Handy Explains Why Carbs Are Bad

According to Handy, the most important source of energy in your body is carbohydrates (a.k.a carbs)

. When entering the digestive system, these carbohydrates turn into glucose or simple sugar. This glucose in your body is put to use when you need energy. The extra amount is stored in the body in the form of fat. With the perfect amount of glucose in your body, you are less likely to feel tired and exhausted. However, consuming excess carbs is bad for your health.

Simple vs Complex Carbohydrates

It is important to note that there are two types of carbohydrates – simple and complex. While simple carbohydrates are sugar derived from fruit (fructose) or table sugar (sucrose); complex carbohydrates consist of anything made from three or more linked sugar. These include grain products and rice. Complex carbohydrates are broken down further into whole grain or refined carbs according to their nutritional properties.

The general perception is that carbohydrates are very good for your body as they help you make glucose. However, researchers are convinced that refined carbs are bad for your health. Refined carbs can easily find their way in your daily diet in the form of pasta, sweets, white flour, white rice, pastries, cereals, sugar, and all kinds of processed food. Let’s discuss why some carbs are bad for your body and it is best to avoid them:

1. Fewer nutrients – Refined carbs do not provide any positive effect on your health as they are devoid of almost all vitamins, minerals, and fiber. They are nothing more than just empty calories. While processing refined carbs to remove germ, all the nutrients are also removed along with it. What remains ultimately is starch with some amount of protein. With no fiber, vitamins, and minerals these carbs just fill your stomach with no nutrients in it. The biggest source of refined carbs is obtained from refined wheat in the form of white flour. Thus, it is better to consume whole grain flour instead of plain white flour every day.
2. Increase in Type 2 Diabetes and heart disease – Studies show that heart disease that is considered to be the world’s biggest killer is linked to refined carbs. It also spikes the sugar levels in your body which is the main symptom of type 2 diabetes. Increased consumption of refined carbohydrates increases the blood triglyceride levels which are quite dangerous for the heart.
3. Risk of obesity – The alarming rise of obese individuals in the modern world is linked to the intake of refined carbs. As these are low in fiber they are digested quickly and make you want to eat them more and more. The feeling of a full stomach by eating refined carbs never lasts more than an hour. So, you start binging on ready food such as snacks or chocolates. The craving of such food increases your belly fat which further makes you look obese.

Conclusion

With a perfect balance of carbs in your diet, you can aim for a healthier body. According to Handy, it is crucial to maintain a balanced diet by consuming a large variety of food. It helps you to be healthy and live longer.