Carbohydrates are NOT essential

Carbohydrates are not an essential nutrient. That is true, no matter what you may have read recently in Medical News Today. But the bigger question is, are carbs good or are they bad? In reality, that is a terrible question, because it all depends on who you are, what carbs you eat, how much and how often you eat them, and what else you eat. Let's unpack what we need to consider when deciding if carbs are "good or bad."
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[@BobDiaz123]

When I tried a Low Far/High Carb Diet recommended by my Doctor, I struggled to go from 260 pounds to 220 pounds. This took a massive amount of effort and in the end was unsustainable. I ended up gaining all the weight back and added 15 pounds more, 275 pounds. By using Intermittent Fasting and a Low Carb/High Fat Diet I was able to reach my target weight of 195 pounds. Other people may want me to try their ways, but I know what works for me. One year later I haven't gained the weight back.

[@jachin.mullen]

You are the best. Calling out illogical arguments and clearly defining terms. Science thanks you.

[@justdonis1891]

something bad they lying dverything eve raw meat bad and now they msgic in us side wtf

[@arrowodd7695]

Cant completely agree more, I started a lazy keto diet in March 2021. As of the end of Sept I've lost 50 pounds and my bloodpressure is in the normal range(was a bit high for my age). I eat less and my grocery bill has gone down as well. I also switched my cooking fats to lard and butter. I exercise twice a week mostly cardio. I feel great.

[@nickbardan3867]

I wonder how your cholesterol is

[@arrowodd7695]

@@nickbardan3867 good got great results from my yearly

[@jeanwilliamson3189]

What is a lazy keto diet?

[@elphi9445]

@@nickbardan3867 You're total cholesterol does go up on and the triglycerides go down on keto... there's a reason why this happens and it isn't bad.

[@arrowodd7695]

@@jeanwilliamson3189 just low carb diet really, I eat healthy veggies, avoid processed food, I stay away from most vegetable oils(my cooking fats are butter, lard, avacado oil, coconut oil), and ofcourse I don't eat sugar and try to find the safest sugar Alternatives. My net carb intake is under 50 and I eat twice a day. There is no strick guidelines I follow no crazy regiments and secrets. I just stopped eating the modern American diet.

[@thefunctionaloncologist7811]

Your videos are always thoughtful, data-driven, and engaging. Yours is an extremely valuable resource to educate the masses about nutrition. Unlike our local dietitian who told my DM1 Pt that he “needed” to eat at least 200 gm of carbohydrate a day! I literally pulled the apple out of his hand….. Kudos and many thanks!

[@beardumaw24]

OMG 200 grams of carbs a day ! This is why there is a Pandemic of fatty liver disease !!!!

[@jimfinseth5135]

After being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and an A1C1 of 9% I ended up on 4 meds per day. I went to a low carb diet, lost 25 lbs and A1C1 went to 4.8% without any meds. Low carb diets really do work.

[@zerocarbdoc]

Nice strong presentation! Thank you Doctor.

[@plazas1242]

Thank you for this podcast. I’m strict low Carb. Love this channel.

[@whomadethatsaltysoup]

Once again, big thanks for clearing up the many misconceptions regarding low carb and keto. No need to apologize for the repetition...as you said, we need glucose, but the body can make its own, so carbohydrates are absolutely not an essential nutrient!

[@intheflesh]

The body can make its own saturated fat as well so saturated fat is absolutely not an essential nutrient either!

[@mas-udal-hassan9277]

​@@intheflesh Essential fats and protein are required but there's no essential carbs

[@mas-udal-hassan9277]

It does it efficiently?

[@intheflesh]

@@mas-udal-hassan9277 there are some essential fats (none of which are saturated) and there are some essential amino acids. Does the fact that a fat or amino acid isn't essential mean that you shouldn't eat them?

[@jimmymuthami7130]

@@intheflesh Nobody says that because a food isn't essential it shouldn't be eaten. The fact remains that carbohydrates are NOT ESSENTIAL. That shouldn't be a point of debate for any scientist. You can survive without any carb in your life. But you can't survive without fat or proteins in your diet.

[@nocarbsnation]

Over 5 years low to zero carb, animal based lifestyle. A life saving decision for me! Thriving over 50 eating this way! My body doesn't need carbs.

[@mazedabari6438]

Yeah your body can do gluconeogenesis to convert protein to Carbs anyway.

[@pointshealthcoaching8474]

Thank you for shedding light on real facts

[@naciye3827]

We need more snd more medical professionals to shout this from the rooftops. To decide if carbs are good or bad, people need to be taught to work out the effects on insulin production.

[@jessicajohnson4087]

Thanks soooo much for this! I will share it several times 😊👍

[@banparlous2552]

Even fiber is unnecessary, as the only decent (for lack of a better term) study on fiber proved it was contraindicated.

[@peopleddiagram2920]

There is a published study which shows that people with constipation are advised not to eat fibre at all.

