I needed to disable self sign-ups because I’ve been getting too many spam-type accounts. Thanks.
Documenting my experience
carotenoids are pigments - they capture energy from sunlight to produce energy in plants
Hi @michele
RE: We can hypothesize and make assumptions all we want for and against RBPs being transport vehicles and cherry pick scientific studies to support both sides, but we'll never know for sure, unfortunately.
I think we will know for sure. Both from myself and from the update Dino recently posted:
https://ggenereux.blog/discussion/topic/lab-tests-after-2-1-2-years-end-of-experiment/
where he shared that his serum retinol (via RBPs) is at: 0,04 umol/L we are getting some good evidence that there's no need for the RBPs. That's 26 times lower than the low end of the normal range. Three years ago I was similarly at 22 times lower.
RE: Fruits
I agree, there's very little risk of getting to toxic doses of vA just from eating fruits.
Quote from Kurtis on May 5, 2021, 12:06 amcarotenoids are pigments - they capture energy from sunlight to produce energy in plants
Hi @kurtis,
I know that for a lot of plants the carotenoid content is much higher in the leaves than it is in the root. But, some plants also have a very high carotenoid content in the root, for example such as carrots and sweet potatoes.
Do you have think the root is acting like a reservoir of carotenoids to keep supplying the leaves, or do you think it's a dual purpose molecule to both absorb sunlight and to fight off insects that live in the soil?
Thanks.
Quote from michele on May 4, 2021, 6:18 pmJust a quick note on your post. I disagree strongly with any healing diet that includes alcohol, let alone one that suggests that it encourages detoxification of any kind or somehow helps our body to do something more efficiently. Alcohol is a cellular poison. Perhaps an extreme example, but it's along the same lines as chemo. Sure, kill the cancer cells...along with the healthy ones!
I mean this in the kindest way possible, but your belief about alcohol (regardless of a "scientific" study to back it up) is simply the epitome of "people like to hear good things about their bad habits".
Some people here have posited the idea that alcohol, for whatever reason, sends VA out of the liver. I can see how that may be a liver sparing sort of thing (if a person doesn't drink loads of alcohol) however, VA is still problematic, wherever it lands. I was just trying to think of a reason why my liver might not be suffering as much as it could have been, knowing my extremely high VA intake.
The French do ingest loads of cheese and down it with red wine. There is that French Paradox thing...
Quote from lil chick on May 5, 2021, 7:07 amQuote from michele on May 4, 2021, 6:18 pmJust a quick note on your post. I disagree strongly with any healing diet that includes alcohol, let alone one that suggests that it encourages detoxification of any kind or somehow helps our body to do something more efficiently. Alcohol is a cellular poison. Perhaps an extreme example, but it's along the same lines as chemo. Sure, kill the cancer cells...along with the healthy ones!
I mean this in the kindest way possible, but your belief about alcohol (regardless of a "scientific" study to back it up) is simply the epitome of "people like to hear good things about their bad habits".
Some people here have posited the idea that alcohol, for whatever reason, sends VA out of the liver. I can see how that may be a liver sparing sort of thing (if a person doesn't drink loads of alcohol) however, VA is still problematic, wherever it lands. I was just trying to think of a reason why my liver might not be suffering as much as it could have been, knowing my extremely high VA intake.
The French do ingest loads of cheese and down it with red wine. There is that French Paradox thing...
Personally, I hold quite closely the traditions that have been handed down to me. Alcohol is a part of those traditions. I totally and literally understand that alcohol is a poison, and a depressant.
However, I can also see that some things might be worth doing even if they aren't healing. My two long-lived grandparents weren't by any means tee-teetotalers.
If I could name one thing that a person could do to be healthier, that one thing would be to pursue happiness. I have followed many heroic (and often isolating) diets through my 40 years of experimenting. I'm done with it, as I've said.
A native american person might want to smoke a little tobacco for the same reason. Very parallel. Could be some benefits, could be some detriments. The social aspects might sway the choice into the plus column.
