THE SCIENCE
Thursday, September 3, 2009 at 11:49AM
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"Jorge Cruise gets it right by eliminating excessive sugar and processed carbohydrates. His recipes make eating smart easy. I recommend them highly."
--Andrew Weil, M.D., Director of the Arizona Center for Integrative medicine, University of Arizona, and author of Why Our Health Matters
"The Belly Fat Cure™ makes a solid case for healthful eating based on sound science. This way of eating will increase your energy, help you slow the aging process and reduce your risk for major killers like heart disease and cancer. I strongly advise you to listen to Jorge's recommendations."
--Terry Grossman, M.D. and co-author of Transcend: Nine Steps To Living Well Forever
"When it comes to your health, forward thinking will allow you to avoid obesity and disease and achieve longevity. Jorge's program springs from progressive science that can truly change your body—and it all starts with controlling your consumption of sugar and processed carbs."
--Ray Kurzweil, world-renowned scientist and author of The Singularity is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology and Fantastic Voyage: Live Long Enough to Live Forever
RESEARCH SUPPORTING THE BELLY FAT CURE:
Chapter 1
———. “Abdominal fat and what to do about it.” Harvard Women’s Health Watch. December 2006. http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Abdominal-fat-and-what-to-do-about-it.htm
———. Mayo Clinic Staff. “Belly Fat in Women: How to Keep it Off.” April 2007. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/belly-fat/WO00128
Arver, S. “Testosterone and the Metabolic Syndrome.” Journal of Men’s Health. 5 (2008):S7–S10.
Escobar-Morreale, HF, JL San Millán. “Abdominal adiposity and the polycystic ovary syndrome.” Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism. 18 (2007):266–272.
Fontana L, JC Eagon, ME Trujillo, et al. “Visceral Fat Adipokine Secretion Is Associated With Systemic Inflammation in Obese Humans.” Diabetes. 56 (2007):1010–1013.
Forouhi, NG, N Sattar, PM McKeigue. “Relation of C-reactive protein to body fat distribution and features of the metabolic syndrome in Europeans and South Asians.” International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders. 25 (2001):1327–31.
Haffner SM, RA Valdez, MP Stern, et al. “Obesity, body fat distribution and sex hormones in men.” International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders. 17 (1993):643–9.
Janssen, I, PT Katzmarzyk, R Ross. “Waist circumference and not body mass index explains obesity-related health risk.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 79 (2004):379–384.
Mah, PM, PM Wittert. “Obesity and testicular function.” Uncorrected Proof. Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology In Press. Available online June 18, 2009.
Pischon T, H Boeing, K Hoffman, et al. “General and Abdominal Adiposity and Risk of Death in Europe.” The New England Journal of Medicine. 359 (2008):2105–2120.
Rebuffé-Scrive M, P Mårin, P Björntorp. “Effect of testosterone on abdominal adipose tissue in men.” International Journal of Obesity. 15 (1991):791–5.
Resnick, HE, EA Carter, M Aloia, et al. “Cross-sectional relationship of reported fatigue to obesity, diet, and physical activity: results from the third national health and nutrition examination survey.” Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. 2 (2006):163–9.
Singh, D. “Adaptive Significance of Female Physical Attractiveness: Role of Waist-to-Hip Ratio.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 65 (1993):293–307.
Singh, D. “Waist-to-hip ratio and judgment of attractiveness and healthiness of female figures by male and female physicians.” International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders. 18 (1994):731–7.
Vatanparast, H, PD Chilibeck, SM Cornish, et al. “DXA-derived Abdominal Fat Mass, Waist Circumference, and Blood Lipids in Postmenopausal Women.” Obesity. (2009).
Vgontzas, AN, DA Papanicolaou, EO Bixler, et al. “Sleep Apnea and Daytime Sleepiness and Fatigue: Relation to Visceral Obesity, Insulin Resistance, and Hypercytokinemia.” The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 85 (2000):1151–1158.
Wass P, U Waldenstrom, S Rossner, et al. “An android body fat distribution in females impairs the pregnancy rate of in-vitro fertilization-embryo transfer.” Human Reproduction. 12 (1997):2057–2060.
Zhang C, KM Rexrode, RM van Dam, et al. “Abdominal obesity and the risk of all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality: sixteen years of follow-up in US women.” Circulation. 117 (2008):1658–67.
Chapter 2
———. “Eat any sugar alcohol lately?” Yale-New Haven Nutrition Advisor. March 2005. http://www.ynhh.com/online/nutrition/advisor/sugar_alcohol.html.
Abou-Donia, MB, EM El-Masry, AA Abdel-Rahman, et al. “Splenda Alters Gut Microflora and Increases Intestinal P-Glycoprotein and Cytochrome P-450 in Male Rats.” Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health. Part A 71 (2008):1415–1429.
