Grazing is for cattle

5. November 2009 William Davis (17)
Many dietitians and nutritionists advise many people today to "graze," i.e., to eat small snacks every couple of hours. They argue that it blocks the drop in insulin and blood sugar that can trigger greater appetite and claim it can facilitate weight loss.



This is an absurd notion. Humans are not meant to graze. Humans are meant to find a wild boar or other animal, kill it, gorge on the meat, organs, and fat, then revert to berries, roots, leaves, and other foraged foods until the next kill. A human living in the wild does not have a cupboard or refrigerator full of ready-to-eat snacks to graze on.

The several hours after a meal is the most dangerous for creating coronary atherosclerotic plaque, i.e., the post-prandial period. In other words, eat dinner and, for the next 6-12 hours, your intestinal tract degrades the food; food byproducts are absorbed into the blood or lymph system. The blood is literally flooded with the byproducts of your meal.

Postprandial abnormalities are emerging to be a potent, and much underappreciated, means of causing heart disease and atherosclerosis in other vascular territories (especially carotid arteries and thoracic aorta).

Not eating--i.e., the fasting state--for extended periods is good for you. Encouraging people to graze amplifies atherosclerotic risk, since it creates an abnormal prolonged postprandial state.
Tags :

Comments (17) -

  • Adolfo David

    11/5/2009 10:50:49 PM |

    But not eating causes a drop in glucose and at the end an insulin response. This 'postpandrial state theory' is interesting, but if you ate only once a day for example you would tend to overeat with excess calories for just one meal. Probably for it me may be an intermediate solution between so long periods of no eating and a snack every couple of hours.

  • herbalife

    11/6/2009 12:27:57 AM |

    No more heart attack if blood flow is enhanced to the heart, if blood vessels are toned and flexible and if blood pressure levels are in the normal range

  • Will

    11/6/2009 2:16:44 PM |

    Dr. Davis, do you think that the type of food is a factor in this as well? For instance vegetarian animals (such as cows) graze all day, as you had mentioned and most carnivorous animals eat a large kill and then don't eat again for days. Since humans are probably omnivorous, I'm thinking along the lines of eating a large, fatty meat meal a few days per week and then being vegan for several days in between the meat meals. Perhaps it's not necessary to 'fast', per se, but just to abstain from meat for several days at a time to simulate a fast and it's benefits. Of course, the days abstaining from meat shouldn't be filled with Snickers bars and pasta, LOL! Just curious as to your thoughts on this.

    Thanks!
    Will

  • Anonymous

    11/6/2009 3:34:43 PM |

    What specifically is so dangerous in food?  Is it the amino acids?  The glucose?  Insulin levels?  Are there some foods you can eat every few hours safely?  I am currently training for a marathon and I just don't think I could make it 6 hours without eating.

  • Dr. William Davis

    11/6/2009 7:14:33 PM |

    Hi, Will--

    Although the data need to be better developed, it is probably carbohydrate foods that are among the worst in generating abnormal postprandial phenomena. Vegetables probably exert little to no adverse effect.

  • billye

    11/6/2009 7:37:23 PM |

    When one changes over to the evolutionary diet of our far ancestors, before agriculture, and eats as close to that of the caveman,  one looses his/hers abnormal hunger drive and dose not require snacking at all.  I have eliminated all grains and wheat. I eat 100% grass fed beef, butter, cream, and cheese.  In addition I use MCT oil for salads and cook with 100% virgin coconut oil.  You will notice that I am on a 100% saturated fat diet.  Along with this, I take on a daily basis 6000 IU vitamin D3 soft gel caps, Super vitamin K2, 325 mcg Kelp caps, and 2600 mg EPA and DHA fish oil.  Dr. Davis, you are right, the notion to graze, is not only absurd, if you eat right, totally unnecessary.  By the way, I have also eliminated all vegetable oils, including olive and canola oils.  MCT oil is a much healthier choice, and when mixed with water, apple cider vinegar along with your favorite spices, is delicious.

  • pmpctek

    11/7/2009 12:24:54 AM |

    "... then revert to berries, roots, leaves, and other foraged foods until the next kill."

    Is that not a form of grazing?

    It's my understanding that paleo man consumed as much as three times the fiber as the average modern man... that's quite a bit of forage.  This very well may have resulted in their digestive organs being much healthier, which may have contributed to preventing a whole host of abnormal risk factors that plague modern man.

  • Anonymous

    11/7/2009 5:44:31 AM |

    I agree with Dr. Davis; however I recently heard an argument that one should eat every 5-6 hours to avoid excess blood sugar (equivalent to a bagel) from gluconeogenesis. A low carb snack or meal will result in lower blood sugar compared to the bagel created by the liver.

