Dr. Al Danenberg ● Nutritional Periodontist
February 17, 2020
It’s been almost 7 weeks since I started my new way of eating. The Carnivore Diet has become my most recent lifestyle change, and I’m lovin’ it.
I’m Lovin’ the Carnivore Diet
I’m loving this way of eating not only because there is evolutionary evidence that our primal ancestors may have been more carnivorous than previously thought.
While humans are omnivorous, we have a stomach, small intestine, and large intestine that are better designed to digest animal foods rather than plant foods. Our small intestines are relatively larger than that of other primates, and our colon is relative smaller. Other primates’ large colon is ideal for handling plant foods. In addition, primates other than humans have a cecum that helps them ferment plant foods into energy. Humans don’t have a cecum large enough to do this. Finally, the larger-sized human small intestine, compared to the smaller-sized small intestines of other primates, is better designed to digest animal proteins, fish, eggs, and some cooked plants. So, humans’ digestive tract seems to function better on animal-based foods rather than plant-based foods. As a matter of fact, researchers determined from fossil remains that Neanderthal Man was mostly carnivorous.[1] And new evidence has been uncovered that homo sapiens in Morocco predominately ate meat on a regular basis.[2]
And I’m loving this way of eating not only because the nutritional benefits from an animal-based diet makes digestive and biological sense to me.
The Carnivore Diet does not have the anti-nutrients that are associated with plants. Some of the anti-nutrients are lectins and oxalates, which I discussed in my previous Blog. Although some of these anti-nutrients are minimal and may not affect everyone who eats them, many of them cause slow damage in our gut over a long period of time.
In contrast, animals digest plants and are biologically able to remove toxic substances and absorb the nutrients better than humans. Then, the stored nutrients, which are present in their muscles, fat, and organs, are basically “predigested” for us. When we eat animals, we can easily and efficiently absorb these nutrients. In this 1979 paper titled “Importance of Animal Products in the Human Diet”[3], the authors impress the importance of the nutrient-density in animal-based foods.
In addition, when we avoid carbohydrates, many nutrients (like Vitamin C) are not required in large amounts because carbohydrates require more nutrients for proper digestion and absorption. For example, glucose inhibits cellular absorption of Vitamin C. So, when there is little blood glucose, then the daily requirement of Vitamin C for cellular health is greatly reduced.[4] A somewhat similar scenario goes for fiber. The requirement of fiber for the gut to ferment into necessary Short Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs) is not critical since the garden of healthy gut bacteria can ferment the same necessary SCFAs from amino acids.[5]
But also, and most importantly, I’m loving this way of eating because it has the potential to assist my body in healing my bone marrow cancer.
In a past Blog, I talked about two published case studies of patients with non-treatable cancers being cured only from the consumption of animal-based foods.[6],[7] Certainly, I am aware that there is no proof that the Carnivore Diet will cure my multiple myeloma – maybe not even be beneficial for my malignancy. But I measure my life expectancy in months – not years or decades. Therefore, I’m not going to wait years for medical science to undeniably verify that the Carnivore Diet can heal cancers. I am confident that the current success stories of many cancer patients treated metabolically is real.
Fortunately, my oncologist’s original prognosis was incorrect when he gave me only 3-6 months to live. His prediction was made when he first diagnosed me in September 2018. Now, he is somewhat dumbfounded but fascinated with what I have been doing. And I am interested and responsive to all of his recommendations. We have an excellent and respectful rapport. However, I rejected all chemotherapy he recommended at the outset because putting caustic chemicals into my body did not make sense to me. The cocktail of these chemicals most likely would decrease the quality of my life going forward. So, since my cancer was incurable, what benefits would chemotherapy provide me?
My New Restrictions
Starting with my original cancer diagnosis, my research led me to many unconventional methods to heal my body. I incorporated these concepts into my Daily Cancer Protocol which I have tweaked frequently along the way. I make changes when I learn new facts or when I realize something in my protocol is not working as I expected. (If you would like a copy of my most recently modified Protocol, send me an email , and I’ll send it to you: Dr.Danenberg@iCloud.com)
Only a few months ago, my investigation led me to the Paleomedicini Clinic[8] in Budapest, Hungary. The doctors in the clinic have perfected a form of the Carnivore Diet which they call the Paleolithic Ketogenic Diet (PKD). Their published case studies and reports during the last 10 years have documented PKD’s results for a variety of cancers as well as many various chronic diseases. It appears to me from my reading of these individual case studies that some patients have completely cured their cancer from a strict adherence to the PKD.
