Recently, I’ve been hearing from many patients who have read Dr. Perlmutter’s new book, Grain Brain, and are now concerned about their carb intake. In his book, Dr. Perlmutter suggests that dietary carbohydrates cause high blood sugar, inflammation, and other effects that lead to a “toxic brain,” which can then develop into neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, depression, and others. Based on this line of causality, he recommends that everyone consume a very low carb diet (<60g per day) in order to prevent neurological disease.
First of all, I’d like to point out that very low carb (VLC) and ketogenic diets can be effective therapeutic tools for treating many neurological disorders. I touched on this briefly a while back in my podcast with Emily Deans, and initial studies on low-carb diets and mental health have shown promise. (1, 2, 3, 4) Because Dr. Perlmutter is a neurologist, it makes sense that he would be a proponent of low-carb diets for his patients based on these therapeutic effects.
Does eating carbs destroy your brain and lead to neurological disease?
However, recommending a low-carb diet as an intervention for sick people is very different from promoting it as a preventative measure for the entire population, which is what Dr. Perlmutter does in Grain Brain. His approach would be somewhat akin to recommending that everyone go on the Autoimmune Protocol to prevent autoimmune disease, which would be unnecessarily restrictive and unhelpful. It’s important to realize that just because a low-carb diet can help treat neurological disorders, doesn’t mean the carbs caused the disorder in the first place. While I don’t argue with the idea that refined and processed carbs like flour and sugar contribute to modern disease, there’s no evidence to suggest that unrefined, whole-food carbohydrates do. In fact, there are three compelling reasons why this is not the case.
#1 – We Evolved Eating Whole-Food Carbohydrates
The first reason it doesn’t make sense that carbohydrates cause neurological disorders is that we’ve been eating carbs for a very long time, and we’re well adapted to digesting and metabolizing them. For instance, fruit has been part of the human diet for longer than we’ve been recognizably human, and while starch hasn’t been part of the human diet for quite as long, it’s clear that we’ve evolved mechanisms to digest and utilize it efficiently.
Compared with most primates, humans have many more copies of the gene AMY1, which is essential for breaking down starches. (5) This gene is unusual in that the number of copies varies greatly between populations, with more copies present in populations that consume more starch. This indicates that starch played a significant role in our evolution, and some scientists have even argued that consumption of starch was partially responsible for the increase in our brain size.
In addition to possessing the ability to break down complex carbohydrates, our bodies require glucose to function properly and maintain homeostasis. The fact that humans can produce glucose from protein is often used as an argument that we don’t need to eat glucose, but rather than viewing this as evidence that that glucose isn’t important, we might view it as evidence that glucose is so metabolically essential that we evolved a mechanism to produce it even when it’s absent from the diet.
#2 – There Are Many Traditional Cultures with High Carb Intake and Low or Nonexistent Rates of Neurological Disease
If carbohydrates cause neurological disorders, one would expect to see high rates of dementia and similar diseases in populations where carbs constitute a significant portion of the diet. But as it turns out, many of the cultures that maintain the lowest rates of neurological and other inflammatory disease rely heavily on carbohydrate-dense dietary staples. For example, the Hadza of north-central Tanzania and the Kuna of Panama obtain a high percentage of their total calories from foods that are high in natural sugars, such as fruit, starchy tubers and honey, yet they are remarkably lean, fit and free of modern disease. (6, 7)
Other examples include the Kitava in the Pacific Islands, Tukisenta in the Papa New Guinea Highlands, and the Okinawans in Japan. The Kitavan diet is 69% carb, with a high reliance on starchy tubers such as yams, and sugary tropical fruits such as banana and papaya. (8) The Okinawan diet is even more carb-heavy at 85% carbohydrate, mostly from sweet potato. (9) Finally, the Tukisenta diet is astonishingly high in carbohydrate at over 90%. (10) All of these cultures are fit and lean with practically non-existent rates of neurological disorders and other modern chronic disease. (11)
#3 – Modern Research Does Not Support the Notion That ‘Safe’ Carbs Are Harmful
The claim that carbohydrates from whole-food sources cause neurological disorders is not supported by anthropological evidence. In addition, modern studies on the health effects of carb-dense foods such as fruit also fail to support Perlmutter’s hypothesis. In fact, studies overall suggest that eating whole, fresh fruit may actually decrease the risk of health issues such as obesity and diabetes, and that limiting fruit intake has no effect on blood sugar, weight loss or waist circumference. (12, 13)
As you may know if you’ve been following my website, there is plenty of modern research demonstrating that diets rich in refined and processed carbohydrates are harmful. However, this is not due to carb content alone, and there’s no evidence that whole-food carbs have the same effect. When an author or expert recommends excluding or severely limiting one of three macronutrients that humans consume, the evidence demonstrating harm should be strong—not only because of the inconvenience of following such a restricted diet, but because extreme diets (ketogenic or VLC diets in this case) are not always harmless. In my practice I’ve seen many patients who’ve worsened on long-term VLC diets, including those with adrenal issues and poor thyroid function. Long-term VLC diets can also lead to imbalances in gut bacteria due to a lack of prebiotic fiber, which can result in digestive issues.
