New with questions: ACES, lectins, ZOE

Newcomer introductions, personal anecdotes, caregiver issues, lab results, and n=1 experimentation.
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Ylangirl
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New with questions: ACES, lectins, ZOE

Post by Ylangirl »

Hello,

I have the APOE4 (heterozygous, may be the term for 3/4), and a few other genes which may increase my risk. Though I found this out through 23and me, this was no surprise with my family history of Alzheimer’s. My grandmother passed away at 87, after spending the last 14 years of her life in a nursing home (with AD).

I am 53 and am starting to read Dr. Breseden’s book. I am also participating in the ZOE gut micro biome/blood sugar/fat analysis. My health is good. My most recent cholesterol #s were:

Total cholesterol: 156
HDL: 67
Trig: 78
LDL: 73
Chol/HDLC ratio is 2.3 (not sure if that is good or not).

Other #s:
Homocysteine 6.3
Hemoglobin A1C 5

Anyhow, my questions for you are:

I have a very high ACE score (7-8). Aces are the acronym for Adverse Childhood Experiences, and they have been shown to dramatically and negatively impact health later in life. Any others on this board interested in this?

I am confused about the dietary suggestions regarding lectins. I have eaten a lot of beans in my life and hope to continue. I have been on a primarily plant based diet for many years. I eat fish and limited meat, but prefer beans to meat. Is there a marker I can reference on my dna (from 23 and me) to see if this is a problem for me?

Also, I am a small person…98 pounds. I am happy at this weight, but do not want to lose any more. If I give up carbs, I think I will lose too much weight. Do all of you give up whole grains? Any other small people want to “weigh in” on this one?

Regarding dna: I have 6 different markers for shorter or slightly shorter telomere length. Anyone else have this many?

Finally, regarding insulin resistance: My fasting blood sugar (according to the Glucose Monitor I have been wearing this week) is 65-75 depending on the morning. I hover around the 80s most of the day. When I eat, depending on the meal, my glucose goes up to 100-125 (and occasionally higher immediately after eating). I have been told that it isn’t good to have your level rise more than 30. So, if I wake up, slightly hypoglycemic (at 70) and my breakfast brings me to 110, is that a concern? Occasionally it goes as high 139 for a bit, is that concerning?

Great to meet you all!

Ylan
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Tincup
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Re: New with questions: ACES, lectins, ZOE

Post by Tincup »

Ylangirl wrote: Mon Jun 27, 2022 7:00 am
I am confused about the dietary suggestions regarding lectins. I have eaten a lot of beans in my life and hope to continue. I have been on a primarily plant based diet for many years. I eat fish and limited meat, but prefer beans to meat. Is there a marker I can reference on my dna (from 23 and me) to see if this is a problem for me?

Also, I am a small person…98 pounds. I am happy at this weight, but do not want to lose any more. If I give up carbs, I think I will lose too much weight. Do all of you give up whole grains? Any other small people want to “weigh in” on this one?

Regarding dna: I have 6 different markers for shorter or slightly shorter telomere length. Anyone else have this many?

Finally, regarding insulin resistance: My fasting blood sugar (according to the Glucose Monitor I have been wearing this week) is 65-75 depending on the morning. I hover around the 80s most of the day. When I eat, depending on the meal, my glucose goes up to 100-125 (and occasionally higher immediately after eating). I have been told that it isn’t good to have your level rise more than 30. So, if I wake up, slightly hypoglycemic (at 70) and my breakfast brings me to 110, is that a concern? Occasionally it goes as high 139 for a bit, is that concerning?

Ylan
Hi Ylan,

Welcome! No medical training, but I'll give you my opinion.

Dr. Gundry says beans are OK, if pressure cooked. This deactivates the lectins.

Based on what you've provided about your glucose, I would not pursue giving up carbs. Your data look great to me. I also would not worry about spikes to 100-125 and occasionally 139. My understanding is that glycation starts at 140.

Curious, do you have a two week average from your CGM? You could use this calculator to estimate A1c from your eAG (estimated average glucose). From what you've described, I'd guess it may come out around 4.5%. This may be more accurate than your lab A1c, as your red blood cells may live longer since your glucose is pretty low. "The main problem is that there is actually a wide variation in how long red blood cells survive in different people. This study, for example, shows that red blood cells live longer than average at normal blood sugars. Researchers found that the lifetime of hemoglobin cells of diabetics turned over in as few as 81 days, while they lived as long as 146 days in non-diabetics." Source Hence your cells may have a longer time to be exposed to glucose.

