tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post2806580542347552751..comments2024-03-28T11:29:46.845-07:00Comments on Whole Health Source: Potatoes and Human Health, Part IIStephan Guyenethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09218114625524777250noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-36379097909810135552013-11-13T00:24:03.877-08:002013-11-13T00:24:03.877-08:00Your chart on glycoalkaloid content of potato vari...Your chart on glycoalkaloid content of potato varieties is critical, fascinating! Do you know of any similar info on other nightshades, eg peppers and tomatoes? I'm curious to see relative contents and have searched EVERYWHERE. Your chart is by far the best info so far, although just for potatoes.<br />Thank you for an insightful article.<br />CharlieUPowerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03987805747842891258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-2827343944281823382010-10-08T16:12:08.868-07:002010-10-08T16:12:08.868-07:00^ Ooops just found your ref to paper above,
http...^ Ooops just found your ref to paper above,<br /><br />http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/internet/digestive-health/nutrition/barrettarticle.pdf<br /><br />but would very much appreciate your thoughts on link I posted <br /><br />Many thanks fro highlighting this important issue.Robert Andrew Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05181027811602620374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-43103081070078040992010-10-08T16:04:29.114-07:002010-10-08T16:04:29.114-07:00Hi J A Deep
I have looked at your fructose refs w...Hi J A Deep<br /><br />I have looked at your fructose refs with interest.<br /><br />Do you know where the 25 grams figure comes from.<br /><br />Is that per hour.<br /><br />I found this http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/reprint/114/8/1413.pdf <br />which seems to me to sugest that if human digestion can be related to pigs that it is possible we can absorb more.<br /><br />Any thoughts would be very welcome.Robert Andrew Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05181027811602620374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-12390214287607369702010-10-01T08:02:53.518-07:002010-10-01T08:02:53.518-07:00Hey EL66K,
Well, the most effective solution in t...Hey EL66K,<br /><br />Well, the most effective solution in the case of dairy is to find A2 milk. I made a mistake by saying that A2 casein generates opioids when it is A1 casein. The problem is that no one is regularly testing their cows for this so it is probably unrealistic. There is an "A2 Corporation" that does this type of testing but I think they are based out of Austrailia and I don't know how popularly their services are used.<br /><br />Another thing you could try is supplementing with DPP-IV enzyme, which is supposed to digest the tripeptides.<br /><br />There may be certain forms of processing such as fermentation that digest the opioids but I have not read any literature on this and I doubt any particular method is 100% effective. Ultimately, you'll probably be forced into trial and error if you want to attempt to find a fix to this apart from avoidance.<br /><br />Hope that helps,<br />ChrisChris Masterjohnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09922003080748568167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-70585593800505683562010-10-01T07:54:44.109-07:002010-10-01T07:54:44.109-07:00Thank you Chris! Interestingly, I also react to da...Thank you Chris! Interestingly, I also react to dairy and get "addicted" to it (even goat milk). I wonder if there's a solution to these problems, other than simple avoidance, specially to diary.EL 66Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14584049748393147401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-6624068307104034392010-09-30T21:21:31.838-07:002010-09-30T21:21:31.838-07:00Great posts, Stephan.
EL 66K, perhaps you are rea...Great posts, Stephan.<br /><br />EL 66K, perhaps you are reacting to the opioids generated by wheat digestion. Wheat gluten and A2 casein found in most modern milk digest into tripeptides that activate opioid receptors and presumably can have psychoactive effects. Presumably people with lower levels of the enzyme DPP-IV, which digests these tripeptides (I don't know too much about their presence in the digestive tract, however); lower secretions in digestive fluid of sugars such as N-acetyl-glucosamine and mannose, which bind harmful wheat proteins, and/or lower secretions of protective IgA antibodies to such proteins are more vulnerable. <br /><br />There is some evidence that foods containing histamine or chemicals that promote histamine release contribute to panic attacks. Histamine promotes inflammation in peripheral tissues but promotes alertness in the brain, and at high brain levels will cause panic attacks. So an allergy could also be involved.<br /><br />ChrisChris Masterjohnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09922003080748568167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-14538422631253594772010-09-29T18:28:17.219-07:002010-09-29T18:28:17.219-07:00Great... I didnt know these facts.... I realy like...Great... I didnt know these facts.... I realy liked your post...Rene Pinillahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18207272210458411871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-75718720902173345842010-09-29T10:30:07.052-07:002010-09-29T10:30:07.052-07:00Hi Greg,
