Just Because It’s In Toothpaste
Doesn’t Mean It’s Safe
– Xylitol, Nano-hydroxyapatite, Fluoride, Activated Charcoal –

Dr. Al Danenberg ● Nutritional Periodontist

May 8, 2022

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If you want to put something into your mouth, it should be compatible and healthy. Not just for your mouth, but also for the rest of your body! If it’s not, then why would you subject yourself to potential harm?

  • Would you drink water that contains lead?
  • Would you gargle with gasoline?
  • Would you eat arsenic?

Of course, you wouldn’t since you know that these elements could kill you.

But what if you didn’t know what you didn’t know?

What if you were told something is beneficial but the potential harm was not disclosed and intentionally hidden from you?

You’d be more than angry – you’d be irate!

So, let me bring this reality to you.

 

Teeth & Dental Plaque Are Unique

Here is a little-known fact. The only area of the body where a hard structure pierces the skin and enters the sterile bony structures is the tooth. Think about this for a moment …

Can you imagine the potential havoc that could occur if infection were to move down the tooth into the jawbone? Your jawbone could rot, and you could die.

But the body has solutions.

The body created a “healthy biofilm” to protect this susceptible area to prevent bacteria from sliding down the tooth into the bone. There are other protective structures under the gum that can alert the immune system to fight infections.

But first, this protective and healthy biofilm is the initial defense. It is called “dental plaque” and is composed of several hundred bacteria is a state of balance.

This natural biofilm serves at least three main functions. Healthy dental plaque …

  1. Allows necessary nutrients and minerals from the saliva to enter the root of the tooth to remineralize it as necessary 24/7.
  2. Produces hydrogen peroxide to kill any potentially pathogenic microbes in the mouth from getting to the gum/tooth margin
  3. Buffers the acidity around the gum/tooth margin to maintain an acid level of no more acidic than pH 5.5 to prevent decay of the root surface.

So, you don’t want to disturb or destroy this healthy dental plaque. Proper oral hygiene using a healthy toothpaste will not remove the thin layer of healthy dental plaque. Proper oral hygiene will only remove any excessive, unhealthy dental plaque.

 

Four Potentially Toxic Ingredients in Toothpastes

Four specific ingredients in various toothpastes are promoted as healthy and disease fighting.

  • Xylitol
  • Nano-hydroxyapatite
  • Fluoride
  • Activated Charcoal

But most people are confused about these ingredients because there are many published scientific papers that proclaim the benefits of them for the prevention of tooth decay and gum disease. But the far-reaching damage that these additives may cause to other parts of your body as well as to the garden of balanced bacteria in your mouth is not disclosed. And you need to be informed before you decide to use them in your mouth or to avoid them.

 

Xylitol

Xylitol will prevent a specific mouth bacterium (Strep mutans) from growing. Strep mutans is one of the bacteria that is responsible for tooth decay. But in a healthy mouth with a balance of bacteria, Strep mutans is part of the homeostatic community in healthy dental plaque without causing any harm. To destroy Strep mutans could disrupt the overall balance of bacteria and create an unhealthy overgrowth of other microbes.

Xylitol also prevents healthy dental plaque from forming and attaching to the root surface near the tooth/gum margin.[1] But healthy dental plaque is protective as I described above.

In addition, xylitol can damage the gut microbiome and create GI (gastrointestinal) disturbances.[2]

 

Nano-hydroxyapatite

Hydroxyapatite is the calcium-phosphate mineral structure of tooth enamel. Nano-hydroxyapatite has a much smaller size than hydroxyapatite and can adhere to the existing hydroxyapatite in teeth and “fill in holes”. The effect is that it can reduce root sensitivity and mineralize and repair early tooth decay. Nano-hydroxyapatite is marketed as the healthier alternative to fluoride.

However, several medical papers have shown that “nano” particles can penetrate other cellular tissues in the body and become cytotoxic.[3] They also have the potential to damage the balance of healthy bacteria in the gut.[4],[5],[6] All “nano” particles have the potential to do more harm than good. Much unbiased research still needs to be done in this area of medicine before I am convinced that medical nanotechnology is unconditionally safe and proven effective.

 

Fluoride

For years, dentistry has been a proponent of fluoride in water and in toothpaste. The ideas are that fluoride will kill oral bacteria and prevent tooth decay and gum disease. And the American Dental Association (ADA)[7] and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)[8] still believe this to be the case.

However, much of the current science demonstrates potential overall harm when fluoride accumulates in the body. The IAOMT (International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology) put together this detailed paper describing the harm of fluoride. And the IABDM (International Academy of Biological Dentistry and Medicine) published this paper about their position on fluoride and republished this paper on the ingestion of fluoride.

 

Activated Charcoal

Charcoal is a porous black solid form of carbon that is created by burning wood or other organic material. This charcoal can be burned again at higher temperatures to produce “activated charcoal”. Activated charcoal can bind to toxic elements primarily in the gut. It doesn’t remove toxic elements in the mouth and does not prevent tooth decay or gum disease as promoted by some dental product companies.[9] Activated charcoal can also bind to essential nutrients to induce vitamin deficiencies, dehydration, constipation, and even vomiting.[10],[11]

In toothpaste, activated charcoal also is promoted to help whiten teeth. However, it is abrasive and could possibly damage or remove the outer layer of the tooth, which is the enamel. If some of the enamel is removed by activated charcoal, a more yellow under-layer of the tooth called dentin will become exposed. The exposed dentin will stain more easily than the enamel and could cause tooth sensitivity. And the lost enamel will never “regrow”.

If you are interested, I published a blog on teeth-whitening ideas a few years ago.

 

Summary

When selecting a toothpaste, you shouldn’t use one with potentially harmful chemicals that may act as “Band-Aids” to prevent tooth decay and gum disease. Even if some research suggests that these elements may have benefits, they still should not be used if other science shows that they can cause harm.

Choose a toothpaste with no harmful elements and one that can enhance the healthy balance of the garden of bacteria in your mouth. My choice is Revitin.

There are very specific methods to stop tooth decay and gum disease. And they don’t involve chemicals to disturb natural processes in your body. In fact, these methods not only will prevent tooth decay and gum disease, but also assist in overall health and wellness. In this PDF I published, I describe the 4 Steps to a Healthy Mouth.

Tooth decay and gum disease are results from poor diet choices, an unhealthy gut, and inefficient oral hygiene protocols. You wouldn’t paint a rusted pipe with Rust-Oleum to hide the rust. And you wouldn’t take an aspirin to treat appendicitis. You would figure out the cause of the rusty pipe or the appendicitis and treat both correctly.

That’s the way you must approach the problems of tooth decay and gum disease. Treat the real causes of these diseases and repair the damage these diseases have created in the mouth.

Don’t rely on Band-Aids like Xylitol, Nano-hydroxyapatite, Fluoride, or Activated Charcoal to solve the problem.

 

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31361368

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5537870/

[3] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31349397/

[4] https://particleandfibretoxicology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12989-020-00349-z

[5] https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/4/1942

[6] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969721001443

[7] https://www.ada.org/resources/research/science-and-research-institute/oral-health-topics/fluoride-topical-and-systemic-supplements

[8] https://www.fda.gov/news-events/fda-brief/fda-brief-fda-proposes-updated-standards-fluoride-added-bottled-water-maximize-health-benefits-while

[9] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32112023/

[10] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482294/

[11] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1745-4557.2004.tb00647.x

 

Schedule a ”30-Minute Free Consult” with me to answer some of your questions and determine if we are a good fit for a coaching program! CLICK HERE.

 

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Better Belly Blueprint Recipes
– Sautéed Soft-Shell Crabs –

Dr. Al Danenberg ● Nutritional Periodontist

May 1, 2022

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My soft-shell crab recipe does not include any flour, which is typically used to coat these delicacies before they are sautéed. And what a delight they are!

But they are only available for a short period of time. It’s all about timing.

As crabs grow, they must shed their shells, just as a snake sheds its skin to grow. The crab will develop a soft shell underneath its hard shell, then puff itself up to break the hard shell to make room for the new outer skeleton. Crabs that have just shed their hard shells expose a soft, delicate shell that hardens within hours. So, to obtain soft-shell crabs, you must harvest a crab just within the small window of time after it breaks off its old shell and before the new shell hardens.

