All that goodness gone to the rats

by Konstantin Monastyrsky

The widespread malnutrition trend in the United States isn't caused by lack of food, but by people's inability to assimilate those plentiful foods because dietary fiber disrupts digestion. You can't help it even if you take high-grade supplements — when foods don't assimilate, neither do supplements!

Well, at least the rats are happy — they get to feast on the nutritious stools at the sewer's end of this compromised food chain.

Dietary fiber is known medically as “hydrophilic mucilloid,” which can be roughly translated as a moist, sticky substance with an affinity for water. This is, after all, fiber's most heralded asset—a property that makes it a bulking agent, potent laxative, blood sugar regulator, and cholesterol reducer.

Here is an example of these properties promoted on Proctor & Gamble's Metamucil® web site (screen capture modified to fit this page, highlights are mine; click the picture to open actual web page):

Indeed, fiber does all that — no question about it! But have you ever asked yourself how an indigestible substance with zero nutrients, and which isn't a pharmaceutical agent can “lower cholesterol,” “modulate blood glucose,” and “relieve constipation?”

Well, if you haven't, here are the explanations:

• Cholesterol reducer. Most cholesterol in the body is produced by the liver. A smaller portion comes from food[1]. Because fiber blocks the absorption of fats in the small intestine, not all dietary cholesterol is absorbed. Consequentially, fiber reduces the blood level of cholesterol by 7% to 8% [2]. Unfortunately, along with cholesterol, fiber also blocks the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, and essential omega-3 fatty acids dissolved in blocked fats.

• Blood glucose control. Digestive enzymes break down dietary carbohydrates into water-soluble glucose. Because fiber blocks the absorption of water in the small intestine, not all glucose gets digested—hence the “modulating” effect of fiber on “blood glucose.” Unfortunately, along with glucose, fiber also blocks the absorption of water-soluble proteins, minerals, microelements, and vitamins (B-group, C, and some others) dissolved in blocked water.

• Laxative effect. Because fiber is hydrophilic mucilloid, it blocks the absorption of digestive fluids in the small and large intestines. These fluids — with whatever valuable nutrients are left in them — surge into the rectum, and stimulate defecation. After that — just like in the subtitle: all that goodness has gone to the rats, unfortunately...

That's pretty much all you need to know about fiber's effect on digestion, and why it's causing malnutrition — water and fats are the sole carriers of nutrients past the intestinal membrane into the blood and beyond.

No amount of deception can overcome this basic fact of physiology of digestion. If someone tries to tell you otherwise, then you are dealing with a liar or a fool, period. Denying this is like insisting that the Earth is flat.

What a dangerous morning...

Here is a brief excerpt from Fiber Menace that sheds further light on malnutrition by deconstructing the typical “healthy” American breakfast — a bowl of high-fiber cereal with low-fat milk and a glass of orange juice::

*Excerpted from Fiber Menace, page 232-235;
reformatted to fit this page.

— Okay, Mr. Monastyrsky. I am convinced. But before I start singing “what a beautiful morning,” what am I actually going to eat?

Well, for starters, think about this: cereals were accidentally “invented” in 1898, and became popular a few decades later. Pasteurized orange juice became available only after 1954. Until very recently, bran was fed only to the cows, and skim milk went to the pigs or into the sewer. So it's not like you are going to sacrifice a fundamental part of human nutrition by giving them up.

Second, the last three chapters of Fiber Menace address in depth the perils of transition to a low-fiber lifestyle, particularly for people with assorted digestive disorders. If you are healthy and unaffected, keep eating what you've been eating all along—just reduce the fiber.

Third, I am not implying that natural oranges, or whole milk, or even some cereals are all bad — a fresh orange in season is fine if you aren't allergic to citrus, a glass of organic whole milk is fine if you aren't lactose-sensitive, and corn flakes or a cup or rice are fine if you aren't overweight or diabetic.

Fourth, each person's diet depends on many diverse factors, such as age, health, gender, ethnicity, religion, workload, ability to cook, personal preferences in food, and many other factors. Hence, a “one size fits all” diet simply doesn't exist and isn't necessary.

