» weight gain

Coconut Milk as Health Food? You’ve Got to Be Kidding.

Gary Pepper M.D. — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 17:44:56 +0000

Much as has been said recently about the health benefits of coconut milk and coconut oil. Coconut milk is a white liquid mixture of water and the white “flesh” of the coconut and is considered a more diluted form of coconut oil a thick clear liquid. Coconut extracts have been used in commercial food products, non-dairy creamers and cooking for many years but lately there has been a burst of publicity for coconut oil and milk as a new form of health-food with beneficial properties including increasing energy, preventing cancer and speeding weight loss. I have seen it being added to ice cream and even bottled water. I want to sound a note of warning here.

Most physicians and nutritionists will advise against having too much fat in the diet for a number of reasons. First, and most obvious, fats have lots of calories. In addition dietary fat can increase the bad cholesterol (LDL) content of the blood leading to increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Among the different kinds of fat that raise LDL the worst are the saturated fats. One tablespoon of coconut oil contains about 120 calories with about 90% of the coconut oil being saturated fat. In fact the saturated fat, palmitic acid, takes its name from the plant that produces coconuts, the palm tree. Compare this to the fat in dark chocolate which is 30% oleic acid, the healthy monounsaturated fat found in olive oil.

Oils which are far more beneficial for preparing foods are unsaturated fats including the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. I like canola, safflower and olive oil due to their high content of these healthier fats.

Coconut oil has many other applications which are useful outside the body. It can be used as a diesel fuel, deodorant, insect repellent, to make soap, and as a moisturizer for hair and skin. My advice is to think twice however, before supplementing your diet with it.

The entry Coconut Milk as Health Food? You’ve Got to Be Kidding. was published at Metabolism Blog . Get the Metabolism book from the same author.

Infertility to Acne: Treatment and Prevention of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Part 2

Dr. G. Pepper — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 02:49:48 +0000

In part one of this series we looked at the cause of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and the many complications it causes. Weight gain, acne, excess hair growth on the face and body, high cholesterol and high blood sugar due to insulin resistance are among the problems associated with PCOS. One particular area of concern for PCOS sufferers is infertility due to lack of ovulation. PCOS is the cause of anovulatory infertility in 3 out of 4 cases. Before the acceptance of medical therapy for infertility due to PCOS a surgical approach referred to as a wedge resection of the ovary was performed which allowed patients with PCOS to ovulate and conceive normally. Low success rates with this procedure, complications of surgery and improved medical therapies have all resulted in the end of this type of treatment in most situations. At present, treatment of infertility associated with PCOS generally consists of using a drug to combat insulin resistance known as metformin often in combination with the fertility drug clomid, which has a high rate of success.

Treatment of the excess hair growth associated with PCOS often consists of using the drug spironalactone and the use of birth control pills. Spironalactone is a very interesting drug used for decades as a salt depleting diuretic but also has an effect to block the action of the male hormone testosterone. The action of spironalactone to block testosterone was discovered when it was noticed that men using this diuretic developed tender nipples and breast enlargement (gynecomastia). Oral contraceptive agents are also useful to combat hirsutism because these agents also cause reduce testosterone levels by putting the ovary in a dormant “resting” state. Cosmetic procedures are always another option to treat unwanted hair growth. Laser hair removal appears to be replacing the older modality of electrolysis for this purpose.

Can PCOS be cured? Once PCOS develops it can be controlled but not cured unless the ovaries are removed. At menopause PCOS-related problems diminish as the ovary stops making sex hormones including testosterone which is one of the culprits during the reproductive years. A recent study published this year in the journal Pediatric Endocrinology showed that using metformin treatment in pre-adolescent girls thought to be at risk for PCOS reduces the risk and/or the severity of PCOS in later years. It may do this by blocking fat accumulation in the abdomen and liver which seems to set off the insulin resistance. Metformin is not FDA approved for this purpose and as a generic drug there is little profit potential in developing this treatment. I expect it will be many years before preventive therapy for PCOS will come before the FDA for approval .

