THREAD:
1/ Regarding mTOR, protein, longevity, et al.
It's interesting to me that low carbers & keto people emphasize that breast milk is high in cholesterol & fat, and that babies are often in ketosis, and use this as evidence that keto is a default beneficial state b/c of this.
1/ Regarding mTOR, protein, longevity, et al.
It's interesting to me that low carbers & keto people emphasize that breast milk is high in cholesterol & fat, and that babies are often in ketosis, and use this as evidence that keto is a default beneficial state b/c of this.
2/ But breast milk is also pretty high in sugar, but we don't hear many people saying that therefore, we should eat a lot of sugar as adults. Isn't it possible that "optimal" nutrition depends on the particular stage of the life cycle someone is in? Infancy versus twilight yrs?
3/ Is it possible breast milk is high in fat, cholesterol, and sugar because babies *need* a lot of growth, and their brains need a ton of energy at that time in development? What's ideal for an infant might not be ideal for an 88 year old.
4/ I'm not in the super-low protein camp, but I can entertain the possibility that we might benefit from high/high-normal protein for a large portion of adult life, especially if we're active and wanting to build & maintain muscle, but perhaps we reach a point where
5/ cutting back a little on protein might be of benefit for longevity. Not going like sarcopenia-inducing levels or wasting away levels, but maybe not eating unlimited amounts of heavy meats. I am *not at all* trying to provoke the ZC/carnivore ppl, whom I mostly like & respect.
6/ Only speculating that what's appropriate in terms of diet maybe changes depending on the stage of life. If breast milk is so great (as some would argue), then we should consume those same macros throughout life, but I hear very few saying that.
7/ And I am well aware that most older people don't consume *enough* protein, let alone enough. If your teeth are falling out and you're frail and weak from already being of sub-par health and wasting away for decades, you're prob not gonna want to grill a big steak or pork chop
8/ let alone have the dental ability to chew one! (Or the digestive fire to properly digest it.) Am I wrong that digestive capacity naturally declines a little with age, even if you were a low carb beast in your earlier adulthood? Does it always decline a little in very elderly?
9/ Again, for emphasis, I'm not suggesting kwashiorkor levels of protein consumption here. ;-) Just speculating that IF there's something to the mTOR "thing," and IF it's of any benefit to limit provocation of that over the long term, then it sort of, maybe, makes sense to
10/ cut back a little on protein (and carbs, obviously, but I'm speaking in the context of ppl who are *already* low carb). I don't think we need to consume Rosedale levels of protein for our whole lives, but maybe as we get into those much older years, there could be a reason
11/ Rosedale has a video somewhere where he mentions that a primary driver of longevity seems to be the amount of glucose we burn compared to fat, over a lifetime. I don't know if this is accurate or not, but this is part of where the protein restriction thing comes in --
12/ To have as little provocation of insulin and limit glucose oxidation as much as possible, while knowing that this will never (and should never) get to zero, obviously. (Have to say that b/c people love to ignore nuance and sense on Twitter.)
13/ And I'm not equating steaks & chicken to gummy bears & cotton candy. I'm just thinking out loud. I don't know much about this, so I'm not saying I'm right about any of it. Just opening the conversation. And want to stress again that my main point is that what's
14/14 best/appropriate/"optimal" (even though that "O" word is like nails on a chalkboard to me) for a 1-year old might not be best for a 90 year old. *Shrug.*
...Aaaaaand scene.
...Aaaaaand scene.
Oops...that was supposed to be: Most older people don't consume *enough* protein, let alone "too much."