Quote from ggenereux on May 5, 2021, 6:14 amI think we will know for sure. Both from myself and from the update Dino recently posted:
https://ggenereux.blog/discussion/topic/lab-tests-after-2-1-2-years-end-of-experiment/
where he shared that his serum retinol (via RBPs) is at: 0,04 umol/L we are getting some good evidence that there's no need for the RBPs. That's 26 times lower than the low end of the normal range. Three years ago I was similarly at 22 times lower.
I know you scoff at people who think that you are still surviving and thriving because the red meat you are consuming contains some VA. I happen to be one of those people. Bison consume grass. Grass contains VA. If you believe VA is a poison, why on earth would you consume an animal whose diet is made up almost entirely of a poison?! While I agree that there may not be as much VA in bison as there is in a sweet potato, perhaps you are getting all you need. As I suggested with protein, perhaps the amount of VA needed is wildly off.
Serum retinol is simply a measure of what is in your blood. NOT what is getting into your cells. In your 5-year update, your VA level was 0.1 μmol/l (I didn't see this data point in your 6-year update). So, you are not at zero. Yes, you are very very low. Perhaps the small amount of VA in the bison is being almost 100% utilized by your cells, which means that most of the VA in your body is NOT in your blood and therefore would not appear in your blood test. Your body is going to work really, really hard to keep you alive and functioning. If it has only a very limited supply of VA coming in and it is in fact necessary for the body (and not a poison), it's likely going to figure out a way to use as much of it as possible.
Personally, all this proves to me is that the % of VA the medical community says is required is incorrect. Not that VA is a poison and/or unnecessary. The billion dollar supplement industry has drilled in our heads that we need massive amounts of vitamins and minerals to be healthy. I personally believe this is untrue for all vitamins and minerals. It's all about how much your body can actually absorb and utilize, not the amount you consume.
@lil-chick ‘that one thing would be to pursue happiness.’ Couldn’t agree more. We must never underestimate the effect that our state of mind has on our body.
I more and more see attempting detox without addressing stress levels as a big mistake. At the most basic level liver detoxification does not work well if the body is in the sympathetic mode of the ANS (flight or fight).
I actually think plants have to put poisons in their fruits, leaves, roots, etc to prevent animals to rule over plants. If plants didn't have poisons and defences (like bark), they could go extinct by being eaten to death by animals. Animals eat plants to survive, but plants slowly lead them to their death.
As an example, I have read that goats have a favorite plant, but they only eat a little of it because eating more of it can kill them.
Nothing is peaceful about nature. Everything is fighting for its survival.
I personally hold traditions quite closely as well. Traditions are times of celebration with people we love. I laugh, talk and connect with family and friends during holidays and get-togethers without a drink in my hand. In fact, I am able to connect and love more openly and deeply without alcohol.
I completely agree that limiting stress and anxiety is important, but I don't agree that alcohol is the best way to address these feelings. What you choose to do is your business. But do not imply that I am lacking happiness or have no regard for traditions because I choose to abstain from alcohol for my health. I am the happiest I have ever been in my entire life, and I don't feel isolated because of my diet. I can still participate in any and all social events I attend.
Your opinion will be popular here because my viewpoint is triggering for most people.
I agree with you that some plants are toxic and this is for survival purposes. Take basil, for example. It is toxic to all animals with a central nervous system. Humans use basil rather sparingly as a spice. Compared with our body weight, this amount is only very slightly (and completely unnoticeably) toxic to us. Similar to your goat example. But eat a big bowl of ONLY basil and I guarantee you won't feel so well . However, to an insect, a bite of a basil plant would lead to its death (relative to its size). Farmers often plant basil around a bed of tomatoes - the very strong smell of the basil deters insects and therefore protects the tomatoes from being eaten by insects.
I strongly disagree with you, however, when it comes to fruit. If you read my earlier post carefully, you will understand that trees need animals to plant their seeds. The animals are not eating their bark or roots. The trees survive just fine without the fruit (but I agree they wouldn't do so well if you messed with their roots). What on earth would be the point of wasting all that time and energy creating a fruit if not for some specific purpose? The fruit does nothing for the tree.
I never said nature was peaceful. But symbiotic relationships exist EVERYWHERE.