Carbohydrates are one of three macronutrients whose consumption is an important part of a well-balanced diet. Carbs, as they are commonly known, are one of the body’s primary sources of energy. Sugars, starches, and fiber are all different examples of carbohydrates.

In today’s culture of trendy dieting, people may initially assume that carbohydrates are unhealthy, or that carb-heavy foods should be avoided if you’re trying to lose weight. While it is true that the types of carbs you consume matter, carbohydrates do play a necessary role in promoting optimal health. The debate between “good” carbs and “bad” carbs is something we’ll explore in depth, but first, let’s get a better understanding of what carbohydrates actually are.

Carbohydrates are molecules that, at their most basic level, contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms bonded together in different arrangements. There are three types of carbohydrates: 

• Monosaccharides: the smallest sugar unit. An example of a monosaccharide is glucose, which is the sugar that the body breaks larger carbohydrates into during digestion. Fructose, which is found in fruits and vegetables, and galactose, which is found in dairy products, are two other types of monosaccharides.
• Disaccharides: when two monosaccharides bond together, they form a disaccharide. Lactose, a sugar commonly found in milk, is a disaccharide formed when a glucose molecule bonds with a galactose molecule. Sucrose, the sugar formed by glucose and fructose, is found in table sugar.
• Polysaccharides: these are starches, and they are the largest carbohydrates. They’re formed by a chain of two or more monosaccharides. These carbs can be thousands of monosaccharides long, and are typically the “rawest”, most unprocessed types of carbohydrates. In order for the body to convert carbs into glucose for energy, polysaccharides must be broken down by digestive enzymes. 

Remember, when it comes to nutrition, carbohydrates are considered macronutrients: they are essential to promoting optimal health, and cannot be produced by the body. Therefore, carbs must be consumed in adequate amounts through a well-balanced diet. The other two macronutrients are proteins and fats. 

Carbohydrates can either be considered “simple” or “complex”, depending on their chemical structure. They are also differentiated by how quickly they are digested and absorbed by the body. 

• Simple carbohydrates are monosaccharides and disaccharides. They contain just one or two molecules. Sugars are simple carbohydrate, and are generally digested more quickly than complex carbs. They are found naturally in fruits and dairy products. They can, however, be processed and refined, added to candy, soda, and baked goods as sweeteners. Because they are more easily digested, simple carbohydrates can often lead to rapid bursts of energy, but that energy is burned quickly, and you may end up feeling hungry again soon after. 
• Complex carbohydrates consist of long chains of sugars, Polysaccharides are considered complex carbohydrates. Complex carbs are starchy foods and are generally determined by their fiber content. In our diet, complex carbs are found in whole, unrefined foods like whole grains, raw vegetables, beans, lentils, and peas, among others. Complex carbs tend to take longer to digest and break down into glucose, meaning they fill you up longer. They may also contain more vitamins and minerals that simple carbs.

Now that we understand what carbohydrates are, we can explore the benefits of carbohydrates and why they’re important to a healthy diet. 

When we consume carbohydrates, our bodies break these larger chains of sugars into smaller units, or monosaccharides, that can be more easily absorbed. In the small intestine, monosaccharides are absorbed into the bloodstream and travel to the liver, where they are all converted into glucose. Glucose is our main source of energy. From the liver, it is carried throughout the bloodstream and converted into energy. We require this energy for optimal health and the normal functioning of our bodies. In this sense, carbohydrates help: 

• Fuel the central nervous system,
• Promote normal muscle function,
• Enable fat metabolism, and
• Promote normal brain function. 

It is evident that carbs are a necessary part of our diet. As with everything we eat, a healthy diet depends on consuming portions in moderation, receiving nutrients for a wide variety of well-balanced foods, and determining the right kinds of food to eat. This is why it is important to tell the difference between “good’ and “bad” carbohydrates.

Okay, so carbohydrates aren’t inherently “good” or “bad”. The carbohydrate-rich foods you eat, however, may be healthy or unhealthy for you depending on the type of food you eat. When determining the best way to eat healthy for your individual nutrition goals, it is important to keep a close eye on where you’re getting your carbs.

Simple carbs are generally considered “bad” for your diet because they are often found in processed or highly refined foods. Bad carbs are often high in calories, but low in nutrients and fiber. They can also be high in cholesterol and saturated fats. Some examples of processed foods that contain bad carbs are:

• White rice
• White bread
• Baked goods (pastries, cakes, etc.)
• Processed fruit juices (i.e. bottled orange juice, as opposed to oranges you juice yourself)
• Corn syrup
• Table sugar
• Cereal
• Candy
• Soda 

You can enjoy bad carbs on occasion as a small treat, but if you’re looking to manage your weight or maintain your overall health, they should not be your primary source of carbs. Remember, simple carbs are absorbed faster by the body, which may spike your blood sugar and contribute to cravings and fat storage.