 

Ingredients:

  • 4 Fresh soft-shell crabs

 

 

 

(I remove the gills on the right and left of the crab which are under the top soft shell)

 

  • 1 Beaten egg
  • Sprinkle of Himalayan salt
  • Grass-fed, grass-finished butter to sauté (approximately 2-3 tablespoons – enough butter when melted to cover entire saucepan)

 

Preparation:

  1. Dry soft-shell crabs with paper towels
  2. Add butter to saucepan and melt on medium heat
  3. Dip each crab into beaten egg and then place in saucepan to begin sautéing
  4. Sprinkle salt on surface of crabs
  5. Sauté for 5 minutes
  6. Turn over crabs, and sprinkle salt on surface of crabs

 

  1. Sauté for additional 5 minutes
  2. Plate crabs
  3. If you desire, pour remaining butter in saucepan over plated crabs
  4. Enjoy!

 

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Animal-Based Foods & Snacks
Online Sources & More *    

Dr. Al Danenberg ● Nutritional Periodontist

April 3, 2022

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You know the importance of eating well. We all do. But do you know how to choose the best options?

Is this you? …

  • You want to emphasize an animal-based diet for yourself and family.
  • You want the best organic, pastured, grass-fed and grass-finished meat products.
  • You also want to include healthy snacks.
  • You want the convenience of online shopping.

If this is you, then this blog is “just what the doctor ordered.”

Here is where I’m going in this paper:

  • The science behind animal-based diets
  • Ruminant Animals
  • Other Animal Sources
  • Regenerative farming – the method of raising these animals
  • Online sources

 

The Science

Our diet (the foods we eat and the foods we avoid eating) has a major impact on our quality of life, health, and longevity. The food we eat directly affects the gut microbiome.[1] And a healthy gut is critical to prevent chronic disease.[2]

I have written about the research supporting an animal-based diet, which is based on the evolution of the human species, medically controlled trials, and published patient case reports. An animal-based diet will provide practically every nutrient your body requires in a bioavailable form with all its symbiotic elements in place and in the correct ratios.

  • Read the seminal paper published in 2021 about the evolution of the human species over 2.5 million years which got us where we are today. Humans are the most intellectual and dominant animal on earth, and the authors’ story is both multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary.
  • Watch this 15-minute video by Brian Sanders about meat, the benefits to the environment, and feeding the world. This short talk about how we got where we are today will be the basis of his soon-to-be released documentary film, Food Lies.

 

 

  • Investigate some of the human studies (HERE, HERE) that clearly prove that healthy red meat does not cause cardiovascular disease or cancer. On the contrary, consumption of healthy meat and organs is inversely correlated with these chronic diseases.
  • Read this controlled study of Kenyan children who excelled in school when they ate animal-based foods and did poorly when they ate predominantly plant-based foods.
  • Look through the results of this study, which showed that total meat intake is positively associated with increased life expectancy. The study included an analysis of 175 contemporary populations.
  • Study this 2022 paper which showed that animal-based foods improved the physical growth in 6 to 24-month-old children.
  • Peruse the case reports from the Paleomedicina Clinic in Budapest, Hungary where over 5,000 patients with severe and sometimes “incurable” chronic diseases and cancers have been treated and sometimes cured using a strict animal-based diet with no supplements and no prescription drugs. Go to their website and then click on “Scientific Work and Articles”.

My Better Belly Blueprint describes and outlines a healthy and doable animal-based way of eating. It is a way of eating for a lifetime.

A typical “plate of food” following the Better Belly Blueprint consists of at least 70% animal foods from nose-to-tail and no more than 30% raw honey, fruits and a select group of vegetables – no nuts or seeds.

 

 

Ruminant Animals

The ideal muscle meat options come from ruminant animals – cattle and sheep. I wrote about them in my blog, Beef & Lamb – My “Go-To” Meats. Also, these ruminant animals provide high quality organ options – and organs are replete with numerous nutrients our body craves. In addition, the kidney fat (suet) from beef and lamb is healthy and a great source if you need to increase your fat content with the meals you prepare. I wrote about animal fat HERE.

However, your local farmer or butcher may not carry these foods. And if they do, they may not be from grass-fed, grass-finished animals. Fortunately, there are viable options at the click of a key on your computer. I’ll suggest many online sources at the end of this article.

 

Other Animal Sources

I am not including animal products like seafood, chicken, or pork for your regular, daily consumption. These options for animal protein do not have the nutrient density like ruminant meats. If you were to eat them occasionally, then that would be OK. They provide variety which is important.

When it comes to seafood, the healthy options would be wild caught, fatty fish like salmon, sardines, and anchovies – never farmed fish. Other healthy seafood choices include oysters, clams, crab, etc.

When it comes to chicken and pork, there is another problem in addition to the lowered overall nutritional density. Today’s chickens and hogs are usually fed corn and soy products. These products are high in linoleic fatty acid – even if these animals are organically fed. The linoleic fatty acid accumulates in the meat, skin, fat, and organs of the chicken and pork. When you consume these animals that have been fed corn and soy products, the excess linoleic fatty acids accumulate in your body and specifically in your fat cells. These omega-6 fatty acids are inherently unhealthy in excess quantities. Therefore, I do not recommend chicken or pork as part of your routine way of eating if they have been fed soy or corn products. If you eat them once every other week, then they probably will not affect you significantly.

 

Regenerative Farming

Throughout the US, there are organic farms that practice regenerative farming and grazing of cattle and sheep. These farmers treat their animals humanely and allow them to graze on the pasture without any added chemicals.

Regenerative grazing is a principle-driven agricultural practice of building healthy soil by managing livestock on perennial and annual forages, and in a way that supports human and ecosystem health, farm profitability, and community and food system resilience.[3],[4],[5],[6]

Several of these regenerative farms and co-ops of regenerative farmers provide grass-fed, grass-finished animal products for shipping directly to you in dry ice.

But you may have had a difficult time purchasing the healthy meats, organs, and even snacks for your way of eating. I have assembled online sources that can provide these healthy foods.

 

Online Options

I’m listing online sources which provide animal meats and their organs and fats as well as snacks. I have not personally ordered from most of them. I am fortunate that I have local sources where I purchase grass-fed, grass finished beef and pastured lamb. But I have ordered organs and suet online from White Oak Pastures and US Wellness.

 

Meat Sources:

 

Snack Sources:

Most likely, you will not crave snacks when you eat the way I have already described. But sometimes you or your family members may want a snack to take along on a trip or at some other time. Why not make the snack a healthy one?

Some snacks can be made in your kitchen. Examples would be hard boiled eggs, homemade beef jerky, and homemade liver jerky. But you may not want to go to the trouble of cooking.

So, here are some online sources to buy animal-based snacks. However, you will need to check the ingredients of those products you investigate. Some will have sugar, unhealthy oils, and spices that are high in anti-nutrients. Obviously, you’ll need to choose the appropriate snacks.

 

There is so much misinformation out there. When I try to decipher what is real or what is inaccurate when it comes to human nutrition, I attempt to take a broad view with a perspective that spans hundreds of thousands of years. Our primal ancestors are examples of how we have become the dominant species on earth. By duplicating the nutrients which they consumed will allow us to continue to thrive going forward. And an animal-based diet is our best means to recreate the success of our primal ancestors.

 

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6524347/

[2] https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tem.2022.01.002

[3] https://pastureproject.org/

[4] https://vetsustain.org/work/regenerative-agriculture-practices-provide-benefits-for-ruminant-health

[5] https://www.transformationholdings.com/agriculture/regenerative-agriculture-managed-grazing/

[6] https://countryfolks.com/transition-to-small-ruminant-regenerative-grazing/

 

Schedule a ”30-Minute Free Consult” with me to answer some of your questions and determine if we are a good fit for a coaching program! CLICK HERE.

 

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* NOTE: The statements I make in my publications are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This information is not intended to replace any recommendations or relationship with your physician. To support the claims I make in my writings, I cite various medical articles and studies that have been peer-reviewed and published in different medical journals worldwide.