As I’ve always maintained, you need to find out what works for you and tailor your diet to your specific health goals, rather than follow a canned approach. This is exactly what I’ll teach you to do in my book, Your Personal Paleo Code (published in paperback as The Paleo Cure in December 2014), which is coming out at the end of December.
Better supplementation. Fewer supplements.
Close the nutrient gap to feel and perform your best.
A daily stack of supplements designed to meet your most critical needs.
The Okinawans eat a lot of pork and cook in pork fat.
The Okinawans live the longest.
I’m sure the reasons are varied as to why but to use Okinawans to promote carbs is ludicrous.
You’re right, beakernz.
Many people eat too much, and too often. A lot of the times they will eat because it is time to eat. It’s a routine.
It’s not that they are hungry.
Breakfast is a perfect example. They get up. They get dressed. They shave. They put on makeup…they eat. And many of them aren’t even hungry yet.
Heck, many times I’ll eat two to three hours after getting up.
I’ll have a big ol’ bowl of oats, and peanut butter toast. Yum.
Oh, know–it’s carbs! I’m going to get Alzheimer’s!
I’m going to die!
Just out of interest, what are the oats you are eating? Are they rolled oats? Are they whole oat groats, or have they been hulled, husked, polished? Have you soaked the groats? How long do you soak the groats? Do you ferment your grains? Do you practice lacto-fermentation? Are you aware that many traditional farming societies did not eat unsoaked, unfermented grains?
Try this: put your oat groats in a bowl, cover with water. If you want, add a little whey. Then put your bowl in a warm place overnight. Heck, try a day or two. Now eat it, either raw, or cook it a little.
Those peanuts, are they out of a jar, or did you grind your own peanut butter (btw, peanuts are mostly fat, with some protein). Just a thought, did you work out the fat/protein/carb ratio of your oats, peanut butter, bread meal? You might just be surprised at how much fat and protein you were consuming.
looking forward to that!
“…that enable you to speak so authoritatively?”
Say what?
Wow, really, Brian? You actually said that?
Um, it doesn’t take a rocket science to see that if carbs–and grains in general–really are bad for us, everybody would be suffering, especially the highest pasta consuming nation, which is China.
Hello???
Hello???
And it has nothing to do with science. It’s just plain ol’ common sense–which most people don’t have.
That’s one of the reasons why such books as Grain Brain and Wheat Belly (or whatever the hell it’s called) are bestsellers.
Or, wait–you’re right, it’s bad for us. People by the billions are getting sick, and dying due to carbs and grains.
*rolls eyes*
“Wow, really, Brian? You actually said that? ”
My name is Bruce, not Brian. I know that they both start with a B and a r, but where the similarity ends.
“…especially the highest pasta consuming nation, which is China. ”
And do you have a citation for that, or am I supposed to just take your word for that? See that’s my point. Almost everyone of your posts, we are supposed to just take your word for it.
