Hi Mary,
>>>>
I read on another list how healthy a paleo ketogenic type of diet is for
cancer.
<<<<
That is true for the cases that have been reported, but I'm not aware of
any systematic, clinical trials on large numbers of subjects.
>>>>
Seems cancer is a glucose hog, according to this article. So, we now know
that hi carb is definitely bad for type 2 diabetes, and cancer as well...
<<<<
I agree that is very probable. Frazer Scott has found evidence that gluten,
dairy, and soy proteins may be at the root of type 1 diabetes as well.
>>>>
My question is, why do humans have such a taste/appetite for carbs if it is
not good for us?
<<<<
There are two answers for that. If you are talking about sweet tastes, I
would argue that is the result of both evolution and individual learning.
Evolution has taught us that bitter and unpleasant tastes are not good for
us, and our tastes have had us eating sweet food that was not spoiled or
one of the many bitter, poisonous substances in our environment.
The learned part comes from a dynamic that happens as a result of increased
insulin production. Since tryptophan is insulin resistant, insulin
transports other large neutral amino acids into muscles and other tissues.
Hence, tryptophan is proportionately overrepresented in the bloodstream.
Since all large neutral amino acids compete for the same transport
mechanism across the blood brain barrier, more tryptophan is transported
into the brain.
As the primary limiting factor in conversion of tryptophan into serotonin
(a feel-good neurotransmitter) more serotonin is made, and we get a sense
of well-being from this increase. (Please note that drugs that conserve
serotonin in the brain, called SSRIs, are the current drug of choice for
treating depression. These SSRIs include: Prozac; Paxil; and Zoloft. )
As if this were not bad enough, there is an additional factor which
contributes. When some cereal grain and dairy proteins (gliadins, glutens,
and caseins) are not completely digested, the resulting peptides can enter
the bloodstream in folks who have increased intestinal permeability.
These peptides were named exorphins. They are very similar to the peptides
from opiate drugs, and are sometimes called exogenous opioids. The good
feeling that comes from these foods is part of an addictive process.
>>>>
Has this question been addressed?
<<<<
I don't know if it has been addressed on this list before, but if you would
like to see a more complete discussion of these dynamics, you can read my
Master's thesis at:
http://www.panix.com/~donwiss/hoggan/
I have explored this topic with respect to ADHD.
I hope that is helpful.
best wishes,
Ron Hoggan.
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