The Brad Marshall diet, also known as the "Croissant Diet" or "Emergence Diet," is a dietary approach popularized by Brad Marshall, a farmer, butcher, chef, and molecular biologist. This diet challenges conventional nutritional wisdom by emphasizing saturated fats and exploring the role of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) in metabolic health. Brad Marshall became known for his work around diets low in polyunsaturated fatty acids, more commonly known as PUFAs.
Brad Marshall's Background and Influences
Brad Marshall's journey into the world of nutrition and metabolism began with a personal struggle with weight. Trained in molecular biology at Cornell and having conducted cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering, Marshall possessed a strong scientific foundation. His interest in evolutionary biology and his experience as a chef at the French Culinary Institute further shaped his perspective on food and its impact on the body.
Marshall's early influences included Weston Price's "Nutrition and Physical Degeneration," which highlighted the detrimental effects of white flour, white sugar, and vegetable oils. This led him to believe that the highest quality foods were animal-based, sourced from animals raised on pasture with fresh air and sunshine. He first did the Atkins diet sometime around 2002. This conviction prompted him to leave his career in cancer research and start a farm specializing in low-PUFA pork.
The ROS Theory of Obesity
Marshall's research for "The ROS Theory of Obesity" led him to question the prevailing belief that carbohydrate consumption was the primary driver of obesity. He began to consider the role of different types of fats and their impact on insulin signaling and metabolic function.
His research uncovered key findings:
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- Mice fed stearic acid, a long-chain saturated fat, experienced a reduction in abdominal fat compared to mice fed oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat found in olive oil.
- Mice lacking the ability to convert saturated fat into monounsaturated fat exhibited lifetime protection against obesity.
These findings suggested that monounsaturated fats could contribute to weight gain.
The Croissant Diet Experiment
Inspired by Valerie Reeves's thesis, which demonstrated that mice fed a diet rich in stearic acid became lean, Marshall embarked on a personal experiment. The line labelled “40% kcal stearic acid” shows the macronutrient composition of the diet that produced the lean mice - about 18% protein with 40 percent fat and 42% carbohydrate, with most (85%) of the fat being stearic acid. He sought to test the hypothesis that the ratio of saturated to unsaturated fat was a primary regulator of whole-body energy balance.
Marshall's experiment involved incorporating croissants into his diet. He chose croissants because they are high in white flour, which he believed effectively absorbed fat, especially saturated fat. Also, yes, it’s a hilarious stunt. He also wanted to demonstrate that the diet's effectiveness wasn't due to factors like being low-carb, gluten-free, or low in food reward.
Initially, Marshall attempted to make croissants using stearic acid, butter, and flour. However, the resulting croissants were dense and waxy due to stearic acid's high melting point. To improve the texture, he created a butter oil with a high ratio of saturated to unsaturated fat, similar to ghee.
During the croissant diet, Marshall experienced a noticeable reduction in appetite and an increase in satiety. He even forgot about dinner on several occasions, a phenomenon he hadn't experienced in years. He also observed weight loss and a reduction in his waistline.
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Key Principles of the Brad Marshall Diet
The Brad Marshall Diet emphasizes the following principles:
- Prioritize Saturated Fats: Focus on consuming saturated fats like stearic acid, found in beef fat, cocoa butter, and dairy fat.
- Limit Polyunsaturated Fats (PUFAs): Minimize intake of polyunsaturated fats from sources like corn oil, soybean oil, safflower oil, and canola oil.
- Moderate Carbohydrate Intake: The diet isn't necessarily low-carb but emphasizes the importance of saturated fat in conjunction with carbohydrates.
- Listen to Satiety Cues: Eat when hungry and stop when full.
The Role of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)
The Brad Marshall Diet is based on the premise that ROS play a crucial role in regulating insulin signaling and fat storage. Long-chain saturated fats create lots of ROS. According to this theory, saturated fats promote the production of ROS in the mitochondria, which can temporarily reduce insulin sensitivity in fat cells. This, in turn, can limit energy storage in fat cells and promote fat loss.
The primary mechanism by which the body stops the flow of energy into fat cells is the production of free radicals, aka Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), at the conserved molecular bottleneck in the electron transport chain of the mitochondrial inner membrane. The ROS block the activity of several proteins involved in insulin signalling, leading the fat cells to become physiologically and reversibly insulin resistant. The job of Insulin is to send a signal to tell fat cells to store energy. If the fat cells are (temporarily) insulin resistant they won’t take in any more energy. Fat loss will occur.
Concerns and Considerations
While the Brad Marshall Diet has gained popularity, it's important to consider potential concerns and limitations:
- Individual Variability: Metabolic responses to dietary changes can vary significantly between individuals.
- Long-Term Effects: The long-term health effects of a diet high in saturated fat are still being researched.
- Fat Quality: The source and quality of saturated fats are crucial. Prioritize fats from whole, unprocessed foods.
- Overall Diet Quality: While the diet focuses on fat ratios, it's important to maintain a balanced diet with adequate protein, vitamins, and minerals.
Stearic Acid
Stearic acid is a saturated fatty acid with 18 carbon atoms. It is found in various animal and plant fats. Foods naturally higher in stearic acid include beef fat, cocoa butter, and dairy fat.
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Low-PUFA Pork
Almost all american pork - conventional, organic, pastured or otherwise, is high in polyunsaturated fats. Firebrand Meats is the first American meat company specializing in making low-PUFA pork. It is a subscription based service that is shipping to all 48 continental states.
The Emergence Diet
The Emergence diet is another dietary approach proposed by Brad Marshall. The Emergence Diet aims to shift the body out of a "torpor" or low metabolic state.
Satiety
After eating the croissants, I began to feel satiation like never before. A couple times when I was hungry I would prepare two croissants but I could never finish them. I’ve always been a person who never feels strongly satiated. I only stop eating because my stomach hurts. Even then I will continue to pick at a meal. Not with the croissants. I started doing intermittent fasting, but not really on purpose. I just wasn’t hungry. A couple times I just forgot about dinner.