Does Fat interfere with Protein Digestion?

Does a meal that contains a high amount of fat (ie 80% fat, 10%
protein, 10% carbs) prevent stomach acid from breaking down proteins
(ie meat)? Does dairy (ie milk, yogurt) rely much on stomach acid for
it's digestion?

Also, if one eats pure fat (ie coconut oil or butter oil), does it
require stomach acid or bile for digestion?

In article
,
jay wrote:

Does a meal that contains a high amount of fat (ie 80% fat, 10%
protein, 10% carbs) prevent stomach acid from breaking down proteins
(ie meat)? Does dairy (ie milk, yogurt) rely much on stomach acid for
it's digestion?
Unless encapsulated in fat, stomach acid (HCL) will reduce proteins to
their component amino acids.

Also, if one eats pure fat (ie coconut oil or butter oil), does it
require stomach acid or bile for digestion?
Bile.
--
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the
merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100119/...ting_activists
http://www.democracynow.org/2010/1/19/headlines

jay wrote:

Does a meal that contains a high amount of fat (ie 80% fat, 10%
protein, 10% carbs) prevent stomach acid from breaking down proteins
(ie meat)?

One of the principles of food combination diet styles is that digesting
starch and digesting protein are not compatible. Digesting protein
takes acid, but acid interferes with digesting starch. The good news is
that digesting fat does not interfere with either because it happens at
a different point in the digestion.

Digesting proteins or starches is something that the body adapts to.
Because I normally eat low carb, high fat, my digestion is tuned to
that. I can give myself mild indigestion by eating a high starch low
fat meal at a delicious Indian ethnic restaurant. Similarly folks who
regularly eat near vegitarian levels report indigestion from eating
steak. Switch the type of food you eat and if the dchange is large
enough it can trigger several days of indigestion. It's temporary.

Does dairy (ie milk, yogurt) rely much on stomach acid for
it's digestion?

I don't know. Cheese needs acid because it's go plenty of protein.

Also, if one eats pure fat (ie coconut oil or butter oil), does it
require stomach acid or bile for digestion?

Bile, and that's why there is not conflict between digesting high
protein and high fat foods. In the stomach acid is used to break down
the protein. In the duodenum bile is added. The bile neutralizes the
acid from the stomach (hmm, could this be the source of lots of burps?)
and it also emulsifies fats.

So the good news about a high fat diet is it exercises the gall bladder
by making it release bile after each meal. The bad news about a low fat
diet is it fails to excerise the gall bladder so gall stones tend to
form during a low fat diet. The confusing part is switching from a long
phase of low fat to a low carb diet starts exercising the gall bladder
so it can break lose existing gall stones. Prevention it's the same
thing as a cure. Unless the existing gall stones are small enough that
they pass without injury. Chuckle - Life long low carbing is good for
the gall bladder.

... digesting starch and digesting protein are not compatible. *
... digesting fat does not interfere with either ...

...*Switch the type of food you eat and if the change is large
enough it can trigger several days of indigestion.

Thanks Bill and Doug. I recently switched from a low-fat to low-carb
diet. I have tried twice before but couldn't stick to them due to dull
headaches, lethargy, sore nerves and high cholesterol levels (+400)
even though I am quite thin (BMI = 18.3). I hope it will be different
this time with lower protein and higher fat. The second morning, I had
a bad headache but it went away. About a week into and the lethargy
has gone done but I still feel it especially during exercise. The new
diet seems to have reduced heartburns but inflamed cuticles on sides
of finger nails. I am also hoping the low-carb diet will help my
trigger fingers which I experience upon waking. Did you experience an
increase in inflammation initially? Did it go away?

In article
,
jay wrote:

... digesting starch and digesting protein are not compatible. *
... digesting fat does not interfere with either ...

...*Switch the type of food you eat and if the change is large
enough it can trigger several days of indigestion.

Thanks Bill and Doug. I recently switched from a low-fat to low-carb
diet. I have tried twice before but couldn't stick to them due to dull
headaches, lethargy, sore nerves and high cholesterol levels (+400)
even though I am quite thin (BMI = 18.3). I hope it will be different
this time with lower protein and higher fat. The second morning, I had
a bad headache but it went away. About a week into and the lethargy
has gone done but I still feel it especially during exercise. The new
diet seems to have reduced heartburns but inflamed cuticles on sides
of finger nails. I am also hoping the low-carb diet will help my
trigger fingers which I experience upon waking. Did you experience an
increase in inflammation initially? Did it go away?

Be sure to eat plenty of veggies, and get your omega3 (fish oil,
purslane, ect). You may want to try an antiinflammatory tea as well
http://www.pfaf.org/database/search_...tiinflammatory

What are you calling a low carb diet?
--
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the
merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100119/...ting_activists
http://www.democracynow.org/2010/1/19/headlines

What are you calling a low carb diet?

