Matt Metzgar

Wisdom Teeth

One evolutionary mystery of late has been wisdom teeth.  For many people (myself included), there is not enough room for incoming widsom teeth, so they must be extracted.  But why would humans have evolved with teeth that they don't need?

One perspective is discussed here.  The premise is that invention of cooking and tools has allowed us to create soft food, and to consume it in bite-sized pieces.  In essence, we no longer need to rip food apart with our teeth as we would have millions of years ago.  Thus, the decreased muscular load on the jaw, especially in childhood, leads to a smaller facial size - one too small for all its teeth.

Another perspective is that of Weston A. Price, a pioneering dentist who studied the teeth and facial structure of various cultures across the world.  Price believed that modern diets cause poor facial and jaw development.  He wrote a book featuring hundreds of photographs of native populations with full faces and healthy teeth.  These populations generally consumed natural foods and had little or none of the modern processed foods.  More information about his ideas can be found here.

Carbohydrates and Cavities

Everyone knows that sugar can cause cavities, but few know that other forms of carbohydrates are almost as deadly for teeth.  Research (pdf file) shows that processed starch foods and sugar-laden products are nearly as bad for your teeth as pure sugar.  This can include junk food like potato chips, and also supposedly "healthy foods" like bread or cereal.  Of course, one of the biggest cavity-producers out there is soda, which is likened to battery acid by some.

I asked my dentist a few years ago what causes cavitites, and he gave me an interesting answer.  He said to take a couple of crackers and chew them for about ten minutes, but don't swallow them.  He said if you do this, the crackers will actually turn to sugar in your mouth.  I haven't  tried that experiment, but you get the idea.  Starches are just more complex forms of sugar, and eventually they are broken down to sugar in the mouth.

Paleolithic carbohydrates - fruits, vegetables, and nuts - have been shown to reduce cavities.  This is partly due to the increased fiber, but is also due to xylitol, a natural substance found in fruits and vegetables.  Xylitol is now included in some sugar-free gums, and has been shown to decrease cavities.  In fact, the U.S. Army has engaged in a campaign to promote xylitol use among its dentists and soldiers.

Better Shampoo?

A few days ago, I posted that shampoo appears to strip the hair of its natural oils, and how frequent washing may damage hair.  I must be on to something, because Dove just unveiled a new campaign featuring shampoo that is designed NOT to strip the natural oils from hair. 

Details can be found here.  Their message is very similar to mine - that washing hair every day is unnecessary, and that "squeaky clean" may not be a good sign.  I will buy this shampoo and give it a try.

A Call from Brian Wilson

I have always been a sucker for celebrities.  I've met a few famous and semi-famous people over the years, and enjoyed every second of it.  So when Brian Wilson put up a challenge on his website, I was all in.  His idea was simple: if you donated $100 or more to help the hurricane victims, he would personally call you to thank you and say hello.

For those of you who don't know, Brian Wilson is the former frontman of the Beach Boys.  Recently, he completed his amazing album, "SMiLE", which he originally started in 1966.  "SMiLE" is simply off the charts - it has received rave reviews, and it is one of the best albums I've ever heard.

Tonight, the phone rang and sure enough, it was Brian Wilson!  What a kick!  I asked him about "SMiLE" and a few other things.  The conversation was worth every penny - how often do you get a legendary musician calling your house?  The challenge runs through October 1st - if you're interested, go to www.brianwilson.com.    

Magic Solutions

Living in Las Vegas, I am in awe of how much money the casinos bring in from gambling.  Obviously, gambling is a losing proposition for the gambler - these massive hotel-casinos weren't built on winners.  In fact, the only games a bettor can consistently win in is poker and sports betting (due to the fact a bettor is taking money from another bettor, not the casino).  You can also theoretically win at blackjack here by counting cards, but from what I've seen it would be difficult.

Las Vegas is a city built on dreams that come true only for a chosen few.  The rest spend their money, hopefully have a good time, and return to their normal lives.  But the belief that one can, in fact, be the lucky winner seems to be ingrained in all of us.

