Could Carbohydrates be getting a bad rap?

It's about Nutrient Density! Disclaimer - I do not advocate empty added sugars. fructose or corn syrups.

Understanding Carbohydrates

Every few years, carbohydrates are vilified as public enemy number one and are accused of being the root of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and more. Carb-bashers shun yogurt and fruit and fill up on bun-less cheeseburgers. Instead of beans, they eat bacon. They dine on the tops of pizza and toss the crusts into the trash. They so vehemently avoid carbs and spout off a list of their evils that they may have you fearing your food. Rest assured, you can and should eat carbohydrates. In fact, much of the world relies on carbohydrates as their major source of energy. Rice, for instance, is a staple in Southeast Asia. The carbohydrate-rich potato was so important to the people of Ireland that when the blight devastated the potato crop in the mid 1800s, much of the population was wiped out.

What are Carbohydrates?

The basic structure of carbohydrates is a sugar molecule, and they are classified by how many sugar molecules they contain.

• Simple carbs: Simple carbohydrates, usually referred to as sugars, are naturally present in fruit, milk and other unprocessed foods. Plant carbohydrates can be refined into table sugar and syrups, which are then added to foods such as sodas, desserts, sweetened yogurts and more. Simple carbohydrates may be single sugar molecules called monosaccharides or two monosaccharides joined together called disaccharides. Glucose, a
  
  monosaccharide, is the most abundant sugar molecule and is the preferred energy source for the brain. It is a part of all disaccharides and the only component of polysaccharides. Fructose is another common monosaccharide. Two common disaccharides in food are sucrose, common table sugar, and lactose, the source of frequent gas and bloating that some experience from drinking milk.
  
  
• Complex carbs: Complex carbohydrates are any that contain more than two sugar molecules. Short chains are called oligosaccharides. Chains of more than ten monosaccharides linked together are called polysaccharides. They may be hundreds and even thousands of glucose molecules long. The way glucose molecules link together makes them digestible (starch) or non-digestible (fiber). Polysaccharides include the following.
  
  • Starch is a series of long chains of bound glucose molecules. It’s the storage form of glucose for grains, tubers and legumes and is used during the plant’s growth and reproduction.
  • Fiber is also long chains of glucose molecules, but they are bound in a way we cannot digest.
  • Glycogen is the storage form of glucose in humans and other animals. It’s not a dietary source of carbohydrate because it is quickly broken down after an animal is slaughtered.

Carbohydrates in the Body

Whether they’re from a doughy bagel, a sugary cola or a fiber-rich apple, carbohydrates’ primary job is to provide your body with energy. From each of these sources and others, carbohydrates provide you with 4 kcals/gram.

• Carbs are fuel. Glucose is the primary fuel for most of your cells and is the preferred energy for the brain and nervous system, the red blood cells and the placenta and fetus. Once glucose enters the cell, a series of metabolic reactions convert it to carbon dioxide, water and ATP (Adenosine Tri-Phosphate), the energy currency of the cell. If you have more available glucose than your body needs for energy, you will store glucose as glycogen (glycogenesis) in your liver and skeletal muscle. When your blood glucose drops, as it does when you’re sleeping or fasting, the liver will break down glycogen (glycogenolysis) and release glucose into your blood. Muscle glycogen fuels your activity. The body can store just a limited amount of glucose, so when the glycogen stores are full, extra glucose is stored as fat and can be used as energy when needed.
• Carbs spare protein. If you go without eating for an extended period or simply consume too little carbohydrate, your glycogen stores will quickly deplete. Your body will grab protein from your diet (if available), skeletal muscles and organs and convert its amino acids into glucose (gluconeogenesis) for energy and to maintain normal blood glucose levels. This can cause muscle loss, problems with immunity and other functions of proteins in the body. That’s how critical it is to maintain normal blood glucose levels to feed parts of your body and your brain.
• Carbs prevent ketosis. Even when fat is used for fuel, the cells need a bit of carbohydrate to completely break it down. Otherwise, the liver produces ketone bodies, which can eventually build up to unsafe levels in the blood causing a condition called ketosis. If you ever noticed the smell of acetone or nail polish remover on the breath of a low-carb dieter, you have smelled the effects of ketosis. Ketosis can also cause the blood to become too acidic and the body to become dehydrated.