[@maureengreen3625]

Thank you. I'm just getting started, so it's very helpful to reinforce what is true and what is misleading.

[@albrackets8446]

The authors of the Medical News Today article got caught with their hands in the cookie jar!

[@berrybeamok1924]

Sticking to low carb 20-25net and mod protein mod fats...98 lbs in 12 months . My hb1ac was 47 down to 37 in 6 months ...no hunger And eating real healthy varied foods when I feel hungry...biscuits/bread etc taste bland or awful. Chocolate

[@TerriblePerfection]

Excellent video. I only wish you had mentioned that carbs are addictive for many people, which leads to all manner of health problems.

[@jeffreyadams648]

I think they are driving alcoholism and other mental disorders.

[@TerriblePerfection]

@@jeffreyadams648 What's weird is that you can find online information suggesting totally opposite views: that carbs create a positive mental effect, and that eliminating them decreases anxiety and depression. That kind of disconnect is exactly why I don't care about peer-reviewed papers or who has what credentials. I experiment on myself and listen to my own body. When I don't, I suffer. It's not rocket science but most people make fun of anecdotal evidence, as though it has no value. 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@awesomesauce3110]

@@TerriblePerfection😂😂 ignorant 😂😂

[@adamdavies4480]

@@awesomesauce3110far from it

[@rebeccaarcher3851]

We were so afraid to put my type one diabetic husband, 60 years old, on the carnivore diet…well, even to take him to the low carb diet! Anyway, he has been on the carnivore diet for a full year now and has never had the amazing control over his blood sugars since he was 16 and first diagnosed!

[@rebeccaarcher3851]

@@zlmdragon. Yes, still must take insulin! Before he was taking 75 to 80 units a day. And now he is down to 25 to 30 units a day. It was quite low before, but after a while your body makes its own glucose and so your insulin replacement must go up. It isn’t something to do lightly. We bought a book unfortunately I cannot remember what it was called. He lost over 60 pounds in a very short period of time! He had to learn to increase his fat intake. That’s what keeps his blood sugars level.

[@rebeccaarcher3851]

@@zlmdragon. I wish I could tell you to “follow your doctor’s advice“ but I don’t think they’ve been taught properly. This amazing man who made this video is wonderful! Dr. Cywes is also amazing and Dr. Ken Barry. I still don’t remember the name of the book.

[@mankymcmank]

@@zlmdragon. Type 1 diabetics will always need insulin. Its type 2 that you're thinking of.

[@uaebifvideo5472]

@@zlmdragon. check dr Richard Bernstein ,he is a type 1 and he's got a channel on KZbin.

[@uaebifvideo5472]

Dr Richard Bernstein has a channel on KZbin, dedicated to type 1 .

[@elphi9445]

Awesome assessment like always!!

[@pcfreakx]

Great work as always. Your editor is def going for some sort of, um, look with the orange skin and blue flashes in the shadows. I have a feeling someone tried the orange/cyan look and is still figuring it out :)

[@feelMYmeat]

Hello Dr. Bret Scher, Thanks for this very informative video. I appreciate your info and also appreciate your interviewing other experts in their field. You allow them to talk without interruption! I used to consume a lot of carbs in my younger days for my competitive sports. (I'm a strength and conditioning coach) Most people that I deal with think that carbs are an essential nutrient! Of course, they are not. I have adapted as the years have gone by. I'm currently 62 years old and have never been as healthy as I am right now. So these days, I train differently, and also I follow a 2MAD Carnivore lifestyle. Head over and see my no-nonsense body-weight exercises and daily carnivore meals - Good luck - Feel the Meat

[@truthseek3017]

Not good 🧑‍🦲🪦

[@jeanwilliamson3189]

Thanks for explaining and keeping me on track. UK - CUMBRIA

[@khtrill]

wonderful, informative video, Doc

[@emilye126]

Less than 20 carbs a day is for me..Been doing this for a year..50 pounds down..at my normal weight and I feel great!

[@paulfiedler9128]

Wow, great video. Thank you so much!

[@laurahodges6446]

Apparently, the author of the article has a political agenda (yes, people, political special interests exists even within the food industry), or the author and her publisher are academically apathetic. Typical amongst such articles.

[@Kyarrix]

I think it's correct to say not that special interests exist even within the food industry but that they exist especially within the food industry.

[@SimiAcheronsDemon]

For me carbs aren’t essential cause I‘m mostly intolerant to most carbs. The only carbs I can occasionally tolerate are macadamia nuts, 100% pure cacao chocolate, olives and avocado and carbs in dairy and eggs. I eat Carnivore. If I eat one of the plant foods above on a daily base well avocado gives me heartburn if I eat them every day so when my body craves olives, macadamia or dairy I eat it but only occasionally means either once a month or every 3 months. I can abstain and I thrive on beef, salt and water with occasionally eggs I get from a colleague who has hens which roam free on pasture. I had 38 years constant pain and asap I ditched all plant seed oils, grains and grain byproducts, sugar, sweeteners, fruits and veggies those pain vanished after 16 days being Carnivore this was in December 2019 and I‘m still pain free.

