This past Sunday, 60 Minutes broadcast a story about a chemical they said was the cause of the French Paradox, which refers to the fact that the French have fewer heart attacks than Americans despite a diet higher in alcohol and saturated fats.
The story focused on red wine. The skin of the grapes used to make red wine is notoriously high in a number of phytonutrients including a compound called resveratrol. Since red wine is typically fermented with the skins, its resveratrol concentration is several times higher than that of white.
If resveratrol could be synthesized in the lab and concentrated to increase its potency, then the pill could be sold as a patented pharmaceutical. According to 60 Minutes, two of the researchers who plan to do this have already cashed in, selling their company Sirtris to GlaxoSmithKline for nearly three-quarters of a billion dollars.
With so much capital flowing into our accelerating quest to find the fountain of youth in the form of a pill, doctors dedicated to making their patients healthy by pushing a comprehensive, holistic approach to better living might wonder if they’re in the wrong business. If you want to strike it rich, go for patenting something that could be marketed as a miracle cure-all because, to paraphrase bank robber Willie Sutton, that’s where the money is.
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Kobe Bryant
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I would like to thank you for literally saving my life. Back in February, I had to be hospitalized while on vacation in Phoenix with an A1C of 11% and had to start taking 2 types of insulin and 2 other meds. I read the Fatburn Fix in April, and followed the program to a tee, and I’m down by 15 pounds, 6.8 A1C, and only one once weekly diabetes medicine. Prior to reading the book, it was almost impossible for me to lose weight as a diabetic.
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I’ve lost 20+ pounds (also fasting 16-24 hours daily) and haven’t had palpitations except for one occasion — I had a mini bag of Fritos for the first time in July. And, I feel better now on a daily basis than I ever did all through college.
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I’ve lost over 50 pounds. I’m 56 years old. Cutting processed food and unhealthy fats from my diet was one of the first things I did on my health recovery journey...I went cold turkey off the bad oils. Emptied my pantry into the trash and just started eating real food
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Fatburn Fix reader
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I have lost a solid 20 lbs and my bloodwork (after 3 months of eating your way) was even better! I was metabolically healthy (per your book) before I read your book, but barely. Lowering my weight, sealed the deal! I have been talking about you and your book to anyone who will listen...Thank you for all you’ve done and what you continue to do! You are changing lives for the better!
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Lost 20 lbs I could never shed
I love your Fatburn Fix! Has helped me so so much! I have had the dreaded weight all my life - 20 or so pounds I could never shed. I have lost that now. I only eat 2 meals a day lunch and dinner with a glass of milk or cappuccino around 4 to hold me over. No snacking and not bad oils. It has been the key to unlocking my fatburn. I work out in the am and believe I am burning fat for energy not from food!
My waist is four inches smaller. I feel great and many of the minor aches and pains that I had (knees and lower back) are gone. Also, my muscle tone is amazing, even though I have not increased my workout routine.
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Completed Dr Cate's online course
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Whenever I advise my clients about eating to perform I go straight to what I have learned from Dr. Cate. Her book Deep Nutrition has become the go-to for strength and conditioning coaches across the country.
Kent Matthes
Major League Baseball Agent with WME Sports
Dismantles the lie
Dr. Cate dismantles the lie that seed oils are healthy, which may the biggest lie about nutrition and health because it’s so insidious.
Ken D Berry, MD
Author of Lies My Doctor Told Me
She knows the chemistry
Dr. Cate alerts us to the harms of seed oils and she’s convincing because she knows the chemistry better than anyone.
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Globally recognized internal medicine and addiction medicine specialist, media personality, LoveLine Host, and New York Times bestselling author
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Dr. Kelly Starrett
Physiotherapist coach and New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author
Highly recommend The Fatburn Fix
Dr. Shanahan has had a significant impact on my practice of medicine. I am known as a Low Carb Doctor, but I never really appreciated the negative effects of processed seed oils on the health of my patients. I highly recommend The Fatburn Fix to my patients and have a loaner copy in my waiting room. It is amazing how quickly blood sugars and overall health improves with cutting seed oils. It is not just about the carbs!
