Your views on 'CARBOHYDRATES'

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  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    Carbohydrates are the spawn of satan.
    Carbs are in everything you eat more or less. We need carbs for our brain to function. Just be smart about what carbs you eat ie vegetables over highly processed bread.

    Carbs FTW!

    In the absence of carbs, our brains can run just fine on ketones.
    Your brain generally never runs on ketones. It conserves every bit of glucose it can from your body, from the few carbs you actually eat (used directly by the brain) to converting protein to glucose using gluconeogenesis, using either protein you've eaten, or by breaking down muscle tissue to get protein to convert. Only in true starvation will your brain start utilizing ketones for energy.

    Can you define "true starvation"?
    Yes, that means not eating anything at all. It takes several days of complete fasting (no food at all) in order for your brain to start switching over to ketones. It will continue to use glucose as long as glucose is readily available from carbs or protein, but as soon as food runs out completely, it will conserve glucose for emergency use, and start running on ketones. Even then, it's only about 75% ketones and 25% glucose, the brain will absolutely never run on 100% ketones, as it's incredibly inefficient and seriously compromises cognitive ability. It's pretty much enough to keep you functional, glucose is required for normal full brain function.
  • AmoreCouture
    AmoreCouture Posts: 255 Member
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    I eat under the amount MFP has given me, and that's pretty much all I think about them. I think there is a healthy balance of carbs you can have in the middle, and I don't want to do either of the two extremes of really low carb, or way too many.
  • creature275
    creature275 Posts: 348 Member
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    the brain runs almost solely on glucose which comes from carbs how can you argue that you dont need carbs? without carbs your energy levels would be shot and your workouts would be fruitless
  • jaymek92
    jaymek92 Posts: 309 Member
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    carbs are to me as guns are to the nra.
    except i'm not going to kill anybody with my carb intake.
  • HardcorePork
    HardcorePork Posts: 109 Member
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    carbs are to me as guns are to the nra.
    except i'm not going to kill anybody with my carb intake.

    is there a lefty conspiracy to take away your right to carbs? Charlton Heston looooooooooves french bread....or so I heard
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Too many calories, regardless of their source lead to body fat. Carbs are the only source of energy that can be utilized by the brain and by red blood cells. They are absolutely essential to life.

    No. Carbohydrates are NOT essential to life. You couldn't be more wrong on this.
    Agreed. I wish this myth were removed from public minds

    Why? They are an imporant part of a heatlhy diet so why does it matter if people think carbs are essential to life?
  • LilRedRooster
    LilRedRooster Posts: 1,421 Member
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    Carbs are in everything you eat more or less. We need carbs for our brain to function. Just be smart about what carbs you eat ie vegetables over highly processed bread.

    Carbs FTW!

    In the absence of carbs, our brains can run just fine on ketones.

    They can function just fine, sure. Doesn't mean they're functioning optimally.
  • beccarockslife
    beccarockslife Posts: 816 Member
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    I'm told, and have read again and again and again that Endomorph body types (like me - hold fat, gain weight easy, arms and legs and stomach gain fat easily) should keep carbs moderate to low.

    Since I changed my diet my body fat % has moved with my weight for the first time. I'm 50% fat, 15% carb rest protein.

    http://www.burnthefat.com/endomorph_body_type.html
  • Carnivorekat
    Carnivorekat Posts: 370 Member
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    I suffer with depression and have had it on and off since I was 15, I find if I don't eat a diet with plenty of carbs (complex) the depression seems to rear its ugly head, if I eat plenty of complex carbs my depression symptoms are much reduced
  • PAnn1
    PAnn1 Posts: 530 Member
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    You guys crack me up!
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
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    Why? They are an imporant part of a heatlhy diet so why does it matter if people think carbs are essential to life?

    Because they could then go on to misinform someone else about what they think is an absolute necessity.
  • grinch031
    grinch031 Posts: 1,679
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    Carbohydrates are the spawn of satan.
    Carbs are in everything you eat more or less. We need carbs for our brain to function. Just be smart about what carbs you eat ie vegetables over highly processed bread.

    Carbs FTW!

    In the absence of carbs, our brains can run just fine on ketones.
    Your brain generally never runs on ketones. It conserves every bit of glucose it can from your body, from the few carbs you actually eat (used directly by the brain) to converting protein to glucose using gluconeogenesis, using either protein you've eaten, or by breaking down muscle tissue to get protein to convert. Only in true starvation will your brain start utilizing ketones for energy.