Finally, if your food (even organic) comes from a supermarket, and your drinking water comes from a municipal water supply or plastic bottles, and you live in the northern United States (or use sunblock in the South), the likelihood of your diet providing all essential nutrients is just as high as my likelihood of becoming a rodeo champion.

Consequently, the kind of diet you'll end up choosing and staying with will depend on your long-term goals. Essentially, there are four types of general, non-interventional (not for specific health concerns) diets:

(1)  The Sustenance diet is intended to prevent obvious degenerative diseases such as anemia, rickets, pellagra, scurvy, night blindness, amenorrhea, arrhythmia, arthritis, osteoporosis, and many others. This is the kind of diet recommended in the Food Guide Pyramid and relies on fortified grains, dairy, and fruit juices for essential nutrients. This type of diet is consumed by most Americans.

(2) The so-called Healthy diet goes a step further. It attempts to prevent common degenerative diseases and improve health. This is, essentially, a sustenance diet combined with basic supplements, and/or increased consumption of vitamin-dense vegetables, fruits, and fruit juices. This is the kind of diet promoted by Dr. Moms and assorted writers, too many to mention. The vegetarian-, protein-, fat-, and fiber-dominant diets are variations on the “healthy” diet scheme.

(3) The Performance diet is intended to accommodate “hard work and play” without breaking down the body along the way from the overload. It is accomplished by matching essential nutrients to age, gender, and objectives. Sports nutrition is a good example. Performance diets are promoted and supported by specialized dietitians, nutritionists, and physicians, who are closely familiar with their patients.

(4) The Longevity (functional) diet. Along with providing all essential nutrients, a longevity diet concentrates on avoiding physical harm and addictions caused by foods such as excess fiber, excess alcohol, excess carbohydrates, excess caffeine, excess fruits, vegetable and trans fats, processed food of any kind, overhydration, excitotoxins (MSG, aspartame, soy proteins), artificial additives, and others. This is the kind of diet I adhere to myself and advocate in my books and on this site. [7]

If sustenance, “healthy,” or performance diets are what you are after, just drop the fiber and you don't need to read this any further. If, on the other hand, you are after the longevity diet, keep on reading.

Undoing the damage and “eating” forward

If you've been on a high-fiber diet for very long, then even if taking supplements, your body may be depleted of some or all essential minerals, microelements, and vitamins. The symptoms of malnutrition — from minor ones such as brittle nails or hair loss, to major ones such as anemia or osteoporosis — are well described on endless numbers of web sites and books. These aren't the focus of my work. If you have any, you probably already know about them by now.

In this case, I suggest the following approach:

• Improve digestion of nutrients. Eliminate all sources of processed fiber (i.e. fillers, additives, bran in cereals and bread, etc.) and fiber laxatives. This is the only way to restore intestinal health, improve digestion, and normalize assimilation of macro- and micronutrients. See my guide Overcoming Fiber Dependence for details.

• Eliminate colorectal disorders. Otherwise you won’t be able to enjoy the low-fiber lifestyle.. See my essay about fiber's role in evolution of digestive disorders for details. Depending on the degree of damage, you may need to review additional guides, accessible from the Gut Sense menu.

• Restore missing micronutrients. Unfortunately, no diet can provide enough amounts of essential micronutrients to replenish lost stores (mainly in the bone tissue). Hence high-grade supplements are the only viable option.

Depending on your age and the degree of prior damage, it may take from as little as a few months to as long as a few years to rebuild mineral stores and rejuvenate affected organs.

If, on the other hand, you are still relatively young, fit, and have no discernable health complaints, then keep the following points in mind while transitioning to a low-fiber lifestyle:

• If morning cereals and whole wheat bread were your main sources of dietary fiber, then they were also your main sources of added iron, folic acid, and other B-group vitamins. If you are going to get off these fortified foods, you should take high-grade supplements to go along with your low-fiber diet.

