Yet another example of the “dangers” of an LCHF diet

November 7 2013 by in Allergies / Asthma, Success stories, Weight loss surgery

Before and after LCHF

Recently My Westerdahl reached a milestone and sent me a message:

Today I step on the scale and it shows me that my greatest milestone to date is reached! I’ve lost 165 lbs (75 kg) by adopting an LCHF diet! I was able to decline gastric bypass surgery by exchanging carbohydrates for generous amounts of fat! I haven’t suffered any allergy or asthma shocks since the day 3.5 years ago when I made the diet change! Please tell me, why would a body respond with health on a diet that will kill it? Doesn’t this violate the principles of evolution? Thank you, Diet Doctor, for your tireless work spreading knowledge for a healthier population!

Congratulations My!

36 comments

Top comment

Stephen Cole
November 7 2013 7
I have not seen much mentioned about LCFH and seasonal allergies. I do note that My stated that her allergies went away after beginning this diet. I had the same experience.

I suffered from severe seasonal allergies for years. My allergy tests showed that I was allergic to a multitude of allergens. I took allergy shots, steroids and a host of antihistamines. But my symptoms still were pretty severe. After my wife and I began the LCHF diet, I noticed that my allergy symptoms began to recede after a few weeks. We were both quite surprised. Then they vanished entirely. No more shots or drugs needed. I can now go outdoors without a mask.

I tried to tell my allergist about what had happened. He dismissed any dietary connection. I think he was wrong. Other inflammatory conditions from which I suffered also went away: prostatitis, interstitial cystitis and stomach problems. All vanished.

Reply: #14

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1
Jenn
November 7 2013 3
Well done, My! That's amazing!
2
Graham_LCHF
November 7 2013 1
Congratulations to My on using the LCHF approach with such great results!

The LCHF approach really has the potential to help millions of people lead better and healthier lives.

Eventually the dogma that dietary fat is the most 'evil' thing in the nutritional world will be overturned. The sooner the better.

Reply: #4
3
Jim
November 7 2013 1
Great job on the weight loss, looking great.
4
Reply to comment #2 by Graham_LCHF
paulc
November 7 2013 3
but, but... it's heresy, it's completely against the holy low-fat dogma... it can't be good in the long term...

So sick of hearing them pointing out that it can't be a safe diet as there's no long term studies of it... there's no long term studies because the people paying for the studies don't want you to know that it's the solution to the western obesity epidemic as they've got so much riding on you continuing to consume low-fat high-carb rubbish and popping the diet pills and becoming diabetic and ending up having to take meds as a result.

Reply: #5
5
Reply to comment #4 by paulc
Zepp
November 7 2013
Well.. but there are long time studyes of the new SAD diet.. and there result is here now!

Nearly 1 in 4 U.S. Teens Has Diabetes or Prediabetes

In less than a decade, the proportion of kids ages 12 to 19 with diabetes or prediabetes has jumped from 9% in 1999-2000 to 23% in 2007-2008.

Read more: Nearly 1 in 4 U.S. Teens Has Diabetes or Prediabetes | TIME.com http://healthland.time.com/2012/05/21/nearly-1-in-4-u-s-teens-have-di...
6
paleozeta
November 7 2013
no way! it is not the same woman!!
7
Jan
November 7 2013 1
Well done, My.

GO LCHF GO

All the best Jan
8
Carmen
November 7 2013 2
Wow, that's awesome!
9
LCC
November 7 2013 3
My "favorite" comment from the low-fat community is that it is not healthy to lose weight so quickly.
10
Kindke
November 7 2013 3
Really amazing transformation, results surely speak for themselves. Carbs are fattening.

BTW make sure to stick with LCHF, if you go back to eating carbs the weight will come back.
11
Stephen Cole
November 7 2013 7
I have not seen much mentioned about LCFH and seasonal allergies. I do note that My stated that her allergies went away after beginning this diet. I had the same experience.

I suffered from severe seasonal allergies for years. My allergy tests showed that I was allergic to a multitude of allergens. I took allergy shots, steroids and a host of antihistamines. But my symptoms still were pretty severe. After my wife and I began the LCHF diet, I noticed that my allergy symptoms began to recede after a few weeks. We were both quite surprised. Then they vanished entirely. No more shots or drugs needed. I can now go outdoors without a mask.

