Simple and complex carbohydrates. What is the difference?
The main components of human nutrition are fats, proteins and carbohydrates. Each of them plays an important role in the life of the body. Let's talk in detail about carbohydrates.
Complex and simple carbohydrates
The large class of carbohydrates is divided into two types: complex and simple. Simple carbohydrates include fructose, glucose, which are abundant in berries, fruits and vegetables, as well as sweets, baked goods and pasta. The category of complex carbohydrates (polysaccharides) includes glycogen and starch. They enter the body with potatoes, legumes, grains, meat and nuts.
The difference between complex and simple carbohydrates is that simple carbohydrates are absorbed by the body much faster and can dramatically increase blood sugar levels. Complex carbohydrates contain a minimal amount of sugar while maintaining a high level of nutritional value. For example, one hundred grams of fruit or berries contains about half a tablespoon of sugar. And by eating 100 grams of cookies or sweets, a whole spoonful of sugar will be delivered to the body. Least of all sugar in potatoes. There are only 0.2 tablespoons per hundred grams. Thus, it is not difficult to conclude: the more simple carbohydrates enter the body, the more sugar enters the body with them. While complex carbohydrates provide the body with nutrients with a minimum amount of sugar.
What does an excess of carbohydrates lead to?
Let's give an example to understand how much and what kind of carbohydrate we supply to our body in everyday life. Many people start their mornings with a cup of sweet coffee and an appetizing bun and enjoy it. But what is actually happening?
simple carbohydratesHaving entered the stomach, food is digested and converted into sugar, which in turn instantly enters the bloodstream. After a while, the body will begin to signal that the sugar content in the blood has exceeded all permissible norms. And this is not safe. The body "instructs" the pancreas to urgently increase the production of insulin, which removes sugar from the blood and converts it into fat. It would seem that everything worked out perfectly, the body received a worthy rebuff from the "sugar" attack. Yes, that's just the owner of this organism gained weight.
Since simple carbohydrates are quickly absorbed, the feeling of hunger returns very quickly. The person begins to satisfy him with constant snacks. This is due to the fact that simple carbohydrates contain “empty” calories. That is, the energy value of products containing these substances is practically zero. But the body received a good portion of sugar, which turned into fat.
The result is a vicious circle. We consume simple carbohydrates, the body instantly reacts with the production of insulin, insulin "collects" all the sugar in the muscle tissue in order for the liver to turn it into fat. And fat, in turn, successfully settles in the form of extra pounds.
But that's not all. Metabolic disorders gradually lead to metabolic syndrome or syndrome X, the characteristic features of which are:
Excess weight;
High blood pressure;
High blood sugar.
As a result, diseases of the cardiovascular system, diabetes mellitus appear.
What will a carbohydrate deficiency lead to?
complex carbohydratesWith the help of carbohydrates, our body receives the necessary portion of energy. The body receives up to 70% of the consumed energy from them. Due to a lack of carbohydrates, metabolism can be disrupted. And the body will replenish the missing part of the energy with the help of fats and proteins. And such a substitution will create an additional load on the kidneys, which will lead to a malfunction of salt metabolism. If this situation persists for a long period, human health will be significantly affected.
Therefore, the importance of carbohydrates should not be underestimated. An insufficient amount of these substances can lead to irreversible consequences. But in the modern world, the question is about its excessive consumption. On average, each of us consumes four times more of it.
How can I reduce my carbohydrate intake to normal?
To restore balance, you need to give preference to complex carbohydrates. They stabilize your blood sugar by preventing excess fat from building up. This means that the whole body will remain healthy, and the figure will be perfect. To organize the correct healthy diet, you can use the information on glycemic indices . There is a special table from which you can see which foods contain a lot of sugar, which means they can cause an insulin surge and the conversion of sugar into fat.