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What are carbohydrates? Why is it not worth removing carbohydrates from the daily diet? Experts in the field of he althy eating agree - carbohydrates are the main source of energy, especially for our brain, so it is very important that our diet, also for slimming, provides our body with the right amount. Unfortunately, on the wave of popularity of protein diets, there has been a misconception that carbohydrates threaten the success of any slimming treatment.

Carbohydratesare compounds of mainly plant origin that are synthesized from carbon dioxide and water in the process of photosynthesis under the influence of light. Carbohydrates are commonly called sugars, and due to their structure, we divide them into simple and complex sugars. Due to the degree of digestibility, they are divided into digestible and non-digestible, i.e. fiber. Both digestible and non-digestible carbohydrates perform specific functions in the body and are essential for its functioning.

Simple and complex carbohydrates

Simple sugars are composed of only 1 saccharide molecule. Among complex carbohydrates, we distinguish oligosaccharides composed of up to 6 molecules and polysaccharides, which may contain even tens of thousands of sugar molecules. In the case of product labeling, the principle was adopted that the content of monosaccharides (eg glucose, fructose) and disaccharides (eg sucrose) was given under the heading "simple sugars", as they have a different effect on the body than carbohydrates with a larger number of molecules. Also, when checking the nutritional value of the product "carbohydrates including sugars" in the table "carbohydrates" there is the total amount of carbohydrates in the product, while in the table "sugars" the amount of glucose, fructose and sucrose.

MonosaccharidesThe most common foods are:

  • glucose,
  • fructose.

Glucose is found in fruits, fruit juices and honey. It is a component of beet sugar, lactose, cellulose, starch and glycogen. Glucose is the most important sugar because most of the carbohydrates used by humans are absorbed into the blood as it or converted into it by the liver. The body is able to make all other sugars from glucose. Fructose is also found naturally in fruit, fruit juices and honey.It is twice as sweet as glucose.

Disaccharides (disaccharides)most common in nature are:

  • sucrose (commonly referred to as sugar, naturally occurs in greater amounts in sugar beets, sugarcane, pineapples and carrots),
  • lactose (milk sugar),
  • m altose (m alt sugar used in brewing, distilling and baking),
  • trehaloza,
  • cellobiosis.

From a nutritional point of view, the most importantcomplex carbohydrates (polysaccharides)are:

  • starch,
  • glycogen,
  • cellulose.

Starch is a reserve material of plants. It is contained in cereal grains (approx. 75%), potatoes (approx. 20%) and corn (approx. 80%). Glycogen is a staple material for animals. It is stored in the liver, muscles, kidneys, heart muscle, brain and platelets. Its amount in the body is 350-400 g. In case of insufficient amount of glucose in the blood, the body draws it from the breakdown of glycogen and uses it as a source of energy. Cellulose is a component of dietary fiber.

What foods are high in carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates can be found mainly in cereal products, as well as in dry seeds of legumes. Fruit and vegetables provide smaller amounts. The source of carbohydrates are also sweets and confectionery, but these should be avoided as they only provide energy without any valuable nutrients. Hence the saying "empty calories".

The role of carbohydrates in the diet

We divide carbohydrates into digestible and non digestible - fiber. Digestible carbohydrates are the main energy substrate for humans. In everyday food, they should provide 50-70 percent. energy. 1 g of carbohydrates provides 4 kcal, so for a 2000 kcal diet, you should eat 250-350 g of carbohydrates. Glucose is the only source of energy for the brain and red blood cells, so certain amounts of carbohydrate are essential in the diet. Moreover, fats are said to be burned in the carbohydrate fire. What does this mean?

In everyday food, they should provide 50-70 percent. energy. 1 g of carbohydrates provides 4 kcal, so for a 2000 kcal diet, you should eat 250 - 350 g of carbohydrates.

In the case of a shortage of digestible carbohydrates in food, fatty acids are not completely burned and ketone bodies are formed, which acidify the body. After being converted into glycolipids or glycoproteins in the body, carbohydrates form part of cellular structures. Certain sugar molecules, like riboseand deoxyribose are components of nucleic acids (DNA), i.e. they are elements of the structure of the chain constituting the genetic material of man. In the event of an inadequate supply of carbohydrates from food, the body produces glucose from proteins and also from fats. Proteins should not be used as an energy substrate, so it is important to provide the right amount of carbohydrates.

Carbohydrate demand

The need for carbohydrates depends on age, gender, weight, type of work and physiological condition. They should provide at least 55% of the daily energy demand. The energy from mono- and disaccharides should constitute 10-20% of its supply, and from added sugars - no more than 10%. This means that confectionery and pure sugar should be avoided. The body's minimum need for carbohydrates is determined on the basis of the amount of glucose necessary for the proper functioning of the brain. Children, adolescents and adults should provide at least 130 g of carbohydrates per day, pregnant women - 175 g, and nursing women - 210 g.

Carbohydrates in the diet - an important fiber

Fiber plays a huge role in the proper functioning of the digestive tract, as well as in removing toxins and controlling the lipid profile, even though it is not digested in the lumen of the human digestive tract. The dietary fiber requirement is 25-40 g per day. Average consumption of this ingredient by Poles is 15 g.

The effect of fiber is different, depending on whether it is a soluble or insoluble fraction.

