I am conflicted, PLEASE HELP!

[enchanted_elixir]

I've been diving into nutrition in the past few weeks and I have been seeing a LOT of conflicting evidence about carbohydrates.
My question: Are carbohydrates essential or are they just an alternate form of energy in which you can substitute for fat and protein?

What I believe right now: "Not really, carbohydrates are basically sugary fats and the consumption of carbs were much lower pre-agriculture. You do need an energy source though, whether that is fat or carbohydrates, which are interchangeable to a degree. The thing is that fats are 100% essential to the human body. I do NOT know about carbohydrates! Low carbohydrates encourage ketosis, which is a state where your blood sugar is low so your body decides to burn fat as an energy source. Whether ketosis is sustainable long-term is unknown, as far as I know. I haven't gotten that far."

When I go to the internet, I see...
"Carbs are essential as they're the body's main source of energy": I think that this hypothesis is due to humans being so accustomed to agriculture (rice, wheat, barley, potatoes, etc.) that they assume carbs are essential, when it may not be. I may be wrong of course, but that's what is on my mind. Humans didn't consume that many carbs before agriculture and they seem to be OK with it.

I also see "Carbs are NOT essential": Are they really not essential though?
Ketones are also cleaner energy than carbohydrates for the body.

As you can obviously tell, I am VERY conflicted.
Please help. What do you think.

@Prettyboy @mvp2v1

 

[mvp2v1]

What’s “natural” is right. I don’t know enough about the science so can’t give a good answer but I’ll bump it for you.

 

[John124]

There's not a single keto diet promoter that looks good (aesthetic gymmaxxed body)

The closest is Thomas Delauer and he backed off that and promotes fasting + Mediterranean diet

You should get your carbs from foods that also contain significant fiber content (vegetables, fruit, beans/legumes, whole grains, etc.). You should eat some for lifting weights and because it's required for thyroid hormone regulation.

Refined carbohydrates (sugar, high fructose corn syrup, wheat with the bran/germ removed, etc.) are bad for you.

 

[Prettyboy]

"Not really, carbohydrates are basically sugary fats and the consumption of carbs were much lower pre-agriculture.

The thing is that fats are 100% essential to the human body.

"Carbs are essential as they're the body's main source of energy": I think that this hypothesis is due to humans being so accustomed to agriculture (rice, wheat, barley, potatoes, etc.) that they assume carbs are essential, when it may not be.

These are the key points. Carbohydrates are only abundant nowadays because of agriculture (which made our species much weaker than our hunter ancestors), otherwise your default state is ketosis - if you don’t eat for a day you are already in it. Glucolysis is not a natural state, theres simply not enough carbohydrates in wild nature

With that said, some carb intake is good because that way your brain doesn’t have to rely on gluconeogenesis all the time to get it’s (small) glucose need. Very little amount of carbs is enough to sustain an anabolic state, assuming protein intake is adequately high (30-40g)

If it was true what the mainstream says about carbs, I should have been dead nearly 4 years now. Yet my physique speaks for itself plus other health markers

 

[Deleted member 16673]

carbs are not essential.
as you said, your body may produce energy from stored fat, but it takes some time to get accustomed to it.
Indeed, your whole life your body was able to get its energy from carbs and not from fat at all. This "reprogramming" usually takes up to two days (in my experience).
I am currently on a 90% carnivore keto-diet in order to get my 200g of protein per day (wanna heightmaxx since i saw your guide).
I had HUGE sugar cravings during my first week on this diet because my body was not yet accustomed to digging into my fat cells for energy. Once it did, my sugar cravings were gone.
atm carbs represent 3-5% of my nutrients.

So no, carbs are not essential AT ALL. That being said, they must be replaced by fat.

 

[enchanted_elixir]

These are the key points. Carbohydrates are only abundant nowadays because of agriculture (which made our species much weaker than our hunter ancestors), otherwise your default state is ketosis - if you don’t eat for a day you are already in it

With that said, some carb intake is good because that way your brain doesn’t have to rely on gluconeogenesis all the time to get it’s (small) glucose need. Very little amount of carbs is enough to sustain an anabolic state, assuming protein intake is adequately high (30-40g)

For people who don't know, gluconeogenesis is basically what the body does when there isn't any glucose (sugar). It generates fat into new sugar for use.

Yeah, I thought that no carbs at all is bad because you'd be giving yourself hypoglycemia in some sense.
I'm assuming that a moderate amount of carbohydrates are optimal.

