Low Carb Diet Bad For Your Thyroid? | AnthonyColpo

Is a Low Carb Diet Bad For Your Thyroid? | AnthonyColpo
Anthony Colpo | Friday, July 1st, 2011 | Comments Off

Extract:

So What Does This All Mean?

Almost everyone assumes that low thyroid function equals excess weight gain, and that if only they could get their thyroid humming along like a Keonig-tuned Ferrari, eternal leanness is theirs for the taking.

It ain’t that simple. The human hormonal network is amazingly intricate, with an endless array of feedback loops that impact upon hormonal output and function in ways that scientists still don’t fully understand. Focusing on the level of just one or 2 hormones is somewhat myopic and often ineffective.
Researchers, for example, have observed almost no difference in various measures of energy expenditure and body composition in obese individuals with normal thyroid function and subclinical hypothyroidism (of the numerous measurements taken, only resting energy expenditure per kilogram of fat free mass was significantly different and lower, and only in the most severely hypothyroid patients)[Tagliaferri].

So many "health experts" die young - Anthony Colpo

Being a Health ‘Expert’ is a Health Hazard 
by Anthony Colpo 
Thursday, September 2nd, 2010
 
Extract:

Below is a fascinating article about the very poor longevity track record of famous health ‘experts’ and diet ‘gurus’. It’s worth noting the article was written a few years before the controversy-filled passing of low-carbohydrate author Dr. Robert Atkins, one of the most famous diet ‘gurus’ in history. Atkins ... died after slipping on an icy New York footpath. He spent nine days in a coma before dying on April 17, 2003 aged 72. A year earlier, Atkins had suffered cardiac arrest due to cardiomyopathy.  Other recent developments include:

• The heart attack death of K. Dun Gifford, who promoted the Mediterranean diet, at 71;
• Michio Kushi, macrobiotic advocate and author of The Cancer Prevention Diet, suffering colon cancer at 81. He is still alive, but his wife died of cervical cancer at 78.
• The death of Roy Walford in 2004 at age 79. The longevity researcher and author died of respiratory failure as a complication of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease). Walford’s books included Maximum Life Span and The 120-Year Diet.
• The death of Robert E. Kowalski from a pulmonary aneurysm in 2007, aged 65. Kowalski wrote several best-selling books, including The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure, The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure Cookbook, Cholesterol & Children, 8 Steps to a Healthy Heart (a guide to recovery from heart attack and bypass surgery), The Type II Diabetes Diet Book, and The Blood Pressure Cure: 8 Weeks to Lower Blood Pressure Without Prescription Drugs. Kowalski developed his programs after enduring a major heart attack and multiple-bypass surgery at age 35.

Rob Wolf wrong on low-carb/cortisol link? by Anthony Colpo

What’s the Time Mr Wolf? Time to Get Your Facts Right! | AnthonyColpo

Extract:

Wolf doesn’t ...... cite a single study that contradicts the connection between low-carb and cortisol. He simply trots out the tired old “fat adaptation” nonsense, claiming that the heightened cortisol response to low-carb diets documented in the research is simply an artifact of a sudden change in diet.

Wolf claims this observation is simply a “stress” response experienced by people who are used to following high-carbohydrate diets. He claims that once these folks become adapted to a low-carb diet replete with protein and fat, a wonderful phenomenon known as gluconeogenesis (the creation of glucose from non-carbohydrate sources) will kick into high gear and keep a lid on cortisol.

This is an especially fanciful claim when one considers that cortisol is a potent stimulator of gluconeogenesis [Khani].

"Great Cholesterol Con" by Anthony Colpo - Book review

Amazon.com: The Great Cholesterol Con (9781430309338): Anthony Colpo: Books

book review by Joel M. Kauffman Phd -  http://www.usciences.edu/academics/collegesDepts/chemistry/Faculty/Kauffman.aspx