    Can you define "true starvation"?
    Yes, that means not eating anything at all. It takes several days of complete fasting (no food at all) in order for your brain to start switching over to ketones. It will continue to use glucose as long as glucose is readily available from carbs or protein, but as soon as food runs out completely, it will conserve glucose for emergency use, and start running on ketones. Even then, it's only about 75% ketones and 25% glucose, the brain will absolutely never run on 100% ketones, as it's incredibly inefficient and seriously compromises cognitive ability. It's pretty much enough to keep you functional, glucose is required for normal full brain function.

    What is your source of information for this that the brain won't switch over to ketones unless you stop eating?
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8263048

    There ya go, it takes roughly 3.5 days of starvation before the brain starts burning ketones.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Why? They are an imporant part of a heatlhy diet so why does it matter if people think carbs are essential to life?

    Because they could then go on to misinform someone else about what they think is an absolute necessity.

    Yes, that's true. But of the misinformation propogated on this site, this is likely the least harmful.
  • grinch031
    grinch031 Posts: 1,679
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    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8263048

    There ya go, it takes roughly 3.5 days of starvation before the brain starts burning ketones.

    This doesn't say anything about what happens on a ketogenic diet where you aren't starving.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    What do you think gluconeogenesis is actually for? Do you think the liver converts protein and fat into glucose just for fun, while forcing the brain to run of ketones? As has been stated many times already in this thread, the body can generate all the glucose it needs from whatever food you eat. The brain is what needs glucose, the rest of the body can run (albeit very inefficiently) on ketones and fat. That's why it takes over 3 days of complete starvation before the brain even starts using ketones, because it's run out of stored food, and exhausted the majority of the glycogen supply, thereby forcing the brain to conserve what little glycogen is left, and use ketones to make up the difference.
  • grinch031
    grinch031 Posts: 1,679
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    What do you think gluconeogenesis is actually for? Do you think the liver converts protein and fat into glucose just for fun, while forcing the brain to run of ketones? As has been stated many times already in this thread, the body can generate all the glucose it needs from whatever food you eat. The brain is what needs glucose, the rest of the body can run (albeit very inefficiently) on ketones and fat. That's why it takes over 3 days of complete starvation before the brain even starts using ketones, because it's run out of stored food, and exhausted the majority of the glycogen supply, thereby forcing the brain to conserve what little glycogen is left, and use ketones to make up the difference.

    Gluconeogenesis is required to ensure at least 25% of the brain's fuel comes from glucose. And because it takes several days to adapt to a ketogenic diet, gluconeogenesis will convert more protein into glucose until the brain adapts to using ketones. So it makes no difference whether you are in starvation or whether you are simply on a ketogenic diet. What matters is how many carbs and how much protein you eat as to how much gluconeogenesis needs to occur. So if you eat too much protein, then certainly you won't be fueling your brain with ketones.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    OMG, I love these carb threads! So much passion and science and misinformation. But all that aside, I really can't imagine why anyone would want to live without carbs, even if a body can function without them.
  • HardcorePork
    HardcorePork Posts: 109 Member
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    OMG, I love these carb threads! So much passion and science and misinformation. But all that aside, I really can't imagine why anyone would want to live without carbs, even if a body can function without them.

    I've come to realize that some people NEED a certain amount of fanaticism in order to adhere to their goals. If they cling to a belief with a death grip, it somehow solidifies their commitment to health and wellness. I don't get it...but I have always been thin and LOVED healthy food and exercise. I can't put myself in their shoes...
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    What do you think gluconeogenesis is actually for? Do you think the liver converts protein and fat into glucose just for fun, while forcing the brain to run of ketones? As has been stated many times already in this thread, the body can generate all the glucose it needs from whatever food you eat. The brain is what needs glucose, the rest of the body can run (albeit very inefficiently) on ketones and fat. That's why it takes over 3 days of complete starvation before the brain even starts using ketones, because it's run out of stored food, and exhausted the majority of the glycogen supply, thereby forcing the brain to conserve what little glycogen is left, and use ketones to make up the difference.

    Gluconeogenesis is required to ensure at least 25% of the brain's fuel comes from glucose. And because it takes several days to adapt to a ketogenic diet, gluconeogenesis will convert more protein into glucose until the brain adapts to using ketones. So it makes no difference whether you are in starvation or whether you are simply on a ketogenic diet. What matters is how many carbs and how much protein you eat as to how much gluconeogenesis needs to occur. So if you eat too much protein, then certainly you won't be fueling your brain with ketones.

    Gluconeogenesis also converts fat into glucose, not just protein, so you'd need to cut back on everything to get gluconeogenesis to not happen.

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