Read the study in full here

Doesn't sound like a plant based diet to me. 6oz animal protein daily plus eggs and liver along with veggies sounds like an omnivore diet. I am an ominvore and don't eat that much meat, perhaps I should eat more.

Very interesting, Demi. This is a testimony to those who achieve health by eating healthy whole foods and no processed foods, get enough sleep, and maintain a frequent activity level whether it's exercise or physical work. This is exactly what I'm hearing on this forum from many who have successfully achieved health this way.

I was curious about the 2 servings of methylation adaptogens, as this is a vague term that should be clarified in the study. So, the six participants followed a methylation-supportive diet that provide either substrates or cofactors for DNA methylation activity or influence the expression or rate of activity of DNA methylation-related enzymes. Folate and betaine, for example, are cofactors in methylation biosynthetic pathways, alpha ketoglutarate, vitamin C, and vitamin A are ten-eleven translocation (TET) demethylase cofactors and modulators, and curcumin, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), rosmarinic acid, quercetin, and luteolin are known polyphenolic modulators of DNA methyl transferase (DMNT) enzymes. That's fine for the study, but I would have liked to get the breakdown of exactly what they used for the adaptogens. It sounds like they used a "special concoction" for these, but you wouldn't know from the study description. Some are very common such as cruciferous or green leafy vegetables, berries, citrus fruit, soy, avocados, and shiitake mushrooms. So, in plain terms, these are foods that many of us, not all, can benefit from along with important fats and healthy proteins. I'm in favor of this approach in general, and I'd make some adaptations such as increasing proteins, decreasing fruits but not avocados, maintaining berries, mushrooms, maintaining select cruciferous veggies, and avoiding soy.

I would also liked to know if they did any analysis of the telomeres or assessed change. Possibly not in this very small study, but it's interesting as I favor eggs, liver, and healthy animal protein along with some other methylation adaptogens. Strange term that for public consumption should be explained more clearly if anyone is to interpret how to add these to a WOE.

We've both reduced the plant-based parts of our diets in favor of animal-based. Which is the opposite of what we are being urged to do by marketing organizations people mistake for actual science based evidence.

Animal foods are more bioavailable. In addition, I suspect I'm on the low end of having the right enzymes for plants. I seem to be highly sensitive to the many self-defense chemicals. Low bioavailability means I would have to eat more of them!



Understanding oxalates helped me return to salads this summer, with romaine lettuce. Without the digestive upsets or flares or fatigue some of my plant sources could trigger, though not in any pattern I could identify until I read Toxic Superfoods. The author solved that mystery for me!

It seems that increasingly we are being TOLD what to buy and how much, instead of given information that will let people make informed choices.

In Oxidative stress and alterations in DNA methylation: two sides of the same coin in reproduction I discover that:



My bold. But I've been searching for data about antioxidants because some of the "superfoods" urged on us in volume and quantity are some of the highest in oxalate, like spinach, nuts, and chocolate. I thought it was the fiber in the spinach bothering my stomach, but I didn't know it was also in the nuts and chocolate I had been told was so good for me because of those antioxidants.

This is real data. This is procedures and drugs which are creating measurable oxidative stress in terms of testing and outcomes. Antioxidant supplements don't work on the very thing they are supposed to work on. It's possible they work better in whole foods, and the problem might be that it's simply too many of them... but why would they not work at all if people are eating junk, or what?

But what if that whole antioxidant furor was just another marketing tactic? To fuel the plant-based craze. Grass-fed meat has CLA. The more we sear the meat, the more CLA to counter it. In fact, around 2000, I tried a CLA supplement and lost enough weight to loosen my pants. This started my whole food exploration path, which actually wound up saving me due to my willingness to give up anything that turned out to be bad for me. (Though admittedly the struggle continues )

But meat is being demonized by association simply because there's more profits with ingredients that cost pennies instead of dollars. It's ALL widgets to them, all the way down.

We can't live at the whim of giant soulless corporations. Literally. Can't.

Telomere study controlling for antioxidant use. Or go home.