By Joel M. Kauffman (Berwyn, PA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME) This review is from: The Great Cholesterol Con (Paperback) The definitive book on the non-dangers of dietary cholesterol and saturated fat was The Cholesterol Myths by Uffe Ravnskov, 2000. Anthony Colpo's book (GCC) has the advantage of being 6 years newer, thus much recent research has been included with individual citations in academic style. GCC also has the advantage that some more likely causes of heart disease are given, then constructive suggestions on lifestyle are given, and these are backed up by excellent references -- over 1400 of them (p xi). It is significant that the first forward is written by Ravnskov, MD, PhD, and a second forward by Duane Graveline, MD, MPH, who wrote Statin Drug Side-Effects, 2004. In its 368 pages, 78 are references, and about 102 discuss why eating cholesterol and saturated fat do not cause heart disease. This leads to why the statin drugs such as Zocor and Lipitor are overpromoted and do not have a benefit because, even tho they can lower cholesterol levels, such lowering is shown not to be a benefit. About 73 more discuss what might actually cause heart disease. Another Section addresses overblown claims about other drugs to fight heart disease, better diets than low-fat, stress, supplements, alcohol and exercise. Appendices cover other interesting topics, such as lowering homocysteine levels and the false health claims of vegetarians, and of those who perform coronary angioplasty and bypass operations. The actual evidence from studies in original peer-reviewed papers is presented, with clearly designed tables when the results of multiple trials were given. Colpo wrote the most detailed descriptions of the fraudulent work of Ancel Keys, MD, on the supposed toxicity of staturated fats, as well as on the misguided claims of Dean Ornish, MD, and Nathan Pritikin on low-fat diets I have seen. The unhealthy recommendations of several government agencies and NGOs are brought out. The instigation of Big Pharma is duly noted. On these topics, including recommending low-carb high-fat diets, and certain supplements, The Great Cholesterol Con is in good agreement with similar parts of my own recent book, Malignant Medical Myths (MMM), 2006, and gives much greater detail, and is easier to read, despite smaller print. There is no index. There is no biographical data. Anthony Colpo is a medical writer and Physical Fitness Trainer who lives in Australia. Most of Colpo's book is extremely well-researched, and worthwhile for almost anyone to read. Some possible exceptions: His recommendation for the supplement selenium (p195) did not mention that the study he quotes found a tripling of breast cancer (MMM, p239). Granted the p = 0.09 and the SU.VI.MAX study showed no such thing, but it made use of 4 supplements besides selenium in the intervention group. His use of relative risks (RRs) instead of absolute risks, despite showing how misleading RRs can be, is disappointing, but can be accepted when the direction of an intervention is shown to be opposite of the conventional expectation. There are some problems with the chemistry of unsaturated fats (p145). His description of blood alcohol levels and chance of collisions while driving did not mention that people unused to alcohol will drive poorly with much lower concentrations than the USA's vaunted 0.08%, while long-term alcoholics will only perform their best driving with much higher concentrations (p234ff). Colpo is more sanguine about exercise than I (MMM, pp144-161), but is careful not to recommend extreme exercise. None of this really detracts from a generally accurate work. Colpo is very direct, working up finally to this Conclusion (p254): "There is every reason in the world to encourage people to exercise frequently, stop smoking, eat minimally processed foods, and find ways to get a handle on the stresses of modern life. The evidence for low-fat diets, on the other hand, is based on a mixture of erroneous assumptions, half-truths and downright lies." Help other customers find the most helpful reviews Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Report abuse | Permalink Comment Comments (2) Customer Reviews 50 Reviews 5 star: (43) 4 star: (3) 3 star: (3) 2 star: (1) 1 star: (0) Average Customer Review 4.8 out of 5 stars (50 customer reviews) Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review Most Helpful Customer Reviews 165 of 167 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars The Right Stuff, July 3, 2006

Why Low-Carb Diets are Terrible - AnthonyColpo

Anthony Colpo is a Melbourne fitness guru and author

Save for the sick and sedentary, Colpo is hostile to low carb theory, particularly in the exercise context:

Why Low-Carb Diets are Terrible for Athletes: Part 1 | AnthonyColpo

Why Low-Carb Diets are Terrible for Athletes: Part 2 | AnthonyColpo

More generally here:

Reader Mail: Dumping on Paleo Dogma, Low-Carb Gurus & Psychos, & More! | AnthonyColpo

Reader Mail: Debunking More Low-Carb Myths | AnthonyColpo

Can Low-Carb Diets Make You Crazy? | AnthonyColpo

Colpo is prominent for his vigorous and highly personal e-stoushing with leading US low carb guru Dr Michael Eades, as explained by other bloggers/observers here and here.

The Great Eades Smackdown, 2010! Part 1 | AnthonyColpo

The Great Eades Smackdown, 2010! Part 2 | AnthonyColpo

Anthony Colpo Explains Why Dr Michael Eades is the Biggest Prat in the Diet Industry | AnthonyColpo

Reader Mail: HCG Diet, The Great Eades Smackdown, and More! | AnthonyColpo

Eades | AnthonyColpo

Here is an example of the energetic Colpo approach - on the topic of low carb guru Gary Taubes:

Q - What About Gary Taubes?


I’ve read your posts on Michael Eades and Fred Hahn, they’re masterpieces in the lost art of debunking, I really appreciate your efforts in unmasking those clowns. But in those same posts (and others) you’ve slipped short references to Gary Taubes, putting him in the same group as those two frauds (or, as you call them, “notorious low-carb shills”). Why is that? Would you care to elaborate? Given all the time you’ve spent dealing with Eades and Hahn, I find it surprising you are (in comparison) mostly silent on Taubes.


