Epoch Times - Why a Low-Carb/High-Fat Diet Is Good for Your Joints | Dr. Shawn Baker
Aired: 2026-01-26
Duration: 01:48


=== High Insulin, Joint Damage (01:47) ===

[00:00:00]  University of Alabama a few years ago did a study looking at specifically knee osteoarthritis and they found that they compared a low fat versus a low carb group and by far the low carb group was much better for our ostearthritis in the US had better symptomatic relief.
[00:00:16]  There was also another study looking at insulin levels and people that had high circulating insulin levels activate something called a fibroblast-like synovia sites.
[00:00:25]  So synovia sites are the cells that make the synovial fluid.
[00:00:28]  Synovial fluid is the liquid that's inside of our joint that lubricates.
[00:00:31]  It's a lubricant.
[00:00:32]  And so when those cells are exposed to high levels of insulin and the biggest driver of insulin in the body is largely carbohydrates, particularly refined carbohydrates, right?
[00:00:41]  So when you're eating the sugars and the starches and refined grains and things like that, that drive high levels of insulin.
[00:00:47]  High levels of insulin then lead to an increase in these synovial sites secreting inflammatory cytokines, which will then damage the joints that they live in.
[00:00:58]  So we get this acceleration of arthritis.
[00:01:00]  I mean, that's truly interesting.
[00:01:03]  So it's almost like there's this compounding effect because you weigh more, joints are infected more.
[00:01:07]  There's more of this, these cytokine, protocytokine substances.
[00:01:13]  Yeah, one of the most impactful things you can do, and I'm a fairly simplistic guy.
[00:01:18]  I mean, my job was to hit joints with hammers and saws, right, as a doctor, right?
[00:01:23]  But I think when it comes to how do we assess our health, one of the most impactful things you can do is just lose the excess central fat.
[00:01:30]  If you have extra belly fat, man or woman, that is driving inflammation.
[00:01:34]  It's driving all kinds of metabolic problems for you.
[00:01:40]  It's associated with dementia, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, inflammatory issues, depression, everything associated with that.