The strict PKD does not allow any dairy, any plant food, or any supplements. As a matter of fact, the Paleomedicini Clinic attempts to wean all of their patients off prescription medications and to allow the PKD to be the only therapeutic treatment.
If I adhered to the strict PKD completely, then I would have to remove not only my heavy cream, triple-cream brie cheese, my coffee, my MCT oil, all supplements, and all medications. But also, I would have to discontinue the immunotherapy I am receiving from my oncologist. Whoa, that’s a lot for me to toss aside! Especially, since my biweekly bloodwork is getting stronger, and my quarterly multiple myeloma biomarkers are improving.
That said, I am OK with removing the large amounts of triple-cream brie cheeses I was eating as well as some supplements for 1-2 months to determine how I am doing at that time. I will not change any other elements of my modified Carnivore Diet, and definitely I will not stop my immunotherapy treatments.
As I’ve clearly stated, my initial impetus to research the Carnivore Diet was its potential to heal cancer patients. I’m also impressed that this way of eating will provide sufficient animal protein, which will maintain my muscle mass. Currently, I am moving forward with my modified Carnivore Diet experiment and will make these adjustments. I have no problem giving up some of what I have enjoyed to-date. Therefore, “good-bye” to some of my favorites for the time being.
For my diet, I need to find foods that are high in healthy fats. This is important so that I can maintain a state of ketosis. My gram-based “fat-to-protein ratio” should be at least 2:1. Leaving my triple-cream cheeses behind, I am on the lookout for high-fat animal products that I find delicious.
Just a week ago, I discovered a farm in Florida that raises grass-fed, grass-finished pure Wagyu beef – fatty, tasty, and affordable. I have purchased their Wagyu ground beef and their Wagyu short ribs. If you never tried Wagyu, you owe it to yourself to take the plunge. Do some research to find the US farms where Wagyu is raised. I found this one and am very pleased. Check out Pasture Prime Family Farm. Here is their webpage describing their Wagyu products.
The Here & Now
At this moment in my Unconventional Cancer Journey, I am doing amazingly well. I feel good energy, minimal pain, and a clear mind. My limitations consist of inabilities to travel distances by car as well as anywhere by airplane. I also have difficulty using my right arm because of my previously fractured humerus, walking distances because of my previous fractures in both my right and left femurs, and staying awake past 8 PM because I get very tired.
Believe me; I am not complaining. I have so much for which to be grateful. These limitations are nothing compared to what I had to endure when I entered hospice in August 2019 because my body had been severely compromised from my pathological fractures.
Going forward, staying in ketosis and effectively maintaining a healthy gut barrier are critical for my cancer healing. Ketosis can be measured by blood ketone levels with a ketone meter (ex. Keto-Mojo Meter[9]). Gut barrier stability is more difficult to measure but can be maintained by a nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory diet, which is the Carnivore Diet. Also, spore-based probiotics and supplements to specifically assist the mucus layer and epithelial barrier of the gut can be helpful. There is a PEG 400 Intestinal Permeability Test Kit that is available from Paleomedicini in Budapest, Hungary.[10] The cost is approximately $250 US for 2 kits – one to record a basis reading and the other to re-evaluate the intestinal barrier health several months later.
My outlook is fervently positive, and my degree of health is improving daily. Possibly, my body will go into remission or even be cured in the near future. This would be against conventional medicine since my disease is supposed to be terminal. I’ve been told that I never should be able to cure this aggressive form of multiple myeloma. Well, I just may make medical history!
“The best way to predict the future is to create it.”
Abraham Lincoln
[1] https://www.academia.edu/463164/Isotopic_biogeochemistry_13C_15N_of_fossil_vertebrate_collagen_application_to_the_study_of_a_past_food_web_including_Neandertal_man
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28593953
[3] https://www.journalofdairyscience.org/article/S0022-0302(79)83366-4/pdf
[4] https://escholarship.org/content/qt2z34h0kw/qt2z34h0kw.pdf?t=q3qpcv&v=lg
[5] https://microbiomejournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40168-019-0704-8/tables/2
[6] http://pubs.sciepub.com/ajmcr/4/8/8/
[7] https://www.openfuture.biz/expertise/AndrewScarborough.html
[8] https://paleomedicina.com/en/
[10] https://c.nutriintervention.com/order?fbclid=IwAR1gPG1I18rVFJTAJoghXyGjb4BxXjCAYiVe0z8XTtWaiaJnIc10mx_P5ug
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