Sam

Anthony replies:

"Hi Sam,

I think Taubes is every bit as duplicitous as Hahn and Eades, and have explained why here:

http://www.thefatlossbible.net/They_Are_All_Mad.pdf
(p. 82 of the PDF)

I guess I haven’t given him the same lashings I’ve given Hahn and Eades because he’s wisely kept quiet in response to my criticisms, whereas the other two decided to attack me personally. Being a bullshitter is one thing, getting self-righteous and personally denigrating those who correctly call you out on your BS is another.

Also, others have highlighted Taubes’ duplicity at length:

http://www.thelivinlowcarbshow.com/shownotes/3557/blogger-carbsane-calls-gary-taubes-a-willful-fraud-episode-436/

http://carbsanity.blogspot.com/2010/05/glyceroneogenesis-v-taubes.html

http://carbsanity.blogspot.com/2010/10/update-gary-taubes-email-my-response.html

http://www.thebsdetective.com/2009/10/bullshitter-of-day-oct-7th-gary-taubes.html

CarbSane is an especially tenacious and effective critic of Taubes and has highlighted an abundance of contradictions and fallacies in his anti-carbohydrate/anti-insulin dogma. And as you can see from the above links, his response to her has been to pretty much ignore her scientific criticisms and instead accuse her of “stalking”!

A perennial fantasy about being “stalked” and the subject of someone’s “obsession” seems to be a common thread among prominent low-carb shills. The stalking and obsession claims seem to conveniently arise only after being the subject of criticism for which they have no valid scientific refutation.

After demonstrating a complete inability to refute my criticisms of his absurd “metabolic advantage” claims, Dr Michael Eades wrote a long-winded piece claiming I was a “man obsessed”. More recently, Fred Hahn tried the same tactic; as with Eades, this is a rather ironic claim coming from a person who has spent an inordinate amount of time and effort attacking me every chance he gets.

All these folks have to do to shut me up is present peer-reviewed, tightly controlled ward research showing greater fat-derived weight loss on an isocaloric low-carb diet, then explain why all the other metabolic ward studies failing to show similar results were either seriously flawed or falsified. Despite being offered abundant time, opportunity and even financial support for their favourite charities to do just this, none of these low-carb promoters has been able to deliver.

Unable to refute their opponents on scientific grounds, low-carb shills like Taubes, Eades, Hahn, et al feel compelled to discredit their opponents by instead portraying them as mentally unstable, “obsessed” and “stalkers”.

In their dreams…

It goes without saying, but issuing valid scientific criticisms of someone’s scientifically untenable nonsense hardly makes one a stalker or obsessed. Here’s how a true Internet stalker behaves: After a real or perceived personal slight from you, an individual begins bombarding your email and/or your Internet forum on a daily basis with extremely hostile correspondence. Almost all of this correspondence is liberally peppered with profanity and much of it contains lurid sexual taunts. If the author of this demented campaign happens to go by the monikers of “Razzi” or “Razwell”, and you happen to descend from non-Anglo-Saxon stock, his email correspondence will also include frequent gutter-level slurs on your ethnicity.

When his email address is blocked, he promptly creates a new account and resumes his barrage of hate mail. When this new address is again blocked, he repeats the process. You will receive literally hundreds of nasty and virulent emails in this manner from this truly demented individual.

When his forum membership is banned, he promptly rejoins your forum under a different username. Similar to the email scenario, he repeatedly rejoins in response to continual banning, until you and your forum administrators get totally fed up and institute a policy whereby each and every new member must be personally screened prior to being allowed on the forum. This of course creates inconvenience and delays for all the genuine applicants, but the web stalker couldn’t give a rat’s ass that he is being a humongous public nuisance and inconveniencing innocent people; recent post on Spoilt Little Web Brats explained, these folks are self-centered, immature, narcissistic losers with little else to occupy their time except a driven quest to prove to the world what complete dickwads they are.

To date, I have been the target of two such individuals, both of whom were low-carb fanatics and one of whom was the subject of my recent article. Neither of these individuals were reprimanded or castigated in any way by their fellow low-carbers for their lurid and anti-social behaviour. To the contrary, one of these individuals (the racist super-troll “Razzi/Razwell”) has been welcomed and encouraged by Dr. Michael Eades (see previous email and my answer).

I must say this: the low-carb movement, as it stands today, is a complete and utter joke. It is dominated by intellectually dishonest individuals who are violently allergic to contradictory evidence. These commentators repeatedly fail to scientifically refute their opponents and instead routinely resort to personal attacks often of a patently ridiculous nature, including accusations of stalking and obsession. Evidently, their driven desire to discredit their opponents even extends to cosying up with well-known Internet trolls whose behaviour would easily meet any legal definition of harassment.

I have explained previously why ketogenic low-carb diets may contribute to the unbecoming behaviour frequently exhibited by their followers . Needless to say, individuals with a susceptibility to anger, depression, hostility, mood or psychiatric disorders should avoid low-carb ketogenic diets like the plague.

Cheers,

A."