Question

When we consume excessive carbohydrates and protein from diet, the body store them in the adipose tissue in the form of triglycerides. Explain the key steps in the metabolic pathways that lead to triglyceride formation from glucose and amino acids.

Answer 1

Carbohydrates go through a manufacturing process that breaks down the complexity of their natural chains. This allows them to be digested quickly, rapidly increasing serum blood glucose levels. When a notable increase in blood glucose occurs either due to a high glycemic index or large glycemic load the acute hyperglycemia is commonly referred to as a glucose spike. The body, in response, releases insulin to try to return it back to a state of homeostasis. After meeting the body cells’ immediate energy needs and reaching glycogen storage capacity, the body has a third path to accommodate excess sugar. Increased insulin levels that occur after eating promote a higher rate of fat storage due to the lipogenic activity of the anabolic hormone. The insulin allows the entry of glucose into fat cells by converting it into triglycerides in the liver.A diet too low in complex carbohydrates will have the opposite effect and can actually be hazardous on a number of levels. Due to the fact that glucose is the predominant energy source to fuel the nervous system, limiting its consumption is ill-advised. Diets low in complex carbohydrates, but high in refined carbohydrates are lipogenic, provide poor nutritional value, and increase risk for metabolic disease. When the diet is low in total carbohydrates additional problems occur. The body gives up its protein sparing mechanism when glucosides in the hypothalamus become too low for any extended period of time. This causes the body to breakdown protein (catabolism) and converts the carbon chains into glucose through gluconeogenesis in the liver. This increases the risk for dehydration due to excess nitrogen and in extreme cases can lead to acidosis due to metabolic shifts toward protein metabolism.