Most fad diets that have come out over the years consider carbohydrate consumption as something bad for your health.
Many health experts, meanwhile, maintain that it’s the type of carbs you eat and not necessarily how much carbs you’ve consumed that can negatively affect your health.
It’s still a hot-button topic, though, when it comes to how much carbs should be eaten.
How much is too much?
Dietary guidelines state that half your caloric intake should be from carbs, while others claim that carbs could lead to type-2 diabetes as well as obesity and, therefore, best avoided.
The truth, however, is somewhere between the two schools of thought.
Be that as it may, your body still needs carbohydrates to function optimally.
In any case, as any nutritionist should tell you, you can’t classify carbohydrates as just one type—carbs aren’t all the same.
There are “good” and “bad” carbs, as well as carbs that are referred to as simple and complex carbs.
But how can you tell the difference between bad and good carbs?
Moreover, what are simple and complex carbs? And where do refined carbs fit into these?
An overview of carbohydrates
Bad raps notwithstanding, carbohydrates are the body’s main source of energy.
They’re part of the essential macronutrients, along with proteins and fats, that your body needs to function.
These macronutrients are obtained only through the food that you eat, as your body can’t manufacture macronutrients on its own.
While there are weight loss programs that advise against consuming carbohydrates, the important thing is to eat the right carbs. It’d be extremely difficult to avoid carbohydrates altogether.
Knowing how carbohydrates are classified as well as how they affect your health can be a big help in understanding the kind of carbs that are good for you.
One thing to keep in mind is that carbs are present in all plants, so it’s not possible to consume carbohydrates alone.
When you eat food, it means you also eat carbs, and there’s no getting around that.
Foods such as seeds, legumes, fruits, nuts, whole grains, vegetables, and dairy contain important nutrients like antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fiber, besides carbohydrates.
If you eat food that contains all those other nutrients, you’ll also be taking in carbohydrates.
Carbs are divided into three main categories—fiber, starches, and sugars. Most of these are converted into glucose in the digestive system, which is used by your body as a source of energy.
Fiber, however, is food for the trillions of bacteria that live in the gut where it plays a role in the production of fatty acids (among other things) used by the body.
Simple and complex carbs
Carbs are found in almost all food groups, and their effects on your health can vary.
Classifying them as good or bad carbs is also not as cut and dried, since both kinds of carbs can be present in food groups that are essential to maintain a healthy body.
To help you understand carbohydrates further, below is a comparison between simple and complex carbs.
- Simple carbs
Simple carbs are sugars that can be easily digested. These sugars—at least some of them—occur naturally like those found in milk and fruits.
Sugars that are processed or refined are found in baked goods, soda, and candies.
These simple carbs are absorbed quickly in your digestive system; they can also trigger your blood sugar levels to spike, which can be bad.
However, not all foods that contain simple carbs are bad for your health. For example, simple carbs can be found in dairy products and milk.
These foods are definitely healthier than, say, cakes or soft drinks, which also contain simple carbs.
Sweets that had undergone processing and that contain refined sugars are deficient in nutrients required in a healthy diet.
Refined carbohydrates belong to this type of carbs—so if you’re wondering what are refined carbs, they’re carbs that have been refined and processed, resulting in the removal or alteration of the natural fiber.
Dairy products, on the other hand, are also sources of protein, calcium, and probiotics (in the case of yogurt). Proteins in dairy make the simple carbs in this food group act like complex carbohydrates in that the simple carbs are absorbed slowly by your digestive system.
Slow carbohydrate absorption results in making you feel full longer, keeping your appetite in check. It can also prevent insulin spikes.
Generally, it’s all right to consume simple carbs once in a while. What’s not all right is to make simple carbs your main source of carbohydrates.
- Complex carbs
Complex carbohydrates are found in foods like legumes, vegetables, and whole grains. An additional component of complex carbs—fiber—can also make for a slower absorption of carbs in the gut.
The complex carbs’ characteristic of being slowly absorbed in the gut is essential in providing your body a consistent and steady source of energy.
This makes complex carbs the good carbohydrates since glucose from these carbs is released at a steady rate instead of being released in spurts that could cause a spike in blood sugar.
