Carbohydrates
are the sugars, starches and fibers found in fruits, grains, vegetables and
milk products. Though often maligned in trendy diets, carbohydrates one of the
basic food groups are important to a healthy life.
"Carbohydrates
are macronutrients, meaning they are one of the three main ways the body
obtains energy, or calories," said Paige Smarter, a Utah-based registered
dietitian.
The American
Diabetes Association notes that carbohydrates are the body's main source of
energy. They are called carbohydrates because, at the chemical level, they
contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.
There are
three macronutrients: carbohydrates, protein and fats, Smarter said.
Macronutrients are essential for proper body functioning, and the body requires
large amounts of them. All macronutrients must be obtained through diet; the
body cannot produce macronutrients on its own.
The
recommended daily amount (RDA) of carbs for adults is 135 grams, according to
the National Institutes of Health (NIH), however, the NIH also recommends that
everyone should have his or her own carbohydrate goal. Carb intake for most
people should be between 45 and 65 percent of total calories. One gram of
carbohydrates equals about 4 calories, so a diet of 1,800 calories per day
would equal about 202 grams on the low end and 292 grams of carbs on the high
end. However, people with diabetes should not eat more than 200 grams of carbs
per day, while pregnant women need at least 175 grams.
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Function of carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates
provide fuel for the central nervous system and energy for working muscles.
They also prevent protein from being used as an energy source and enable fat metabolism,
according to Iowa State University.
Also,
"carbohydrates are important for brain function," Smarter said. They
are an influence on "mood, memory, etc., as well as a quick energy
source." In fact, the RDA of carbohydrates is based on the amount of carbs
the brain needs to function.
Simple vs. complex carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates
are classified as simple or complex, Smarter said. The difference between the
two forms is the chemical structure and how quickly the sugar is absorbed and
digested. Generally speaking, simple carbs are digested and absorbed more
quickly and easily than complex carbs, according to the NIH.
Simple
carbohydrates contain just one or two sugars, such as fructose (found in
fruits) and galactose (found in milk products). These single sugars are called
monosaccharides. Carbs with two sugars such as sucrose (table sugar), lactose
(from dairy) and maltose (found in beer and some vegetables) are called
disaccharides, according to the NIH. Simple carbs are also in candy, soda and
syrups. However, these foods are made with processed and refined sugars and do
not have vitamins, minerals or fiber. They are called "empty
calories" and can lead to weight gain, according to the NIH. Complex
carbohydrates (polysaccharides) have three or more sugars. They are often
referred to as starchy foods and include beans, peas, lentils, peanuts,
potatoes, corn, parsnips, whole-grain breads and cereals.
Smarter
pointed out that, while all carbohydrates function as relatively quick energy
sources, simple carbs cause bursts of energy much more quickly than complex
carbs because of the quicker rate at which they are digested and absorbed.
Simple carbs can lead to spikes in blood sugar levels and sugar highs, while
complex carbs provide more sustained energy. Studies have shown that replacing
saturated fats with simple carbs, such as those in many processed foods, is
associated with an increased risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Smarter offered the following advice: "It's best to focus on getting primarily
complex carbs in your diet, including whole grains and vegetables."
Sugars, starches and fibers.
In the body,
carbs break down into smaller units of sugar, such as glucose and fructose,
according to Iowa State University. The small intestine absorbs these smaller
units, which then enter the bloodstream and travel to the liver. The liver
converts all of these sugars into glucose, which is carried through the bloodstream
accompanied by insulin and converted into energy for basic body functioning and
physical activity.
If the
glucose is not immediately needed for energy, the body can store up to 2,000
calories of it in the liver and skeletal muscles in the form of glycogen,
according to Iowa State University. Once glycogen stores are full, carbs are
stored as fat. If you have insufficient carbohydrate intake or stores, the body
will consume protein for fuel. This is problematic because the body needs
protein to make muscles. Using protein instead of carbohydrates for fuel also
puts stress on the kidneys, leading to the passage of painful byproducts in the
urine.
Fiber is
essential to digestion. Fibers promote healthy bowel movements and decrease the
risk of chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease and diabetes, according
to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. However, unlike sugars and starches,
fibers are not absorbed in the small intestine and are not converted to
glucose. Instead, they pass into the large intestine relatively intact, where
they are converted to hydrogen and carbon dioxide and fatty acids. The
Institute of Medicine recommends that people consume 14 grams of fiber for
every 1,000 calories. Sources of fiber include fruits, grains and vegetables,
especially legumes.
Smashers
pointed out that carbs are also found naturally in some forms of dairy and both
starchy and non starchy vegetables. For example, non starchy vegetables like
lettuces, kale, green beans, celery, carrots and broccoli all contain carbs.
Starchy vegetables like potatoes and corn also contain carbohydrates, but in
larger amounts. According to the American Diabetes Association, non starchy vegetables
generally contain only about 5 grams of carbohydrates per cup of raw
vegetables, and most of those carbs come from fiber.
Good carbs vs. bad carbs.
