[lambdaba]

Also, re: this caricature you make of these "keto" diet cancer plans, it's not true that the "body still runs on glucose", in fact only 25 grams of glucose are manufactured by the liver per day in the absence of dietary carbohydrates. And I don't claim to know the mechanisms, but I know FOR SURE that human beings (and no other animal for that matter) evolved to live on candy bars and sugar water, and that replacing one's diet with something species-appropriate and nutritionally replete is bound to have some effect.

[devilbunny]

To elaborate: red blood cells are the only part of the body that absolutely must use glucose, and they're not incredibly metabolically active.

[lambdaba]

Thanks, I didn't know. It's weird to see this misinformation about glucose being the primary fuel for human bodies while it's quite obvious human biology is optimized for fat burning. Glucose is just dealt with in priority because it's only safe in a tight band, and chronically elevated glucose in particular is disastrous to blood vessels. Humans should spend a decent amount of time in fat burning mode with periods of fasting and adequate magnesium intake and exercise for optimal vascular health.

[danachow]

Because it’s not misinformation - the body absolutely needs glucose homeostasis to survive - if you don’t eat carbs it will make it out of protein. The body has numerous mechanisms and basically dedicated organs for the conversion, metabolism, storage, and production of glucose. The whole Krebs cycle is built around the processing of byproducts of glucose - so you’re utterly full of shit that it’s “only safe in a tight band”. That the body can additionally use fatty acids in the form of ketone bodies as a stopgap is a testament to adaptability - but even people on keto require a homeostasis of a close to normal level of blood glucose. And how do they get this? Through the metabolism of proteins which can be amazingly converted to the glucose the body needs to survive.

This is high school level biology, and easily reviewed with 10 minutes on Wikipedia.

[lambdaba]

I did not say the body can't deal with glucose and as you point out, produce it on demand. What I meant by "in a tight band" was the chronically elevated glucose is damaging to organs as evidenced by what happens in advanced diabetes.

And the body doesn't need dietary carbohydrates, which was my point. It does absolutely need both proteins and fats without which starvation occurs.

[danachow]

I said the body runs on glucose (ie it is essential for survival) - you claimed that was misinformation (which it isn’t) - I said nothing about dietary carbohydrates.

Blood glucose levels for those on even the extreme keto diets will be regulated in the same range (60-90 mg/dl) as someone on a more conventional diet that does not have impaired glucose metabolism.

People with Type 1 diabetes still need insulin even if they are on a keto diet.

[lambdaba]

You said "at the end of the day your body still runs on glucose" which is NOT true on a ketogenic diet, as a mere 25 grams are manufactured by the liver as needed for (apparently) red blood cells.

Yes, I agree that ketogenic dieters still have glucose, obviously, my point was about CHRONICALLY ELEVATED glucose being deleterious for blood vessel health, which is widely known and, again, cause of the necrosis seen in late-stage diabetes.

I know of at least one T1 diabetic that is OFF INSULIN on a ketogenic (carnivore) diet.