Why do you say potatoes are high in oxal...Hi Greg,<br /><br />Why do you say potatoes are high in oxalic acid? From what I can tell, they contain very little of it. Are you thinking of sweet potatoes?Stephan Guyenethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09218114625524777250noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-32943458941799114232010-09-29T05:24:23.512-07:002010-09-29T05:24:23.512-07:00One thing potatoes are high in, however, is oxalic...One thing potatoes are high in, however, is oxalic acid. This is the reason I personally can't eat them. I am very sensitive to oxalates, so much so that when I eat a high oxalate food I get burning sores in my mouth. <br /><br />I'm just sayin'... there are other things in potatoes that can be troublesome...Greg Truthseekerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03208944319616496859noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-17953969842463084502010-09-28T19:54:11.297-07:002010-09-28T19:54:11.297-07:00J.A. Deep
I find your discussion on fructose inter...J.A. Deep<br />I find your discussion on fructose interesting. After reading your comments on Whole Health Source, I went and read everything I could find about fructose malabsorbtion. After a month of testing I can confirm that I was misdiagnosed with intestinal bowel syndrome with constipation. Instead, I have fructose malabsorption. <br /><br />I'd like to think that because I have fructose malabsorption that I'm going to be healthier, but I think there is still a lot of research to be done on the topic. One of the problems is that even in the fructose malabsorption world people are affected differently. For instance: some people have more issues with eating fructans ( wheat, onion) while other people have more trouble when they have too much fructose in their diet. Some people can have problems eating too many potatoes or too much table sugar. Therefore, telling people to cut out too much fructose is incomplete or to worry about fructans is incomplete. We're all different.<br /> <br />I've tried and tried to make my body digest fermented beans and brown rice, but after 6 years of trying various home remedies available for constipation, I've come to accept that I don't have the digestive system to process very many different types of foods. <br /><br />Low carb was excellent for weight loss, but bad on my blood sugars (higher than normal) and horrible on my digestion. I was eating things like cabbage, onions, leeks, peppers, kale, and romaine lettuce that I can't digest.<br /><br />I'm very miffed that I'm completely regular on a diet of meat and potatoes or worse, a diet of sweet tarts (fake glucose candy). <br /><br />I am concerned that more and more people are going to suffer from fructose malabsorption. For some people it may be genetic, for others it could be environmental reasons. I believe fake sugars, low-fat, mega doses of onion powder and an over abundance of fresh fruit, are making fructose malabsorption more common. I remember when most people I knew who had diabetes were children with type 1. Now, more and more people over the age of 65 have type 2 diabetes. <br /><br />But, thank you J.A. Deep for pointing out that some people can have their digestive issues cured by eliminating a lot of "healthy foods".Amyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10319449874245760501noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-91423886622907742562010-09-28T14:57:39.757-07:002010-09-28T14:57:39.757-07:00Stephan, If you remove just the skin, and nothing ...Stephan, If you remove just the skin, and nothing at all below, like you can when you peel boiled potatoes, is that useful?<br /><br />Also, Stephan, it's off-topic (again), but I wonder if sporadic wheat intake (like once a week pizza) can be physically damaging to someone who is not celiac, but still is sensitive to wheat. I used to have panic attacks before leaving wheat, and I wonder if a small amount could still damage me, even if there's no overt symptoms.EL 66Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14584049748393147401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-931580612580209762010-09-28T14:26:36.095-07:002010-09-28T14:26:36.095-07:00Hi L.
The proposed limit for fructose comes from ...Hi L.<br /><br />The proposed limit for fructose comes from a study <a href="http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/internet/digestive-health/nutrition/barrettarticle.pdf" rel="nofollow">here</a>.Innovatorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06252984695076905280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-65423636663621698912010-09-28T13:55:00.241-07:002010-09-28T13:55:00.241-07:00ja deep
could you explain how you arrived at your...ja deep<br /><br />could you explain how you arrived at your fructose limits or post links to studies?<br /><br />thanksLhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10017188059033234984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-63639541196993157082010-09-28T13:34:14.279-07:002010-09-28T13:34:14.279-07:00great work again, Stephan.