Better Belly Blueprint Recipes
– Frothy Keto Chicory Coffee –

Dr. Al Danenberg ● Nutritional Periodontist

April 3, 2022

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Here’s a flavorful twist for a great cup of coffee – chicory coffee. Less caffeine than a cup of only coffee and smoother with less bitterness than a cup of Joe. If you have been to Café Du Monde in New Orleans, then you probably are familiar with their chicory coffee.

I use Mayorga Café Cubano coarsely ground coffee and organic ground Chicory. I also add MCT Oil and heavy whipping cream from pastured, grass-fed cows.

When my wife and I want coffee in the morning, I make enough Frothy Keto Chicory Coffee for both of us. That’s all I have until my first meal around 2PM in the afternoon.

Look at the ingredients. The fats in the coffee keep me in ketosis until my first meal. If your body is not used to these quantities of healthy fats, you must start slowly. Use smaller portions of heavy cream and MCT Oil at first. Or else, you and the toilet may take center stage for the rest of the day. So, gradually increase the amount of fats until you reach the suggested measures in my recipe. Or use whatever amount of fat that is perfect for you.

 

 

Ingredients:

 

Preparation:

  1. Grind beans to coarse grind
  2. Place ground beans, chicory, baking soda, and salt into French Press
  3. Boil water and wait 1 minute after boiling
  4. Add about 1/3 of the water to the French Press carafe and stir to mix coffee grounds and chicory thoroughly with the water
  5. Add the remaining water, stir, place the plunger, and set timer for 3.5 minutes
  6. While coffee is brewing, add heavy cream and MCT Oil into a 4-cup measuring cup
  7. Slowly press the coffee grounds and chicory to the bottom of the carafe after the 3.5-minute brewing time
  8. Pour the chicory coffee into measuring cup
  9. Blend mixture until well mixed and frothy using a stick blender
  10. Share and enjoy with your spouse or a friend. Put the remainder into a Thermos-type container to keep warm.

 

 

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Animal FAT
– Let’s Talk About It –

Dr. Al Danenberg ● Nutritional Periodontist

March 27, 2022

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Organic, Grass-fed, Grass-finished Beef Suet

What if I told you there was ONE magic ingredient to boost cognitive function and improve overall health and wellness? You wouldn’t believe me as this superfood element has been villainized for decades.

The superfood element is animal fat. It has been essential for the evolution of human life as well as the development of our unique brain.

If you have read or listened to the media surrounding food and nutrition, you undoubtedly have been inundated with misinformation that animal fat is the cause of many chronic diseases and a shortened lifespan.

You’ve been repeatedly told that “fat makes you fat” and that “animal fat causes cardiovascular disease and cancer”. Both statements are false if the animal fat comes from grass-fed, grass-finished animal sources that have consumed their organic, natural foods that are not tainted with chemicals of any kind.

Animal fat provides energy and is needed for hormone production and functional cell membranes. And animal fats can fight the battle of the bulge. Without healthy animal fat, we would be less satiated after a meal, and we would become hungrier more quickly. And animal fats, especially saturated palmitic and stearic fats, help reduce the excess storage of fat in fat cells.

In addition, animal fat helps the absorption of necessary vitamins and minerals.

Below is a 22-minute video by Paul Saladino, MD (author of the Carnivore Code). He discusses the importance of saturated animal fats, especially long chain saturated fats (palmitic, stearic) which are found in beef and lamb. They are the healthiest among all fats. In this video, Paul also discusses the harm of excess linoleic acid, which is a polyunsaturated fat that is present in excess in vegetable and seed oils as well as chicken and pork if they have been fed corn or soy products.

 

 

Is Animal Fat Healthy?

In an article published in the 2017 edition of The Lancet, saturated fat was specifically shown to be healthy. The authors also explained how high carbohydrate intake was associated with higher risk of total mortality. Yet, total fat and individual types of fat were related to lower total mortality. Total fat and types of fat were not associated with cardiovascular disease, myocardial infarction, or cardiovascular disease mortality. And saturated fat had an inverse association with stroke.

Slowly, the world is relearning that animal fat is healthy. As I already stated, the animals must be fed a natural diet, humanely raised and butchered, and not injected with any chemicals.

In this 2020 article in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, the authors wrote in their abstract …

The recommendation to limit dietary saturated fatty acid (SFA) intake has persisted despite mounting evidence to the contrary. Most recent meta-analyses of randomized trials and observational studies found no beneficial effects of reducing SFA intake on cardiovascular disease (CVD) and total mortality, and instead found protective effects against stroke. Although SFAs increase low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, in most individuals, this is not due to increasing levels of small, dense LDL particles, but rather larger LDL particles, which are much less strongly related to CVD risk. It is also apparent that the health effects of foods cannot be predicted by their content in any nutrient group without considering the overall macronutrient distribution. Whole-fat dairy, unprocessed meat, and dark chocolate are SFA-rich foods with a complex matrix that are not associated with increased risk of CVD. The totality of available evidence does not support further limiting the intake of such foods.

 

Types of Fatty Acids in Animal Fat

A study published in 2016 identified the percentages of the various types of fatty acids in both US grass-fed beef compared to US grain-fed beef. Here is a table from the published paper:

 

 

How Did Animal Fat Get Vilified?

The vilification of animal fat began in 1958 when Ancel Keys began his research for the Seven Countries Study, which eventually was published in 1978. However, Denise Minger researched the real truth about Ancel Keys’ research, and various papers have been published which have debunked as well as supported Ancel Keys’ research.

Ancel Keys wanted to prove a direct correlation between heart disease and fat intake. This theory is known as the lipid or cholesterol hypothesis. Ancel Keys suggested that the ingestion of saturated fat (which can raise blood levels of cholesterol) would clog up your arteries, leading to heart disease.

Ancel Keys reported on 7 countries. He attempted to show a direct correlation between fat intake and rates of heart disease. However, the eventual research looked at 22 countries but only included the 7 countries that supported his hypothesis the most. For example, excluded from the 7 countries were the cases of Denmark, France, and Norway where their diets were rich in fat, but the occurrence of heart disease was low. Also, data was excluded from Chile, where the diet was low in fat, but the occurrence of heart disease was high.

His ongoing research was widely debated, then accepted, and eventually picked up by the health industry. By 1961, the American Heart Association recommended that butter should be replaced with polyunsaturated seed oils, and that animal fats should be avoided. The aim was to lower cholesterol levels. And in 1980 the US government issued dietary guidelines to cut back on saturated fat and cholesterol.

There were many problems with Ancel Keys’ research. Some of them are below …

  • A significant weakness was that the research was observational and did not involve controlled trials. The data could not scientifically support a causal relationship between saturated fat and cardiovascular disease – the results only showed a correlation.
  • Also, there were many lifestyle factors of the participants in the study that could confound the basic assumption that saturated fats were unhealthy.
  • Another significant problem was the source of the animal fat. If the fat came from animals which consumed grains, were conventionally raised with added chemicals, and inhumanely slaughtered, their fat would have been inherently unhealthy.
  • In addition, the food diet questionnaires which the participants had to fill out were dependent on the recollection of the individual participants.
  • Finally, in the days of the study, the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease might not have been completely accurate and often other diseases were misdiagnosed as cardiovascular disease.

 

How to Get Animal Fat in the Diet

My Better Belly Blueprint lays out a way of eating, which provides the necessary nutrients including animal fat for a healthy diet. A typical “plate of food” for a healthy person following my Better Belly Blueprint would consist of at least 70% animal-based foods and no more than 30% selected plant-based foods by volume on the plate.

There is no direct weighing of the food or amount one should force himself or herself to eat. You eat when you’re hungry to the point you feel comfortably full but not stuffed. The fat in the diet helps your body become satiated. You also drink water replete with trace minerals whenever your thirsty. And you drink until your thirst is quenched.

