The Truth About Carbs & Sugar (part 1)
February 4th, 2013
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by admin · Filed Under: Paleo - Primal · Tradtional Foods · carbs
Humans have a long, fascinating journey on this planet. Carbs and sugar are totally normal, healthy, and a natural part of this journey. Here’s why you shouldn’t freak out about them. It’s popular for low carb (LC) and very low carb (VLC) diet authors/bloggers to refer to sugar as a ‘poison’, that it is more addictive than cocaine and that there are ‘dangerous’ starches. Despite the fact that there are high carb eating cultures all over the world who are not obese, diabetic or addicted, these low carb ‘experts’ (using religious overtones) are giving people bad reasons & unnecessary food phobias.
Zoom out from the oversimplified, liberate your mind from the ‘perfect diet’ or ice age warrior narrative, and you’ll find a more delicious & enjoyable story.
Asia
Most Asian countries, including India, Japan, China and Taiwan have traditional diets that are high in carbohydrates. In many of these cases, the prevailing carbohydrate is white rice. Yet traditional Japanese, Chinese and some Indian populations are well known for being lean. Japan traditionally has had a very low rate of diabetes; however, as more traditional cultures ‘follow the leader’ to the US, the times, diets and disease rates are ‘a changing.
Kuna
The Kuna are native people of Panama who do not get hypertension. They have less heart disease and cancer than their relatives who move to the city. This has been known for decades. Their diet is higher in cholesterol and sodium than the Standard American Diet. About 65% of their calories come from carbohydrate (plantains, corn, yucca, sugar, beans). The fat in their diet is mostly saturated and omega-3 fats (coconut, cocoa and fish).
Kuna girl with with friends. When asked if her diet contained ’safe starches’, she told reporters to stop reading The Onion.
“The Kuna are half hunter-gatherers, half agricultural. They cultivate plantains, corn, cocoa, yucca, kidney beans, and several types of fruit. They trade for sugar, salt, some processed cocoa and miscellaneous other foods. They drink 40+ oz of hot cacao/cocoa per day, some locally produced and some imported. A little-known secret: the Kuna eat an average of 3 oz of donut a week. They also fish and hunt regularly.”
http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2008/03/say-hello-to-kuna.html
Kitavans
Thanks to the work of Staffan Lindeberg, MD PhD, (Department of Medicine, University of Lund, Sweden), author of ‘Food and Western Disease: Health and Nutrition from an Evolutionary Perspective’ we know the diet of Kitavans (Papa New Guinea) is about 69% carbohydrate, 21% fat and 10% protein. It consists of root vegetables (taro, breadfruit, sweet potatoes, cassava), coconut, fruit, vegetables and fish. They also smoke, yet they have no cardiovascular disease, stroke and are not overweight.
Pima
Currently have the highest rates of diabetes and obesity in the world; but this was not always the case. In fact, early explorers reported the Pima to be lean, strong and healthy. Their diet was a high-carbohydrate, low-fat and made up of corn, beans, starchy squash, wild animal and plant foods from local forests and rivers.
Then they were forcibly removed from their land and sent to prisoner of war camps (known as ‘Reservations’) on barren land that couldn’t be farmed. Settlers re-routed the main river causing their land to dry up. With no water or ability to grow crops, the Pima endured a 40 year famine. When the US government finally intervened, they were ‘rescued’ with government rations of white flour, sugar, partially hydrogenated lard, canned meats, salt and other canned/processed goods. This would be the introduction of the Standard American Diet of processed foods (more total calories, increased industrialized fats, refined carbohydrates). They ate less carbs and couple that with massive chronic stress, the Pima later became obese, diabetic and have never recovered. This was pattern of ethnic cleansing repeated throughout the Americas leading to multigenerational disease & dysfunction (epigenetics). http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130110075406.htm
However, just across the border in the Sierra Madre Mountains (Mexico), the genetically identical Pima cousins, did not suffer the same tragic fate. They eat a diet about 60% carbs and have valuable lessons to share.
Effects of Traditional and Western Environments on Prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes in Pima Indians in Mexico and the U.S. (2006)
‘The much lower prevalence of type 2 diabetes and obesity in the Pima Indians in Mexico than in the U.S. indicates that even in populations genetically prone to these conditions, their development is determined mostly by environmental circumstances, thereby suggesting that type 2 diabetes is largely preventable. This study provides compelling evidence that changes in lifestyle associated with Westernization play a major role in the global epidemic of type 2 diabetes.’ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16873794
Similar changes in health can be seen across the globe when native/indigenous people move to a city and give up their traditional diets – overweight, obesity, diabetes/metabolic syndrome often ensue.
