[with_a_herring]

I have an even simpler explanation : They're both caused by eating.

More seriously, yes, I agree that sugar is nasty, but it's a bit too simple to blame it as the sole factor for all possible diseases that have a mechanism of action that hasn't been clearly identified.

[reissbaker]

It's not as simplistic a claim as you might be interpreting it as: another somewhat-well-supported theory of Alzheimer's is that it's essentially diabetes of the brain. [1] The GP's comment re: carbs and sugar was presumably referencing that theory.

[1] https://www.alzheimers.net/diabetes-of-the-brain/

[SteveCoast]

Exactly, and put better than I could.

It appears that the simplicity of the explanation is itself a problem. Surely - all these chronic diseases can't be that simply explained? Dr. Wahls essentially claims carbs are the root cause of MS, which she cured in herself (with the corollary that carbs eliminate other nutrition). Dr. Fung claims it's the root cause of diabetes. Prof Seyfried claims it's the root cause of cancer. It surely can't be that simple?

Reading all their work, and others, I'm struck that it's very much a five-whys scenario[1].

Also there are two points wrapped up in the original response. One is about the cause, but there's a bigger issue about the avoidance of the problem in a first place. If someone never eats refined carbs and therefor avoids the root cause, why would they care about the details of the cause? We care about the details insomuch as we would like to treat the disease, but today we can't do that. On the other hand we do know with a lot of certainty that eating well, fasting and exercising are good for us and avoid the problems in the first place. For some reason, that doesn't matter as much.

The downside with treating the disease is that you also enable it, like how we "treat" T2 diabetes by essentially just giving you more diabetes via insulin shots.

[1] - https://stevecoast.com/2015/03/27/the-world-will-only-get-we...

[smn1234]

Occam's razor

[itchyouch]

Interesting side note, when I did a 4-day water fast, I noticed around day 2 that my morning breath was virtually gone.

I figured there's always enough bacteria in the mouth to cause morning breath, food consumption or not, but there is definitely an exacerbation of mouth bacteria from food consumption.

[SketchySeaBeast]

When did your ketosis breath disappear?

[itchyouch]

IIRC, within hours of breaking fast. At most a day. Unless one still stays at significant enough caloric deficit.