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Does your food contain more of Complex Carbohydrates or Simple Carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates are one of the macro-nutrients and your body’s predominant source of energy. People under weight loss programs avoid eating foods rich in carbohydrates but the key is eating foods with right carbohydrates and not avoiding them completely.
Understanding Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are made up of three components: fiber, starch, and sugar. Fiber and starch are complex carbohydrates, while sugar is a simple carbohydrate. Depending on how much of each of these is found in a food determines its nutrient quality.
Both forms of carbs- simple and complex- help to convert sugar or glucose into energy.
Now, even though both forms of carbs perform the same task, why is it that complex carbohydrates are recommended by the nutritionists and health experts?
Why Complex Carbohydrates?
Complex carbohydrates contain more nutrients than simple carbohydrates. Due to the presence of starch and/or fiber, they get digested more slowly.
Let’s understand in the following paragraphs why we should consume more of foods with complex carbohydrates.
Benefits of consuming Complex Carbs
1. Sustains energy for longer time
Glucose broken down from carbohydrates is the primary source of energy for the body.
But a speedy spike of glucose in the form of consuming simple carbohydrates is detrimental as simple carbs are absorbed more, and cannot sustain the energy requirements for longer duration. Thus, you have to consume them periodically, which disturbs the bodies insulin levels.
Rather than simple carbs, it is better to incorporate complex carbs into the diet as they burn slower through the system, thus keeping you sustained for longer and posing less risk to the insulin levels.
2. Helps in optimum weight management
Foods rich in complex carbs have much less calorie content and due to their high fiber/starch content keeps you feeling full for longer duration.
This helps to minimize your cravings for eating more often and aids in weight loss. Furthermore, the low-calorie and longer satiety combination further boosts your diet regimen to facilitate optimum weight management.
3. Aids in muscle development
Proteins are generally the pioneers for promoting muscle gains, however carbohydrates are agents of optimized recovery and growth.
The appropriate diet regimen post workout is 3:1 or 4:1 of carbohydrates to proteins ratio. When you eat post-workout, it restores the glycogen content of the body, putting it in the anabolic state, where the process of muscle development takes place faster.
4. Regulation of blood sugar levels
Complex carbohydrates are absorbed much slower than simple carbohydrates, thus it maintains the blood sugar level at a steady pace for sustainable time periods, rather than an unnatural spike, which gets diminished rather shortly.
They are ideal for patients of Type-II diabetes as they regulate the blood sugar spike after meals.
5. Enhances Neural Health
The brain generally requires glucose from carbs as a fuel, as a result a deficiency may cause feelings of light-headedness and irritation, with an inherent difficulty in concentration.
Fiber-rich complex carbohydrates are linked to lower cognitive impairments. Moreover, whole grains like oats have folate content which aid in the optimum brain development and functioning, thereby improving the mental well-being.
Complex carbs are also a source of vitamins, mineral, and antioxidants which prove to be effective shields against Alzheimer's disease and dementia.
6. Improves digestion
Complex carbohydrates are excellent sources of fiber which are linked to regulation of bowel movement and controls the cholesterol levels. The insoluble fibre content in fibrous skins of nuts, fruits, and vegetables add bulk to the waste residues.
Furthermore, fibrous foods are known to prevent the advent of several diseases of the colon like haemorrhoids, colorectal cancer, and so on.
7. Increases longevity
According to a study involving over 400,000 volunteers, its has been uncovered that the death or mortality risk was greater to people who had high-carb diets, than those with low-carb ones.
It is important to therefore form a diet regime where only 50 to 55 percent of net energy is procured from carb sources, as it is a healthy percentage associated with reduced mortality risk. Substituting plant-based proteins for carbohydrates is another way for lowering the mortality risk.
Now, you should also remember that a dramatic change, whether increase or decrease, in your carb intake is detrimental. Thus, its crucial to strike a balance, and add healthy fat and lean proteins to the diet as well. Such balanced diets ensure the body procures the appropriate requirements of nutrients from the correct sources.
Best complex carbs sources
Whole Grains: Millets, navara rice, whole wheat, brown rice, rye, oats, quinoa, farro, barley, buckwheat. Pasta, breads, flours, and cereals made from these whole grains are also beneficial.
Seeds and Nuts: Pecans, cashews, chia seeds, almonds, flax seeds, walnuts, quinoa, etc.
Legumes And Beans: Peas, soybeans, chickpeas, lentils, peanuts along with bean varieties like black, pinto, and kidney.
Fibrous Vegetables: Onions, cauliflower, tomatoes, broccoli, peppers, and leafy, greens like such as kale, lettuce, and spinach. These are also rich in vitamins.
Starchy Vegetables: Corn, carrots, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, beets, russet potatoes, yams, zucchini, pumpkin, etc.
Fibrous Fruits: Citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, grapefruits; berries like strawberries, raspberries, blueberries; fruits with skin like guava, pear, apple; bananas are also excellent sources of fibers and carbs.
Conclusion
When it comes to a healthy lifestyle, it is important to know that wholesome foods rich in complex carbohydrates which are also optimum in fiber, vitamins, and minerals contribute to overall healthier body and better mental well-being.
The majority of our carb energy should be sourced from complex carbohydrates- naturally-occurring starches and sugars, instead of consuming refined, processed sugars. The refined sugars consists of no nutrient content, and are devoid of the minerals, vitamins, and fibers that are abundant in complex carbohydrates.
Remember, refined sugars and simple carbs are often called, “empty calories” with almost zero nutrients, so choose calories wisely to maintain a long and healthy life.
Invest in your health, and make a switch from simple carbs foods to complex carbs foods.
Eat right food and you may not find the need for taking medicines.
Thank you for reading!!
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Source Credits: Literature on Internet
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