All too often, carbohydrates get a bad rap. Can we all stop with the labeling of foods as “good” or “bad”!?
First, make sure to mind the quality of carbohydrate-based foods and not just the quantity of carbs. I’m talking about choosing mostly high-fiber, complex carbs. This means limiting intake of foods packed with added sugars and other low fiber, highly refined carbohydrates.
In a healthy balanced diet, carbohydrates should contribute over half of the total calories consumed. Or, in other words, approximately 45%-65% of calories should come from carbohydrates1.
What’s the Difference Between Simple and Complex Carbs?
Simple carbohydrates are considered “simple carbs” because they are smaller strands of energy (glucose) that are digested more rapidly to provide some quick energy when needed.
Well, that might sound simple enough, right? Just eat more simple carbs each time we need a little ‘pick me up’ for energy throughout the day? Sort of. Or, better yet, sometimes. But, NOT ALWAYS a great idea!
Consider how simple carbs, eaten in excess of the body’s needs at that current time, also readily convert to fat stores. In other words, too much simple carbs and not enough complex carbs, over time, may promote metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes.
Different from sugars (simple), some complex carbohydrates are not digestible by human enzymes and need to be broken down (fermented) by gut microbes. This is a good thing. These “good gut bugs” produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and have important anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic effects (helps regulate blood sugar)2. So, let’s not forget to fuel the healthy gut bacteria!
Consider the Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load of Foods
One way to consider the quality (variable effects on blood sugars) of carbohydrate foods is to look at the glycemic index (GI) of a particular food.
Choose more lower GI foods, lesser amounts of high GI foods. Moreover, the “glycemic load” from eating that food(s) should also be considered. For a more detailed look at this concept, check out the Harvard article linked here3.
The glycemic index is a number (on a scale of 0 to 100) that measures how rapidly blood sugar rises after eating a particular food. For example, pure sugar is considered the highest with a GI of 100. This means that sugar produces a more pronounced, faster blood sugar spike than black beans, with a GI value of 20. Yams, depending on the type, have a GI of about 50-55.
However, the GI only paints part of the picture when it comes to choosing more healthful carbohydrate foods. The glycemic load of a meal takes into consideration the total amount of foods eaten at once.
But, let’s not get lost in the details of these concepts just yet. This is just one way to look at the variability that different foods have on blood sugar levels. So, let’s not lose track of a more important concept. Or, at least one that I emphasize over and over again in Foods for Thought.
And that is, overall balance of food intake. And to include a good amount and variety of different plant-based whole foods. In other words, fueling your gut microbiome with a good variety of fibrous foods.
Furthermore, we must also consider the pattern of intake in which carbohydrates and meals are consumed. This is among the most common concerning patterns I see with clients.
Mind the Pattern of Intake Too!
Low or “no carbs” in the morning. Low-carb intake at lunch. And then, overeat a lot of carbohydrates in the evening.
Or worse, this pattern of unbalanced eating opens the door to binge-eating at night, only to be followed by feelings of disappointment or self-loathing.
In practice, I find that for most of us, it’s best to eat smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day rather than 1-2 (or even, 3) larger meals per day. However, those who practice intermittent fasting are but one exception to this. There is NO one-size-fits-all here, so you do what works best for you.
I just advise caution to anyone who develops such an inconsistent pattern of carbohydrate intake.
Don’t Forget to Consider YOUR Unique Needs
We all have our own unique health concerns. We also all have our own unique health and fitness goals. Hence, many of us have individual needs for carbohydrates to support optimal performance and well-being.
One personal example, to illustrate how much carb needs can change from time to time. In 2019, I experienced drastic weight changes in my first couple months training for my first triathlon. I went from heaviest I had ever weighed in my life upon starting a training regimen, to the lowest weight I had ever weighed as an adult.
After about 30-35 pounds lost in my first couple months training, I realized I was not eating enough carbohydrates (calories, overall) to maintain a normal body weight, that I felt most healthy at. For the first time in my life, I needed to intentionally eat more pasta, more pizza, and other similar starch-heavy meals just to maintain a weight I felt more comfortable at.
Granted, this is not a typical scenario here. I’m using my experience to illustrate how variable carbohydrate needs can be, depending on YOUR unique situation.
On the other hand, some people may do better, at certain points in their life on a low-carb diet. I am NOT here to say that low-carb diets are “bad”.
I am saying, however, in most cases, it’s probably the lack of consistency, lack of complex carbs, and/or lack of balance of overall food groups that is the problem. Not usually “too many carbs” like many of my clients oversimplify and tend to demonize carbs, in general.
What about carbs and the link with mental health?
