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One of the key ingredients of our Fountain of Youth Project and working
with you, my transforming man, is to limit disease progression and reverse some
conditions through healthy means. This includes diet modification
and exercise rather than the use of prescription medications.
Unlike meds, healthy foods have few inherent side effects when eaten in
moderation. However, in certain people - and those with metabolic "defects" -
even healthy foods can create problems.
Many people have become aware of the ill effects of dietary saturated fat and
its ability to stimulate endogenous (within your body) cholesterol production
leading to hypercholesterolemia (high blood cholesterol levels). Saturated fats,
along with hydrogenated oils (trans fatty acids), stimulate the Mevolonate
pathway in the liver to increase the body's production of cholesterol; leading
to higher blood levels. Often this can be treated with diet modification rather
than Rx meds. Hence, my recent recommendation for you is to increase your
supplemental fiber (using both Psylium Husk - water insoluble fiber, and
Methylcellulose - water soluble fiber), along with your dietary fiber intake, to
take in a total of 40 grams or more per day.
On the flip side of saturated and trans fats which are primarily
unhealthy, fruits are generally considered to be extremely
healthy. This is true except in certain individuals
who hereditarily are predisposed to hypercholesterolemia
and hypertriglyceridemia. Once their high cholesterol levels
are reduced and controlled - particularly through medication but also
through diet, exercise, and lifestyle modifications - blood triglyceride levels
begin to rise or remain high.
I first learned about the link between fruit and hypertriglyceridemia while
at UCLA during my doctoral research program. My graduate advisor, R.
James Barnard, Ph.D. was the Chief Researcher for the Pritikin Longevity Center.
Among the many other critical and extremely useful items I learned from him was
the role of fruit in elevating blood lipid levels in certain people. In research
performed on those in the Center, a certain segment of the participants in
the month long, in-house disease regression program were unable to lower their
blood triglyceride level while on the typical regression diet. It wasn't
until fruit intake was limited that blood triglyceride levels dropped alongside
blood cholesterol levels.
And that is why we are testing no fruit on you, Mr. Transformer. Apparently
you may be one of those unlucky few whose liver, which normally metabolizes
fructose and turns it preferentially into glucose, turns it into fat.
Two weeks ago your blood triglyceride levels fluctuated somewhere around 500
mg/dl. In another week we will see how this experiment works when you go in for
your next blood test. If, as I suspect, your elevated blood triglyceride levels
are mostly due to your metabolism's inability to normally utilize fructose then
we will limit your intake of foods which contain fructose or high-fructose corn
syrup. You already eat a diet low in saturated fat and total fat and high
in fiber. If it is the case that your elevated triglyceride levels are due to
your high fructose intake then we will celebrate our latest
discovery by slowly reintroducing fruit back into your diet in limited
amounts. | 