Arrigoni, E, F Brouns, R Amado. “Human gut microbiota does not ferment erythritol.” British Journal of Nutrition. 94 (2005):643–646.
Barzilai, N, G Gupta. “Interaction between aging and syndrome X: new insights on the pathophysiology of fat distribution.” Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 892 (1999):58–72.
Batterham, M, R Cavanagh, A Jenkins, et al. “High-protein meals may benefit fat oxidation and energy expenditure in individuals with higher body fat.” Nutrition & Dietetics. 65 (2008):246–252.
Chan P, X Dy, JC Liu, et al. “The effect of stevioside on blood pressure and plasma catecholamines in spontaneously hypertensive rats.” Life Sciences. 63 (1998):1679–84.
Clapp, R, D Davis, S Epstein, et al. “National Toxicology Program Board of Scientific Counselors’ Report on Carcinogens Subcommittee.” CSPI Reports. October 24, 1997.
Deardorff, J. “Agave provokes a bitter debate as a sweetener.” Chicago Tribune. March 23, 2008.
Despres, JP, S Moorjani, PJ Lupien, et al. “Regional distribution of body fat, plasma lipoproteins, and cardiovascular disease.” Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. 10 (1990):497–511.
Falta, W. Endocrine Diseases, Including Their Diagnosis and Treatment. Philadelphia: P. Blakiston’s Son & Co. 1923.
Gordon, ES, M Goldgerg, GJ Chosy. “A New Concept in the Treatment of Obesity.” The Journal of the American Medical Association. 186 (1963):50–60.
Higginbotham, S, ZF Zhang, IM Lee, et al. “Dietary Glycemic Load and Risk of Colorectal Cancer in the Women’s Health Study.” Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 96 (2004):229–233.
Levi, B, MJ Werman. “Long-term fructose consumption accelerates glycation and several age-related variables in male rats.” The Journal of Nutrition. 128 (1998):1442–9.
Liese, AD, M Schulz, F Fang, et al. “Dietary Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load, Carbohydrate and Fiber Intake, and Measures of Insulin Sensitivity, Secretion, and Adiposity in the Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Study.” Diabetes Care. 28 (2005):2832–2838.
Liu G, CL Hughes, R Mathur, et al. “Metabolic effects of dietary lactose in adult female rats.” Reproduction Nutrition Development. 2003 Nov-Dec;43 (6):567–76.
Maher, TJ, RJ Wurtmant. “Possible Neurologic Effects of Aspartame, a Widely Used Food Additive.” Environmental Health Perspectives. 75 (1987):53–57.
Mattila, PT, M Knuuttila, LE Svanberg, et al. “Beneficial effects of dietary xylitol on mineralized and collagenous tissues.” Current Topics in Neutraceutical Research. 1 (2003).
Newsholme, EA, C Start. Regulation in Metabolism. New York: John Wiley, 1973.
Olney JW, NB Farber, E Spitznagel, et al. “Increasing brain tumor rates: is there a link to aspartame?” Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology. 55 (1996):1115–23.
Passmore, R, YE Swindells. “Observations on the respiratory quotients and weight gain of man after eating large quantity of carbohydrate.” British Journal of Nutrition. 17 (163):331–339.
Price, GM, CG Biava, BL Oser, et al. “Bladder Tumors in Rats Fed Cyclohexylamine or High Doses of a Mixture of Cyclamate and Saccharin.” Science. 167 (1970):1131–1132.
Sanchez, A, Reeser, JL, Lau, HS, et al. “Role of sugars in human neutrophilic phagocytosis.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 26 (1973):1180–1184.
Savita, SM, K Sheela, S Sunanda, et al. “Health Implications of Stevia Rebaudiana.” Journal of Human Ecology. 15 (2004):191–194.
Schulze, MB, JE Manson, D S Ludwig, et al. “Sugar-Sweetened Beverages, Weight Gain, and Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes in Young and Middle-Aged Women.” The Journal of the American Medical Association. 292 (2004):927–934.
Tavani, A, L Giordano, S Gallus, et al. C. “Consumption of sweet foods and breast cancer risk in Italy.” Annals of Oncology. 17 (2006):341–345.
Walton RG, Hudak R, Green-Waite RJ. “Adverse reactions to aspartame: double-blind challenge in patients from a vulnerable population.” Biological Psychiatry. 34 (1993):13–7.
Yalow, RS, SA Berson. “Immunoassay of Endogenous Plasma Insulin in Man.” Journal of Clinical Investigation. 39 (1960):1157–75.
Yalow, RS, SM Glick, J Roth, et. al. “Plasma Insulin and Growth Hormone Levels in Obesity and Diabetes.” Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 131 (1965):357–73.