“And it has nothing to do with science. It’s just plain ol’ common sense–which most people don’t have. ”
So we can just save ourselves a whole bundle of money and just hire you to dispense “common sense”? I suppose much of what Aristotle wrote was just common sense as well. We really didn’t need this silly thing called “science” to separate out “common sense” from “false beliefs”, “erroneous beliefs” “mistaken beliefs”, etc. Just good old fashion “common sense” which “most people don’t have”.
Well, if it was so common, then most people would have it. See how you just contradicted yourself? Since most people don’t have it, then its not so common. Its “uncommon sense”, since only a chosen few seem to have it.
“That’s one of the reasons why such books as Grain Brain and Wheat Belly (or whatever the hell it’s called) are bestsellers.”
You remind me of the people who protested “The Last Temptation of Christ” but knew nothing about the movie. They “knew” the movie was bad because their pastor told them so, and their pastor “knew” the movie was bad, because someone higher up in authority told him so. How can you “know” the books are so wrong, when you haven’t read them? Just working on your superior “common sense”?
“Or, wait–you’re right, it’s bad for us. People by the billions are getting sick, and dying due to carbs and grains.”
No one has argued that. What you are committing is a classic logical fallacy called The Straw Man Argument. You state a false argument, pretend that is what your opposition is arguing, then proceed to falsify the argument. The “straw man” is the false argument that gets knocked down with your “superior” argument.
“*rolls eyes*”
So very true. And when I read your little rants, I add in *heavy sighs* *face palms* *guffaw* *chortle*.
I thought you said you were a writer for a health company. I assumed that then you understand how to cite sources. If not, I suggest taking a freshman English 101 class to learn how, its very helpful in a writing career, unless you are a PR flack, and actual sources are little nuisances you don’t need to bother with.
But anyway this is how it works: Italy leads the world in pasta consumption per capita (per person) 26k http://www.internationalpasta.org/index.aspx?idsub=118. This link is called my source. This is the source of my information.
So what is the Chinese per capita consumption of noodles? “Per capita consumption of wheaten products was 19.9 Kg in 2013, “specifically, per capita consumption of fine dried noodles, instant noodles, biscuits, cakes and fast frozen wheaten and rice food was 1.85Kg, 8.21Kg, 5.05Kg, 1.35Kg and 3.45Kg” a bit less than Italy’s 26k http://en.cnagri.com/news/insight/20140317/298233.html . As far as the leader in per capita consumption of instant noodles, it’s South Korea 69 packets to China’s 32 http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/eats/china-eats-noodles-article-1.1083364 .
This is rather a fun game of scouring the Internet looking for actual sources to back up what you say. I do hope you want to play.
I agree with Tom, If you are in good health eating the way you are, and are happy eating the way you are, good for you, but don’t knock people who have things wrong with them and are looking to find some relief through, diet cheers
I suggest everyone watch online the BBC Horizons documentary on intermittent fasting. It’s becoming obvious (much to diet fads, diet writers and diet bloggers) that there is one simple way to vastly improve ALL health markers. it does not take special diets. All it involves is eating sensibly + only eating for 8hrs a day. The other 16hrs are just water. I’ve been doing this for 2 months now and GP was flipping out over my blood work, said “you might be 40, but your blood work is that of a healthy 16yr old, what are you doing?”. There are many people who had horrific numbers (headed for heart disease and a plethora of medications) and now completely normal bloods simply by intermittent fasting. That’s right, no diet changes, no removing grain, dairy, etc JUST fasting. Even the 52yr old on the documentary was in dire health heading for medications but he did intermittent fasting for 5 weeks and his markers improved over 50%! So what does this mean? It means you are not likely to find fad diet advocates or health bloggers mentioning IF at all. If the truth about IF became main stream they would literally be out of business over night.
All U.S. grains? Really?
Um, GM wheat isn’t legally approved anywhere in the world.
100% oats are also not GM.
Show where they are.
Show concrete evidence where GM foods like, say, corn, soy and potatoes are hurting the world’s population as a whole.
Show where this is slowly killing us as a whole.