The health industry offers its own version of gambling by selling quick fix products.  Just like thinking one spin of the roulette wheel may solve your financial problems, you can also believe that buying this incredible new product will solve your health problems.  Though neither is likely to work, there is always that tendency to believe that "magic solutions" exist, if only we can find them.

Life would sure be a lot easier if this were true!  I wish I had a sexier message to tell people other than "exercise one hour per day and you will lose weight", but that's reality.  Flipping through the channels last night, I heard a contest on "The Biggest Loser" state, "I've realized that if I put in the work on my diet and exercise, I will lose weight."  But of course; what else could it be?

Being overly optimistic about things probably helped way back during Stone Age times.  The pessimist who didn't want to go the extra mile probably had his genes disappear a long ago.  Current research also shows that some degree of self-deception is helpful.  Those with the most accurate picture of reality are also at a higher risk of depression. 

I'm not sure there's any cure for this belief in magic solutions other than experience.  Maybe it's not so bad to waste some money here and there chasing fantasies.  And by the way, if you just send me $29.99, I'll personally tell you the SECRET to PERMANENT WEIGHT LOSS!

Just kidding!

Financial Predators

As talked about in an earlier post, the U.S. is in the midst of a massive housing bubble.  California has been at the forefront of this, with many cities witnessing staggering price increases.  Along with rising prices for middle-class and luxury homes, home prices in low-income minority areas have also been increasing.

Seeing this trend, many lenders have begun aggressive campaigns aimed at attracting new buyers in these areas.  What they are selling is largely fictional - that home prices will keep rising and rising, and that one should borrow as much as possible now before it's too late.

“These people are being encouraged to take on debt they can’t possibly afford,” says Christopher Thornberg, senior economist from UCLA. “They are going to lose their home and what little life savings they have when this whole thing collapses and that’s just ridiculous.”

What has spurred this increase in predatory lending is the new bankruptcy laws going into effect October 17th.  With the new changes, those who file for bankruptcy cannot have their slates wiped clean - they will still be on the hook for any debt they've accrued.

Take this simplified example: let's say a family buys a house for $300,000 on a currently popular adjustable-rate mortgage.  At some point soon, interest rates will rise and increase monthly payments.  If a family can't make the payments, the bank forecloses and takes the house.

The story used to end there - the bank took possession of the house and the loan was retired.  The bank would then try to resell the house and recoup their losses.  But the new bankruptcy laws take things one step further.  Let's say the bank can only sell the house for $250,000 in post-bubble times.  Now the family will still owe the bank $50,000 - the difference between the original loan amount and the revenue from the sale.  And where will a family that couldn't keep up with their house payments find an extra $50,000?  Nowhere -  and they will struggle for years, if not a lifetime, to pay off this debt.

Home Makeover Returns

The best show on television (in my opinion) returned tonight, as ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" had its season premiere.  It was another great episode, with the team helping a U.S. soldier who lost one of his legs in Iraq.

I wonder why it has taken so long to create nonzero television shows such as this.  The show is very well-produced, is entertaining, inspiring, and helps families that really need or deserve some help.  I hope tv continues to move in this direction and becomes a tool to truly help others.

I had the chance to meet Michael Moloney, one of the designers on the show, in Ohio last year.  He gave a nice speech and pointed out that the show has a much greater impact than just helping the actual families.  It demonstrates the power of giving, and inspires viewers to make a difference with their own lives.  To get involved in similar projects, the show gives some info here.

Healthy Hair

Currently, I am reading a quite interesting book, "Survival of the Prettiest: The Science of Beauty" by Nancy Etcoff.  It is mostly about beauty from an evolutionary perspective, how physical beauty often signals healthy genes and attracts mates.

One section that interested me was the part on hair.  Etcoff states that hair, especially long hair, is a record of health so to speak.  In ancient times, if one had proper nutrition and overall good health, their hair would appear shiny and bright.  This was an important cue used in the mating game.

This point got me to thinking: how did people get healthy-looking hair before all the modern hair care products were available?  Is it possible to have healthy hair without any cosmetic products?