On your ACE score, you might be interested in this interview with Dr. Caroline Leaf. She has a science based approach to dealing with trauma.
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Nicnac0526
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Re: New with questions: ACES, lectins, ZOE

Post by Nicnac0526 »

Ylangirl wrote: Mon Jun 27, 2022 7:00 am Hello,

I have the APOE4 (heterozygous, may be the term for 3/4), and a few other genes which may increase my risk. Though I found this out through 23and me, this was no surprise with my family history of Alzheimer’s. My grandmother passed away at 87, after spending the last 14 years of her life in a nursing home (with AD).

I am 53 and am starting to read Dr. Breseden’s book. I am also participating in the ZOE gut micro biome/blood sugar/fat analysis. My health is good. My most recent cholesterol #s were:

Total cholesterol: 156
HDL: 67
Trig: 78
LDL: 73
Chol/HDLC ratio is 2.3 (not sure if that is good or not).

Other #s:
Homocysteine 6.3
Hemoglobin A1C 5

Anyhow, my questions for you are:

I have a very high ACE score (7-8). Aces are the acronym for Adverse Childhood Experiences, and they have been shown to dramatically and negatively impact health later in life. Any others on this board interested in this?

I am confused about the dietary suggestions regarding lectins. I have eaten a lot of beans in my life and hope to continue. I have been on a primarily plant based diet for many years. I eat fish and limited meat, but prefer beans to meat. Is there a marker I can reference on my dna (from 23 and me) to see if this is a problem for me?

Also, I am a small person…98 pounds. I am happy at this weight, but do not want to lose any more. If I give up carbs, I think I will lose too much weight. Do all of you give up whole grains? Any other small people want to “weigh in” on this one?

Regarding dna: I have 6 different markers for shorter or slightly shorter telomere length. Anyone else have this many?

Finally, regarding insulin resistance: My fasting blood sugar (according to the Glucose Monitor I have been wearing this week) is 65-75 depending on the morning. I hover around the 80s most of the day. When I eat, depending on the meal, my glucose goes up to 100-125 (and occasionally higher immediately after eating). I have been told that it isn’t good to have your level rise more than 30. So, if I wake up, slightly hypoglycemic (at 70) and my breakfast brings me to 110, is that a concern? Occasionally it goes as high 139 for a bit, is that concerning?

Great to meet you all!

Ylan
HI Ylan,
Welcome! Thank-you for posting such an open and honest post. You sound as if you have an amazing love of learning and a desire to do what you can to proactively support yourself, which is fabulous. Having Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), are used by social scientists to talk more about the needed support for kids and for those who may be experiencing the effects as adults. Research suggests that children with at least one strongly supportive adult (teacher, parent, relative, coach, etc) in their life often show strong resilience from ACEs. The fact you are aware of these means you have already done some great work on overcoming their effects.

As a support intern, I will highlight a couple of areas that many people new to the forum find useful.

The The How to Guide a mass of information - a search function in the top right hand corner and it shows how to subscribe to topics of interest.
The Primerhas been written by Stavia, a practicing M.D. with ApoE4/4. She is so knowledgable and like you, optimistic!

Please do reach out if you have further questions. As you have probably realised we are a friendly bunch.

Take care.
Nicky (nicnac0526)
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RAJ64
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Re: New with questions: ACES, lectins, ZOE

Post by RAJ64 »

Ylangirl wrote: Mon Jun 27, 2022 7:00 am Hello,

Chol/HDLC ratio is 2.3 (not sure if that is good or not).
:D
Great to meet you all!

Ylan
Hello Ylan and again, welcome! I wanted to clarify for you that generally speaking, the desired ratio for Chol/HDLC is to be under 5 : 1. The lower the ratio, the lower the risk for cardiovascular disease. A ratio below 3.5 : 1 is considered very good. So your ratio of 2.3 : 1 is very good. :D

You can read more about it if you wish at this link from the University of Rochester Medical Center.


Warmly,
Rachel
RAJ64, BSN, RN
Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach
With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
Ylangirl
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Re: New with questions: ACES, lectins, ZOE

Post by Ylangirl »

Excellent information, thank you all.

I will research more of these resources. Good to know that lectins are not as much an issue if the beans are pressure cooked. I wonder about cashews as well. I eat those on a daily basis, along with many other kinds of nuts.

Regarding the "ACE" score, I have a good life and have the gift of resilience. Saying that, it is possible my brain holds the trauma as I understand that brain chemistry is changed with early, persistent stressors. Thank you for this interview. I will listen to it this week!

