Research
Micronutrients & recovery
Fractional hepatic de novo lipogenesis (DNL) is a sensitive and specific biomarker for recent carbohydrate intake, increasing more than 10-fold on surplus carbohydrate diets and becoming unmeasurable on carbohydrate-deficient diets, even though absolute fat synthesis remains low.
While your body doesn't make much fat from carbs in the short term, the *rate* at which it attempts to do so changes dramatically based on how many carbs you eat. This metabolic signal can be used to estimate recent carb intake.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Fractional de novo hepatic lipogenesis (DNL) increased more than 10-fold on surplus CHO and was unmeasurable on deficient CHO diets; thus, the preceding 5-d CHO intake could be inferred from DNL.
Why this rating
Controlled study with precise isotope tracing.
Source
Short-term alterations in carbohydrate energy intake in humans. Striking effects on hepatic glucose production, de novo lipogenesis, lipolysis, and whole-body fuel selection.
Jean‐Marc Schwarz et al. · Journal of Clinical Investigation · 1995
DOI 10.1172/jci118342
crossover · n=6Cited 240×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Short-term surplus carbohydrate intake (50% excess for 5 days) significantly increases fasting hepatic glucose production (HGP) and serum insulin levels, creating a state of insulin resistance that suppresses lipolysis and shifts whole-body fuel selection toward carbohydrate oxidation and away from fat oxidation.Good
- Short-term carbohydrate deficiency (50% deficit for 5 days) reduces fasting hepatic glucose production (HGP) and improves the sensitivity of HGP to suppression by insulin, leading to increased fat oxidation.Good
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