Breaking the Insulin Myth.

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[1] Brehm BJ, Seeley RJ, Daniels SR, D'Alessio DA. A randomized trial comparing a very low carbohydrate diet and a calorie-restricted low fat diet on body weight and cardiovascular risk factors in healthy women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2003;88(4):1617-1623. doi:10.1210/jc.2002-021480

[2] Hall KD, Chen KY, Guo J, Lam YY, Leibel RL, Mayer LE, Reitman ML, Rosenbaum M, Smith SR, Walsh BT, Ravussin E. Energy expenditure and body composition changes after an isocaloric ketogenic diet in overweight and obese men. Am J Clin Nutr. 2016 Aug;104(2):324-33. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.116.133561. Epub 2016 Jul 6. PMID: 27385608; PMCID: PMC4962163.

[3] Yang MU, Van Itallie TB. Composition of weight lost during short-term weight reduction. Metabolic responses of obese subjects to starvation and low-calorie ketogenic and nonketogenic diets. J Clin Invest. 1976 Sep;58(3):722-30. doi: 10.1172/JCI108519. PMID: 956398; PMCID: PMC333231.

#insulin #fatloss #scienceeducation

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[NutritionMadeSimple]

yup. outcome data always beats a mechanistic model... :) another thing I suspect is oversimplified is that insulin release is not just triggered by carbs but also protein (and there may be macronutrient-independent factors as well). some analyses paint a surprising picture regarding the insulin release in response to different foods

[shaybaybaybaybaymarie]

As someone who suffered from a deadly eating disorder and has restored weight, these types of videos are SURPRISINGLY helpful. I like to think through the logical reasons as to why the body does what it does and these types of scientific-based videos are fascinating. Plus, they make me feel better about the experience I went through, especially now knowing the science. Thank you!

[berntabs]

I use to buy cereals labeled "Heart Healthy" by the American Heart Association. I had tried many diets but avoiding processed carbohydrate/sugar was the biggest contributor to my weight loss from over 190 down to less than 130 and stabilized at 133-135.
Aside from the Physiology, the Psychology of being self satiated contributes to being healthy.

[richardm]

After going to a lower carb diet (eliminating bread, pasta, sugar, most grains, and refined carbs) for a couple of years now, it is easier to eat less because I almost never get hungry or have cravings. As soon as we eat a high carb meal, I get hungry shortly after. Root veggies are the only exception. Eating a wide variety of meats, veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, and dairy is more satiating. It seems easier to eat less food overall and feel much healthier overall.

[thyreason]

Cutting carbs from my diet made huge changes in my body. My blood pressure was finally in the normal range and my fasting blood sugar was lower than 90. It eliminated late night cravings and my skin has cleared up. To each their own.

[marcobartz]

Insulin also stimulates appetite which can make maintaining a calorie deficit difficult.

[ClipheApex]

I have experimented with my diet for the past decade trying out different things. Keeping protein and calories the same, a low fat high carb diet makes me feel hungry all the time, yet high fat low carb satiates me very well and I get much less brain fog. If I were to stay on a low fat diet I really don't think I could sustain it for long without falling off the wagon. I find myself craving rather than hungry. Low carb seems to suit me quite well although I would encourage anyone to experiment and give both a solid 3 month trial before writing them off.

[Physionic]

Happy New Year, all.

I have many videos written out for the coming month from fasting on cancer to dietary fat on heart disease risk, and more. Looking forward to sharing.

[edwardwong]

TLDR - insulin by itself does NOT directly tie to fat loss/gains, but rather it is still CICO that counts. However, if you do lower carbs, then you will have lower insulin levels, which will allow you to do better fasting and this CICO. Whatever works for you, and for most people, the lower carbs (insulin) has a higher probability of a better weight.

[voidmain]

I still think this needs to be more granular. Not all carbs are the same. Of course calories in vs out is the main factor, but I'd like to see junk carb vs good carbs studies

[adonvonilesere]

I'm glad you tackle these studies. I see the Insulin Myth being pushed everywhere

[anttirl]

Finally a pop-science dude who explains this so that even I can understand. I always had a problem with the so-called Youtube Keto guru's keeping saying that insulin is the only thing that matters. Yet, none of them ever answered why you can still cain weight while on keto if you eat a lot.

This was the first time I heard about ASP, but it sure as hell clarified a lot.

And I'm saying this as someone who is on a keto diet but who knows from experience that it's not a weight loss magic bullet as such. It just makes it much easier due the hunger suppression.

