Why Carbohydrates Make You Fat?

I get lots of questions regarding the eating of carbohydrates, and one of the general issues that I frequently get asked is, does eating carbohydrate foods make me fat? You can still eat carbs, and you should not avoid them. 

What are Carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates are energy foods for the body, and they are stored in muscles and in the liver. They are used by every cell in the body, by the brain, and for moving muscles. Whatever activity you do the glucose in the blood from carbohydrate is the fuel. Most carbohydrate foods come from plant-based sources. There are different types of carbohydrates, such as simple and complex, with the simple carbohydrates being digested quickly. Simple carbohydrates food sources include table sugar, fruits, sweets, soft drinks, and things like cakes and biscuits. They have no nutritional values. They are now studies suggesting these carbs is causes health problems (obesity, diabetes).

Complex carbohydrates include fibre, which is needed for healthy bowel function. Complex carbs can also make you feel fuller for longer because of fibre absorbing water. It is good to know that the feeling of fullness that fibre produces can help people who are trying to lose weight to control their appetite. Moreover, soluble fibres also help to stabilise blood sugar levels because it slows down the rate at which glucose is absorbed into the bloodstream and its support to lower your blood cholesterol levels. This is significant because it helps to reduce the risk of heart disease.

Some plant-based foods contain more fibre than others. Good sources of fibre are fruit, vegetables, whole grain rice/pasta, wholemeal bread, many breakfast bowls of cereal, nuts, seeds and bran. Sources of soluble fibre include various fruits, vegetables, beans, and oats. Complex carbohydrate foods are classed as starch. They consist of bread, cereals, potatoes, pasta, rice, and legumes (i.e. dried peas and beans) vegetables, seeds. You should choose complex carbohydrates when given the option given that they are healthier than simple carbs.

Side Effects of a Low Carbohydrate Diet

Am sure that many of you are aware of the low carb diet, it is the primary diet that people use to lose fat. However, this type of dieting can have many side effects including poor training performance, fatigue and low metabolic rate. In the absence of efficient carbohydrates for fuel, the body will use protein from muscle and fat. When this happens, things can go wrong. You can get blood in your urine, lose muscle tone, or your skin can become saggy. Saggy muscles and skin don't look good, and you lose the healthy, vibrant look even if you have lost some fat.

Low carbohydrate diets are also high in fat. Studies are demonstrating that overeating animal product and/or saturated leads to higher rates of heart disease, stroke, gallstones, kidney stones, certain cancers. Fats in the diet is necessary, but not too much. Healthy fats should be eaten in moderation. Processed foods/synthetic low-fat foods contain added sugars and are unhealthy. Studies are suggesting added sugar causes many health problems like obesity, diabetes etc.  

This was a lot to take in, but I hope it answered many questions and concerns. Keep in mind that it’s more important to eat carbohydrates from healthy foods than to follow a strict diet limiting or counting the number of grams of carbs consumed.

Sherldine Tomlinson.