Carbohydrates in the Diet

Carbohydrates, protein and fats are macronutrients, meaning the body requires them in relatively large amounts for normal functioning. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for carbohydrates for children and adults is 130 grams and is based on the average minimum amount of glucose used by the brain.[1] The Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR) for carbohydrates is 45–65%. If, for instance, you ate 1600 kcals per day, the acceptable carbohydrate intake ranges from 180 grams to 260 grams.

Most American adults consume about half of their calories as carbohydrates. This falls within the AMDR, but unfortunately most Americans do not choose their carbohydrate-containing foods wisely.

Many people label complex carbs as good and sugars as bad, but the carbohydrate story is much more complex than that. Both types yield glucose through digestion or metabolism; both work to maintain your blood glucose; both provide the same number of calories; and both protect your body from protein breakdown and ketosis. The nutrient-density of our food choices is far more critical. For example, fresh cherries provide ample sugars, and saltine crackers provide just complex carbs. Few would argue that highly processed crackers are more nutritious than fresh cherries.

• Added Sugars: Americans eat only 42% of the recommended amount of fruit and 59% of the recommended vegetable amount. We eat only 15% of the recommended servings of whole grains, but 200% of the recommended servings of refined grains.[2] Americans over-consume added-sugars, which make up 16% of the total calories in the American diet. Nearly 60% of added sugars come from soda, energy drinks, sports drinks, fruit drinks and grain-based desserts like cakes, cookies and brownies.[3] The problem with added sugars is that they do not come packaged with an abundance of nutrients like a piece of fruit and a glass of milk do. For this reason, many people call them empty calories.
• Glycemic Index: Sometimes people look to the glycemic index (GI) to evaluate the healthfulness of carbohydrate-rich foods, but this too oversimplifies good nutrition. The GI ranks carbohydrate-containing foods from 0 to 100. This score indicates the increase in blood glucose from a single food containing 50 grams of carbohydrate compared to 50 grams of pure glucose, which has a GI score of 100. Foods that are slowly digested and absorbed - like apples and some bran cereals - trickle glucose into your bloodstream and have low GI scores. High GI foods like white bread and cornflakes are quickly digested and absorbed, flooding the blood with glucose. Research regarding the GI is mixed; some studies suggest that diets based on low GI foods are linked to lower risks of diabetes, obesity and heart disease, but other studies fail to show such a link.
  
  Many factors influence a food’s GI score, including:
  
  • The degree of ripeness of a piece of fruit (the riper the fruit, the higher the score)
  • The amount and type of processing a food has undergone
  • Whether the food is eaten raw or cooked
  • The presence of fat, vinegar or other acids
  All of these factors complicate the usefulness of the GI. Additionally, many high-calorie, low-nutrient foods such as some candy bars and ice creams have desirable GI scores, while more nutritious foods like dates and baked potatoes have high scores. It’s important to recognize that the healthfulness of a food depends largely on its nutrient density, not its type of carbohydrate or its GI score.
  
  Proponents of low-carbohydrate diets are incensed by the RDA and AMDR for carbohydrates. “Nutrition experts are trying to kill us,” they argue and claim that carbohydrates have made us overweight. However, research supports that diets of a wide range of macronutrient proportions facilitate a healthy weight, allow weight loss and prevent weight regain. The critical factor is reducing the calorie content of the diet long-term.[4][5]
• Fiber Needs: If we shunned all carbohydrates or if we severely restricted them, we would not be able to meet our fiber needs or get ample phytochemicals, naturally occurring compounds that protect the plant from infection and us from chronic disease. The hues, aromas and flavors of the plant suggest that it contains phytochemicals. Scientists have learned of thousands of them with names like lycopene, lutein and indole-3-carbinol. Among other things, phytochemicals appear to stimulate the immune system, slow the rate at which cancer cells grow, and prevent damage to DNA.
  