Additional Research
Barclay L. “Waist Girth Predicts Cardiovascular Risk Better Than BMI.” Medscape Medical News. September 23, 2002.
Barzilai, N, J Wang, D Massilon, et al. “Leptin Selectively Decreases Visceral Adiposity and Enhances Insulin Action.” The Journal of Clinical Investigation. 100 (1997):3105–3110.
Basciano H, L Federico, K Adeli, et al. “Fructose, insulin resistance, and metabolic dyslipidemia.” Nutrition & Metabolism. 2 (2005):5.
Behan KJ, J Mbizo. “The Relationship Between Waist Circumference and Biomarkers for Diabetes and CVD in Healthy Non-Obese Women.” Laboratory Medicine. 38 (2007):422–427.
Bergman RN, SP Kim, IR Hsu, et al. “Abdominal Obesity: Role in the Pathophysiology of Metabolic Disease and Cardiovascular Risk.” American Journal of Medicine. 120 (2007):S3–S8.
Bergman RN, SP Kim, KJ Catalano, et al. “Why Visceral Fat is Bad: Mechanisms of the Metabolic Syndrome.” Obesity. 14 (2006):16S–19S.
Beyer, PL, EM Caviar, and RW McCallum. “Fructose Intake at Current Levels in the United States May Cause Gastrointestinal Distress in Normal Adults.” Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 105 (2005):1559–66.
Bjørbæk, C, BB Kahn. “Leptin Signaling in the Central Nervous System and the Periphery.” Recent Progress in Hormone Research. 59 (2004):305–331.
Buss, D. “Strategies of Human Mating.” Psychological Topics. 15 (2006):239–260.
Cleave TL. The Saccharine Disease. New Canaan, CT: Keats Publishing, August 1975.
Cohen, PG. “Obesity in men: The hypogonadal-estrogen receptor relationship and its effect on glucose homeostasis.” Medical Hypotheses. 70 (2008):358–360.
Cordain L, SB Eaton, A Sebastian, et al. “Origins and evolution of the Western diet: health implications for the 21st century.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 81 (2005):341–354.
Costello, D. “The Price of Obesity.” Los Angeles Times. April 1, 2005.
Demetra DC, PP Jones, AE Pimentel, et al. “Increased abdominal-to-peripheral fat distribution contributes to altered autonomic-circulatory control with human aging.” The American Journal of Physiology - Heart and Circulatory Physiology. 287 (2004):H1530–H1537.
Diamant M, JL Hildo, MA van de Ree, et al. “The Association between Abdominal Visceral Fat and Carotid Stiffness Is Mediated by Circulating Inflammatory Markers in Uncomplicated Type 2 Diabetes.” The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 90 (2005):1495–1501.
Ellwood M. “Fall’s Fashion Makes the Waist More Important Than Ever.” New York Daily News. October 4, 2007.
Fisher ML, M Voracek. “The shape of beauty: determinants of female physical attractiveness.” Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. 5 (2006):190–4.
Fung, TT, V Malik, KM Rexrode, et al. “Sweetened beverage consumption and risk of coronary heart disease in women.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 89 (2009):1037–1042.
Gosnell M. “Killer Fat.” Discover. February 2007.
Hesketh, K, E Waters, J Green, et al. “Healthy Eating, activity and obesity prevention: a qualitative study of parent and child perceptions in Australia.” Health Promotion International. 20 (2005):19–26.
Katcher, HI, RS Legro, AR Kunselman, et al. “The Effects of a Whole Grain-Enriched Hypocaloric Diet on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Men and Women With Metabolic Syndrome.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 87 (2008):79–90.
Krajcovicová-Kudlácková, M, Kebeková, R Schinzel, et al. “Advanced Glycation End Products and Nutrition.” Physiology Research. 51 (2002):313–316.
Mulligan, K, K Hootan, JM Schwarz, et al. “The Effects of Recombinant Human Leptin on Visceral Fat, Dyslipidemia, and Insulin Resistance in Patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Associated Lipoatrophy and Hypoleptinemia.” Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 94 (2009):1137–1144.
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Sanches FMR, CM Avesani, MA Kamimura, et al. “Waist Circumference and Visceral Fat in CKD: A Cross-sectional Study.” American Journal of Kidney Diseases. 52 (2008):66–73.
Stanhope, K, P Havel. “Fructose Consumption: Considerations for Future Research on Its Effects on Adipose Distribution, Lipid Metabolism, and Insulin Sensitivity in Humans.” The Journal of Nutrition. 139 (2009):1236S–1241S.
Stanhope, KL, PJ Havel. “Fructose Consumption: Potential Mechanisms for its Effects to Increase Visceral Adiposity and Induce Dyslipidemia and Insulin Resistance.” Current Opinion in Lipidology. 19 (2008):16–24.
