brain and carbs

I heard that the brain only gets it's energy from carbs. I'm starting
a low carb diet and this has me somewhat concerned ...

If the brain needs dietary carbs, then Inuits all die of stupidity,
right?

The brain can do aerobic respiration same as any other organ
and that means it can burn all of the fuel types.

Somewhat true. When not in ketosis, the brain uses glucose as a source
of energy. When in ketosis, the brain is able to switch to primarily
using ketones for energy but still requires some glucose to function.

However, the brain's glucose requirements in ketosis are fairly minimal
(20g to 30g per day in ketosis vs. 100g when not in ketosis, iirc).
Keep in mind that your body can acquire glucose from a variety of
sources: dietary carbs, dietary protein, or from breaking down muscle.
So you're not going to suddenly become stupid if you low carb; there's
plenty of places to get that glucose from.

Ketosis is a starvation response to prevent us from dying. The body
switches to primarily fat burning to use the stores it saved up during
the times of plenty. It would be weird for us to evolve over millions
of years with a mechanism for storing excess calories but then have our
bodies break down a lot of muscle tissue to keep our brains working.

joe

asdf wrote:
I heard that the brain only gets it's energy from carbs. I'm starting
a low carb diet and this has me somewhat concerned ...

You've gotten good answers from people already, I just wanted to add...

The brain can be used to read the FAQ or one of the many good low-carb
books out there.

wrote:

If the brain needs dietary carbs, then Inuits all die of stupidity,
right?
The brain can do aerobic respiration same as any other organ
and that means it can burn all of the fuel types.

Somewhat true. When not in ketosis, the brain uses glucose as a source
of energy. When in ketosis, the brain is able to switch to primarily
using ketones for energy but still requires some glucose to function.

However, the brain's glucose requirements in ketosis are fairly minimal
(20g to 30g per day in ketosis vs. 100g when not in ketosis, iirc).
Keep in mind that your body can acquire glucose from a variety of
sources: dietary carbs, dietary protein, or from breaking down muscle.
So you're not going to suddenly become stupid if you low carb; there's
plenty of places to get that glucose from.

1) Aerobic respiration uses acetyl-CoA. That can be made inside
the mitochondria from glucose or in the liver from fatty acids and
flow through the blood.

2) When fat is burned each molecule is cut into a glycerol and
3 fatty acids. Two glycerols are combined into one glucose. As
a result roughly 10% of the energy from fat is in the form of
glucose.

3) Glucose comes from burning protein as well.

Ketosis is a starvation response to prevent us from dying.

No. Ketosis is a predator response triggered by eating the foods
eaten by predators. Okay, your statement isn't false it just
misses my more important point. There is nothing whatsoever
wrong with ketosis so calling it a "starvation response" does not
state what ketosis is really for.

The body
switches to primarily fat burning to use the stores it saved up during
the times of plenty.

Or when we've eaten like a successfull predator.

It would be weird for us to evolve over millions
of years with a mechanism for storing excess calories but then have our
bodies break down a lot of muscle tissue to keep our brains working.

The starvation response bit actually does that. Lean is burned in
preference to fat during actual starvation because lean tissue
takes more fuel. This is why folks on low protein diets lose lean
and end up "skinny fat" with shrunk muscles.

"asdf" writes:

I heard that the brain only gets it's energy from carbs. I'm
starting a low carb diet and this has me somewhat concerned ...

Yes, your brain will starve and die. I had mine preserved and
shellacked, and keep it on the mantle as a conversation piece.



--
Aaron -- 285/235/200 -- http://www.myspace.com/aaronbaugher

"No one understands how important sex is better than someone who isn't
having it."

asdf wrote:
I heard that the brain only gets it's energy from carbs. I'm starting
a low carb diet and this has me somewhat concerned ...


I can't recall ever having had a brain.

What good are they?

With the internet, I never need to actually read a book anymore. I just
ask and somebody gives me the answer.

So, again, my question is "Who needs a brain?"

Don't worry about it at all.


Sincerely,


Strawman from Oz


--
1) Eat Till SATISFIED, Not STUFFED... Atkins repeated 9 times in the book
2) Exercise: It's Non-Negotiable..... Chapter 22 title, Atkins book
3) Don't Diet Without Supplemental Nutrients... Chapter 23 title, Atkins
book
4) A sensible eating plan, and follow it. (Atkins, Self Made or Other)

Doug Freyburger wrote:
:: wrote:
:::
:::: If the brain needs dietary carbs, then Inuits all die of stupidity,
:::: right?
:::: The brain can do aerobic respiration same as any other organ
:::: and that means it can burn all of the fuel types.
:::
::: Somewhat true. When not in ketosis, the brain uses glucose as a
::: source of energy. When in ketosis, the brain is able to switch to
::: primarily using ketones for energy but still requires some glucose
::: to function.
:::
::: However, the brain's glucose requirements in ketosis are fairly
::: minimal (20g to 30g per day in ketosis vs. 100g when not in
::: ketosis, iirc). Keep in mind that your body can acquire glucose
::: from a variety of sources: dietary carbs, dietary protein, or from
::: breaking down muscle. So you're not going to suddenly become
::: stupid if you low carb; there's plenty of places to get that
::: glucose from.
::
:: 1) Aerobic respiration uses acetyl-CoA. That can be made inside
:: the mitochondria from glucose or in the liver from fatty acids and
:: flow through the blood.
::
:: 2) When fat is burned each molecule is cut into a glycerol and
:: 3 fatty acids. Two glycerols are combined into one glucose. As
:: a result roughly 10% of the energy from fat is in the form of
:: glucose.
::
:: 3) Glucose comes from burning protein as well.
::
::: Ketosis is a starvation response to prevent us from dying.
::
:: No. Ketosis is a predator response triggered by eating the foods
:: eaten by predators. Okay, your statement isn't false it just
:: misses my more important point. There is nothing whatsoever
:: wrong with ketosis so calling it a "starvation response" does not
:: state what ketosis is really for.

Thank you, doug. You kept me from having to say something similar. People
assume that ketosis has something to do with starvation specifically because
the body switches over to ketones once glucose is depleted. But obviously,
one can not be starving and still be in ketosis, so it should be clear that
ketosis isn't a starvation response.

::
::: The body
::: switches to primarily fat burning to use the stores it saved up
::: during the times of plenty.
::
:: Or when we've eaten like a successfull predator.
::
::: It would be weird for us to evolve over millions
::: of years with a mechanism for storing excess calories but then have
::: our bodies break down a lot of muscle tissue to keep our brains
::: working.
::
:: The starvation response bit actually does that. Lean is burned in
:: preference to fat during actual starvation because lean tissue
:: takes more fuel. This is why folks on low protein diets lose lean
:: and end up "skinny fat" with shrunk muscles.

Don't worry, your brain is so small it doesn't require energy. HTH


"asdf" wrote in message
oups.com...
I heard that the brain only gets it's energy from carbs. I'm starting
a low carb diet and this has me somewhat concerned ...

"Jbuch" wrote in

So, again, my question is "Who needs a brain?"

Politicians certainly are not using theirs! LOL

You don't need to be worried. Other foods can also give energy to your
brain. Let's not exagerate your concern.

Conny
http//sweetpaprika.lipblogs.com