With millions upon millions of people from around the world eating these GM foods, mostly in poor nations, don’t ya think there would be SOME evidence?
Like, say, cigarettes?
This would affect especially the children, the elderly, and..the undernourished populations who all have fragile immune systems.
It hasn’t. Not even close.
As an alternative-health researcher and writer for health companies, I haven’t found not one single piece of evidence.
However, there is PLENTY of evidence that it has saved millions of lives because more crops can be grown faster and are more resistant to infestations.
It’s the junk carbs, sugars, dirty frying oil in restaurants, pollution, stress, depression…that is slowly killing many people.
By the way, did ya know that milk is GM?
It has been for years.
Uh-oh, folks, you better throw the milk out also.
“As an alternative-health researcher and writer for health companies, I haven’t found not one single piece of evidence. ”
What health companies? Could you be more specific? What exactly, are your credentials that enable you to speak so authoritatively?
Evidence is a tricky thing. Remember how well the Tobacco companies played that card? As I recall, it was no slam dunk that smoking lead to lung cancer. In fact, the Tobacco companies funded their own studies to show the opposite, that smoking cigarettes did not, in fact, cause cancer. Of course then they created think tanks that seemed neutral, but were in fact PR organizations created to downplay the negative health effects of smoking. They also placed expensive ads in news magazines, and threatened to pull lucrative ads if the paper or magazine wrote critical articles on the Tobacco Industry.
Its kinda strange, but I got a definite Deja Vous feeling when reading your post. Perhaps you took a page out of their playbook?
So, really, what “Health” company do you research and write for? Do you write in a journalistic capacity, or more for “opposition” research?
So what evidence can you provide for the statements you made? You seem to make a lot of assertions, but provide no evidence of your own, yet you demand it of others.
Interesting.
The Grain Brain book throws the baby out with the bathwater.
Many, MANY people have totally stopped eating sugars and processed carbs, but…
they still continue to eat healthy carbs, like oatmeal, whole wheat bread and potatoes…
and they too have lost weight, and felt great.
All U.S. grains are now genetically modified (which is the reason other countries are rejecting US imports of grains, including oatmeal, unfortunately). It is the genetic modification of our grains that has made them unhealthy to consume.
I read Grain Brain (recommended by my doctor) and totally stopped eating grains, sugar, and processed carbs Jan 2, 2014. Four months later, I have lost 25 lbs. My blood sugar has normalized, and I am off all meds for diabetes and hypertension. Furthermore, I have the clearest thinking in YEARS…possibly decades. No more stiff joints, either. People are amazed and want to know my secret. My Secret?? I read GRAIN BRAIN.
Great points Chris. And I thought your comments in the review of Grain Brain which appeared in The Atlantic were excellent as well. If anyone has not read that review it is quite informative…and the reference to The China Study in that review is interesting……in that study meat is the root of all disease and natural grains the key to good health. Like everything in life………balance and moderation.
Please, please do not take the word of people like Trundle, who is posing as some kind of expert here with faux medical terminology like “carb deficiency.” Really the thread should be closed but I would encourage people to NOT use it as an advice thread, but rather read the various viewpoints (starting with Kresser, who has lots of great ideas), do some research and make your own decisions (with consultation with YOUR doctor if you have complicated health conditions).
There are people who have participated on this thread who either work for the grain industry or have some kind of personal axe to grind. I don’t pretend to know what is the best way for anyone to eat, and anybody on here who pretends to know is misleading you.
Matt is having some trouble with evolution and how religion is concordant with it. He said there was no Adam and Eve for example and then, jumped to conclude there is no need for a “Savior”
Actually, scientist do think humans have a single common ancestor , female that we are all related to. Go figure.
And all modern Humans living outside Africa are related to a small band of about 150 people who crossed out of Africa about 60,000 years ago into Yemen which was a lush garden at that time……….Sound familiar?
It’s pretty easy to see a point in human development when “we ate from the tree of knowledge” when we crossed the line from simple reactive animal behavior to more sophisticated thinking.
As Zen masters like to say, birds are merely birds living out their “birdness” Only humans have a thick overlay of “thinking” that covers our humanness… That’s the fall.