This information is strictly for educational purposes. Due to high risk of toxicity of medical therapy in young women who can potentially become fertile under treatment for PCOS, no drug should be taken without the close supervision of a physician. The reader agrees to the Terms of Service of this website, metabolism.com

The entry Infertility to Acne: Treatment and Prevention of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Part 2 was published at Metabolism Blog . Get the Metabolism book from the same author.

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Is Common in Adolescent Girls

Dr. G. Pepper — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 01:29:19 +0000

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) sounds like a rare disorder but it is surprisingly common. This is a disorder with onset in early adolescence effecting up to 10% of young women. Characteristic signs and symptoms include increasing facial and body hair, hair loss from the scalp, muscular or heavy build, acne, thickening and darkening of the skin known as acanthosis nigricans, blood sugar problems including type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and irregular menstrual cycles and infertility. In older women with PCOS coronary artery disease is more common. In severe cases deepening of the voice and enlargement of the clitoris (clitoromegaly) can be seen. Before the underlying hormone disorders were clarified, the main method of diagnosing this disorder was by finding multiple cysts on the ovary. We now understand that the main problem is not the ovarian cysts but metabolic disorders including insulin resistance and elevated male hormone levels (testosterone) in the blood.

Another misconception about PCOS is that it only occurs in overweight women. Obesity is common in PCOS but thin women are also capable of developing PCOS. The underlying hormone problems are complex but are thought to be at least in part due to high insulin levels in the blood resulting from insulin resistance. With insulin resistance the body requires high levels of insulin due to insensitivity of the tissues to insulin’s presence.
What treatments are available for PCOS? There are very few, if any, drugs specifically approved for the treatment of PCOS. This is probably because of the low profit potential for treating this disorder. Drug companies cannot afford to invest millions of dollars in research because almost all of the existing standard therapies are generic drugs. Some of the most useful medications for treating PCOS are drugs used to treat type 2 diabetes because of their effect to reduce insulin resistance. These drugs are metformin and Actos. Metformin is the most popular oral medication for diabetes treatment in the U.S. Actos has been available for about 10 years but due to recent negative publicity about an unproven risk of bladder cancer, its popularity is declining. Neither drug is approved by the FDA for treatment of PCOS but multiple studies confirm the clinical and hormonal benefits of using these medications in this disorder. In 2011 research was published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism suggesting that the generic cholesterol lowering drug, simvastatin may also show benefits similar to metformin for the treatment of PCOS.

In the late 1980’s, I along with Dr. Lester Gabrilove at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York, published our research showing that an anti-fungal medication, ketoconazole, could reverse the hormonal, physical and metabolic problems associated with PCOS. Due to the potential toxicity of ketoconazole this therapy never gained wide spread acceptance. The manufacturer refused to fund additional studies to determine how to more effectively use this drug, due to the low profit potential and liability concerns.

This information is strictly for educational puroses. Due to high risk of toxicity of medical therapy in young women who can potentially become fertile under treatment for PCOS, no drug should be taken without the close supervision of a physician. The reader agrees to the Terms of Service of this website, metabolism.com

The entry Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Is Common in Adolescent Girls was published at Metabolism Blog . Get the Metabolism book from the same author.

Getting the Right Amount of Sleep Helps Prevent Diabetes

Dr. G. Pepper — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:07:02 +0000

One aspect of lifestyle that is often overlooked is time spent sleeping. Getting adequate sleep is often sacrificed due to the demands of job and family. In the Sleep Heart Health Study over 1400 men and women were surveyed about their sleep habits and its relationship to diabetes and prediabetes. It was found that sleeping less than 6 hours per night was associated with increased risk of having diabetes. Interestingly, in those sleeping more than 9 hours per night there was an increased risk of diabetes and prediabetes.The authors of the study recommend trying to get between 7 and 8 hours of sleep per night to minimize the chances of developing blood sugar problems. To learn more about ways of preventing diabetes see pages 90 to 98 in my ebook “Metabolism.com”

Maintaining ideal body weight with diet and exercise is also crucial for avoiding diabetes and prediabetes.In overweight adults for each2.2 pounds(1 kilogram) gained per year the risk of developing diabetes increases about 50% over the next ten years. By losing 2.2 pounds per year the risk of developing diabetes is reduced about33% for the next 10 years (J Epidemiol Community Health. 2000; 54(8):596-602).