[@phillipharding6610]

Wow! I had 8 years on Nexium and did similar too yourself and now I Have Not had a single Nexium tablet for 3 years ! I occasionally try carbs or a Pizza and soon get told by my body ! Hahaha! Thanks for your story !

[@SimiAcheronsDemon]

@@phillipharding6610 our bodies are smart cookies and we should hear what our body tells us. In my case no doctor could verify what’s wrong and I visited a lot of specialists. I lived with the constant pain cause with painkiller I couldn’t functioning aka drive my car. I only took painkiller when the pain was so strong that I couldn’t go out of bed and at those days I called in sick. I‘m glad my colleagues respect my way of eating and when there is a celebration they usually try to cater not only to the vegans and vegetarians but to my needs too. Also nobody is miffed if I bring my own food to the table.

[@thomasjefferson8939]

What was the nature of your pain? I think a carnivore diet can work as an elimination diet... and allows people to add back in foods they can tolerate.

[@SimiAcheronsDemon]

@@thomasjefferson8939 I had constant pain in my joints, bones, muscles, ligaments and I saw rheumatologists and other specialists and yes Carnivore works wonders but asap I try to add back in veggies and fruits aka nightshades, goitrogens, oxalates, lectins aka spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, leafy greens and even asparagus or tomatoes and peppers my pain is starting again. The only things my body tolerates in very low amount are fatty fruits like avocado and olives and the only nuts which are don‘t causing reactions are macadamia nuts, I can eat mushrooms once every few weeks, same goes for a bit of chocolate and then the unsweetened kind aka 100% cocoa without added sugar or dairy and made with cocoa butter instead of palm oil. I eat beef, small amounts of pork maybe once in 3 months, lamb, game, fish, eggs, shrimps and cook with saturated fats aka ghee, butter, tallow and yep lard when I can get very fatty Iberico pork I render the fat to get lard. Iberico pork is raise on pasture and has access to acorns, isn’t raised with animal feed in barns. I‘m Carnivore since December 6, 2019 and was pain free within 16 days after going Carnivore means at December 22, 2019 after 38 years of living in constant pain and no doctor could give me a diagnosis what caused the pain and could treat it or cure it. If I wasn’t diagnosed with a NAFL in June/July 2019 and got kicked into my butt with this diagnosis I would be still being in pain, a T2D with dialysis and a kidney transplantation in my future. I took 10 prescription in 2019 now I take only 1 which is a blood thinner due to genetic thrombophilia. I found out I‘m mostly carb intolerant except for those fatty fruits, nuts, chocolate and mushrooms I mentioned

[@thomasjefferson8939]

@@SimiAcheronsDemon Fantastic. I really appreciate the detailed response and congratulate you on your progress. After three months on a near-Keto diet, some time-restricted eating, I've lost 10 pounds of belly fat, eliminated all digestive issues, and normalized blood sugars. I am lucky in that my general health is good, although I've lacked true vitality for years. I am 70 years old and wish I had discovered this science earlier. I suffer still from intense carbohydrate and sugar cravings and may need to do more elimination of even the "healthy" vegetables and fruits (berries mostly) that I eat. Right now my emphasis is on healthy meats, fish, eggs, vegetables, some nuts and berries. A big improvement but I still have a ways to go...

[@cezza100]

Thanks! I shall be sending this one on 🙂

[@jd01665]

Zero carb? Anyone except me? The protein provides plenty of glucose. I've only been eating meat and eggs for almost two years. My monitor shows me I can even end up with too high of a glucose on meat only. One egg will take the glucose up 10 mg/dL and if I eat a kilo of meat, my glucose will hit 100 to 110 easily, I can fast for two to three days before getting my glucose back down under 80 after a meal, which is where it should remain. So anybody that says you need carbs is just, well, wrong.

[@torstrasburg8289]

Long-standing carnivores wouldn't be around. They are the on-going scientific experiment leading to the conclusion that carbs aren't essential.

[@richarddavis1646]

ZC for 2.5 years. Lost 50lbs. Cravings gone. Sleep better. Libido better. No temptation for carbs.

[@hisairness28]

these above ground leafy vegetables are the ones super high in pesticides

[@jonnieinbangkok]

How is flour a "whole grain...when the grain has been processed to strip out its fat, fibre, and protein, leaving only the starchy component, which is then ground into dust 🤔

[@RealMonoid]

As a Type 1 Diabetic i am really happy that i got rid of most carbs.

[@matthewkaras7722]

Carbs are too broad a category to characterize like this. Lentils are not twinkies.