I tried to tell my allergist about what had happened. He dismissed any dietary connection. I think he was wrong. Other inflammatory conditions from which I suffered also went away: prostatitis, interstitial cystitis and stomach problems. All vanished.

Reply: #14
12
Eva
November 8 2013
Can you fix the link (My Westerdahl)? Does she have a blog?
13
carol
November 8 2013 1
To those who claim that there are no long term studies of the low carb diet I would reply that there is a study that lasted for hundreds of thousands of years and proved the value of the low carb diet. The study was conducted by Paleolithic Man.
14
Reply to comment #11 by Stephen Cole
Joel
November 8 2013
My nephew had severe allergies for a long time. Grass, pollen, milk and probably some more I have forgotten. He's now turned into a LCHF/Paleo-vore, and he's become a lean (but not very mean) nature lover, rolling around on the grass like Scrooge McDuck does with his money...

Reply: #19
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eddy
November 8 2013
I had a friend who went to weight watchers which is a calorie deficient diet , she lost weight. It is a low fat diet higher carb she had a number of weekly brochures she obtained from the program and in each was the picture of a different person who had succeeded with major weight loss.

No matter what the diet , if you stick with it you will lose weight.
I do congratulate the OP for her success.

In Germany there is going to be major tax increases implemented against fattening foods.

The high-calorie products will have a penalty tax . SPD health expert Edgar Franke spoke in favor of a surcharge in the amount of half the VAT rate on food with more than the equivalent of 275 calories per 100 grams

Experts estimate the annual costs as a result of diseases caused by obesity to around 17 billion euros . Franke wants to know why use the additional revenue from the "fat tax" mainly for additional preventive measures

According to Nutrition Report of the Federal Government in Germany suffer 67.1 percent of men and 52.9 percent of women are overweight . Obesity ( " bariatric " ) may inter alia Cause diabetes, heart attack , stroke, joint damage , as well as colon, prostate and breast cancer. But even 15 percent of children and young people bring too many pounds on the scale.

http://www.huffingtonpost.de/2013/11/08/strafsteuer-union-spd-ueberge...

Replies: #16, #17
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Reply to comment #15 by eddy
paulc
November 8 2013 2
"The high-calorie products will have a penalty tax . SPD health expert Edgar Franke spoke in favor of a surcharge in the amount of half the VAT rate on food with more than the equivalent of 275 calories per 100 grams"

that's completely the wrong way to go as it will penalise perfectly healthy saturated fat products and give benefit to products high in carbs. Anyone would think that the food industry was directly behind this as it has minimal effect on the junk they already produce while penalising healthy foods.

If you want a proper way to go around it, slap an extra 10% VAT on top of anything that has had sugar (in any form) added during processing. And make them label it up so that it's obvious why it is costing more. You will be horrified just how many "healthy" low-fat and "lite" products out there would have to carry this label. It's the low-fat & lit push that is directly responsible for the obesity crisis, the public was always willing to follow advice, they have and this is the end result of following completely wrong advice.
17
Reply to comment #15 by eddy
Murray
November 8 2013 3
Taxing food on caloric density is stupid beyond belief. So raw nuts would be taxed heavily but processed foods, such as soft drinks, would not just because the later has lots of zero calorie per gram water.

Reply: #18
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Reply to comment #17 by Murray
BR
November 8 2013 3
Agree 100%.

And in addition, this view that the government is for the people and by the people and it is always trying to do the right thing is a bit naive, at least as far as the our(US) gov is concerned. Politicians that comprise it are frequently driven by their local constituencies, all kinds of lobbyists, unions, etc, it is such a nasty, complicated beast... I mean it was their advice that got us into this hole to begin with. What an expensive lesson...
19
Reply to comment #14 by Joel
Murray
November 8 2013 2
Joel and Stephen, yes there is lots of research showing blood glucose spikes and higher carbohydrate diet (especially >40% calories from carbs) is pro-inflammatory. Personally, I noticed several nagging minor ailments cleared up. Immune system also improved dramatically and I have not had a cold or flu now in over six years, despite challenging Canadian winters.

