Genetics, you've got to play the hand you've been dealt--duh!

Wow! I haven't blogged in while, so here are my latest thoughts...

I picked up a book maybe a couple of weeks ago titled, Good Calories Bad Calories by Gary Taubes. After reading the TNT Diet, I wanted to know more about how carbohydrates affect your body's ability to store /accumulate fat. This is not a new topic as there have been several books written about the subject--Atkins Diet, The Zone, South Beach Diet just to name a few. While this may sound like a new diet book, it is far from it. What it does, to put it simply, is expose the reader of how certain proponents of what our definition of a healthy diet is today, are based on inaccurate, incomplete, and biased research. While this may be the central theme of this book, I believe the overall message the author is trying to convey is challenging the status quo will always bring us closer to the truth. Remember when the world was flat? Taubes is challenging the scientific and medical community to prove that these ideas are wrong using scientifically based researched and not just because Mr. big-shot-so-and-so said so.

Warning! This book is not for casual readers. I read it before I go to bed and after reading a couple of pages I'm out. It's going to take me forever to finish--but I like what I'm reading. It's very controversial. It's interesting what people are saying about this book, but you can find out for yourself.

So what does this have to do with genetics? There's a post on Jimmy Moore's Livin' La Vida Low Carb blog about this article. Scientists have discovered there is a gene in the liver which causes weight gain due to high carbohydrate intake. Here's an excerpt from the article:

"It looks like the SCD gene in the liver is responsible for causing weight gain in response to a high-carbohydrate diet, because when we take away the gene's activity the animals no longer gain the weight," says Ntambi. "These findings are telling us that the liver is a key tissue in mediating weight gain induced by excess carbohydrates." -ScienceDaily (Dec. 5, 2007)

So here's proof of what Taubes' book is saying. I'm glad to see actual research in this matter. However, not everyone has this gene. This might explain how there are some "lucky" people who eat whatever they want and not get fat. Also, this might explain why certain diets work for certain people and why some don't. So suggesting that a certain diet is going to work for everybody is just plain ignorant. I think the challenge is finding what works for you. This brings to mind "metabolic typing", but that's another post. Now my question is, "How does one go about finding out if he/she has this gene?" Maybe its time I go visit a doctor and see what cards I'm playing with.