Health Topic of the Month

High Carbs and Misdemeanors

There is a lot of seemingly contradictory information around these days about carbohydrates.  Low carb/high protein diet?  Or high carb/low fat diet?  Which is best?  As with most things, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle.  The fact is that not all carbohydrates are good for you nor are they all bad for you. 

What are carbohydrates??

The basic makeup of carbohydrates is sugar molecules.  Simply put, starch and fiber are chains of sugar molecules.  What happens when you eat carbohydrates is that your body breaks them down into single sugar molecules so they can be absorbed into the bloodstream as glucose (blood sugar), which your body uses for energy.  Except for fiber…fiber can’t be broken down so it passes through your body mostly undigested.  When highly processed carbohydrates, like those found in white bread for example, are broken down into sugar molecules they enter the bloodstream, which causes your blood surgar to rise.  This in turn causes the pancreas to produce extra insulin, a hormone which enables cells to absorb the blood sugar, after which insulin levels return to normal.  Over time the demands put on insulin-producing cells from eating too many highly processed carbohydrates creating high levels of blood sugar, can wear out, causing insulin production to slow down and potentially even stop altogether.  When this happens you become insulin resistant.  Insulin resistance has been linked to high blood pressure, high levels of triglycerides, low HDL (good) cholesterol, heart disease, and Type 2 diabetes. 

Low carb/high protein diets…

There is clinical evidence to support the theory that a diet high in protein and low in carbohydrates may help you lose weight.  The theory being that this arrangement will make you feel fuller, longer, after eating.  And that cutting way back on carbs helps avoid rapid rises and declines in blood sugar, which may help you curb your appetite.  Well, that’s the theory at least..there aren’t enough long-term studies to either prove or disprove the notion.  The real problem is the foods people choose to include in their high protein, low carb diet…steak, butter, bacon, and full-fat cheese were not smart choices before, and still aren’t.  They are high in saturated fat and low in vitamins and minerals.  Proteins from beans, fish, poultry, soy-based meat alternatives and nuts are smarter choices than these.  Healthful carbs such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables can and should be a part of any heart-healthy weight loss plan.

High carb/low fat diets…
Just as we now under stand that not all fats are bad, not all carbs are good.  Gram for gram, fat has more than twice the calories of either protein or carbohydrates, so choosing any low-fat product should help you lose weight, right?  Not so…some low-fat products are high in sugar and highly processed carbohydrates so the bad carbs offset the benefits of the reduced fat.  In fact, the results of a Harvard study showed that replacing calories from polyunsaturated fat with an equal number of calories from easily digested carbohydrates increased the risk for heart disease by over 50%.

So the answer is…
Whichever diet you choose, it is important to know the facts, and make smart food choices for your heart-health as well.