Category: Blog Posts

Your Weight: Not Strictly a Matter of Choice

Conventional wisdom says that weight loss should be a simple formula – burn more calories than you take in. While this is certainly not a false statement, the reality is much more complicated. Everyone has their own unique metabolic rate, determined by factors largely beyond your control, such as age, race, and gender. Now, the latest research says you can likely add genetics to that list.

A number of genes are identified that make weight loss difficult. If you possess one or more of these gene variations or polymorphisms, you may be in for a harder time losing weight than a person who lacks them. Even so, weight loss is not completely beyond anyone, and there are steps you can take to help overcome your genetic disadvantage.

Genes That Influence Weight Gain & Obesity

Human genetics is incredibly complex. There is rarely a single gene tied to any trait. This holds true for weight loss. In fact, researchers have found over 70 genes that influence obesity or weight loss in some way. Among these genes are:

ADRB2

This gene controls the production of a certain protein that helps to break down fat. People with the polymorphism of this gene may have greater abdominal fat and be at higher risk for metabolic syndrome, which is associated with diseases like diabetes.

FTO

The FTO polymorphism is linked to greater satiety tolerance. This means it takes more food to make you feel full. Of course, such a trait can easily lead to obesity and make weight loss more difficult.

PPARG

This gene allows fat to be taken up from the digestive system and put to use in the body. People who have an overexpression of PPARG are subject to weight gain and obesity, along with accompanying conditions like heart disease.¹

Evidence Supporting a Genetic Link to Obesity

Although much research remains to be done, studies have suggested a genetic influence on obesity and difficult weight loss. For example, a study published in 2016 found that there was evidence that men carrying the ARDB2 polymorphism had greater fat mass and larger fat percentages than non-carriers after a weight loss program consisting of exercise and restricted diet.² 

Another study, released in 2015, demonstrated a correlation between many gene polymorphisms, including ARDB2 and FTO, and obesity in African populations.³ Additionally, one study looked at a number of gene polymorphisms in a group of young Italians. The researchers concluded in a paper published in 2017 that the PPARG polymorphism showed a strong connection to increased body mass among these participants.⁴ Finally, a separate 2017 study on a group of Greek adults also demonstrated an association between FTO polymorphism and obesity.⁵

What Can I Do to Counteract My Genetics?

Since the technology to readily modify your genetics to your liking does not yet exist, you may think you’re predestined to be overweight. However, this is far from true. Healthy eating combined with exercise can help anyone lose weight, even if you have to work harder than some other people.

At Linden & Arc Vitality Institute, we will be your partner in maintaining a healthy weight. We will provide you with expert advice, necessary supplements, and diagnostic testing to make sure you’re on the right road. Despite your genetics, your health is still in your hands. With determination and help, you can build and keep a healthy body. Contact us for a consultation: [email protected]

References:

1 http://www.saragottfriedmd.com/%e2%80%8efive-genes-that-make-it-hard-to-lose-weight-and-what-you-can-do-to-combat-them/
2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26888112
3 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25641693
4 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28090739
5 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28257836

Allergies to one or more types of food is a daily reality for many of us. Food Allergy Canada estimates about 2.5 million people in Canada suffer from food allergies, and a large number of these are young children under three.¹ The effects of food allergies can range from frustrating to deadly. Alarmingly, the prevalence of food allergies is growing. This may arise from a number of factors, including unhealthy diets and limited exposure to many natural food types. Food allergies differ from food sensitivities. Let’s find out how.

Food Allergies Are Not the Same as Food Sensitivities

The media often confuses food allergies, food sensitivities, and food intolerances, and their use is often interchanged. However, this is not accurate. While food sensitivities and food intolerances can refer to the same condition, these two differ from food allergies in several key ways.

Food sensitivity and food intolerance symptoms are typically limited to the gastrointestinal system. They include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. While these symptoms may be quite distressing and painful, they are rarely life-threatening.

Food Allergies Are an Acute Event

When triggered, food allergies, sometimes called true food allergies, are an acute event. This means the obvious symptoms are short term, usually lasting for less than 48 hours and often less than six hours. On the other hand, the apparent symptoms caused by a food intolerance can endure for a week or more.

