The Carbohydrate Effect

How many of you have heard these phrases, or similar ones, in your lives:

1.       Carbs are bad for you

2.       High fructose corn syrup is worse for you than sugar

3.       Fruit has sugar, so it shouldn’t be eaten

For me, I hear these phrases constantly from friends, coworkers, and peers. What makes me sad is that none of these are true! I want to explore each of these a bit more closely to show where the misconception could stem from, and why it is incorrect.

Myth #1: Carbs are bad for you

This section will probably be the longest section, as I explain why carbs are so important. Myth #1 is probably the most common of the carbohydrate myths that are out there. Many people think that since ‘sugar’ is under the carbohydrate section of the food label, that anything with sugar must be bad for you. The truth is, however, that all carbs are sugar (WHAT?! I know, such a shocker). This means that other carbs like fiber and glycogen are forms of sugar, and they are both things that make our tummies happy and give us energy. Other functions of carbohydrates include:

• 1.       Sparing protein: When you don’t consume enough carbs, the body begins looking at noncarbohydrate sources for energy, primarily amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. If amino acids are being used for energy, protein then can’t do its essential functions.

• 2.       Maintain blood glucose levels: Without adequate carbohydrate intake, the body’s blood glucose levels drop. Most people can feel this change, and pop culture describes this as being ‘hangry’. No other nutrient is as efficient at creating glucose as carbohydrates are simply because carbs are made from glucose. The body would have to rearrange and ‘borrow’ from other body stores to make glucose from different nutrients.

Despite these facts, there is another distinction in the carbohydrate family: simple and complex carbs. Simple carbs are candy bars, donuts, cakes, etc that most describe as ‘unhealthy’ foods. Complex carbs are whole wheat breads, flours, fruits and vegetables, etc that most describe as ‘healthy’ foods. The main difference between the two subcategories is that complex carbs are just that: more complex. This means the body takes longer to break down a complex carb than it does a simple carb, making you fuller for a longer period of time. Next time you eat a candy bar, notice how you feel. You probably feel icky and not very full after eating it. Now, next time you eat an apple, notice how you feel. You probably feel much fuller and more satisfied than you did eating a candy bar. That is fiber at work!

Myth #2: High fructose corn syrup is worse for you than regular sugar

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) has become a hot topic for debate in recent years. The fact of the matter is, HFCS is just glucose in liquid form. Your body treats HFCS the same as it does table sugar and as any other kind of sugar you may eat. Any ingested sugar will be transformed into glucose, which is the body’s preferred form for using carbs.

Having said that, HFCS is often used in simple carbohydrates, so I do not recommend eating it in high amounts simply because it is not accompanied by the fiber that helps keep you full. HFCS has a negative connotation not because of what it is or what it does, but because of the products it is in. HFCS is a lot sweeter than sugar, and it is also a lot cheaper, so it is more economical for producers; they can use less and make more money. This is why processed products are inexpensive and addicting. Producers know that their consumers love sweet foods, and they also know that many can’t resist a good deal. However, if something is sweetened with HFCS, it does not automatically mean you will become addicted to it. HFCS is just a simple sugar that needs to be eaten in moderation, just like any other simple sugar.

Myth #3: Fruit has sugar, so it shouldn’t be eaten

Part of this myth is 100% true in that fruit DOES have sugar, and a lot of it. In fact, I had a roommate tell me once that she was no longer going to eat oranges because the sugars cause obesity. And part of that is true: the sugar in fruit is the same kind of sugar found in cookies, cakes, etc.; it’s just produced by nature instead of man-made. And yet, fruit is extremely healthy for you. The difference between fruit and other sugars lies in the complex sugars found in fruit.

Just like the example I shared when talking about complex and simple carbs, fruit has fiber in it, unlike many other sugar containing foods. The simple sugars in the fruit make it sweet, but the fiber makes your tummy full and your intestines happy. This is why fruit is healthy! It helps keep you full for a reasonable amount of calories. And there are many other health benefits from eating fruit that I will discuss in a later post. Despite the sugar, the pros definitely outweigh the cons when it comes to eating fruit. So eat away!

Long story short, carbs do not have to be the bad guy. We depend so much on carbs for energy, and when we don’t have enough carbs, other essential nutrients’ functions are sacrificed in order to get that energy. This is why I personally do not like low carb diets. The FDA recommends between 45-55% of our daily calories from carbs, and this is simply because our bodies use a ton of glucose to provide energy for everything. This includes things like walking, lifting, and running, but also for the bodily functions we don’t have to think about; this includes our heart beat, breathing, digestion, and other things. Clearly, WE NEED CARBS TO FUNCTION! We just need to make sure we are choosing the complex carbs that helps make our body feel good.

But occasionally...a giant ice cream sundae is totally warranted.