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I have been reading a case report by Kraft, Westman, 2009 of a 70 year old obese, Caucasian female who was suffering from Schizophrenia since the age of 17. Her symptoms included paranoia, hallucinations (auditory and visual), and many hospitalizations for psychosis and suicide attempts. Her daily diet included "egg and cheese sandwich, diet soda, water, pimento cheese, barbecued pork, chicken salad, hamburger helper, macaroni and cheese, and potatoes." Instead, she was asked to follow a low carbohydrate diet of: "unlimited meats and eggs, 4 ounces of hard cheese, 2 cups of salad vegetables, and 1 cup of low carbohydrate vegetables per day. This diet restricts carbohydrate intake to fewer than 20 grams per day." The diet was also grain free.

"My goal is to gather the basic science and apply it to nutrition - NUTRIGENOMICS. What do I mean? How does what we eat signal our genes in the nucleus. By our food choices, we are sending different signals to our genes. High carbohydrate and high fructose intake signals it is summer time and winter is coming -- grow and store the energy (insulin). High fat, low carbohydrate diet with calorie restriction signals our genes that winter is here -- use the stored energy, repair the genes, and slow down growth (i.e. Sirt1/Foxo pathway). The Sirt1/FoxO1 pathway is important as it aids in repairing DNA. Damaged DNA can lead to uncontrolled cellular replication (i.e. cancers). The immune system (phagocytes) has a mechanism to remove old and unwanted cells called apoptosis (cellular death). "

Eggs modulate the inflammatory response to carbohydrate restricted diets in overweight men. Ratliff JC, Mutungi G, Puglisi MJ, Volek JS, Fernandez ML. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2008 Feb 20;5:6. PMID: 18289377 Carbohydrate restricted diets (CRD) consistently lower glucose and insulin levels and improve atherogenic dyslipidemia [decreasing triglycerides and increasing HDL cholesterol (HDL-C)]. We have previously shown that male subjects following a CRD experienced significant increases in HDL-C only if they were consuming a higher intake of cholesterol provided by eggs compared to those individuals who were taking lower concentrations of dietary cholesterol. Here, as a follow up of our previous study, we examined the effects of eggs (a source of both dietary cholesterol and lutein) on adiponectin, a marker of insulin sensitivity, and on inflammatory markers in the context of a CRD. Conclusion A CRD with daily intake of eggs decreased plasma CRP and increased plasma adiponectin compared to a CRD without eggs. These findings indicate that eggs make a significant contribution to the anti-inflammatory effects of CRD, possibly due to the presence of cholesterol, which increases HDL-C and to the antioxidant lutein which modulates certain inflammatory responses.

Mango juice contains a number of valuable nutrients. The naturally fulfilling fruit beverage also acts as a beneficial dietary food item that aids in normal bodily functions and the prevention of health risks and disease.

Nutritional Content
Like many other natural fruit drinks, mango juice, sometimes referred to as mango nectar, packs a variety of both vitamins and minerals. Each cup of mango juice adds a more than feasible source of both vitamins A and C to any diet. Without added sugars, pure mango nectar contains about 30 grams of sugary carbohydrates per cup.

Although mangos contain moderate to high levels of carbohydrates, they cause little fluctuation in blood-sugar levels. This process lets the body maintain appetite and metabolic processes much easier. Plus, none of the calories found in mangos comes from fat, making the juice an easily digestible, energy providing drink.

Nutritional Content of Mango Juice per 100 ml
Energy: 58 Kcal
Fat: NIL
Carbohydrate: 14.6 g
Vitamin C: 10.34 mg
Sugar: 14.5 g
Iron: 0.3 mg
Protein: 0.11 g
Sodium: 15mg

Health Benefits

One cup of mango juice contains over 60% of the daily recommended intake of vitamin C, which helps the body regulate enzymes and metabolic processes. Mangos also have high levels of vitamin A, with one cup providing nearly 40% of the daily required valued. This important nutrient helps maintain healthy eye function and growth, gene transcribing and the maintenance of healthy skin tissue.

Mango juice also provides a good source of calcium and iron. Iron helps the body eliminate free radicals, while calcium assists with the formation of healthy teeth and bones.

Health Warnings

Consuming too much mango juice will lead to an excess amount of sugars within the body. Too much sugar will increase fat storage and lead to weight gain.

Long-term effects of a very-low-carbohydrate weight loss diet compared with an isocaloric low-fat diet after 12 mo. Brinkworth GD, Noakes M, Buckley JD, Keogh JB, Clifton PM. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 May 13. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 19439458 doi:10.3945/ajcn.2008.27326

Nov. 13, 2007 -- Forgoing carbohydrates may slow the growth of prostate cancer, according to preliminary lab tests in mice. The researchers aren't making dietary recommendations for men. But they say the topic deserves further study. "This study showed that cutting carbohydrates may slow tumor growth, at least in mice," Duke University urologist Stephen Freedland, MD, says in a news release.

Carbohydrates or saccharides (Greek sakcharon meaning "sugar") are simple molecules that are straight-chain aldehydes or ketones with many hydroxyl groups added, usually one on each carbon atom that is not part of the aldehyde or ketone functional group.

Dietary composition modulates brain mass and solubilizable Abeta levels in a mouse model of aggressive Alzheimer's amyloid pathology. Pedrini S, Thomas C, Brautigam H, Schmeidler J, Ho L, Fraser P, Westaway D, Hyslop PS, Martins RN, Buxbaum JD, Pasinetti GM, Dickstein DL, Hof PR, Ehrlich ME, Gandy S. Mol Neurodegener. 2009 Oct 21;4:40. PMID: 19845940 doi:10.1186/1750-1326-4-40 INTERPRETATION: Dissociation of Abeta changes from brain mass changes raises the possibility that diet plays a role not only in modulating amyloidosis but also in modulating neuronal vulnerability. However, in the absence of a study of the effects of a high protein/low carbohydrate diet on nontransgenic mice, one cannot be certain how much, if any, of the loss of brain mass exhibited by high protein/low carbohydrate diet-fed TgCRND8 mice was due to an interaction between cerebral amyloidosis and diet. Given the recent evidence that certain factors favor the maintenance of cognitive function in the face of substantial structural neuropathology, we propose that there might also exist factors that sensitize brain neurons to some forms of neurotoxicity, including, perhaps, amyloid neurotoxicity. Identification of these factors could help reconcile the poor clinicopathological correlation between cognitive status and structural neuropathology, including amyloid pathology.

A ketogenic diet reduces amyloid beta 40 and 42 in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Van der Auwera I, Wera S, Van Leuven F, Henderson ST. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2005 Oct 17;2:28. PMID: 16229744 doi:10.1186/1743-7075-2-28 CONCLUSION: Previous studies have suggested that diets rich in cholesterol and saturated fats increased the deposition of Abeta and the risk of developing AD. Here we demonstrate that a diet rich in saturated fats and low in carbohydrates can actually reduce levels of Abeta. Therefore, dietary strategies aimed at reducing Abeta levels should take into account interactions of dietary components and the metabolic outcomes, in particular, levels of carbohydrates, total calories, and presence of ketone bodies should be considered.

Long-term consumption of a carbohydrate-restricted diet does not induce deleterious metabolic effects. Grieb P, K?apcin'ska B, Smol E, Pilis T, Pilis W, Sadowska-Krepa E, Sobczak A, Bartoszewicz Z, Nauman J, Stan'czak K, Langfort J. Nutr Res. 2008 Dec;28(12):825-33. PMID: 19083495 doi:10.1016/j.nutres.2008.09.011 These results indicate that long-term (>1 year) compliance with a low-CHO high-fat "optimal diet" does not induce deleterious metabolic effects and does not increase the risk for cardiovascular disease, as evidenced by maintenance of adequate glycemic control and relatively low values for conventional cardiovascular risk factors.

Has ever occurred to you that the real health-food nuts were our ancestors in the Stone Age? Think about: they only ate fresh, organic foods. They ate fresh meat, fresh fish and seafood, and they gathered edible plants. They rarely ate grains and they never consumed hydrogenated oils, refined carbohydrates, or alcohol. Not a bad diet, indeed!

Due to the sheer popularity of high protein and low carbohydrate diet, many athletes and bodybuilders tend to neglect carbohydrates totally. Yes, carbohydrates are converted to fat and stored in the body, and it can be disastrous for a bodybuilder wanting lean muscles. But, proper use of carbohydrat...

Liven up ordinary meals with this panfried fish and avocado salsa recipe. Nutrition Energy 2069kJ; Fat saturated 4.30g; Fat Total 20.30g; Carbohydrate sugars g; Carbohydrate Total 41.60g; Dietary Fibre 1.90g; Protein 34.90g; Cholesterol 117.00mg; Sodium 175.00mg.

Carbohydrates are most important source of energy for metabolism. It is known as saccharine in Biochemistry and is divided into four chemical components such as Mono, Di, Oligo and Polysaccharides. While the former both are known as simple sugars and the latter both are called complex sugars.

Not all carbs are bad for you. Learning the difference between bad carbohydrates and good carbs is important for a healthy diet.

Modification of lipoproteins by very low-carbohydrate diets. Volek JS, Sharman MJ, Forsythe CE. J Nutr. 2005 Jun;135(6):1339-42. Review. PMID: 15930434

Conclusion: The associations suggest that replacing SFAs with PUFAs rather than MUFAs or carbohydrates prevents CHD over a wide range of intakes. Major types of dietary fat and risk of coronary heart disease: a pooled analysis of 11 cohort studies. Jakobsen MU, O'Reilly EJ, Heitmann BL, Pereira MA, Bälter K, Fraser GE, Goldbourt U, Hallmans G, Knekt P, Liu S, Pietinen P, Spiegelman D, Stevens J, Virtamo J, Willett WC, Ascherio A. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 May;89(5):1425-32. Epub 2009 Feb 11. PMID: 19211817 doi:10.3945/ajcn.2008.27124

An isoenergetic very low carbohydrate diet improves serum HDL cholesterol and triacylglycerol concentrations, the total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol ratio and postprandial pipemic responses compared with a low fat diet in normal weight, normolipidemic women. Volek JS, Sharman MJ, Gómez AL, Scheett TP, Kraemer WJ. J Nutr. 2003 Sep;133(9):2756-61. PMID: 12949361

Low carbohydrate diets improve atherogenic dyslipidemia even in the absence of weight loss. Feinman RD, Volek JS. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2006 Jun 21;3:24. PMID: 16790045 doi:10.1186/1743-7075-3-24