News, Commentary & Opinion

The Journal of Holistic Performance
  • Articles
    • Journal
    • Blog
  • For Authors
  • Contact
  • Study

Why are high carb diets still promoted for everyone?

10/10/2015

Comments

 
Picture
By Cliff Harvey

Dietary guidelines for health are still heavily weighted (excuse the pun!) in favour of high-carbohydrate diets. 

Nutrient Reference Values (NRV) for New Zealand and Australia for example state that the diet should contain a minimum of 45% of its calories from carbohydrate (1) and New Zealand Heart Foundation position statements on carbohydrate (currently being updated) suggest a range of 55%-65% caloric intake should be obtained from carbohydrate along with reducing intake of total and saturated fat (2). 

Why is this the case? 
The World Health Organisation (WHO) published dietary guidelines in 1998 (3) suggesting a range of 55%-70% of calories come from carbohydrate, with a 2007 update suggesting that there is little evidence for the lower threshold and suggesting this could be lowered to 50% of calories (4). 

All of these institutional recommendations would be considered, according to the definitions provided by Wheeler et al. as being moderate to high in carbohydrate (5). 

Despite these recommendations there is little if any evidence suggesting that there is any ‘minimum’ level of carbohydrate for health. Indeed the non-essentiality of dietary carbohydrate is not questioned, except by those who don’t understand the definition of essential in nutrition. 

There is no obligate requirement for carbohydrate in the diet as essential functions requiring glucose (for example glycolytic energy provision for red blood cells and neurons) are easily served via the creation of glucose from amino acids (from protein) and glycerol (the 'backbone' of fats), and almost all cells can utilise lipid derived fuels such as fatty acids via beta-oxidation (with the exception of cells lacking mitochondria such as red blood cells), and other cell types (such as neurons and cardiac tissue) have a high affinity for use of the ‘alternative’ fat-derived ketone body fuels (6). 

In spite of these high-carbohydrate recommendations from health organisations and government agencies for general and metabolic health, and for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases (CVD); low-carbohydrate, high-fat (LCHF) diets have shown promise for the treatment of obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome, neurological disorders, cancer, and have potential applications for heart disease prevention and may improve aspects of sports performance for some (7; 8) and so, LCHF and other low-carb diets should at the very least be recognised as a valuable addition to the toolbox of health practitioners and can be a viable option for those that are less active, or are less metabolically tolerant of carbohydrate. 


LEarn more about studying nutrition with hpn




​References:


1. Dietitians Association of Australia. (2013). Nutrient Reference Values.   Retrieved 10/3/2015, from http://daa.asn.au/for-the-public/smart-eating-for-you/nutrition-a-z/nutrient-reference-values-nrvs/

2. Roberts, D. (1999). Carbohydrates and Dietary Fibre: National Heart Foundation.

​3. 
World Health Organisation. (1998). Carbohydrates in Human Nutrition: World Health Organisation or the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.
​
4. Mann, J., Cummings, J. H., Englyst, H. N., Key, T., Liu, S., Riccardi, G., . . . Wiseman, M. (2007). FAO//WHO Scientific Update on carbohydrates in human nutrition: conclusions. Eur J Clin Nutr, 61(S1), S132-S137. 

5. 
Wheeler, M. L., Dunbar, S. A., Jaacks, L. M., Karmally, W., Mayer-Davis, E. J., Wylie-Rosett, J., & Yancy, W. S. (2012). Macronutrients, Food Groups, and Eating Patterns in the Management of Diabetes A systematic review of the literature, 2010. Diabetes Care, 35(2), 434-445

6. Westman, E. C. (2002). Is dietary carbohydrate essential for human nutrition? The American journal of clinical nutrition, 75(5), 951-953. 

7. Paoli, A., Rubini, A., Volek, J., & Grimaldi, K. (2013). Beyond weight loss: a review of the therapeutic uses of very-low-carbohydrate (ketogenic) diets. European journal of clinical nutrition, 67(8), 789-796. 

8. Sumithran, P., & Proietto, J. (2008). Ketogenic diets for weight loss: A review of their principles, safety and efficacy. Obesity Research & Clinical Practice, 2(1), 1-13. doi: 
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.orcp.2007.11.003

Comments

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Brain Health
    Carb Appropriate
    Clinical Nutrition
    Dairy
    Disease
    Exercise
    Fasting
    Genetics
    Gut Health
    Health
    Infographics
    Interviews
    Keto
    LCHF
    Lifestyle
    MCTs
    Meat
    Media
    Meet Our Advisors
    Meet Our Graduates
    Mushrooms
    Nutrition
    Paleo
    Pregnancy
    Public Health
    Research Review
    Skin Health
    Sleep
    Sugar
    Supplements
    Time Rich Practice
    Women's Health

    Archives

    September 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    March 2019
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    December 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013


Sign up for articles and nutrition news



Donate

© 2020 Holistic Performance Limited
Photos used under Creative Commons from marcoverch, wuestenigel, Rawpixel Ltd, wuestenigel, Rinet IT, Infinity Studio, Herbert Guedes, Brett Jordan
  • Articles
    • Journal
    • Blog
  • For Authors
  • Contact
  • Study