The Anti-Carb Movement: Separating Fact from Fiction
The anti-carb movement has gained popularity in recent years, with many people believing that carbohydrates are the cause of obesity, diabetes, and other health problems. However, scientific evidence suggests that this may not be entirely true.
Carbs: Are they the enemy?
Anti-carb diets claim that carbohydrates are especially obesogenic and cause diabetes if over-consumed. However, the truth is that consumed fats can be stored as body fat very readily without any conversion and are more obesogenic than carbs. Moreover, in animal studies where scientists purposefully give animals Type 2 Diabetes, they rely on overfeeding the animals with fat, not carbs, to cause the diabetic condition. Cutting carbs without attending to body fat percentage and exercise as a means of reducing your chances of developing diabetes is like just altering creatine intake as a way to gain muscle. Lowering carb intake is unlikely to have a notable effect on your chances of developing diabetes without a decrease in body fat percentage and physical activity. While reducing carbs on a hypocaloric diet is less muscle sparing than reducing fat, even low-carb dieting for the sake of improved body fat percentage is not the most efficient way to make such a change.
Sugar: The real culprit?
Because the data on carbs and poor health does not support the causal nature of carbs, some anti-carb proponents turn the spotlight instead onto sugars. While excess sugar consumption is a risk factor for dental health and can be problematic for individuals with certain gastrointestinal or health conditions, it is by no means clear that sugar is unilaterally bad for health. In fact, fruits are packed with sugar but, in nearly every one of the countless studies performed, are also directly associated with better health. Some sources of high amounts of sugar are junk food desserts (think gas station pastry options, candy, and such). These foods––outside of moderate consumption––can lead to an accidental hypercaloric diet and all things considered are not the healthiest. However, the reason for this has much more to do with lacking fiber, micronutrients, and easily consumed excess calories than with sugar itself.
Eat Fat to Burn Fat: The myth
When you eat a lot of fat, your body actually starts burning more fat. This is a factual statement. However, the additional fat you are burning comes from the additional fat you are eating, and not your body fat. This leaves you no leaner than you were, and if you eat enough fat in addition to your other macros to be hypercaloric, you just gain fat on the net balance. On a deficit, increasing or decreasing fat calories while keeping total calories constant will not have an impact on body fat loss.
Gluten Free/Anti-Grain Diets: Is it necessary?
A variation of the anti-carb movement labels grains themselves or gluten (a protein found in wheat) the cause of obesity, inflammation leading to health problems, and of digestive issues. The truth behind this fallacy is that some individuals are sensitive to the various ingredients in certain grains. However, most notably are individuals with Celiac Disease, who are intolerant of wheat gluten. About 1% of the population has Celiac’s. Some people still report digestive discomfort when consuming gluten, and scientists are not sure if any gluten sensitivities outside of disease exist. Discomfort, whether generated by food or imagined, is still discomfort, and we do not recommend eating anything that makes you feel unwell, regardless of whether your reaction can be classified. That being said, the fact that some individuals do not tolerate certain grains well neither indicates that grains are bad for everyone or that individuals sensitive to certain grains must avoid all grains. In large collections of studies, whole grains have been shown to promote a huge number of healthy outcomes, such as the reduction of risk factors for heart disease, the lowering of blood pressure, and decreases in chronic systemic inflammation. The body of research on whole grains can in no way be construed to conclude that grains are in any unique way fat-promoting, performance-inhibiting, or negative for health.
The bottom line
In summary, the anti-carb movement may not be entirely supported by scientific evidence. While excess consumption of sugars and highly processed carbs can lead to health problems, a balanced and varied diet that includes healthy sources of carbohydrates, such as fruits and whole grains, is important for overall health and wellbeing. Moreover, focusing on one macronutrient, such as carbs or fats, is not the most efficient way to improve body composition. Rather, it is important to focus on a balanced diet that is rich in nutrients and to engage in regular physical activity to promote health.
Individuals with specific dietary needs or sensitivities should consult a healthcare provider or registered dietitian to create a personalized nutrition plan that meets their unique needs. But for most people, a balanced diet that includes a variety of nutrient-dense foods, including carbohydrates, is key to maintaining good health.