Take Away Points
In summary, there are many different forms of carbohydrates that vary based on how many sugar molecules they contain. Carbohydrates in food have two main functions:
- Energy (about 4 kilocalories or 17 kilojoules per gram)
- Building blocks, mainly carbon atoms, for the making of glycogen, fatty acids, amino acids and other substances in our bodies.
Recommended Daily Intake of Carbohydrates |
||
| Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR) – the acceptable percent of calories that come from carbohydrates — is 45-65%. | Diet | Carbohydrates (grams) |
| 1,000 Cal diet (2-year old) | 110-160 g | |
| 1,500 Cal diet (10-year old) | 170-245 g | |
| 2,000 Cal diet (sedentary adult women) | 225-325 g | |
| 2,500 Cal diet (sedentary adult men) | 280-405 g | |
| Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) – the minimum daily amount of carbohydrates used by the brain | All age groups, except infants | 130 g |
| Pregnancy | 175 g | |
| Lactation | 210 g | |
| Adequate Intake (AI) — the amount of carbohydrates that should suffice for the brain needs for carbohydrates for up to 98% of infants. | Infants 0-6 months | 60 g |
| 7-12 months | 95 g | |
Blood sugar levels rise after eating foods containing carbohydrates (sugars and starches). Various carbohydrate-containing foods affect blood sugar levels differently. The glycemic index is a ranking system where foods are assigned a number from 0 to 100, with pure glucose given the value of 100, based on the relative rise in the blood glucose level two hours after consuming those foods.
Processed foods such as candy, breads, cake, and cookies have a high GI because they are digested and absorbed relatively quickly, while whole foods such as unrefined grains, non-starchy vegetables, and fruits tend to have a lower GI since they are digested and absorbed more slowly.
The higher the rise in glucose in the blood stream, the more insulin is needed to remove it from the blood and store it in cells. The insulin is produced by the pancreas. Over time the constant demand for insulin can result in inflammation, weight gain and resistance to the effect of insulin on the body. The end result can be the progression to type II diabetes.
Here are two YouTube videos that address this subject.
- Eat low and medium glycemic index foods like beans, oatmeal, and whole grain pasta regularly but in moderate quantity.
- Eat high glycemic index foods like bread, bagels, English muffins, baked potato, and snack foods rarely and only in very small quantities.
- Use beans (e.g., ranch beans or lima beans) as a side dish instead of rice or potatoes.
- Use beans as a snack food instead of chips, crackers or rice cakes. For example eat hummus with raw vegetables.
- Do not overcook food like pasta as this increases the GI value.
- Serve one cup cooked pasta with at least one cup vegetables and a sauce of your choice as mixing with other foods especially foods with fiber lowers the GI value.
- Eat more lower GI fruits like apples, pears, berries, and citrus more than higher GI fruits like pineapple and raisins.
- If you eat cereal, choose one with a low glycemic index such as All Bran or oatmeal.
- Eat sugary foods like candy, soda and other sweetened beverages in small quantities and with a meal.
- Follow the “80-20” rule. Eighty percent of the time eat multi-colored whole foods rich in fiber, and twenty percent of the time, you can treat yourself to foods you enjoy.
There is a more more accurate tool to assess the impact of eating carbohydrates. It is called the Glycemic Load (GL). By including the amount of Carbohydrate in a serving it gives a more complete picture than the glycemic index alone. The GI value tells you only how rapidly a particular carbohydrate turns into sugar. Unlike the GL, it does not take into account how much of that carbohydrate is in a serving of a particular food. Both of these factors are important to understand a particular food’s effect on blood sugar.
For example, the carbohydrate in watermelon has a high GI but a relatively low GL because there is not a lot of sugar in a serving of watermelon, since most of it is fiber and water.
| Low Glycemic Load | Medium Glycemic Load | High Glycemic Load |
|---|---|---|
| 10 or less | 11 – 19 | 20 or more |
- Foods that have a low Glycemic Load (low amount of carbohydrate in a serving) almost always have a low Glycemic Index (cause a small and slow rise in blood glucose levels).
- Foods with an intermediate or high Glycemic Load range from very low to very high Glycemic Index.
- Eat fresh, organic multi-colored whole foods.
- Limit “white” foods such as fluffy white bread, bagels, pasta and potatoes.
- Combine fiber (fruits and vegetables) and protein (beans and nuts) with your carbohydrates (sugar) with each meal.
- Take time and enjoy each bite of your food and recognize when you are full so you don’t consume too many calories.