Carbs: Friend or Foe?

Are you totally confused about carbs?

I don't blame you if you are. Carbs have been one of the most controversial topics in nutrition over the last couple of decades.

Just mention the word carbs in a conversation with a friend or on social media, and the responses will be all over the map.

Sadly, many supposed health professionals have misled — and in some cases, practically brainwashed —the public with myths, misinformation, and fear-driven propaganda.

Dr. Eric Berg, DC — one of the most prominent carb-haters and keto proponents — recently posted:

Both of these claims are complete nonsense.

The truth? Some of the healthiest, leanest, and longest-lived people in the world eat more carbs — and even sugar — than the average American.

Let me count the ways…

Cultures That Thrive On Carbs

Carbs make up the majority of total calories in many cultures that still follow the traditional dietary patterns of their ancestors — like the African Hadza, South American Tsimane, and Okinawans of Japan!^1-4

Hadza: 65% Carbs, 24% Protein, 11% Fat
Tsimane: 72% Carbs, 14% Protein, 14% Fat
Okinawans: 85% Carbs, 9% Protein, 6% Fat

Now compare that to the average American diet:

46% Carbs, 12% Protein, 42% Fat

Carbs make up over two-thirds of total calories in these native diets — yet less than half in ours.

Meanwhile, fat accounts for nearly half of American calories, but less than 15% in these naturally lean, disease-resistant populations.

So what’s the difference?

It’s not the amount of carbs they eat — it’s also about the quality.

Quality and Quantity Matter

The Hadza, Tsimane, and Okinawans get their carbs from whole, natural foods — fruits, vegetables, roots, tubers, grains, and honey. Their sugars and starches are naturally occurring and unrefined.

Natives: naturally occurring sugars and complex carbs like fiber and starch from whole foods. 

Americans: mostly added sugar and refined starch from ultra-processed foods.  

Even still, the Hadza don’t shy away from sugar. In fact, honey makes up 16–20% of their total diet — more sugar, proportionally, than the average American consumes.

Yet they remain ultra-lean and disease-free.

Meanwhile, Americans consume three to four times more fat, and face skyrocketing rates of obesity, diabetes, and metabolic disease.

And despite claims from keto proponents like Dr. Berg that a metabolic state of ketosis — achieved by restricting carbs and eating more fat — is essential for health, testing has revealed the Hadza are never in ketosis.⁵

So no — carbs and sugar aren’t the problem. It’s the quality of what we eat, and the quantity of calories we consume overall.

Fat Worship Hasn't Worked

Not only do carb-haters demonize carbs, they deify fat. They claim carbs are the culprit behind chronic disease while fat is the unheralded hero of health.

But is that really true?

Consider the Inuit Eskimos:

15-20% Carbs, 30-35% Protein, 50% Fat

They eat a very low-carb, high-fat whole-food diet centered on fatty fish and marine mammals like seal and whale. A whopping half of their daily calories come from animal fat.⁶

Since fat is calorie-dense (9 calories per gram), they naturally tend to eat a surplus of calories. Not surprisingly, they have high obesity rates and twice the stroke incidence of Americans.

Incredibly, when Inuit populations assimilate into Western societies, their weight and cardiovascular risk improve. Researchers hypothesize this improvement results from eating less animal fat and gaining access to fruits, vegetables, and fortified foods that weren’t available in their isolated arctic environment.⁶

While Americans eat less fat than the Inuit, we still consume three to four times more fat than the Hadza, Tsimane, and Okinawans.

And here's the kicker — we’ve reduced added sugar by 30% since 2000, yet obesity and chronic disease rates have continued to rise! If carbs and sugar were truly to blame, obesity and disease rates should have declined as sugar intake dropped. But the opposite has happened.^7,8

^{Modified from: Stephan J. Guyenet. Source: USDA Economic Research Service, CDC NHANES Surveys}

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So Why is Obesity Rising?

The real culprit? Calories.

Here's why...

Although we cut added sugar since 2000, we've replaced it with even more fat.

Modified from: Stephan J. Guyenet. Source: USDA Economic Research Service, CDC NHANES Surveys

And it’s not just what we eat — it’s how we eat it.

Ultra-processed foods pack together fat, sugar, and refined carbs in a way that drives overeating and overrides the body’s natural hunger cues.

As a result, Americans now consume 250–300 more calories per day than they did in 1970.⁹

Modified from: Stephan J. Guyenet. Data from USDA ERS.^9,10

The Truth About High Glycemic Foods

Many sugar and starch haters even warn against “high-glycemic” whole foods like grapes, melons, pineapple, potatoes, carrots, and beets.  

But what does the research actually show? 

Meta-analyses: Little to no correlation between glycemic index, weight gain, and disease.^11,12 
Metabolic ward studies: No difference in fat loss between keto and high-glycemic, carb-heavy diets when calories and protein are equal.¹³

Translation: high glycemic whole foods aren’t the enemy.

Why We Should Eat Carbs

While carbs aren't essential for survival, they're undeniably beneficial.^14-20  

They help your body function, perform, and even thrive in countless ways:

Provide vitamins, minerals, polyphenols, fiber, antioxidants. 
Support healthy hormone levels — thyroid, testosterone, estrogen, cortisol. 
Fuel gut microbes that regulate appetite, metabolism, immunity, and brain function. 
Promote bowel regularity, detoxification, and lower cholesterol while reducing gut disorders. 
Supply glucose — a key building block for DNA and RNA. 
Power your muscles during intense exercise and physical performance.

Carbs vs. Fat for Body Fat Loss

Neither carbs nor fat are dangerous in moderation. But when it comes to fat loss, carbs may have a slight edge.  

Here’s why: 

Lower calorie density: 4 calories per gram vs. 9 in fat. 
Higher dietary thermogenesis (DIT): carbs 5-10% vs. fat 0-3%.^21-24 
Satiety advantage: whole-food carbs keep you fuller with fewer calories.

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The Longevity Factor

A 25-year study of 15,428 adults found the lowest risk of death in those getting 50–55% of total calories from carbs.²⁵  

Interestingly, mortality increased when carbs dropped below 40% or exceeded 70%. The highest mortality risk occurred among low-carb consumers who replaced carbs with animal fat and ate the least fruits and vegetables.  

Even though mortality tended to rise for those who consumed above 70% carbs, this wasn't true for everyone. Cultures who eat high-carb, whole-food diets — like Okinawans (85% carbs) — remain lean and live some of the longest, healthiest lives on record.

Modified from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S246826671830135X

The Bottom Line

Carbs — even sugar in moderation — are not the villain.  

The real problem is: 

Excess calories, which lead to obesity and a cascade of chronic diseases.
Ultra-processed foods — loaded with added fat and refined carbs/sugar — which drive overeating and calorie surplus.

When you prioritize whole-food carbs and minimize ultra-processed junk, you’ll: 

Stay leaner
Feel more satisfied
Perform better
Live longer

Want To Go Deeper?

This post draws from Chapters 12, 13, and 17 of my book Burned™.  

In it, I break down the myths that have fueled decades of diet confusion — and reveal the truth about what really drives fat loss, performance, and long-term health.

👉🏻 Ready to fuel your body smarter — and finally understand what really drives fat loss?

Get your copy of Burned™ today.

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References