[@buzzlightyearandco]

I love me some beans

[@CAM-fq8lv]

Your posts are excellent. People will feel so much better if they start eating low carb.

[@Minney-Me]

And low sugar

[@CAM-fq8lv]

@@Minney-Me I would say no added sugar ever and very little fruit.

[@CarbageMan]

Oddly, I've been eating under 10% total carbs for three years. News to me it's not sustainable. As for "healthy grains," haven't had any of those for three years either.

[@ayyoubchalbi526]

I do know that carbs are not essential. But enjoying your food IS essential.

[@raquel5401]

My husband and I have been eating low carb, under 20 grams total per day for nearly 4 years. We are lean and healthy and have really high energy, despite being in our late 50's. So 45% carbs being unsustainable? I don't think I could eat that much if I tried.

[@Tmanaz480]

I've seen many articles that speak about essential nutrients, but then when they get to carbohydrate, they switch to quoting "recommend amounts".

[@daronolenus3911]

Don't give up the fight Dr. 👊👊The processed food industry has literally billions of dollars to block your informative videos. Eating fat doesn't make you fat.

[@datcheesecakeboi6745]

No one said it did

[@daronolenus3911]

Yes they did Stonehenge 🤣 In the 80s into the early 90s everything was fat-free. From skim milk to no FAT salad dressing to fat free cookies muffins. Fat was demonized. Fat made you Fat!! It was all a lie. If you remove the fat they have to replace with something else. SUGAR🐷🐷🐷.

[@datcheesecakeboi6745]

@@daronolenus3911 i dont remeber that but thats probally cause im not American And fat does make you fat So does sugar And so does carbs Why you may ask? Fat is stored energy Wanna know what carbs, suger and fat does? It creates energy that gets stored if you dont burn it off Every single thing is bad for you if you have to much Literally eveything

[@jaxfernandez3684]

@@datcheesecakeboi6745 yes, but out of the two, it is better to be in a caloric surplus of fat, because at least then, you can burn off the fat easier. Your body has two engines: the carbohydrate and fat burning engines. In order to get to your fat on your abdomen (or anywhere else), your body first has to burn through your glycogen stores (if you have surplus of carbs in your diet). This is because the body prefers to use up the carbs first, since they are quicker energy. As a result, you first have to climb a mountain before you even begin to burn the fats on your body. Sure, if you ate too many fats than your metabolism can manage for the day, you might gain a little fraction of a pound of fat, but at the same time, your body doesn’t have to go through a period of fuel transition phase. This means that the consequences of a caloric surplus of fats is negligible compared to a caloric surplus of carbohydrates. As a result, you can lose fat faster. Make sure you add more salt, though so that you combat the keto flu.

[@adamdavies4480]

@@datcheesecakeboi6745 this is incorrect. Except from the last part. If you have too much of something it will be bad. However, none of those things make you fat. Over consuming on calories makes you fat.

[@TBI-Firefighter-451]

When I ditched the Carbs (less than 10 total carbs a day) my overall health improved and in the past year I've lost 80 pounds and it is staying off, my bald spots have new hair growth and the diabetes is markedly improved and I am off Insulin. I am a Carnivore whom also eats a few Cruciferous vegetables too but only as a Treat. My overall health is Markedly improved. Sorry Doc but in my Book Carbs are Bad

[@christopherellis2663]

So, carbs can make a difference for one who would run a marathon, or dig a ditch; otherwise, they are optional, rather than optimal.

[@TechHead03]

The next challenge once you've lowered your carb intake and improved your health is to not become religious about it. I literally had to start eating more carbs just to prove to myself that they were ok because I had become religious. Low carb is a health tool that can work for a good amount of people. It's not supposed to be a weapon of war to hit people with - I'm NOT saying Diet Doctor do that. And I realise other diet religions are doing that too. I'm doing the higher protein, moderater carb, moderate fat thing and I'm doing my best not to see it as the next Messiah. I don't even want to give it a name lest it turn into a tribal thing. I appreciate Diet Doctor and Dr Scher. Keep up the good work. Pls excuse my somnewhat off topic impassioned words 😅

[@troglodyte8364]

Can never get sick of you telling the truth

[@majipoorcat]

Doctor, you are peer reviewing this article. As always, thanks for the information.

[@karmenprekalj7353]

Thank you !!!

[@theophilusmann7869]

FYI. Other journals are coming to the conclusion that the problem is not overeating but eating processed carbs. See recent article from The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

[@fearnot7500]

Can you please do video on women and carbs to make progesterone please?I gain weight everytime when I do carbs a week before my cycle and I am not happy with that but feel like I have to to balance my hormone.So confusing and frustrating.

[@charleswilson4598]

I see many articles that agree with you that carbs are not essential, but I also see other articles that say carbs are a necessary nutrient, but I lean toward the not necessary crowd,

[@datcheesecakeboi6745]

Carbs are good. Because if you look at athletes they eat alot of carbs because carbs give you energy you body uses energy no matter what You only add on weight when eating more carbs then you need and remeber everything is good in MODERATION

[@rand-san2095]

Apparently all the people that signed off on never read their Physiology textbooks properly.

