Dr Cordain’s Response: The Paleo Diet & Phytate Content Within Nuts | The Paleo Diet

Dr Cordain’s Response: The Paleo Diet & Phytate Content Within Nuts | The Paleo Diet:

Dr Cordain’s Response:

Hi Joe,

Attached is the most recent comprehensive review of phytate in foods to date (Schlemmer U, Frølich W, Prieto RM, Grases F. Phytate in foods and significance for humans: food sources, intake, processing, bioavailability, protective role and analysis. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2009 Sep;53 Suppl 2:S330-75). This article lists the (phytate/phytic acid) content in cereals, legumes, seeds and nuts. Note that phytic acid and phytate are not synonymous terms – rather phytate is the salt of phytic acid (myo-inositol-1,2,3,4,5,6- hexakis dihydrogen phosphate) and contains other minerals including calcium and magnesium. In the scientific literature these two terms are often times used interchangeably which is inappropriate – hence reported concentrations of phytic acid may frequently include the total phytate content or vice versa. The bottom line is that there is great variability in reported values – making it difficult to precisely compare foods groups.

In the table in the attached article, nuts appear to be high in phytate, but these results require confirmation by reporting specific methods utilized for phytic acid analysis. Hence the jury is still out when it comes to precise concentrations of phytic acid in nuts.

The greatest known adverse health effects of phytic acid is that it binds divalent minerals (iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium, manganese etc.) making them unavailable for absorption or poorly absorbed in the gut. Vegetarian diets high in phytic acid from legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds) frequently result in mineral deficiencies and impairment of health. In a typical modern day “Paleo” diet (contain some nuts), these mineral shortcomings are of little concern because meat and seafood (including shellfish) are rich sources of iron and zinc, whereas fresh fruit and vegetables are excellent sources of magnesium and manganese. Only when nuts and seeds become the dominant daily caloric source would potential mineral deficiencies appear.

Phytate probably breaches the gut barrier and enters circulation in small concentrations, however few or no adverse effects upon health have been documented to date. Rather the opposite is true, and phytate may be protective against certain cancers and may have therapeutic antioxidant effects.

Nuts are one of the most common allergenic foods and therefore may contain antinutrients which interact with the immune system of certain people. The lectin content of nuts has been poorly studied, so we simply have no information how nuts may affect the immune system of certain people. Most people can eat modest amounts of nuts and have no ill effects. Unless, you have chronic allergies or are an autoimmune disease, nuts are highly nutritious foods and good sources of healthful monounsaturated fats.

Cordially,

Loren Cordain, Ph.D., Professor

Humor - the "Lipitor Paradox"

Uploaded by naturalhealthschool on May 10, 2011
Radio show host Alex Jones talks with Dr. Russell Blaylock, a retired neurosurgeon and author, about the dangers of statin drugs and how they are causing serious brain disorders and increasing the incidence of dementia. They also discuss aluminum toxicity and chem trails-how the government is spraying us with toxic aluminum. Additionally they discuss how to protect your family from increased radiation following Fukushima and also the prevention of Alzheimer's disease, now approaching epidemic proportions.

Free fatty acids in the presence of high glucose amplify monocyte inflammation via Toll-like receptors:

Free fatty acids in the presence of high glucose amplify monocyte inflammation via Toll-like receptors

1. Mohan R. Dasu¹ and
2. Ishwarlal Jialal¹,²

+Author Affiliations

1. ¹Laboratory for Atherosclerosis and Metabolic Research, University of California, Davis; and
2. ²Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Sacramento, California

1. Addressfor reprint requests and other correspondence: M. R. Dasu, Laboratory for Atherosclerosis and Metabolic Research, 4635 II Ave., Res. 1 Bldg., Rm. 3000, UC Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA 95817 (e-mail: ravi.dasu@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu).

• Submitted 18 August 2010.
• Accepted in final form18 October 2010.

