Carb blockers

[falconr3]

Hi,

First-time poster here, but have been reading threads on this forum for a while.

I've recently come across carb blocker supplements, ones containing Phaseolus vulgaris and wondered if anyone had tried them and what people thought of their effectiveness?

I've read a couple of papers which seem to be favorable but so far haven't seen them discussed on here or in Dr. Eades blog (although I just may not have looked hard enough yet....)

I've been following a low carb diet now for about 3 months and have lost 18lbs. Although I don't have the desire to go back to pasta, potatoes, etc. I was thinking a carb blocker may come in handy, and also even to block the small amount of carbs I do eat in my daily diet now.

If anyone has used these or knows of any particularly good articles on the subject, I'd be most grateful to hear from them.

Thanks,

Richard

[Gaelen]

Richard, welcome.
If you're low carbing at the appropriate levels (7-10g carbs/meal, no more than 40g ECC in the beginning) then you won't need carb blockers.

Carb-blockers - so that people don't have to pay the nutritional consequences of poor diet choices - are IMO in the same class as fat-blockers. At least fat blockers have uncomfortable and embarassing side effects, which naturally limits their use. But where low-carbing is concerned, you're far better off to just eat correctly - and on those days when that doesn't happen, let your body tell you what the consequences are of making poor choices.

Too often, a carb or fat blocker is seen as a magic bullet, permitting people to continue eating (poorly) without making the dietary changes they truly need to make. If you, on very rare (can count them on one hand) occasions, indulge in a single carb treat that is more daily carb intake than usual, your body will adjust. If you take carb blockers to compensate for making bad dietary choices, there's no behavioral penalty for making bad choices...and you're more likely to continue to make choices that impair your health.

Mileage will vary...

[S Bear]

Originally Posted by Gaelen

If you, on very rare (can count them on one hand) occasions, indulge in a single carb treat that is more daily carb intake than usual, your body will adjust.

I don't take carb blockers and have never really considered doing so.

However, I wonder about what you mean by "your body will adjust."

If I suddenly eat a piece of heavily-frosted birthday cake, does my body really cope well? Does my blood sugar remain elevated because I'm not used to producing insulin on sudden demand, or am I now so much less insulin resistant that I secrete only a small amount of insulin and that drives the sugar out of my bloodstream?

In other words, after months of low-carb eating, am I now better prepared to deal with a single massive dose of carbs, or less prepared? I'm not questioning whether I am healthier, only asking how well I cope with an acute dosage of carbs.

Note that I'm not disputing you statement. I just really don't understand this issue, and would like to.

[gitfiddle]

Bear, Dr. Mike said something to the same effect. Somewhere. I couldn't begin to look for it because he tweets a lot, but it may have been in his blog, or even in his new book.

[S Bear]

Originally Posted by gitfiddle

Bear, Dr. Mike said something to the same effect. Somewhere. I couldn't begin to look for it because he tweets a lot, but it may have been in his blog, or even in his new book.

Thanks, I'll go snoop around.

I'll also try asking Dr Mike, but I figure the chances of getting an answer these days are pretty low...

[falconr3]

I've just been reading about this in protein power life plan. Its to do with the up and down regulation of insulin receptors based on insulin levels in the blood I think. If insulin levels are high, you start to down regulate the production of insulin receptors. This is one of the contributors to insulin resistance. When low carbing and keeping insulin low, you upregulate the production of insulin receptors. This makes you more insulin sensitive. So when you do eat a high carb meal once in while, you are now better adapted to deal with it then when you were always eating carbs and had a high blood insulin level. I believe thats the gist of it, but its explained better in chapter 2 of PPLP if you have it.

Richard

[S Bear]

Originally Posted by falconr3

I've just been reading about this in protein power life plan. Its to do with the up and down regulation of insulin receptors based on insulin levels in the blood I think. If insulin levels are high, you start to down regulate the production of insulin receptors. This is one of the contributors to insulin resistance. When low carbing and keeping insulin low, you upregulate the production of insulin receptors. This makes you more insulin sensitive. So when you do eat a high carb meal once in while, you are now better adapted to deal with it then when you were always eating carbs and had a high blood insulin level. I believe thats the gist of it, but its explained better in chapter 2 of PPLP if you have it.

Richard

Thanks, Richard. I'll go check it out.