• If you've been drinking low-fat milk to obtain calcium and vitamins A & D — a futile exercise at best, because without fat (even without fiber) they don't digest well — you should take high-grade multivitamins and calcium supplements.

• If you've been drinking orange juice to obtain vitamin C and folic acid, it's cheaper, safer, and more reliable to get these vitamins from quality supplements. Besides, you don't have to ingest all that sugar, ruin your teeth and stimulate the appetite with the juice's acidity (pH 3.5).

That's really all there is to it. The idea that you can get all of the essential nutrients from the supermarket diet is great—but, unfortunately, such a utopia doesn't exist and never existed, particularly for urban dwellers in developed countries.

Just a few generations ago, before quality supplements became widely available, affluent Americans used to trek once or twice a year to mineral water spas to restore and rejuvenate. Many in Europe and Asia still do it today, and they enjoy considerably longer and healthier lives than do Americans of the same age and social status.

And here comes the sacramental question:

— Mr. Monastyrsky, some of our ancestors lived long lives without any supplements. Is it at all possible to enjoy health and longevity while eating just regular food?

Yes, in an optimal environment you don't need any supplements. In fact, this Eden or Earth exists even today in many places. If you are still healthy, can afford to move there, live the local lifestyle, and give up some Western comforts — then you won’t need any supplements.

I am referring to Sardinia, Italy and Okinawa, Japan — the two islands that enjoy the largest number of living centenarians per capita [8]. Here are the primary reasons for their good luck:

• Sun exposure. Both islands are close to the equator and enjoy warm weather year-round. Continuous exposure to the sun's UV-rays assures non-stop production of Vitamin D in situ (in place, meaning inside the body).

  

  Dense tropical jungle and mountains cover most of Okinawa.

• Hard water. Islanders get their drinking water from mountain springs or artesian wells. Mountain and artesian water filtered through the limestone is rich in essential minerals and microelements. It isn't processed, and is used for cooking and drinking.

• Animal protein and fat. Okinawa is known as “the island of pork.” Its cuisine is closer to Chinese than Japanese. Pork meat and fat dominate day-to-day cooking. Because of its tropical climate, until refrigeration became available, fish wasn't as dominant as it is in the coastal Japan up north.

• Natural dairy products. Sardinia is famous throughout Italy for its cheeses from sheep's milk. Sheep's milk is almost twice as fatty as cow's milk — 7%, and is broadly consumed raw or after fermentation. Lamb, pork, eggs, and fowl are the major sources of protein.

  

  Typical Sardinian landscape.

• Year-round fish and seafood. Both islands are surrounded by fertile ocean (sea) waters, which provide plentiful fish and seafood year around — an important source of essential Omega-3 fatty acids.

• Anti-aging diet. The adequate status of Vitamin D, plentiful calcium and magnesium in drinking water, sufficient protein and fat consumption from meat, fish and seafood, and essential fatty acids from fish protect islanders from the ravages of bone, neurological, and cardiovascular diseases — the primary causes of premature aging in the Western countries.

• Local greens. Islanders grow fresh vegetables, aromatics, and legumes year-round, and add them liberally to dishes. They provide an adequate supply of vitamin C and other antioxidants throughout the year.

• Moderate drinking. Natural young wines provide antioxidants, minerals, and microelements from locally grown grapes. Wine is consumed regularly and in moderation (in Sardinia).

• Low-carb, low-fiber diet. The Okinawan and Sardinian traditional diets are low in carbohydrates and low in fiber. Because of the climatic condition and the absence of arable lands, the cultivation of fiber-rich grains isn't practical in these mountainous regions.

• Efficient body build. Most islanders and practically all centenarians are of slight build, below average height, and of normal weight. Their smaller bodies are subjected to less physical stress, and they need to consume significantly less food to obtain adequate nutrients [8].

• Space. Okinawa and Sardinia enjoy a relatively small population density, have no significant industries, no urban sprawl, and are spared big-city pollution. All foods, by definition, are organic.

