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Question: Low carb diet...will it screw me up in terms of growth and developing?

(Posted by: lyla on 2010-02-26 14:31:32)

I'm 15 and have not been eating properly for about 18 months now (only around 1200 cals a day which, compared to my friends who eat 4000- 6000 is 'undereating') but I'm about 5 foot and 8- 9 stone which isn't really skinng/ slim at all. If I go on a low carb diet, for a few months, will it screw up my 'growing' for I haven't grown upwards in about 3 years now. I wondered if my lack of eating had anything to do with being short and if no carbs will really finalise my 'staying short' forever. thanks

Posted by: cyn_texas on 2010-02-26, 14:38:39

Low calorie & high carb diets are both detrimental to the health of a growing body. Diets with high carb levels trigger insulin. High insulin levels unbalance other hormones like sex hormones & growth hormones. Anything less that 9 grams of carbs per hour controls insulin and is considered low carb (up to 144 grams per day). There is no better way to bring the body to the state of optimal health than with a low carb way of eating. Low carb doesn't cause high blood pressure, high blood sugar or high cholesterol, it cures it. It is actually dangerous to take meds that lower these levels and do low carb at the same time because the levels will become dangerously low. U.S. government guidelines were changed 35 years ago to suggest we lower our fat intake & increase our carb intake. American society followed these recommendations & lowered their fat intake by 11% & increased their carb consumption. In this same time frame obesity, diabetes, heart disease are all at epidemic levels. Through their direct effects on insulin & blood sugar, refined carbohydrates are the dietary cause of coronary heart disease & diabetes. A low carbohydrate diet is a high fat diet. The protein should only be a little higher than adequate. Although it is completely possible to live on a fat/ protein only diet for long term (as proven by research done in a hospital setting) it becomes boring fairly quickly. Luckily many vegetables & some fruits, nuts & seeds are low in carbs & greatly expand the diet. Most long term low carbers eat as many, if not more non starchy vegetables than vegetarians. Glucose is the bodies preferred fuel (if you want to get technical, it actually burns alcohol most efficiently, but that doesn't make it any healthier for the body than carbs), the body can convert 100% of carbs, 58% of protein & 10% of dietary fat into glucose. The body can also be fueled by fat (dietary fat & fat cells) but only in the absence of carbs. Your brain actually prefers* to be fueled by ketones (part of the fat burning process), it does require glucose also, but glucose can be easily converted from excess protein if needed or dietary fat. Plaque build up in the arteries is more attributable to carb consumption than dietary fats, which seems to be the conclusion of the following study. Carb consumption raises triglycerides & VLDL (bad cholesterol). Fats raise the HDL (good cholesterol). High triglyceride levels & low HDL levels are an indicator of plaque & glycation - the precursors to a heart attack & heart disease. heartscanblog.blogspot.com/ 2009/ 1… study from the Oxford group examining the postprandial (after-eating) effects of a low-fat vs. low-carbohydrate diet. (Roberts R et al, 2008) Postprandial lipoproteins, you'd think, would be plentiful after ingesting a large quantity of fat, since fat must be absorbed via chylomicrons into the bloodstream. But it's carbohydrates that figure most prominently in determining the pattern and magnitude of postprandial triglycerides and lipoproteins. Much of this effect develops by way of de novo lipogenesis, the generation of new lipoproteins like VLDL after carbohydrate ingestion. Gary Taubes who wrote "Good Calories, Bad Calories " spent 7 years going through all the studies over the last century & dividing up the real science from the faulty science & concluded that low carb was the best way to control insulin levels which balances out other hormones & allows the body to function properly. His main points are: 1. Dietary fat, whether saturated or not, is not a cause of obesity, heart disease or any other chronic disease. 2. The problem is refined carbs in diet, their effect on insulin secretion & the hormonal regulation of homeostasis. 3. Sugars - sucrose, high-fructose corn syrup specifically - are particularly harmful, the combination of fructose & glucose simultaneously elevates insulin levels & overload liver with carbs. 4. Through their direct effects on insulin & blood sugar, refined carbs, starches, sugars are the dietary cause of coronary heart disease & diabetes. They are likely dietary causes of cancer, Alzheimer's & other diseases. 5. Obesity is a disorder of excess fat accumulation, not overeating. 6. Consuming excess calories does not cause us to grow fatter. 7. Fattening & obesity are caused by an imbalance in the hormonal regulation of adipose tissue & fat metabolism. Fat synthesis & storage exceed the mobilization of fat from adipose tissue & its subsequent oxidation. 8. Insulin is the primary regulator of fat storage. When insulin levels fall, we release fat from fat tissue. 9. By stimulating insulin secretion, carbs make us fat. 10. By driving fat accumulation, carbs also increase hunger & decrease the amount of energy we expend in metabolism & physical activity.

Posted by: skadeglad on 2010-02-26, 14:44:42

No, lack of carbs has nothing to do with being short. carbs are not really an essential nutrient. your body will produce as much sugar as it needs by burning protein. what probably stopped your growth (if anything did) is undereating in general. for a growing 15 year old girl, 1200 calories simply is not enough. starving your body means that your body does not have resources to divert toward muscle, bone, or organ growth. of course, you might have just stopped growing naturally. it's impossible to know. eating more calories in general may help you grow a little. why are you on a low-carb diet, anyway? you don't sound fat. you need to worry about GROWING. worry about getting smaller once you're 18-20 and your body is done growing.

Posted by: Steve on 2010-02-26, 15:18:19

In regards to the actual question. If your friends are approx 15yo, why would they ever need 4000 to 6000 calories? Unless they are doing ultra marathons on a regular basis or something like that....4000 to 6000? When I was lifting very heavy and very often I calculated my metabolism based off of body fat, diet, and exercise and only needed just under 4000. I weighted about 11 stone and was 23! Check again on how much you need. Onto the response above me by ...texas (couldn't remember the name) GREAT F-ING WORK! Not kidding. Really great stuff for the most part. I am not claiming to be an expert, but as an slightly trained amateur, I almost completely agree. Biochemically speaking, on most points Texas is right. Insulin is the most anabolic hormone in the body. In the right way, it can be used to get great gains in muscle mass. In the wrong ways it is the main culprit in obesity. All of what texas said is straight science. Some of it is a little off (in my opinion) and could use some clarification. Basically all I can say in confidence is this, most Americans (don't know about brits or others) get way too much sugar. As a result, they have out of control insulin levels, which as texas stated, influences obesity. Does that mean if one stays away from carbs they can't gain weight...nope. If you ingest more calories than you need, you will gain weight. Carbs are not the only thing that stimulates insulin. Proteins and fats do as well, just not as much. Is the atkins diet or other low/ no carb diets the answer? No, but for a lot of people they will cause weight loss because these people get way to many calories from sugar and starches (potatoes blow up your insulin like crazy!) Plant based diet without the exclusion of lean meats is the best. One of the best things for your body in preventing disease is a carbohydrate....fiber (I know its not absorbed, but its still a carb! :-) Probably way more of an answer than you wanted huh? Texas, expect an email with some questions! You wrote a great response.