Dr. Brian Lenkzes, MD
CEO of LowCarbMD San Diego, co-host of Low Carb MD Podcast and host of Life's Best Medicine Podcast
Respected in the sports world
Dr. Cate reordered my diet when I was with the L.A. Lakers, and the benefits, for me personally, were felt immediately and have served me to this day. I’ve come to take real food so seriously I started a small family farm. I know of no M.D./nutritionist more respected in the sports world than Dr. Cate Shanahan.
Chris Kaman
NBA Player
Brought seed oil issue front and center
Cate brought the seed oil issue front and center. Healthy fats matter. So much so that I created an entire product line to swap out bad fats with good.
Mark Sisson
Founding Father of the Primal/Paleo Movement
Optimal health starts with food
If you want to understand how optimal health starts with food, start with Dr. Cate. Her book Deep Nutrition leaves you with an appreciation of the profound relationship between our genes and the planet, inspiring us to be good shepherds of both.
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Attribution author of The Whole 30
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Dr Grewal Internal Medicine, MD, author of Genius Foods
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Pull up a chair…
I have based my work on the idea that getting the right kinds of healthy fats into your body and avoiding the worst fats is essential to optimal health. I've interviewed dozens of the world's top experts about this, and I know of no one who speaks more eloquently on this topic than Dr Cate. If she’s talking fats, pull up a chair. Take notes.
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Author of the Bulletproof Diet
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I love your Fatburn Fix! Has helped me so so much! I have had the dreaded weight all my life - 20 or so pounds I could never shed. I have lost that now. I only eat 2 meals a day lunch and dinner with a glass of milk or cappuccino around 4 to hold me over. No snacking and not bad oils. It has been the key to unlocking my fatburn.
Lauren Smith
Saved my life
I would like to thank you for literally saving my life. Back in February, I had to be hospitalized while on vacation in Phoenix with an A1C of 11% and had to start taking 2 types of insulin and 2 other meds. I read the Fatburn Fix in April, and followed the program to a tee, and I’m down by 15 pounds, 6.8 A1C, and only one once weekly diabetes medicine.
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It’s there because, more and more, Americans and their insurance companies are willing to pay, not just because so many of us know someone with a serious medical condition, but because we’ve been trained to chase one “super food” after another. This week it’s Acai. Last week it was Goji berry. The week before, it was noni juice. Rumor has it the next big thing is cinnamon, but the upcoming issue of your favorite health newsletter could change all that.
I call this approach to health Chasing the magic bean. It rests on the belief that human longevity depends on a single, just-now-discovered bean, or berry, or root, or a very special chemical component inside any one of these magic plants.
The flipside of this wild goose chase is when the goose chases you—when you’ve become convinced that a single, naturally occurring substance in food is responsible for all disease, the way saturated fat is often described. The French Paradox has evolved to a boxing match between the two main characters: In the yellow trunks, the evil saturated fat. In the red trunks, our hero, resveratrol. It’s as silly and as staged as professional wrestling, but it’ll keep going on as long as we buy tickets.
Here’s a different approach. In her book French Women Don’t Get Fat, Mireille Guiliano argues for falling off the magic-bean treadmill and for falling in love with food. It’s a testimony for the fresh ingredient, the traditional technique, and for sharing meals with friends. In The Blue Zones, Dan Buettner takes this same, wide perspective, choosing not to focus just on single foods but also on the way growing, cooking, and eating are woven into the fabric of a healthy culture. It’s about falling in love with life, which includes all the wonderful foods of the world—not just a handful. It’s a romance for which journalist Michael Pollan has, for years, served as the country’s premier matchmaker, wooing us back to the garden, into our kitchens, and toward the skilled chefs who respect every ingredient as a gift.
Speaking of romance, what about that bottle of red? Can red wine play a role in a healthy, open, and adventurous style of living? In moderation, absolutely. But the real trick is adapting all the best strategies from the healthiest populations on Earth. Not what makes them unique, but what they all have in common. I’ll be discussing these strategies, the truth behind the French Paradox, and more at my free lecture, Rich Cell Poor Cell: How Peasant Foods Can Save Your Life.