  • Bill

    11/7/2009 8:39:12 AM |

    billye,
    I consume a litre+ of extra virgin olive oil a week.
    Your MCT and coconut oil consumption must be very expensive.
    Beyond my means, I regret to say.....

  • Ellen

    11/7/2009 11:35:46 AM |

    Billye, are you sure MCT is a healthy choice? I bought a bottle of it and stopped using it because I realized it's a processed oil. I, too, don't use any of those other frankenoils at all and eat a more paleo diet (eating saturated fats). The MCT oil doesn't sound very "evolutionary" KWIM?  

    But agreed! It's marvelous as a salad dressing. I'd love to be able to use in good conscience, just worried about the processing part. Seems like it might be somewhat of a frankenoil.

  • Adolfo David

    11/7/2009 9:51:18 PM |

    Billye,

    you are confused about 'vegetable oils' concept. Corn, soy and sunflower oils are bad because its high Omega 6 content. But olive oil is one of best fats of the world with fish oil.

    Extra virgin olive oil is highly antiinflamatory and better than MTC for me. Monounsaturated fats are very healthy and olive oil has very low Omega 6 content. Anyway, coconut oil is a good fat if you find its extra virgin version.

    Remember one of keys of superiority of mediterranean diet is extra virgin olive oil and monounsaturated fats. Coconut oil has low monounsaturated fats content.

  • Harold

    11/7/2009 9:51:43 PM |

    While I normally find the heartscanblog fascinating, this post makes no sense. You say grazing is wrong because "Humans are meant to find a wild boar or other animal, kill it, gorge on the meat, organs, and fat, then revert to berries, roots, leaves, and other foraged foods until the next kill." I don't see how that is really any different then the practice of grazing on small portions of berries, roots and leaves between larger meals in the modern era. I'm not sure that my hormones are going to react differently to blackberries if I eat them from a bowl while sitting at my diningroom table, as opposed to eating them from the bush while sitting on an anthill as our ancestors did.

    In this concept, grazing and foraging are just two different words that refer to eating small amounts of plant foods between larger meals. How is that natural for our ancestors, yet unnatural for us?

  • billye

    11/8/2009 3:58:49 AM |

    Bill & Ellen,
    Great comments and well thought out points.  I eat MCT oil, apple cider vinegar, and water, along with my favorite dry salt free condiments.  I use it as a dressing daily over lots of colorful vegetables.  I do not find it too costly to use, not more costly than any good salad oil, considering the health benefits.  I also understand the concerns about processing.  In as much as I take high dose fish oil and vitamin D3 soft gels, which are also processed, I am not worried about the processing of MCT oil as long as it is a cold press extraction processes of medium chain triglycerides from organic coconut, that is free of trans fatty acid, without the use of chemicals and solvents. I am currently searching for a better source than I presently have to switch to, along the lines as above described.  Stay tuned.

  • Dr. William Davis

    11/8/2009 10:49:13 PM |

    Several commenters make the point that "grazing" in the wild is no different than "grazing" at your kitchen table.

    There's a world of difference. For one, having food that lasts long enough to eat at your leisure is not a frequent condition in the wild. Any food must be found, dug up, picked, or killed. That's a lot different than tearing open a cellophane bag.

    Foods of convenience are also not there for the taking.

  • Peter

    11/9/2009 2:19:00 PM |

    I suppose if we're going to eat like our ancestors, regular mealtimes go out the window, too.

  • Adolfo David

    11/9/2009 7:34:28 PM |

    Since I am a convinced follower of DrSears' Zone Diet principles and it is based in mantaining insulin using balanced meals and snacks I sent your article to Dr Sears team. Here his answer:

    "Dr. Sears is familiar with Dr. Davis and appreciates the link.Dr. Sears would agree that consuming snacks that are not balanced with lean proteins, non-starchy vegetables and monounsaturated fats creates an abnormal prolonged postprandial state elevating insulin levels and promoting silent inflammation.. Very few dietitians and nutritionists suggest following the Zone guidelines."Humans are meant to find a wild boar or other animal, kill it, gorge on the meat, organs, and fat, then revert to berries, roots, leaves, and other foraged foods until the next kill." Consuming too many calories (gorging) will also elevate insulin levels. Fasting can drive insulin levels too low and elevate cortisol which promotes its own set of hormonal issues"

  • buy jeans

    11/3/2010 3:47:04 PM |

    Postprandial abnormalities are emerging to be a potent, and much underappreciated, means of causing heart disease and atherosclerosis in other vascular territories (especially carotid arteries and thoracic aorta).

Add comment

Loading