The Truth About Low Carb Diets

Carbohydrates are a major source of energy and play several specific roles in the human body. They are the main fuel source for the human brain. Ketone bodies can supply most energy to the brain during starvation, but axons can only be used for glucose. This makes carbohydrates essential for the function of all remaining single neurons in the brain and nervous system. In addition, carbohydrates are the only acceptable fuel source for the kidneys and red blood cells.

Currently, red blood cells carry oxygen, so most people will find it surprising that red blood cells need carbohydrates. However, because their job is to transport oxygen, not to use up oxygen themselves, it is necessary to extract energy from anaerobic glycolysis. But the brain is by far the largest consumer of carbohydrates. The brain, kidney, and red blood cell combination consumes an average of about 130 to 150 grams [about 500 to 600 calories] of carbohydrate per day.

If your body does not have enough carbohydrates, it uses gluconeogenesis [new glucose production] and ketone production [ketone production] processes to provide energy for critical functions. It is important to note that fat is not a good fuel for making glucose because glycerol is the only part of triglycerides that can be used to produce glucose. The fatty acids themselves are only oxidized or converted to ketones.

The main source of raw materials for making new glucose comes from muscle protein amino acids. Every amino acid has an amine group, carboxyl [acid], and side chains that determine the type and nature of the amino acid. Various amino acids are peptide-bonded in various combinations to create various proteins in the body.

As the body breaks down proteins, various amino acids are released. Some of these amino acids are suitable for producing glucose [glycogenic], some are suitable for producing ketone bodies [ketone formation], and some are for both purposes Can be used. In either case, the body needs to remove amine groups before using them. The removed amine group combines with other ions to become ammonia. However, because ammonia is toxic, the body uses the uric acid cycle to convert ammonia to uric acid.

This process occurs in the liver at the same time that gluconeogenesis and ketosis occur in the liver. Uric acid is less toxic than ammonia, but uric acid can cause problems such as gout. The kidneys do extra work to flush this uric acid through the urine. Your kidneys need carbohydrates, so you get less fuel while doing the extra work to eliminate this waste. Much of the weight loss on low carb diets is due to lean tissue loss for amino acid production and water loss from urine production. In addition, fatty acids and amino acids are converted into ketone bodies to make up for the lack of energy. In other words, much of the fat loss that actually occurs is due to basically cutting calories by cutting carbohydrates.

It is important to know that the type of gluconeogenesis with a low-carb diet occurs for different reasons and uses different ingredients than the type that occurs during a set of intense exercise. The type resulting from exercise uses lactic acid as a raw material and aerobic lipolysis as an energy source. The type that results from the low carbohydrate diet is a starved star process, using deaminated and decarboxylated amino acids as raw materials. In addition, it receives energy from the ketone body resulting from another starvation energy process, ketone formation. As a result, a low-carb diet is by definition a starvation diet, and a lack of important nutrients [carbohydrates] can cause the body to cannibalize its own body tissues [muscles]. This is consistent with the definition of a famine diet diet.

Another interesting fact is that the body inhibits glycolysis when the amount of stored carbohydrate [glycogen] is low. This explains the reduced exercise capacity and lack of energy experienced by subjects on a low-carb diet because carbohydrates [due to glycolysis] produce energy [ATP] that can be used faster than any other nutrient. It's no surprise that triathlon athletes, marathon athletes, power lifters, or other high-level strength or endurance athletes perform poorly on a low-carb diet. Also, the potential risks of a low carb diet include overworked kidneys, gout, dehydration, mineral depletion, and hypoglycemia.