[@DavidWebsterAD]

Have you done a video on "if fiber is necessary?". I'd like to get your view point on that. Carbs kill me. I'm a carbo-holic. No amount of carbs is good for my body. Esparragos make me depressed (seriously)

[@pragavirtual]

Short answer: no, for most its quite bad actually.

[@btudrus]

"Esparragos make me depressed" - but it is likely not the fiber, but the toxins / antinutrients in that Esparragos...

[@Anna-mi8cq]

@David Check out the Paul Mason's video about the fiber :)

[@DavidWebsterAD]

@@Anna-mi8cq Thanks, Yeah I saw that ONE! Looking for a consensus on a few things I guess.

[@myunghulee6282]

Fat is much better than carbohydrates hahaha

[@ciao98496]

Okay guys my doctor put me on Atorvastatin Calcium tablets 20 mg he didn't like my lipid results, my total Cholesterol was too high. Is this normal on keto? He said I must take the medicine.

[@Jasmine8212]

I went 1.5 years without a morsel of carbs or sugar and felt perfectly fine and had tons of energy as long as I had adequate amounts of animal fats to replace carbs however re-feeding on carbs every 3-4 months MIGHT be beneficial to prevent you from becoming resistant to carbs

[@sandyscuba6101]

Complex carbohydrates: fruits and vegetables.. Whole wheat and whole rice..all good for you..with fiber vitamins and minerals and low calories.. Corn, potatoes, white bread, pasta, sugar etc.. Spike insulin..

[@biodivers5294]

The study gave you another possebility to explain, that’s the good point of it 😉

[@alane3983]

My doc say my CT angiogram shows arterial calcification. Is recommending Statins. Is a low carb high fat diet helpful for heart disease? I have read that fat is bad for heart disease.

[@sheddkkhan6758]

How much ldl you have

[@dietdoctor]

Keto can improve cardiovascular health markers! www.dietdoctor.com/new-study-keto-improves-cardiovascular-health-markers

[@alane3983]

@@sheddkkhan6758 ldl & total cholesterol are already low. I’m resisting statins because of that. I’m on a plant only diet but have room to move regarding processed foods. They’re mostly eliminated except for a few items. The question I have is: “given my current circumstances, are my chances of slowing or stopping the progression of my heart disease better on this plant diet which is mostly a low fat, low protein, high carb (mostly from whole foods) diet or is it better to switch to the opposite, a high fat, low carb, whatever protein diet? Both camps talk about various diseases being improved, but I don’t hear much about heart disease from the low carb side.

[@stuartfretwell8185]

Glad youv doctor got the balls to stand for the truth because the truth sets you free

[@13DMUSIC431]

Doctor I’ve tried for 24 hours to eat no grains (pasta, rice, bread) and eaten healthy (broccoli, meat, fruit) but I feel tired after a couple hours even though my mood and energy are boosted to the max. So then I eat some pasta because I get worried to not be healthy and so I can’t keep up with the no-grains diet. What can I do in this case? Cheers❤

[@dietdoctor]

You may find this guide helpful. Also please check in with a doctor regarding keto or carb restriction if you are on medication. www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/keto/supplements

[@coffeemachtspass]

Published on April 1st?

[@Angelo64172]

The situation is always when we talking about carbohydrates, we refers as energy only, we need check about cell to cell communication function. Of course I do not talk about a big piece of elaborated carbohydrate, bread, French fries etc, just a smaller amount of natural carbohydrates. It is important check the chapter about cell to cell communication.

[@jimbeaver27]

ya, like if we don't include a Keto diet then low carb diets aren't as good as moderate carbs - anyone who has done Keto knows that Keto can heal your entire body and your metabolism never felt so good, staying on Keto sure isn't going to harm anyone - I do eat a bit of carrot and sweet potato, these are the kind of carbs my body likes and give you good nutrition

[@misselle3049]

Is it still ideal to go low carb if you’re suffering from adrenal fatigue?

[@Katyklb]

If it can help I completely burnt out my system in 2019. Based on personal experience I would do low carb to ketovore but no IF as it can add additional stress to the body. I'm fully recovered and never felt better.

[@misselle3049]

@@Katyklb Thank you. That was my main concern with IF and the potential of it adding too much stress to my body.

[@vicki5472]

I have tried keto multiple times and every time I get a really bad rash all over my chest that is very itchy. I have tried to push through methods it doesn’t go away I have tried many other solutions that people have said and it doesn’t go away. The only thing that makes it go away is to up the carbs. Now that is when I use 20 g of carbs a day but earlier in the video you mentioned 100 net carbs a day. So if I stick with under 100 net carbs would that work? I have 100lbs to lose.

