In Defense Of Starch – Glucose isn’t the bad guy.

A very nice blog. She does a good job in debunking Gary Taubes.

http://mariamaestevens.com/2012/10/25/in-defense-of-starch-glucose-isnt-the-bad-guy/

Here's a quote from the link -

"But before I enter the scene of glucose metabolism, I’d like to breeze over a few of Taube’s conclusions, so you’ll get a feel for my incredulity:

• Dietary fat of any type is not a cause of obesity of metabolic syndrome.  I argue it is half-responsible.
• The problem is the carbohydrates in the diet due to their effect on insulin secretion.  The more easily digested the carb, the worse this effect is.  Not all carbs are created equal.  This is an unfair blanket statement.
  
• Sugars–sucrose and HFCS–are particularly harmful because the combo of fructose and glucose raises insulin and floods the liver with carbs.  This is more to the point, but a slight mis-statement.
• Through their direct effect on insulin and blood sugar, refined “fast carbs” are thedietary cause of metabolic syndrome–and the most likely cause of cancer, Alzheimer’s, and other chronic diseases of civilization.  Again, not all carbs are created equal.  Also, I doubt carbs cause cancer, but cellular fuel might reasonably help grow cancer.
• Obesity is a disorder of excess fat accumulation, not overeating or sedentary behavior (energy balance).  I beg to differ.  Ask any post-collegiate 20-something how much weight they gained after getting their first desk job.
• Consuming excess calories does not cause us to grow fatter.  Caloric deficits do not lead to long-term weight loss; it leads to hunger.  I can prove to you that consuming excess calories causes me to grow fatter.  Am I some kind of exception?
  
• Fattening and obesity are caused by an imbalance in the hormonal regulation of adipose tissue and fat metabolism.  I agree with this idea, but it is not a comprehensive cause of fattening.
• Insulin is the primary regulator of fat storage.  When insulin is high, we store fat.  When it falls, we release fat.  Agreed, mostly.  But this is contingent on energy balance and replete glycogen stores.
  
• By stimulating insulin secretion, carbs make us fat and ultimately cause obesity.  The fewer carbs we consume, the leaner we will be.  How do you account for whole foods vegans who follow diets of 10% fat?  They eat starch all day long and don’t get fat.
  
• By driving fat accumulation, carbs also increase hunger and decrease the amount of energy we expend in metabolism and physical activity.  There’s some backstory to this.  But carbs also contribute to satiety by raising blood sugar and elevating serotonin.
  

Wow.  That’s some list.   And my comments followed in bold.  So now let’s dig a little deeper by understanding different carbs."

Source: http://mariamaestevens.com/2012/10/25/in-defense-of-starch-glucose-isnt-the-bad-guy/