Browse: Home / Stress / Living in the clouds is carbolicious

Menu

Skip to content
  • About
  • Better Body Chemistry School
  • Book a health conversation
  • Speaking query
  • The “Big” Spoons
  • Donate
Header image

BBC

Small things can make a big difference to your health

advertisement

Menu

Skip to content
  • Home
  • START HERE
  • Free Resources
    • 31 days to Better Body Chemistry
    • Willpower Report
    • Better Body Chemistry for Expecting Moms
    • The ups and downs of insulin resistance
    • Candy Floss Boards
  • Meet the Team
  • Library
  • Lucky dip
  • Better Body Chemistry TV
    • Video gallery for Expecting Moms
    • Video gallery for people with metabolic syndrome
    • Video gallery of how to survive flu season
  • Sound bites
  • Contact

Living in the clouds is carbolicious

Posted by Dr Sandy on in Stress | 78 Views | Leave a response
sustained by carbs

Mice adapted to living at high altitudes, have special chemistry, allowing them to SAFELY squeeze more juice out of carbs, but you probably don’t.As you contemplate a new year – maybe you’ve got your head in the clouds, seeking enlightenment.

A head in the clouds, suffers from one “small” problem…. the oxygen level in the air can be precipitously low. At altitudes of 4000 m, a breath of air contains about 40 % less oxygen than it would at sea level.

Since oxygen is essential for “burning” fuel – getting enough energy high up in the stratosphere, can be problematic.

Living high living low

Curious as to how animals cope, in such extreme environments, a team of researchers ascended the mountains of Peru – in search of high living mice.

They located two species of mice who are “mountain mice” – these animals and their ancestors, have lived in the mountains forever, so they are uniquely adapted to high altitude living.

The team then descended to ground zero – to locate two species of mice, that are adapted to live LOW i.e. at sea level.

All of the mice drained their fuel tanks in the lab, as they were put through their paces.

Filling up the fuel tank

There are two fuel sources that animals can use to RUN on – carbohydrates or fats.

  • Carbohydrates are considered the low octane version of fuel – containing around 4 calories/gram.
  • Fats are considered the high octane fuel, holding around 9 calories/gram.

This difference in calories, is why health gurus encourage humans to run on carbs, rather than fats. But the high calorie value of fats, means Mother Nature tends to put more value on fat, than sugar – which is why, she stores our excess calories in the form of FAT.

For an animal – it has twin threats for survival….

  •  Threat number 1 – the fuel tank is empty
  • Threat number 2 – the animal, ends up filling somebody else’s fuel tank

Mother Nature’s priority is to fill up the fuel tank and keep it fuelled….

The high living dilemma….

Keeping the fuel tank full is complicated in the mountains,

By definition, high altitude living needs more punch (its freezing, so more fuel is burned for heat), but this must be achieved with low oxygen.

Fat provides more punch. But burning fat requires more oxygen.

The team speculated that mice living at high altitude, might need to watch what fuel they put in their tank.

High living requires more carbs

On paper ….

A carb is able to provide around 15 % more energy, for the same amount of oxygen in comparison to fats.

This is why when you’re exercising your body prefers carbs to fats.

So what happens in high living mice ?

They do indeed choose to run on carbs, not fat.

BUT

The team found that the high altitude mice, have special chemistry i.e. genetic adaptions, in their heart muscles, allowing them to squeeze more juice out of carbs, SAFELY.

To do this SAFELY, both species of mice had extra oxidative capacity.

Living on carbs requires special chemistry

Carbs are harder to use, they create more oxidative stress , than fats.

Few humans are real mountain men.

Unless your ancestors were from the mountains, you’re unlikely to have the genetic adaptions that allow you to run SAFELY, on lots of carbs. It makes sense for you to fuel your tank, with a little more of the high octane low oxidative stress fuel i.e. fat and cut back on those carbs.

As you contemplate new health habits for the new year – start by obeying the rule of thirds.

