Misconception about carbohydrate- rich foods is not just deep rooted; it also negates the natural laws of nutrition. Carbohydrates are seen as the culprits behind epidemic of diabetes and obesity by many people. In fact, the wrong notion about foods with higher proportion of carbohydrates particularly those peculiar to our culinary culture has elevated wheat to “super food” despite its many downsides. By the way, does wheat not contain high dose of carbohydrate? Contrary to widely held view, no food is solely carbohydrate, protein or fat. Plant foods are web of carbohydrate, protein and fats in varying amounts, while all foods of animal origin contain both protein and fats. Therefore, classifying one food as carbohydrate, protein or fats bothers on ignorance about the basics of nutrition. Another shade of misconception about foods wrongly fixated as carbohydrates such as yam, sweet potato, corn, fruits, and vegetables is that they contain too much sugar. But who says sugar is bad for health and well being, especially if it is component of natural foods not distorted by processing? The best fuel for all body cells including brain cells is glucose (sugar) derivable from carbohydrate – rich foods. In fact, brain is the most sugar-hungry organ in the body sometimes needing up to 50 per cent of glucose consumed daily to function optimally. Otherwise, why is the brain the first organ incapacitated by diabetes, which is a fundamental disorder of metabolism primarily carbohydrates? Diabetes impairs absorption of glucose into the body cells and deprives the brain cells adequate supply of glucose, thus weakening its capacity for memory storage and recall. Further consequences of depriving brain adequate glucose (sugar) include nerve damage causing numbness in the hands and feet, erectile dysfunction as well as big dip in quality thinking for mental work. The harms being wrongly attributed to carbohydrate-rich foods are not due to higher intake as many “experts” canvass, but rather due to distorted chemistry of the foods. How? Human body is designed and structured to be fuelled and nourished by complex carbohydrates rich in fibre, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, enzymes and hormones. But today many of the carbohydrate-rich foods in the menu list of many families are refined and denatured through one form of processing or the other. Invariably, what many people consume are refined carbohydrates, which poison the body cells and tissues, lower the body pH and set the stage for degenerative diseases. More than 33 years ago, Dr. William Coda Martin had this to say about refined carbohydrates: “The body cannot utilise refined starch and carbohydrate unless the depleted proteins, vitamins and minerals are present. Nature supplies these elements in each plant in quantities sufficient to metabolise the carbohydrates in that particular plant. There is no excess for other added carbohydrates. Incomplete carbohydrate metabolism results in the formation of ‘toxic metabolites’ such as pyruvic acid and abnormal sugars containing 5 carbon atoms. Pyruvic acid accumulates in the brain and nervous system and the abnormal sugars in the red blood cells” In specific terms, diet predicated on refined carbohydrates also makes the liver fatty and impairs its functions, which include regulating blood sugar in tandem with the pancreas. According to Dr. Frank Shallenberger, MD “regular eating of refined carbohydrates can make the liver become insulin resistant and has trouble regulating blood sugar levels”. Another consequence of consuming refined carbohydrates is chronic inflammation, which triggers accumulation of cholesterol in the arteries. Rather than cholesterol, the real driver of cardiovascular disease says Dr. Dwight Lundell, MD, a heart surgeon, is inflammation – the body response to injuries being caused by eating refined carbohydrates and omega-6 oils. Dr. Lundell added: “the more we consume processed foods, the more we trip the inflammation switch little by little each day because the human body cannot process nor was it designed to “consume refined foods”. In effect, the supposed harms of carbohydrate-rich foods are the creation of man rather than what is naturally inherent in their chemistry. As a matter of fact, complex carbohydrate-rich foods including fruits and vegetables with low or medium glycemic index GI should form 50-80 per cent of daily calorie intake to promote health and healing
Posted on: Sat, 21 Sep 2013 05:12:40 +0000
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