The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #169358 Message #4093781
Posted By: Steve Shaw
19-Feb-21 - 06:26 AM
Thread Name: BS: Keto diet - anybody try it? Like it?
Subject: RE: BS: Keto diet - anybody try it? Like it?
I've been trawling around the research regarding carbohydrates and mental health (some of it of questionable quality, mainly because of one-track-mindedness and the setting aside of significant confounding factors). The best research is that which seeks actual biochemical mechanisms which may influence brain function. There isn't any settled science as far as I can glean, in fact there's a bit of divergence between the pro-carb and anti-carb arguments. One conclusion that is largely agreed on is that highly-refined carbohydrates (sugars and white flour, for example) are in the "suspects" box - but, as I said, good science requires that we start to explain specific biochemical mechanisms. That's the only way to rule out confounding factors such as the pre-existing physical, physiological and mental state, lifestyle, gender, age and medical history of the people being studied. There's no question that high-GI carbs in large amounts (which are not natural components of the diet, except in small quantities) make blood sugar controlling mechanisms work hard and can cause undesirable ups and downs in that regard. A lot of the research has that as its starting point. I haven't found much convincing evidence that the more complex carbs that release their sugars into the bloodstream more steadily, via digestion and absorption, have had a finger pointed at them by rigorous research. Evidence is thin, and it ill-behoves anyone to advocate diets that rule out complex carbohydrates beyond saying "this seems to have helped me, but it may not apply to you, so seek good advice from medical professionals first..."