Low-Carb Living

Lesson 5: Syndrome X

Other Diet-Related Conditions

In addition to the chronic diseases of Syndrome X, many conditions are linked with our modern diet.

Osteoporosis. Bone health requires a balance between calcium absorption and calcium excretion. This means a balance between foods that create an alkaline load in the body and those that create an acid load. Our modern diet is deficient in the fruits and vegetables we need to create an alkaline load in our bodies, and to promote our retention of the calcium we take in. The food recommended for as a source of calcium, cow’s milk, is also a food which promotes the excretion of calcium from our bones, thus negating its calcium content unless it is taken with alkaline-promoting foods. Other acid-promoting foods include grains, dairy products, animal foods, legumes, and salt.

Cancer. Elevated levels of insulin in the bloodstream as caused by high carbohydrate intake increases levels of a hormone called “insulin-like growth factor one” (IGF-1) and decreases another hormone called “insulinlike growth factor binding protein three” (IGFBP-3). The decrease in IGFBP-3 causes tissues to be less sensitive to retinoic acid, a chemical signal that normally limits tissue growth. Increased levels of IGF-1 encourage growth. Scientists suspect that IGF-1 may be a primary promoter of unregulated and tissue growth in the body. There has been shown an association between elevated levels of IGF-1, lowered levels of IGFBP-3, and breast cancer in premenopausal women, prostate cancer in men, and colorectal cancer in all adults.

Dental Cavities. Sugar causes cavities. We hear this every time we visit the dentist. Our paleolithic ancestors consumed sugar only as it occurred naturally in fruit. Their teeth were well formed and contained virtually no cavities. Our modern diet is high in refined sugars, and many of us see our first cavities in toddlerhood.

Gluten Intolerance. Also known as Celiac’s Disease, gluten intolerance is widely underdiagnosed. It is a condition in which our bodies are unable to properly digest the grain protein, gluten. The only treatment is to eliminate all gluten-containing foods from the diet. Left untreated, gluten intolerance can lead to malnutrition and cancer. Although some suffer gluten intolerance without noticeable symptoms, others experience diarrhea, constipation, or other intestinal discomforts.

Lactose Intolerance. Unknown to many in the Western world, much of the world does not consume dairy products because of widespread intolerance to the milk sugar, lactose. Originally, our bodies were not designed to consume milk beyond the age of weaning (about four years old), and then only human milk.

Optional Reading
See Chapters 5 and 6 in The Paleo Diet, for information on other conditions associated with our modern diet such as myopia, polycystic ovary syndrome, and acne.

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