Carbohydrates are often seen as a bad macronutrient, and people always have a question: should they avoid carbohydrates? The answer is no. Carbohydrates are one of the macronutrients, like proteins and fats, which are very essential for our health. Carbs are essential for our body but should not be consumed in excess and should be consumed within a limit. In this article, we will help you understand what carbs are and if they are your friends or enemies.
Introduction to Carbohydrates
What do carbohydrates mean?
Carbohydrates are one of the macronutrients that help our body obtain energy. Let's not get into the scientific explanation. Carbs are basically essential nutrients that consist of sugars, starches, and fibers, which are found in our food sources such as grains, vegetables, fruits, and dairy products like milk.
Carbs provide energy for our digestive system and muscles to work efficiently. It is recommended that an average adult consume 130 grams of carbohydrates per day and have a balanced carbohydrate intake with other macronutrients. But are carbohydrates good? The answer is yes, but let me explain. Carbs are essential for our body to function properly, but if consumed excessively, they can have very adverse effects.
Carbohydrates as a Friend
As I mentioned earlier, carbs are very essential for your body and health. Other points are mentioned below:
- Carbs may help boost your mood. Studies have shown that eating a diet consisting of carbs helps promote the production of serotonin, which is a good hormone. It can reduce feelings of depression, anxiety, and anger.
- Carbohydrates and heart health: Consuming healthy carbs can result in the drop of "Bad Cholestrol" and increase good cholestrol because of the increase in soluble fiber intake.
- Carbohydrates and weight loss:You might be ironic, but carbs can actually make you lose weight because they are slow-digesting and can fill your tummy for a long time. So you might not feel like eating more food after eating foods high in carbohydrates.
Foods Rich in Carbohydrates : Healthy Carbs
- Vegetables
Potatoes: Potatoes are a very rich source of carbohydrates; approximately 100g contains about 16g of carbs, and a normal-sized potato around 150g contains 24-26g of carbs.
Beet roots: Beet roots are also very high in carbs, around 10–13 g per cup.
- Grains
Oats: These are very good examples of carbohydrates; they are so dense in carbs that approximately 100g of oats contains 65–69g of carbs.
Rice: Rice is a very good food to fill up your calorie intake because its a very good source of carbs and slow-digesting. Approx. 80 grams per 100 grams.
Wheat: Wheat is again a good and quality source of carbs; apporx 100 wheat flour contains 71g of carbs.
- Fruits
Bananas: Bananas are great food source, rather then just carb-rich food; it also have several benefits, including vitamin B6, high fiber, etc. 1 medium-sized banana contains 27g of carbs.
Raisins: These are a little sweet and are a good source of carbs as well, but do not neccessarily consume them only for carbs.
Carbohydrates as a Foe
Consuming carbs is, however, not a bad thing to do, but it should not be in excess. As I mentioned at the end of the introduction, consuming too many carbs can have a very adverse effect on our health and lifestyle. Consuming anything in excess is definitely not a good thing, right? But nowadays, our lifestyle has changed so drastically that we no longer have time to think about ourselves or the food we are consuming. This has become the reason for the growth in consumption of fast foods, which effects our health.Carbs are not bad for us, but forms of them, such as refined carbs, can be bad for our health.
Examples:
- Refined Grains
Refined grains can be bad for us, like pizza,bread, bevrages, etc. Overconsumption can lead to obesity, increase the risk of diseases, and increase the risk of heart health. White rice is also a refined carb as the bran and germ are removed.brown rice is more nutritious, and white rice is also considered nutritious.
- Sugar
Sugars are simple carbs and overconsumption canlead to weight gain and depression, Heart disease, as suggested by the institutions your body doesn't need any added sugars.
- Fruit juices
It may sound silly, but fruit juices are also not good for your health as the fiber and skins are removed and only the sugars and water are left, especially the packed fruit juices, which are processed and very concentrated.
Disadvantages of Carbs
- Weight gain
Consuming too many carbs can increase your calorie intake per day.A 2008 review in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" found that protein promotes satiety better than carbs, especially unhealthy ones. Fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and other fiber-rich carbohydrates are more filling than refined grains and added sugars, such as those found in soda, candy, white rice, and white bread. Consequently, avoid harmful carbs as much as you can to prevent weight gain.
- High blood sugar
Carbs can increase your blood sugar levels. As I mentioned, real fruit juices are also a form of carb and are only left with water and sugar, so like this example, many carbs can spike your blood sugar level. Some of the low-glycemic index carbs are milk, pasta, porridge (oats), etc.; they won't spike your blood sugar levels.
- Addiction
Carbs are addictive, for example, sweets; carb addiction can be much more severe and cause several health risks. Carbs should be consumed to a limit and not become addicted to them. You should focus more on complex carbs than refined or simple ones. Some examples of complex carbs are fruits, whole grains such as oats,quinoa, vegetables, etc.
Conclusion
At last, most of the carbohydrate myths are debunked, like should I avoid carbs or are carbs bad for your health? You should have a balanced carbohydrate intake and not get addicted to it. Fast food or sugar in refined carbs is highly addictive. Have a balanced and complete meal and make healthy carb choices. If you have any further questions, the comment section is open for you.
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