I bow to the wisdom found on this forum!

My doctor (who suggested a lc woe!) told me that since I am hypothyroid my carb levels would probably end up no higher than 40 or 50 a day. I can emotionally deal with that-no problem. My question is: will such a low carb level cause any medical problems in the long term? I know that staying at Atkins induction level is not good for the long term, but what would be the mimimum safe level of carbs?

I hope this is the proper place to ask this question. I thought about putting this in the thyroid forum, but it is pretty slow over there-I thought I would get more feedback here.

Paleoanth

Paleoanth, technically there are no 'essential carbs'. Eating 20g of carbs a day for the rest of your life is not dangerous - it's just boring Your body possess the ability to manufacture glucose any time it needs it - and it does this on a daily basis. The process is called gluconeogenesis and it's part of glucose homeostasis.

The straight answer is "No" eating 40-50g of carbs per day will not cause any medical problems.

Just an interesting aside; this time last year my thyroid checked out as underactive (TSH 6.3), after a year of LCing it's now 'normal' and I'm eating higher carbs. Hypoglyceamia is also controlled - and no longer present.

Nat

The body actually does not need carbohydrates in order to survive. It will produce what it needs if any.

Adding carbohydrates into your diet gives you something else to eat other than meat. Because meat in it's unprocessed beauty has no carbohydrates.

So far after 30 years of research and study, none have been able to produce any ill effects of the long extended low carbohydrate diet.

Thank you both! I feel so much better.

Nat-I remembered the "no essential carbs" comment you made, but I could not for the life of me remember where I saw you post it or exactly what you said. I am glad your hypothyroidism disappeared. Perhaps I will see the same results in a year or so.

This board so rocks!

paleo