However, I've been looking closely into gut and gut flora research and clinical experience lately. A lot of people clear up just getting off wheat, presumably due to the zonulin stimulating effect of the gliadin protein in gluten, which causes leaky gut. My wife has had bad summer allergies every year since childhood, especially pollen from fruit trees and she reacts to eating fruit and nuts from temperate zone fruit and nuts uncooked. We had to move from Vancouver due to all the plum trees that blossom in the spring. She also had headaches getting progressively worse, 5 or more per week with migraines several times per month. I convinced her to give up gluten grains in January. The headaches stopped within days and have not returned. Then this fall we noticed, no allergies all summer. Usually she goes through several costco trips to get bulk Claritin, etc., but nothing at all this year. Zero. After 30 years of allergies she is clear. She had been reducing carbs, but not low-carb like me and she had been reducing gradually for a few years with no improvement in allergies and still worsening headache. The effect of wheat elimination was abrupt. So, I hypothesize that people who go LCHF may experience improvements not just because of reducing carbohydrate driven inflammation, but from reducing or eliminating wheat and other gluten sources.

As well, undesirable bacteria and yeast can thrive in a gut with plenty of disaccharides and starch, especially. A recent report showed a proliferation of staphylococcal bacteria in the gut produce toxins that work synergistically with ambient E. coli toxins (present in normal flora that the liver usually clears out) to circulate toxics that stimulate fat cells to produce cytokines, causing systemic inflammation. So if one takes an antibiotic and wipes out all bacteria creating a clean slate and then eats high carb, this is a recipe for inflammation, leaky gut, allergies, joint pains, etc. so it would be no surprise that converting to LCHF would alter the gut flora and clear up some of these issues.

So LCHF could, depending on how it is implemented, reduce inflammatory and immune disorders in at least three ways.
20
eddy
November 8 2013
There is investigation into gut bacteria and weight loss, it is not specific to a particular type of diet.
There is a hypothesis that overuse of antibiotics could be a contributing factor. The use of growth hormones and antibiotics in the animals we eat could also be a contributing factor, unless one goes organic which for many families is way to expensive.

The majority of the people have the ability to process gluten when a person loses that , could it also be a result of imbalance in the gut bacteria. The eating of wheat itself does not appear to be a contributing factor, genetics also have been determined to contribute to the onset of the loss of the ability to process gluten. Many people do not incur this loss as they do not have the faulty gene.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/06/health/gut-bacteria-from-thin-human...

Replies: #22, #23, #25
21
Stephen
November 8 2013
Thank you Murray. Excellent comment.

As part my LCHF regimen, I did also eliminate wheat entirely from my diet. Whether the allergy symptoms went away due to the reduction in carbs or the elimination of wheat or the increase in anti-inflammatory oils (or a combination of these), I cannot say. This would be a good study for some research allergist to undertake. I doubt this phenomenon would interest any drug company.
22
Reply to comment #20 by eddy
Paul the rat
November 8 2013
This is a boring fairy-tale eddy. You can do better than this!
23
Reply to comment #20 by eddy
murray
November 8 2013
Quite so, Eddy, that gut flora management is not specific to any particular type of diet. I found Dr. Campbell-McBrides book thought-provoking. She is a nutrition-oriented neurologist with extensive clinical experience in dealing with psychological issues related to toxins from compromised gut lining and gut flora. She makes the point that much of the improvement seen in epileptics on LCHF may be due more to rehabilitation of the gut and flora rather than the ketones, which could explain why it does not work in all cases. she has had success on a diet that does eliminate grains (especially wheat), di-saccharides and starches, but keeps ripe fruit, beets, carrots, honey. Plenty of fermented foods with beneficial culture, as one might expect. So it is compatible with LCHF. But her clinical experience, for example, allows reintroduction of fermented dairy, but not all fermented. Gouda cheese is okay, for example, but not Gruyere. I expect it has to do with which bacteria is used for the cheese culture. So an LCHF diet with plenty of Gruyere might not be as successful in rehabilitating gut health than the same diet with Gouda. One LCHF clears up inflammatory conditions, but another nearly identical diet does not. There is no one-to-one correspondence here. But since bad gut health is maintained and exacerbated by di-saccharides and starches, odds are one would do better on LCHF than a high-carb diet. On the other hand, one can do a high-carb diet heavy in ripe fruit, beets, carrots and honey, while avoiding grains and potatoes and do just fine it would seem.
24
Nan
November 8 2013
incredible results! Beautiful! Yet another testament to the power of hflc. So many people suffer with obesity, and it is wonderful when someone finds hflc.

http://www.sugaraholics.com
25
Reply to comment #20 by eddy
murray
November 8 2013 2
Eddy, there is no faulty gluten gene because there is no gluten-digesting gene. It is not like the lactase gene on chromosome 2, which many but not all people have and which evolved in the past 10,000 years. In fact it has been determined to be the most strongly selected gene in the human genome in the past 10,000 years.

