Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll be aware of the latest nutrition cult screaming through your Twitter feed and assailing one ingredient in particular: Carbs.  If the low carb brigade wasn’t loud enough, the Deputy Labour Party Leader, Tom Watson’s latest weight loss transformation and diabetes reversal (for which he credits a carb-cull) has sent the pasta haters into overdrive. ‘Low-carb diets should be prescribed on the NHS!!!’ they scream with their Keto-stinking breath.

One campaigner of note is London-based cardiologist, Dr Aseem Malhotra – the creator of the popular Pioppi Diet which advocates eating minimal amounts of sugar and refined carbohydrates (white pasta, white bread e,t.c.). He believes saturated fat in dairy products is better for heart health and has been wrongly demonised by health bodies such as Public Health England. Malhotra (who advised Watson on his weight-loss diet) hit the news again last week when he accused Public Health England of trying to ‘shame’ him for supporting Watson’s low-carb, sugar-free diet. Sounds like an awful lot of fuss over a couple of cakes and a (delicious) crusty baguette, right?  With all this contradictory advice becoming increasingly political, you’d be forgiven for being confused about the nutritional properties of your takeaway pizza*.
*N.B PLEASE don’t be thinking about nutrition whilst enjoying takeaway pizza. Life is way too short for that shit babes.

After calling on the help of dietitians, scientific research and good old fashioned common sense, we have concluded that a low-carb diet is not the healthiest option. Sorry dear Watson. On tax increases, welfare benefits and anti-privatisation of Royal Mail you are 100% correct. But on diet, I am afraid, you are crudely mistaken.

1. EATING CARBS WON’T MAKE YOU FAT

On his website, Malhorta argues: ‘Refined carbohydrates fuel the over production of insulin, which in turn promotes fat storage. In other words: it’s not calories from fat themselves that are the problem.’ Because of this brain-wave, he admits: ‘I very seldom touch bread and have got rid of all added sugars’. Three points and a gold star for you doc. The truth is, according to several review studies which have formed empirical scientific evidence and advice from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition: It is the overconsumption of calories that leads to obesity and therefore type two diabetes, NOT carbohydrates or sugar specifically. First off; let’s look at how diabetes happens.

According to Professor Bruce Blumberg and Raquel Chamorro-Garcia – both specialists in human biology and nutrition from the University of California – it all starts with the pancreas. They explain that a hormone called Insulin is secreted in the pancreas after eating. Insulin is vital for helping cells to absorb the glucose (and therefore, energy) that remains once the food has been digested and enters the blood stream.  Diabetes (type 2) happens when the cells do not respond to insulin and therefore become ‘insulin resistant. In type one Diabetes – which occurs from birth – there is a problem with insulin production in the body. In overweight individuals, the increase in free fatty acids in the blood stream is thought to contribute to reduced insulin sensitivity in the tissues, leading to increased glucose levels in blood. By shifting excess weight, the fatty acids are reduced, meaning the body’s cells are able to absorb insulin more effectively.

As sugar and some refined carbohydrates get converted to glucose in the bloodstream very quickly (high glycemic index), it may seem logical to assume that these ‘naughty’ sugars put a greater strain on our insulin function than other foods. Plus, a handful of animal studies have shown that overconsumption of certain sugars (namely fructose) can have a particularly diabetic-enhancing effect on insulin absorption. HOWEVER, when it comes to humans, there remains no accepted evidence that sugar or carbohydrates themselves has a specific effect on the development of diabetes, over and above other components.

As explained in a 2016 review paper published in the British Medical Bulletin which looked at 50 different studies on diet and diabetes, ‘Epidemiology within countries, especially the more reliable prospective studies, find little to suggest that sugar has any causal impact on T2DM [type 2 diabetes], aside from its role as a source of calories. ‘Eating extra calories from any source will lead to weight gain, promoting T2DM.’

2. EATING CARBS IS NOT THE SAME AS EATING SUGAR CUBES FFS

On lonely Friday nights I can usually be found rinsing BBC Iplayer for every worthy documentary it has to offer. Don’t say I don’t know how to party. But recently, one particular doc riled me up so much that I was forced to abstain from Iplayer binges for at least a week (thank GOD Bake Off in on channel four now). ‘The Truth About Carbs‘, in which a TV doc travelled up and down the country, shaming fat people for eating a plate of pasta, was hands down the most shockingly unscientific ‘science’ programme I ever did see. The doc further confused the nation by categorising carbs into three groups; ‘beige carbs’ (pasta, rice, etc), ‘white carbs’ (refined sugar aka THE DEVIL *eyeroll), and ‘green carbs’ (fruit and veg – acceptable, apparently, because they contain fibre). Firstly, may I point out that fruit and vegetables have never, in all of the scientific literature and accepted public health information, ever been considered a ‘carbohydrate’ in practical terms. Doing so only puzzles viewers further and runs the risk of them shunning fruit and veg all together for fear of ingesting the ‘bad’ carbohydrates – which, as we know, is not healthy for anyone.

Next, our celebrity doctor tried to illustrate the amount of glucose in delivered by the digestion of any particular food. A jacket potato, he said, is equivalent to 19 sugar cubes given the amount of glucose released into the blood after eating. Needless to say, this analogy is a) unscientific – white sugar we eat is not the same as the sugar produced by the body for energy, and b) entirely unhelpful to anyone. Apart from maybe the sugar cube company who get to see their glistening produce on t’tele. The amount of glucose in the blood after eating any food is totally irrelevant to our health, unless it is in excess of your overall calorie intake. Too much glucose will be converted to glycogen and stored in the liver and muscles (hence obesity is associated with fatty livers). Too much glycogen will be stored as fat…just as too much of anything will be.