Speak to your healthcare professional to find out if you are at risk for developing diabetes and to learn ways you can avoid it.

Gary Pepper M.D.

Editor-in-Chief, Metabolism.com

The terms of service for metabolism.com apply to this and all posts; http://www.metabolism.com/2008/09/06/terms-conditions-service-agreement/

The entry Getting the Right Amount of Sleep Helps Prevent Diabetes was published at Metabolism Blog . Get the Metabolism book from the same author.

SweetiePie Doesn’t Need a Shrink to Quit Smoking

Dr. G. Pepper — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 01:00:43 +0000

Many members here at metabolism.com have shared their thoughts and experience on ways to stop smoking. There have been many who feel defeated because they can’t beat the weight gain that accompanies their efforts. SweetiePie has a clear message about how not to beat yourself up while achieving the goal of a smoke free (and healthier) life.

Here’s what SweetiePie has to say;

Hello:

55 Year old female here, 200 lbs, hypothyroid smoke free for 6 months. Feeling great about being smoke free and this time its permanent and for real.

I have quit smoking and relapsed so many times in my life. And dieting, on again and off again for 40 years. Pfffft…..This time what prompted me to go to the doctor and quit was that my heart feels heavy and hurts sometimes. Not angina yet, but scary and depressing. I’m fine, it turns out, but I definitely needed to quit smoking and still need to exercise more and lose weight . I am no expert in the weight loss department, having had limited success with that over the years. I can see from this interesting thread that I am not as weight conscious as most of you, but I still thought I’d share what my doctors told me because it may help and inspire you the way it did to me: When I tried to bring up the weight gain and the overweight with doctors heres what they said: CARDIOLOGIST told me I’d have to be about 100 lbs over my ideal weight of 145 for the weight to be as stressful and damaging on my heart and cardiovascular as SMOKING, GP #1 told me the key was, instead of focusing on an ideal weight and size, was to focus on preventing DIABETES through NONSMOKING, AND EXERCISE just as important as wholesome diet, and GP #2 (I moved and needed a new doctor for my thyroid perscription) told me, after my bloodwork tested all ok, “why don’t you just forget about losing weight for a little while and focus on quitting SMOKING? Well, I took all of that advice, and this time, it worked! I’ve really kicked the smoking habit and finally found freedom from that deadly addiction. The “permission” from doctors to stop beating myself up about my weight freed me up mentally to do what I needed to do (giving myself plenty of rewards, including food treats and being lazy treats!) in order to become smoke free and never going back! I am ready now to step up to exercise and weight loss this year with the same strategy: Increased exercise first, food modification instead of deprivation. The reason for my post is to say stick with it but your QUIT is SO IMPORTANT – don’t ever let your desire to be thinner or to get back down to an ideal outweigh your resolve to stay SMOKE FREE. SMOKING is the singlemost damaging behavior -don’t lose sight of that! Never take another puff! Oh, btw I gained about 5% while quitting and my first goal is to go back down 5%.

The entry SweetiePie Doesn’t Need a Shrink to Quit Smoking was published at Metabolism Blog . Get the Metabolism book from the same author.

What’s Inside My Ebook, Metabolism.com?

Dr. G. Pepper — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 17:11:38 +0000

My ebook Metabolism.com is now available; I think you will find it a great resource for many of the common problems members have asked me about over the past 15 years. Buy it now and use it for years to come. Don’t forget to check out the Weight Loss and Weight Gain Programs included for free!

