In part 2 of The Carnivore Debate, we cover the philosophy of the carnivore diet and the potential pitfalls of carnivore and keto.
The research that Dr. Saladino and I discussed with each other before this debate is listed in the show notes -- there are five pages of references!
Here's what we debated:
- What exactly is a carnivore diet? Is a 90% meat diet a carnivore diet, a carnivore diet you cheat on, a carnivore-ish diet, or just a meat-heavy omnivorous diet? And why definitions absolutely matter.
- Is the carnivore diet ancestral? What can we learn from present-day hunter-gatherers, the archeological record, and our evolutionary history as revealed by our genes?
- Who is the carnivore diet for?
- To what extent do carnivore and keto overlap?
- What are the benefits of keto and how broadly applicable are they?
- What are the potential harms of keto? In particular:
-
- acid-base balance
- thyroid, stress, and sex hormones
- oxidative stress and glycation
- sports performance
- We agree we need to cycle between the fed state and the fasting state. Can the keto diet, designed to mimic fasting-state physiology, provide adequate fed-state signals to keep our body feeling well nourished?
- Inuit CPT-1a deficiency redux: did a genetic impairment in the ability to make ketones sweep through the Arctic to protect the Inuit from acidosis, or to help them stay warm?
Dr. Saladino completed residency in psychiatry at the University of Washington and is a certified functional medicine practitioner through the Institute for Functional Medicine. He attended medical school at the University of Arizona where he worked with Dr. Andrew Weil focusing on integrative medicine and nutritional biochemistry. Prior to this, Dr. Saladino worked as a physician assistant in Cardiology. It was during this time that he saw first hand the shortcomings of mainstream western medicine with its symptom focused, pharmaceutical based paradigm. He decided to return to medical school with the hope of better understanding the true roots of chronic disease and illness, and how to correct these. He now maintains a private practice in San Diego, California, sees clients from all over the world virtually, and has used the carnivore with hundreds of patients to reverse autoimmunity, chronic inflammation, and mental health issues. When he is not researching connections between nutritional biochemistry and chronic disease, he can be found in the ocean searching for the perfect wave, cultivating mindfulness, or spending time with friends and family.
Find more of Dr. Paul Saladino on the Fundamental Health podcast and at https://carnivoremd.com
Get my free 9-page guide to optimizing vitamins and minerals on the carnivore diet at https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/carnivore
This episode is brought to you by Ancestral Supplements' "Living" Collagen. Our Native American ancestors believed that eating the organs from a healthy animal would support the health of the corresponding organ of the individual. Ancestral Supplements has a nose-to-tail product line of grass-fed liver, organs, "living" collagen, bone marrow and more... in the convenience of a capsule. For more information or to buy any of their products, go to https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/ancestral
This episode is brought to you by Ample. Ample is a meal-in-a-bottle that takes a total of two minutes to prepare, consume, and clean up. It provides the right balance of nutrients needed for a single meal, all from a blend of natural ingredients. Ample is available in original, vegan, and keto versions, portioned as either 400 or 600 calories per meal. I'm an advisor to Ample, and I use it to save time when I'm working on major projects on a tight schedule. Head to https://amplemeal.com and enter the promo code "CHRIS15" at checkout for a 15% discount off your first order."
In this episode, you will find all of the following and more:
Masterjohn and Saladino Show Notes
00:42 Cliff Notes
05:18 Introductions
05:28 What is a carnivore diet?
18:15 Is the ancestral human diet carnivore or omnivore?
50:40 Who is a carnivore diet for?
01:08:03 To what extent do carnivore and keto overlap?
01:10:34 Who is a keto diet for?
01:18:50 Ketogenic diets are only a partial mimic of fasting physiology
01:23:46 Ketones effect on the NAD/NADH ratio
01:27:31 Ketogenesis has opposite effects in the liver as in the ketone-utilizing tissue.
01:29:31 Ketogenic diets and oxidative stress
01:40:18 Longevity: why you want to cycle between the fasting state and the fed state
01:45:04 Can the ketogenic diet provide a sufficiently robust fed-state signal?
01:53:11 The keto diet and thyroid, stress, and sex hormones
02:10:05 Keto and sports performance
02:18:05 Why do the Inuit have a genetic impairment in making ketones, to protect against acidosis, or to stay warm?
02:35:48 Wrapping up
Access the show notes, transcript, and comments here:
https://chrismasterjohnphd.substack.com/p/070-the-carnivore-debate-part-2
Chris Masterjohn, PhD, is the Founder and Scientific Director of the mitochondria test Mitome.
