New research shows dangers of high-carb diets Two studies are finally bringing some attention to the idea that a diet that's high in carbohydrates could be the root cause of many health problems. All I can say is "welcome to reality." This is an idea that I've been supporting for years - even after people started to attack the nutritionally sound high-protein/low-carb diet plan of Dr. Atkins as a "fad." Starchy foods that send blood sugar levels skyward, such as white bread and cornflakes, are now thought to retard the function of blood vessels and can contribute to an increased risk of heart disease. And the Endocrine Society now believes that cutting back on carbs could help people to feel fuller - so they might actually eat less. The researchers examined the impact of foods that are high on the glycemic index (starches like potatoes, bread, breakfast cereal, etc.) upon the cell layer that lines the interior portion of blood vessels (the medical term is the "endothelium"). They found that high-glycemic meals retard the function of this cell layer. The researchers determined that "high-glycemic index carbs are dangerous since they reduce or inhibit endothelial function, which is the 'risk of the risk factors,' leading to atherosclerosis and potentially leading to heart disease." But to me, all this to-do about an impaired function of a cell layer is merely the symptom of a problem that we've known about for some time. Carbohydrates and high-glycemic foods are a huge staple of the American diet. From pasta to peas to potatoes, we love scarfing down all manner of starches. Some of the research associated with this latest study pointed out that a typical person gets more than half of their daily caloric intake from carbs - an average of 55 percent. To give you an idea of just how much carbs can impact your health, the researchers actually placed one of the groups in the study on a "moderate" carb diet that consisted of a daily caloric intake made up of 43 percent carbs. In just one month, the people in this group had exhibited lower blood sugar and insulin levels compared to the group on the "control" diet made up of 55 percent carbs. The wrong-headed "food pyramid" promoted by the government (even in its updated form) is always promoting that carbs are an "essential" part of the diet. But it's nonsense! Your body converts carbohydrates into sugar, which has no nutritional value; i.e., there are no amino acids, vitamins, pro-vitamins, enzymes, fatty acids, or anything else of value in it. The popularity (and many successes) of the Atkins Diet made Americans aware of just how easy it is to thoughtlessly ingest hundreds of grams of carbs each and every day - and how restricting the intake of them can have an immediate impact on health and weight loss. And that surely put "Big Carbo" into a cold panic. So while the popularity of the Atkins way of eating has waned in recent years, it's good to see that there are doctors that are waving the red warning flag about the dangers of consuming too many carbs. Looks like computer related injuries are on the rise. And no, I don't mean the kind like eye strain or carpal tunnel syndrome. I mean the kind that result from trips and falls caused by computer equipment - or even dropping a laptop on your foot. And no - this isn't a joke. Even though these "statistics" were compiled by - don't laugh - the National Electronic Injury Database (yes, it's real). I suppose that these statistics are being compiled by an analysis of emergency room records - because if I'm dumb enough to put my computer in a place where I'm going to trip over it - and then I trip over it and get hurt … well, let's just say the last thing on my mind is filing a report with the National Electronic Injury Database. If there's a serious lesson to be learned from these statistics, I suppose it's that the basics of home safety are universal. Because according to statistics like these, computer equipment can be as dangerous as power tools if it's left lying about the house. | 
