carbs vs net carbs

from Web MD - When is a carb not a carb? That's the question many carb-conscious dieters are facing as they struggle to keep their carb counts within the strict limits recommended by Atkins and other low-carb diets.

In an effort to cash in on the low-carb craze, food manufacturers have invented a new category of carbohydrates known as "net carbs," which promises to let dieters eat the sweet and creamy foods they crave without suffering the carb consequences.



But the problem is that there is no legal definition of the "net," "active," or "impact" carbs popping up on food labels and advertisements. The only carbohydrate information regulated by the FDA is provided in the Nutrition Facts label, which lists total carbohydrates and breaks them down into dietary fiber and sugars.




Any information or claims about carbohydrate content that appear outside that box have not been evaluated by the FDA.



"These terms have been made up by food companies," says Wahida Karmally, DrPH, RD, director of nutrition at the Irving Center for Clinical Research at Columbia University. "It's a way for the manufacturers of these products to draw attention to them and make them look appealing by saying, 'Look, you can eat all these carbs, but you're really not impacting your health, so to speak.'"



Although the number of products touting "net carbs" continues to grow, nutrition experts say the science behind these claims is fuzzy, and it's unclear whether counting net carbs will help or hurt weight loss efforts.

What's in a Net Carb?
The concept of net carbs is based on the principle that not all carbohydrates affect the body in the same manner.



Some carbohydrates, like simple or refined starches and sugars, are absorbed rapidly and have a high glycemic index, meaning they cause blood sugar levels to quickly rise after eating. Excess simple carbohydrates are stored in the body as fat. Examples of these include potatoes, white bread, white rice, and sweets.



Other carbohydrates, such as the fiber found in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, move slowly through the digestive system, and much of it isn't digested at all (insoluble fiber).



Also in this category of largely indigestible carbohydrates are sugar alcohols, such as mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol, and other polyols, which are modified alcohol molecules that resemble sugar. These substances are commonly used as artificial sweeteners.



In calculating net carbs, most manufacturers take the total number of carbohydrates a product contains and subtract fiber and sugar alcohols because these types of carbohydrates are thought to have a minimal impact on blood sugar levels.



For example, the label on PowerBar's new double chocolate flavor "ProteinPlus Carb Select" bar says it has "2 grams of impact carbohydrates." The Nutrition Facts label on the product says it has 30 grams of total carbohydrates.



Just below the nutrition facts box, the "impact carb facts" box provided by the manufacturer explains, "Fiber and sugar alcohols have a minimal effect on blood sugar. For those watching their carb intake, count 2 grams." That's 30 grams minus the bar's 27 grams of sugar alcohols and 1 gram of fiber.

Total Carbohydrates
- Dietary Fiber
- Sugar alcohol
= Net carbs

If the net carbs are advertised on a package be skeptical at a minimum as manufactures cheat the meaning to sell you product.

For whole foods simply subtract the fiber from the carbs and you get net carbs.

Net carbs is nothing more than a creation created to push carbohydrate laden products in a high protein, low carb eating plan. If a person is down to counting the alleged net carb in a particular food, then the chances of success are slim to none and slim just left the building. Eat the food that will accommodate your goals and exercise level.

ok, thanks. that's what I was looking at. Quest Bat said it had 3g net carbs but the back of it says 22g carbs. i didn' t want to try it and go over thinking it was only 3 when it was actually 22. Boy is that confusing lol

This convo is a couple days old, but answered a lot of my questions. I was going to suggest MFP have an option to track net carbs, but it sounds like it is not necessary after all.