This is a high fat, moderate protein way of eating. Your goal is to eat about 2 grams of fat for every 1 gram of protein until you feel full. The high fat content can be eyeballed. For example, if you are making eggs or cooking ground beef or ground lamb, you could add extra ghee or tallow (or suet) to your preparation of the food. If you make a soup with bone broth, you could add additional ghee or suet to the soup. If you can tolerate dairy, triple crème brie offers up to 4:1 ratios of grams of fat to grams of protein.

The amount of carbs you consume depends on the number and types of selected plants you choose.

Here is a graphic that shows the grams of total fat and protein in ghee, beef tallow (or suet), beef ribeye, lamb loin chop, ground beef, ground lamb, eggs, triple crème brie, and raw gouda cheese. To increase the fat-protein ratio measured in grams for any given meal, you can add ghee and/or tallow (or suet) to the food preparation.

 

 

Here are links you may find helpful …

  • This is my recipe to make homemade Ghee.
  • This shows how to use Suet and provides links to purchase frozen suet from online sources.

Many people eating this way may only want to eat once or possibly twice a day. Again, you eat when you’re hungry and stop when you are comfortably full. There is no specific “breakfast”, “lunch”, “dinner”, or “snack time” that you must adhere to.

Personally, I cycle in and out of ketosis. On the days I am in ketosis, my carbohydrate intake is less than 25 grams daily. When I cycle out of ketosis and become a carb-burner, my grams of carbs may be over 125 grams those days. This cycling helps my body stay metabolically flexible.

 

In Summary

Many people whom I speak with are shocked when I emphasize that animal fat needs to be included in their diet. I personally was confused when I learned the health benefits of animal fat. But what I learned is that you “can teach old dogs new tricks”.

My earlier “education” of animal fat was that it created health dangers and needed to be avoided. Today, many nutritional supplement companies and healthcare professionals that I have great respect for are still condemning the consumption of animal fat and animal products.

It is encouraging that medical controlled studies now are being published that clearly state and prove that animal fat is healthy and even critical for overall health and wellness. But it will take time to change people’s minds. And the food industry has an ulterior motive to continue the false claims that animal fat is the villain and must be avoided and substituted with their polyunsaturated and highly processed food products.

Don’t just take my word for it. Try a little experiment for yourself. For the next two weeks, consciously add more healthy animal fat into your diet and monitor how you feel. One of my favorite brain-boosting breakfast tips is to blend a spoonful of ghee into your coffee. The trick here is to use a frother or stick blender so you get that rich, cappuccino-like texture. You can find more high fat, nutritious recipes here.

Let me know how it goes! Drop me a line in the comments section or send me an email with your results.

 

Schedule a ”30-Minute Free Consult” with me to answer some of your questions and determine if we are a good fit for a coaching program! CLICK HERE.

 

If you don’t want to miss out on new posts, sign up for my Free “Belly Bites” Newsletter and receive your free copy of Dr Al’s “5 Things That Could Be Impacting Your Health Right Now” HERE.

 

Better Belly Blueprint Recipes
– Hearty Bisque Soup –

Dr. Al Danenberg ● Nutritional Periodontist

February 6, 2022

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Here is a perfect, complete animal-based meal. It is creamy without any cream. If you are on the run or want a quick meal that is easy to prepare for being on-the-go, this is the one for you. It is a bisque-type soup like no other you have ever eaten. Eat it in a bowl for a sit-down meal or take in a Thermos and drink whenever you’re ready.

This is a soup for a carb-burning day. This is not appropriate for a fat-burning day since the amount of healthy carbs from the fruit would shift you out of ketosis. However, to make it a fat-burning meal, just leave out the fruit.

Check out these ingredients: Muscle fiber from the healthiest red meat sources, healthy animal fat, beef bone broth, critical desiccated organs, egg yolks as another nutrient source and a natural emulsifier, and healthy fruit – all the bioavailable nutrients your body needs for a meal.

Store what you don’t consume in the refrigerator. When ready to eat the rest, warm the bisque slightly. You could blend it again in the NutriBullet if you want.

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound of sautéed ground beef or ground lamb
  • 1 tablespoon Ghee
  • Salt to taste with Himalayan Salt (about 1 tsp)
  • 2 cups Kettle & Fire Grass-fed, Grass-finished Beef Bone Broth (or homemade)
  • 6 caps Heart & Soil Bone Marrow & Liver (capsules and powder will dissolve)
  • 6 caps Heart & Soil Organ Complex (capsules and powder will dissolve)
  • 6 caps Heart & Soil Skin, Hair, & Nails (capsules and powder will dissolve)
  • 3 raw egg yolks
  • OPTIONAL: 2 tablespoons raw unprocessed local honey OR a 14.1 ounce can of no-sugar-added organic mango slices (drained) OR ½ cup frozen Dark Sweet Cherries (thawed and drained)

 

 

 

Preparation:

  1. Sauté ground beef or lamb with 1 tablespoon of Ghee in sauté pan; salt to taste (about 1 tsp)

 

 

  1. Add bone broth to sautéed beef or lamb and bring to boil
  2. Remove from stove and let cool to warm
  3. Add capsules of the desiccated organs
  4. Add egg yolks
  5. Optional: add honey or fruit
  6. Blend in a NutriBullet Pitcher or other blender to puree all ingredients completely

 

 

 

  1. Pour into a cup, bowl, or Thermos if you are on the go
  2. Enjoy
  3. Store remainder in refrigerator in a Thermos or the NutriBullet Pitcher
  4. Warm when ready to eat again or blend again in the NutriBullet Pitcher

 

Schedule a ”30-Minute Free Consult” with me to answer some of your questions and determine if we are a good fit for a coaching program! CLICK HERE.

 

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Periodontal Disease & COVID-19
– Is There a Correlation? –

Dr. Al Danenberg ● Nutritional Periodontist

January 23, 2022

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COVID-19

The SARS-CoV-2 virus causing COVID-19 infections has plunged the world into a major crisis. The disease is characterized by strong infectivity, high morbidity, and high mortality.

Recently, periodontal disease has been identified as a potential risk factor for COVID-19 infections.

This pandemic has brought about an awareness that our immune system is a critical factor for healing and overall wellness. We can take advantage of this fact. We can become more proactive.

 

From Gut to Mouth to COVID-19 Infection

Follow this inflammatory trail as it spreads from the gut to other parts of the body!

The spread of inflammation from the gut to other organ systems is like the spokes of a bicycle tire spreading out from the hub and ending at its rim.

As you know, my research has shown that metabolic dysfunction affects the gut which can tax the immune system leading to chronic systemic inflammation. This inflammation can manifest in many chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, neurological diseases as well as periodontal disease. Chronic systemic inflammation is a major risk factor in severe forms of COVID-19.

Once there is an imbalance of gut bacteria, it can weaken the immune system. A weakened immune system can upset the balance in the oral microbiome. And when the oral microbiome becomes unbalanced, it can cause periodontal disease.

I wrote about the importance of treating the gut and the mouth in this Blog Post. A poor diet and improper oral hygiene will feed the severity of periodontal disease.

On January 6, 2022, the European Journal of Dentistry published a peer-reviewed paper suggesting that the existence of periodontal disease can be a contributing factor in COVID 19 infection.[1]  

And on January 13, 2022, COVID-19 and Periodontitis: A Dangerous Association? was published in Frontiers in Pharmacology.

The oral cavity and periodontal tissues are viable portals for the entry of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. In addition, the cytokines that are produced by the immune system in periodontal disease can exacerbate a cytokine storm in severe COVID-19 infections.

It is very possible that identifying and treating an unhealthy gut, instituting efficient oral hygiene protocols, and treating any active periodontal disease may assist in mitigating the infection and spread of SARS-CoV-2. Also, if there are other dental irritants causing inflammation in the mouth as I described in this PDF, they must be identified and treated appropriately.

So, what is causing periodontal disease? And how do we deal with this aggressive gum infection?

 

Diagnosis & Treatment of Active Periodontal Disease

The upper respiratory tract mucosa is the first line of defense and acts as a physical barrier to invading microbes. It also allows the innate and adaptive immune system to fight infections on its surface.