Chapter 1: What Is Metabolism? 9

Turning Food into Energy 10
The Importance of Hormones 11
Role of Metabolism in Weight Loss or Gain 14
Is My Metabolism Healthy? 16

Chapter 2: What Makes Your Metabolism Fast or Slow? 17

The Role of the Thyroid 22

Chapter 3: How to Increase or Decrease Metabolism 25

Problems with Losing Weight 25
Problems with Gaining Weight 34
A Pleasurable Exercise Routine is a Must 39

Chapter 4: Fact vs. Fiction—Smoking and Weight Loss 41

Chapter 5: Thyroid Treatment 47

How Are T3 and T4 Regulated? 48
Types of Thyroid Diseases 49
Hyper- and Hypothyroidism 49
Thyroid Nodules 51
Is Your Thyroid Nodule Hot? 53
Thyroid Treatments 54
Using Thyroid Function Tests To Diagnose Disease 56
Hyperthyroidism Treatments 57
Hypothyroidism Treatments 58
T3 Plus T4 Combination Therapy 59
How to Talk to Your Endocrinologist 66
The Recent Shortage of Armour Thyroid 67

Chapter 6: Diabetes Treatment 73

The Bad News—Major Stumbles in the Treatment of Diabetes 74
The Call for Tight Glycemic Control 74
2010 Diabetes Treatment Guidelines Lack Credibility 76
Setbacks in Diabetes Drug Development 81
The Failure of Inhaled Insulin 86
Dangerous Commercial Weight Loss Programs 87
Perhaps the Biggest Stumble of Th em All 89
The Good News—What Really Works 90
Diet and Exercise 90
Weight Loss Surgery 94
Incretins 95

Chapter 7: Hormone Treatments 99

Hormone Replacement Therapy—Estrogen 101
Heart Health 101
Breast Cancer 103
Benefits of Estrogen: Brain Function and Blood Pressure 104
Testosterone Replacement for Men 106
Testosterone Replacement Options 107
Benefits of Testosterone Replacement 108
Potential Risks 109
Human Growth Hormone in Adults 111
Diagnosing Growth Hormone Deficiency 113
Benefits of Growth Hormone Supplementation 113
Adrenal Fatigue: Fact or Fiction? 115

Conclusion 117

The Birth Of Metabolism.com 119
My Path Into Endocrinology 121
Recent Contributors On Metabolism.com 125

Appendix 1: Personal Nutrition Profile 127
Appendix 2: Ultimate Weight Gain Program 145
Appendix 3: Food Journal 165

Relevant Studies

The entry What’s Inside My Ebook, Metabolism.com? was published at Metabolism Blog . Get the Metabolism book from the same author.

HCG is a Hairy Hormone

Dr. G. Pepper — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 22:46:03 +0000