• Social networks. Family and community are primary social units, and tightly knit. Family and strong social networks protect people, particularly seniors, from depression, alcoholism, and drug abuse, and bestow significant health benefits.

• Relative isolation, homogenous populations, and “small village” living minimizes life-long exposure to chronic sexually-transmitted diseases, such as human papillomavirus (HPV), genital herpes, hepatitis-C, and others that cut so many lives short.

• Religion. The population of both islands is deeply religious. Religion by itself isn't essential to health, but its meditative and communal aspects offer excellent life-long protection from stress and bad habits that may affect health.

• Low-pressure lifestyle. Islanders live and work by natural daylight— an important consideration for health and longevity. The lifestyle is unhurried and relaxed. Siesta is “mandatory” because of climatic conditions — too hot to work or to be outside between noon and mid-afternoon.

• Physical activity. Walking and bicycling are the primary means of “transportation.” Small towns and villages don't require cars. Scarcity of roads and fuel make cars a luxury that most people don't need.

• Extended and exclusive breastfeeding. Traditionally, few if any women worked outside the house. For this reason children enjoyed extended breastfeeding and lots of attention from their mothers and grandmothers during their most formative years.

• Children enjoy unrestricted access to the outdoors. Because small communities enjoy high degrees of safety and security, children have unrestricted and unsupervised access to the outdoors year-round, and are exceptionally sturdy and physically healthy.

• No medical intervention. It goes without saying that older generations of Okinawans and Sardinians haven't been exposed to prescription drugs and high-fiber diets for most of their lives.

• Diet and lifestyle protection from bad habits. Surprisingly, alcoholic beverages — home-made wine, beer, sake, awamori (rice brandy) — are consumed liberally and throughout one’s life in both places. Also, most men smoke. Sardinia is famous for its locally-grown tobacco. Apparently, a high quality of life and superb nutrition offers protection even from smoking. (I do not condone drinking or smoking in any way, even in Sardinia.)

If you start healthy and can imitate this kind of lifestyle, climate, nutrition, and family and social matrix wherever you live, then sure, you can get away without supplements, and are likely to enjoy a long, disease-free, and productive life. If you can't recreate Sardinia or Okinawa in your backyard, but still aspire to live long and well, at the very least read Fiber Menace and follow the suggestions in the Ingredients of Longevity Nutrition essay.

That's exactly what I've been doing for the last decade. So perhaps one day, I too can live in a place just like Sardinia or Okinawa. And I plan to get there in good shape, so I have something to look forward to. Who needs a long life if by your late sixties you are already in pain, demented, hooked on prescription drugs, wearing XL-diapers, walking on titanium joints or “driving” a wheelchair?

***

Q. Mr. Monastyrsky, what's the connection between malnutrition,  fiber, and obesity?

Well, have you ever heard of cravings? It's a survival instinct and an innate physiological trait, not something that you can easily suppress by will.

The cravings are especially profound among toddlers who aren't yet inhibited by social mores. That’s why they'll eat just about anything — from feces to plaster — to satisfy their needs for particular substances, be it calcium in plaster or B-vitamins in feces. Ditto pregnant women, though not as extreme.

The overweight satisfy their cravings for essential nutrients with cheap and plentiful fortified foods such as cereals, bread, juices, fruits, and dairy — all loaded with carbohydrates, and most with fiber. In turn, carbohydrates destabilize blood sugar and insulin to incite even more cravings. On top of that, water-absorbent fiber gradually distends the stomach, and its increased capacity allows the owner to consume more and more food.

The craving for fat contributes to obesity even more than does the craving for carbohydrates. This fact was effectively obscured by the late Dr. Atkins, who deceived the public into believing that fat is essentially “fat-free.” Of course, it isn't:

(1) Vegetable and animal fats alike are 225% more energy-dense than carbohydrates

(2) Fat digests as efficiently as carbs — up to 98% gets assimilated into the blood

(3) Absorbed fat deposits into the body's fat cells as is, while a large part of carbs is used up for energy before converting into body fat.

