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I shudder to think about the amount of carbohydrates I consume on a daily basis. I was born with a deep affinity for starches, especially of the fried potato product kind. Later on, my addiction spread to pasta, bread, and bagels. Oh, how I loved me some bagels. At one point during college, I was obsessed with eating good bagels and would scour the campus countryside looking to score me some authentic, doughy goodness.

All dietary carbohydrates are broken down by the body to simple sugar, or glucose. This is the main fuel of the body, and we Americans tend to consume a lot of sugar.

Which is why a recent study to come out in Cell Metabolism is freaking out a lot of people.

The researchers found that worms that had restricted dietary sugar (basically by blocking their ability to process it) lived longer. Like 20% longer. It appears that blocking this important pathway of metabolism caused the worms to rev up an alternate pathway of energy production which resulted in the increased production of free radicals. But, aren't free radicals bad for the body? Isn't that why some argue for taking vitamins and antioxidants? To limit the damage of free radicals in the body? Yes, but as a consequence of all these excess free radicals, the worms' bodies were able to produce long-lasting defenses against free radicals which appeared to protect them in the long run. What's more, giving antioxidant vitamins to the worms basiclally cut out this life-extending process by neutralizing the stress, eliminating the need for these special defenses to develop.

While it is tempting to give up sugar and taking vitamins in the hopes of living longer, I think it's important to remember that we are, alas, not worms. I'm, at least,not a worm. That much I know.

The findings, though are interesting, and certainly prompt further studies looking at the effects of glucose restriction in humans. We already know that calorie restriction, at least ,can extend life. Although, personally, I'm not sure those extra years are worth the deprivation of Dairy Queen from my diet (I say this as I'm eating Dairy Queen. Hey! I'm pregnant!).

And, also, eating a healthy diet rich in fruit and vegetables is good for lots of other reasons (cancer prevention, fiber, etc etc) besides antioxidant properties. So still, a natural, healthy diet is best. Why is Mom always right?

 

_{Disney Family does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Call your doctor regarding any medical condition. Never disregard your doctor's advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the Disney Family site.}