Do You Need Carbohydrates to Be Healthy

• Humans do not require dietary carbohydrates to survive or thrive.
• For over two million years, humans lived as apex predators with long periods of minimal plant intake.
• Populations in Arctic regions survived ice ages with virtually no access to carbohydrate-rich plants.

Glucose Without Carbs

• The body produces necessary glucose through gluconeogenesis.
• Essential tissues like red blood cells receive glucose synthesized from protein and fat.
• There is no dietary carbohydrate that is biologically essential in the way essential amino acids and fatty acids are.

Carbohydrates and Modern Disease

• High carbohydrate intake drives chronically elevated insulin in many people.
• Persistent hyperinsulinemia contributes to insulin resistance, obesity, and metabolic syndrome.
• Reducing carbohydrates lowers insulin and allows stored body fat to be used for energy.

Fiber and Plant Foods

• Fiber is not required for bowel function when diet is based on animal foods.
• Many digestive complaints attributed to low fiber resolve when irritants are removed.

Performance and Energy

• Fat adaptation provides stable energy without blood sugar spikes and crashes.
• Ketones and fatty acids supply the majority of fuel needs in low-carbohydrate states.