The Carb Confusion
Do carbohydrates make you fat? Are carbs bad for you? Don’t you get diabetes from carbs? If these questions have ever crossed your mind, you’re not alone. With some people advocating for high carb diets while others swear by the Atkins, gluten-free, or Paleo diet, you may have been receiving mixed signals about carbohydrates.
What are Carbs?
Carbohydrates are one of three macronutrients essential for humans along with protein and fat. The same basic chemicals carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen create carbohydrates. The smallest unit or building block of carbohydrates are called saccharides, also known as simple carbs (e.g. glucose, fructose, galactose). Combinations of saccharides form larger, complex carbohydrates like starch and fibre.
Plants (grains, fruits, vegetables) and cow’s milk are the main carbohydrate sources in the human diet. Once eaten, complex carbohydrates are broken back down into their individual components- back to glucose, fructose, and galactose. When these sugars are released into the blood stream, the body also releases a hormone called insulin. Insulin allows cells to take in sugar and use it as energy.
Carbs & Diabetes
One reason carbs get dragged through the mud is because of the misunderstood link between type 2 diabetes and carb intake. Carbs do raise blood sugar and insulin, but in a healthy person, both are regulated and decrease after a short period. Eating carbohydrates does not cause diabetes, despite what the misleading picture above seems to indicate- overweight/obesity, sedentary lifestyles, and genetic factors play roles in the onset of the condition. In a person with diabetes, the body is not as sensitive to insulin, so sugar stays in the blood instead of going into cells- this is high blood sugar. A diabetic person would then have to be careful about the amount and type of carbohydrate they eat, and when they eat it.
Low Carb Diets
What about low carb diets to lose weight? Dietitians of Canada explains that research studies comparing low carb and high carb diets with the same amount of calories actually led to the equal weight loss. However, low carb diets are often less sustainable in the long run due to the limited choices. Did you know that your brain relies solely on carbohydrates as its fuel? Did you know that fibre, a type of carbohydrate, can help your digestive system and cholesterol levels? Additionally, your body uses carbs to create glycogen, a short term energy store often used during physical activity.
Carbs & Gluten
Another misconception surrounding carbs is gluten. Carbs made from barley, rye, and wheat flour form proteins called gluten. Unfortunately, gluten damages the small intestine in an autoimmune condition called celiac disease according to the Canadian Celiac Association. While people with celiac disease must stay away from gluten, certain trends have popularized gluten-free diets by spreading unfounded fear about carbs. Do people know what exactly they're cutting out of their diet? A professor showed us this video a few years ago:
Dr. Peter H.R. Green, director of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University, cautions against eliminating an entire group of food, as this puts you at risk for nutritional deficiencies such as fibre and certain vitamins or minerals. It can also be unnecessarily expensive to find gluten-free replacements. If you think you have celiac disease, see a doctor to get tested before diving into a gluten-free diet.
The Conclusion on Carbs
Health Canada follows the Institute of Medicine’s Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range: a healthy diet should be 45-65% carbs, 10-35% protein, and 25-30% fat. These carbs should come from fruits, vegetables, legumes, lower fat milk, as well as whole wheat and whole grains. Of course, many refined and processed foods are carbohydrates, but limit these as they are high in fat, sugar, salt, and calories.
Carbohydrates have a bad reputation because of widespread misinformation and its connection with gluten, diabetes, and weight. In reality, many good foods contain carbs and hold an important place in our health.
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References:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdJFE1sp4Fw
Brown, A. (2014). Understanding Food (1st ed.). Belmont, USA: Cengage Learning.
Jaret, P. & Chang, L. The Truth About Gluten. WebMD. Retrieved 20 February 2017, from http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthy-kitchen-11/truth-about-gluten?page=1
Mueller, C. (2012). The A.S.P.E.N. Adult Nutrition Support Core Curriculum (2nd ed.). Silver Spring: A.S.P.E.N.
Should I try a low carbohydrate diet to lose weight?. (2013) Dietitans of Canada.