Significant changes take place in both the gut microbiome and airway microbiome when individuals are infected with COVID-19. Pathogenic bacteria proliferate and beneficial bacteria diminish. Overgrowth of harmful bacteria in the gut may encourage the development of COVID-19 in the host through interaction with ACE2, mitochondria, and the lung-gut axis.[2]

I’ve written about improving metabolic dysfunction by improving the foods we eat and making lifestyle changes. Also, I’ve written extensively about healing the gut and creating a diverse gut microbiome. All will help protect the body from the spread of viral infection. Improving the diet and the gut will go a long way to enhance the immune system’s defenses.

But when there is active periodontal disease, this must be treated concurrently with improving the diet and repairing of the gut. As already suggested in the European Journal of Dentistry[3], treating active periodontal disease may reduce one of the risks for the progression of SARS-CoV-2 in the body.

Here is a graphic comparing healthy gums in healthy jawbone around a tooth to unhealthy gums and damaged jawbone from advanced periodontal disease called periodontitis.

 

 

Steps to Effectively Treat Periodontal Disease

 

Periodontal Exam

First, a dentist must do a thorough periodontal exam that measures the depths of infected spaces (called “pockets”) around the teeth, the stability of the teeth in the bone, the balance of biting forces between the upper and lower teeth, and the degree of damage to the jawbone surrounding the roots of each tooth.

 

Gingivitis Treatment

If there are signs of inflammation in the gum tissues but no bone damage, the disease is called gingivitis. A general mouth and tooth cleaning by the hygienist, instruction in proper oral hygiene methods, and improvement of the diet and healing of the gut will treat this disease very well. Here is my PDF about how to clean your mouth effectively and efficiently daily.

Sometimes, heavy biting pressures of the teeth must be evened out.

 

Periodontitis Treatment

If there are signs of active bone damage around the roots of the teeth with progressing periodontal disease, it is called periodontitis. Here are two successful treatment options I have used repeatedly for my patients depending on the degree of bone damage – (1) Scaling & Root Planing and (2) Laser Periodontal Regeneration

 

(1) Scaling & Root Planing

If only slight damage has occurred, a deep cleaning under the gums may take care of stopping the disease. This is called a scaling and root planing. Your gum tissues are numbed so that discomfort is not an issue. Following the procedure, the gums may feel slightly tender, but this should not be a problem. You should have no problem going about your normal routine or doing your normal oral hygiene protocols daily.

If there are heavy biting forces between your upper and lower teeth that may wiggle the tooth in the bone, these heavy forces will need to be evened out.

Here is an animated video demonstrating Scaling & Root Planing:

 

Scaling and Root Planing Animation

 

(2) Laser Periodontal Regeneration

However, if the bone damage is moderate to severe and is progressing, then laser surgery has proven to be the most effective means to regenerate damaged jawbone. In addition, all unequal chewing pressures must be evened out so no heavy pressures between the chewing teeth are weakening and wiggling the teeth in the jawbone as it heals and regenerates.

Two laser procedures use technologies that have been successful in destroying the offending virulent bacteria causing periodontitis as well as regenerating the weakened and lost bone around the roots of the teeth.

Both laser procedures are patient friendly. Most patients will have little tenderness in the gum tissues and can return to their normal activities the next day. Also, over-the-counter ibuprofen (Advil) or acetaminophen (Tylenol) may be all that is necessary to control discomfort.

Here are two animations of two different laser procedures for treating periodontitis:

 

#1. Millennium Technology LANAP
(Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure)

 

 

#2. Fontana Twin Light Periodontal Procedure

 

Bringing All This Together

COVID-19 is with us. It is destroying our body, our economy, and social structure. Individually, we need to be proactive. The mouth is a portal for this virus to spread. And existing periodontal disease may make it easier for SARS-CoV-2 to take hold.

Your dentist is the healthcare professional to determine if you have active periodontal disease. As I have described in my Blogs in the past, other factors must be brought under control along with treating active periodontal disease. But if periodontal disease were present and not treated, it would continue to be a high-risk factor in the severity of SARS-CoV-2.

My recommendation is to seek out a dentist that will do a thorough periodontal exam. Most dentists are trained to do this. But periodontists are specialized dentists that often do the most comprehensive exam to determine the severity and extent of this disease. If you need help selecting the right dentist (not all are created equal!), I wrote this post containing 10 questions you should ask your dentist to ensure you are getting the proper examination.

As always, I’m here to help if you need direction or a second opinion. I was a practicing periodontist for 40+ years, and now I see patients via Zoom consultations. I can work with your dentist to provide a treatment plan so you can get your dental and gut health back on track.

 

[1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34991165/

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8727742/

[3] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34991165/

 

Schedule a ”30-Minute Free Consult” with me to answer some of your questions and determine if we are a good fit for a coaching program! CLICK HERE.

 

If you don’t want to miss out on new posts, sign up for my Free “Belly Bites” Newsletter and receive your free copy of Dr Al’s “5 Things That Could Be Impacting Your Health Right Now” HERE.

 

  Paleo, Keto, Carnivore
– What’s the Difference? & What’s the Best? –

Dr. Al Danenberg ● Nutritional Periodontist

January 16, 2022

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Confusion reigns supreme! What to eat and how to eat it?

So many diets. Everyone has their “perfect” way of eating. Plant-based, animal-based, and everything in between.

Is there an answer to the question, “What is the best way of eating to maintain wellness now and into the future?” After extensive research, I can finally say, “Yes, there is a best way of eating! And I’ll tell you why.”

Today, Paleo, Keto, and Carnivore diets are popular ways of eating that attempt to reflect how our primal ancestors may have met their nutritional needs over thousands of years. Each of these diets have their advocates and critics. Each eating lifestyle also has similarities and differences. But they all have one thing in common. Each is healthier than the Standard American Diet which over 88% of the US population eats today.

 

Our Evolutionary Way of Eating

The evolution of our human species over that last 2.5 million years has depended on nutrients in a bioavailable form and a healthy gut. Both have allowed for survival, a strong body, a robust immune system, and the creation of complex cognitive abilities.

Humans are omnivores. That means that we can eat animals and plants. However, our species has always favored eating animals from nose-to-tail. And current research proves this fact.

The proof comes in a detailed paper put together by a group of researchers at Tel Aviv University in Israel and at the University of Minho in Portugal. These three archaeologists published their cutting-edge research in March 2021 in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology.

The investigators stated, “It is hard to convince a devout vegetarian that his/her ancestors were not vegetarians, and people tend to confuse personal beliefs with scientific reality. Our study is both multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary.”

These scholars used genetics, metabolism, physiology, morphology and archaeology of tool development to settle the question: “Were Stone Age humans specialized carnivores or generalist omnivores?

The scientific team came to this conclusion: Stone Age humans were specialized carnivores until about 20,000 years ago. Then, some plants were brought into their diet.

The scientists based this statement on facts:

  • Human stomach acidity is extremely acidic, indicating a meat diet in which the acid not only would kill harmful bacteria that was decaying meat but also would break down animal protein.
  • Human fat is stored in large numbers of small fat cells like other carnivore predators, whereas omnivores have few but large fat cells. Humans can make use of these high fat reserves by rapidly turning them into fatty acids and ketones for energy when needed.
  • Areas of the human genome are closed off to enable a fat-rich diet, but the areas of the omnivore genome are open to enable a sugar-rich diet.
  • Archaeological evidence supports a meat-based diet based on the artifacts discovered around the skeletal remains.
  • Stable nitrogen isotopes in the bones and teeth of prehistoric humans point to consumption of meat with a high fat content.
  • Specialized tools for obtaining and processing vegetable foods only appeared more recently along the evolutionary continuum.

And the nutrients obtained by eating the whole animal from nose-to-tail are bioavailable and work in tandem to provide what is vital for humans to function without creating inflammation or damage in the gut or in the immune system.

You may ask, “How do we know the ancestral way of eating is still relevant today?”