How humans differ is in the production of zonulin, which primates do not have. It appears to have evolved to cause diarrhea in response to eating meat infected with salmonella bacteria. By chance, when gluten is broken into peptides by initial stages of digestion, the gliadin peptides stimulate zonulin which causes leaky gut. Variation is a difference of degree. Also, to the extent the gut lining symbiosis with good bacteria has been compromised by other factors, the leaky gut will vary in severity.

The genetic link makes sense. Incidence of celiac disease and related conditions is higher the further an ethnic group resides from the fertile crescent where grain was first domesticated. So there has been a lot more time for genetic selection for mitigating genes in some areas. My wife is part Aboriginal and there was zero exposure to grains in that culture until the 19th century. Perhaps not coincidentally, Aboriginal groups have among the highest rates of diabetes, once they stop subsisting on caribou and seals and adopt the standard American diet.

Reply: #26
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Reply to comment #25 by murray
FrankG
November 8 2013 1
You may also want to look into the correlation between Type 1 Diabetes (assumed to have an automune origin, although not yet difinitively establshed) and Coeliac. At least from Diabetes forums. in discussion with parents of younger Type 1's, this relationship is widespread.

Reply: #28
27
Zepp
November 8 2013 1
There is one other danger adapting a LCHF diet.. that comes to my mind!

It seems that it apears only on wimen.. if one is dark haird befor LCHF.. one become blond.. and if one is blond one become dark haird!?

Strange.. very strange?

Never happen on males.. even then some of them becomes bald!
28
Reply to comment #26 by FrankG
Paul the rat
November 8 2013 1
Very much valid point FrankG. Let me be bold and say that diabetes-1 might be a grain eating disorder in genetically predisposed individuals (or at lest grains play a pivotal role in the onset). There is no doubt in my mind that IBS is.
29
Paul the rat
November 8 2013 1
Example how careful, convoluted wording have to be used in order to publish the obvious - humans are not fit to consume wheat. (Oooo I am a poet!, fancy that!)

Gastroenterol Hepatol (N Y). 2013 Feb;9(2):85-91.

What role does wheat play in the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome?

Eswaran S, Goel A, Chey WD.
Source
Dr. Eswaran is a Clinical Lecturer at the University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Dr. Goel is a Resident Physician in the Department of Internal Medicine at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University in New York, New York. Dr. Chey is a Professor of Medicine, Director of the GI Physiology Laboratory, Co-Director of the Michigan Bowel Control Program, and H. Marvin Pollard Institute Scholar, all at the University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Abstract
Recently, increasing attention has been paid to the pathologic role of food in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Nevertheless, healthcare providers often avoid addressing diet with their patients because of a lack of training, guideline consensus, and high-quality data. Recent literature supports the existence of a subgroup of IBS patients with undiagnosed nonceliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), a term that is used to describe individuals who experience gastrointestinal and extraintestinal symptoms as a result of immunologic, morphologic, or symptomatic abnormalities that are precipitated by the ingestion of gluten. NCGS represents an important subgroup of patients with IBS who are highly treatable via dietary modification. Gluten may influence gastrointestinal symptoms through immune activation or alteration of intestinal permeability, but the true role of food in functional gastrointestinal symptomatology remains unclear. For example, gluten is just 1 component of the complex milieu of nutrients found in wheat and related grains, and NCGS likely represents only the tip of the iceberg as it pertains to the role of food in IBS.
30
Ondrej
November 9 2013
Success? Maybe partial success.

My should be commended for losing a lot of weight. But she looks like she needs to lose an additional 14-18 kg. Come back to us 6 months from now and tell us where you are.

Let's see if HFLC will place you at body fat % under 22.

