On Mon, 3 Nov 1997, Edward Campbell wrote:
> Todd,
>
> In regards to thyroid function: Have you tested your basal temperature?
Not recently. Back when I started dieting, using the Zone, my
morning temperature dropped to below 95F though. And I was
constantly cold in hands and feet. I'm not cold anymore however,
but I'll check the temp anyway.
> T3,T4, and TSH can be normal eventhough an individual is hypothyroid. The
> only definitive test is to check yur temperature 3-4X/day for a few days,
> starting when rising in the morning, then average the results. An ave. below
> 98 degrees could indicate a sluggish thyroid, and this could adversely effect
> your lipid profile.
In which case, what does one do? I'm sure I won't be put on a
thyroid medication if the T3, T4, etc. values are normal.
> DHEA, testosterone, androstendione, and other hormones decline with age. A
> problem with cholesterol metabolism may cause these hormones to be
> prematurely lowered. This may be one mechanism as to why cholesterol levels
> tend to rise as one ages.
I'm confused about the direction of causation. I thought you
were saying that low levels of these hormones causes elevated
cholesterol, because the cholesterol is not being used up to
produce them. Here you seem to be saying that the elevated
cholesterol causes these hormones to decrease.
I happened to see something in the book _Prescription for
Nutritional Healing_ (Balch and Balch) to the effect that low
levels of potassium can cause elevated cholesterol. This is
intriguing, but I have been unable to find anything to confirm
it. It's interesting because Cordain and others suggest that
modern diets tend to be low in potassium and high in sodium, and
I confess that I love salty foods. Instead of the proverbial
sweet tooth, I have a "salt tooth." And I also confess that I
don't always resist the temptation to salt my food even now,
especially meats.
So I'm likely to be a person in whom the potassium/sodium ratio
is wrong, and I wonder if that really could be causing or
aggravating my cholesterol problems.
> Thank you for the Journal reference on aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise,
> indeed, has positive benefits on blood lipid profiles, but so does resistance
> training ( see: Eaton, The Paleolithic Prescription, pp. 193-194). In
> addition, resistance exercise will increase lean muscle mass (LBM). While
> metabolic rate will stay elevated for 1-3 hrs. following aerobic training,
> your metabolic rate will stay elevated 24 hr./day if you can increase your
> LBM. Resistance training can also positively influence levels of
> testosterone and growth hormone. A combination of aerobic and anaerobic
> (resistance) exercise is optimal, and closely resembles the activity patterns
> of our paleo ancesters.
I agree. I think the research only shows that aerobic exercise
has a more direct effect on cholesterol, not that anaerobic
exercise makes no contribution.
The testosterone thing makes me wonder... There is an abundance
of ancient folklore to the effect that sexual abstinence is
necessary for longevity. The Chinese alchemists, for example,
had quite an elaborate theory about this. There is a similar
idea in Yoga from India, to the effect that conservation of the
"bindu" (semen) leads to longevity or even immortality. While it
is tempting to dismiss such teachings as projections of
puritanical phobias, these cultures were not conspicuously
puritanical in the first place.
One way to increase testosterone levels is to abstain from sexual
activity (including masturbation). I believe it has been
determined, for example, that the beards of sailors grow at a
faster rate while they are at sea, when presumably their sexual
activity would be curtailed.
So perhaps the rationale for the ancient semen-conserving myths
is in fact to cause an increase in testosterone levels, and
accompanying improvements in health, for men at least.
Perhaps I should start watching adult videos and walking around
in a state of semi-arousal, just until my cholesterol goes down,
of course...
Todd Moody
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