I just wanted to say t...great work again, Stephan.<br /><br />I just wanted to say that you might be interested in an article prof. Harriet Friedmann had written for the book "Food and Agrarian Orders in the World- Economy." her article is called "Food Politics: New Dangers, New Possibilities". She is a sociology professor mainly interested in Agriculture.This article partly talked about the history of potato and a few other foods that have become the western staple food; and what is the relationship between these food and the social structure we have in our economies.<br />It's another perspective looking at food. in her opinion, this food was driven by economic and political powers to become the staple food, rather than through a natural process of people selecting food. <br /><br />I always think, even this food doesn't harm us as much, when it wasn't usually eaten before, then why do we have to eat it now? I eat potatoes, but pretty rarely. <br /><br />thanks for your post, it is always a pleasure to read your work. =)Riceballhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13625060441074362744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-61784006266634893172010-09-28T10:18:24.103-07:002010-09-28T10:18:24.103-07:00I've been looking forward to your next post on...I've been looking forward to your next post on potatoes. Your posts are always interesting! I find it very intriguing that the skins contain both more nutrients and the toxins. It reminds me a bit of grains and how the bran has the "anti-nutrients" as well as more nutrients. But it certainly makes me feel a bit better about not eating the peel (I've never liked them). <br /><br />Have you looked into the topic of nightshades and arthritis? I would be curious to see what you had to say about it. <br /><br />Kimi @ The Nourishing GourmetKimi Harrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04262294467672447988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-74800375880798032252010-09-27T19:43:42.102-07:002010-09-27T19:43:42.102-07:00Hi Collden,
Cooking has very little impact on gly...Hi Collden,<br /><br />Cooking has very little impact on glycoalkaloids.Stephan Guyenethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09218114625524777250noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-51390535567294530942010-09-27T19:42:17.362-07:002010-09-27T19:42:17.362-07:00Hi Melissa,
Thanks. I decided a while back that ...Hi Melissa,<br /><br />Thanks. I decided a while back that I was emotionally committed to writing a book. But since then, I've been buried in an avalanche of work. I also don't want to go off half-cocked. I think there will be one eventually, but probably not for a while. <br /><br />Hi EL 66K, Dogwood and Chris Keller,<br /><br />The skins do contain a disproportionate amount of protein, fiber, and micronutrients. But they also contain the toxins. Traditional cultures tend to peel their potatoes, and so do I. <br /><br />Art Ayers has argued that modern commercial potatoes have so little glycoalkaloid that it doesn't matter. He may be right, I don't know how the new varieties compare to the old. The more potatoes contribute to the diet, the more it matters. It's probably irrelevant if you're only eating a few potatoes a week.<br /><br />Hi Chris Kresser,<br /><br />Thanks for your perspective. I'm going to acknowledge in the next post that some people react poorly to potatoes.Stephan Guyenethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09218114625524777250noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-56952596878095211722010-09-27T06:35:35.610-07:002010-09-27T06:35:35.610-07:00Hi Ned,
Looking over your post on "fructose ...Hi Ned,<br /><br />Looking over your post on "fructose in fruits is good for you." Nice work, lots of good links, and considerable controversy!<br /><br />In the meanwhile, I want to caution readers that fructose in fruits is probably NOT harmless, UNLESS you are consuming a few certain fruits (those with a fructose to glucose ratio of less than 45/55) AND IF the total fructose consumed is less than 25g in a sitting.<br /><br />Based on what we know so far, fructose may well be the <i>most toxic food</i> found is super-abundance in our modern diet. Avoiding fructose altogether is quite easy and certainly harmless, until further studies can be done.Innovatorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06252984695076905280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-41673227729965396042010-09-26T22:44:30.610-07:002010-09-26T22:44:30.610-07:00Acrylamide formation is temperature dependent, and...Acrylamide formation is temperature dependent, and as far as I know it has mostly been found in deep-fried potato products such as chips and French fries. And, as far as I know, it has not yet been proven to be harmful when consumed.<br /><br />Acrylamide is one of those advanced glycation end-products which are known to be bad when produced in the body, but are not yet proven to be harmful when present in food.<br /><br />Obviously further research is necessary but I don't see any reason to worry about it yet, and even if you are, you can still enjoy mashed potatoes.Nathanielhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05058183738280134743noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-22034507574045671492010-09-26T21:43:25.469-07:002010-09-26T21:43:25.469-07:00Thanks for the potato articles - due mainly to thi...Thanks for the potato articles - due mainly to this new information, I've tried swapping some fruits and veg. for potatoes with good results. My goal is low fructose, and potatoes, especially Russett's, are very low in fructose.<br /><br />My main concern with potatoes at this point is acrylamide - I'd love to see some discussion on that.Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14393667771277229078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-50247084839810844492010-09-26T15:44:37.466-07:002010-09-26T15:44:37.466-07:00I always eat potatoes with the skin on and haven&#...I always eat potatoes with the skin on and haven't noticed any adverse effects. How is glycoalkaloid content affected by cooking? Wouldn't a large part leak out into the boiling water?Colldénhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10664747492507357479noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-65353201024531555202010-09-26T09:03:51.862-07:002010-09-26T09:03:51.862-07:00Gut bacteria are really interesting and I'm pa...Gut bacteria are really interesting and I'm paying more attention to them all the time. I think the condition of one's colonic bacteria population has a lot to do with how much gas one experiences from various plant foods, though perhaps enzyme production is also a significant factor earlier on in the digestive process, too. <br /><br />I've been eating LC (low starch, little or no grain, very low sugar) continuously for 6+ yrs (initially for weight loss & management, then for BG management). My main issue with potatoes is its glucose-raising effect, so on the rare occasions I eat them, I limit them to only a couple bites.<br /><br />Over the years I had gotten used to little or no intestinal gas at all, except if I ate a few bites of anything containing wheat. My husband also experienced a profound reduction in intestinal gas (except if he ate bread while dining out - it made for a very musical time once back at home - wives notice these things).<br /><br />The past year or so I've been experimenting with eating plant foods that are good sources of soluble fiber such as inulin and pectin in order to better tend "my inner garden" of gut bacteria (esp those in the colon). <br /><br />Gassiness was an immediate and hard-to-ignore side effect of consuming more sources of these soluble fibers than I was accustomed too. Some plants like onions and leeks produced little or no intestinal gassiness. Jerusalem artichokes, on the other hand, were at the other end of the gas-producing spectrum and had the most pronounced effect (they contain a lot of inulin). So I backed off the worst offenders and increased the others slowly to allow the colonic bacteria population a chance to adjust. If I keep the soluble fiber intake fairly "regular" (ha-ha), I'm almost almost back to the point of little or no intestinal gas again, so I assume my gut bacteria have adjusted. <br /><br />I haven't again tried Jerusalem artichokes though, as I haven't seen them for sale at all - they are tasty, but wow, oh-so-potent. They would be a good test to see if my gut bacteria can handle that much inulin now, though. <br /><br />So perhaps those who experience gassiness from potatoes might just need to back off and then more slowly reintroduce them to see if it that helps.Annahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17033443643442246531noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-86427400530417200122010-09-26T08:24:04.879-07:002010-09-26T08:24:04.879-07:00Jo,
If you raise your carb intake, you will also ...Jo,<br /><br />If you raise your carb intake, you will also begin to retain some more water, which can account for at least a few pounds of "weight gain". So what you are experiencing might not truly be "fat gain". <br /><br />Losing those first few pounds with a reduced carb intake are the reverse, due to a reduction in water retention.Annahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17033443643442246531noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-13401297727029403512010-09-26T07:59:25.211-07:002010-09-26T07:59:25.211-07:00Hi Stephan,
Please allow me to note for readers h...Hi Stephan,<br /><br />Please allow me to note for readers here, who may not have read your previous posts and my comments there, that a simple explanation for any effects of glykaloids -- or for any effects of any food -- is this: <br /><br />Modern diets have more fructose in than our "natural limit" (i.e., when there is more 45/55 fructose to glucose, and/or more than 25g of fructose per sitting). <br /><br />The observable result of excess fructose is that there is an adverse change in the gut bacteria. In turn, adverse changes in gut bacteria correlate to every metabolic disorder from fat gain to cardiovascular disease. <br /><br />Hypothesis: gut bacteria can adapt to, and protect us from just about everything EXCEPT an excess of fructose. Fructose is absorbed in the small intestine before the gut bacteria ever have a chance to adapt!<br /><br />Apparently, there is some whole-body endocrinological mechanism at work here that we do not (and may never) understand. If we do not understand the mechanism, why do we suspect this hypothesis to be true? Two reasons:<br /><br />1. Because we do observe the "natural limit" in (apparently) all functional gut disorders. <br /><br />2. Because people survive nicely on all manner of arguably toxic diets, including potatoes, UNTIL the consumption of fructose is greater than the "natural limit." <br /><br />Finally, there appears to be no basis in any literature to dismiss this hypothesis, or even argue against it. <br /><br />Fructose is a toxic food our gut bacteria cannot adapt to directly, and thus protect us from, because they never see it coming!Innovatorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06252984695076905280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629175743855013102.post-74295439341705032612010-09-26T06:52:46.663-07:002010-09-26T06:52:46.663-07:00Stephan, I was wondering, aren't most of the n...Stephan, I was wondering, aren't most of the nutrients in the skin? At least the minerals? Obviously in a sweet potato the beta-carotene is in the flesh, but I thought skins were the most nutritious part of the food!Chris Kellerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13306064230909092500noreply@blogger.com