“And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Mathew 18:3
First, Creation..Then the Fall… Then Redemption.
God, the Creator, comes to earth in the flesh to
re harmonize our existence after we degenerated into the likes of the Roman Empire.. Here is a way, with all of our passions and propensity for doing very nasty things ( “Evil”) to live out an ideal human life and then inherit eternal life after our death..
Evolution as a philosophy is easy to see in shows like Star Trek..Things get better and better and better ( they “evolve”) with technology as the Savior….Good luck with that 🙂
God shows us a better way to live and die vs, faster computers.
Some of you are not getting the complete picture of David Perlmutter. I’ve called him a “huckster” and I had my reasons for doing so. He is indeed considered something of a leader in his field, i.e., the treatment of Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative diseasese. However, he’s long been considered an opportunist and prone to hyperbole even by his own peers in the profession. The oft-cited Atlantic article makes that clear:
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/12/this-is-your-brain-on-gluten/282550/
But the article fails to mention the particular money-making core practice of Perlmutter: the intravenous glutathione therapy for those with Parkinson’s, which he conducts at his Florida clinic. This is an expensive and invasive practice for those with the unfortunate condition. There are tales of modest success in a prior clinical trial, and a trial is currently under way at USF. What’s unfortunate is that most people discontinue the therapy because it’s too expensive and the improvements are fleeting; as soon as you stop the mega dose antioxidant, whatever improvements you had disappear. But it is a successful business model if there ever was one; you can’t replicate it and you constantly have to be on it.
He’s been considered a “pioneer” mainly for this therapy, though more for his business practice than his thought leadership. Some mainstream neurologists consider it to be “Botox” for the neurodegenerate, an expensive therapy with zero staying power for those who can afford it, contrived in a way to exaggerate its marginal benefits and marketed to desperate people who’ll do anything to see small improvement — equivalent to price-gouging victims of a train wreck or an earthquake.
The Atlantic article, written by an MD, cites Kresser’s sensible position on the issue, and exposes Perlmutter:
(1) Dr. Lustig says about his hyperbolic claim that gluten is behind all neurodegenerative ills: “I can’t say that Dr. Perlmutter is right, wrong, or anything else. It may be they have some data of which I’m unaware … [but] I think I’m pretty up-to-date … [Lustig] says that at this point gluten is a grab bag. ‘I have taken kids off of gluten, but in no way, shape, or form do I think this is a panacea.'”
(2) The prestigious Mayo Clinic study that he always cites during interviews, including with Dr. Oz, are based on 13 Celiac patients who displayed “possible correlation” between gluten and dementia. The Atlantic: “[this] … is far from well-established causation that gluten is a mechanism for dementia in people with celiac disease, much less all people.” Gluten wreaks havoc in those who suffer from Celiac disease and is positively inflammatory. Is there any doubt that dementia could be linked to gluten among Celiacs? But it’s inordinately misleading to suggest this would apply to normal people.
(3) Dr. David Katz of Yale Prevention Research Center: “I find the whole thing a little bit sad … I actually like Dr. Perlmutter … He’s cutting edge and is doing stuff that’s a little bit out there. … I think the public is being misled .. his book is filled with a whole bunch of nonsense, that’s why it’s a bestseller … that’s how you get on the bestseller list. You promise the moon and stars, you say everything you heard before was wrong, and you blame everything on one thing. You get a scapegoat; it’s classic. Atkins made a fortune with that formula. We’ve got Rob Lustig saying it’s all fructose … we now have Perlmutter saying it’s all grain. There’s either a scapegoat or a silver bullet in … every bestselling diet book.”
(4) The Atlantic on the seductiveness of Perlmutter’s message: “The recurring formula is apparent: Tell readers it’s not their fault. Blame an agency; typically the pharmaceutical industry or U.S. government, but also … the medical establishment. Alluding to the conspiracy vaguely will suffice. Offer a simple solution. Cite science and mainstream research when applicable; demonize it when it is not.”