Look no further than some of the primal societies living and thriving today. These peoples eat a high animal-based diet and have little to no chronic diseases. Examples are …

  • Hiwi: From Venezuela and Colombia whose diet is 75% animals
  • Ache: From Paraguay whose diet is 78% animals
  • Inuit: From the Artic whose diet is 96% marine animals
  • Hadza: From Tanzania whose diet is 48% animals

 

Chronic Disease is Out of Control

Look at chronic disease in the US. Some scary statistics are …

  • The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) stated that 60% of Americans live with at least one chronic disease, and chronic diseases are responsible for 70% of deaths each year in the United States. In addition, at least 72% of our society is overweight or obese.[1]
  • In 2010, a published paper demonstrated that 93.9% of adults in the United States had some form of gum inflammation (gingivitis).[2]
  • In 2015, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published their results in the Journal of Periodontology.[3] It showed the prevalence of severe periodontal disease (periodontitis) was estimated to be 47.2% for American adults. For adults 65 years old and older, the prevalence jumped to 70.1%.
  • The CDC reported that approximately 91% of U.S. adults aged 20–64 had dental caries in permanent teeth.[4] The prevalence increases to 93% for those above 65 years old.[5]
  • In a 2019 issue of the journal, Metabolic Disorders and Related Disorders, a peer-reviewed study showed that 88% of US population is metabolically inflexible.[6]

These chronic diseases and disorders are directly correlated to how we eat as a society, the missing nutrients in our food, and the poor absorption of these nutrients into our body.

 

Missing Nutrients

If you are not including some animal-based foods in your diet, you probably are not getting adequate amounts of these vital nutrients in a bioavailable form, which are critical for overall wellness. Also, these nutrients are in proper ratios and biologically balanced when you are eating animals from nose-to-tail. To try to compensate, you would need to take processed supplements and synthetic products which are not balanced biologically and may have other chemical substances labeled as “inert or other ingredients” …

  • Omega-3 Fatty Acids (DHA and EPA)
  • Vitamin B12
  • Vitamin D3
  • Vitamin A (Retinol)
  • Zinc
  • Choline
  • Calcium
  • Iron
  • Iodine
  • Selenium
  • Cholesterol
  • Carnitine
  • Carnosine
  • Glycine
  • Creatine
  • Taurine
  • Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine_
  • Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
  • Vitamin B3 (Niacin)

 

Anti-Nutrients & Potentially Toxic Substances

Some plants have innate biochemicals which they use as protection but could damage your gut and interfere with the absorption of necessary nutrients. And if you are eating only plants, an accumulation of these elements (which are often referred to as anti-nutrients or potentially toxic substances) may cause harm in your body …

  • Lectins
  • Amines
  • Tannins
  • Trypsin Inhibitors
  • FODMAPS (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols)
  • Salicylates
  • Oxalates
  • Sulfites, Benzoates, and MSG
  • Non-protein amino acids
  • Glycosides
  • Alkaloids [includes solanine, chaconine]
  • Triterpenes
  • Lignins
  • Saponins
  • Phytic Acid [Also Called Phytate]
  • Gluten
  • Isoflavones

 

Three Ways of Eating

Based on the previous facts that are debated by many yet supported by evidence, Paleo, Keto, and Carnivore “styles of eating” emerge to be most like our ancestor’s diet. What are the similarities, and what are the differences? And which is the right option for long-term, optimal health?

 

#1. Paleo

A Paleo Diet is designed to resemble what our hunter-gatherer ancestors ate thousands of years ago. There is no “one and only one” way to eat. Paleolithic humans thrived on a variety of foods depending on what was available in their timeline, where in the world they lived, and the season of the year.

Some ate a low-carb diet high in animal foods, while others followed a higher-carb diet. But obviously, none ate processed foods, and none were exposed to man-made toxic elements in the environment.

 

#2. Keto

A Ketogenic Diet (i.e.: keto diet) is a low carb, high fat diet that offers many health benefits. Currently, there are 413 peer-reviewed papers which have been published in PubMed about the subject.

In a keto diet, the drastic reduction in carbs puts your body into dietary ketosis.

In ketosis, your body becomes efficient at burning fat for energy. It also turns fat into ketones in the liver, which can supply energy for the brain along with many other health benefits. Alternating between being a “fat-burner” and being a “carb-burner” may be the healthiest of all worlds. Most likely our primal ancestors were efficient in burning fat or carbs for fuel as necessary.

 

#3. Carnivore

A Carnivore Diet stems from the evidence that human ancestral populations ate mostly animals from nose-to-tail and that high-carb diets may be a significant factor in today’s high rates of chronic disease. With a strict carnivore diet, all plants are eliminated. A carnivore diet can create dietary ketosis quickly and for a substantial period.

 

Comparison of Paleo, Keto, Carnivore

Here is a comparison table of What to Eat and What to Avoid for Paleo, Keto, and Carnivore as suggested by some experts.

 

My Take – The Best of the Best

Personally, I have experimented with all three diets. After all my research, I tweaked and integrated the most essential elements of each to create my Better Belly Blueprint. My goal for this way of eating was to improve the health of the gut, provide all the necessary bioavailable nutrients that our DNA code requires, and to cycle into and out of ketosis on a regular basis. My bottom line was to enhance my immune system as best as possible.

Looking at a typical plate of food, animal-based foods eaten nose-to-tail make up at least 70% by volume, and specific fruits and vegetables make up no more than 30%. It is critical that these plants are low in phytates, oxalates, and lectins.

Phytates, oxalates, and lectins are some of the toxic substances known as anti-nutrients. They can damage the gut microbiome and the gut epithelial lining. A damaged gut will lead to systemic inflammation that has been shown to increase the risk of all chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, dental diseases, skin rashes, and many others. However, it may take time before the manifestation of disease – months, years, or even decades are not out of the question.

Overall, the Better Belly Blueprint is a high fat, moderate protein, and low carbohydrate diet. Here is what a plate of food might look like:

 

 

Changing Your Way of Eating

I know that changing your way of eating can be overwhelming. As humans, we have emotional ties to food, as well as many years of habits formed believing which foods are “good” and which are “bad”. Your diet is a HUGE component of your overall health and can be the factor that saves you from metabolic disaster. We now know your gut and metabolic health are what can prevent you from developing chronic illness, fatigue, and even cancers.

I don’t expect you to just take my word for it. I want you to try it out for yourself. That’s why I share my Better Belly Blueprint Recipes on my website. Start incorporating these meals into your daily eating plans and take notice of the results! I prepare these dishes frequently for my wife and me. (By the way, my wife doesn’t always like what I like.)

If you’ve been following my story, you’ll remember I was following a Paleo diet and lifestyle for about 6 years before my cancer diagnosis. I was feeling great. My oncologist believes that my diet and lifestyle kept the undiscovered cancer at bay for as long as possible. Little did I know then that I still was missing key nutrients and putting some harmful elements in my body. When I began to eat and live a Paleo lifestyle, I may have delayed the manifestation of cancer, but I wasn’t fixing the problem. I didn’t know a problem existed!

Since then, I’ve done an immense amount of research (along with trial and error using myself as N=1) to figure out what I was missing. This has saved my life!

I DON’T HAVE A CURE FOR CANCER!

I DON’T HAVE A CURE FOR CHRONIC DISEASE!

But I do know how to improve my way of eating and lifestyle to enhance my immune system. And a robust immune system is the ticket for healing your body and defending it from disease.

I want to help your body ward off chronic diseases, which is why I developed my Balanced Metabolic Coaching Program and summarized the process in this PDF. I created a set of metrics that can help monitor your current metabolic health and assembled tools to assist your body to achieve optimal health as best as possible. As I stated, a robust immune system is your best defense against any type of illness. This regimen has not only worked to extend the quality of my life, but it has worked for many of my clients!

You can learn more about my Balanced Metabolic Coaching Program HERE.  I invite you to schedule a free 30-minute consultation with me. There’s no obligation – we’ll have a conversation about your health and goals to see if we are the right fit for working together.

Regardless if you sign up for coaching with me or not, I hope that you’ll take my research and learnings to heart. Your life depends on it!

 

[1] https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/center/index.htm

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=20437720

[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4460825/

[4] http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/DataStatistics/FindDataByTopic/DentalCaries/DentalCariesAdults20to64.htm

[5] http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/DataStatistics/FindDataByTopic/DentalCaries/DentalCariesSeniors65older.htm

[6] https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/met.2018.0105

 

Schedule a ”30-Minute Free Consult” with me to answer some of your questions and determine if we are a good fit for a coaching program! CLICK HERE.