Share Button
Increase in Carbohydrate Utilization in High-Altitude Andean Mice. Current Biology (2012) 22(4): 2350-2354. Marie-Pierre Schippers, Oswaldo Ramirez, Margarita Arana, Percy Pinedo-Bernal, Grant B. McClelland.


carbohyrate causing brain fogginess

Old brains short circuit on a high carbohydrate diet

Officially, the brain runs on carbohydrates, but in the elderly at least, too many carbohydrates, in the diet, hasten foggy thinking.


bee begging

Be warned having a sweet tooth can bee a killer

Just like humans, bees are programmed to seek out sweet things and just like humans, their love of sugar, is contributing to their downfall…..


insulin crushing a mosquito

Our sweet tooth is making mosquitoes sick which is not good news 

More sugar, means more insulin – when mosquitoes bite, they get a mouthful of insulin leading to a compromised immune system and a lot more malaria

 

NOTE : Privacy & spam policy. Spoonful of Science will not rent, trade or sell the e-mail list to anyone. You can unsubscribe at any time by following the unsubscribe link.

Posted in Stress | Tagged altitude, calories, carbohydrates, carbs, fat, fuel, fuel tank, genetic adaptions, heat, high altitude, mountain men, mountains, octane, oxidative stress, oxygen, Peru, rule of thirds

Connect with us

facebook you tube pinterest 40 google plus 40 Linkedin

FEELING….

sign posts then you need better body chemistry.

Grab our free E-course

“31 days to better body chemistry”

The advice is simple to follow and based on REAL science, not hype

Need more information ? Click here

  • Popular
  • Featured
  • Recent
  • oatmeal breakfast being beaten by egg

    Which is a better breakfast, egg or oatmeal ?

    16561 views / Posted
  • chewing gum relieving postoperative ileus

    A stick of chewing gum gets the gut going after surgery

    16023 views / Posted
  • poop getting stuck

    The fix for constipation is to go on a low fibre diet

    15356 views / Posted
  • carbonated water bubbles fill you up

    Fizzing up the water flattens your appetite

    14070 views / Posted
  • a see food diet

    It might be time to try the TRF see food diet – it works

    11445 views / Posted
  • sun extracting cholesterol

    Make sure you have your “annual” check-up in the summer time

    / Dr Sandy
  • sending your kid to bootcamp won't stop childhood obesity

    Moving more won’t stop your kid from getting fat

    / Dr Sandy
  • cholesterol at the scene of the accident

    Bone cells are stiffening up your arteries not cholesterol

    / Dr Sandy
  • brain size the problem in ADHD

    Are kids with ADHD just acting according to their brain age

    / Dr Sandy
  • plastering the blood vessel with calcium

    Calcium supplements are building bones and breaking hearts

    / Dr Sandy
  • vitamin D conservation plan

    Deploy a vitamin D conservation plan this winter

    / Dr Sandy
  • killer cookies

    How to avoid wearing edible Christmas gifts on your hips

    / Dr Sandy
  • eye putttin gpressure on the stomach

    Maybe it’s time to invest in appetite suppressing glasses

    / Dr Sandy
  • pgc1alpha

    Mitochondria in insulin resistance

    / Dr Sandy
  • a low fat diet spiking blood fat levels

    The more saturated fat you eat, the lower your blood fat levels

    / Dr Sandy

RSS Recent posts

Dr Sandy Dr Sandy Evans, PhD

Located in Johannesburg, South Africa

Book an appointment with Spoonful of Science using SetMore
Disclaimer : The stories and articles are provided as a service. Dr Sandy's opinions are for information only, and are not intended to diagnose or prescribe. For your specific diagnosis and treatment, consult your doctor or health care provider.
 
 

Connect with Dr Sandy

facebook 40
you tube 40
pinterest 40
google plus 40
linkedin 40
meetup 40
 

Categories

Featured posts

  • oatmeal breakfast being beaten by egg

    Which is a better breakfast, egg or oatmeal ?

    16561 views / Posted
  • chewing gum relieving postoperative ileus

    A stick of chewing gum gets the gut going after surgery

    16023 views / Posted
  • poop getting stuck

    The fix for constipation is to go on a low fibre diet

    15356 views / Posted
 

©2011-2019 Spoonful of Science

Menu

  • Meet Dr Sandy
  • Disclosure/disclaimer
  • Privacy policy
  • Comment policy
  • Contact
Redirect Stakk
Thank You

Beat your SUGAR CRAVINGS, using biology, NOT psychology

Download our FREE REPORT entitled, "How to get the Willpower you Need to Trump Sugar's Power"

  • Do you have a sugar gremlin ?
  • Discover the biology behind sugar gremlins
  • Learn about the 10 weapons you can use to TAME YOUR SUGAR GREMLIN

Get instant access