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Reader Comments (21)
Your method sounds good, but...it is not just a "redesign" of Atkins? With the allowed proteins and fat and the extremely limited carbs? (15g daily?) Please advise. Thanks!
No, it's not even close to Atkins. It's 15g of sugar and you can have up to 120g carbs (6 servings of carbs at up to 20g per serving), so nothing like Atkins. It sounds like you need to download BFC report so you understand it better.
I can't find the BFC Report to download. WHere do I find it?
actually it is similar to atkins, in the end of atkins you're eating a carb amount best suited for your body, some people can eat 120g carbs and keep losing, others might be able to eat less, people are misguided by the media, if you actually READ the atkins book you'd know that you're not eating 20g of carbs a day for the rest of your life. This is why people are still fat. STOP listening to the media, and do your own reasearch!
Ok, did not go over 15 grams of sugar or 120 grams of carbs a day for a week. I did not lose a thing and in fact I feel bloated and fatter. What am I doing wrong?
I am with Tammy. I have had less than 15 grams of sugar and less than 30 carbs per day for the last five days and have gained three pounds. (seriously). What is going on?
Yes, but the wt loss portion, which is why you would be on this program in the first place, isn't like Atkins. The phase you are talkiing about is maintenance on Atkins!!!!!!! This program is nothing like the active wt loss phases of Atkins. Anhyone who read the book will know what I am talking about!
I would love to get on the 12 week program but I can't afford $400....Fat and Broke in Detroit-Richard
Is the BFC report still available to download?? If so, it's not obvious where to find it.
I can't find the report either! I want the 40 page thing he keeps talking about but it is nowhere to be found! Please advise!
I have watched your videos but it seems you never really say what it is that will help us lose the weight. I can not afford your program and there has to be another way for me to do this. What book of yours can i purchase that would help me shed 25 pounds that I have battling for years? please help!
I am on the Medifast diet and I exercise regularly. I lose fat everywhere on my body because the experts say you cannot target a particular body area for weight loss/fat loss. When I've lost enough weight to where I've got 4-pack abs (with the ultimate goal of getting 6-pack abs), I've lost so much fat in my face that I look too skinny, even gaunt, and therefore it also makes me look older. And I still have a little pouch of fat in my lower belly. So does your diet strategy help with this problem so I can reduce a greater percentage of belly fat versus overall fat loss in other parts of my body compared to other diet strategies?
I am greatly disappointed that there are no answers to the comments here on this blog, whats up with that? Oh sure, a couple of them get answered, but this is a great way to reduce readership and future customers.
you need 30 grams of high fibre carbohydrates for it to be effective enough for weight loss.
I have 2 tins of low sugar, low carbohydrate , high fibre beans every day.
Try this approach and you will notice the difference !
I will clarify so you don't get confused.
30 grams of fibre
120 grams of carbohydrate
up to 15 grams of sugar
Eat beans and you will lose the weight.
If you eat 2 tins of beans you can not eat bread because you have had your maximum daily intake of carbohydrates. Have one or the other.
Hope this is clear.
Daily meal example
Breakfast.
2 eggs , 3 quarters of a tin of beans, 2 slices of bacon, 1 sausage.
Lunch
Tuna salad with half a can of baked beans, or, Chicken salad with half a tin of beans
Dinner
2 sausage, 1 egg, 3 quarters of a tin of beans.
Give it a go until Jorge releases his book on 28th of December.
Stay away from milk, It has too many grams of sugar in it
10 grams per serving !!
I drink unsweetened soy milk. This is packed full of fibre and has no sugar and no carbohydrates.
Its not about weight loss as such.
Its more about belly circumference,
get a tape and measure the circumference of your waist relaxed, then hold it in and take another measurement.
Make sure you measure around the waist in line with the belly button.
Take a note of this in a diary. Check your belly circumference every 2 weeks to see if you are losing the belly fat.
Sorry James, disagree w you. My waste circumferance is 32 inches, which, for a woman is considered normal. However I'm almost 150 lbs. and I look like I'm three months pregnant BELOW my belly button!
Hi Judy
I’m a naturopathic doctor and can assure you that James is right. What you experience is a lack of bowel movement. The good news is you don’t have a lot of belly fat; the bad news is you are filled up with faeces. Increase your fibre and water intake and it will work wonders for you. On youtube you can find a video with Jorge about psyllium husk I’m sure that will help. All the best
Do we count the sugar from fresh or frozen fruits? I love fruits (fresh, frozen [or dried with no added sugar if I can find them]) but I normally eat around 4-6 servings a day (just loved them!) and if I count them towards the 15g-goal, I will always end up going over it :( . What do I do?