[@dietdoctor]

You may find these links helpful. www.dietdoctor.com/how-low-carb-is-low-carb www.dietdoctor.com/keto-rash-people-itch-low-carb

[@kaykirby9179]

LC/keto/ carnivore with about 20 grams carbs per day for 7 years and it is very sustainable. No problems and no issues.

[@zlatto]

Is it true that the body needs healthy insulin spike, from higher carb day, at least once per week to make hormone conversions, and for the thyroid, as well for testosterone?

[@dietdoctor]

We have a guide that discusses higher carbohydrate days and for whom they may or may not be beneficial. www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/carb-cycling

[@AnarchyEnsues]

Its really true if you dont want to be in a catabolic mode all the time.

[@thruefact]

Everything in moderation. We don't not to be eating 3 days times a day. Only eat when hungry and do not overeat.

[@Dirandra1506]

The problem is when you eat high carb, you're going to get hungry again in much shorter time compare to high fat, it is much worse when sugar added into the mix, so we can't say 'eat in moderation' or 'don't eat 3 times', when people keep consuming junk food, soft drinks, etc.

[@myrhev]

I am glad that diet doctor goes at videos the way it does. I sometimes watch vegan videos suggested to me because I ate that way at one time. Both their videos and comment sections often come across as a religious cult.

[@vas4739]

Like everything else when it conflicts with evidence based data - follow the $$$. Who’s funding, who’s editing, who’s narrative is it leaning & speaking against.

[@terry2346]

Excellent as always! The keto diet is working quite well for me and I have lost weight and normalized my blood sugars with it. HbA1C is much improved and hoping to see it normalize in the next few months. BP is also down thanks to wt loss and exercise. I am staying with this lifestyle -- I do not call it a diet as that means you will be going off after reaching a goal --- And it is VERY sustainable.

[@torstrasburg8289]

It's not “a” diet, but simply diet. Diet just means the kinds of foods one eats.

[@Starchaser63]

Do we need carbohydrates 🤔 ... are you 18 or 68 . Are you tall and big mesomorph or skinny 🤔 Ectomorph . What about Genetics. What are your stress levels ( financial, relationship , divorce etc ) are you in highly active employment or a Desk job 🤔 what is your medical history...its important to mention all these factors when giving dietary advice 😊

[@mobiustrip1400]

Great segment guys! I lost 60 pounds on keto. Took me one year. Then I found it unsustainable as I missed toast, fruit and oat bran So I re-incorporated these macros. However, I find that I get satisfied with less of them especially as I do 18/6 two meals a day.

[@LuciaAronica]

👍Biased scientists beware: DietDoctor is watching you! 🧿

[@mkoschier]

Context matters I do not know any world class long distance triathlete on low card to the contrary

[@mas-udal-hassan9277]

8:23 Wrap it up. Carbs aren't good or bad.

[@simonnattrass2171]

@bret you completely missed the point straight off from the bat - carbs are essential because they are the PRIMARY SOURCE OF FUEL! TOTALLY MISSED THAT, SADLY!!

[@OctopusH2O]

Only if you are eating more carbs than fat

[@simonnattrass2171]

@@OctopusH2O Yeah I was quoting from the article's claim that carbs are primary but as you say only primary if you make them primary.

[@adamdavies4480]

I want to agree with you because you’re not demonising carbs, however half of that is incorrect. Carbs are not an essential macronutrient, but that does not mean the should be avoided by any means. Your last part is correct. Your body’s preferred source of energy is in fact carbs. However if you deprive yourself of carbs, your body will start to use protein stores, then fat stores, then ketones. Essential is to suggest it’s a “must” to survive.

[@sturdydyydyd]

What are we talking about? I'm a 15 year old and I just want to find out how much carbs are optimal and healthy for me. I workout every day. I do time restricted eating and want to also support my brain function as well as other parts of my body. I've heard the brain needs carbs to function and learn? Is this true or not? Can the body -even a young one- create it's own carbs, while eating the keto diet? Could my general energy levels drop if I stopped eating say like 50% less carbs in my diet. Also I'm a girl. Do women use carbs somehow differently than men? I need to know the answer to these questions, please.

