Carbs could be bad for brain!

[Villages PL]

Did anyone read the article in the Daily Sun on Dec. 5, 2012? The heading was "Study Indicates Carbs Could Be Bad For Brain.

It said: If we (older people) eat a lot of carbohydrates we will have a greater risk (4X) of developing "mild cognitive impairment". And this may be the start of Alzheimer's. This was a 4 year study by the Mayo Clinic involving 1,230 elderly people.

It wasn't any surprise to me but it could be for those who like to eat lots of carbs. The problem is that carbs convert to sugar. Lots of bread, rice, pasta, pizza, and pastry and other carbs get converted to sugar.

This is why I have always said that carbs need to be measured and limited to one serving per meal. It's not just to prevent weight gain, it may also save your brain etc..

[ilovetv]

My parents, grandparents and great-grandparents had this really odd meal plan all their lives and ours:

- Meat/poultry/fish (oven roasted or pan browned and steamed)

- potatoes/rice/pasta

- vegetable

- bread or dinner roll

The vegetable was either a tossed salad or cole slaw, or a cooked vegetable like corn, peas, green beans we canned/froze from the garden or bought at the store.

They lived long lives into their 80s and 90s, not being dietitians or scientists or anything that required more than an 8th grade education.

I'd venture to guess that many here in TV have the same type of supper/dinner, after having had a light lunch of soup or salad or small sandwich....and I don't think it's a life threatening plan.

[Uptown Girl]

The main way your body is powered is via aerobic respiration which, through a complicated process, takes glucose (sugar) and oxygen and turns them into energy (ATP), water, and carbon dioxide (this is why we need to breathe in oxygen and breathe out CO2).

Your body can take building blocks from any type of food and use it to make glucose (this happens in the liver)

However, unless you are on the Atkins diet or have not had a meal in a day or so, probably most of the glucose in your body comes from carbohydrates in your diet. Your body can take any carbohydrate and break it down more or less directly to glucose.

Proteins and fats, on the other hand, must be broken down and then rebuilt into glucose (it is "easier" for your body to use carbs for energy). Plus, your body's cells are constantly growing and dividing and producing hormones, etc., and they need amino acids and fatty acids to do so. Thus the proteins and fats you eat are more likely to be broken down and used for these purposes. These are more or less the theories behind high-protein, low-carb diets.

When your body is carb-depleted, it is forced to use fat and protein for energy. This may cause you to lose weight, but is not the way your body is meant to work and thus can be dangerous. It can lead to a condition called ketosis (which can cause nausea, dehydration, headaches, light-headedness, irritability, bad breath, and kidney problems), and also causes loss of muscle mass. Plus, the high fat and cholesterol content and low-fiber content of these diets can lead to heart and digestive problems.
Maybe "moderation in all things" would be a sensible compromise.

[Villages PL]

My parents, grandparents and great-grandparents had this really odd meal plan all their lives and ours:

- Meat/poultry/fish (oven roasted or pan browned and steamed)

- potatoes/rice/pasta

- vegetable

- bread or dinner roll

The vegetable was either a tossed salad or cole slaw, or a cooked vegetable like corn, peas, green beans we canned/froze from the garden or bought at the store.

They lived long lives into their 80s and 90s, not being dietitians or scientists or anything that required more than an 8th grade education.

I'd venture to guess that many here in TV have the same type of supper/dinner, after having had a light lunch of soup or salad or small sandwich....and I don't think it's a life threatening plan.

The study I mentioned by The Mayo Clinic simply stated that your risk of cognitive impairement would be 4 times greater if you load up on carbohydrates at mealtimes.

Risk means just that....risk. Like careless driving increases your risk for getting into an accident. But it doesn't mean that you will get into an accident. And sometimes careful drivers get into accidents. But if we know that the odds are in our favor of avoiding an accident if we drive carefully, prudent drivers will drive carefully.

That's all this study is saying: If you don't load up on carbs, your chances of avoiding cognitive impairement (and perhaps dementia later on) are improved.

More anecdotes: My grandparents and parents ate similar to yours. Some got dementia and some didn't.

[Villages PL]

These are more or less the theories behind high-protein, low-carb diets.

The article I mentioned was not about losing weight and did not recommend a high-protein low-carb diet. I myself have never recommended a high-protein low-carb diet either. I believe, as you do, that it's not healthy.

When your body is carb-depleted, it is forced to use fat and protein for energy. This may cause you to lose weight, but is not the way your body is meant to work and thus can be dangerous. It can lead to a condition called ketosis (which can cause nausea, dehydration, headaches, light-headedness, irritability, bad breath, and kidney problems), and also causes loss of muscle mass. Plus, the high fat and cholesterol content and low-fiber content of these diets can lead to heart and digestive problems.
Maybe "moderation in all things" would be a sensible compromise.

Good explanation and, again, I totally agree.

What I would suggest is that people eat unrefined carbs and replace excess carbs with fresh vegetables. Unfortunately, most people think in terms of replacing (excess) carbs with animal protein.

By the way, I'm a vegan and I get my protein from a plant based diet.

[graciegirl]

The article I mentioned was not about losing weight and did not recommend a high-protein low-carb diet. I myself have never recommended a high-protein low-carb diet either. I believe, as you do, that it's not healthy.



Good explanation and, again, I totally agree.

What I would suggest is that people eat unrefined carbs and replace excess carbs with fresh vegetables. Unfortunately, most people think in terms of replacing (excess) carbs with animal protein.

By the way, I'm a vegan and I get my protein from a plant based diet.

I thought I remembered you telling us that. ;) Guess the impairment hasn't kicked in yet.

Just kidding a little, Villages Pl.

[Villages PL]

Graciegirl said: I thought I remembered you telling us that. ;) Guess the impairment hasn't kicked in yet.

Just kidding a little, Villages Pl.

You got me that time! I was getting ready for a fight. :boxing2:

:)