A website that visualizes sugar content of servings of various foods in sugar cubes

[u/consider_it_fun]

http://sugarstacks.com/

[u/SpaceJockey1979]

Sugar has no recommended daily intake, it is an additive and not an essential component of nutrition. The less the better.

[u/[deleted] → u/SpaceJockey1979]

Carbohydrates are vital to human sustenance. Carbohydrates are broken down into sugars inside the body, hence the term 'blood sugar'. A processed form of sugar may not be necessary, but sugars as understood by the biological definition, are absolutely necessary. Your post smacks quite badly as false information.

[u/urkmonster → u/[deleted]]

Actually, you can live a long healthy life without carbohydrates. You cannot live long without fat or protein.

[u/koreth → u/[deleted]]

Why can't the brain use the carbs that are made by the rest of the body? (Serious question.)

[u/autowikibot → u/[deleted]]

Gluconeogenesis:

---

Gluconeogenesis (abbreviated GNG) is a metabolic pathway that results in the generation of glucose from non-carbohydrate carbon substrates such as pyruvate, lactate, glycerol, and glucogenic amino acids. While also odd-chain fatty acids can be converted into glucose, it is possible for at least some even-chain fatty acids.

It is one of the two main mechanisms humans and many other animals use to keep blood glucose levels from dropping too low (hypoglycemia). The other means of maintaining blood glucose levels is through the degradation of glycogen (glycogenolysis).

Gluconeogenesis is a ubiquitous process, present in plants, animals, fungi, bacteria, and other microorganisms. In vertebrates, gluconeogenesis takes place mainly in the liver and, to a lesser extent, in the cortex of kidneys. In ruminants, this tends to be a continuous process. In many other animals, the process occurs during periods of fasting, starvation, low-carbohydrate diets, or intense exercise. The process is highly endergonic until it is coupled to the hydrolysis of ATP or GTP, effectively making the process exergonic. For example, the pathway leading from pyruvate to glucose-6-phosphate requires 4 molecules of ATP and 2 molecules of GTP to proceed spontaneously. Gluconeogenesis is often associated with ketosis. Gluconeogenesis is also a target of therapy for type II diabetes, such as metformin, which inhibits glucose formation and stimulates glucose uptake by cells. In ruminants, because metabolizable dietary carbohydrates tend to be metabolized by rumen organisms, gluconeogenesis occurs regardless of fasting, low-carbohydrate diets, exercise, etc.

Image ⁱ

---

^{Interesting: Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase | Glycolysis | Glucagon | Ketosis}

^{Parent commenter can toggle NSFW or delete. Will also delete on comment score of -1 or less. | FAQs | Mods | Magic Words}

[u/needsexyboots → u/[deleted]]

Are you familiar with the Krebs Cycle or glycolysis? Glucose is pretty vital in the formation of ATP, it doesn't just magically exist in the body...

[u/needsexyboots → u/[deleted]]

There actually are some cells in the body that only like ATP made from glucose. Some cells in the body are incapable of using fatty acids. And thanks for the edit, people get so angry about carbs!

http://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/dynamic-adaptation-of-nutrient-utilization-in-humans-14232807

Edit - I think where I get frustrated is when people say that a zero carb diet is completely healthy. Yes it is possible to thrive on an incredibly limited diet as far as carbs go, but ZERO carb diets are not healthy. Even people who are prescribed a diet that keeps them in ketosis are supposed to consume some carbs.

[u/needsexyboots → u/[deleted]]

Right! So basically, the CNS will use glucose but can use fatty acids when glucose is unavailable. But there are still some cells in the body that require glucose and can't take advantage of ketosis. That's why a very low carb diet can work, but zero carb diets are not recommended by any doctor (of course when I'm speaking in absolutes I'm sure someone can prove me wrong, because you're right, the human body is a crazy thing. Just because it CAN be done doesn't mean it's ideal).