 

[enchanted_elixir]

carbs are not essential.
as you said, your body may produce energy from stored fat, but it takes some time to get accustomed to it.
Indeed, your whole life your body was able to get its energy from carbs and not from fat at all. This "reprogramming" usually takes up to two days (in my experience).
I am currently on a 90% carnivore keto-diet in order to get my 200g of protein per day (wanna heightmaxx since i saw your guide).
I had HUGE sugar cravings during my first week on this diet because my body was not yet accustomed to digging into my fat cells for energy. Once it did, my sugar cravings were gone.
atm carbs represent 3-5% of my nutrients.

So no, carbs are not essential AT ALL. That being said, they must be replaced by fat.

Sounds nice man! I do think you may want to track glucose levels, because you're probably taking Berberine and MK-677 and you don't want to have hypoglycemia.

If you do, you'll want to consume some carbohydrates or sugar.

 

[Prettyboy]

For people who don't know, gluconeogenesis is basically what the body does when there isn't any glucose (sugar). It generates fat into new sugar for use.

Gluconeogenesis is a demand driven metabolic pathway which can convert fat or protein into glucose, hence why technically carbohydrates are not an essential macronutrient

Yeah, I thought that no carbs at all is bad because you'd be giving yourself hypoglycemia in some sense.
I'm assuming that a moderate amount of carbohydrates are optimal.

Full on ketosis 24/7 365 days per year is just too catabolic. Some carbs come useful to sustain an anabolic state. In warm months of the year this would naturally be naturally occueing edible fruits (like berries) , in colder months the glycogen content of freshly killed prey animals’ blood.

For example if you were wondering, Inuits get their carbs from the latter method, eating their freshly caught seal raw on the spot while its still warm from its own blood

 

[zap]

They are not essential to live. But essential if you want to perform optimally

 

[Sondern]

I've been diving into nutrition in the past few weeks and I have been seeing a LOT of conflicting evidence about carbohydrates.
My question: Are carbohydrates essential or are they just an alternate form of energy in which you can substitute for fat and protein?

View attachment 1849010

What I believe right now: "Not really, carbohydrates are basically sugary fats and the consumption of carbs were much lower pre-agriculture. You do need an energy source though, whether that is fat or carbohydrates, which are interchangeable to a degree. The thing is that fats are 100% essential to the human body. I do NOT know about carbohydrates! Low carbohydrates encourage ketosis, which is a state where your blood sugar is low so your body decides to burn fat as an energy source. Whether ketosis is sustainable long-term is unknown, as far as I know. I haven't gotten that far."

View attachment 1849012

When I go to the internet, I see...
"Carbs are essential as they're the body's main source of energy": I think that this hypothesis is due to humans being so accustomed to agriculture (rice, wheat, barley, potatoes, etc.) that they assume carbs are essential, when it may not be. I may be wrong of course, but that's what is on my mind. Humans didn't consume that many carbs before agriculture and they seem to be OK with it.

I also see "Carbs are NOT essential": Are they really not essential though?
Ketones are also cleaner energy than carbohydrates for the body.

As you can obviously tell, I am VERY conflicted.
Please help. What do you think.

View attachment 1849013

@Prettyboy @mvp2v1

I think they are essential, also I think carnivoreMD has the best diet plan/ diet

 

[Deleted member 21832]

u must have low carb intake to start losing weight

 

[Sondern]

u must have low carb intake to start losing weight

Nah, calorie deficit is all that’s needed my man

 

[Deleted member 21832]

Nah, calorie deficit is all that’s needed my man

I don’t wanna count calories I just eat whatever that’s low carb

 

[currylightskin]

When in doubt text currylightskin yakhi

I'll give you ideal diet pm inshallah

 

[Whatashame]

carbs are not essential.
as you said, your body may produce energy from stored fat, but it takes some time to get accustomed to it.
Indeed, your whole life your body was able to get its energy from carbs and not from fat at all. This "reprogramming" usually takes up to two days (in my experience).
I am currently on a 90% carnivore keto-diet in order to get my 200g of protein per day (wanna heightmaxx since i saw your guide).
I had HUGE sugar cravings during my first week on this diet because my body was not yet accustomed to digging into my fat cells for energy. Once it did, my sugar cravings were gone.
atm carbs represent 3-5% of my nutrients.

So no, carbs are not essential AT ALL. That being said, they must be replaced by fat.

r u still on a carnivore diet?