 

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72-Hour Colostrum & Water Fast
– You Can Benefit –

Dr. Al Danenberg ● Nutritional Periodontist

January 9, 2022

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I just completed another experiment on myself. I’m starting to feel like a lab rat. But my results can benefit you as well as me.  I’ll summarize your benefits in the last section, Your Takeaway.

On 11/21/21, I wrote about my Bovine Colostrum Experiment and the many health benefits of this whole food when eaten daily. In that blog, I cited 10 recent medical articles about Bovine Colostrum’s effects on the human body.

And on 4/11/21, I wrote about my 72-hour water-only fast. This was one way to put me into a high level of optimum ketosis.

But this time, my goal is different. I wanted to continue to gain potentially reparative benefits by eating bovine colostrum daily, AND at the same time I wanted to maintain optimal dietary ketosis for my metabolic flexibility. This experiment allowed me to focus only on colostrum’s unique nutrients while still metabolizing fat as my primary fuel source and benefiting from my liver’s creation of ketones.

But I shouldn’t call this a “fast”. This is not a true “fast”. Colostrum has fat, carbs, and protein. So, the body is not really “fasting”.  Some people might call this a “detox protocol”. But I’m not fond of the term “detox protocol”. Here’s why …

 

I’m Not a Fan of the Term “Detox Protocol”

“Detox protocol” mostly refers to short-duration processes that are touted to be a way of removing toxic substances from the body. But short-term programs might not really work.[1] In addition, many of the detox products contain emulsifiers and additives which have been shown to damage the gut microbiome.[2] The fact is that the body naturally detoxifies daily through the kidneys, liver, and skin. Remember, your body has evolved for thousands and thousands of years learning what it needs to do to function at peak performance. Why do you think we need to put processed concoctions into the body to make it work better? Instead, we should be concentrating on giving our body what it requires and avoiding anything that is potentially toxic to our body – 24/7. And I already eat a healthy diet based on my Better Belly Blueprint.

So, I don’t like the concept of “detox protocols”.

 

My 72-hour Colostrum & Water Fast

I’m not doing this fast to detoxify my body during this 72-hour period.

This fast is relevant for me on two specific fronts:

  1. Bovine colostrum has the potential to assist many of the body’s pathways to heal. I wrote about it on 11/21/21. This fast only includes Bovine Colostrum as a nutrient source, and it may benefit my current cancer therapy. I receive a monthly injection of a human-based monoclonal antibody (Darzalex) to assist my immune system in killing malignant plasma cells. The Darzalex effects may be enhanced with a colostrum and water fast starting the morning of and ending two days after the immunotherapy. Some of my future monthly blood work might show improvement with this protocol. I’m looking forward to evaluating future monthly lab results as is my oncologist.
  2. I want to be metabolically flexible, which I wrote about HERE and HERE. It is important for me to be in ketosis and cycle out of ketosis regularly. This helps enhance my immune system. So, this 72-hour colostrum & water fast will show me how my metabolism can enter and stay in ketosis even though I eat colostrum. If I were unable to be in ketosis while eating colostrum daily, I would need to either reduce my daily intake of colostrum or eliminate it entirely. As you will see, I was able to enter a significant level of dietary ketosis during this fast.

Colostrum is a whole food, and my choice in a commercially produced product must have nothing added or removed from this whole-food source except the water. I have tried several colostrum products, but I’ve settled on Colostrum-6 powder as the best. It is obtained within 6 hours of calving but only after calves have consumed their fill. Here is an independent analysis of the components of Colostrum-6.

 

Below is a chart summarizing the percentage of macronutrients contained in my daily dose of 6 tablespoons of Colostrum-6:

 

 

I needed to understand how a 72-hour fast including only water and colostrum would affect my ketones levels. To do this, I began monitoring my ketones frequently each day of the fast using the BioSense Breath Ketone Monitor.

I started the fast on Monday, 12/27/21 upon waking and ended it when I went to bed on Wednesday, 12/30/21. I’m an old guy who is almost 75. So, I go to bed early. You’ll see that I ended my fast at 9 PM and said, “Goodnight!”

Here is a summary of what I did for my 3-day fast …

  1. Recorded my ketone levels at the start of the fast on Monday morning, 12/27/21 and continued every several hours until bedtime for the entire fast
  2. Drank SOLE hydrating water first thing in the morning
  3. Continued to drink natural spring water replete with trace minerals when thirsty for all 3 days
  4. At 9 AM, 2PM, and 7PM, I ate 2 tablespoons of Colostrum-6 Powder mixed in a little spring water daily
  5. On Tuesday, 1/4/22, I had my monthly CBC (complete blood count) and CMP (comprehensive metabolic panel) blood tests performed during my regular oncologist appointment. I also had serum protein electrophoresis (SPEP) and immunofixation blood work performed that day, which is repeated every 2-3 months.

 

Details of the Fast

As I said, I measure my ketone levels with the BioSense Monitor. These levels are reported in ACEs.

“ACEs” are BioSense’s scoring system for breath acetones. Essentially, if you divide ACEs by 10, you will get an accurate interpretation of blood ketones. Blood ketones are reported in mmol/L units. For example, a score of “28 ACES” is equal to a “blood ketone level of 2.8 mmol/L”.)

The following Table explains the interpretation of breath acetone levels measured in ACEs.

 

 

Below is a graph showing the optimal blood ketone levels that the body can use as clean-burning fuel:

 

 

Day 1:

My morning ketone level at 8:20 AM was “0 ACEs” measured on the BioSense Breath Ketone Monitor. I had no appreciable ketones in my blood.

The first day of the fast was the most difficult for me because I felt hungry and wanted to eat. But I didn’t give into the hunger, which most likely was psychological. I also felt that my energy level was not as good as it was before the fast.

In the graph below, you can see most of my liver glycogen was depleted by 4PM when my ketones began to rise above 5 ACEs

 

Day 2:

Hunger was not a problem on the second day of the fast. I still felt my energy level was not as high as I expected it would be, but it was improving.

In the graph below, my ketone levels rose rapidly after the liver glycogen stores essentially were depleted. For the entire day, these levels rose from 15 ACEs to 24 ACEs. Obviously, the colostrum never kept me from easily moving into optimal dietary ketosis. That was my goal. I was pleasantly surprised!

 

Day 3:

My energy level was excellent, and I had no hunger whatsoever. I felt terrific, and I knew I could continue the fast for additional days if I wanted. However, I ended the fast that evening.

The graph also showed my ketone levels were at the upper end of optimal. All day I was well above 25 ACEs.

 

My Takeaway

I recorded my body weight and percentage of body fat using the Eat Smart Precision GetFit Bathroom Scale. At the start of this fast, I weighted 151 pounds and my body fat was 15.0%. At the end of the fast, my weight dropped to 148 pounds and body fat dropped to 14.3%. I took these measurements at the same times – 7 AM on the first day of the fast and 7 AM on the morning after the third day of the fast.

Metabolically, as insulin levels drop from the start of a fast and you enter dietary ketosis, the body is becoming increasingly insulin sensitive. In addition, ketosis has been shown to upregulate autophagy, extend longevity, improve memory, and create a poor environment for cancer cells to grow. [3],[4],[5],[6],[7] Ketones also reduce excessive free radicals, increase glutathione production, and improve mitochondrial function.[8],[9] All these benefits are vitally important to me.

So, this 72-hour colostrum and water fast has confirmed to me that while I’m assisting my body with the unique nutritional benefits from eating 6 tablespoons of Colostrum-6 daily, I am able to maintain optimal dietary ketosis.

 

Your Takeaway

You might benefit from a 72-hour colostrum and water fast as I have.

You can benefit from the nutritional benefits of eating bovine colostrum daily. I cited many articles in previous blogs about the peer-reviewed research, but here is an excellent summary published in 2021.

Also, your immune system will benefit by becoming metabolically flexible.