Fitday shows I am eating between 35 and 105g of carbs mostly from
veggies, about 50g of protein and the rest is mostly butter.

Be sure to eat plenty of veggies, and get your omega3 (fish oil,
purslane, ect). You may want to try an antiinflammatory tea as well

For some strange reason, when I have eaten canned salmon, it also
caused the cuticle areas on fingers to become sore. I'll have to retry
or else get some capsules.

In article
,
jay wrote:

What are you calling a low carb diet?

Fitday shows I am eating between 35 and 105g of carbs mostly from
veggies, about 50g of protein and the rest is mostly butter.

Be sure to eat plenty of veggies, and get your omega3 (fish oil,
purslane, ect). You may want to try an antiinflammatory tea as well

For some strange reason, when I have eaten canned salmon, it also
caused the cuticle areas on fingers to become sore. I'll have to retry
or else get some capsules.

Omega3 (the reason to take fish oil) is/are anti-inflammatory.

Have you been seeing a doctor? That is where I would begin, a doctor and
an allergist.
--
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the
merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100119/...ting_activists
http://www.democracynow.org/2010/1/19/headlines

jay wrote:

I recently switched from a low-fat to low-carb
diet. I have tried twice before but couldn't stick to them due to dull
headaches, lethargy,

The first two weeks of a low carb plan ends up a detox plan. There are
all sorts of effects that end by the time the two weeks are over.

Headaches are a common one - Dietary carbs directly cause the release of
insulin and insulin causes water retention. Plus the brain works very
well on fat as fuel (siezure disorders get treated with ketosis) but
normally burns glucose as fuel. I suspect the fall in insulin triggers
lower blood pressure and that effects muscle tension in the head.
There's also the fact that some low carb plans say to go off caffeine
and caffeine withdrawal includes headaches. If it's sugar and blood
pressure related the headaches are gone in a week. If it's caffeine
related it can take two weeks.

Changes in energy level are common when going into ketosis. I get a
huge burst of extra energy rather than lethargy, so the energy changes
can go either way. Again it lasts under two weeks.

sore nerves

I don't know what that means but it does not sound familiar.

and high cholesterol levels (+400)

Cholesterol readings are to be taken before starting and after being on
low carb 2+ months so this statement makes no sense. If you are getting
cholesterol measured more often than that it's the same issue as getting
on the scale more than once per day - Deliberately attempt to reduce
good information to noise by inspecting the drift and the result is
viewing noise as useful data when it's not.

The total number isn't a useful number. Look to the high-low ratio and
the VHDL count. There are two different claims about the most
predictable effect of low carbing - lowered blood pressure and lowered
VHDL count. Both are true, just a matter of which happens the most.
But the time scale isn't week to week.

even though I am quite thin (BMI = 18.3).

So you're low carbing for the health benefits? Nice.

I hope it will be different
this time with lower protein and higher fat.

Run the arithmetic on total calories, carb grams, protein grams, and fat
grams and low carbing done by plan is always high fat. My maintenance
numbers look like this -

Target weight is 180 lbs, target calories is 1800.

Atkins CCLM maintenance carb quota is 100 gm, 400 cal. 1800 - 400 =
1400 remaining calories.

Simple estimate for protein grams is 100 gm, 400 cal. 1400 - 400 = 1000
remaining calories.

At 9 calories per gm that says my fat target is 1000 / 9 = 111 grams.

In actual practice I end up above 100 grams of protein by trading down
some of the fat. It still ends up with a 3-digit fat gram count.

The second morning, I had a bad headache but it went away.

Early. Nice.

About a week into and the lethargy
has gone done but I still feel it especially during exercise.

While low carbing the glycogen supply is reduced. Doing a heavy workout
can easily deplete the glycogen stored in the muscles and with little or
none left in the liver there's no new supply for the muscles. I suggest
trying longer milder workouts instead of shorter more intense workouts.
Then over time build up as your muscles grow more fat burning slow
twitch fibers.

The new
diet seems to have reduced heartburns but inflamed cuticles on sides
of finger nails.

In another post you mentioned that eating salmon causes inflamed
cuticles. I say now that you know salmon is a personal poison food do
not eat it any more. Don't eat foods that trigger ill effects as soon
as you figure what what those foods are.

I am also hoping the low-carb diet will help my
trigger fingers which I experience upon waking.

Do you have any idea what is causing the finger spasms? One cause is
poor blood circulation that happens with diabetics so it worries me.
Low carbing can prevent diabetes, but depending on existing damage it
won't necessarily stop the symptoms.

A very different if - If you're startling when you wake up it's possible
that is related to blood sugar swings. A high carber low fatter will be
running low on glucose by the end of a sleep period and could be in a
low blood sugar state. That comes with stress hormones to drive up
blood sugar and appetite. In comparison a low carber high fatter has a
stable blood sugar level from converting fat into glucose so the stress
hormones don't get relesaed. It's a big if but if the spasms are caused
by blood sugar swings they should stop happening. Time will tell.

