AIR DATE: July 26, 2012 at 7PM ETFEATURED EXPERTS: FEATURED TOPIC: "Are Starches Really Safe?"

One of the most controversial issues in the Paleo/low-carb communities over the past year is the concept known as "safe starches" popularized by people like Paul Jaminet in his book . When I , I was simply curious about the seemingly bizarre idea that consuming starch could somehow be a part of a healthy nutritional plan in light of the predictable negative blood sugar impact of consuming these foods. The conversation that ensued between  and low-carb physician  in the months that followed literally defined some clear lines of distinction between those in the Paleo community who see starchy foods such as white rice, white potatoes, sweet potatoes, plantains as harmless to health and those in the low-carb community who view starch as something to be avoided if you want to optimize your health. Who's right? Who's wrong? That's what we'll seek to answer in Episode 21 of "Ask The Low-Carb Experts" with the author of  Nora Gedgaudas. With a panel of experts slated to tackle this important Paleo/low-carb health issue coming up next month at the upcoming  in Boston, Massachusetts in two weeks, this podcast gave YOU a chance to ask the questions you think need to be out there regarding this topic.

TRY THIS NEW LOW-CARB SNACK OPTION FROM NICK'S STICKS:NOTICE OF DISCLOSURE: 

Here are some of the questions we addressed in this podcast:

WALLY ASKS:Is it okay to eat fruit when it's out of season? For example a banana in Chicago in the dead of winter?

DANA ASKS:I have athletic boys who I feel NEED to consume safe starches after sports? Is this true or am I just falling for conventional wisdom? Will they miss out on any nutrients or energy in their lives if they choose to avoid starches? Honestly, they are not big fans of sweet potatoes (although I keep making them and presenting them and will continue to!). How about white potatoes? What's the nutrient difference?

HANK ASKS:Are safe starches okay as a staple of the "Paleo diet" or should they only be used in proportion to your activity level? Robb Wolf, Mark Sisson and other Paleo/primal leaders advocate for higher-carb levels for endurance athletes for instance, but some people like "Free The Animal" blogger Richard Nikoley seem to do okay with white potatoes as a part of their diet on a regular basis even without endurance exercise. What are your thoughts?

DANNY ASKS:In my view the entire controversy over "safe starches" is completely overblown because the applied dose is never discussed. I am a near zero carb dieter who remains in nutritional ketosis all the time. I don't ever each starches as part of my diet. As a keto-adapted runner these supposedly "safe starches" work against me. However, I did read Paul Jaminet's The Perfect Health Diet and found the suggested dose of starchy carbohydrates -- 20% of calories -- to be quite reasonable when compared to clinical studies on low-carb which also have about 20% of calories from carbohydrates. The goal of the safe starches is not to suggest sugar is safe, but to stave off "excess gluconeogenesis" so the liver does not need to work to produce glucose and instead the minimal amount that is needed will be supplied by the diet. Unfortunately, I think the safe starch message has been twisted by the bodybuilding crowd who have descended upon Paleo and given them a way to cling to their old alternating high-carb/low-carb days, substituting sweet potatoes for post-workout sugar/protein bombs they used to ingest. As a low-carb advocate the applied dose is the real bone of contention as it is being incorrectly applied by Paleo at large. What do you think?

LISA ASKS:Is it possible to stoke food cravings leading someone to possibly overeat from consuming safe starches? Or is this desire completely avoidable for someone with a fat-burning, balanced metabolism?

NICK ASKS:Pretty much all longevity research has shown that the key is keeping the amount of insulin your body needs to use over its lifetime as low as possible. Thus, however "safe" glycating starches might be in the short term, by definition, how can they be considered metabolically benign to most of us whose capacity to process glucose declines as we age?

JIM ASKS:Is the safety of starches in a Paleo diet largely dependent on the individual's current health, goals, and food tolerances relative to the chosen starch sources? Consider two examples: A clinically obese, sedentary individual eating a Paleo diet and a lean, active individual eating a Paleo diet. It seems reasonable to limit starch for the sedentary individual, in favor of high quality proteins, fats, and non-starchy carbohydrates to help facilitate hormonal repair and weight loss. In the case of the active individual, adding starches seems like an easy way to replenish depleted glycogen stores and help facilitate improved recovery from exercise. Assuming an individual has a good relationship with food and a healthy hormonal system, how does starch cause harm?

PETER ASKS:Is time of day important in terms of the effects of carb consumption, and, if so, would it be better to eat carbs in the morning or evening? And does eating fat along with carbs mitigate the effect of those carbs on blood sugar? If so, is there a rule of thumb or ratio you can use?

CESAR ASKS:I would like to ask you about manioc and manioc flour, mainly because it is one of the most common sources of carbohydrates in my country of Brazil. I have chosen it as my main source of carbs because it is gluten free and the only main anti-nutrient I could find in it is acceptable levels of cyanide. The toasting and preparation of the flour supposedly eliminates most of the cyanide. I have also read that the detrimental effects of manioc's cyanide is greatly reduced with the proper amount of meat protein, which I eat a lot of, so I hope there is some truth in there. Do you have any thoughts on this as an acceptable starch source?