Carbs: to eat, or not to eat?
This is one of the most hotly debated topics in the field of nutrition.
Just as fat used to be, carbs are now accused of causing weight gain, heart disease and all sorts of other problems.
It is true that low-carb diets can be incredibly beneficial, especially for weight loss, diabetes and certain health conditions (1, 2).
It is also true that most junk foods tend to have carbs (mostly refined) in them.
However, not all carb sources are created equal. Refined carbs can be harmful, but whole food sources of carbs are very healthy.
In fact, many of the world’s healthiest foods have plenty of carbs in them.
Here are 9 reasons why you don’t need to fear all carbs.
1. Carbs Are Not Inherently Fattening
Some sources blame carbs for obesity, because they raise insulin levels.
They claim that carbs are the primary cause of obesity due to their effects on insulin and fat storage. In other words, that carbs are uniquely fattening, regardless of total calories.
The truth is, scientific evidence overwhelmingly rejects this hypothesis.
This argument is also at odds with indigenous groups like the Massas, Kitavans and Tarahumara Indians, as well as the pre-industrialized Thai, Taiwanese and the rest of Asia during the 20th century. These groups thrived on high-carb diets (3, 4, 5, 6, 7).
If carbs are fattening and harmful on their own, then these populations should not have been in good health with lean bodies.
Bottom Line: Many populations have thrived eating high-carb diets and remained in excellent health. This indicates that “carbs” per se are not inherently fattening.
2. Early Humans Ate Carbs All the Time
Learning to cook was a game-changer for our early ancestors. Cooked meat provided increased protein, fat and calories.
But a flurry of new evidence indicates that carb-rich foods like root vegetables, legumes and even grains were cooked and consumed by our ancestors too. This is important, since cooking these foods makes many of them safer to eat (8).
Not only would cooked carbs often have been more nutritious, they may also have been more appealing to a hungry hunter-gatherer.
This theory is supported by emerging biological evidence that shows early humans began developing extra copies of the amylase gene, which helps produce the enzymes you need to digest starchy carbs (9).
By analyzing bone DNA, researchers can see that early humans in Europe had developed extra copies of the amalyse gene long before they started farming.
That’s why people today can have up to 18 amalyse gene copies, indicating that we have evolved to be able to digest starches more efficiently.
Also consider that every single cell in your body runs on glucose, which is a carbohydrate sugar. Even the most fat-adapted brain requires, at the very least, 20% of its energy from carbs (10).
Bottom Line: Humans ate high-carb foods long before they started farming. This is supported by genetics and archaeological evidence.
3. Gluten Sensitivity Actually Affects Few People
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and other grains. By cutting carbs from your diet, you automatically cut out gluten too.
A gluten-free diet is necessary for the small number of patients with celiac diseaseand (potentially) some other types of autoimmune disease.
Gluten-free diets may also benefit people with non-celiac gluten sensitivity (or wheat intolerance).
But, even if we group all these conditions together, the scientific literature indicates that between 87–99% of people should have zero problems digesting gluten. What’s more, the weight of the evidence leans towards the 99% (11, 12, 13).
The latest clinical trial even found that only 3 out of 59 participants with self-reported gluten sensitivity actually reacted to gluten (14).
Yet, despite how few people are actually proven to benefit from a gluten-free diet,30% of people want to eat less gluten and 18% already buy or eat gluten-free products.
Although foods that are naturally gluten-free can be healthy, processed gluten-free foods are not. Gluten-free junk food is still junk food.
Bottom Line: Although removing gluten is crucial for some people, the current body of evidence suggests that the majority of people don’t benefit from a gluten-free diet.
4. Fiber is Important for Optimal Health, and it’s a Carbohydrate
Nutrition is rarely black and white.
But one thing that almost all experts agree on, is that eating fiber is good for your health.
The thick and sticky soluble fiber found in high-carb foods like legumes, potatoes andoats helps to slow down digestion. Fiber also increases the time it takes to digest and absorb nutrients (17).
This leads to a longer feeling of fullness and a significantly reduced appetite. Fiber is also closely linked with important fat loss around the heart and other organs (18).
Interestingly, almost all dietary fiber is made of carbs, we just don’t have the enzymes to digest them.
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