Insoluble fiber , which is found mainly in cereal products, affects the proper functioning of the digestive tract, stimulates blood circulation in the intestines and its peristalsis by irritating the intestinal walls. It protects against constipation, haemorrhoids and cancer, especially of the large intestine.

It's all thanks to the ability to bind water, and thus increasing the volume of food content. Insoluble fiber binds excess hydrochloric acid in the stomach, improves the secretion of digestive juices and gastrointestinal hormones. People on a slimming diet appreciate it for maintaining the feeling of fullness after eating a meal.

Soluble fibercan be found in vegetables, fruits and dry seeds of legumes. It is a breeding ground for the beneficial bacteria that live in the intestines. It swells in the small intestine, forms gels of high viscosity, thanks to which it thickens the food content. This property is used to treat diarrhea. Soluble fiber supports the detoxification of the body due to its ability to bind toxins and inhibits themabsorption through the intestine. It also improves the lipid profile, as it lowers cholesterol, binds bile acids, delays the absorption of triglycerides and increases the excretion of fats. Soluble fiber fractions slow down the absorption of glucose, thus lowering the glycemic index of products.

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Digesting carbohydrates

The main energy component of a human diet is high-molecular starch. Other common saccharides in food are: disaccharides, sucrose and lactose, and monosaccharides from fruit: glucose and fructose. Monosaccharides can be directly absorbed into the blood. Other carbohydrate molecules need to be digested. The breakdown of carbohydrates begins in the mouth. Hence the noticeable sweet aftertaste of bread. Food is mechanically broken into smaller fragments, which makes it easier for enzymes to access individual bonds between sugars. In the oral cavity, the enzyme pythialin (salivary α-amylase) works to cut the branched starch into many smaller pieces. However, this process is short-lived and inhibited in the acidic environment of the stomach. Again, carbohydrates are broken down in the gut by pancreatic amylase, which digest larger sugar molecules, and by disaccharidases, which break the disaccharid bond only. Finally, all carbohydrates must be broken down into simple sugars (glucose, fructose and galactose), because only in this form can they be absorbed from the intestinal surface into the blood and be transported to the body's cells as a source of energy. Carbohydrates that are not digested to form monosaccharides are excreted from the body.

When to eat carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates during the day are best eaten with breakfast and / or 2nd breakfast and lunch. In the form of fruit, they can also appear as a snack after dinner. Dinner, on the other hand, should no longer provide any sugar. Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy, so they are essential as soon as you wake up. The body needs an energy boost in the morning to start working and speed up the metabolic rate after sleep. Therefore, bread or cereals are the perfect solution for breakfast, as well as for your next meal, if you do not eat too much in the morning.

Eating is a mistakehearty carbohydrate lunches after returning from work, e.g. at 18.

A lunch eaten in the middle of the day, which is when you are most active, should also include porridge, rice, pasta or potatoes to keep you energized while you work. However, it is a mistake to eat a hearty carbohydrate lunch after returning from work, e.g. at 6pm, because the body is no longer able to use the energy from carbohydrates and is likely to convert excess carbohydrate into adipose tissue. For the same reason, there should be no sugar in dinner. Carbohydrates should also be eaten about 3 hours before intense exercise. They are then an essential source of energy during training and will surely be used. After training, when your metabolism is accelerated, you can also use starchy foods or fruit without fear.

Carbohydrates and slimming

In slimming diets, it is recommended to limit the energy supply from carbohydrates below 55%. total caloric content of the menu. Reducing the proportion of carbohydrates, and at the same time increasing the amount of protein in the diet, accelerates the metabolism and causes faster the state when the body reaches for fat reserves to generate energy from them, i.e. to burn them. The assumption of these diets is based on minimizing the secretion of insulin (its large amount in the blood stimulates the conversion of glucose into adipose tissue) and increasing the secretion of glucagon, which is responsible for the fat breakdown process. Low carbohydrate intake causes ketosis - a situation in which there are many ketone bodies (products of fat burning) in the bloodstream. Their high concentration is responsible for the feeling of fullness. The lack of severe hunger is highly appreciated by people who lose weight in this way.

Low-carbohydrate diet - threats

Low-carbohydrate diets limit the supply of energy from saccharides to an extreme even up to 10%. They are very different and assume different caloric intake from protein, fat, and carbohydrates, but can be broken down into:

  • low-carbohydrate ketogenic diets - less than 50 g of carbohydrates per day (less than 10% of the diet's energy);
  • low-carbohydrate diets - 50-130 g of carbohydrates per day (10-26% of the diet's energy);
  • Medium carbohydrate diets - 130-225 g of carbohydrates per day (26-45%).

The dangers of long-term use of low-carb diets are still under discussion. Due to the exclusion of starchy products and the basis of diets based on animal products, the risk of increased cholesterol and cardiovascular diseases may increase.vascular. A very large reduction in the supply of glucose from food can cause problems with concentration and difficult thinking processes, because glucose is the only fuel for the brain. People on a low-carbohydrate diet also often struggle with constipation because they do not get the right amount of fiber. However, modern low-carbohydrate diets recommend that you consume low GI vegetables with each meal, which should meet your body's fiber needs.

Video: carbohydrates in the diet

Many people exclude or limit carbohydrates from their diet. Meanwhile, they are the main source of energy for the body and a place for them should be found in a he althy, balanced diet. Only which carbohydrate products are wholesome and which are better to avoid when shopping in the store? Which products only pretend to be he althy? These other questions are answered by dietitian Jacek Bilczyński.

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