The carbs in some foods mostly those that contain simple sugars and highly refined grains, such as white flour and white rice are easily broken down and cause blood sugar levels to rise quickly. Complex carbs found in whole grains , on the other hand, are broken down more slowly, allowing blood sugar to rise gradually.
A diet that's high in foods that cause a rapid rise in blood sugar may increase a person's risk of developing health problems like diabetes.
The key is to make sure that the majority of these carbs come from good sources and that added sugar is limited. Carbohydrates have taken a lot of heat in recent years. Medical experts think eating too many refined carbs — such as the refined sugars in candy and soda, and refined grains like the white rice and white flour used in many pastas and breads — have contributed to the rise of obesity in the United States.
How could one type of food cause such a big problem? The "bad" carbs sugar and refined foods are easy to get, come in large portions, taste good, and aren't too filling. So people tend to eat more of them than needed. And some are not needed at all — sodas and candy are "empty calories" that provide no nutrients. But this doesn't mean that all simple sugars are bad. Simple carbs are also found in many nutritious foods — like fruits, vegetables, and dairy products, which provide a range of essential nutrients that support growth and overall health.
Fresh fruits, for example, contain simple carbs but also have vitamins and fiber. The — Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend eating grains, at least half of which should be complex carbs. Whole grains , like brown rice, oatmeal, and whole-grain breads and cereals, are the way to go. Complex carbohydrates, containing three or more monosaccharides bonded together, are divided into oligosaccharides, with three to ten monosaccharides, and polysaccharides, with greater than ten monosaccharides bonded together.
These complex carbohydrates include starches, glycogen, and dietary fibers. There are numerous further subdivisions within the complex carbohydrate category, but for understanding nearly any discussion of carbohydrates outside of the professional literature, you only need to know the terms presented above.
The next article will discuss complex and simple carbohydrates in the human diet and the studies that have shown important differences in the health effects of different carbohydrate sources. Engaging patients in high-quality, compassionate health care. Carbohydrates — The Basics In my group lectures and individual patient discussions, it is clear to me that many people do not understand that carbohydrates are not their enemy pardon the double negative.
As the sugar level rises in your body, the pancreas releases a hormone called insulin. Insulin is needed to move sugar from the blood into the cells, where the sugar can be used as an energy source. When this process goes fast — as with simple sugars — you're more likely to feel hungry again soon. When it goes more slowly, as with a whole-grain food, you'll be satisfied longer. These types of complex carbs give you energy over a longer period of time.
The carbs in some foods mostly those with a lot of simple sugars make the blood sugar level rise more quickly than others. Scientists have been studying whether eating foods that cause big jumps in blood sugar may be related to health problems like diabetes and heart disease.
You're probably already on the right track if you're limiting simple sugars such as candy and eating more complex carbs like vegetables, oatmeal, and whole-grain wheat bread.
Two recent studies published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences have also linked carbs to decision-making. In the studies, people who ate a high-carbohydrate breakfast were less willing to share when playing the " ultimatum game " than those who ate high-protein breakfasts. Scientists speculate this may be caused by baseline dopamine levels, which are higher after eating carbohydrates.
This doesn't mean carbs make you mean, but underscores how different types of food intake can affect cognition and behavior. Carbohydrates are classified as simple or complex, Smathers 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. Smathers 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. Smathers offered the following advice: "It's best to focus on getting primarily complex carbs in your diet, including whole grains and vegetables. 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, 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.
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