  All naturally fiber-rich foods are also rich in carbohydrates. The recommended intake for fiber is 38 grams per day for men and 25 grams per day for women. The usual fiber intake among Americans, however, is woefully lacking at only 15 grams daily. Perhaps best known for its role in keeping the bowels regular, dietary fiber has more to brag about. Individuals with high fiber intakes appear to have lower risks of coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, diabetes and obesity.[6] Fiber-rich foods are protective against colorectal cancer[7], and increasing fiber intakes improves gastroesophageal reflux disease and hemorrhoids.[6] Some fibers also lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels. Additionally, fibers are food for the normal (healthy) bacteria that reside in your gut and provide nutrients and other health benefits. To boost your fiber
  
  intake, eat fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans frequently.

Fiber Content of Selected Foods

• Beans (navy, pinto, black, lima etc), 1/2 cup: 6.2 – 9.6 g
• 100% Bran cereal, 1/3 cup: 9.1 g
• Pear, medium: 5.5 g
• Whole-wheat English muffin, 1: 4.4 g
• Raspberries, 1/2 cup: 4.0 g
• Sweet potato with skin, medium: 3.8 g
• Apple with skin, 1 medium: 3.6 g
• Orange, medium: 3.1 g
• Potato with skin, 1 medium: 3.0 g
• Broccoli, cooked, 1/2 cup: 2.6 – 2.8 g

Source: Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2011 (Appendix 13)

Carbohydrates are critical sources of energy for several body systems. Nourish your body and help shield yourself from chronic disease by getting most of your carbohydrates from fruits, whole grains, legumes, and yogurt. Limit added sugars and heavily processed grains.( seek out fruit with mid chain fatty acids like avocado,and coconut)

In summary get your needed carbohydrates from nutrient dense whole vegetables and fruits and be especially careful about gluten in grains. Eat GMO free ,organic foods when possible.

Sources

1. The National Academies Press. Chapter 6: Dietary Carbohydrates: Sugars and Starches IN Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein and Amino Acids. https://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=10490&page=265
2. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. U.S. Department of Agricultural, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2010: pg 46
3. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. U.S. Department of Agricultural, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2010: pg 29
4. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. U.S. Department of Agricultural, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2010: pg15
5. Souza et. al https://www.ajcn.org/content/early/2012/01/17/ajcn.111.026328
6. Anderson JW, Baird P et al. Health Benefits of Dietary Fiber. Nutrition Reviews. 2009 Apr;67(4):188-205
7. AICR report. WCRF/AICR’s Continuous Update Project (CUP) https://www.aicr.org/publications/science-now/ScienceNow37-Summer-2011.pdf
8. Dunford M, editor. Sports Nutrition: A Practice Manual for Professionals, 4th Edition. American Dietetic Association, 2006.
9. Gaffney-Stromberg E, Insogna KL, et al. Increasing Dietary Protein Requirements in Elderly People for Optimal Muscle and Bone Health. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2009 Jun;57(6):1073-9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19460090
10. Vegetarian Diets. Position of the American Dietetic Association. J Am Diet Assoc. 2009;109: 1266-1282.
11. Brown MJ, Ferruzzi MG, et al. Carotenoid bioavailability is higher from salads ingested with full-fat than with fat-reduced salad dressings as measured with electrochemical detection. Am J Clin Nutr 2004;80:396–403.
12. Riccardi G, Giacco R, Rivellese AA. Dietary fat, insulin sensitivity and the metabolic syndrome Clin Nutr. 2004 Aug;23(4):447-56. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15297079
13. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. U.S. Department of Agricultural, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2010: pg 26
14. Risérusa U, Willett WC and Hu FB. Dietary fats and prevention of type 2 diabetes. Prog Lipid Res. 2009 January ; 48(1): 44–51. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19032965
15. Chardigny JM, Destaillats F, et al. Do trans fatty acids from industrially produced sources and from natural sources have the same effect on cardiovascular disease risk factors in healthy subjects? Results of the trans Fatty Acids Collaboration (TRANSFACT) studyAm J Clin Nutr March 2008 vol. 87 no. 3
16. Micronutrient Information Center. Linus Pauling Institute of Oregon State University. https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/othernuts/omega3fa/ Accessed February 1, 2012.