This is a formula perfected to seduce lay people, especially desperate people suffering from incurable neurodegenerative diseases. Identify a singular villain. Keep it simple. Highlight the good vs. bad duality. Fat = Good. Carbs = Evil. Never intimate that anything other than the single villain is responsible. Demonize it to the nth degree. This also happens to be a time-honored technique used in politics and religion to attract a following; the masses are easy to seduce and manipulate. So are desperate people suffering from incurable diseaes.
By the way…many diabetics can and do eat complex carbs. They just know how to do it.
No sense throwing the baby out with the bathwater…that too many clueless doctors do.
And, many people have lost weight by simply reducing their overall calories and being more active.
I’m one of them. I lost 30 pounds, and I kept on eating my comfort-food carbs.
I still do to this day. I just don’t overeat and sit on my rump all day!
Joe, can you show conclusive studies, mainly from the Alzheimer’s Association, that complex carbs, like potatoes, whole pastas, oats, beans and bananas causes Alzheimer’s?
In fact, show studies on WHITE flour.
And it’s around 500,000, not 15,000,000.
If carbs caused such a disease, the majority of the 300,000,000+ Americans would have it.
Come on, man, use your common sense.
Are you getting that shit out of that fear mongering/idiot’s book???
China is one of the leading pasta eaters, dating back to before Christ was born. Look up their health stats.
The Unites States is among the unhealthiest because of all the sugars, processed foods and dirty oils that fast-food is cooked in.
America is a spoiled nation that eats what they want.
They are now paying the price.
I had diabetes 11 years ago and the hemotologist told me to stop eating carbs because the body converts them to sugar. I cut all carbs from my diet and in three months I no longer had diabetes. I know Dr. Perlmutter is right, read the book. I have again been on a no carb diet and have lost 15 lbs in six weeks and feel lots better in many ways. If you want to get set to an early grave, keep on eating carbs. 15 million Americans are now dying of Alzheimers and in 20 years 30 million will be dying of Alzheimers and 40 million of diabetes. The Swedes eat a low carb, high fat diet, and 50% live more than 89 years.
Joe, you still have diabetes. You’re maintaining it by low-carbing. You go and take the OGTT test, you’ll still be diabetic. That insulin resistance and glucose tolerance you developed 11 years ago is permanent and will follow you until the day you take your last breath. There is a difference between diabetic “reversal,” as in reversal of hyperglycemia and diabetic complications through carb restriction, and a “diabetic cure.” You’re not cured. You’re just masking hyperglycemia by not eating carbs, just like a blind person avoids getting hit by a truck by staying at home and avoiding traffic stops.
A calorie is not just a calorie
http://www.dietdoctor.com/calorie-calorie-even-close
This is why I dislike Perlmutter (“The Grain Brain”) so much.
Lynn, do a search on what the Alzheimer’s Association says on good and bad carbs.
It’s the bad processed foods and white flour in general you need to worry about, among other things.
Like Chris said, there is no solid proof that carbs, and gluten are to blame.
In fact, if these were, don’t you think that anybody who eats wheat would have serious health issues?
That would account to well over half of the planet’s population.
Also, if you haven’t already done so, consider doing “brain games,” like puzzles, and read more. This helps brain cells.
After awhile, you will actually notice a difference in how well you can focus.
Carbs also help give you energy, along with fats.
If you can’t get up in the morning without feeling a little weak, if you can’t bend over to tie your shoes and reel yourself back up without feeling a bit lightheaded, you may need more carbs.
You now know that many who say that carbs are not necessary, that they rely on fats for energy are full of it.
Mark Sission, the health blogger, and his merry band of followers are big on that crap.
They are in their own little world.
Beans, oats, whole wheat and whole grain bread, potatoes. . . .
It’s what’s good for ya.
But when in doubt, listen to your body!
People who eat the same number of calories from either low carb foods or high carb foods get different results. Same calories from High Carb adds weight but not from the exact same number of calories from Low Carb.
Thanks for your suggestions, Perry Rose. I have been doing “brain games” for five years due to a TBI. I will check into the Alzheimer’s Association’s website.
