🧬 HOW They Work — The Mechanistic View:
Each macronutrient-dominant diet taps into a specific metabolic pathway:
High-Carbohydrate Diet (CHO → Glycolysis):
Glucose is the primary energy substrate; insulin is high; glycogen stores are full; ideal for short bursts of energy. FGF-21 may be suppressed unless there's caloric restriction.
High-Protein Diet (Gluconeogenesis → GNG):
The body converts amino acids into glucose, slower than glycolysis. Often high in satiety signals (PYY, GLP-1). Can stimulate FGF-21 in some settings, especially under low-carb conditions.
High-Fat/Ketogenic Diet (Lipolysis → Ketosis):
The liver produces ketone bodies (e.g., beta-hydroxybutyrate) used by brain and muscles. FGF-21 levels usually increase as a starvation/fasting hormone.
So that's how—but...
🧠 WHY They Work — The Deeper Inquiry:
1. Metabolic Flexibility and Hormetic Stress
Each diet acts as a metabolic stressor—it shifts the body out of homeostatic predictability. This stresses the system just enough to trigger:
Autophagy
Mitochondrial biogenesis
AMPK activation
Hormonal optimization (e.g., increased adiponectin, modulation of FGF-21)
Like exercise, the mild metabolic discomfort can lead to systemic benefits via hormesis.
2. Evolutionary Niche-Specific Adaptation
Different humans thrived in different ecological niches:
Arctic and steppe nomads (e.g., Inuit): Fat-dominant diets
Tropical fruit-gatherers: Carb-heavy diets
Pastoralists or survivalist warriors: Protein-heavy periods
Each diet mimics a seasonal or survival-based metabolic state, triggering ancient genetic programs that may enhance healing, focus, and fat loss depending on the internal terrain and environment.
3. Simplicity & Compliance
Often, the success lies not in the biochemistry but the behavioral and psychological clarity:
Fewer food choices = less decision fatigue
Clear rules = easier adherence
Less mixing = improved gut health and insulin control
A standalone diet imposes a form of monodietic discipline, which may paradoxically help correct modern metabolic chaos.
4. Microbiome Reset or Shift
Each diet radically reshapes the gut microbiota—this in turn affects:
Inflammation
Neurotransmitter production
Immune tone
Energy extraction from food
You’re not just feeding yourself. You’re feeding your microbial consortium—and different ones thrive under different macronutrient dominances.
Final Thought:
We know the metabolic mechanisms. But why these diets work may boil down to mimicking ancient stressors, simplifying inputs, resetting internal rhythms, and triggering adaptation pathways lost in our surplus-driven world.
In this light, stand-alone diets don’t just feed the body—they signal the genome. They’re not just nutrition—they’re code
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