[ijnozwu-]

Actually both sides are correct, insulin is super important for a person that is metabolically sick, while a healthy individual might lose weigth similarly. If on keto/low 50-60gr carbs I can afford to eat 500cal more!!! That is 500, not a spelling mistake. Also you cant just switch from high carb to keto and expect the body to cope with the situation...

[emmy_spaghetti]

I appreciate you taking the time to make these videos! It's nice to see what insights you have that are contrary to what I've heard other people say. Always nice to get as much information as possible!!!

[charleslueker]

Strong case for the calorie deficit model, I'm a believer, and I have heard several low carb presenters mention that you must still watch your calories. The one caveat, and its a big one for me, is how insulin affects your hunger and satiety hormones. If I eat a steak, I FEEL full and I can stop eating. If I eat the same number of calories in bread, rice, etc... I can't stop eating and I never feel full...which is why I can easily spend over $100 at the sushi restaurant. Or I can eat four 4-pack reese's peanut butter cups in a row and still want more.

[skob]

It is easier to stay on a calorie-restricted ketogenic diet than a calorie-restricted higher carb diet. There's a behavioral aspect not captued by the studies. Fat is satisfying, carbs create hunger making it harder to stick to the low calorie diet.

[sabincioflec]

Petition that all your videos should be made with an english accent.

But in a more serious note, i don't think fat loss is the end all be all of health, if that was the case then all skinny people would be healthy and all fat people would be sick, and that's not the point, we can have insulin resistant skinny people and fat people that are in good enough health.

Would love to see some more inflammation markers on the 2 diets and the variability between the subjects response to the diet. Beta hydroxy butyrate ( and simply butyrate ) seem to be anti inflammatory, so if you have the good microbiome for fiber you get healthier or if you have the good microbiome for ketosis/fat absorption.

I just looked at the study and there are a few interesting things :
1. Insulin is 7.92 compared to 6.27 high carbs vs high fat, so lower insulin is better for health span from what i know
2.trygliceride 104 vs 85 (Would of loved to see ldl/hdl)
3. I don't wanna be THAT guy who nitpicks, but polyunsaturated fats is 32g on the kd vs 20g, both are bad but i'm betting that most of the increase will come from omega 6s. We know that omega 3s are very important and the balance is vital for good health, i don't mind the high consumption but i'm sure it would look like 28g omega 6 to 4g omega 3s. So that would cause inflammation and less weight loss.
4. I kept searching but i didn't find exactly their diet. We know choline is very important for fat mobilization and carnitine too, carnivore groups with most red meat/liver/eggs have the best fat loss, i bet again ( since i'm a betting man it seems ) that that's the bottleneck for fat utilization.

Not that many studies are well designed in regards to micronutrients, not all fat is the same not all carbs. I do agree that insulin is not everything but ketosis has some advantages, i lost weight through sport and exercise but my brain was never happy, but in a 3day only butter+meat diet my brain was extremely calm and focused, but that might be party because of dysbiosis.

[bobmorane]

I thought the insulin story as told by Jason Fung and others was related to the level of basal insulin as measured after an overnight fast . We all know that insulin level goes up in reaction after eating a meal and that kind of measurement isn't what's being pointed at by Dr Fung or other Drs. So, they're saying that the basal insulin after years of stimulation will gradually go up and the level of a patient's basal insulin is indicative of the state of their metabolic state. Besides, sugar isn't the only factor causing obesity. It usually goes hand in hand with bad oil or so called omega 6 seed oil which is found in abundance in junk food. That would explain the rise in obesity from 1970's forward as the proliferation of Macdonalds and Burger kings and other restaurants would explain the proliferation of food with high sugar content (from Macdonald buns ) and the seed oil content from the fried chips or fried burgers etc ... If as a researcher, you could address that issue as a complex issue consisting of several factors instead of trying to talk about it in simpletons like obesity is just about sugar or just about oil, maybe the problem might be solved faster instead of beating around the bush and turning a blind eye to the obvious !!!

[gorkemvids]

I wonder the most about what happened after the studies? Yes they lost similar weighths but did high insuling diet gain the weights back? Comparison to others?

[dkeener]

I suspect the main reason insulin is so connected to obesity is that it makes you hungry almost all the time. So a study where they lock people up and starve them to prove that CICO reigns supreme seems to miss the point when it comes to real life. I didn't learn this by reading studies but by being one. I started a ketogenic diet and lost 50 pounds, so I stayed on. When I "cheat" and have some carbs, the main effect is that I'm ravenously hungry a couple of hours later. It's possible but extremely difficult to lose weight and sustain it under those conditions. Hunger is the key to the whole thing, and that's likely why insulin is a problem.