Abstract

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is characterized by hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and increased inflammation. Previously, we showed that high glucose (HG) induces Toll-like receptor (TLR) expression, activity, and inflammation via NF-κB followed by cytokine release in vitro and in vivo. Here, we determined how HG-induced inflammation is affected by free fatty acids (FFA) in human monocytes. THP-1 monocytic cells, CD14⁺ human monocytes, and transiently transfected HEK293 cells were exposed to various FFA (0–500 μM) and glucose (5–20 mM) for evaluation of TLR2, TLR4, NF-κB, IL-1β, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and superoxide release. In THP-1 cells, palmitate increased cellular TLR2 and TLR4 expression, generated reactive oxygen species (ROS), and increased NF-κB activity, IL-1β, and MCP-1 release in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Similar data were observed with stearate and FFA mixture but not with oleate. Conversely, NADPH oxidase inhibitor treatment repressed glucose- and palmitate-stimulated ROS generation and NF-κB activity and decreased IL-1β and MCP-1 expression. Silencing TLR2, TLR4, and p47phox with small inhibitory RNAs (siRNAs) significantly reduced superoxide release, NF-κB activity, IL-1β, and MCP-1 secretion in HG and palmitate-treated THP-1 cells. Moreover, data from transient transfection experiments suggest that TLR6 is required for TLR2 and MD2 for TLR4 to augment inflammation in FFA- and glucose-exposed cells. These findings were confirmed with human monocytes. We conclude that FFA exacerbates HG-induced TLR expression and activity in monocytic cells with excess superoxide release, enhanced NF-κB activity, and induced proinflammatory factor release.

Differential Effects of Cream, Glucose, and Orange Juice on Inflammation, Endotoxin, and the Expression of Toll-Like Receptor-4 and Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling-3:

Differential Effects of Cream, Glucose, and Orange Juice on Inflammation, Endotoxin, and the Expression of Toll-Like Receptor-4 and Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling-3

1. Rupali Deopurkar, PHD,
2. Husam Ghanim, PHD,
3. Jay Friedman, PHD,
4. Sanaa Abuaysheh, BSC,
5. Chang Ling Sia, BSC,
6. Priya Mohanty, MD,
7. Prabhakar Viswanathan, PHD,
8. Ajay Chaudhuri, MD and
9. Paresh Dandona, MD, PHD

+Author Affiliations

1. From the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, State University of New York at Buffalo and Kaleida Health, Buffalo, New York.

1. Corresponding author: Paresh Dandona, pdandona@kaleidahealth.org.

1. R.D., H.G., and J.F. contributed equally to this study.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE We have recently shown that a high-fat high-carbohydrate (HFHC) meal induces an increase in plasma concentrations of endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide [LPS]) and the expression of Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4) and suppresser of cytokine signaling-3 (SOCS3) in mononuclear cells (MNCs) in addition to oxidative stress and cellular inflammation. Saturated fat and carbohydrates, components of the HFHC meal, known to induce oxidative stress and inflammation, also induce an increase in LPS, TLR-4, and SOCS3.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Fasting normal subjects were given 300-calorie drinks of either glucose, saturated fat as cream, orange juice, or only water to ingest. Blood samples were obtained at 0, 1, 3, and 5 h for analysis.

RESULTS Indexes of inflammation including nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) binding, and the expression of SOCS3, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin (IL)-1β in MNCs, increased significantly after glucose and cream intake, but TLR-4 expression and plasma LPS concentrations increased only after cream intake. The intake of orange juice or water did not induce any change in any of the indexes measured.

CONCLUSIONS Although both glucose and cream induce NF-κB binding and an increase in the expression of SOCS3, TNF-α, and IL-1β in MNCs, only cream caused an increase in LPS concentration and TLR-4 expression. Equicaloric amounts of orange juice or water did not induce a change in any of these indexes. These changes are relevant to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and insulin resistance.

Footnotes

• The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked “advertisement” in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.

• • Received September 2, 2009.
  • Accepted January 5, 2010.

• © 2010 by the American Diabetes Association.

Articles citing this article

• Reduced Adipose Tissue Inflammation Represents an Intermediate Cardiometabolic Phenotype in ObesityJournal of the American College of Cardiology July 12, 2011 58:232-237
  • Abstract
  • Full Text
  • Full Text (PDF)
• Endotoxemia Is Associated With an Increased Risk of Incident DiabetesDiabetes Care February 1, 2011 34:392-397
  • Abstract
  • Full Text
  • Full Text (PDF)
• Free fatty acids in the presence of high glucose amplify monocyte inflammation via Toll-like receptorsAmerican Journal of Physiology - Endocrinology And Metabolism January 1, 2011 300:E145-E154
  • Abstract
  • Full Text
  • Full Text (PDF)
• Obesity, Diabetes, and Gut Microbiota: The hygiene hypothesis expanded?Diabetes Care October 1, 2010 33:2277-2284
  • Abstract
  • Full Text
  • Full Text (PDF)