Do you, or someone you know, try to follow a “low-carb” diet? Or avoid eating bread, pasta, or rice? What exactly are “carbs” anyway and are they bad or good for you?
“Carb” is short for “carbohydrate”. Carbohydrates are one of the main components (“macro-nutrients”) of food (others being protein and fat). But did you know there are three different kinds of carbs? One is very good for you, one you don’t need at all, and one provides essential fuel for your brain and body.
Most Americans do not eat nearly enough of the first kind of carbohydrate. That is FIBER. I hope you know by now that fiber is good for you! Fiber is food for the microbes in your gut. This is called prebiotic. These microbes produce all kinds of things that help immunity and can even improve your mood. If they are happy, you are happy! It is important to remember that fiber ONLY comes from plants: vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds and, the superstars of fiber content: dry peas, beans, and lentils.
The second type of carb, we love to eat, but don’t need at all. And that is SUGAR. Studies indicate the “simple sugar” fructose is especially problematic. Fructose is found in sugar, brown sugar, honey, high fructose corn syrup, agave syrup, coconut sugar, maple syrup, demerara sugar, liquid sugar, and… well, you get the idea. Eating too much sugar is associated with obesity, diabetes, and heart and liver disease. This is why “added sugars” is included in the nutrition facts panel. But what about fruit? It contains fructose, right? Yes, it does, but in whole fruit, nature combines fructose with vitamins, minerals, and fiber, balancing out the negative effects of the sugar.
The last type of carb is what is in pasta, rice, and bread. That is STARCH (or so-called “complex carbohydrates”). Chemically, starch is composed of long chains of glucose connected together. Your digestion is able to break them apart. Glucose is the main source of energy for your entire body. In fact, your brain operates exclusively on glucose!
So why do you hear nutrition advice to avoid eating “white carbs” like white bread and tortillas? Because in white flour and refined grains, the fiber has been removed. (Remember from above: fiber = good! No fiber = bad!) So starch = good fuel for body and brain as long as it comes with plenty of fiber! You can get some of the fiber you need by switching to whole grains. Or you can get even more fiber from other sources – like those superstar beans!
Bottom line, even though they are all carbs: focus on fiber, eat starch for your brain, and save the sugar for special occasions.
Jan Matsuno is a Certified Food Scientist, healthy food enthusiast and creator of Yumbini quick beans and rice.
This article first appeared in the May 2024 issue of Piedmont Living Magazine.
