Thoughts on Patrick Holford?

I have no opinion of this guy but I think that folk in our world should be very cautious of people being labelled quacks. In some circles people like Zoe Harcombe are quacks, and let us not forget what some organisations have tried to pin on the likes of Tim Noakes and Gary Fettke.

I’m not suggesting that people don’t have the wherewithal to distinguish fact from fiction, but we do need to be mindful that sometimes not everything is as it seems, particularly when it comes to those who might be promoting ideas that go against the grain.

Atkins anyone?

JohnEGreen said:

Here are a couple of links to articles referring to work done in this field by Yoshinori Ohsumi
and others

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2289660/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2119983/

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Has anyone found an idiots guide to Autophagy? All I can find are erudite reports where i understand every tenth word (perhaps) This is often the trouble when boffins try to outsmart each other. Or when presenting their thesis

Edit to add: From what I can glean from these learned sources is that autophagy is the process that dismantles protein cells in the body (i.e. muscle) so that the nutrients and useful bits can be recycled and made into new cells. It is triggered by lack of nutrients (i.e. starvation) or hypoxia, or chemotherapy or loss of growth factor. It is a survival mechanism. fasting for a long time probably triggers a hormone to signal impending starvation, so may explain why it needs that, and why low carb diet alone may not.

But then why do we want to induce it? It is from the greek meaning eating oneself, i.e self cannibalisation, which may explain why very strict low carb keto diets without the corresponding HF supplement may lead to muscle scavenging to quote the nutritionist mags.

Jim Lahey said:

I have no opinion of this guy but I think that folk in our world should be very cautious of people being labelled quacks. In some circles people like Zoe Harcombe are quacks, and let us not forget what some organisations have tried to pin on the likes of Tim Noakes and Gary Fettke.

I’m not suggesting that people don’t have the wherewithal to distinguish fact from fiction, but we do need to be mindful that sometimes not everything is as it seems, particularly when it comes to those who might be promoting ideas that go against the grain.

Atkins anyone?

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I am mindful of the late Dr Mercola whose work formed much of my early diabetes knowledge. You make a good point here Jim

The thing is, as far as I can gather the gentleman in question brings nothing new to the table except an income for himself. Mercola, Harcombe, Noakes and Fettke all bring science and expertise from their own fields. While the man may not cause actual harm I would keep me money in me purse, personally.

caroline_92 said:

Good carbs = low GL apparently - he is a big fan of legumes such as lentils and beans as a source of protein in addition to animal protein.

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Unfortunately my body did not get the memo about GI - legumes are digested even more efficiently than other carbs so I get a higher GL from them than the carb content would suggest - ho hum.

bulkbiker said:

If you type "Patrick Holford Quack" into google you get some interesting results..
From what I have read he's a bit dubious.. but I know little about him ..

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Just reviewing his book in Waterstones as we speak, opened the page and first line was "blood glucose levels are lowest in the mornings" mine aren't, possibly dawn effect but mine are lower in the evenings.

Resurgam said:

Unfortunately my body did not get the memo about GI - legumes are digested even more efficiently than other carbs so I get a higher GL from them than the carb content would suggest - ho hum.

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Ditto. Most pulses spike me too, and chickpeas are the worst for me. A chickpea vegan curry sent me into A&E with suspected heart arttack or DKA.

My BG is consistently higher in the mornings too. Nursie said that it would be my lowest reading of the whole day.

Outlier said:

My BG is consistently higher in the mornings too. Nursie said that it would be my lowest reading of the whole day.

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Mine too! Have they never heard of Dawn Phenominum?