Why Cutting Refined Carbohydrates Is Key to Restoring Metabolic Health

Dr. Mark Hyman’s recent document, The Hard Truth About Processed Carbs, delivers a clear, evidence-based message that should serve as a wake-up call for anyone concerned about the obesity and chronic disease epidemic in America. His argument is simple: processed carbohydrates are silently destroying our metabolic health. Until we confront this truth, we will continue to experience worsening rates of diabetes, heart disease, fatty liver, and obesity.

Dr. Hyman’s report explains that ultra-processed carbs—refined flours, sugars, syrups, and starches—are not real food in any meaningful sense. They’re industrially manufactured ingredients engineered for shelf life, sweetness, and “bliss point” satisfaction rather than nutrition. These carbohydrates are stripped of fiber, minerals, and micronutrients, leaving behind a highly digestible, rapidly absorbed form of starch that overwhelms the bloodstream with glucose and keeps insulin levels chronically high.

The result? Metabolic dysfunction. As Dr. Hyman emphasizes, our metabolic health epidemic isn’t about calories or willpower—it’s about biochemistry. When insulin levels remain elevated due to constant exposure to refined carbs, the body becomes less able to use either glucose or fat for energy efficiently. Instead, the body stores unused calories—driving weight gain, metabolic dysfunction, hunger, and inflammation. Over time, insulin resistance evolves into a contributory cause of nearly every major chronic condition.

The Science Is Clear

Dr. Hyman’s alarm bell aligns with our tenet at CMH: maintaining a healthy weight with proper insulin control is the foundation of metabolic health. Research consistently demonstrates that reducing processed carbohydrate intake improves insulin sensitivity, stabilizes blood sugar, and restores the body’s natural ability to burn fat for fuel.

• The PURE study, which analyzed 135,000 people across 18 countries, found that high carbohydrate intake was associated with higher total mortality, while higher fat intake (including saturated fat) was linked to lower mortality and stroke risk (Dehghan et al., 2017, Lancet).
  
• Multiple studies of a very-low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet show significant improvements in blood sugar, triglycerides, and insulin sensitivity compared with a low-fat diet in patients with obesity or type 2 diabetes.
  
• Meta-analyses confirm that reducing refined carbohydrate intake leads to greater improvements in HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and body weight than low-fat diets.
  
• Processed carbohydrate consumption, especially sugar-sweetened beverages, is strongly associated with insulin resistance and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Moreover, as Dr. Hyman explains, processed carbs have addictive properties. They activate dopamine pathways in the brain, producing short-term pleasure followed by cravings and energy crashes. Research confirms that high-sugar foods stimulate reward circuitry similar to those activated by addictive substances like drugs and alcohol. It’s not just psychological—it’s chemical. 

The Path to Better Metabolic Health

Supporting Dr. Hyman’s message means adopting a new definition of “healthy eating.” It’s not about demonizing all carbs for everyone. For some, it’s about eliminating the carbs that have been stripped, refined, and reassembled into addictive pseudo-foods. The goal for more metabolically flexible individuals is to return to real, whole foods—especially meats, eggs, and dairy, but potentially also unprocessed carbohydrates like vegetables, fruits, legumes, intact grains, nuts, and seeds—that digest slowly, nourish the body, and support stable blood sugar.

Those with insulin resistance may benefit from reducing all forms of carbohydrates, but that doesn’t have to be the approach for everyone. By reducing carbohydrate intake, we can reverse metabolic dysfunction long before it turns into diseases such as type 2 diabetes, fatty liver, and  others. We can improve body composition, reduce visceral fat, and restore energy balance. And we can teach our bodies to burn fuel efficiently again—something that 93% of Americans, who now show some form of metabolic impairment, desperately need.

The Bottom Line

The Hard Truth About Processed Carbs is not just a critique—it’s a roadmap for national recovery. Reducing processed carbohydrates isn’t about deprivation; it’s about recognizing the role of real food, reclaiming control over our biology, and protecting our future health.

By supporting Dr. Hyman’s message, we’re supporting a vision of healthcare rooted in prevention, nutrition, and metabolic integrity. As the saying goes, the best time for change was yesterday—but the second best is today.

Join us at CMH in advocating that all individuals consider drastically reducing or eliminating dietary processed carbohydrates.