Did you experience an
increase in inflammation initially? Did it go away?

For me before starting I had problems from wheat intolerance. By the
end of the first two weeks all sorts of symptoms went away. I don't
know if they would be called inflammation.

Banish that salmon!

jay wrote:

Fitday shows I am eating between 35 and 105g of carbs mostly from
veggies,

Nice. Also sources like a half gram per egg and so on. All sorts of
stuff gets rounded down to say zero on the label. Those round-downs are
not going to make a significant change to the top of your intake, just
fun stuff about labelling laws.

At 35 you can have very large portions of low carb veggies. So much
califlower you can hardly eat it. A 105 that's portions of root
veggies. Root veggies don't have as much bulk on the plate and in the
stomach but they are at least as filling as the lower carb ones. When
starting very low, higher carb veggies are more calories so they are
more filling. At some point they get so high in carbs they end up
making us more hungry not less hungry so if you graph it it's a curve
not a line. Early on more is better; later on more is worse.

about 50g of protein

Why did you decide to go that low in protein? One reason so many folks
stay up near 100 grams is there is little need to count animo acids
because the total has extra. At 50 it's time to look at amino acid
levels to make sure you're getting a full completment. Including some
eggs as your protein source likely handles that issue. Another reason
so many folks stay up near 100 is it's easier to do the cooking. In the
long run amount of effort matters.

and the rest is mostly butter.

That's fine but I bet it will get boring after a while. Next time out
shopping maybe mix it up. Some olive oil, some nut oils. Maybe use
some coconut oil or lard in cooking. Maybe get some refrigerated flax
oil for use on salads. There's a tradeoff that extra variety is less
boring but more work at the store thinking of how to use it.

Be sure to eat plenty of veggies, and get your omega3 (fish oil,
purslane, ect). You may want to try an antiinflammatory tea as well

For some strange reason, when I have eaten canned salmon, it also
caused the cuticle areas on fingers to become sore. I'll have to retry
or else get some capsules.

Put aside the salmon if you think it causes problems. Feel free to
double check in a couple of months. You don't want to put aside some
type of food forever and it ends up the problem was caused by something
else, but once you have double checks that it causes a problem drop that
nasty personal poison from your food choices from now until you decide
you want to be sick like that again.

The first two weeks of a low carb plan ends up a detox plan. *There
are all sorts of effects that end by the time the two weeks are over.

On prior attempts at low-carb, I gave up after about 2 weeks. Maybe I
gave up too early.

Headaches are a common ...
Changes in energy level are common ...
I get a huge burst of extra energy rather than lethargy ...

sore nerves and high cholesterol levels (+400)

I don't know what that means but it does not sound familiar.
Cholesterol readings are to be taken before starting and after being on
low carb 2+ months so this statement makes no sense ...

My family has a history of health issues. I have GI, food allergy and
autoimmune issues

The total number isn't a useful number. *Look to the ...

It was a simple blood test (Total 400, HDL 99, ).

... I am quite thin (BMI = 18.3).
So you're low carbing for the health benefits? *Nice.

Mostly to see if it will resolve some health issues.

*My maintenance numbers look like this -
Target weight is 180 lbs, target calories is 1800.
Atkins CCLM maintenance carb quota is 100 gm, 400 cal. *
1800 - 400 = 1400 remaining calories.
protein grams is 100 gm, 400 cal. *1400 - 400 = 1000 remain ...
At 9 cal per gm that says my fat target is 1000 / 9 = 111 grams.
In actual practice I end up above 100 grams of protein by trading down
some of the fat. *It still ends up with a 3-digit fat gram count.

... low-carb diet will help my trigger fingers ...

One cause is poor blood circulation that happens with diabetics ...

As I understand it, trigger finger can result from inflamed tendons
that bind trying to slide through pulley like structures. Speaking of
spasms, on some mornings when I contract my calf muscles they seem to
stay contracted. Is this a magnesium deficiency? Do you taking
magnesium supplements?

A very different if - If you're startling when you wake up it's possible
that is related to blood sugar swings ...

This could be as my heart rate does go up considerably upon waking.

about 50g of protein

Why did you decide to go that low in protein?
... many folks stay up near 100 grams ...
You don't want to put aside some type of food forever and
it ends up the problem was caused by something else ...

In the past, when I ate more protein, my feet would become sore more
easily from walking. But then I was eating more carbs also. Maybe low-
carb will allow me to tolerate more soon.

At 35g you can have very large portions of low carb veggies.
So much califlower you can hardly eat it ...
Early on more is better; later on more is worse.

I wonder if this explains why I have felt drowsy an hour after some
meals with approx 100g of carbs but not after approx 50g. In just a
week and a half I have lost couple of pounds even though this isn't a
goal. Currently this diet has so much fat that it make me queasy and I
don't think I could eat more. Nice to have this problem for a change