All You Need to Know About Carbohydrates


All You Need to Know About Carbohydrates

All You Need to Know About Carbohydrates

All You Need to Know About Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are naturally occurring sugars, starches and fiber in food and this is something you should know about carbohydrates.

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All carbohydrates are made up of sugar molecules. Sugar molecules linked together form starches and fiber.

In the body, starches and sugars are broken down in the digestive system to glucose.

Glucose is the fuel that provides energy and powers all of the body’s functions. Glucose is also called blood sugar.

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Scientists and dietitians used to group carbohydrates into two types: complex carbohydrates and simple carbohydrates.

Complex carbohydrates include starches and fiber.

Simple carbohydrates include sugar that occurs naturally in fruits, vegetables and milk as well as brown sugar, white sugar, honey and any sugar added to foods during processing.

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.

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This is actually a myth that’s been debunked.

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.

What are good carbs and bad carbs?

What are good carbs and bad carbs?

These are terms that different diet promoters have made popular and you should know this about carbohydrates.

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Usually, good carbs means foods that contain high fiber amounts.

Good carbs take longer to be broken down by the body and used for energy.

They are found in whole grain breads and cereals, products made from whole wheat flour, vegetables and fruits.

Bad carbs refers to foods that contain refined carbohydrates with a low fiber amount, mainly white flour and sugar.

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These are found in foods like white bread, cakes, cookies and other bakery items made with white flour; white (processed) rice and some cereals.

Dividing carbohydrates into good carbs and bad carbs is an easy way to think about good nutrition, but these are not exact, scientific terms.

When thinking about eating a healthy diet, eat whole grain, high fiber foods rather than enriched, low fiber foods.

Good carbohydrates (High fiber content)

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  • Slowly digested (body can use food as energy over several hours). Slowly digested foods result in a gradual increase in blood sugar.
  • Unprocessed foods. Natural ingredients are not removed during the making of the food. Examples include whole grain breads, beans and cereals and products made from whole wheat flour, along with vegetables and fruits.
  • Helps reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes; helps prevent obesity; and keeps the digestive system healthy.

Bad carbohydrates (Low fiber content)

  • Rapidly digested. Rapidly digested foods cause a spike in the level of blood sugar (The spike triggers the pancreas to make more insulin, which is a hormone that makes the body store more fat.).
  • Processed foods. Natural ingredients have been removed or changed during the making (the ‘processing’) of the food. For example, to make white bread, the bran and germ from wheat grain needs to be removed to make the white flour used to make white bread. Other processed food include cakes, cookies and other bakery items made with white flour; white (processed) rice and some cereals.
  • Increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.

Also Read: Healthy Food Sources of Vitamin A