,116 million metric tons (per Statistica)
• Global wheat production = 764 million metric tons (ibid)
• Global rice production = 495 million metric tons (ibid)
• Global food service market (restaurants and prepared commercial foods/beverages) = $3.4 trillion USD (per Cision Newswire)
• Global advertising market = $532 billion USD (per IMARC Group) of which food, drug and other healthcare are the largest segments
• Global healthcare market = $8.45 trillion annually USD, representing avg of 10% of GDP in most developed countries (per PolicyAdvice, insurance market consultants)

Seems straightforward enough?

[FrankoBear]

I submit that the reasons we don’t get such advice along these lines from the day we’re born are primarily as follows…

Nutrition value in a dollar bill?

[ajbennett]

Wait … so what you’re saying is that people could have their viewpoints distorted by their job, their industry, or their own business? Impossible! /s

[SomeGuy]

Wait … so what you’re saying is that people could have their viewpoints distorted by their job, their industry, or their own business? Impossible! /s

I know, pretty wild, eh?

[dlc96_darren]