That’s because a low carb diet alters the hormonal environment in two main ways:
️1.) Increases the morning glucagon response.
What is so special about the morning glucagon response that sets it apart. from the rest of the day?
Isn't the hormonal environment as described a function of lo-carb simply leading to low blood sugar, such that there is low insulin, and with low insulin glucagon, adrenaline, and cortisol (adrenal hormones) are not inhibited?
And I wonder if there is a more detailed discussion on the difference between a ketogenic diet that is PUFA-free vs one that has plenty of PUFA.
Even Ray Peat doesn't labor to make this distinction, as he tends to lump all fatty acids together when he blames fatty acids as impeding the metabolism of sugar. But I am left to conclude as we read and hear more his thoughts that Ray Peat, in this context, is simply saying fatty acids as shorthand for PUFA fatty acids.
I feel that without qualifying a ketogenic diet as being PUFA-free or PUFA-contaminated, defining a certain ketogenic diet as beyond or below a cutoff of SFA/PUFA, it's hard to make conclusions regarding keto diets, as the lack of consideration for PUFA effects confounds.
Add in the fact (or maybe my belief) that studies don't classify controls as people who are PUFA-free vs. PUFA-contaminated makes it hard to account for variations in blood sugar and hormonal responses to sugar and to fats in what they eat.
Comparing myself before I abstained from PUFA for at least 4 years and after:
Before: I was unable to fast for a day, had to eat brown rice, couldn't eat cane sugar or candy in-between meals, and possibly easily subjected to allergic rhinitis.
After: I can fast for a whole day and. blood sugar stays around 75, can respond well to eating white rice (don't get hungry between meals, my blood sugar stable at 85), can eat honey or white sugar on empty stomach (without blood sugar dropping shortly), and no longer have allergic rhinitis.
I suppose the "after" me would be more capable of combining fatty acid metabolism with sugar metabolism than the "before" me because of my having less PUFA in my system.
There are still other factors, such as endotoxemia affecting sugar metabolism and its effect on blood sugar regulation and downstream hormonal responses.
But it's just easier for some researchers to simplify matters and attribute variations to genetics, and for people to say "I'm genetically predisposed to a ketogenic diet."
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