Good carbs are typically considered foods that contain complex carbohydrates. They are more slowly absorbed by the body, and provide more sustained energy. Because they break down more slowly, sugar is released into the bloodstream at a slower and more moderated rate, to help keep you going and minimize the impact on your blood sugar levels. 

Good carbs are derived from whole foods that are not as heavily processed. They retain many of their nutrients, often have fewer calories, cholesterol, or saturated fats, and can be excellent sources of fiber. Good carbs often come from plant-based foods that deliver vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. Some sources of good carbs include:

• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Beans
• Lentils
• Peas
• Whole wheat breads and pastas
• Brown and wild rice
• Qunoa
• Barley
• Corn 

Much of what makes a good carb “good” is its fiber content. Fiber is an important part of our diet in that it helps to promote the normal removal of waste from our bodies. Unlike most nutrients, we do not digest or absorb fiber; it is not a source of energy. Fiber is left mostly intact as we digest the other compounds in our food, and this whole fiber passes quickly through our systems. This “bulk”, or accumulation of undigested fiber, helps keep us feeling fuller for longer, and moves waste through our digestive tract.  

To learn more about determining which carbs to avoid, and which may help you achieve your nutritional goals, we recommend checking out the TLS® Health Guide & Journal: a comprehensive guide to forging a healthy lifestyle by eating right, exercising, and improving your mindset.

As we discussed in-depth in our guide to low glycemic eating, low glycemic foods are those which have a minimal impact on your blood sugar levels. This, in turn, impacts your body’s production of insulin. 

Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that helps regulate the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats. Remember, the carbohydrates you eat are broken down into glucose--our main source of energy. Insulin promotes your body’s utilization of glucose, supporting its absorption by the muscles, liver, and fatty tissue. 

The foods you eat have an impact on the levels of insulin released into your blood. The pancreas produces insulin in response to the amount of sugar you consume. Low glycemic foods that are rich in carbohydrates often contain complex carbs--whole grains and unrefined sugars--which may produce minimal fluctuations in blood sugar and don’t have much of an impact on insulin production. However, some complex carbs are high glycemic: they do spike blood sugar, therefore increasing insulin production. The TLS® Health Guide & Journal can help you better identify low glycemic and high glycemic foods.

If complex carbohydrates can be part of a healthy, well-balanced diet, where does the notion that carbs lead to weight gain come from? As we’ve established, simple carbs can potentially spike your blood sugar, which leads to an increase in insulin production to help maintain normal blood sugar levels. An increase in insulin production signals your body to store fat. So, if your diet includes a disproportionate amount of simple carbohydrates, or other high glycemic foods, your body may store more fat. 

Maintaining an active lifestyle is just as important to weight management as eating right. Remember, carbohydrates are the body’s primary source of energy. As the digestive system breaks carbs down into glucose, that glucose is carried through the bloodstream to fuel our cells. If glucose is not needed to burn energy, it is stored in the liver and skeletal muscles as glycogen. The body can store up to 2,000 calories of glycogen. After that, it begins to store sugar as fat. 

Essentially, a diet that consists of more carbs than are used for energy can result in added fat storage. This may happen when you, 

• Consume a disproportionately high amount of carbohydrates, or
• Do not exercise enough to burn the carbs you are eating. 

It is also important to moderate the amount of carbs you’re taking in. While the National Institutes of Health does provide a recommended daily amount of carbohydrates for the average adult, consulting with a physician or a nutritionist--and knowing your own body and nutrition goals--is a good way to tailor your intake for yourself.

For people searching for a way to incorporate dietary supplements into a balanced routine of healthy eating, plenty of exercise, and a positive mindset, TLS® offers a variety of products that support our program. TLS® CORE Fat & Carb Inhibitor, for example, may help to reduce fat stores in the body and inhibit carbohydrate absorption.* 

TLS® CORE Fat & Carb Inhibitor works to support leptin sensitivity. Leptin is a hormone secreted by fat that contributes to the feeling of hunger. It signals to the brain when to eat, how much to eat, and when to stop eating. TLS® CORE Fat & Carb Inhibitor may help to manage hunger and suppress appetite by promoting a feeling of fullness.* 

It may also help to reduce the storage of fat in the body and inhibit the absorption of carbohydrates. In addition, this product may help maintain normal blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and promote normal insulin activity.*  

 

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product(s) is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.