Carbs, or carbohydrates, are molecules that have carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms.
In nutrition, “carbs” refers to one of the three macronutrients. The other two are protein and fat.
Dietary carbohydrates have three main categories:
Sugars. These are sweet, short-chain carbohydrates found in foods. Examples are fructose, galactose, and sucrose.
Starches. These are long chains of glucose molecules, which eventually get broken down into glucose in the digestive system.
Fiber. Humans cannot digest fiber, but bacteria in the digestive system can make use of some of them. Plus, eating fiber is vital to your overall health.
One of the primary purposes of carbohydrates in our diet is to provide fuel for our bodies.
Most carbs get broken down or transformed into glucose, which can be used as energy. Carbs can also be turned into fat (stored energy) for later use.
Fiber is an exception. It doesn’t provide energy directly, but it does feed the friendly bacteria in the digestive system. These bacteria can use the fiber to produce fatty acids that some of our cells can use as energy.
Sugar alcohols are also classified as carbohydrates. They taste sweet but usually don’t provide many calories.
SUMMARY
Carbohydrates are one of the three macronutrients. The main types of dietary carbohydrates are sugars, starches, and fiber.
‘Whole’ vs. ‘Refined’ Carbs
Not all carbs are created equal.
There are many different types of carbohydrate-containing foods, and they can vary in their health effects.
Carbs are sometimes referred to as “simple” versus “complex, or “whole” versus “refined.”
Whole carbs are unprocessed and contain the fiber found naturally in the food, while refined carbs have been processed and had the natural fiber removed or changed.
Examples of whole carbs include:
vegetables
quinoa
barley
legumes
Potatoes
whole grains
On the other hand, refined carbs include:
sugar-sweetened beverages
white bread
pastries
other items made with white flour
Numerous studies show that refined carbohydrate consumption is associated with health conditions like obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Refined carbohydrates tend to cause spikes in blood sugar levels, which leads to a subsequent crash that can trigger hunger and lead to food cravings.
They’re usually also lacking in essential nutrients. In other words, they’re “empty” calories.
There are also added sugar, which should be limited as they’re linked to all sorts of chronic diseases.
However, all carbohydrate-containing foods shouldn’t be demonized because of the negative health effects of processed items.
Whole food sources of carbohydrates are loaded with nutrients and fiber and don’t cause the same spikes and dips in Blood Sugar Levels.
Numerous studies on high fiber carbohydrates, including vegetables, fruits Legumes and whole grains, show that eating them is linked to improved metabolic health and a lower risk of diseaes.
SUMMARY
Not all carbs are created equal. Refined carbs are linked to obesity and metabolic diseases, but unprocessed carbohydrates have many health benefits.
NUTRITION
Evidence Based
Carbohydrates: Whole vs. Refined — Here’s the Difference
The amount of carbs we should consume is a highly debated topic.
The dietary guidelines suggest that we get about half of our calories from Carbohydrates.
On the other hand, some claim that carbs may lead to Obesity and type 2 diabetes and that most people should avoid them.
While there are good arguments on both sides, our bodies need carbohydrates to work well.
This article takes a detailed look at carbs, their health effects, and how you can make the best choices for yourself.
What Are Carbs?
Carbs, or carbohydrates, are molecules that have carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms.
In nutrition, “carbs” refers to one of the three macronutrients. The other two are Protein and fat.
Dietary carbohydrates have three main categories:
Sugars. These are sweet, short-chain carbohydrates found in foods. Examples are glucose fructose, galactose, and sucrose.
Starches. These are long chains of glucose molecules, which eventually get broken down into glucose in the digestive system.
One of the primary purposes of carbohydrates in our diet is to provide fuel for our bodies.
Most carbs get broken down or transformed into glucose, which can be used as energy. Carbs can also be turned into fat (stored energy) for later use.
Fiber is an exception. It doesn’t provide energy directly, but it does feed the friendly bacteria in the digestive system. These bacteria can use the fiber to produce fatty acids that some of our cells can use as energy.
Sugar alcogolsare also classified as carbohydrates. They taste sweet but usually don’t provide many calories.
SUMMARY
Carbohydrates are one of the three macronutrients. The main types of dietary carbohydrates are sugars, starches, and fiber.
‘Whole’ vs. ‘Refined’ Carbs
Not all carbs are created equal.
There are many different types of carbohydrate-containing foods, and they can vary in their health effects.
Carbs are sometimes referred to as “simple” versus “complex, or “whole” versus “refined.”
Whole carbs are unprocessed and contain the fiber found naturally in the food, while refined carbs have been processed and had the natural fiber removed or changed.
Examples of whole carbs include:
vegetables
quinoa
barley
legumes
On the other hand, refined carbs include:
sugar-sweetened beverages
white bread
pastries
other items made with white flour
Numerous studies show that refined carbohydrate consumption is associated with health conditions like obesity and type 2 diabetes
Refined carbohydrates tend to cause spikes in blood sugar levels, which leads to a subsequent crash that can trigger hunger and lead to food cravings
They’re usually also lacking in essential nutrients. In other words, they’re “empty” calories.
There are also added sugars which should be limited as they’re linked to all sorts of chronic diseases
However, all carbohydrate-containing foods shouldn’t be demonized because of the negative health effects of processed items.
Whole food sources of carbohydrates are loaded with nutrients and fiber and don’t cause the same spikes and dips in blood Sugar levels
SUMMARY
Not all carbs are created equal. Refined carbs are linked to obesity and metabolic diseases, but unprocessed carbohydrates have many health benefits.
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Low Carb Diet Conundrum
No discussion about carbs is complete without mentioning low carbs diets.
These types of diets restrict carbohydrates while allowing plenty of protein and fat.
Though there are studies that indicate that low carb diets can help you lose weight, they tend to focus on those who have obesity, metabolic syndrome and/or type 2 diabetes.
Some of these studies show that low carb diets can promote weight loss and lead to improvements in various health markers, including HDL “good” cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure, and others when compared to the standard “low fat” diet.
However, a review of more than 1,000 studies found that while there were positive outcomes with low carb diets less than and at 6–11 months, there wasn’t a significant effect on cardiovascular risk factors after 2 years.
Additionally, a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 1999–2010 that analyzed low carb diets and the risk of death found that those who ate the least amount of carbs tended to die prematurely from any cause, including stroke, cancer, and coronary heart disease.
SUMMARY
Just because low carb diets can be useful for weight loss for some individuals, they’re not the answer for everyone.
‘Carbs’ Are Not the Cause of Obesity
Though limiting your carbs can lead to weight loss, it doesn’t mean that eating carbs in and of itself is what caused weight gain in the first place.
While it’s true that added sugars and refined carbs are linked to an increased chance of developing obesity, the same is not true of fiber-rich, whole-food sources of carbohydrates.
In fact, humans have been eating carbs for thousands of years, in some form or another.
Yet the rate of developing obesity started growing since the mid-20th century with an uptick around 1980 when 4.8 percent of men and 7.9 percent of women had obesity.
Today our numbers have increased exponentially of adults have obesity.
It’s also worth noting that some populations have remained in excellent health while eating a high carb diet.
The Kitavan islanders, who consume a significant portion of their daily calorie intake from carbohydrates, have some of the longest lifespans.
What they have in common is they eat real, unprocessed foods.
However, populations that consume a large amount of refined carbohydrates and processed tend to have a higher chance of developing negative health outcomes.
SUMMARY
Humans have been eating carbs since long before the obesity epidemic, and there are many examples of populations that have remained in excellent health while eating diets high in carbs.
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