Back to the cravings — the body requires a continuous supply of eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) essential fatty acids (EFA), which are naturally available only in fish oil.

Since fish oil isn't always available or consumed, the body can convert α-linolenic (ALA) fatty acid into EPA and DHA. ALA is available only in vegetable oils, such as olive, flax, canola, and others.

All three — EPA, DHA, and ALA — are commonly known as Omega-3 fatty acids, but chemically they are as different as a sedan, SUV, and flat-bed truck. That doesn't stop the promoters of vegetable oils from marketing them as “essential,” even though they are clearly not.

The conversion factor of ALA to DHA and EPA is quite limited — 5% and 15% respectively —under the very best circumstances. So you need to consume 10 to 20 times as much vegetable fat to satisfy the cravings.

And that's what people do, particularly the poor — they consume vegetable fats with a vengeance in fried foods, spreads, margarine, salad toppings, dressings, sauces, mayonnaise, and processed dairy. Not surprisingly, the obesity epidemic has affected minorities the most. They are the most disproportionately poor, and can't afford to eat fresh fatty fish often.

There is also a genetic aspect to this tragedy. Most of the Africans (the forebears of African-Americans), Native Americans, and indigenous Latin Americans had historically resided near large bodies of water, so fish and seafood were their regular staples. They also had never consumed vegetable oils because until very recently they weren't available. Hence their descendants hadn't developed the genetic ability to convert ALA as efficiently as the majority of landlocked Caucasians.

It's generally well known that Omega-3 deficiency causes diabetes and obesity among minorities. Yet to the best of my knowledge, that particular genetic-craving-vegetable-fat-abuse connection hadn't been made until now.

To add insult to injury, when minority populations are urged to consume Omega-3 fatty acids, it's usually the vegetable varieties, not fish oil. And even when they are told to consume fish oil, it's often useless capsules, not liquid fish oil — to obtain a minimal daily amount of essential fatty acids one needs to swallow 10-20 capsules at the very least. Obviously, nobody does it...

To summarize: All these factors — the cravings for missing micronutrients, unstable blood sugar, excess carbohydrates, distended stomachs, and overconsumption of vegetable oils — are the cornerstones of weight gain and obesity.

Naturally, to stop gaining and start losing weight, you first need to eliminate the causes of those cravings, which means:

(1) Reduce carbohydrates to stabilize blood sugar and insulin

(2) Eliminate fiber to normalize digestion and reduce stomach capacity

(3) Consume essential fatty acids from primary sources (i.e. fatty fish, cod liver oil) to eliminate cravings for vegetable fats

(4) Take high-grade supplements to satisfy cravings for vitamins, minerals, and microelements without consuming fortified foods in excess.

Overcoming instinctive cravings, hunger and appetite is, incidentally, the primary focus of my forthcoming book Fixing Up the Atkins Diet. Attempting to control appetite and weight by will is a futile exercise, a major diet-breaker, a contributor to malnutrition, and ... a primary cause of obesity!

It goes without saying that better digestion leads to less food of all kinds to satisfy hunger, appetite, and the need for nutrients. And less food equals weight loss first, and stable weight second.

The first and easiest step toward losing and maintaining normal weight? Read Fiber Menace and reduce fiber consumption. This book also devotes a great deal of attention to the technical aspects of weight loss, not yet covered by any other author or diet.

In fact, for dieting and weight loss, Fiber Menace is a breakthrough (a true revolution), because it explains the key errors of the Atkins diet, the mechanisms behind weight loss during the induction stage, and the reasons for a weight loss plateau. (Hint: Atkins diet was a fraud from the get-go. So are the other low-carb diets that promise “instant gratification.”)

I knew you would ask me about chocolate... It satisfies cravings for magnesium, sugar, caffeine (via theobromine), and tryptophan — an essential amino acid. That's, of course, if it’s real chocolate. That supermarket junk called “chocolate” satisfies mainly sugar and caffeine cravings.

***

Author's note

While watching television, I often play a mental game of connecting celebrities and prominent national figures with nutritional disorders, apparent from their airbrushed and diffused visages.