Since I have asthma, hypoglycemia, and hypothyroidism, and a ton of food allergies, I think restricting myself even further is more than my body/brain can take! I’ve been eating organic foods for 20 years, and gluten free for two years, since I do have a gluten intolerance.
And, despite working out at the gym, I notice I’m still losing instead of gaining muscle mass. So, I may go back to healthy carbs to gain the weight back, and then try a low carb diet for maintenance, and see what happens.
I’ve been trying the Grain Brain diet for the past several months, because my father had Alzheimer’s. I want to reduce my chances of getting it, so I’ve cut out carbs and grains. since then, I’ve been feeling weak all the time. Also my normal weight is 107, now I’m down to 105. I can’t afford to loose five pounds having a petite frame at 5’2″. So, I’m stuck on what to do now. (I’ll ask my primary care doctor.) Any thoughts?
Many people suffer something called the “Atkins Flu” when they go low carb. They feel weakness as you describe. This happens when your body switches from sugar burning to fat burning for energy. It doesnt last long.
If you feel really terrible and need to work add back in something like sweet potatoes which have starch and carbs but tend not to spike you insulin too high.
That’s not the Atkins flu. It’s glucose deficiency and signals the start of hormonal dysregulation. More collateral damage to follow later depending on whether you decide to keep going. You’ve been brainwashed by low-carb fiends, including the very opportunistic David Perlmutter, who think fat is the “preferred fuel” for the brain. In most people, even among those who claim to be fat-adapted, you see symptoms of glucose deficiency. Dry eyes, eyeballs, mouth, esophagus, digestive tract, colon, dry skin, and high fasting blood sugar. Poke them in the solar plexus and ask them whether they have such symptoms. Most will admit, when confronted. Many, however, lie because they’ll gladly compromise their own health for weight loss and blood sugar control.
I have been low carb for the last 2 or 3 years and have exactly none of those symptoms you are describing, my fasting blood sugar is as low as it’s every been and I feel better than I ever have. You are a joke.
Keep your carbs above ketosis and VLCing levels, which in someone like you should be above 70 grams of total carbs if your protein intake is about 20-30%. But keep it above 100 grams as you need some starchy carbs in the form of tubers and rice for your gut bugs, immune and hormonal homeostasis. That feeling of weakness is probably tied to carb deficiency and hormonal dysregulation. You’re not eating or converting enough glucose for the brain and the brain can only do so much to withdraw gluclose from your mucous membranes. Check the dryness of your mouth, gums, esophagus, eyes, and colon.
I’m just wondering whatever happened to good ol’ common sense.
Why are so many people making such a simple thing so complicated.
Don’t fix something that isn’t broke: cutting back on calories…and being more active.
It’s overall calories that need to be reduced, not just carbs.
As mentioned before, I lost around thirty pounds in around four months. I didn’t cut out wheat, potatoes, beans and oats.
In fact, those foods helped me lose weight because it wasn’t one of those boring, torturous diets.
Yes, for many people, carbs can help one lose weight.
I cut back on the portions.
I had one person ask me if I was on a low-carb diet.
UGH!
“No,” I said. “I was on a low-CALORIE diet.”
Again, don’t fix something that isn’t broke.
And stop listening to stupid crap that is spread out there.
Now new research is indicating low carb diet causes decreased coronary blood flow, which explains reduced lifespan of low carb dieters. Scary stuff, you low carbers be safe.
I agree that carb restriction can be helpful for obesity and in the short term for a therapeutic effect. But to categorize an entire macro nutrient group as bad is something I cannot get on board with.
For those of you dismissing people who have experienced low energy and other symptoms of thyroid issues while on low carb, you might find this eye opening. Scroll down to the very end labeled “Telltale signs you need more carbs”. http://chriskresser.com/chris-masterjohn-on-cholesterol-and-heart-disease-part-3
I’d also like to know where those of you who claim that babies are in ketosis while breastfed until solids are introduced got your information. I just don’t see how that is possible given the high composition of carbohydrate in breast milk. I have yet to find a reliable source that agrees with this position. Please share.