Throughout human history, common diseases have been defined and identified by three characteristics:
- The typical symptoms of the condition.
- The clinical course of the disease over time.
- The abnormal physical findings and lab tests associated with the condition.
With our modern scientific tools, we assume we have a deep understanding of all medical conditions in our society. What if I were to tell you that the medical and scientific communities have completely overlooked the most common chronic medical condition in the world? If that is true, we would likely see many adverse consequences of this dire situation. Allow me to explain.
A New Disease Hits the Scene
In 2003, two Harvard psychiatrists, James Hudson and Harrison Pope, proposed that 14 common medical conditions constitute a single disease process. These conditions include:
- Major depressive disorder (MDD)
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Bulimia nervosa
- Dysthymic disorder
- Generalized anxiety disorder
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Panic disorder
- Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Premenstrual dysphoric disorder
- Social phobia
- Fibromyalgia
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Migraine
- Cataplexy
They proposed that these conditions were somehow connected because they often responded similarly to certain medications, and on a complex analysis of the families of those with these conditions. They decided to call this disease “Affective Spectrum Disorder” (ASD). Because they never identified the underlying pathology of ASD, their concept more or less died on the vine. In today’s world, you will never find someone who has been diagnosed with ASD!
It’s All About the Fat
At around the same time, I was practicing medicine in a small town on the Iron Range in Northern Minnesota. It was at the beginning of our current obesity epidemic. The experts told us dummies in primary care to use BMI to diagnose obesity, but that made no sense to me because BMI is a size measure. Obesity is defined as excess body fat, and BMI tells you nothing about how much fat is present. Therefore, I purchased equipment to measure each patient’s body composition at every visit. Over several decades, I took over 10,000 such measurements. I doubt there is another medical practice in the United States who had accumulated this many body composition readings.
I also had an interest in neuroscience—the science of the brain, and I belonged to Stephen Stahl’s Neuroscience Education Institute, the world’s foremost organization studying the brain. Over time, I noticed an odd association between specific brain dysfunction symptoms and changes in body composition. The symptoms always seemed to precede changes in body composition, suggesting that when it comes to fat storage, the brain calls the shots. That certainly seems consistent with most evolutionary perspectives on fat storage. I eventually recognized 22 symptoms that seemed to fit this pattern. I immediately recognized that these same symptoms are typical for the conditions under the Affective Spectrum Disorder umbrella.
Connecting the Dots
My next task was to determine the pathology of this “new” disease. At the time, I was working with several individuals who had developed tests to measure monoamine neurotransmitters in urine, such as dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. Nobody really knew how to interpret these tests, but I ran them on some of my patients during glucose tolerance tests. After a glucose load, their urine would contain massive amounts of these neurotransmitters. Mother Nature would never allow these valuable chemicals to be flushed down the toilet, so I know this was a pathological process rather than a natural one. We now know that glucose spikes in the blood trigger excessive release of neurotransmitters from neurons, overwhelming the reuptake-recycling system. These neurotransmitters would be taken up by the blood and cleared by the kidneys. What is the most common cause of glucose spikes? Consumption of ultra-processed food!
I had now determined the trigger and pathology of this condition, so I decided to change the name of the disorder to Carbohydrate Associated Reversible Brain syndrome or CARB syndrome. I used this disease model to develop an extremely effective treatment protocol:
- Eliminate high glycemic carbohydrates mainly from grains, excessive fructose mainly from added sugars, and omega-6 fatty acids primarily from vegetable oils from your diet, and eat a reasonable amount of real food loaded with healthy fats, moderate amounts of healthy protein, and carbohydrates mainly from fruits and vegetables. This is a typical Mediterranean diet. Going in and out of ketosis is also effective.
- When necessary, use low-dose medications to control key symptoms and improve compliance. Taper the medication as soon as possible.
- Take supplements like CARB-22 to enhance brain neurotransmitter levels and to maintain healthy brain function. I also recommend taking a high-quality omega-3 supplement to keep your AA/EPA ratio between 1 and 3. I take OmegaRx2 from Barry Sears.
- Exercise your body with both aerobic exercise and strength training.
- Exercise your mind by reading and learning new things.
- Get plenty of restful sleep.
- Maintain as many healthy relationships as possible.
The Most Common Disease in the World
When I used this protocol to manage patients who fit the ASD or CARB syndrome pattern, the results were astounding! People lost excess body fat without traditional dieting, and their symptoms of brain dysfunction dramatically improved. In my experience, the majority of citizens living in modern societies have some degree of CARB syndrome. This disease is now driving our dual epidemics of obesity and common brain disorders. My goal now is to spread the word to the medical and scientific communities so everyone can benefit from this information. If this information makes sense to you, please consider helping to spread the word. I am no spring chicken, so I need all the help I can get before I leave this world. I appreciate your consideration.
