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Current understanding of LOW protein, high carbohydrate diets and calorie restriction on longevity and metabolic health

HeatherS.

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While shuffling down a longevity rabbit hole on PubMed, I found a fascinating recent study in the area of calorie restriction and longevity.  What I wasn't expecting was its findings on low protein, high carbohydrate diets. 

The study found, amongst other things, that low protein, high carbohydrate (20% fat) was associated with the greatest longevity and best overall metabolic health in spite of a tendency to weight gain as fat. The improvement was equal to caloric restriction alone, and combining the two had no additional metabolic benefits (LPHC also tended to expend the most energy)

The version of the experiment where LPHC was combined with CR had the same longevity, but also avoided the increase in body mass from the high carbohydrate Intake. They also had the best immune systems

The low carbohydrate, high protein group were found to have reduced longevity and poorer cardiovascular and metabolic health, though again, LCHP group with CR fared better than those allowed to eat freely.

The area where LCHP created an advantage was in reproduction. Not in fertility, but in the actual process of reproduction, which makes complete sense.

You can read the whole report here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4472496/

It should be mentioned this study is still one part of decades of research on Calorie Restriction and dietary composition.

From the strong evidence in favor of dietary restriction, we should all be seeing increased life spans (depending on age of intervention, some will be more modest than others).

But I wonder how the evidence building up for HCLP can be applied to us.

HCLP emphasizes low glycemic index carb sources and 5-15% protein intake, but at our level of consumption 600-1000 calories a day in maintenance depending on your needs), that would only be 12.5-37.5g protein which seems like it would result in a deficiency. The famous Okinawan Ratio is on the low end of that, though people studied consumed about twice the calories (if I remember right, and I might not) which is still only 25g protein/day.

And yet, I'm not seeing any of these deficiencies in the literature. No deficiencies in the Okinawans either. 

Curiouser and curiouser.

What do you think? What did this study make you wonder? 



8 Comments


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Have you read Proteinaholic by Dr. Garth Davis (who is a bariatric surgeon in Houston)? I'm currently making my way through it and Dr. Davis certainly has some convincing arguments in favor of LPHC.

Thanks for sharing the link! I plan to read through it over the weekend.

Edited by Ms. Brightside

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@Ms. Brightside Thank you for the recommendation. I'll look for it at my library. The many studies on LPHC and the growing understanding of the long term risks of HPLC are very convincing when you read the actual studies and their findings.

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@HeatherS. - I absolutely agree!

The book is fairly new (released about a year ago, I think), so your library may not have it, but it'd be worth requesting! If not, my copy was only $10 through Amazon.

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I found it at my local library! :) Thank you again for the recommendation. I suspect that within 5 years, this will probably be common knowledge, based on where the peer reviewed studies are and the fact that there's now one mainstream book on it.

I've been eating this way (and no artificial sweeteners) since 2 weeks out (once I got into the swing of soft foods) and my weight loss has been steady. I'll blog about any findings around my 6 week post-op, but I have plenty of energy, no unreasonable hunger (only if I forget to eat ALL DAY), and a reduction in nausea.

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I would really like to know what blood labs look like for people who follow high protein/fat diets. It would be interesting to see the long term effect. I am a fan of the moderate diet with a balance of everything included.

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@ldyvenus I'd like to know what those labs look like, too. A lot of people on HPLC diets on here like to mention frequently that their labs are "perfect" but I haven't seen specifics yet.

Most of the studies I've read so far find no difference in the short term, but concerns in the long term due to cutting out the source of many beneficial micronutrients and an increase in adverse cardiovascular findings.

I'll be sure to post about my labs when I next have them, following the LPHC hypothesis.

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HCLP emphasizes low glycemic index carb sources and 5-15% protein intake, but at our level of consumption 600-1000 calories a day in maintenance depending on your needs), that would only be 12.5-37.5g protein which seems like it would result in a deficiency.

Nobody forces us to eat that little calories. With time the amount of food one can eat usually increases. During the months we are able to eat only very small portions we maybe shouldn't focus on HCLP and view the high protein content of the food as some kind of medical prescription to avoid deficiencies.

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On 21. April 2017 at 4:44 PM, Ms. Brightside said:

Have you read Proteinaholic by Dr. Garth Davis (who is a bariatric surgeon in Houston)?

Definitely worth a read. It seems to be quite expensive now. I was lucky to get it for 1,27€ as Kindle edition last year (just looked it up in my past orders) in March when there was a promo at amazon. Now the book is 14,99€, yikes!

Davis is also not the only bariatric surgeon who comments on the favored LCHP diet. Weiner also criticizes the obsession with "lean animal protein". His book "a pound of cure" is worth a read, too. (Available on Kindle Unlimited for free at the moment.)

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