Carbohydrates: Good or Bad?
Carbohydrates are often said to lead to weight gain and even obesity. Weight lifters world wide know that when it's time for them to "bulk up" they eat as many carbs as they want, but when it's time for them to "cut" or "shred" they should eat almost no carbs. How much truth and evidence is behind these beliefs?
In the body carbohydrates are used to make glucose which gives the body the energy it needs to make it through the day. Once the glucose is made your body can use it immediately or store it for later. Some foods with carbohydrates in them are breads, cereals, grains, fruits, vegetables, milks, and food containing added sugars. However not all carbs are created equal and different foods have different types of carbs.
Many of us have heard of "good carbs" and "bad carbs". Good carbs are foods that have complex carbohydrates and fiber. Complex carbs take longer to break down in the body, thus leading to more sustained energy for the consumer. Bad carbs have refined carbohydrates, this means they're made from adding sugars and white flour. Some examples of foods with good carbs are whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and beans. Some foods that have bad carbs are white bread, white rice, and the beloved juice drinks/smoothies are just a few examples.
Like I said above there are complex carbs, but there is also simple carbs. This pretty much directly relates to good vs. bad cards. The simple carbs are the ones made of refined sugars and have very little nutritional value. These carbs do provide us with some energy but since they're very easy to break down the energy doesn't last long. Also, since they are so easy to break down they cause an insulin spike in the blood. This can be especially bad for people dealing with diabetes. While the complex carbs are either made out of starch or dietary fiber and has a lot of nutritional value. It is recommended that you get 14 grams of dietary fiber for every 1000 calories you consume.
In a study conducted in 2007, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2009, a group of researchers compared different amounts of carbohydrate in ones diet vs. the amount of weight lost and waist circumference over a 2 year period! There were four total groups, made up of a total of 811 healthy people with an age range from 30-70. Each group had a fixed percentage of there diet that was fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. The percentages (out of 100) for carbohydrates were 65, 55, 45, and 35; with the rest of the diet being made up of fats and proteins. Surprisingly there was no significant difference between the four groups in either weight lost or waist circumference. Most the weight was lost in the first 6 months of the study. After 6 months the average weight lost between all the groups was 6kg, or 7% of initial body weight. This number remained very similar throughout the groups and till the end of the 2 years.
I myself love many of the foods listed under the bad carbs category so these results are a relief to me. However I still think more research needs to be done specifically into a good vs. bad carbs diet and how this effects things like BMI (body mass index), weight, waist to hip ratios, and things related to athletic performance. Even though the study I explained above didn't say that carbs are terrible for you I still believe that you should monitor your intake. If you must eat carbs try to eat to the good carbs (complex carbs) we talked about, with the starch and dietary fiber. As these are better for you and will give you more energy since they take longer to break down. And we all could use a little more energy throughout the day, I'm sure.
Book:
Sizer, F., & Whitney, E. (3013). Nutrition: Concepts & Controversies (13th ed, p.111-155). Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth Cengage Learning
Find more examples of foods with bad carbs here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/31/carbs-worse-white-bread_n_1389762.html#s826159&title=Fancy_Coffee_Drinks
Carb information in general:
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/carbohydrates
Research Study:
Sacks, Frank M., George A. Bray, Vincent J. Carey, Steven R. Smith, Donna H. Ryan, Stephen D. Anton, Katherine McManus, Catherine M. Champagne, Louise M. Bishop, Nancy Laranjo, Meryl S. Leboff, Jennifer C. Rood, Lilian De Jonge, Frank L. Greenway, Catherine M. Loria, Eva Obarzanek, and Donald A. Williamson. "Comparison of Weight-Loss Diets with Different Compositions of Fat, Protein, and Carbohydrates." New England Journal of Medicine 360.9 (2009): 859-73. Print.
I, too, have heard about the whole good carbohydrate versus bad carbohydrate debate. I am big into running and have competed in many races, long and short, over the past few years. Before races many people believe in the idea of "carb loading." This is where people will eat a large amount of carbohydrates in the few days leading up to the competition. This is supposed to give the body the energy it needs for race day.
ReplyDeleteWhile some believe in the idea of carb loading, others say it weighs you down. This is because carbohydrates can often make people feel bloated and therefore slow them down in the race. From experience, I know that when I eat a meal full of carbohydrates, such as pasta or bread, I often feel full afterwards. Now take that feeling and try to compete and I can understand why people don't like it.
I tried the idea of carb loading once and didn't really notice a difference. Carbohydrates are often loaded with calories, and looking back I probably ate much more than I needed to. I honestly believe that when it comes to competitions such as this, it is very much a mental game. Many people who have always carb loaded before a competition are scared not to because they fear they will do bad if they change their routine. Everyone has their preferences but carb loading did very little, if any, to help me.