I wish you the best of luck.
31
Stacy in USA
November 9 2013 2
It is nice to see the weight loss but it's equally as sweet to see how her self-image has improved. The second photo shows a girl proud of herself and her appearance. Looks aren't everything - health is way more important, but her improved health, in this case, is also expressed as improved self-image and a more attractive girl - NICE!
32
Thang
November 10 2013
I have been on Andreas's LCHF for just over 3 weeks now. I did not start out particularly overweight (I am an 80kg, 1.8m, 42 year old, reasonably fit male that has about 10 kg that I want to shift to get back into "six-pack" athletic condition that I was in 15 years ago last.)

As objectively as I can assess it, these are the results for me on LCHF so far:

- About 1.2kg lost - I blame myself... I have been on a bit of a bacon, butter and cream binge the last few weeks, after finding out that I can pretty much eat what I want. I have often eaten WAY past satiation point, but the last few days I am starting to be "reasonable". In any event, I've still lost weight (with next to no exercise) - This has not happened at all in the last few years until LCHF.

- Certain skin irritations that I have had for years have started disappearing (wheat and sugar out the diet?)

- I have no more mid-morning/mid-afternoon energy slumps. I can just power through the day, no problem, no brain fog.

- I no longer have hunger cravings/pangs like I used to on carbs/grains/sugar. Those used to be like a desperation signal from my body. Now I get a subtle feeling of hunger. No urgency or desperation, just an indicator that it is time soon to put something more in the tank.

- Most importantly, my mood has started stabilising DRAMATICALLY. I have suffered with elation/depression food related mood spikes over the last 5-7 years that have been debilitating in the extreme. I'm talking anger/depression/anxiety issues that have affected my life outlook quite seriously. All mostly gone or in the process of greatly reducing. This is a major benefit to me. I cannot even begin to describe the relief this has given me.

- A rather delicate side effect of LCHF: After an initial period of constipation, I found myself "regular" again within 2 weeks. But here's a funny thing - The "odour" of things is greatly diminished or almost non existent at times. Great - saves on matches.

- Starting to be able to think more clearly about things.

I'll report back in a month or so with any developments.

Thang.
33
Nick Curry
November 17 2013
Congratulations, My- Well Done!
34
Nelle
June 28 2015
super transformation. I have had sinusitis/seasonal allergies for like 30 years now, the last 8 years I lived on Benadryl at night just to get through life. I've been lchf for now about 2 months, slowly my stuffy nose is healing though I still do occasional saline rinses but rarely use Benadryl anymore (had to in pollen season a bit) and only had to use nasal steroids once in the last 2 months. I tried the wheatbelly diet for a full year prior and only lost 4 pounds, and no difference in allergies at all, but on lchf it seems the fats within the system do something for the sinus tract and likely liver health both of which I guess would help with flushing out allergens. on the wheat belly diet which was very strict, I didn't notice much change in anything, but LCHF is definitely the way to go and soooo much easier to prepare food for, it's a snap really.
really good pictures of your weight loss, that's so nice to see. I'm down 15 pounds in 2 months so I'm on my way, only have 30 more to go so it's a bit slowish but I'm okay with that, I just feel soooo much healthier, less and less muscle pain after hard work in the garden or in the home, sleep like a log now, insomnia gone thankfully, no more itchy skin continuously (did I mentioned I had hives for 8 solid years with no one knowing what it was!) just so many nice changes and I love the food. nothing like a super fatty steak with some asparagus and hollandaise sauce with sautéed mushrooms for dinner, mmmm yummy :)
35
Ronny
March 29 2016
I have been on the LCHF program for a whole two weeks.......and have been eating well. Lots of fish and pork chops sauteed in butter and olive oil, eggs and a pile of bacon. Then there are the vegetables of all kinds, all topped with butter. Also Fage full fat/0 sugar yogurt, and cottage cheese.
The results after just 2 weeks?.......minus 12 lbs! Happy happy.
36
Olive
May 23 2019
I have just started a lchf diet, recommended from my Gastroenterologist as I have Crohn disease and he insists that the inflammation will go away. I can't wait for my first results. Happy to read so many testimonials from people who have find themselves through that!!! Hope to be one of those. Will keep in touch.

Yet another example of the “dangers” of an LCHF diet

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