Carbs: not created equal.

I have seen this a lot on the forums lately and I wanted to make a thread about it, though I'm sure there's probably a few floating around somewhere.

I see a lot of people saying that carbs are carbs are carbs and it doesn't matter where you get them from. While technically, yes, a carbohydrate and another carbohydrate are the same name, they may not be the same in how they work in your body. So I figured I'd try to break it down so that someone who doesn't know can have this information. I found it helpful when I first learned it and it has helped me make better choices in food.

Basically, there are three types of carbs. (Technically, there are only two, but I'll explain later.) I'll break it down by each one and then post a link if I can find a good article.

Simple carbs

Also called "simple sugars." A simple carb consists of 1 or 2 units of sugar (glucose). This means when it breaks down, the simple sugars are released pretty quickly. A good reference for what a simple carb is would be sucralose (table sugar.) Things that taste sweet usually have simple carbs. Anything sweetened with sugar or honey, fruits and some veggies all have simple carbs. This does not mean that simple carbs are bad or that you should avoid them all together.

Carbohydrates are one of the body's main sources of energy. *

If you need energy short-term, reach for an apple. The simple carbs in the apple may be able to give you as much energy as a cup of coffee (according to some research; admittedly I haven't researched it since about 2 years ago and it may have been debunked since then.)
Simple carbs are digested rather quickly and will not keep you full for as long as the next type of carb.

Complex carbs

Complex carbs are a bit more structurally complicated. They have many units of sugar as opposed to 1 or 2, like simple carbs. Though they are broken down by the body in the same manner, they take longer to break down (digest.) That means that complex carbs will keep you fuller, longer. They also trigger only a moderate rise in insulin levels. Complex carbs can be found in foods such as breads (yes, even white bread), pasta, and corn. However, things like whole wheat pasta, brown rice, and whole wheat bread will keep you full even longer because they contain our next "type" of carb.

Fiber

Let's start off by saying that technically, fiber is not its own kind of carb. Fiber is, structurally, a complex carb. However, it does not break down into glucose. It also keeps you full even longer than most complex carbs. Here's why:

-It takes longer to chew. That's right, silly as it seems, most foods with fiber in it take more time to chew (thinks beans, whole grains, and nuts.) This starts the mental process of feeling full because you're taking your time. Eating slower helps you realize when you're actually full.

-Then it moves to the stomach, where it sits a lot heavier than other, non-fibrous foods. This is because, once again, it's difficult to break down. It stays in the stomach a bit longer and keeps you full.

-Since (insoluble) fiber is virtually impossible to break down, it takes longer to move through the digestive tract. Because it slows things down a bit, it helps regulate the absorption of glucose. Meaning, it helps your body have stable blood sugar/insulin levels rather than spikes of both like you find in simple carbs.


There are different types of fiber (soluble and insoluble) but that's for another post :laugh:

So, to make it even more simple (TL;DR version:)

-Sweets, candies, fruits, sugar -- simple carbs. Will cause spike in sugar/insulin levels. Fills you up, but not for too long.
-Breads, pasta, rice, starches -- complex carbs. Will cause moderate rises in sugar/insulin levels. Keeps you fuller for a little longer.
-Whole wheat breads, brown rice, fibrous veggies, nuts, legumes -- fiber. Will keep blood sugar/insulin regulated while it is in the system. Keeps you full for a good amount of time.

Hopefully this post has reached at least one person who did not know this information and will help them reach for smarter options when choosing their meals. I couldn't find any good/reliable articles that didn't explain it the same way I just did, so feel free to Google for more in-depth info.

*Carbs are a primary source of energy because they break down into glucose, which is then stored as ATP. But again, that is another post