The Tukisenta, (Papua New Guinea) eat a diet of 94% carbohydrate predominantly of sweet potatoes. They have exceptional glucose tolerance at all ages.
Bantu (Central African Republic) live on a diverse diet of starchy foods including beans, grains, plantains and tubers. Similar to the Tukisenta, they have excellent glucose tolerance.
Indigenous people of central Brazil live primarily on cassava and freshwater fish and similarly share excellence in glucose tolerance.
The Aymara (Peru, Bolivia, Chile) whose diet is largely potato based, have an impressively low diabetes rate of 1.5%. The frequency of pre-diabetes was 3.6%. The incidence of both remains low, even in the elderly.
These colorful little packets of squishy, delicious fun are carbs. All carbs are made of and broken down into sugars (glucose, fructose, galactose, etc). Sugar phobia – similar to the ’satanic panic’ hysteria of heavy metal music in the 80’s is unnecessary – is bad for your health.
Honey Hunters
From Africa to Nepal, humans appreciate the delicious & nutritious wonder of honey. If you haven’t already, check out the documentary Human Planet - simply amazing.
This bad ass is hunting for honey. (Human Planet)
It is not only OK, it is normal for humans to seek out delicious foods to enjoy and share with loved ones. The food-fears promoted by dieting industry and the ludicrous idea that enjoying carbs & sugar is ’addictive’ is insulting.
In fact, some of the earliest stone tools may have been used to collect honey some 2 million years ago.
Humans interacting with the environment in ingenious ways to find awesome foodstuffs is what makes us human. It is not ’sinful’ to enjoy sweet foods, it is normal. Some people have developed unique relationships with animals which lead us to honey.
“While out hunting, the men listen for the call of a small, robin-size bird known as the greater honeyguide (Indicator indicator.) The bird dines almost entirely on beeswax and bee larvae, but it needs help to crack open hives. So the honeyguide calls to both honey badgers and Hadza hunters. When human hunters whistle back, the bird gradually leads the men by call-and-response song to the nearest colony.” The Sweetness of Human Evolution
Fitness geeks might be Interested in how some humans evolved to be expert tree climbers (phenotypic plasticity): Tree Climbing and Human Evolution
The many benefits of honey: http://www.greenmedinfo.com/substance/honey
Inuit
Champions of VLC diets. Although theirs is a low carb diet, they go to great lengths to find and prepare plant foods. Think there’s no plant foods up north? Think again.
http://huntgatherlove.com/content/plants-we-eat
Wild French Canadian Tribesman
This is a friend of mine who, like me, eats upto 400 grams of carbs per day and does no fasting or dieting. He is not fat. Not diabetic. Not addicted. Not obese. Not crazy. Not restricting his diet to be lean.
You can friend him on Facebook, but your brain should not be deprived of glucose if you wish to appreciate his wisdom on human health, well being and good foods.
Conclusion:
How much carbs & sugar one can eat is determined by energy demand/activity level and of course, personal preference. The more active you are, the more carbs your body needs. There is no magic and no evil.
If you want to enjoy food, but avoid carbs/sugar, you’re not going to have a good time. Some ‘experts’ promote the idea that to be healthy, you must not enjoy food. Carbs and sugar represent a food demon to be cast out; as if pleasure is somehow sinful. Don’t fall for it. You can eat and enjoy carbs and sugar. Relax and eat the food people!
References:
http://180degreehealth.com/2010/02/is-a-low-carb-diet-counterproductive
http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2010/10/potatoes-and-human-health-part-iii.html
http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/human-planet
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/14802180
http://weightology.net/?cat=79&paged=2
http://anthonycolpo.com/?p=1461
http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=1398&page=1
More amazing photos of humans hunting for honey:
http://www.ericvalli.com/index.php?/stories/honey-hunters/
That reminds me of the guy that jumps off the Empire State Building and flies back up to an astonished group of people and says “Anyone can do it, the wind will carry you.” Believing him, a guy jumps off, and, instead of catching the wind and fling, instead, continues down, and down, to his death with a splat.
A girl turns to the guy that flew, and says, “You know, you can be such an asshole, Clark Kent.”