One clue in this regard is this link.  Apparently, Penny Weynberg hasn't washed her hair in 11 years.  While this sounds absurd by modern standards, it may not have been by hunter-gatherer customs.  Penny mentions in the article that she believes hair has the ability to clean itself.  This would certainly make sense from an evolutionary perspective.

I also read on other sites that shampoo and conditioner produce a vicious cycle of sorts.  Shampoo, which is mainly a detergent, strips the hair of its natural oils, and then conditioner artificially puts oils back.  Alternatively, these sites say that if you leave your hair alone for a few weeks, the body will naturally produce an equilibrium with the proper amount of oil in your hair.  There is no harm in rinsing the hair with water, or brushing through it to remove any debris or dirt.

I'm not completely convinced, but this scenario sure seems plausable to me.  Again, the economic incentives are against finding the "truth" (whatever it is) for this issue.  Who would have any incentive to tell you if shampoo and conditioner were unnecessary?  The manufacturers of shampoo and conditioner certainly would not.  Neither would hair salons, who probably make a good bit of revenue from selling hair care products.  The only way to find out is to try it and see what happens.

Lowering Cholesterol

Almost everyone knows about the deleterious effects of high cholesterol levels.  Less is known about what levels provide optimal health, and also how to lower one's cholesterol to these levels.

As for determining appropriate cholesterol levels, we again turn to our Stone Age ancestors.  Loren Cordain has written another gem of a paper on the subject.  Studying the blood cholesterol levels of hunter-gatherers, Cordain concludes that total cholesterol should range between 70 and 140 mg/dl, while the harmful LDL cholesterol should be between 50 and 70 mg/dl.

This is a long way from the average 208 mg/dl cholesterol in American adults (and average LDL of 130 mg/dl).  Lowering cholesterol such a large amount may seem like a Herculean task, yet a recent research study illustrates one method that might be feasible.

This paper by David Jenkins and company studies the therapeutic effect of a Paleolithic diet on cholesterol levels.  The main difference in this study is that this diet contains no meat or seafood.  It could be thought of as a "lean" period for hunter-gatherers.  If hunter-gatherers were unable to obtain meat or seafood, they were left with the only other available food: fruit, vegetables, and nuts.

In this study, participants ate nothing but fruit, vegetables, and nuts for two weeks.  This may not sound like fun, but their total cholesterol dropped an astounding 38 mg/dl.  Even better, almost all of this decline was in the LDL cholesterol; the "good" HDL cholesterol remained roughly the same.

The researchers also noted that the maximum cholesterol benefits were obtained in only one week.  In the second week, cholesterol remained at its lowered level or declined slightly.

What wasn't covered in this study is whether cholesterol levels rebounded once the subjects resumed a normal diet.  However, if the benefits hold, this method would seem like a quick way to lower one's cholesterol.  Instead of staying on statins for months, one might be able to drop their cholesterol by 38 mg/dl in a week by eating only fruit, vegetables, and nuts. 

I plan on trying this for a week next month, and I will report my results here.

 

Standards for Behavior

Something that really irks me is when normal people park in handicapped spaces.  Yesterday, I saw two teenagers pull in a handicapped spot and walk right into a store.  On a recent (dreaded) trip to Wal-Mart, I counted 6 of 8 cars parked in the handicapped spaces that had no handicapped stickers or license plates.  When did this become so widespread, or has it always been this way?

Many people think law is what keeps order in society, but that is only partially true.  The primary regulator of behavior is the social contract.  People act in acceptable ways, consciously or not, because everything would fall apart if they didn't.  For example, there are about two million people here in Las Vegas.  If half of the people all went out and committed a crime tonight, there is no way the police could apprehend or ever catch most of them.

What happened in New Orleans is a perfect example of a breakdown in the social contract.  Without a police presence, the hooligans thought they were free to do as they please.  When homeowners and police officers began firing back, the criminals probably realized that with no law in effect, there was no one to protect them either.   

Law and a social contract link together to provide a safe and orderly society.  Those breaking the social contract do more damage then they think because they risk spreading their ideas and behaviors to others.  As history shows, when there are enough bad ideas and people around, civilizations can crumble and disappear.