Carbohydrates
are found in foods you know are good for you (vegetables) and ones you know are
not (doughnuts). This has led to the idea that some carbs are "good"
and some are "bad." According to Healthy Geezer Fred Cicetti, carbs
commonly considered bad include pastries, sodas, highly processed foods, white
rice, white bread and other white-flour foods. These are foods with simple
carbs. Bad carbs rarely have any nutritional value.
Carbs
usually considered good are complex carbs, such as whole grains, fruits,
vegetables, beans and legumes. These are not only processed more slowly, but
they also contain a bounty of other nutrients.
The Pritikin
Longevity Center offers this checklist for determining if a carbohydrate is
"good" or "bad."
Good carbs
are:
- Low or moderate in calories
- High in nutrients
- Devoid of refined sugars and refined grains
- High in naturally occurring fiber
- Low in sodium
- Low in saturated fat
- Very low in, or devoid of, cholesterol and
trans fats
Bad carbs
are:
- High in calories
- Full of refined sugars, like corn syrup, white
sugar, honey and fruit juices
- High in refined grains like white flour
- Low in many nutrients
- Low in fiber
- High in sodium
- Sometimes high in saturated fat
- Sometimes high in cholesterol and trans fats
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Glycemic index.
Recently,
nutritionists have said that it's not the type of carbohydrate, but rather the
carb's glycemic index, that's important. The glycemic index measures how
quickly and how much a carbohydrate raises blood sugar. High-glycemic foods
like pastries raise blood sugar highly and rapidly; low-glycemic foods raise it
gently and to a lesser degree. Some research has linked high-glycemic foods
with diabetes, obesity, heart disease and certain cancers, according to Harvard
Medical School. On the other hand, different research has suggested that following
a low-glycemic diet may not actually be helpful.
Carbohydrate benefits...!!
The right
kind of carbs can be incredibly good for you. Not only are they necessary for
your health, but they carry a variety of added benefits.
1.Mental
health
Carbohydrates
may be important to mental health. A study published in 2009 in the journal
JAMA Internal Medicine found that people on a high-fat, low-carb diet for a
year had more anxiety, depression and anger than people on a low-fat, high-carb
diet. Scientists suspect that carbohydrates help with the production of
serotonin in the brain.
Carbs may
help memory, too. A 2008 study at Tufts University had overweight women cut
carbs entirely from their diets for one week. Then, they tested the women's cognitive
skills, visual attention and spatial memory. The women on no-carb diets did
worse than overweight women on low-calorie diets that contained a healthy
amount of carbohydrates.
2. Weight
loss
Though carbs
are often blamed for weight gain, the right kind of carbs can actually help you
lose and maintain a healthy weight. This happens because many good
carbohydrates, especially whole grains and vegetables with skin, contain fiber.
It is difficult to get sufficient fiber on a low-carb diet. Dietary fiber helps
you to feel full, and generally comes in relatively low-calorie foods.
A study
published in the Journal of Nutrition in 2009 followed middle-age women for 20
months and found that participants who ate more fiber lost weight, while those
who decreased their fiber intake gained weight. Another recent study linked fat
loss with low-fat diets, not low-carb ones.
3. Good
source of nutrients
Whole,
unprocessed fruits and vegetables are well known for their nutrient content.
Some are even considered superfoods because of it and all of these leafy greens,
bright sweet potatoes, juicy berries, tangy citruses and crunchy apples contain
carbs.
One
important, plentiful source of good carbs is whole grains. A large study
published in 2010 in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found
that those eating the most whole grains had significantly higher amounts of
fiber, energy and polyunsaturated fats, as well as all micronutrients (except
vitamin B12 and sodium). An additional study, published in 2014 in the journal Critical
Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, found that whole grains contain
antioxidants, which were previously thought to exist almost exclusively in fruits
and vegetables.
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4. Heart
health
Fiber also
helps to lower cholesterol, said Kelly Toups, a registered dietitian with the Whole
Grains Council. The digestive process requires bile acids, which are made partly
with cholesterol. As your digestion improves, the liver pulls cholesterol from
the blood to create more bile acid, thereby reducing the amount of LDL, the
"bad" cholesterol.
Toups referenced
a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that looked at the effect
of whole grains on patients taking cholesterol-lowering medications called
statins. Those who ate more than 16 grams of whole grains daily had lower
bad-cholesterol levels than those who took the statins without eating the whole
grains.
5. Carbohydrate
deficiency
Not getting
enough carbs can cause problems. Without sufficient fuel, the body gets no
energy. Additionally, without sufficient glucose, the central nervous system
suffers, which may cause dizziness or mental and physical weakness, according
to Iowa State University. A deficiency of glucose, or low blood sugar, is
called hypoglycemia.
If the body
has insufficient carbohydrate intake or stores, it will consume protein for
fuel. This is problematic because the body needs protein to make muscles. Using
protein for fuel instead of carbohydrates also puts stress on the kidneys, leading
to the passage of painful byproducts in the urine, according to the University
of Cincinnati.
"People who don't consume enough carbohydrates may also suffer from insufficient fiber, which can cause digestive problems and constipation."
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