Food Allergy Symptoms Are Generally Severe

True allergic reactions may result in hives, facial swelling, and even anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic response. Those that suffer from this allergic response have difficulty breathing, altered heart rate, and/or unconsciousness. It can be life-threatening and requires the administration of epinephrine and immediate medical attention.

Triggers Vary Too

The triggers for food allergies and food sensitivities also differ. One or more proteins in the allergen food almost always causes a true food allergy. For example, the protein casein can trigger a milk allergy. For this reason, it is extremely rare to have a true allergy to protein-sparse foods, such as spinach or strawberries. Food sensitivities are not always mediated by proteins, it is possible to be sensitive to almost any food.

Furthermore, foods themselves are not often the triggers for food sensitivities, but rather by an additive like a colouring, pesticide, coating, or artificial flavour. In the example above, a person who is not milk-allergic may still be sensitive to milk due to the lactose sugar, a chocolate flavouring, artificial whitening enhancers, or presence of bovine hormones.

Food Allergies Can Be a Link to Obesity

There is evidence to suggest that both food allergies and food sensitivities may contribute to weight gain and obesity. Obesity has long been known to cause a general decline in health, but many doctors have assumed that a rise in food allergies and sensitivities was due to obesity, not the other way around.

The reality is that many instances of obesity are likely the result of a complex relationship between an unhealthy Western diet, gut bacteria, and inflammation. In one study, researchers purposely fed mice a high-fat diet. This diet increased toxin production among bacteria in the gut. These toxins, in turn, led to inflammation, replicating the same effect seen when a person ingests food that triggers an allergy or intolerance. The toxins easily passed through the gut and caused systemic inflammation and obesity, along with other problems like diabetes and heart disease.⁵

Dr. Mark Hyman, a functional medicine physician, has seen this same phenomenon in his own patients. He maintains that eating a healthy, high-fibre diet and balancing gut bacteria through the use of probiotics can help avoid inflammation from food intolerances and allergies, contributing to weight reduction and better overall health.⁶

Treatments for Food Allergies

Traditional medicine says there is no cure yet for food allergies and has little to offer in the way of mitigation, other than avoidance. However, Functional Medicine is different. This medical discipline takes a comprehensive approach to food allergies. For instance, after listening to her patients and learning about their problems and histories, Dr. Lynne Murfin begins treatment of their food allergies by having her patients remove potential allergens from their diet.

Next, she recommends specific probiotics along with a diet designed to replace the good bacteria in the gut. But even with a replenished load of good bacteria, the gut still needs to be repaired. Dr. Murfin achieves this by adding supplements and minerals that promote gut healing, like zinc, glutamine, and antioxidants. You must receive testing and consultation before receiving these.

Lifestyle is just as important as supplements and bacteria for gut health. That’s why Dr. Murfin will recommend de-stressing techniques to her food allergy patients. She also provides lifestyle education at her practice to further this goal. Finally, continuous testing is important so that changes in the gut and the body at large can be accurately monitored and evaluated. In addition to traditional blood tests, Dr. Murfin also employs stool laboratory testing, as this can give a precise picture of gut bacterial status, food allergies, and overall gut health.

Next Steps

Functional Medicine positions itself uniquely to address food allergies and its consequences. FM physicians use expert testing to identify potential food allergies and make use of their experience and training in providing comprehensive advice on avoiding potential allergy triggers. Since functional medicine physicians look at the big picture and interplay among all the body’s systems and environmental factors, they are also able to help their patients manage their gut bacteria, reduce inflammation, and live healthier lives.

References:

1 http://foodallergycanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/Food-Allergy-Key-Facts-Sheet.pdf
2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25970081
3 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23891354
4 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24662804
5 http://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/content/56/7/1761.long
6 http://drhyman.com/blog/2010/04/20/are-your-food-allergies-making-you-fat/

About Dr. Murfin:

Dr. Murfin is wholeheartedly focused on her life’s mission to help people heal and achieve extraordinary outcomes. She believes that health is more than merely the absence of disease. It is a total state of physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social wellbeing through the creation of a whole and meaningful life. Dr. Murfin leaves no stone unturned to determine the root cause of illness or imbalance.