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You can live in perfect health on close to zero fat intake. I very much doubt that - quite the opposite, you can live in perfect health on close to zero sugar

by Evgeny 12y ago

You can live in perfect health on close to zero fat intake. I very much doubt that - quite the opposite, you can live in perfect health on close to zero sugar intake. In fact, there are essential amino acids, and there are essential fatty acids, so you can not live without either protein or fat. There's nothing like "essential sugars", however. Sustained zero sugar/carb intake is extremely stressful for the body and sends catecholamine levels way up, accelerating aging. I'm interested to see sources for "low carb accelerates aging" claim.

a8da6b0c91d 12y ago
The idea of essential amino acids is silly because it's impossible not to get enough from almost any diet. No experiment has ever succeeded in inducing an EFA deficiency. It's like calling air essential. Well, yes, but that's not a factor worth worrying about here on the surface of the earth. Sugar/starch is more rightfully considered essential because glucose is clearly the preferred fuel for animal cells. Glucose deprivation leads to disease.
- Evgeny 12y ago
  No experiment has ever succeeded in inducing an EFA deficiency. You may look up Pellagra. It is, of course, not a threat in a modern western society, but it used to kill people. Not even an experiment, but something that happened in nature. Yes, there are reasons to consider EFA deficiency. Would a person die horribly if good sources of fat and protein are abundant, but glucose is not? I don't think so. Glucose deprivation leads to disease. Again, I would like to see some source. What particular diseases? There are whole groups of peoples (i.e. Inuit, Maasai) who were eating diets almost entirely lacking glucose before Western foods became available to them. Do you realise, at least, that the body can produce it's own glucose from the excess fat (Gluconeogenesis)?
  - a8da6b0c91d 12y ago
    Pellagra is a vitamin B deficiency. It has nothing to do with EFA. I repeat, there is no such thing as an EFA deficiency. Nobody has ever induced a disease by restricting EFA intake because it's impossible to fail to get enough. A person eating nothing but fat and protein will have chronically elevated adrenalin and cortisol, will prematurely age, and be more prone to various degenerative diseases.
    - Evgeny 12y ago
      Pellagra is a vitamin B deficiency. It has nothing to do with EFA. You could at least look up the first line of a Wikipedia article? Tryptophan is an essential amino acid. It can be caused by decreased intake of niacin or tryptophan,[1] and possibly by excessive intake of leucine. Anyway, in the absence of any sources there's not much I can gain from this discussion, unfortunately.
      - a8da6b0c91d 12y ago
        You are confusing amino acid and fatty acid. Two totally different things. I realize now I made a typo reinforcing your misunderstanding higher up.

by Evgeny 12y ago

a8da6b0c91d 12y ago

The idea of essential amino acids is silly because it's impossible not to get enough from almost any diet. No experiment has ever succeeded in inducing an EFA deficiency. It's like calling air essential. Well, yes, but that's not a factor worth worrying about here on the surface of the earth. Sugar/starch is more rightfully considered essential because glucose is clearly the preferred fuel for animal cells. Glucose deprivation leads to disease.

Evgeny 12y ago
No experiment has ever succeeded in inducing an EFA deficiency. You may look up Pellagra. It is, of course, not a threat in a modern western society, but it used to kill people. Not even an experiment, but something that happened in nature. Yes, there are reasons to consider EFA deficiency. Would a person die horribly if good sources of fat and protein are abundant, but glucose is not? I don't think so. Glucose deprivation leads to disease. Again, I would like to see some source. What particular diseases? There are whole groups of peoples (i.e. Inuit, Maasai) who were eating diets almost entirely lacking glucose before Western foods became available to them. Do you realise, at least, that the body can produce it's own glucose from the excess fat (Gluconeogenesis)?
- a8da6b0c91d 12y ago
  Pellagra is a vitamin B deficiency. It has nothing to do with EFA. I repeat, there is no such thing as an EFA deficiency. Nobody has ever induced a disease by restricting EFA intake because it's impossible to fail to get enough. A person eating nothing but fat and protein will have chronically elevated adrenalin and cortisol, will prematurely age, and be more prone to various degenerative diseases.
  - Evgeny 12y ago
    Pellagra is a vitamin B deficiency. It has nothing to do with EFA. You could at least look up the first line of a Wikipedia article? Tryptophan is an essential amino acid. It can be caused by decreased intake of niacin or tryptophan,[1] and possibly by excessive intake of leucine. Anyway, in the absence of any sources there's not much I can gain from this discussion, unfortunately.
    - a8da6b0c91d 12y ago
      You are confusing amino acid and fatty acid. Two totally different things. I realize now I made a typo reinforcing your misunderstanding higher up.