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Misunderstandings Regarding Carbohydrates in Human Nutrition

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 May 2022

Steve L. Martin Open the ORCID record for Steve L. Martin [Opens in a new window]
Steve L. Martin*
Affiliation:
Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
*
([email protected])
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Abstract

In a recent issue of American Antiquity, two articles (Gill et al. 2021; Lyons et al. 2021) perpetuate the common misconception that dietary carbohydrates are an essential component of the human diet and that plants—the main source of dietary carbohydrates—must be consumed to promote health. In fact, carbohydrate is a nonessential macronutrient with adequate amounts of energy—the sole function of carbohydrates in the human diet—being produced via gluconeogenesis and ketogenesis in the absence of dietary carbohydrate. Additionally, both articles erroneously employ the term “dietary staple” in reference to geophyte consumption.

En un número reciente de American Antiquity, dos artículos (Gill et al. 2021; Lyons et al. 2021) perpetúan la idea errónea de que los carbohidratos dietéticos son un componente esencial de la dieta humana y que las plantas, la principal fuente de carbohidratos de la dieta, deben ser consumido para promover la salud. De hecho, los carbohidratos son un macronutriente no esencial con cantidades adecuadas de energía, la única función de los carbohidratos en la dieta humana, se produce a través de la gluconeogénesis y cetogénesis en ausencia de carbohidratos en la dieta. Además, ambos artículos emplean erróneamente el término “alimento básico” en referencia al consumo de geófitas.

Keywords

human nutritioncarbohydratesgeophytesdietary staplestable isotope analysisnutrición humanacarbohidratosgeófitosalimento básicoanálisis de isótopos estables
Type
Comment
Information
American Antiquity , Volume 87 , Issue 3 , July 2022 , pp. 611 - 613
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Society for American Archaeology

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References

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