Dr. Georgia Ede

But the biggest myth about fiber is that it's good for digestion. Because fiber, by definition, is indigestible by humans. So there are two kinds of fiber. There's soluble and insoluble. And the soluble is, you know, the kind that holds water. It's like in an apple. And the insoluble is the kind of tough, stringy, woody stuff that you might find in, like, broccoli, for example. So...

But the biggest myth about fiber is that it's good for digestion. Because fiber, by definition, is indigestible by humans. So there are two kinds of fiber. There's soluble and insoluble. And the soluble is, you know, the kind that holds water. It's like in an apple. And the insoluble is the kind of tough, stringy, woody stuff that you might find in, like, broccoli, for example. So...

The soluble fiber, the bacteria in the lower parts of our intestine can ferment that to a certain extent, but then we can't make use of the sugars that it's releasing.

The soluble fiber, the bacteria in the lower parts of our intestine can ferment that to a certain extent, but then we can't make use of the sugars that it's releasing.

Yes. Okay, so a couple of things to unpack there. So one is that a lot of people, there are quite a few papers on this, claiming that we need fiber because we need to feed our cells butyrate, which is a breakdown product of fiber. But butyrate, if you think about what a ketone is, it's beta-hydroxybutyrate, feeds the intestinal cells just as well.

Yes. Okay, so a couple of things to unpack there. So one is that a lot of people, there are quite a few papers on this, claiming that we need fiber because we need to feed our cells butyrate, which is a breakdown product of fiber. But butyrate, if you think about what a ketone is, it's beta-hydroxybutyrate, feeds the intestinal cells just as well.

So you don't need to eat fiber to feed your cells butyrate. If you think that the cells need butyrate, then you can get it from a ketogenic diet. So I explain that in the book too, is that there's more than one way to generate that molecule.

So you don't need to eat fiber to feed your cells butyrate. If you think that the cells need butyrate, then you can get it from a ketogenic diet. So I explain that in the book too, is that there's more than one way to generate that molecule.

So we really don't know, and we really don't have any long-term data on any dietary pattern. I think this is really important for people to understand is this very common criticism of diets that we feel uncomfortable with or might be worried about, like ketogenic diets or carnivore diets, because they're so different from what we're told we're supposed to eat.

So we really don't know, and we really don't have any long-term data on any dietary pattern. I think this is really important for people to understand is this very common criticism of diets that we feel uncomfortable with or might be worried about, like ketogenic diets or carnivore diets, because they're so different from what we're told we're supposed to eat.

There's a lot of fear and worry about them. And so we'll have to think, well, OK, It's normalized my blood sugar level. I used to have type 2 diabetes. I've lost 50 pounds. My depression went away. I normalized my coronary artery calcium score, so I'm at lower risk for cardiovascular disease. My triglycerides came down. I feel better in every way. All of my health markers have improved.

There's a lot of fear and worry about them. And so we'll have to think, well, OK, It's normalized my blood sugar level. I used to have type 2 diabetes. I've lost 50 pounds. My depression went away. I normalized my coronary artery calcium score, so I'm at lower risk for cardiovascular disease. My triglycerides came down. I feel better in every way. All of my health markers have improved.

And so when you show people study after study after study of a ketogenic diet improving multiple aspects of metabolic health and physical health and mental health, it's cured my seizures, it's cured my bipolar, whatever it was. The only... The only last thing somebody could say is, well, yes, okay, it's made you extraordinarily healthy now, but I wonder what's going to happen 20 years from now.

And so when you show people study after study after study of a ketogenic diet improving multiple aspects of metabolic health and physical health and mental health, it's cured my seizures, it's cured my bipolar, whatever it was. The only... The only last thing somebody could say is, well, yes, okay, it's made you extraordinarily healthy now, but I wonder what's going to happen 20 years from now.

Nobody can tell you that because there's no way you could design a 20-year-long study of any diet. So you could say this about the Mediterranean diet. You could say this about a carnivore diet. You could say this about a vegan diet. Well, vegan diet, unsupplemented, is fatal. It has dangerous nutritional holes. So why aren't we saying this about vegan diets?

Nobody can tell you that because there's no way you could design a 20-year-long study of any diet. So you could say this about the Mediterranean diet. You could say this about a carnivore diet. You could say this about a vegan diet. Well, vegan diet, unsupplemented, is fatal. It has dangerous nutritional holes. So why aren't we saying this about vegan diets?

When we can look at a vegan diet and see... that it's incompatible with human life unless you eat fortified processed foods or supplement, which most people in the world cannot do. We look at a carnivore diet, and you can actually find all of the nutrients in these animal foods, and that's the diet that you're more worried about because theoretically, long term, something bad might happen.

When we can look at a vegan diet and see... that it's incompatible with human life unless you eat fortified processed foods or supplement, which most people in the world cannot do. We look at a carnivore diet, and you can actually find all of the nutrients in these animal foods, and that's the diet that you're more worried about because theoretically, long term, something bad might happen.

Now, I am not at all saying that a carnivore diet is the right diet for everybody or that it's even the right approach for everybody to consider. But I think we have to keep an open mind and stay curious and look at the biology of food and allow people to make their own.

Now, I am not at all saying that a carnivore diet is the right diet for everybody or that it's even the right approach for everybody to consider. But I think we have to keep an open mind and stay curious and look at the biology of food and allow people to make their own.