Metabolic flexibility is where your body can efficiently burn carbohydrates for fuel but can switch to burning fat for fuel seamlessly when appropriate. The facts that you can be in ketosis where your liver is creating ketones to improve many aspects of your biological system and at the same time benefit from the nutrients in colostrum are impressive.

Obtaining unique nutritional support from colostrum, eating a healthy diet as I detail in my Better Belly Blueprint, and cycling in and out of ketosis will help you to create a robust immune system.

And a robust immune system is your ticket to overall wellness.

That’s your takeaway!

 

[1] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/does-science-support-the-claims

[2] https://microbiomejournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40168-020-00996-6

[3] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0955286321000401?via%3Dihub

[4] https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/fulltext/S1550-4131(17)30490-4?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS1550413117304904%3Fshowall%3Dtrue

[5] https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/fulltext/S1550-4131(17)30489-8?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS1550413117304898%3Fshowall%3Dtrue

[6] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1568163718301478?via%3Dihub

[7] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31399389/

[8] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5981249/pdf/antioxidants-07-00063.pdf

[9] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26661201/

 

Schedule a ”30-Minute Free Consult” with me to answer some of your questions and determine if we are a good fit for a coaching program! CLICK HERE.

 

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Beef & Lamb
– My “Go-To” Meats –

Dr. Al Danenberg ● Nutritional Periodontist

December 12, 2021

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Yum for flavor!

Yum for fat!

Yum for nutrients![1],[2],[3]

Beef and lamb are my go-to meats for my animal-based diet. They are the stuff to eat. These animals are known as ruminant animals.

 

Ruminant Animals

Ruminant animals include cattle, sheep, goats, buffalo, deer, elk, giraffes, and camels. But my easily purchased and practical-to-eat ruminants are cattle and sheep. However, my son just gave me some Elk ribeye steaks which he hunted in Colorado. That will be a treat.

These animals all have a digestive system that is uniquely different and highly specialized from the human digestive system. Instead of one compartment to the stomach they have four. Of the four compartments, the rumen is the largest section where most of the digestion occurs.

The rumen is filled with billions of microbes that can digest grass and other vegetation that humans with one stomach cannot. Our gut contains almost 38 trillion microbes that help digest our food among many other functions. But our gut microbiome is not capable of what ruminant animals’ gut microbiome can do. And our DNA has not evolved to create specific enzymes to digest some of these noxious elements in those plants.

When ruminants eat grass and other plant foods, the food is not completely chewed and digested in the rumen immediately. The partially chewed plant food is stored in the rumen and broken down into chunks called, “cud”. When the animal has eaten until it is full, it will then rest and “chew its cud” later. Once the cud is fully chewed, it is then swallowed and passed into the next three compartments of its digestive system – the reticulum, the omasum and finally the true stomach (the abomasum). The stomach completes the digestion process.

Many of the plants we try to eat cannot be digested well by us. Many cannot be broken down into absorbable nutrients because of anti-nutrients or indigestible substances inherent in the plants themselves. However, ruminants can convert these plants and residues into high quality protein and other necessary nutrients that are eventually stored as bioavailable nutrients in their tissues. And all these absorbed nutrients are readily available to us when we eat these animals from nose-to-tail.

If we only ate the muscle meat, we would not be getting complete nutrition. Many of the necessary nutrients are in the fat, the organs, bone, and the collagen in addition to the muscle fiber. Most of the entire animal must be consumed to create balance in this animal-based way of eating.

 

Why Grass-Fed, Grass-Finished [4],[5],[6]

Grass-fed and grass-finished beef and lamb create more omega-3 fatty acids and less omega-6 fatty acids. Generally, omega-3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory, and omega-6 fatty acids (especially linoleic acid) are inflammatory in large quantities. However, linoleic acid (LA) and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) are two omega-6 fatty acids which are essential for humans to consume since we can’t manufacture them. But the ratio of omega-6 fatty acids to omega-3 fatty acids must be in balance for health.

In a healthy diet, the ratio between Omega-6 and Omega-3 is 2:1 or 3:1. However, people who eat an unhealthy Standard American Diet have this ratio above 25:1.

Grain-fed beef has a 20:1 ratio whereas grass-fed beef has a ratio of 3:1. That’s a huge difference! And grass-fed lamb has more omega-3 fatty acids than grass-fed beef.[7]

In addition, grass-fed, grass-finished beef has been shown to have more than 2-3 times the amount of Conjugated Linoleic Acids (CLAs)[8] than grain-fed beef. CLAs are an omega-6 fatty acid that is healthy. CLA aids in fat loss, improves lean muscle mass, and provides anti-carcinogenic effects. And lamb has more CLA than beef.

 

General Comparisons Facts

Fact 1: Generally, lamb is fattier than beef has more healthy fats than beef.

Fact 2: Lamb has about 25% more calories than beef for similar cuts of meat because lamb has more fat.

Fact 3: Lamb is richer in all the essential amino acids than beef for similar cuts of meat.

Fact 4: Beef contains about 13% more water than lamb.

Fact 4: Generally, lamb is more vitamin-dense and mineral-dense than beef. But both are excellent sources for these nutrients.

 

Organs of Beef and Lamb

I word about the nutrition in organs from beef and lamb.

The most nutritious organ is the liver. But eating various organs will supply practically all the nutrients the human body requires. Including organs in your meal planning with muscle meat from beef and lamb is the ideal way to feed the body what it needs and avoid anti-nutrients which it doesn’t need.

 

My Way of Eating

I wrote a mini-eBook called Better Belly Blueprint. In it, I describe a way of eating that is supported by medical research which I cite in the book.

Basically, I suggest an animal-based diet with at least 70% animal products and up to 30% plants containing minimal phytates, lectins, and oxalates. Specifics of this way of eating should be customized to the individual.

With my diagnosis of incurable multiple myeloma, I eat approximately 90% animals and only 10% selected fruits and very few vegetables. For individuals with severe chronic diseases and cancers, I recommend eliminating all plants and eating 100% animal products. Later, some specific plants could be reintroduced.

As I said, my go-to meats are beef and lamb. And my favorite cuts are beef ribeye and lamb loin chops.

I eat either beef or lamb 5-6 days a week. I also include ground lamb and ground beef in my daily choices for variety. I’ve created several original recipes that I post on my website under Better Belly Blueprint Recipes. Check out these recipes and prepare them for your family. I am proud of them and prepare them regularly for my wife and me.

To balance the muscle meat, I prepare and eat some organs. My favorites are liver and sweetbreads (thymus). However, I consume desiccated organs daily like most people might take a commercial vitamin/mineral supplement. Unlike commercial supplements, desiccated organs provide practically all the nutrients I need in a bioavailable form with no added substances. Commercial vitamin/mineral supplements are highly processed, mainly synthetic, and contain many inert chemicals that are damaging to the gut.

To assure I get the many nutrients which organs provide, I eat four desiccated, whole-food, bovine products daily. They are:

  1. Organ Complex (“Beef Organs” from Heart & Soil)
  2. Bone Marrow (“Bone Marrow & Liver” from Heart & Soil)
  3. Collagen (“Skin, Hair, & Nails” from Heart & Soil)
  4. Colostrum (“Colostrum-6” from Anovite, which is a multi-level marketing company. But you can purchase this product as a regular customer.)

Taken all together, beef and lamb eaten nose-to-tail are delicious and provide my body with practically all the nutrients it requires to recreate and maintain a robust immune system and metabolic flexibility.

 

[1] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0309174014002010?via%3Dihub

[2] https://www.soupersage.com/compare-nutrition/beef-vs-lamb

[3] https://www.foodsforbetterhealth.com/lamb-vs-beef-32858

[4] https://carnivoreaurelius.com/all-of-the-evidence-that-red-meat-is-not-bad-for-you/

[5] https://discover.grasslandbeef.com/blog/grass-fed-beef-benefits/

[6] https://chriskresser.com/why-eating-meat-is-good-for-you-joe-rogan-debate-summary/

[7] https://www.grazeonline.com/landsalmon

[8] https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/conjugated-linoleic-acid

 

 

Schedule a ”30-Minute Free Consult” with me to answer some of your questions and determine if we are a good fit for a coaching program! CLICK HERE.

 

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