{"id":1993,"date":"2019-10-12T10:30:34","date_gmt":"2019-10-12T14:30:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=1993"},"modified":"2022-03-09T09:29:57","modified_gmt":"2022-03-09T13:29:57","slug":"why-do-we-need-carbohydrates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/why-do-we-need-carbohydrates\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Do We Need Carbohydrates? 7 Critical Reasons"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The popularity of the paleo diet and its predecessor, the Atkins diet, have taught you that all carbs, even unrefined carbs, are bad. But avoiding carbs causes a slew of health problems. Why do we need carbohydrates?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We’ll cover the truth about carbs and look at studies of what happens when you dramatically reduce your carb intake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The Truth About Carbs: Problems with the Atkins Diet<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Eating a healthy, whole foods, plant-based (WFPB) diet means eating a lot of carbohydrates. The word \u201ccarbs\u201d strikes fear in some hearts. 
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Even though the high-fat, high-protein, low-carb diet espoused by Robert Atkins has been widely discredited (more research coming next), our food culture remains highly influenced by it. Books like The Zone Diet, The South Beach Diet, Grain Brain, <\/em>and The Paleo Diet<\/em> continue to tell us that carbs are bad and fat is good.
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A common argument in these books is that the low-fat diets of the past didn\u2019t work. But Americans ate 13 more pounds of fat, per person<\/em>, in 1997 than they did in 1970. Although we spent much of the 90s reading and talking about low-fat diets, we never really tried<\/em> them.
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Before we answer the question, “Why do we need carbohydrates?”, let\u2019s look at the research on low-carb diets to quell our fear of carbohydrates.
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Why Do We Need Carbohydrates? The Low-Carb Studies<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A meta-analysis of 17 studies (with a total of 272,216 subjects) showed a 31% increase in deaths for people eating a low-carb diet<\/strong>. Looking at the evidence of what happens when we don’t eat carbs can help us answer the question, Why do we need carbohydrates?
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Studies performed by the Atkins Center itself showed that 68% of people on its diet reported constipation, 63% had bad breath, and 10% experienced hair loss. The center also found increases in kidney stones, vomiting, missed periods, high cholesterol, vitamin deficiencies, and calcium in the urine.<\/strong>
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How did Dr. Atkins address these known side effects of his diet? He recommended his patients each take over 30 supplements a day to rectify these \u201ccommon\u201d dieting issues.
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Further, Paleo subjects, who also eat a high-fat, low-carb diet (they eliminate carbs from grains and legumes), show increased blood cholesterol and triglycerides.
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Conversely, high<\/em>-carb diets have been shown to reverse heart disease and diabetes, aid in weight loss, and prevent chronic diseases.<\/strong> Why do we need carbohydrates? Complex carbohydrates contain large amounts of vitamins, minerals, and accessible energy.
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But these benefits only come from complex carbohydrates from whole foods like vegetables, fruits, and whole wheat pasta. Eating refined carbs in white pasta, white bread, candy, and desserts clearly won\u2019t make you healthier.
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Summary of Recommendations<\/strong>: The Best Way to Get Your Carbs<\/h4>\n\n\n\n