Killer Carbs: Scientist Finds Key To Overeating As We Age

[supernova]

ScienceDaily (Aug. 22, 2008) — A Monash University scientist has discovered key appetite control cells in the human brain degenerate over time, causing increased hunger and potentially weight-gain as we grow older. The research by Dr Zane Andrews, a neuroendocrinologist with Monash University's Department of Physiology, has been published in Nature.

Dr Andrews found that appetite-suppressing cells are attacked by free radicals after eating and said the degeneration is more significant following meals rich in carbohydrates and sugars.

"The more carbs and sugars you eat, the more your appetite-control cells are damaged, and potentially you consume more," Dr Andrews said.

Dr Andrews said the attack on appetite suppressing cells creates a cellular imbalance between our need to eat and the message to the brain to stop eating.

full article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080821110113.htm

Cross posted from Lithos' thread in the Science forum.

edit: fixed link

[Tangerine LaBamba]

1. I think this:

The older you get, the less you move around, and the more entertaining food becomes. Let's face it - the most fun foods are those that aren't really good for us. And a lot of older people can't afford protein-rich diets. So, the carbs and sugars become daily events, and weight gain accrues.

Common sense.

[supernova]

2. How does that address the science in this article?

[Tangerine LaBamba]

4. I think the science is simply

an attempt to address behavioral issues.

[K8-EEE]

6. The flaw in the study as I see it

What is a "high carb" meal? Is it white pasta and bread sticks? Yes you would be "hungry" after such a nutritionally void meal, although, it's full of calories.

Or was it brown rice, black beans, and salad?

My point is there is a lot of nutritional variance between "high carb" meals and also I would also be interested in who funded the study (agri-biz? factory farmers?)

The link didn't work ("under construction") so I am just going off of your snippets here.

[tabatha]

7. I think they should have made a difference between

refined carbs and high and low glycemic carbs.

Brown Rice, quinoa and millet are some of the best carbs out there - tend to alkaline which is healthier for the body.

[K8-EEE]

11. Sometimes I think the studies are skewed on purpose for the

benefit of the meat lobbyists, or whatever.

The longest-lived people on earth eat a high-carb diet -- Mediterranean & Asian diets for example have lots of carbs and small quantities of protein.

Most other cultures would be shocked at the size of a typical steak dinner in the US.

I just got back from a trip to France, I was like, where's all the fat people?? And they do love their baguettes over there!

[supernova]

14. I fixed the link, thx.

[K8-EEE]

3. My vegan friends make me doubt this.....

I have a friend who turned vegan at age 45 and subsequently lost 45 pounds on an all plant (read: high carb) diet. My dad who is 75 controlled his blood sugar by going vegan, is off the type II diabetes drugs he used to take and also lost 30 lbs.

I do think there is a difference between highly refined carbs (white flour, sugar) and, say, veggies, whole grains, legumes.

[Klukie]

5. Agreed

[tabatha]

8. All plants are not high carb.

Most vegetables are low carb and used in low carb diets.

Sugars are bad. Period.

[K8-EEE]

13. Most plants are all carbs

They can be low calorie and still be mostly carbs, for instance, celery is all carbs, albeit not a lot of calories.

With a couple of exceptions (avocados are high in fat, beans high in protein) most plant foods are comprised of mostly carbs.

[tabatha]

15. Actually they are mostly water.

[supernova]

17. Alot of edible plants are water and fiber

which cuts down on the amount of sugar you consume during the day.

[Schema Thing]

I think when they say "carbs", it's not the same as complex carbs

the body certainly doesn't treat them the same.

[supernova]

12. There are low glycemic index fruits and veggies

which are just fine. I do eat those. Low GI means they are slow to release their sugars into your bloodstream.

I do think the article is talking about things like pasta, bread and refined sugars.

[grilled onions]

9. The Elderly Have Several Problems In This Area

Financial,physical and social. Many who barely scrape by purchase foods that are cheap, which are often full of fat,sodium and lots of carbs. They often will graze and not eat full meals but grazers will often grab a handful of chips or crackers or cookies. Physically they move around less but also many are in poor health where just the idea of preparing healthy foods is a challenge when your hands are gnarled and you can't be on your feet for any period of time cooking up a storm. Frozen meals,take out or a sandwich is their alternatives. Lastly many are alone. They don't make any effort to prepare a basic meal for just themselves. They often spend a lot of time staring at a tv screen or staring out a window. For some it's hard to be active if you are alone,in bad health or afraid of your own neighborhood.
Not many of todays seniors can enjoy going out in their garden and pick their daily salad. There were able to take a walk down their road without fear of crime or traffic. They had to be more active just to get the daily water or build a fire. That might have helped. Their diet may have had bread and beans but the word snacks didn't exist. Meals were for eating--nothing inbetween.
It's a complex issue that we will find more of as life expectency grows.

[tabatha]

10. Good post.

[tech3149]

16. I question the assertions

Just based on personal experience. My diet has a considerable percentage of carbs, fats, and meats, red and otherwise. Sugar, not so much, especially since the high use of HFCS (high fructose corn syrup). I got out of high school in 71 at 135 lbs and I weigh in at 138-140 today. I have gone to to as much as 165 lbs, but it was mostly muscle mass when I was really working. My diet hasn't really changed since I was a kid, the only variable has been how much I eat. How much I eat has always felt like a biological constant. If I'm working and expending energy, I get hungry. When I'm not doing things that burn up energy I don't think about food.

I'm no science geek but what was presented in the article didn't convince me the theory was well founded.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

18. I've found that my tolerance for carbs has changed over the years

I had an appalling diet when I was younger. My daily lunch as a college freshman was a cheeseburger and fries with a chocolate soda. Never gained an ounce, and I wasn't particularly active, either. In fact, I was a bit of an exercisephobe, thanks to years of bad gym teachers.

Until the age of about 40, I was slender, and if my weight did creep up, it was easy to lose. When I gained twelve pounds as the result of being on crutches for two months, it came off in about the same amount of time.

No longer. I'm in my fifties and every pound comes on easily and goes off with difficulty, even though I am much more nutrition conscious now and exercise regularly. (I do deep water aerobics and can tread water for an hour with no difficulty.)

My only sweet "downfall" is ice cream, and I try to limit that. Otherwise, it's bread and pasta that put on the pounds. Any more than a small amount of whole grain bread or pasta or rice will trigger a weight gain.

I do best when I limit my diet to protein sources and vegetables, with small amounts of fruit and whole grains.

I'd have trouble with veganism because I can't tolerate large amounts of soy or wheat gluten, but other people's mileage may vary. I'm convinced that body chemistries are highly individual.

[tech3149]

19. exactly, it varies from person to person

As I said my diet is high in carbs and always has been. Making a conclusion that carbs and sugar affect weight gain or the ability to metabolize caloric input based on the information provided in the article doesn't ring true. I may be an outlier, but I know many of my friends and acquaintances who have maintained a fairly consistent weight without maintaining a managed diet.