Carbohydrates carnivore diets

Lipids are a second major source of carbon in most animal diets, perhaps the major source in some carnivorous diets Lipids are metabolized for energy requirements, although somewhat more slowly than carbohydrates Lipids tend to be depleted in by about 2 0/00 or more relative to carbohydrates in any particular food (data in 6 7 9) Virtually all lipid carbon is ultimately... 

Carbohydrates are almost negligible in pure carnivore diets, the only significant source being glycogen stored in the cells of the meat eaten It is unlikely that this glycogen is sufficient in quantity to significantly affect the isotopic composition of blood bicarbonate or bone apatite ... 

It is possible that we are not yet perfectly adapted to such a high carbohydrate diet. Some students of tooth decay point out that dental caries is rare among primitive Eskimos and the meat eaters of the Great Rift Valley in Africa. Many seem to feel that the human race made a mistake in giving up its primitive, carnivorous diets and that dental ailments are the price we have paid for adoption of carbohydrate foods (49). However this may be, all indications are that carbohydrates are here to stay. Indeed, unless science can provide some alternative that is not yet in sight, the growth of even United States population may be expected eventually to force us by stages up toward the 85% carbohydrate level of the orientals. 

Herbivores typically eat diets with high carbohydrate and low protein and lipid. F is about 0.15, and the protein is mainly plant derived and not very different in S C from the non-protein (i.e., Dp is close to Dn). For carnivores, F is typically 0.5 or over, and carbohydrate is low. Animal protein is generally isotopically heavier, while the non-protein is much higher in lipid, so that Dp - Dn is generally quite large (>5%o). The spacing, Bcolla Bcarb. for the two diets is evaluated according to the equation above. 

The mink is a strict carnivore and mink diets usually have a high content of protein. The energy metabohsm in young minks in the transition period from milk to solid food is not investigated in detail, and the protein requirement is poorly defined. The substrate oxidation can give useful information about the relative contribution of different nutrients to the total heat production (HE Tauson et al, 1997). The aim of the study was to examine the effect of different provision of protein and carbohydrate on the energy metabolism and substrate oxidation of mink kits between 6 and 12 weeks of age. 

---