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I've been told that the body needs some sugars for proper functioning, especially for things like brain function. First, is this true? Second, what are the "good" sugars? The bad?

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 the brain does not need any glucose from the diet. It can survive decades without dietary carbs. This is total CW I have seen even regurgitated by some people who should know better. – The Quilt Oct 22 2011 at 3:37
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 Neuronal mitochondria can work just as well on ketones as they can on glucose. Evolution made us to be able to handle a variety of macronutrient environments but there is no minimum dietary requirement of good sugars for the brain. If carbs are available we can use them. If they are not the brain can get glucose from the liver if it is needed for autophagy – The Quilt Oct 22 2011 at 3:40
This is a wrong approach in my opinion. Very few foods are bad per se (artificial trans oil for one), for others context and quantity FTW. – Ikco Oct 22 2011 at 10:19

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Some people think that gluconeogenesis provides the PERFECT amount of sugars since it is produced on demand. These are typically the low carbers.

Others believe that taking in roughly the amount of "sugars" you need for brain and tissue function (about 600 cals a day) is best.

This is a hot-ish topic. It's kind of trad. low carb VS. 'taters. Some like Ray Peat even thing that fructose and sucrose are THE best forms of sugar.

So many camps. BUT as a friend of mine likes to say "camp is for kids."

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I just wanted to add something I forgot to mention. If you do choose to use sugars, it's best not to use ones that have been heated to high temps like Molasses and other "brown" sugars. I think agave may be this way. If you use honey make sure that it's raw and does not have any HFCS in it. These things are done to honey to make it more liquid and it's terrible! – none Oct 22 2011 at 21:12
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 "hot-ish topic" -- understatement of the month! – Ambimorph Oct 22 2011 at 22:39
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This is constantly under discussion here in one form or another. Try looking under the tags "carbs", "safe-starches", "fructose" or "ZC" for starters.

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Just for an opposite view, there is Lex Rooker who has been doing just fine eating nothing but Slankers grass fed beef mixed with tallow he renders himself for going on 5 years now.

He seems to be getting all the glucose he needs from his protein. The brain does not need any sugar or carbs to function just fine.

See his latest synopsis of his type of eating...which, I add has been all raw for the 5 years. See posting 1396 Oct 11. This was his reply to my quiry from KGH about Danny Roddy getting scurvy on a all pemmican diet....on the safe starches smackdown put on by Jimmy Moore.

http://bit.ly/pXQXaG Go to page number 140 for posting 1396.

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More low carbers need to take notice of this. He eats the pet food which contains all parts of the animal. – cliff Oct 22 2011 at 12:16
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Just eat 1-2 servings of fruits per day, and raw & unfiltered honey when you feel like having some. Eat heavy starches, e.g. sweet potatoes, only rarely. That's all you need in terms of sugars.

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