Your Bestfriend,Good Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are a hot topic in the nutrition world. In one arena, we hear how wonderful carbohydrates are for exercise performance and metabolism, then the next day we hear about a recent study showcasing the potential damaging blood sugar effects of carbohydrate consumption. This constant back and forth leaves the general public dazed and confused on whether carbs are good or bad for our health.
The truth is, like with most foods, there are good carbs and unhealthy carbs. How is one to tell the difference? It can be a bit confusing.
With the rise in certain diets, such as the low-carbohydrate diet or high-fat keto diet, this adds to the bombardment and confusion surrounding carbohydrates.
It’s no wonder so many of us aren’t quite sure which direction to go. Should we avoid carbohydrates or eat them? Should we be counting them? This article will explore the science of carbohydrates and what they do for the body — as well as dispel some of the common myths surrounding this infamous macronutrient and how to discern good carbs from bad ones.
What Are Carbohydrates?
What exactly is a carbohydrate? A carbohydrate is a molecule that consists of carbon hydrogen and oxygen atoms that is usually of a hydrogen-oxygen atom ratio of 2:1. Carbs are one of the three macronutrients like protein and fat that we need in varying amounts to meet and sustain our metabolism and energy levels.
Carbohydrates comprise three categories:
Sugars: The first are sugars, which are sweet, small-chain carbohydrates. Some prime examples of sugars are glucose, sucrose, galactose and fructose.
Long-chain glucose: The second type of carbohydrate are composed of long-chain glucose molecules, which get broken down into glucose in the digestive tract.
Fiber: The last type of carbohydrate is fiber, which we do not have the capacity to break down. However, our gut bacteria has the capacity to extract some of that fiber as fuel and convert it into short chain fatty acids. High-fiber foods are also great sources of prebiotics, which serve many functions in the body — like providing fuel for our gut bacteria. Dietary prebiotics can improve non-REM and REM sleep after a stressful event — one benefit of good carbs that provide fiber.
How exactly does glucose get converted into energy?
Any excess sugar gets stored in the liver and muscle tissues as glycogen, where it can be accessed at a later time.
Good Carbs vs. Bad Carbs
How do we tell the difference between good carbs and bad carbs? It’s important that we understand the type of carbs we eat because the type dictates how the carbs respond in the body. Whole, unprocessed carbs are considered healthy carbs. Some examples include sweet potatoes, bananas, potatoes, brown rice, yucca, legumes and dates. All these foods have their nutrients intact and have been minimally altered to impact the nutritional value of the food.
Refined carbs are carbohydrates without the fiber content present. They have been altered in such a way that the processing methods strips the food of the many key vitamins, minerals and fatty acids. Examples of refined carbs include fruit drinks, white flour, white rice, white pasta and pastries. Healthy carbs impact insulin levels in the body much differently than refined, processed carbs do.
Processed carbs lead to a constant blood sugar fluctuation throughout the day, thus impacting overall human performance and longevity.
The intake of bad carbs correlated with
impaired glucose intolerance,
greater insulin concentrations circulating throughout the bloodstream, and an overall increased risk for type 2 and type 3 diabetes,
Alzheimer’s.
"Best Good Carbs"
Sweet potatoes
Bananas
Potatoes
Brown rice
Yucca
Legumes
Dates
Buckwheat
Quinoa
Not all carbohydrates are considered “bad.”
Healthy carbohydrates, which are high in sugar and starch, do exhibit vastly different effects on the body than refined carbs do. For example, purple sweet potatoes are high in various complex sugar molecules, unrefined starches and various vitamins, trace minerals, and phytochemicals like anthocyanins.
Some other highly regarded carbs include bananas, dates and buckwheat. These particular foods are high in carbohydrates and fiber, as well as chock-full of vitamins, trace minerals, antioxidants and essential fatty acids.
Dates are also some of the best good carbs. They are quite high in glucose, fructose and sucrose and rich in minerals like manganese, potassium, phosphorus, copper, magnesium and selenium. All of these minerals play a role in many functions in the body, like supporting cardiovascular health, intestinal health and nervous system health. Dates are rich in amino acids, soluble and insoluble fiber. These proteins and fibers stimulate the digestive tract to influence a healthy and robust microbiome.
Dates have the highest antioxidant capacity of any dried fruit.
How Many Good Carbs Should I Eat?
One of the biggest questions surrounding carbohydrates is: How many grams of carbs per day do you need?
To start, I want to emphasize that everyone’s carbs needs varies upon many factors like
age,
sex,
body type,
activity/training level and
metabolic health.
For the general public looking to slim down, a range of 100–150 grams of good carbs is ideal for most to support energy levels and overall vitality. This comes out to be roughly 15 percent to 30 percent of one’s total calories coming from healthy carbs.
Individuals who are athletes or fitness enthusiasts who are training intensely. They tend to require more carbs to assist in recovery, muscle protein synthesis and hormone support. These individuals would require 150–250 grams of carbs per day.
Individuals who have metabolic issues like type 2 diabetes or Alzheimer’s tend to gravitate toward a low-carb foods approach, which proves very effective in addressing diabetes and other neurological diseases. They should consume a between 60–90 carbs per day.
There are even some individuals who are carbohydrate-intolerant. This essentially means that the person lacks certain digestive enzymes like lactase, amylase, maltase, sucrase and isomaltase to break down and assimilate carbohydrates effectively.
Precautions
A key concept to be aware of is that less good carbs doesn’t always translate to better health and performance. Did you know that going too low-carb and/or choosing poor sources of carbs can negatively impact mood, cognitive performance, aging, hormone imbalance, sleep quality and recovery from exercise? In fact, cutting carbs too low could negatively impact thyroid function by suppressing T3 function. When T3 gets too low, this can lead to unnecessary weight gain, fatigue, brain fog and low mood.
Disclaimer:Please take a doctor's opinion before starting your dose!
Your Well-wisher,
Dr.Insiya
Follow me on Instagram for further updates: