CARBS question!! Confused.

EthanJeremiahsMama

Hi MFP! So I had a sweet tooth craving since "TOM" came to hang with me this week lol and I had an Atkins Advantage Bar (Caramel Double Chocolate) sooo good! The label says 10g protein, 1g sugar & only "4g net carbs" .. I'm still confused as what the "net carbs" are. Nutrition facts on the back say "Total Carbs. 22g) so exactly what does it mean by 4g net carbs? I am NOT on an Atkins diet or anything, I only eat the Atkins bars as a snack sometimes or during a sweet tooth craving.

On the back it also says "Counting carbs? Fiber, sugar alcohols, including glycerin, should be subtracted from the total carbs since they minimally impact blood sugar." is this true & does anyone subtract when reading labels high in fiber & such??

Thanks to anyone who responds! Just want to make sure I am getting an accurate amount of carbs!

Leslietheriot

Net carbs are total carbs minus fiber and sugar alcohols. Alot of people count ALL carbs but if you are doing atkins, it does say to count only NET carbs.

leezanicole

Glad you asked.. I had the same Atkins bar the other day and was confused. I just counted total carbs though when I added it to my diary.

AdAstra47

Yeah, I hate it when they do that and still have the gall to call it a "low-carb" bar. 22 carbs is almost as much as I'm allowed to eat in an entire day! And diabetics / hyperinsulinemics etc. can't go by "net carbs," we have to use actual carbs. So I haven't found any brand or kind that I could include in my diet. :frown:

But unless you have a health issue like that, you just have to decide for yourself which number to go by. I'm pretty sure MFP's numbers count actual carbs, not net carbs.

Artemis_Acorn

Sugar alcohols are more slowly absorbed into the body. Once they are ingested, they are only partially metabolized. What this means in for you is that fewer calories are actually taken in when the body converts sugar alcohol into energy. This incomplete absorption doesn’t usually raise blood sugar as much as regular carbohydrates do. That is why they say the net carbs are lower - your body doesn't actually use all the calories from those carbs.

What it can do though is give you gas, the runs and general discomfort if you overdo it.

As for the fiber, some fiber doesn't really digest - it adds bulk to the stool and helps to keep things moving along. If you can't digest it (as in break it down in the gut), you don't get energy from it, though you do get other benefits.

ninerbuff

I use the good rule of thumb of if it says "net" carbs, I double it to be safe.