By Gary Pepper, M.D.
Editor, Metabolism.com
In the first article in this series, The HCG-Cancer Connection, I explained how HCG is made by some types of cancer and can serve as a marker for cancer activity. Now I want to explore another effect of HCG, the stimulation of male hormone (testosterone) production.
Just to review, there is no evidence that HCG will cause cancer although conceivably certain cancer responsive tumors may grow faster due to its effect to increase estrogen and testosterone. Every woman who has had a normal pregnancy has been exposed to high HCG levels for many months so if it did cause cancer that effect would be very obvious.
What concerns me is how HCG can influence the normal ovary and its hormone metabolism. HCG is a promiscuous hormone. It will hook up with different hormone “receptors” and masquerade as these other hormones. In the previous article I explained how at very high levels HCG can stimulate the thyroid to make thyroid hormone resulting in hyperthyroidism. Another hormone effect of HCG is to mimic LH (leutinizing hormone) which turns on the production of the sex hormones by the testicle in men and ovary in woman. Surprisingly the normal ovary makes testosterone which it then converts to estrogen. FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) from the pituitary helps the ovary change testosterone to estrogen. What happens when the ovary gets a lot of LH but not FSH? This is the situation when a woman gets HCG. Testosterone levels will rise more than estrogen levels. Research shows that after a single HCG injection a rise of 20% in testosterone levels occurs in normal women, confirming this theory. During pregnancy with HCG pumping in the blood from the placenta, testosterone levels can double, resulting in acne, oily skin and (in some women) an increase in sex drive. The situation would be far worse for a pregnant woman if the placenta wasn’t also pumping out 100 times the normal amount of estrogen to counteract all the male hormones.
So why should women care if HCG makes their testosterone levels go up? Acne, oily skin and horniness are one thing but there are other effects which might be less acceptable. Testosterone is a mischievous hormone. While it causes hair growth where you don’t want it, it causes hair loss in places you want to keep it. Testosterone stimulates hair growth on the face, chest, back and abdomen. At the same time it causes hair loss from the scalp particularly at the temples and crown. This is referred to as male pattern baldness. Other effects of testosterone in women are the growth of the clitoris, known as clitoromegaly. A clitoris the size of a man’s thumb has been described in a woman due to excess testosterone exposure. Generally this degree of clitoromegaly is seen only in more extreme cases. So you may want to think twice before starting an HCG diet unless looking like Bruce Willis is your thing.
In the final installment on the hazards of HCG I will focus on other possible nasty hormone effects of HCG such as fibroids, infertility and bulging muscles.

The entry HCG is a Hairy Hormone was published at Metabolism Blog . Get the Metabolism book from the same author.

Lovey Needs Encouragement to Deal with Her Condition

Dr. G. Pepper — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 21:54:42 +0000

Lovey posts this sad message to metabolism.com. Many of the members here have been through this type of paralyzing doubt and have found a way to get the help they need. So, if you have a minute to spare, in the spirit of the season, why not offer Lovey a message that will help her get her nerve up to go to the doctor.

Lovey writes:

Hi, I’m too scared to go to the doc as I have a large lump in my throat. I don’t know much about thyroids or how it works an wat the worse case situations r. Alls I know is that the lump is about as round n size of a golf ball maybe abit smaller. I’ve had this lump for about 4 years an it’s recently started to get bigger. Ive gain about 12kg in about 8 months but I still do everything the same. I weigh 75 kg an MT height is 174cm. Something is wrong isn’t it!!!

Here is my reply to her;

Hi Lovey

A sluggish thyroid often produces a “lump” in the neck (which is the enlarged thyroid) and weight gain due to a slow metabolism. I’m not sure if you believe me but there really isn’t anything to be scared about. For example, if it turns out your thyroid is under active (low functioning or hypothyroid) the treatment is very simple. For most people taking one pill per day is all that is required to get back to normal. May people with hypothyroid are taking their thyroid pill and feel fine.

It’s hard to say exactly what the problem is in your case, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it is something like hypothyroidism, which could be fixed so easily.

So please get yourself to a doctor, clinic or whatever and have them look into this. Then you can stop worrying so much.

Okay? Let us know what happens. I’m asking other members here to give you their words of support as well, since many of the members here have gone through what you are experiencing and are happy they received proper treatment.

Dr. G. Pepper

The entry Lovey Needs Encouragement to Deal with Her Condition was published at Metabolism Blog . Get the Metabolism book from the same author.

Bariatric Surgery Benefits Last for Years

Dr. G. Pepper — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 22:47:37 +0000

One of the biggest problems with weight loss programs and diets is that even if they work the weight tends to come back on within a year or two. A recent study from the University of Utah of people who underwent bariatric surgery shows that not only do they lose weight quickly, after 6 years they continue to maintain their lower weight. After undergoing bariatric surgery the average weight drop was 35% of the original weight and after 6 years weight loss was still a very encouraging 28%. 75% of diabetics who had bariatric surgery were able to go off their diabetic medications, while improvements were generally seen in cholesterol levels and blood pressure.

