Hi
@Beating-My-Betes,
Have you seen the study by David Ludwig, who has found that in subjects on a low-carb diet (20% carbs) were able to burn about 200 more calories while maintaining the same weight (
https://www.bmj.com/content/363/bmj.k4583) compared to a high-carb diet? However, for the most insulin-resistant individuals (high insulin levels at the start of the diet) the difference was close to 500 calories per day. For me personally, I interpret this that the composition of the diet makes a difference and not just the total number of calories, and therefore consitutes quite convincing evidence for the Carb-Insulin-Model (CIM). What is your take on the study?
I've not read it, yet. I will do, though it might take a while to parse. From first-glance, however, there are a couple of red-flags. Firstly, calling 60% carbs high-carb is tantamount to calling 200g carbs low-carb. I guess it all depends on what they set as fat percentage (not got there yet). But am I write that it was a free-living study?
Ultimately, while I'm not prepared to dismiss it out-of-hand, I think there is a disconnect between what the study seems to aim to show (Or how it describes CIM) and the way that CIM seems to be interpreted/used out in the 'real' world. Maybe it's because it's been a while since i went straight the the source (I have good reasons not to), but CIM is often used to blanketly reinforce the idea that because insulin is involved in the storage of fat and because carbs increase circulating insulin, that leads people to conclude that carbs cause weight/fat-gain, independent of calorie intake/expenditure, and for the same reason they conclude fat-loss can't happen on a high-carb diet.
Anyway, i will look through it.
Personally, what I think what is missing in much of the research is the realization that not everyone is the same. There are lots of people who have no problem with carbs (primarily those who are insulin sensitive), however those of us who are insulin-resistant and are genetically predisposed to diabetes don't do well in a high-carb environment (and for us the CIM may very well hold). (Thus, the saying -- genetics load the gun and the environment pulls the trigger.)
I agree not everyone is the same, but I do tend to believe that there is a split between a common majority and a smaller minority of anomaly/outlier cases. I'd imagine this to be the case for those on either side of the great carb divide.
I know we were involved in a 'pm' conversation about genetic-predisposition, and I know i never got back to you (Sorry about that
). I'm still yet to be convinced that aside from that anomaly/outlier quotient I referred to, earlier, that the majority of people would actually have difficulty dealing with a high-carb diet, in is truest form i.e with the commensurate true, low-quantity of fat. because it's certainly not the case that those who do well on carbs are not insulin-resistant.
Now I really have to go. I'm breaking the terms of my own agreement with the current in-thread moderator. My pm's are always open