These are the people with everything — unlimited means, unlimited access to medical care, unlimited comforts, private jets standing by to whisk them to paradise for hassle-free R&R — and yet many are in worse shape than simple peasants in a God-forsaken, war-ravaged Sudan or Afghanistan, also shown in the news.

While pegging celebrities on TV is mainly for laughs, a trip to the local supermarket in our affluent New Jersey community a stone’s throw away from mid-town Manhattan is outright depressing — anemic children, prematurely aged young women, worn-out middle-aged men, ravaged seniors, unhappy and fatigued faces, and obesity, obesity, obesity...

Obesity — one of malnutrition’s most prominent markers — is so pervasive that other people stare at us as if we are aliens. Other than a few high-school kids manning the registers, my slender wife and I are often the only two normal-weight, healthy, and happy-looking middle-aged adults among the crowd. And, bizarrely, when we see another person of our age in good shape, we stare too, as if witnessing a rare white tiger.

Welcome to the United States, circa 2008. With nutrition like this, who needs enemies? We are already committing mass suicide and waging nutritional genocide against our own children.

Please let others know about this site and Fiber Menace. This is all that's needed to start the change.

Konstantin Monastyrsky

Footnotes

1. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids (Macronutrients) (2005) National Academy of Sciences. Institute of Medicine. Food and Nutrition Board. Ch. 9. Cholesterol; Physiology of Absorption and Metabolism; 9:543-546; [pdf]

2. Linda Van Horn, PhD, RD; Fiber, Lipids, and Coronary Heart Disease; A Statement for Healthcare Professionals From the Nutrition Committee;[link]

3. Paul Whittaker, et al.; Iron and Folate in Fortified Cereals; Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Vol. 20, No. 3, 247–254 (2001); [link]

4. Catherine S. Berkey, et al.; Milk, Dairy Fat, Dietary Calcium, and Weight Gain: A Longitudinal Study of Adolescents; Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine; 159: 543–550. [link]

5. The Use and Misuse of Fruit Juice in Pediatrics; American Academy of Pediatrics; Committee on Nutrition; Pediatrics 2001;107:1210–1213; [link]

6. Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; [link]

7. I deliberately repeated the word “excess” to convey that alcohol, coffee, carbohydrates, fruits, and natural fiber in moderation are perfectly compatible with a longevity diet. In other words, eat whatever you like as long as it doesn't harm your body.

8.Okinawa and Sardinia are the two longevity regions collectively known as the Blue Zones. Other regions are Nicoya, Costa Rica and Loma Linda, California. The term “Blue Zones” was coined by Dan Buettner, a National Geographic writer and the founder of the Quest Network — a Minneapolis, MN-based eco-tourism and promotional company.

Unfortunately, nutrition-related generalizations and attributions in Mr. Buettner's analysis are distorted and deceptive. His core claim that the diets of those who populate these regions is “plant based” is an outright fabrication — considering that fishing and sheepherding are Sardinia's main trades, that Okinawa is known throughout Asia as “the pork island,” and that fish and seafood are the main staple for the residents of the Nicoya peninsula.

Other known longevity pockets are the mountain regions of Caucasus, Pamir, Tibet, and rural regions along the shores of Cuba and Turkey. All of them share similar characteristics: mountainous regions, proximity to ocean (or both), hard drinking water, year-round sunshine, relative isolation, sustenance on small grazing animals and fowl, plentiful fish and seafood, natural daylight living, no arable land to cultivate grains, and low-carb, low-fiber nutrition. I am planning to address this subject in more detail soon.

9. Most, if not all, centenarians are of slight build, below average height, and normal to underweight. Every extra inch of height is advantageous for mating, fighting, and employment, but not for good health and longevity. The explanation is simple — tall people don't necessarily have larger internal organs to service their oversized bodies, hence these organs wear out much faster, particularly on inadequate diets. Thus, if your height and build are above average, you need an above-average diet and supplements. Otherwise your good build will get wasted twice as fast as that of a pigmy's.