3. CARBS ARE FULL OF GOOD SHIT

Carbohydrates are our bodies’ main source of energy and without them and the resulting glucose, we’d struggle to feel energised. Plus, it’s not just glucose that is released when we eat carbs. Starchy food, particularly of the wholegrain variety, contains a lot of fibre  – it’s recommended that we consume 30g per day (we currently consume an average of 18g). Diets high in fibre are associated with a decreased risk of bowel cancer and cardiovascular disease – including diabetes – and they help you poo (v important imo). Carbs are also full of B vitamins, calcium, selenium and folate (in fortified breakfast cereals). Although conflicting studies suggest differing conclusions as to whether more fat or more carbs is preferable for a long, healthy life, the general consensus seems to be (as accepted in the review literature) that 50 per cent of calorie intake should come from carbohydrates. In both of the recent wide-scale studies looking at carbs and death rate, it appears that those who got roughly half their calories from carbs – and ate a healthy, balanced diet – lived the longest. …and this is pretty much what is recommended by the UK guidelines. Case closed.

4. CARBS KEEP YOU FULL

According to The British Dietetic Association, slow releasing carbohydrates such as brown rice, porridge, new potatoes, sweet potatoes and wholegrain bread are highly effective at keeping us fuller for longer – fighting off hunger pangs and reducing the temptation to snack. One could argue that it is for this reason that a diet high in wholegrain foods is consistently shown to be associated with reduced risk of premature death from obesity-related illnesses such as diabetes and some cancers. By basing our meals around wholegrain carbs, we are more likely to stay satiated until the next mealtime. As said by dietitian Sian Porter: ‘While we should reduce the amount of sugar in our diet, particularly added sugars, we should base our meals on starchy carbs, particularly the less processed wholegrain varieties.’

5. THERE REALLY AREN’T THAT MANY CALORIES IN CARBS

Consider a plate of sauceless pasta. I bet you think the bowl is brimming with calories, right? WRONG. It’s actually under 200. In fact, there’s roughly the same amount of calories in one largeish chicken breast. This is because gram for gram, there are the same number of calories in protein as there are in carbohydrates (4g) . Fat contains 9g. Hence, if you cut carbs out of your diet you’ll probably lose weight…just as if you cut protein out of your diet, you’ll probably lose weight. Plus, if most of your calories come from fat, you’ll a) probably feel less full so be more likely to snack and b) be more likely to go over your daily calorie allowance. Duh.

6. CARBS MIGHT MAKE YOU HAPPY

Several studies – including one published in the journal SAGE – have found links between the amino acid tryptophan (precursor to ‘happy hormone’, serotonin) and carbohydrate-rich foods. Whilst the evidence is shaky (it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what it is within the carbohydrate-rich food that fuels tryptophan secretion) the British Dietetic Association do say that intake of carbohydrates can have a positive effect on both mood and cognitive ability.  One study from Tufts university in the US found that those on low-carb diets performed poorly on memory tasks, compared to non low-carbers. When carbohydrates were reintroduced, cognition skills returned to normal.

7. EVERY SINGLE CREDIBLE EXPERT SUGGESTS YOU EAT CARBS

After the SACN report (Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition) about carbohydrates was released in 2015, the low-carb brigade were up in arms that the Govt health advisory body had dared take such a balanced, sensible stance. The body – made up of 20+ top experts in the fields of nutrition, biology, public health, medicine and gastroenterology from some of the country’s leading academic institutions – concluded: ‘Overall, the evidence from both prospective cohort studies and randomised controlled trials indicates that total carbohydrate intake appears to be neither detrimental nor beneficial to cardio-metabolic health, colorectal health and oral health. However, this report highlights that there are specific components or sources of carbohydrates which are associated with other beneficial or detrimental health effects. The hypothesis that diets higher in total carbohydrate cause weight gain is not supported by the evidence from randomised controlled trials considered in this review.’The recommendations are as follows: ‘The dietary reference value for total carbohydrate should be maintained at an average population intake of approximately 50% of total dietary energy.‘

The report was then critiqued by another five nutrition experts as part of the Science Media Centre review. All five unbiased professors concur the body’s recommendation for sufficient carbohydrate in our diets. Public Health England, the NHS and the British Dietetic Association all sit in the same camp; as does my favourite GP, Dr Ellie Cannon. PLEASE DON’T LISTEN TO BOOK SALESMAN OVER THESE CREDIBLE PEOPLE.

8. CONSIDER YOUR MENTAL HEALTH

Food avoidance and restriction is considered to be one of the many pre-cursors to serious eating disorders including anorexia and bulimia. Studies have also shown significant correlations between restrictive diets and the eventual development of Binge Eating Disorder. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out that the more you deny yourself something, the more your mind and body wants it in unhealthy amounts. Even restrictive eaters who don’t go on to develop an eating disorder experience OCD-like symptoms and rate their quality of life as significantly impaired. Give your brain a break. Have some toast.

9.  YOUR BREATH MIGHT STINK

When the body is starved of carbohydrates, it breaks down fat for an alternative source of energy. During the process, chemicals called ‘ketones’ are released and make their way around the body…including up the oesophagus and into your throat. What results is an ammonia/acidic/acetone stench pouring from your mouth each time you dare to breathe. SXC.

 

10. BREAD!!!!

How can you possibly say no to these beauties… ?