People with good, robust DNA can eat whatever they want, enjoy a happy, healthy, long life, and look good at the beach. Others can too, in spite of what they eat. Some people can bodybuild and eat carbs and it will work too. But for those of us maladapted to carbs in some way; well, we just can’t do it. That refers to purified sucrose and all the wholesome, natural carbohydrates that Price surveyed for NUTRITION AND PHYSICAL DEGENERATION. Adaptation is key.
Best wishes… – lc
LC,
Then why are indigenous people who eat lots of natural, wholesome carbohydrates at the highest risk for developing obesity and diabetes on a western diet deriving a much lower percentage of dietary calories from carbohydrates? Why, when the Pima diet became lower and lower in carbs did obesity and diabetes skyrocket?
“Researchers at the NIDDK in Phoenix have estimated that the traditional Pima diet took about 70 percent of its calories in the form of carbohydrates, 15 percent in protein, and 15 percent in fat. By the 1950’s the proportions had changed to 61 percent carbohydrate, 15 percent in protein, and 24 percent in fat. In 1971 it was 44 percent carbohydrate, 12 percent protein, and 44 percent fat – a tripling of the fat content.”
If you are white/European heritage you should be the best adapted to “carbs’ (which could very well mean “fats,” as everyone knows the western diet differs from most traditional diets by being lower in carbs and higher in fat by percentage of dietary intake)…
“In 1994 scientists in Jeff Friedman’s group examined blood samples taken in the course of Auerbach’s islandwide screening of all 2,286 adult Kosraeans. Preliminary findings suggest that European genes inherited from randy New England whalers and other ethnically European visitors are, in Kosraeans, protective against obesity and diabetes. It appears that the more genetically ‘European’ an islander, the less likely he or she is to be obese or diabetic under the current conditions of plenty.”
-Ellen Ruppel Shell; The Hungry Gene
Nice article Antonio.
Excellent post Antonio!
I was VLC/Paleo for years and ended up feeling like shite. Then I read Ray Peat’s work, slowly added carbs back into my diet and now I feel like a champ.
The Princess Bride FTW!
I’m usually a fan of your posts, but I must say this article is not one I would share. It seems that there is little distinction here between good carbs and processed carbs. The focus is too much on the fact that people are scared of carbs and sugar. If I was a traditional American on the SAD, I would think that it’s ok then to be eating my processed white bread and having a soda. I shouldn’t fear these items but rather embrace them since carbs and sugars are good. This is not the case at all, nor probably the real message you are trying to send, but that’s the way it came off to me.
I hope that in part 2, you focus more on the fact that Americans aren’t eating the right kind of carbs/sugar.
Thank you! I really needed to hear this. I read “Wheat Belly” and other literature and slowly, but surely, developed an avid fear for all carbs. I see what you mean that it isn’t the carbs we need fear, but the types of carbs we are eating that matters. Most of the books do make me feel like I am a crazy addict when I enjoy carbohydrates or get a kind of energy high from them. Thanks for not making that taboo and giving me permission to enjoy that energy. I promise to use it for good. :)
I must say that I agree with Mary who posted at 11:48 am. She said everything I was thinking as I read the article; no need to be repeat it again.
yeah boy, get it Big A! The only thing missing is the North American Kaleo Beast :-)
love it
deb
It is amazing that so many peoples can eat such a wide variety of diets, and DO JUST FINE. And yet they get very sickly on the Western diet. The carbs in the Western diet don’t look all that much different, and the macro level: white rice is an empty, high-glycemic carb, just like white bread (or worse: white bread is enriched).
Lately, some writers have gone “Anti PUFA”, but I don’t notice a lack of PUFA in those diets too. Fish has mainly PUFA, and wild animals have more of it than domestic ones. Plenty of fructose too.
Looking at all those diets though, there do seem to be a couple of trends. None of the people you list here live primarily on wheat. Wheat is a really unique food, in terms of what it does to the body. Another is beef and the issues with iron. None of the tribal peoples eat large ruminants daily: they get wild meat, but usually smaller animals, birds, eggs, and fish are a larger part of the diet. None of them get “enriched” foods, which load small children with loads of extra iron. And they eat foods (like beans and vegies) that block iron. Iron is absolutely associated with Type 2 diabetes and bad glucose handling.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12145144
Also on gluten, in the NY Times:
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/04/gluten-free-whether-you-need-it-or-not/?ref=health
Wheat proteins have a unique effect on human beings, and that effect is NOT about the “carb” content at all. My family does fine on a diet centered on rice and vegies and various meats/fish/eggs, but when my daughter gets a slice of bread her acne starts up and she gains weight.