On Wed, 30 Jan 2002, Amadeus Schmidt wrote:

> >.. glucose that can't be quickly used or stored as
> >glycogen is converted to SFA...
>
> This and what you wrote in your other post assumes that most of the time
> the glycogen stores would be full.
> Why so? I think this is a maybe common , but pathological situation.

Well, it depends on carbohydrate intake.  If Walsh's figures are
right, then if one eats about 180g/day of carbs, glycogen
reserves will maintain a steady *average*, around which they will
fluctuate.  If one eats more than that, they will tend to be full
most of the time.

> Glycogen stores a good for some 4 days of glucose usage (1500 kcal
> according to Walsh). They could easily provide for the full time between
> any meals, for *full* supply, not only the 25 percent for the brain(etc).

According to Walsh, that would be enough for a little over two
days (i.e., about 400g of glucose, at 180g/day).  Of course, if
one consistently eats less than 180g/day of carbs, adaptation
will tend to take place, and the demand will begin to fall.

> One stopper for glycogen storage usage is certainly the custom of frequent
> meals. Glycogen can't be used if insulin is up, and it is up by any meal.
>
> Secondly, I think the stores fill too quick, because the whole body cells
> (that's 75%) often seem to refuse burning glucose That is insulin
> resistance. You (and Walsh and Lutz) seem to assume this overnight.
> One explanation would be in the cell wall study you have cited: less
> permeable cell walls don't permit enough glucose to enter.
> (that's an explanation for the contribution of SFA to insulin resistance).

Yes, that's very possible.  And this would be a reason to attempt
to control the SFA load by (a) keeping carbs at or below
180g/day, and (b) favoring leaner meats.

> The third, we spoke about before.
> Low vitamin levels for the glycogen decreasing functions.
> It was B6 and zinc as I recall.
> Both tend to be better in supply with a paleo diet - with more natural
> items, including more meat, less (unprocessed) grains.

Right.  And this also underscores the importance of the freshness
of the food (for the B complex, not the zinc).

Todd Moody
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