[@DrAJ_LatinAmerica]

True - No one size fits all. Some people cannot process high fat keto diets. Some people do great on 60% carbs. So do great on high fat carnivore. Some do best on "carnivorish" with 20% carbs. So many variables, so many disease, malformations of various items in the body, variations in DNA,... And some people flat out hate meat, others love meat....we are humans. No one size fits all. Just yesterday seen a guy who drinks a minimum of 12 beers a day, 350lbs @ 5' 9" tall, smokes two packs of cigarettes a day, takes medication for almost everything, 92 years old and still walking around. None of these things are recommended. In fact they have all clearly been shown to be the opposite of good health promoting. Go figure. Also had a very healthy, young, fit, female die in her sleep a couple months ago, would have never in my life guessed she was going to die, all blood markers in perfect range. Know a young kid who died of dehydration. Had another die of over drinking too much water. We must treat one patient at a time. Treat the human, treat the individual is so very important. This is the problem with studies. Who did they study? Did they study you or your mother or your neighbor or a person in another country... "results may vary" and "buyer beware" are the statements that can be applied to any eating plan. Seek out want works for you, make changes, use periodization....keep moving forward. Whole foods as much as possible, no box, bottle, bag or can as much as possible is a great start. Frequent blood testing and even tissue sampling as well as regular CT, MRI, ultrasounds for various items. Use your personal data to drive direction. Look for something you can afford and sustain.

[@contrarian717]

Carbs better than Keto/LC for some people with reference to good testosterone, SHBG, thyroid. It's a matter of self testing and finding your sweet spot, I guess.

[@VolkyHaus]

you are not getting the message, carbohydrates are essential for many pockets

[@TerriblePerfection]

Exactly. So many livelihoods depend on us eating garbage.

[@adamdavies4480]

@@TerriblePerfectioncarbs does not = garbage

[@nadinabbott3991]

Once you understand the why, a low carb, high fat diet is very sustainable.

[@philais]

I'm under 20 carbs and doing a carnivore diet x7m0 and doing g great

[@gerlachsieders4578]

Very wise words doctor, I as (near) future dietitian I can appreciate your words. So maybe we can do without carbs in our diets, but why burden our livers with producing glucose thru gluconeogenesis? Paul Jaminet has a scientific approach to how much carbs in our diets are optimal, in his book The Perfect Health Diet: too little, we make our own glucose; to much, we dispose of as fat. So there is a Natural Carb Intake, a happy medium, neither to much nor to little, a U-curve as you will. According to Paul's approach, our natural carb intake is approximately 25% energy intake, which equals 600 carb calories or approximately 150 grams carbs per day. A little less for sedentary people, I little more for physically active people. So, ancestral carbs can indeed have a healthy place on our plates. Kind regards from the Netherlands, Gerlach.

[@torstrasburg8289]

Where is the evidence that gluconeogenesis burdens the liver? The liver is fully equipped for this job, honed through countless years of evolution. That said, it makes nutritional (and psychological) sense to include some amount of favorable carbs in the diet.

[@erinnstreeter]

The problem is how they're making this argument. It's not the carb value of plants that's of value; it's the presence of micronutrients and fiber in those foods that are potentially beneficial. But that's NOT what is stated in the paper - instead, they're boldly claiming it's the carbs-turned-glucose that are necessary, which science has proven is just not factual.

[@taoist32]

Others are saying you don’t need plants at all since our digestive system can break down fats and protein much easier while plants cannot be digested well since our physiology is more carnivore than it is herbivore. We cannot break down the cellulose. And, when you look at history, animal based tribes have survived healthier than any vegetarian based tribes (only a few exist in human history). Plants are used more as herbal medicine and incense which are not taken daily, but only when an individual becomes sick and out of balance.

[@preal246]

How about carbs for children and pregnant women Doc?

[@amyk6028]

I love that you call BS out even if it's written by "experts."

[@datcheesecakeboi6745]

Well they are experts Carbs are essential for you body function

[@peterkropotkin1158]

@@datcheesecakeboi6745 thats objectively false

[@adamdavies4480]

@@peterkropotkin1158not essential, but extremely healthy and beneficial

[@saltrock9642]

Ordered some carbohydrate supplements from GNC last week. On back order……go figure.

[@microcolonel]

Carbs are nice sometimes, but we've never discovered an essential carbohydrate; how is this not basic knowledge?

[@intheflesh]

We've never discovered an essential saturated fat either. How is that not basic knowledge?

[@microcolonel]

@@intheflesh Not sure what you're trying to get at. These are both basics yes. I mean, I knew as a teenager that LA and ALA are the only characterized essential fatty acids (though, as with carbohydrates, there is dietary insufficiency separate from deficiency)

[@intheflesh]

@@microcolonel Hard anti-carb groups: "Carbs aren't essential so you don't have to eat them!" This slowly morphs into you * should not * eat them because your body can make them. Does anybody utilizing this logic ever extend this to saturated fat? I would venture to say you're one of the few that would even venture to make an honest claim to be well aware that saturated fat isn't an essential nutrient. Let alone, be bold enough extend the logic to other non-essential nutrients. Basically, making a big to-do about how dietary carbs aren't essential for bare survival is vegan-tier logic and we should avoid doing it.

[@microcolonel]

@@intheflesh I literally said that you can be carb insufficient. Why are you being such a jerk? I don't even know you, and you definitely don't know me lol. You are expressing some generic frustration you have with people who think that low carb is the only element of good diet, but you might notice that neither the video nor my comments said that lol.

