The Health Benefits of Carbohydrates
We’re all familiar with carbohydrates: the food group that provides the body with its main source of energy – e.g. potatoes, bread, rice, pasta, cereals, peas and beans. It is also one of the main sources of calories for many people which is why you need to be careful if you have a weight problem.
Complex Carbohydrates
Complex carbohydrates in their natural form, such as fibre-rich wholemeal bread, pasta, brown rice, potatoes and other veg, apples and nuts all release energy slowly. Refined carbohydrates such as white bread, white pasta and rice, are still a good source of energy but are less good for you as some nutrients such as the wheat germ have been removed during the refining process. They also release energy into the body more quickly than their natural form counterparts.
Simple Carbohydrates
Simple carbohydrates in the form of sugars (glucose and fructose) are like the complex carbohydrates in that they are also found in a natural or refined form. Natural sugars are found in fruit and vegetables and refined sugars are found in biscuits, cakes, pastries, chocolate, jams, sugar, sweets and soft drinks. These give you a short burst of energy but can leave you feeling hungry again. You need to be careful with refined sugars as too many sweet things can lead to obesity related illnesses like heart disease and of course it can cause your teeth to decay.
How do they work?
When eating carbohydrates enzymes in our body break them down into simple sugars and then glucose which is easily absorbed into the bloodstream. Then insulin helps to take it to the cells and muscles for instant use or it is stored as an energy reserve in the liver and muscles in the form of glycogen or, if too much is consumed, it is stored as body fat. Some forms of protein can also provide us with glucose, but it is a long process and is only performed by the liver when we consume too much protein or the body is in starvation. The brain in particular depends on the glucose derived from carbohydrates and this explains why people on a low-carb diet can slow down mentally e.g. have difficulties thinking clearly, remembering things and feeling tired.
So how much should I have?
The British Nutrition Foundation recommends that men get 48.5% of their energy from carbs and women 47.7% and this should include no more that 11% of refined sugars. The amount of carbohydrates in your diet should also depend of your lifestyle: if you are very active and involved in sport then you will need plenty of carbohydrates and will burn them off easily. But if you have a fairly inactive lifestyle then you should decrease the amount of carbohydrates in your diet. You can use our DRI calculator to see how many carbohydrates you should be consuming.
Will Carbohydrates make me fat?
If you are watching your calorie intake it might help to know that one gramme of carbohydrate and one gramme of protein have almost the same amount of calories. A gramme of alcohol has nearly twice as many calories as either of these, and a gramme of fat has five more calories than the equivalent amount of carbohydrate or protein. If your diet includes more refined carbohydrates and sugars then you are more likely to gain weight, especially if they contain fat.
Summary
As with all nutrients moderation and quality is the key with carbohydrates. Consume too many of the wrong carbohydrates and you will increase your fat levels and decrease your health. Consume too little and you will feel tired, lethargic and your body will run down. Check your own diet and try and reduce the quantity of refined carbohydrates. We love natural!
November 6th, 2009 at 3:13 pm
This is really interesting to know the health benefits of carbohydrates.
November 7th, 2009 at 10:03 pm
Good information about carbohydrates