MYTH

"There is no such thing as an essential carbohydrate"

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Myth – “There is no such thing as an essential carbohydrate”

June 8, 2016Latest, Nutrition MythsBy Dave Donohue

Some bariatric physicians are fond of saying “there is no such thing as an essential carbohydrate“.

Not true!

Fiber is an essential carbohydrate.

Not only that, but for most people reading this:

Fiber is the most essential macronutrient of all.

In other words, if you live in the West or otherwise are not malnourished,

You are getting plenty of fat.
You are getting plenty of protein.
You are not getting enough fiber. The more you eat, the longer you live. There is no known upper limit to how much fiber is healthy.

What is fiber?

Fiber is the type of carbohydrate that is indigestible. Actually, it is digestible with a little help from our bacterial friends in the gut microbiome.

What is so essential about fiber?

Heart Disease

Dietary fiber reduces cardiovascular disease by as much as 37%

Diabetes

Dietary fiber reduces diabetes by as much as 41%

Breast Cancer

Dietary fiber reduces breast cancer by as much as 30%

Longevity

For each extra 1g of fiber you eat per day, your mortality rate drops by 1%

Balance of Evidence

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We estimate that 99.9% of research published on dietary fiber

indicates that it is beneficial to health in the general population.

(It’s hard to find a topic in nutrition that is less controversial!)

If you (like 97% of Americans) eat a diet deficient in fiber, then you are suffering the effects of malnourishment.

You have an increased risk of suffering from chronic disease including our leading killer (cardiovascular disease) as well diabetes, breast cancer, colon cancer, obesity, brain diseases, lung disease, and many other.

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