[@intheflesh]

@@microcolonel I don't think I am. Sorry you feel that way. I am using your comment to point out the absurdity that this should be common knowledge anymore than the fact that saturated fat isn't essential should be. I replied to about 8 people this way. I'm doing this because it's important that people stop fighting about absurd shit like carb intake and focus on the real problem.

[@alex-cc8jr]

Your argument is correct in the big picture, but wrong on one detai if the biochemistry I was taught 20 years ago is still validl. Fats and proteins in general are not essential in this sense either, specific aminos and fats are, as you noted. Pentose sugars are essential for healthy life, especially ribose, but this has nothing to do with energy, its about DNA and RNA synthesis and repair. However the quatity required is tiny and, while I have not seen any data, I suspect that you get enough pentose sugars in a moderate protein diet. Hexose sugars, often in starches, are not essential. The issue is that pentose sugars are synthesized so slowly we cannot make enough, just as with some aminos. This is not an excuse for a high fructose diet though. I think the move to insisting that doctors aim to reverse type 2 diabetes rather than manage it, using low carb and fasting and many other factors, is a huge positive move in current nutrition.

[@cyndimanka]

No, you do not need to eat fruits and vegetables. I have been 90% and more carnivore since April 2022 and it is January 2023. Vegetables are inflammatory to me. They cause arthritic flares and I can get all of the nutrients I need some beef and eggs.

[@jeffreyadams648]

Has anyone found that low carb makes you more irritable?

[@jaxfernandez3684]

Not at all. Make sure you are taking in more salt along with the fats. Low potassium and sodium can cause you to have the keto flu, which causes your “irritability.”

[@intheflesh]

Neither is saturated fat. What of it? ;)

[@Shocker8MTA]

I just remembered, when i used to eat pasta sometimes, i was still hungry after 2 hours. So carbohydrates doesn’t provide energy

[@agentperry8347]

They do

[@adamdavies4480]

They most certainly do and it’s been proven.

[@lf717]

They provide energy, but it doesn't last very long, considering they're easy to absorb. All in all, only useful if you are about to lift heavy weights in the next 4 hours or run a lot and you need to maximize performance. Even then, I still keep under 20g, a little bit in the morning, 10g before training.

[@nikyabodigital]

Bro it's not easy lifting weight if you don't eat carbs... i feel it

[@jimmymuthami7130]

I was the same until I became fat adapted which took me over 6 months.

[@toni4729]

If we needed carbs I'd have been dead years ago. 😏

[@nickbardan3867]

I agree that carbs are not good but I'm still afraid that fats are not good also. So what's left ?🤔

[@CarbageMan]

Wait, did you listen to what he said? Some carbs are fine (low glycemic load, for example.) In the same way, some fats are not fine (seed oils and trans fats, for example, and that part was not in the video.)

[@torstrasburg8289]

Just saying fat is too general. There are many types of fat. Some are unhealthy, some are healthy. Regardless, there are essential fats so they must be eaten. Also, there is no evidence that the decades-long vilification of animal fats is justified.

[@nickbardan3867]

@@torstrasburg8289 everything is so confusing these days because there is too much to choose from. Before people ate whatever they could find and they were probably better off.

[@torstrasburg8289]

@@nickbardan3867 Hear-hear. But scientific understanding, including nutrition and biochemistry, will continue to grow. To our benefit.

[@nickbardan3867]

@@torstrasburg8289 It's just that the stress of not knowing what to eat anymore is unhealthy for mind and body.

[@Philly1958]

Follow the money

[@jamescalifornia2964]

~ Very interesting. Was vegetarian when young - then plant-based Mediterranean with some lean animal protein for decades. _( Nathan Pritikin _ I just started to go very low carb / natural fat / higher protein. Lost 30 lbs. Off BP medication. My brain seems to have "come alive " and my mood is improved. I have much to learn 👌

[@ciao98496]

James I was raised Ovo-lacto Vegetarian, I am 54 now and I am unable to eat meat even if I want to. I can only stomach Albacora Tuna and Tilapia, I can't even eat chicken or turkey. How did you get your low carb and protein in? Can I eat eggs daily? My black beans and Garbonzo beans are too high in carbs. Any suggestions for me?

[@melisand8295]

Thank you for the links. I get so annoyed by the ridiculous misinformation peddled by vegans! 🙄

[@johnnysnell123]

Hi Dr Scher, interesting article yesterday 'People who ‘can’t fit into jeans they wore aged 21’ risk developing diabetes' in the online Guardian newspaper yesterday. It seems that people who are in energy balance are being advised to lose even more weight as they are 'too heavy for their own body' . I wonder why researchers and doctors are so reticent to talk about visceral fat? If I can understand the concept anyone can. Also they are being advised to take 800 calories a day in vegetable soup. Sounds very sustainable!

[@amitloutube]

10 years ago fat was bad. Every one is in preprimarry school when it comes to diet advice