Posts Tagged ‘Body's Main Fuel’
The Body’s Main Fuel
The Body’s Main Fuel
Carbohydrates, both simple and complex, are the body’s main source of energy. They are readily digested and converted into the blood sugar glucose, which fuels the brain and muscles. Without carbohydrates, the body must rely on fats and protein for energy. Fats bum inefficiently in the absence of carbohydrates and leave the kidneys with the burden of excreting large amounts of toxic metabolic chemicals called ketone bodies. These can build up in the blood and cause nausea, fatigue, and apathy, a common effect among those who adhere to the faddish lowcarbohydrate diets.
When protein is used for energy, the body is deprived of this crucial nutrient for building and replacing tissues, and the kidneys have to get rid of the unused nitrogen that’s left over. That’s why on high-protein diets you must drink lots of water to help flush out your kidneys.