Download Find out how much carbohydrate you should be consuming

What are carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates are key components in the diet and are an
important source of energy. One gram of carbohydrate in the form
of starch or sugars provides 4kcal. The body’s tissues require a
constant supply of glucose, which is used as a fuel, and the main
source of glucose is dietary carbohydrate (but it can also be
synthesised from protein).
For dietary purposes, carbohydrates have been described as simple or complex,
depending on their chemical structure:
Sugars (aka simple carbohydrates)
are readily broken down and absorbed.
This rapid increase in blood glucose
leads to a rapid release of insulin
(needed to help transport sugar to
cells). Energy is rapidly produced but
only lasts for a short period of time.
Complex carbohydrates have a larger
structure and take a longer time to
digest and absorb. This creates a slow
and steady increase in insulin levels
and the energy is therefore produced
slowly (energy lasts for a longer period
of time).
• Intrinsic sugars – these are
incorporated into the cellular
structure of foods. For example,
sugars in whole fruits and
vegetables.
• Starch – made up of many sugar
units bonded together. Found in
potatoes, bread, rice and pasta.
• Extrinsic sugars – these are not
bound into the cellular structure of
foods. For example, lactose in dairy
products, honey, table sugar,
confectionary etc.
• Dietary fibre – only found in foods
that come from plants such as
whole grains, nuts, seeds, fruits and
vegetables
After carbohydrate is eaten, it is broken down into smaller units of sugar (including
glucose, fructose and galactose) in the stomach and small intestine. These small
units are then absorbed in the small intestine and enter the bloodstream, where
they travel to the liver. The liver converts fructose and galactose into glucose.
Glucose is then transported by the bloodstream to various tissues and organs,
where it will be used as energy. However, if the body does not need glucose for
energy, it stores glucose in the liver and skeletal muscles in a form called glycogen. If
these glycogen stores are full, glucose is stored as fat. Therefore, if you’re consuming
more carbohydrates than burning for energy, your body will convert any excess
carbohydrates to fat (if glycogen stores are full).
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What are carbohydrates?
How much carbohydrate should I eat?
The Government’s healthy eating advice suggests
a third of your diet should be made up of starchy
foods (such as bread, rice, potatoes, pasta) and
another third should be fruit and vegetables.
This means that about half of your calorie intake
should come from starchy foods, fruit and
vegetables. So, if you get 2,000 calories a day,
about 1,000 of these should be from
carbohydrates, which is approximately 250g of
carbohydrate a day. You should avoid consuming more than this if possible, as
continually consuming too many carbohydrates may lead to weight gain. In the UK,
food consumption surveys have showed that we should be eating more fibre and
starchy foods, and fewer sweets, chocolates, biscuits, pastries and cakes.
Carbohydrates often get a bad rep
The word “carbs” itself has turned into a bad word in the weight loss world due to
the popularity of low-carb diets such as the Atkins diet. But carbohydrates are such a
broad category and aren’t all bad. In fact, your body needs carbohydrates to function
well. But some carbohydrates are better for you than others and it’s important to
understand how to choose healthy carbohydrates.
While we should reduce the amount of sugar in our diet, we should base our meals
on starchy carbohydrates. There is strong evidence that fibre, which is found in
wholegrain versions of starchy carbohydrates for example, is good for our health.
Carbohydrates are important for your health because they provide the body with a
source of energy, vitamins and minerals, and dietary fibre and they help you to feel
fuller for longer.
After all, any food can be fattening if you overeat it
In fact, gram for gram, carbohydrate contains fewer than half the calories of fat.
However, foods high in sugar often tend to be high in calories and eating these
foods too often can contribute to you becoming overweight. While we can certainly
survive without sugar, it would be difficult to eliminate carbohydrates entirely from
your diet.
Cutting out starchy foods from your diet could put you at increased risk of a
deficiency in certain nutrients, and it may also be hard to get enough fibre.
Therefore, to maintain a healthy weight, we should cut down on sugary foods and
drinks in favour of vegetables, fruits, pulses, and wholegrain starchy foods, while
keeping an eye on portion size. Carbohydrates have a rightful place in your diet!
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