Frankly, this link is a bit unclear. However, let’s consider some points how a regular intake of complex carbohydrates might contribute to good mental health and well-being.
- First, a consistent intake of high-fiber carbohydrate-based foods, balanced with enough proteins and dietary fat, helps to promote stable blood sugar levels.
- By keeping your blood sugars more stable throughout the day, it may also help to keep your mood and energy levels more stable.
- Second, eating too much highly refined carbs may result in “neuroadaptation” in the brain’s reward system and contribute to overeating and weight gain2. Choose carb foods with low glycemic index (GI).
- Third, a low-carb diet may limit the amount of serotonin produced and have unintended consequences on the mood4. This is not well-supported by a consensus of science yet, so we can’t have much certainty about this. See More on The Wurtman Hypothesis below.
Too Much Sugar on the Brain?
It is okay to eat some added sugars, in moderation. For example, take the recommendation from the American Heart Association. Their guidelines suggest to keep added sugars in the diet to less than 6% of total calories5.
For example, someone who eats the average 2,000 calories per day, should limit the total added sugars in diet to less than 120 calories. Each gram of sugar (carbohydrates) provides four calories. So, to this person, this means less than 30 grams of added sugar per day. That’s less than the average 12-ounce can of soda!
The problems with sugar tend to arise from too much sugar. In past blog posts and in Foods for Thought, I discuss the link between too much sugar and chronic inflammation. Even more troubling, how chronic inflammation may be a contributing, or potentially even causative factor for depression (post about inflammatory theory of depression linked here).
Some of us don’t do so well with temperance. So let’s at least consider the impact of too much sugar on the brain. There is still many unanswered questions about this link. Though it’s likely the link between high sugar intake and chronic inflammation that seems to be among the main concerns to consider.
Let’s also consider the potential “neuroadaptations in the reward system that decouple eating behavior from caloric needs and leads to compulsive overeating.”2 In other words, too many “highly palatable foods” – pastries, pies, potato chips, and other calorie-dense, high-carb/low-fiber foods – may be essentially rewiring the brain to encourage more craving of these foods.
So, choose your carbohydrates wisely. Make most of your grain-based foods come from whole grains, less from refined grains. Choose whole fruits and limit intake of juices or other sugar-sweetened beverages.
More on The Wurtman Hypothesis
In simple terms, the Wurtman Hypothesis suggests that a low carbohydrate-diet may limit the amount of tryptophan that is made available for the nerve cells in the brain. This essential amino acid is used to produce the important neurotransmitter, serotonin.
This hypothesis suggests that higher protein, low-carb diets result in an abundance of other amino acids available for the brain cells. However, tryptophan is relatively less available compared to other amino acids and this may limit the amount of tryptophan available to be used to produce serotonin.
Granted, this hypothesis is based on animal studies. So we must take this with a bit of caution. I use it here to illustrate that a consistent and controlled intake of carbohydrates is generally a better approach, for most of us.
This is not to deny that a low-carb diet might be a good idea, for some people, at certain points in their unique health journey. I dedicated a good part of a chapter to the discussion of ketogenic (very low-carb) diets in Foods for Thought. This may be a fine approach for some people. But, in my opinion, NOT the best approach for sustainable healthful changes, for most people.
Conclusion
Remember, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer here. What might work well for you and your healthful changes might be different than what works well for your neighbor.
Rather than demonize carbohydrates and label them as “bad” or “need to stay away from carbs”, let’s learn to respect carbohydrates for what they are. Learn to understand the role that carb foods with a low glycemic index (GI) can play at helping regulate normal blood sugar levels, metabolism, and potentially even our mood and energy levels.
Thanks for stopping by today!
REFERENCES:
- Manore MM. Exercise and the Institute of Medicine recommendations for nutrition. Curr Sports Med Rep. 2005;4(4):193-198. doi:10.1097/01.csmr.0000306206.72186.00
- Clara R Freeman, Amna Zehra, Veronica Ramirez, Corinde E Wiers, Nora D Volkow, Gene-Jack Wang. Impact of sugar on the body, brain, and behavior. Frontiers in Bioscience-Landmark. 2018. 23(12); 2255-2266.
- “The lowdown on glycemic index and glycemic load.” Health.Harvard.edu. May 27, 2021. https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/the-lowdown-on-glycemic-index-and-glycemic-load
- Wurtman RJ, Wurtman JJ. Brain serotonin, carbohydrate-craving, obesity and depression. Obes Res. 1995 Nov;3 Suppl 4:477S-480S. doi: 10.1002/j.1550-8528.1995.tb00215.x. PMID: 8697046.
- American Heart Association. “Added Sugars.” Heart.org Nov 2, 2021. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sugar/added-sugars