Reason for going zero carb

[A_Tribe_Called_Paleo]

Why would one go zero carb? Is it strictly for healing purposes? Can it be used long term? I'm mainly questioning longevity on a ZC diet.

[van]

There's quite a bit of evidence that spiking insulin levels with sugar/carbs  has many implications which aren't related to longevity.  If you're interested may I suggest you look at Low carb with enough prebiotic and mineral containing foods that keep you in Ketosis, and let the notion of Zero carb go.   You're looking to heal your gut.

[A_Tribe_Called_Paleo]

Is it safe to say what causes an insulin spike in one person, might not in another? Or is the list of insulin causing foods pretty cut n dry? I'm just trying to refine my deit for maximum internal/external healt, performance, and longevity.
What prebiotic foods would fall into this catagory? Sweet potatoes and other root vegetables are the only thing that come to mind.

[Carne Cruda]

Is it safe to say what causes an insulin spike in one person, might not in another? Or is the list of insulin causing foods pretty cut n dry?

Well there might be some variance, but for the most part I'd say it's pretty "cut n dry".
Macronutrients that spike insulin the most are:
1)carbs
and  2)proteins (some proteins like whey, more so than others).
Fats spike it very little.

Anyway, one of the many reasons to go vlc/zc, for me, is/was: no tooth decay.

[eveheart]

The insulin "spike" (really, the release of insulin in response to carbohydrate foods) affects people in different ways. If your body uses insulin correctly, there should be no problem with moderate insulin release after a meal or snack. If you are "insulin resistant" the body does not use the insulin correctly and a bunch of insulin in the bloodstream (a)doesn't get used to process energy from blood sugar and (b) causes the blood sugar to convert to body fat. Results: (1) "high blood sugar" (2) increase body fat (3) hunger even when you have eaten a full meal. It's really more complex than that, but that's the general idea.

If you don't want to get a blood test kit, you can possibly detect insulin resistance by excessive insane thirst, excessive insane urination, and excessive insane hunger.

Even when insulin release is not a problem as described above, meals with tons of carbs can be a load - a vegan or fruitarian diet can pose this type of problem. But there is no reason to eliminate carbs.