Many proposed healthy diets today focus mainly on macronutrients -- proteins, carbohydrates, and fats -- and whether or not we should be excluding some and eating more or less of another. But perhaps the problem isn't with the the nutrient itself, but rather the modernized versions that often take its place. Can we judge a healthy diet based solely on grams of carbohydrate, or does it matter whether the carbohydrates come from cupcakes or a bananas?
Carbohydrate Confusion
The answer may seem obvious. Of course, a banana is healthier than a cupcake. But many discussions today, whether they be conclusions of studies or simply popular opinion, tend to put all carbohydrates together in one group. The result? That cupcake gains status as health food when compared to a steak.
Today, the average person consumes 156 pounds of sugar per year. Since a commonly-held belief is that saturated fat is the villain in the Standard American Diet (thanks to the faulty lipid hypothesis), many observers have already chosen the culprit for which modern dietary ills are to blame, ignoring the sugar content of a diet while focusing on the fat.
The Pima Indians: a Change in Carbohydrates
The Pima Indians have lived in southern Arizona for over 2,000 years. Their traditional Native American diet includes fish and game, and is heavy in high-carbohydrate foods like corn and beans. In the mid 1800s, the Pima were described by visitors as "healthy" and "vibrant."
After settlers formed a route through their land, local game was hunted to near-extinction and the water from their river was severely depleted. They began to depend on government rations to avoid starvation, which included sugar and canned goods (Taubes 2008: 237-238).
Today, the Pima suffer from high rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes, which is the result of a combination of processed foods and what could possibly be a "thrifty gene", a genetic predisposition that causes the body to metabolize calories in a manner that is more efficient during times of scarcity.
Carbohydrates are Not Created Equal
The Pima Indians are just one example of many that illustrate the problem of processed, high-sugar carbohydrates. Stories of cultures around the world have shown that along with the introduction of modern foods come modern diseases, including metabolic syndrome, hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes. Even within our own culture, we can look back over the past century and see that changes in diet -- changes that include limiting the amount of natural fats and increasing the amount of refined carbohydrates -- have proven to be alarmingly counterproductive.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only; it should not be used for diagnosis or to guide treatment without the opinion of a health professional. Any reader who is concerned about his/her health should contact a licensed medical professional.
Sources:
- Taubes, Gary. 2008. Good Calories, Bad Calories. New York: Random House, Inc.
- Inderscience Publishers. "Genetics Has Key Role In Obesity." ScienceDaily, 17 Oct. 2007. Web. 23 Sep. 2011.
Elizabeth Davis - Liz is mom to a toddler, an avid researcher of issues related to food and diet, and experienced in nutrition and supplementation.
