A sugar that burns fat? by Jerry Brainum

 

 

According to the biochemistry textbooks, losing fat isn't that complex. You simply ingest fewer calories than you burn through physical activity and you will lose fat. In the last few days, I have seen several articles in science journals that proclaim the superiority of the calories in, calories out idea of losing fat. These articles say that all diets, no matter what the composition, only work because they reduce caloric intake. While no one argues that calories are important for fat loss, in the real world it's not quite as simple as it's portrayed in medical journals. For example, the medical texts all say that de novo or the production of fat in the body from carbohydrates is not efficient. This implies that it's difficult to get fat from eating too many carbohydrates. Yet the evidence against this is all around us. Most people do gain fat mainly from eating excessive amounts of carbs. The same books and journals that proclaim carbs as being not the culprit in the current worldwide obesity epidemic also say that dietary fat is much more culpable in causing obesity because it's far more easily stored in fat cells. Yet any bodybuilder who consumes a low carb or especially a ketogenic diet, which features a daily carb intake of 20 grams or less, would wonder about such statements. The ketogenic diets that bodybuilders use often feature a fat content of 70% of daily calories or more, As such, they should be fat as pigs, not the ripped specimens that they are. Many scientists respond to this by saying that even though bodybuilders are consuming a lot of dietary fat, their total daily caloric intake is still low enough to promote fat loss. Once again, however, this just isn't true. Some bodybuilders still consume massive amounts of food--and fat--yet still get shredded.

The diet experts tell us that we need to reduce our intake of sugar. But they specify refined sugars that are devoid of dietary fiber. Fiber acts in concert with carbs to slow down their absorption into the body. This results in a slower release of insulin, a pancreatic hormone that favors fat synthesis and storage. Another way that fiber helps is by nourishing the intestinal microbiome, or the resident bacteria in the lower intestine or colon. The bacteria located there have the capability of producing short-chain fatty acids, which provide a number of health effects. One such health effect is a reduced appetite, which favors a lower total caloric intake. Others suggest that it's particular sugars that are the true villains in the obesity epidemic. One that stands out in this regard is fructose. Online forums and blog sites often warn dieters to completely avoid consuming fructose, as it "rapidly converts into fat." That is a partially true statement. An excess of dietary fructose does tend to rapidly convert into triglycerides in the liver . . .