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I'm all about staying open-minded in the world of nutrition. But let me tell you, the diet wars out there can make your head spin. Seriously, it's like trying to navigate a maze blindfolded. So, if you've ever wondered why everyone seems to be on a different diet and you're left wondering what's what, you're not alone.
Tell me this hasn’t happened to you: You're scrolling through social media, and bam, you stumble upon an influencer who swears that their diet is the Holy Grail to solve all your health problems. They're singing praises of a particular diet like it's a pop hit, and it's easy to get a little sucked in. I mean, if eating chia seeds can give you superpowers - sign me up!
The most confusing part is, many of these influencers aren't out to mislead anyone. They're genuinely excited about the results they're seeing, and some of it is legit. But here's the catch – the long-term health effects of these diets are often uncharted territory. If no one has studied it long term, then no one knows what effect this diet is going to have in 10-20-30 years. That's where I start to worry.
I've got friends and family who are caught in the crossfire of all these conflicting diet ideologies. They're like, "This one says eat keto, that one says go vegan, and now my head hurts, so I'll just stick to my old favorites -pizza and burgers." It's a case of diet-induced fatigue, and I don't blame them for feeling this way.
Because I went to nutrition school and paid for education in how to understand this stuff, I figured I had better do the boring dive into the research and find the answers to my questions. So, I decided to start with tackling one simple question. (One at a time here folks, let’s not get too crazy!)
What’s the science behind the macronutrient diet wars, (the debate between the low-carb high-fat guys, and the low-fat high-carb gals) and where does all the controversy come from?
If you’ve been asking the same question, please read on! This is my CliffNotes summary of one research article attempting to answer this question.
Carbs, Proteins, and Fats: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
First up, carbs. Low-carb, high-fat evangelists tell you that carbs are the root of all evil – they're like the supervillains of the food world. They claim that the key to good health is chomping down on meat, bacon, and avoiding carbs like the plague. But is it really that simple?
Truth: Obesity rates have indeed surged in recent years, and so has our carb consumption. The main culprits in modern diets are starch, sugar, and high-fructose corn syrup. The other carb -fiber, is largely underrepresented in modern diets with 95% of Americans getting less than the recommended daily amount.
Counter Argument: Fiber, found in foods like legumes, whole grains, veggies, and fruits, is the unsung hero. It's associated with a wealth of positive health impacts (think preventing obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes). In fact, fiber is more protective against cardiometabolic disease than even low glycemic index or low glycemic load diets.
Most of the positive effects of fiber are thought to be due to fiber's ability to feed our gut microbiome, which in turn makes short-chain fatty acids for us. These amazing short-chain fats appear to have a protective effect against obesity even when we exclude the fiber consumption (at least in mice) where 3 months of short-chain fatty acid supplementation reduced BMI and abdominal fat mass.
And don't forget about resistant starch – it's another carb worth mentioning. It's like the secret agent of carbs, helping people with obesity shed fat, lower cholesterol, and improve insulin resistance.
Now, let's talk fats. If someone’s arguing against the low-carb bandwagon, they’re likely anti-fat. Their message is simple: The fat you eat is the fat you wear.
Truth: Fats are the highest calorie-containing macronutrient in our diets, and when researchers need to induce obesity in animals for metabolic studies, they use either a high-fat diet (60%) or a high-ish fat diet (45%) along with added sugar. These diets deposit fat not just n the animal’s fat tissue, but also in their livers and muscles, causing insulin resistance, fasting hyperglycemia, and metabolic disease. So we know that at least in animals, high fat diets are a fairly reliable way to cause obesity and metabolic mayhem.
Counter: But, and it's a big BUT, not all fats are equal. These fat-inducing diets don’t use just any fat to make the research animals obese, they use lard. And lard is a particular type of fat that is called a saturated long-chain fatty acid. These are the true mischief-makers. Healthy omega fats, like those in fish oil or algae oil, play by different rules. They're like the responsible adults at the party.
It’s the type of fat that needs to be talked about here. Not all are created equal. Fats serve a bunch of extremely important roles in our bodies: as components of our cell membranes, the building blocks of hormones, and as super-fuel for energy production. Some fats make these processes more efficient, while others make them sluggish. In general, when fats are liquid as opposed to solid, they are less harmful and more beneficial. Just remember, the ones that stay liquid at room temperature are generally the good guys.
Last but not least, let's give some love to protein. In the diet wars, protein often flies under the radar. People are either protein-lovers and actively trying to get more of it (for the gains bro!) or just not thinking about it at all. We all know we need some, but most people tend to get enough without trying too hard, and you rarely hear about someone having a protein deficiency these days unless they are generally malnourished.
Interesting Facts: Over history, our protein intake has stayed fairly stable, despite the carb and fat rollercoaster. This might be because we instinctively seek the right amount of protein. It's called "protein leverage," and it's like our bodies have a built-in protein detector. If there's not enough protein in our diet, we'll keep eating until we hit the target.
Because of this, one hypothesis is that as the protein content in modern foods has generally decreased, our eating has increased to make sure we are still meeting that same necessary intake each day. This has been validated in some free-eating experiments. People’s natural instincts lead to excess food consumption in diets where the protein:calorie ratio is lower, and they eat less overall when the protein:calorie ratio is high.
So, if a higher-protein diet means less calories eaten, then protein must be good right?
But here's where things get twisty: high-protein diets can be a double-edged sword. Short-term, they improve insulin sensitivity for obese folks, but long-term, they up the odds of someone developing insulin resistance and diabetes. Go figure!
Interestingly, when fiber was added to the low-protein diets of mice, they overate less and gained less weight. So fiber may have another benefit of appetite regulation for those on lower protein diets.
In general, our modern day diet contains less protein and promotes obesity. Yet, chronic low-protein diets are associated with better metabolic health and longer lifespans. These low-protein diets are the diets found in the blue zones of the world, where we find the most centenarians (people who live over the age of 100).
So where the heck does that leave us on protein?
In the end, moderation is the name of the game, and source matters too. You need protein, but don't go overboard. Focus on proteins that come with a side of fiber – think less meat, more beans. And remember, don't obsess over trying to max out your protein intake.
In a Nutshell:
Did that make the muddy water any clearer? I honestly don’t know.
I just hope it shed a little light into how complicated nutrition research is, and how short-term results are often not predictive of long-term health outcomes. It's all a bit bizarre!
In attempts to summarize, here's a few key takeaways to remember:
Fiber is king, and we need more of it. It helps our guts bugs produce short-chain fatty acids which are protective against weight gain and insulin resistance, and it may help reduce overeating for those on lower-protein diets.
Eating resistant starch is an awesome way to make carbs more blood-sugar friendly.
All fats are not equal! Healthy omega fats (like those in fish oil) act totally differently in the body when it comes to weight gain and metabolic health versus saturated fats (like those is red meat, high-fat dairy, and coconut oil).
P.S. Keep in mind that animal studies aren't an exact roadmap for humans. Take those mouse diets with a grain of salt, or maybe a pinch of fiber!
So, there you have it – a glimpse into the diet wars and the complicated world of nutrition. It's like trying to solve a never-ending puzzle, but we're all in it together. And hey, If you’re a nutrition geek like me and want to dive deeper, go for it:
If you have any confusing nutrition conundrums that you’d like me to dissect, please let me know! Nutrition is my jam and I’m always looking to learn more.
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