I am thinking my insulin is fine, cholesterol is fine...so I will do a deeper dive into other factors that impact my cognition. I had lyme (Babesia as well) a few years ago. I know I have herpes simplex-1 (the cold sore variety), though I have never had an outbreak. So much to research, but as knowledge is power: I'm ready.

I am also talking with my doctor about bio-identical hormones.

Best to you all, as we move along this journey of health.

Ylan
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Tincup
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Re: New with questions: ACES, lectins, ZOE

Post by Tincup »

Ylangirl wrote: Tue Jun 28, 2022 6:17 am I wonder about cashews as well. I eat those on a daily basis, along with many other kinds of nuts.
Cashews are legumes and not nuts, hence the issue. Here is a link on deactivating lectins from cashews.
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Re: New with questions: ACES, lectins, ZOE

Post by SusanJ »

Ylangirl wrote:I have a very high ACE score (7-8). Aces are the acronym for Adverse Childhood Experiences, and they have been shown to dramatically and negatively impact health later in life. Any others on this board interested in this?
We've had some discussion in the past. Here is the thread: viewtopic.php?t=606&hilit=Adverse+Childhood
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Re: New with questions: ACES, lectins, ZOE

Post by Ylangirl »

Thank you Susan, for sharing the thread about ACE's. It was interesting to read the pieces about supplemental oxytocin. I breastfed my son for an extended period and hope that this natural approach boosted my levels at a key time.

For others hoping to avoid the damage, I can only share a few insights from my own healing. Most importantly, I learned about attachment theory and it's impact on me. Though I did not have parents who were safe to attach to, as an adult I found that caring for my own son helped me understand/heal in a safe relationship. From there, I found time with children so healing, I devoted my career to caring for the youngest (and at-risk) children. I have been an early educator for over 25 years. I am now in a healthy relationship with a securely attached man who adores me.

Finally: time in nature, exercise, and journaling (I have had a journal since age 12) have been healing. Those elements, along with a strong sense of what is right for me (healthy boundaries!) have turned my life around.

While my stress response and alertness is higher than many adults, I have learned how to recover more quickly. I still wonder about the impact of an ACE score of 8 on my brain, but remain positive that I can beat the odds.
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Re: New with questions: ACES, lectins, ZOE

Post by NF52 »

Ylangirl wrote: Thu Jun 30, 2022 12:29 pm Thank you Susan, for sharing the thread about ACE's. It was interesting to read the pieces about supplemental oxytocin. I breastfed my son for an extended period and hope that this natural approach boosted my levels at a key time.

For others hoping to avoid the damage, I can only share a few insights from my own healing. Most importantly, I learned about attachment theory and it's impact on me. Though I did not have parents who were safe to attach to, as an adult I found that caring for my own son helped me understand/heal in a safe relationship. From there, I found time with children so healing, I devoted my career to caring for the youngest (and at-risk) children. I have been an early educator for over 25 years. I am now in a healthy relationship with a securely attached man who adores me.

Finally: time in nature, exercise, and journaling (I have had a journal since age 12) have been healing. Those elements, along with a strong sense of what is right for me (healthy boundaries!) have turned my life around.

While my stress response and alertness is higher than many adults, I have learned how to recover more quickly. I still wonder about the impact of an ACE score of 8 on my brain, but remain positive that I can beat the odds.
Thank you for sharing such deeply personal and yet profoundly hopeful insights. I worked in special education for about 35 years, many of those alongside early childhood educators, so can attest to the incalculable benefit your work provided to the youngest children. Research supports that high quality early childhood education reduces grade retention, special education placement, disciplinary suspensions and predicts high school graduation and occupational success years later. I just saw a FB post of the happy high school graduation of a young man who was quite the little whirlwind as a toddler--your work will show benefits for decades!

And as for your own risk, you may like this from a 2020 article on of hope after trauma.
A hopeful mindset again significantly predicted flourishing, whereas resilience proved a nonsignificant predictor. The article concludes with a discussion of the study’s implications, which includes the suggestion that hope is an important targeted outcome variable for interventions designed to assist survivors of childhood trauma.
Hope and resilience as distinct contributors to psychological flourishing among childhood trauma survivors.
and this from 2021:
Perhaps unexpectedly, the pervasiveness of trauma also expands our understanding of resilience, which is likewise more common than previously recognized. Emerging research on positive childhood experiences and poly-strengths suggests that individual, family, and community strengths may also contribute to outcomes in a dose-response relationship.
Recognizing the cumulative burden of childhood adversities transforms science and practice for trauma and resilience..
You have charted a path of giving back and finding a chosen family that suggests your brain is, and will continue to be, wonderful!
4/4 and still an optimist!
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