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Are Carbohydrates Essential?

There is no such thing as an essential carbohydrate but there is still debate about whether you need some carbohydrate starches in your diet, or if your would be better off without them, as carbohydrates rather than fats are associated with weight gain. Some people, such as diabetics are much more sensitive to carbohydrates, and so the answer may be that it depends on the individual.

Background

There is no such thing as an essential carbohydrate. There are essential amino acids from proteins and there are essential fats. They are essential because the body cannot make them and so they must be obtained form the diet. However, all carbohydrates can be made by the body from protein and fat.

Carbohydrates now form a very major part of our diet, far more than our Neolithic ancestors ate, and therefore far more than our bodies were designed for. These starchy and simple carbohydrates are a major cause of the obesity epidemic, rather than the fats that have been blamed for this.

Cutting down on carbohydrates is good for health, especially for simple carbohydrates of low glycemic index (GI) or low glycemic load (GL) which cause spikes in insulin production, which if repeated often enough cause insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome, weight gain and diabetes.

Calories from carbohydrates are associated with aging, and low calorie diets can help to slow the aging process.

Can You Do Without Them?

The big question is can you do without carbohydrates all together? This question is still hotly debated.

Many doctors believe that we need some carbohydrates to provide glucose for the brain, as this is often regarded as essential for normal brain function, especially as the brain is such a metabolically organ and needs a lot of energy. However, the brain can work quite happily on fat as it's energy source, as can the body, and this may even be the best energy source for both of them for optimal health.

Diabetics can not process carbohydrates. This is the definition of diabetes. Carbohydrates in food produce glucose in the blood which can not be properly removed, and these high levels of glucose cause damage to nerves and major body organs by reacting with glucose. Diabetics need to restrict their carbohydrate intake, and many nutritionists recommend that the symptoms of diabetes can be reversed by avoiding carbohydrates completely.

Do healthy people need carbohydrates? This is still debated. Paul Jaminet believes that some starches are required for good health, which he calls "safe starches", such as white rice and potatoes. Other leading health experts such as Ron Rosedale disagree. Dr Mercola and Dr Briffa thinks there may be some truth in this for some people, but that the emphasis should still be on carbohydrate reduction.