Wed, May-12-04, 22:29
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New Member
Posts: 8
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Plan: no special plan
Stats: 155/155/155
BF:
Progress:
Location: Kalispell, MT
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Calorie Excretion
I'm new to this forum. Hi.
Is anyone out there familiar with books or research dealing with calorie excretion? I have found several references to this physiological effect in books by the following authors: Paul Stitt, Rex Russell, MD, and Luis Guerra, MD.
Dr. Guerra reports laboratory analysis of fecal material reveals that 2 to 42 percent of fat calories pass through the digestive tract without being absorbed into the bloodstream. The amount of soluble fiber ingested with the fat is tied (literally) to the amount of fat remaining in the fecal material.
Dr. Russell, citing research done in Africa, reports that 20 to 60 percent of all calories get excreted; again depending on the amount of soluble fiber present in the food.
Mr. Stitt's book is Why Calories Don't Count. He also cites research done in Africa but doesn't supply figures for percentages of calories excreted. This explains, in part, why adding fat calories to ones diet does not necessarily result in weight gain.
Another important physiological phenomenon is the internal remodeling that takes place with improvement in nutrition and increase in fat intake. Those who eat a low-cal (starvation) diet to lose weight often force their bodies to become more efficient at absorbing calories. Researchers have observed both increased stomach capacity (sometimes double) and increases in surface area of the small intestine.
Finally, a comment about saturated fat. Many people are afraid to eat animal derived foods because of the supposed connection between fat/cholesterol intake and clogged arteries. I know from 20 years of eating a high-fat diet and extensive reading that this hypothesis has no basis in clinical or experimental evidence. Yet convincing my obese friends that it is OK to increase fat intake is like trying to persuade someone dangling over an abyss to let go of whatever it is he is clinging to. Most people cling to the opinions of experts and suffer accordingly. Wish I could help them.
For anyone new to low-carb who wants reassurance regarding saturated fats, I recommend Know Your Fats by Mary G. Enig.
Dave
Last edited by DavidBrown : Wed, May-12-04 at 22:36.
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