theAmericanCurmudgeon

There are lots of diets. Most of them are bunk. So let's look at some basic knowledge that we understand about biology & nutrition.

First, we start with a definition of terms. Good science always has terms. Once they are defined, things become much clearer...

• ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate): this molecule is biology's basic currency of energy. ATP molecules are an end result of our metabolic processes. These molecules are used as a common currency to provide the energy to drive all our bodily functions. Some nutrients provide far more ATP than other nutrients. For instance, metabolism of a Fat molecule provides a MUCH greater number of ATP molecules than does metabolism of a Carbohydrate molecule. Wikipedia has this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adenosine_triphosphate

• Mitochondria: these are organelles found in almost every cell of your body, usually thousands per cell. There two classes of cells in your body that do not have mitochondria — most importantly your mature red blood cells. This is an important fact we will come back to later. Mitochondria are the organelles that produce almost all the energy in your body. Mitochondria use Fats & Carbohydrates to produce ATP along with other byproducts. Wikipedia has this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitochondrion

• Essential Nutrient: You might think this is easy — essential means it's required to live & thrive. But, of course, it's not quite that easy. When it comes to diet, Essential Nutrient does not solely mean that you need it to live. It also means that you must get it from your diet. In other words, your body cannot make the nutrient, therefore it must come from outside your body through diet. It is Essential in your diet.
  
  Good examples of this are Vitamin D & Vitamin C. Both of these vitamins are essential for you to live & thrive. Vitamin D can be made by your body — just stand outside at noon on a sunny day, wearing only your swimsuit & in 20 minutes your body will make about 20,000 IU of Vitamin D. However, no matter how long you stand in the sunlight, your body will not make Vitamin C. Cows make their own Vitamin C, but we humans can only get Vitamin C from our diet. So, Vitamin C is an Essential Nutrient, whereas Vitamin D is not. Wikipedia has this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutrient#Essential_nutrients

In addition to the classification of nutrients into Essential or not, nutrition also has a separate classification scheme based on the amount of a nutrient that we need. Note that this is a separate classification than Essential or not.

• Micro-Nutrient: These are nutrients of which we only need small amounts. Typically the dosages are in micrograms (mcg), or milligrams (mg). Vitamin A requirements tend to be in the mcg range. Vitamin C requirements tend to be in the mg range. Micro-nutrients are generally, Vitamins & Minerals. Note that while some vitamins are essential, and some are not, all minerals are essential. Your body will not make Iron, Calcium, Sodium, Boron, Zinc, Magnesium, etc.

• Macro-Nutrient: These are nutrients of which we need and/or consume large (macro) amounts. These are typically measured in grams or ounces. The 3 macro-nutrient categories are:

  • Fats
  • Amino Acids (consumed as proteins)
  • Carbohydrates

Let's make a table that categorizes these things according to their different classifications — it might help in understanding this mess of confusion.

​ Nutrient	​ Essential?	​ Non-Essential?
​ Vitamins	​ Some	​ Some
​ Minerals	​ All	​ None
​ Fats	​ Some (2)	​ Some
​ Amino Acids	​ Some (9)	​ Some
​ Carbohydrates	​ None	​ All

Just to complicate things a little more, let's add one more category of nutrients that most people don't know about, and other people know about but don't talk about: Anti-Nutrients.

WTF?
Anti-Nutrients are things we get in our diet that are actually bad for us. Examples of these are:

• Poisons: Cyanide, for instance. Almond & Apple seeds contain amygdalin. When crushed, e.g. chewed, amygdalin can be converted to cyanide. These are generally found in nuts & seeds.
• Lectins: These are proteins, and in humans (and other animals) they can cause a disruption in the adhesion between the cells of your intestine (leaky gut). Gluten is a type of lectin, but Lectin is a much broader category. Lectins are found in all plants. Because they are proteins, they can be inactivated through cooking. Note that "can be" does not necessarily mean "all" or "completely". They can also be neuro-disruptors as well. The nerve gas Ricin is derived from castor beans. They can also cause agglutination of your red blood cells.
• Phytates: these are generally found in nuts, seeds, & legumes. Phytates bind to minerals — so when you consume phytates, they can cause malabsorption of the essential minerals in your diet. Cooking can remove some phytates, but the generally preferred methods are soaking in an acid solution or pickling. This is why you soak beans overnight before cooking them.
• Oxalates: these are basically salts of oxalic acids. Many plants contain oxalic acid. The acids from the plants combine with minerals in your body and form little oxalate salt crystals. These are usually excreted in your urine. But if you eat an oxalate-rich diet, or don't metabolize oxalic acid well, these can cause "stone" problems.

Note that all of the examples of anti-nutrients above come from plants.

Wait! WTF? I thought plants were good for you? I thought the body needed glucose from carbohydrates to run the brain? It turns out, not so much.

Remember the "gotcha" part of Essential Nutrient was that your body could ONLY get the required nutrient from your diet? Your body will make glucose. The process is called gluconeogenesis. So glucose is NOT an essential nutrient - by definition.

So how much glucose do you really need?
About 20 grams per day, or about 5 teaspoons. At any time of the day, you only have about 1 teaspoon of glucose circulating in your blood stream.

What about my brain? Doesn't it use glucose for energy?
Yes it does. But it also can use ketone bodies which are produced by metabolizing Fats. And your brain gets more energy from ketones than from glucose.

TL;DR: Carbohydrates are NOT an essential part of your diet...