Although this study shows a very high success rate, in the real world medical practice I have seen many people who are able to eat their way out of weight loss success after bariatric surgery. Eating small amounts of very high calorie food is still possible and unfortunately is not all that uncommon. Not to say that bariatric surgery is not helpful, because when it works the results can be spectacular, but as always the degree of motivation of the patient is crucial to success.

Gary Pepper, M.D.
Editor-in-Chief, metabolism.com

The entry Bariatric Surgery Benefits Last for Years was published at Metabolism Blog . Get the Metabolism book from the same author.

They Quit Smoking, Their Metabolism Slows, but Good Attitude Gets Them Through

Dr. G. Pepper — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 02:49:30 +0000

Here are some encouraging stories from the front line against smoking. It’s a desperate struggle at times but our members share their gutsy approaches that have gotten them through the tough times.

Beach Gal writes:

10 months on Nov 15!
Weight has plateaued at 15lbs gained. 48 years old with perimenopause too.
So here are my thoughts….you have to surrender to the fact you might gain some weight or even maybe alot. We’ve done years of damage to our metabolisms and it will take time to correct that. Also, surrender to the fact you might not be your size 6 or 8 anymore. So what? We don’t smoke. Nothing is more ugly than smoking. There are plenty of heavier women out there who embody beauty. Their spirit shines and they have confidence and self esteem. Smoking robs us of both. Have you ever tried dating online? NO ONE wants to date a smoker.
Anyway, single or married, it doesn’t matter. We matter. I have never laughed so much in my life as I have in the last 2 months. Really laughed. And this while I’m unemployed, my father has cancer, my dog died, and my boyfriend and I are on the rocks. We come first. Period.

Regarding weight…..if you have an “orange theory fitness” near you, join. It’s the cost of 1 month of smoking and will reinforce your quit. Great for us gals in our 40′s 50′ and 60′s too. They know how to get your metabolism cranking. 3 days a week. And could you be drinking a little more wine than usual? I found that I started drinking too much wine….and i don’t even like wine. So had to cut that out!

Here is what V has to say about quitting the cigarette habit:

I agree that the weight was the worst thing. As unhappy as I am about the weight, I am so very happy that I have been quit for 1 year now. With the money I have saved, I have picked up some other hobbies that I enjoy so much, that I would never be able to afford by wasting my money on cancer sticks daily. And, not to mention the health benefits, like being able to breathe, by not sucking down those stupid things. I feel so free when I watch or listen to people scramble trying to figure out how long the cigarettes they have in their pack will last because they don’t have the money or the time to get to the store for another pack, or they can’t wait to leave a non-smoking establishment. I’m not unhappy because I’m fat, it’s just a minor set back. Maybe there are days I get upset over it, but it doesn’t cause me to be an unhappy person. I hope you can overcome your fear of whatever weight gain you may have (it is different for everyone).

Lizzy adds her experience:

Elisa, the benefits of quitting are unreal. I have my first cold since this all happened, yes I still have the weight gain, its not been a year quite yet and I have to say this cold is quite different then I have ever had, it has not settled into my lungs. The weight has leveled off and it seems i am turning the fat into muscle by walking so much. Elisa you have gotten over the nicotine in the system, you need to cut the habit of hands and grabbing, you will be fine, not all people gain 40 or 50 pounds. I have always been a size 6 and now a 12 to 14 and yes that’s killing me, but it too will pass, i have never breathed so deeply in my life. i have never smelt things quite the way I smell them now, and wow food is so different too. You will gradually find out all these things. Honestly the worst thing was the weight gain, but the other benefits make up for some of that.

The entry They Quit Smoking, Their Metabolism Slows, but Good Attitude Gets Them Through was published at Metabolism Blog . Get the Metabolism book from the same author.