Nutrition/Food/Science

The Real Truth About Carbohydrate

You can handle it!

I recently read and commented on a story that claimed to reveal “the truth about carbs.” I can’t reference the actual article because the author muted me and likely deleted my comment.

In the article, the author states that dietary carbohydrate is “needed for overall sustenance.” This is a common misunderstanding — I see it a lot here on Medium. Stories by medical doctors, nutritionists, dietitians, fitness, and wellness coaches alike often contain this erroneous statement or something like ‘carbs are the primary source of fuel for the body,’ which the author in question went on to say.

I left this comment:

Why did you start your story on “the truth” about carbs by stating something that is simply not true?

Dietary carbohydrate is not needed for overall sustenance. Carbohydrate is a non-essential nutrient for humans. The daily minimum requirement of carbohydrate is zero grams.

Carbs are the primary source of fuel for the body only when one eats a lot of carbohydrate.

Yes — our bodies need glucose — and glucose can be derived from carbohydrate. But glucose can also be synthesized by the human body out of protein and fat. That comes in handy when you are looking to lose body fat.

The research that suggests heart disease and other chronic conditions are related to low-carb diets [something the author referred to] tend to be poorly designed — as if on purpose to support high-carb diets — and are often subsidized by food and drug companies.

I also included a link to a story I wrote last year that discusses more details about carbohydrates:

The author didn’t like my comment. They reported it to Medium Management because of the link I added. I figured as much because the “author” is a company, as opposed to an individual. I’ve found that when I add links in a comment to stories I’ve written (that explain more details about a relevant point I’m making), individuals appreciate it — but the “company” members don’t. Anyway, I got an email from Medium saying the comment was under investigation and that I should consider editing it. I edited out the link (the above quote of my comment is the edited version). But when I went to save the comment, I got a pop-up saying the story was unavailable — I had been muted.

I don’t understand the mentality of people who, first of all, don’t research the topic they write about but seem to just copy an article they read on Healthline or some such site. A five-minute search on carbohydrates would reveal that it is a non-essential nutrient for humans and that it is a primary source of energy only if you eat a lot of it.

Then, instead of learning from what is presented to them — or engaging in a discussion of the topic — they just mute those with the actual truth on the topic and delete their comments. So, at this point, the author of that “truth about carbs” story knows they are spreading false information and are actively attempting to hide it from others.

Why are some people so afraid of the truth?

I have written a lot about nutrition on this platform. And many people offer positive comments on the insights and “new information” I provide. I use quotes because the information has been known for decades, it’s just not convenient for the processed food industry or the pharmaceutical industry — so it doesn’t get talked about a lot, and research related to low-carb diets often gets corrupted by vested interests. This article discusses the lengths some researchers will go to satisfy their corporate sponsors:

There is also pressure for researchers to show positive, interesting results. Researchers in university settings need to publish to get tenure and to attract grant money to fund their research and their lab. This article discusses this end of the research business:

A related article is relevant to anyone reading research results or summaries of results in the popular press. In this one, I show how unsubstantial results are manipulated to seem much more important than they are. It relates mostly to university researchers spinning results to get press (and, potentially, more funding). But corporate researchers also use this smoke and mirrors technique to make their drugs seem more effective than they really are.

Anyway, end of rant — at least for now!

Thank you for reading this article — hopefully it contained something you found useful.

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