Dr. Cate Shanahan and husband Luke are authors of the recently released Deep Nutrition: Why Your Genes Need Traditional Food. They will be speaking at the Parish Hall in Kilauea (A.K.A Christ Memorial Church) this wednesday, April 15, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. For more information, contact Andrea Brower at 635-1659.
With over two decades of clinical experience and expertise in genetic and biochemical research, Dr. Cate can help you to reverse metabolic disease and reshape your body.
Shanna Swain, author of Countdown, makes some shocking claims about human genitalia and the future of the human race. She focuses on persistent environmental toxins, but there's a more powerful factor that reproductive endocrinologists like Swain know little to nothing about.
Please note: Please do not share personal medical information in a comment on our posts. It will be deleted due to HIPAA regulations.
This Post Has 4 Comments
[…] here I am, a year into my odyssey, healthier, happier, hotter(!), but lonely, obsessed and frustrated with how screwed up the system is, with how unhealthy and […]
I have done a little research and found the product below, but I would greatly appreciate if you could recommend a product, like the vitamin A lotion the 85 yrs old lady on page 262 of your book used.
I am only 32 yrs old, but I am exposed to the sun a lot from being a surfer all my life, working as an oceanographer and living in Hawaii. I have some wrinkles under my eyes and would like to protect my skin with lotion as well as a good nutrition.
Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing back from you.
Since the Harvard resveratrol study on aging by Dr. Sinclair was published in the journal Nature a flood of dubious companies have sprung up selling resveratrol. Many have no scientists, no labs, no quality control and no experience. Both myself and Dr. Mehmet Oz have recommended Biotivia Bioforte and Transmax.
Consumer Lab, an independent testing authority, evaluated the major brands and found many lacking in content and quality. The highest potency products that passed their evaluation were Biotivia, Transmax and Bioforte. A product by Life Extension Co. failed badly with only 26% of the claimed resveratrol. Another brand, Revatrol, had virtually no trans-resveratrol in its supplement. Revgenitics refused to provide samples for testing. The ConsumerLab test results are available on the ConsumerLab web site.
Note: Please do not share personal information with a medical question in our comment section. Comments containing this content will be deleted due to HIPAA regulations.
[…] here I am, a year into my odyssey, healthier, happier, hotter(!), but lonely, obsessed and frustrated with how screwed up the system is, with how unhealthy and […]
I have just finished reading Deep Nutrition and will now start reading your newest book.
I have a question for you about skin care products. I was just wondering if you can recommend a body lotion and lip balm. I have been using Burts Bee for a little while but now I am aware of the sugar and vegetable oils in this lotion and lip balm are not good.
http://www.burtsbees.com/product-line/naturally-nourishing/naturally-nourishing-milk-honey-body-lotion.html
I have done a little research and found the product below, but I would greatly appreciate if you could recommend a product, like the vitamin A lotion the 85 yrs old lady on page 262 of your book used.
http://www.xtend-life.com/skincare/Womens_Skincare.aspx
I am only 32 yrs old, but I am exposed to the sun a lot from being a surfer all my life, working as an oceanographer and living in Hawaii. I have some wrinkles under my eyes and would like to protect my skin with lotion as well as a good nutrition.
Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing back from you.
What a great article! Dr. Cate, I love the artices you write!
Since the Harvard resveratrol study on aging by Dr. Sinclair was published in the journal Nature a flood of dubious companies have sprung up selling resveratrol. Many have no scientists, no labs, no quality control and no experience. Both myself and Dr. Mehmet Oz have recommended Biotivia Bioforte and Transmax.
Consumer Lab, an independent testing authority, evaluated the major brands and found many lacking in content and quality. The highest potency products that passed their evaluation were Biotivia, Transmax and Bioforte. A product by Life Extension Co. failed badly with only 26% of the claimed resveratrol. Another brand, Revatrol, had virtually no trans-resveratrol in its supplement. Revgenitics refused to provide samples for testing. The ConsumerLab test results are available on the ConsumerLab web site.