Moreover, foods that have complex carbs are generally rich in essential nutrients like B vitamins, fiber, and minerals.
In general, whole grain products pack more nutrients and are healthier than products from processed grains.
Complex carbohydrates have a long and complex molecular structure (hence the term).
Due to this complexity, your digestive system takes a long time to digest them, which makes you feel full longer.
Additionally, the fiber that you consume can improve your digestion and contribute to a healthy heart. It can also be a great help if you’re trying to lose weight.
Keep in mind, though, complex carbohydrates can include all starches, even starches found in refined grains. But whole grains will always be a healthier option than refined grains.
So how do these refined carbs affect your health?
Effect of refined carbs on health
Processed grains and other processed foods contain refined carbs; they lack almost all the necessary vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
They can provide the calorie for your quick energy needs, but because they’re devoid of nutrients, they’re considered empty calories.
Consuming refined carbs as the main source of carbohydrates is not ideal for your health.
Refined carbs are the bad carbs that health buffs and nutritionists warn you about.
These include pasta, white rice, pizza dough, white bread, sweet desserts, pastries, and a number of sweetened breakfast cereals.
Refined carbs are created when manufacturers process whole grains; this results in the removal of the grain’s hard exterior to take out the endosperm.
The endosperm is the sweet, soft, fluffy core of the grain used by manufacturers as additives to different kinds of food products.
This process unfortunately also removes fiber and other nutrients from the grains. And as grains are refined, only a simple carbohydrate product is retained.
This simple carbohydrate—without protein, fiber, or other nutrients—is the reason why refined carbs are easily absorbed by the gut, which can cause havoc on your sugar level.
Refined carbs cause chronic illnesses
Eating foods that contain refined carbs can cause your sugar level to rise. This is bad because it can trigger your pancreas to increase its insulin output to counteract the level of sugar present in your blood.
The presence of insulin, in turn, could leave you feeling famished even if you had just finished a meal.
You’ll also likely crave more of sweet, sugary carbohydrates. In time, overeating would inevitably result in obesity.
Being overweight brings with it a whole set of health problems like strokes, chronic back pain, osteoarthritis, heart disease, hypertension, and asthma.
Moreover, it could also lead to insulin resistance and then to type 2 diabetes.
And that’s not the only effect of a blood sugar spike. Simple carbs may be quick and easy sources of energy, but as has been mentioned, they’re converted into glucose and quickly released into your bloodstream.
This sudden infusion of glucose into the bloodstream is the blood sugar spike.
The aftermath of a blood sugar spike can sometimes result in a sugar crash.
A sugar crash can make you sluggish, confused, and experience difficulty in maintaining focus. For people with diabetes, a sugar crash can result in seizures, fainting, or even coma.
When you can eat refined carbs
Refined carbs may have negative effects on your health; however, limited consumption should be okay. You don’t have to completely ban them from your diet.
Consuming just the right amount can even be beneficial if you’re on a muscle-gain regimen or you want to fuel up for a sports activity.
The quick source of energy that refined carbs can provide help individuals or athletes who burn a lot of fuel during intense workouts or long runs.
Simple carbs are also helpful during recovery periods when you’re replacing lost nutrients after a rigorous physical activity.
Your body’s energy stores are typically depleted after a workout, so your body is ready for absorbing energy from carbs.
Simple carbs are ideal so your body can quickly absorb and replace lost glucose and other nutrients in your muscles.
Final Thoughts
Nutritionists state that carbohydrates aren’t all the same. You can’t put them all in one basket, as there are many kinds of carbs. Some of them, like the simple carbs in refined foods, can have detrimental effects on your health.
Complex carbs, on the other hand, are the carbs that are generally considered as the healthier choice.
Refined carbohydrates are typically found in processed foods. Since they contain simple carbs, they are easily absorbed by your gut.
This quick absorption can cause health problems, as this could trigger the blood glucose to spike.
A blood glucose spike is followed by a sugar crash, which can be bad for your health, especially for diabetics.
Refined carbs can also cause obesity and type 2 diabetes.
However, consuming refined carbs isn’t always bad; the key is moderation. Moreover, refined carbs can help athletes and people who work out, as they can provide much-needed energy quickly.