Benefits of carbohydrates

What are Carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates (or saccharides) are sugars, starches, and fiber that are our main source of energy. They are made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. They are separated in two types, simple carbohydrates (monosaccharides and disaccharides) and complex carbohydrates (oligosaccharide and polysaccharide).

Simple carbohydrates are more easily digested because they have a smaller molecule weight. They are known as “sugars” and are commonly found in fruits, dairy, refined breads & pasta’s, and desserts.

Complex carbohydrates are more difficult for the body to digest because they have a larger molecule weight and must be broken down into simple carbohydrates. They are commonly found in vegetables, nuts, beans, and whole grain breads and pasta’s.

1 gram of Carbohydrates = 4 Calories.

“Good” Carbs vs. “Bad” Carbs

What carbohydrates you eat can make all the difference in the world. There are good carbs you should eat and bad carbs you should avoid.

You can get good carbs from fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, and most low fat dairy products.

Bad carbs are located in refined grains, breads & pastas, white rice, and foods high in sugar such as bakery goods, sweets, sodas, & fruit drinks, and most desserts.

How Carbohydrates Work

Carbohydrates are broken down in the liver into simple sugars or glucose. When our bodies get sugar it causes the pancreas to produce insulin. Insulin’s job is to get sugar to the cells in our body. The cells in turn use this simple sugar (glucose) as energy for our bodies to function.

If the body produces too much glucose it will store the excess for short term energy in the form of glycogen. Any glycogen that is leftover will be stored as fat.

Benefits of Carbohydrates

Their primary benefit is that they are the main source of energy our bodies use.

Complex carbohydrates are great for digestion because they are slower to digest. This makes us feel full longer and regulates our blood sugar levels better because sugar is not rapidly absorb into our blood.

Complex carbohydrates assist in a contraction of smooth muscles in our digestive tract known as peristalsis. Peristalsis moves food more rapidly to our colon reducing the risk of digestive problems such as diverticulitis, heartburn, and constipation.