Carbs Linked to Weight Gain and Shortened Life

(Article first published as Cut Carbs from Diet to Aid Weight Loss and Extend Life on Technorati.)

If you knew that the key to successful weight loss and adding extra years to your life was a matter of making simple changes to your diet, would you want to know more details? There is no doubt that the type of foods we eat every day affect the way our body burns or stores calories, and new research indicates that carbohydrates may be critical to the development of disease and how long we live.

Scientists have discovered that the human body can sustain 120 healthy years before our cellular matrix simply wears out and we die. Yet the average life span is only 80 to 85 years. And for many the last decade of life is far from pleasant, as declining health, excess body weight and disease devastate the lives of so many productive people. Learn how you can control the genes that promote longevity and lose weight naturally.

Study Finds Insulin Dysfunction Triggers Most Lethal Diseases and Obesity

The results of a study conducted at the University of California show that insulin is a major accelerant of the aging process and is the main reason that obesity and diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and dementia are so prevalent today. Insulin is released primarily as a response to excess blood sugar and consuming excess carbohydrates.

After a large meal of breads, pasta and sugary treats, large amounts of insulin are needed to mop up the massive amount of glucose in the blood. After years and even decades of carb overload, insulin becomes resistant and unable to perform effectively, allowing high levels of sugar to remain in the blood. Sugar is known to feed cancer cells, and damages the inner lining of the arterial walls increasing risk of heart disease and heart attack.

Carbohydrates Affect Genes That Control Lifespan

Research from this study demonstrates that carbohydrate consumption directly affects two key genes that govern longevity and youthfulness. Aging has always been viewed as a natural process that is inevitable and to be accepted as part of getting older. We now understand that our genetics determine how quickly we age, and that carbs influence the action of those genes responsible for regulating key metabolic processes that promote disease.

Processed Carb Diet Leads to Obesity

For decades the medical profession has promoted the low fat diet as a preventive measure for heart disease and lower weight. A low fat diet means high carb consumption, and the statistics show that heart disease and obesity have both soared since the conception of the low fat mantra. Researchers have demonstrated that fat is essential to health, and processed carbs cause metabolic alterations that promote fat storage. The best way to lose weight is to adopt a moderate fat diet (no hydrogenated or trans fats) and eliminate all processed and refined carbs.

This study provides another example of how our junk food diet of fast and convenience foods is damaging the health of our nation and is behind the obesity epidemic. Excess or resistant insulin are shown to be the primary cause of premature death by promoting lethal chronic disease and contributing to excessive fat storage. Control your insulin by limiting carbs and eating healthy fat sources that help prevent illness and lead to successful weight loss.