Carbohydrates have been labeled as bad since Atkins’ low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet exploded in the American scene. Unfortunately, this is only half true and has caused a lot of confusion among the general public.
Sure, some carbs are bad, but others are good and should be at the core of a healthy diet. But how can you tell the difference between good and bad carbs?
Before making that distinction, it is important to understand that all carbohydrates, good and bad, are made up of different types of sugar and can be confusing. The important thing is how sugar is packaged and presented to the body.
What is the difference between good and bad carbs?
The first difference is that good carbohydrates contain naturally occurring sugars such as those found in fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Bad carbohydrates, on the other hand, are sugars that are “added” to processed foods and soft drinks and discarded in coffee and tea.
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The second difference is that good carbs are “complex”. In short, carbohydrates are part of a more complex composition that contains fibers that cannot be broken down by the human digestive system. This slows down the process, and it’s good because good carbohydrate sugars slowly enter the bloodstream in a “sustained release” way. This is important because sustained release of sugar weakens the insulin response. (When blood sugar enters cells and blood flow levels drop, so does insulin.)
In contrast, bad carbohydrates are “simple” sugars that enter the bloodstream quickly. When this happens, the body misunderstands what is happening and thinks that a lot of sugar is coming. Then a large insulin reaction takes place, processing the sugar and escorting the cells. A high insulin response signals the body to store body fat, especially in the abdomen as visceral (deep) body fat around the liver and other organs. Excess visceral fat contributes to the development of insulin resistance, prediabetes, and ultimately type 2 diabetes.
The third difference is that good carbohydrates provide many useful nutrients (vitamins, minerals, proteins) that are filled and therefore eat less. Bad carbohydrates are sugars that represent “hollow” calories, providing energy but not nutrients, and excess energy is stored as body fat. In addition, bad carbs don’t satisfy hunger, but instead encourage you to eat more, burn more calories, and add more body fat.
Excess body fat is the main root cause of health damage, but it is important to point out that sugar itself is the problem. Recent studies show that a person of normal weight who consumes too much “added” sugar can double the risk of dying from heart disease.
How do I read food labels to choose good carbs?
Food labels in the past have not always been useful when trying to make the right dietary decisions. Is it because they wanted to keep food producers, especially consumers who specialize in fat- and sugar-rich, health-damaging foods, in the dark? Certainly it is.
Consider the fact that in the past, the label did not reveal the size of the serving. Therefore, if the label contains 100 calories per serving (kcal) but does not indicate the number of servings included in the package, you may be surprised to find that the package has 4 servings, for a total of 4 servings. not. 400 calories. This is especially misleading for high-calorie, high-concentration foods with just a few bites.
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Thankfully, after decades of effort by health advocates trying to make beneficial changes, we now have a more meaningful food label. This was especially helpful for labeled carbs. Currently, the label shows the amount of “additional” sugar per serving in the product. This is important because you can use this valuable information to reduce your carbohydrate intake.
However, keep in mind that “added” sugar is reported in grams. You need to know what this means. Remember the fourth thing. To interpret and overview this, you need to know that there are 4 calories per gram of sugar and 4 grams of sugar per teaspoon.
What are the healthy guidelines for adding sugar?
For women, the maximum daily dose should be no more than 6 teaspoons (6 teaspoons x 4 grams of sugar per teaspoon x 4 calories per gram of sugar = 96 calories). For men, the maximum daily dose should not exceed 9 teaspoons of sugar (144 calories).
So how are we doing? The average American consumes a whopping 22 teaspoons of sugar (352 calories) per day, most of which comes from soft drinks. For example, one can of 12 ounces of cola contains 9.75 teaspoons of “added” sugar (39 grams). Can you imagine the surprisingly high sugar intake of people walking around with quart-sized soft drinks and drinking all day long?
Unfortunately, soft drinks are not the only cause. “Additional” sugar is ubiquitous in candies, pastries, ice cream, fruit juices, canned fruits, fast foods, cereals, cereal bars and more. “Additional” sugar can be used in many unsuspecting places such as barbecue sauces, ketchup, spaghetti sauces, sports drinks, granola, flavored coffee, high protein bars, ready-made soups, baked beans cans, ready-made smoothies, etc. You can find it.
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Not all carbohydrates deserve the bad reputation that has been unfairly imposed on them in recent years. Fruits, vegetables and whole grains are complex and excellent carbohydrates that are rich in fiber and healthy nutrients. On the contrary, some carbs certainly deserve a bad reputation, and the top of the list is simple carbs, foods high in “added” sugar that provide only calories.
Contact Brian Stanford (stamford@hanover.edu), a professor of kinematics and integrated physiology at Hanover College.
