Paul,

Have you read Neanderthin?  It would probably help to clear this up for
you.  I'm probably not qualified to respond to this question except to say
that the allowed vegetables are not generally starches like potatoes and
grain are.  They are usually green fiber-rich veggies.

John Pavao

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From:   Paul Getty[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
Sent:   Thursday, July 24, 1997 11:19 PM
To:     [log in to unmask]
Subject:        Fruit carbs vs. starch

I have been wondering why there is a difference between the carbohydrate
from fruits and "allowed" vegetables and the carbohydrate from grains and
potatoes.  Oh, I know that many on this list feel that the grains and
potatoes are foreign to our bodies.  But I'm referring to the way the body
handles them as far as insulin goes.

When the story is told why the starches from wheat, potato, etc. are so bad
for our bodies, I am told that these foods cause great shifts in the
insulin levels, usually allowing almost constant high levels of insulin,
which is implicated in obesity, high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, high
blood pressure.  All of this makes sense to me.  But what doesn't make
sense is why this is not a problem when Paleodieters are getting their
carbohydrates from fruit (glucose and fructose), and the allowed vegetables
(starches).  Hunter/Gatherers get about 45% of their calories from
carbohydrates.  The typical modern diet has about 45% of calories from
carbohydrates.  To the insulin, I'm not so sure there's a big difference in
where the carbohydrates come from.  Vegetarians say that the complex
carbohydrates stabilize insulin levels better than the sugars, even from
fruits.  So why would refraining from wheat and potatoes be good for the
blood sugar--insulin levels?
Paul Getty
Morehead City, NC
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