Carbohydrates. Foods rich in carbohydrates - diets for losing weight and gaining muscle mass based on them What are carbohydrates in food

Carbohydrates are an integral component of a complete human diet. Food rich in them not only provides the body with energy, but also plays a significant role in many vital internal processes. Often, people trying to lose weight make the mistaken decision to exclude carbohydrate foods from their diet. They have no idea what harm they cause to the body through such actions.

Addiction to such diets has caused liver and pancreas diseases in many people. In addition, by completely removing carbohydrate foods from the menu, you can disrupt the body’s metabolism to such an extent that it will take a long time to restore the lost balance under the supervision of a doctor.

What to do with the popular belief that carbohydrates in food are a direct path to gaining excess weight? It's actually not that difficult! Any competent nutritionist will tell you that it is necessary to distinguish between carbohydrates that are beneficial and necessary for health and harmful ones, which are empty calories and do not bring anything positive for the body.

• Simple carbohydrates (monosaccharides) are just the latter.
• Moderately complex carbohydrates (disaccharides) and complex carbohydrates (polysaccharides) are found in healthy foods.

"Fast" and "slow" carbohydrates

For convenience, it is customary to determine the degree of “usefulness” of a particular carbohydrate-containing product by the level of the glycemic index. The lower its indicator, the more preferable this food is for those people who care about their health and look after their appearance. The higher the glycemic index, the more simple carbohydrates a product contains. Therefore, it is better to eat this kind of food as rarely as possible or even give it up altogether.

Foods that contain complex carbohydrates break down slowly during digestion, maintaining stable blood sugar levels and preventing sudden changes. They provide the body with the necessary amount of energy for quite a long time.

Simple carbohydrates are absorbed almost instantly, and blood sugar levels rise just as quickly. Without the ability to quickly expend a huge amount of energy, the body converts glucose into fat, and the accumulation of excess weight begins to rapidly gain momentum.

Carbohydrate-rich foods

What foods are carbohydrates? If you start listing them all, the list will get very long. Summarizing it, you can easily remember that carbohydrates are present in large quantities in sweets, in baked goods made from flour, in cereals and potatoes, in berries and fruits. They are found in dairy products in the form of lactose (milk sugar). But it should be remembered that animal-based options also contain cholesterol, and their quality is questionable. For this reason, adherents of a healthy lifestyle and nutrition prefer to make their menu from plant foods.

I would like to note that almost all food contains carbohydrates. The products differ only in the amount of these substances and other components in their composition, as well as the glycemic index. Even a leaf of lettuce contains carbohydrates!

In order to always have a clear idea of ​​what exactly is on the plate, many make a table of the foods that they are used to eating. In this case, the amount of carbohydrates per 100 g is noted, for example, your favorite grain bread or healthy buckwheat porridge, natural honey or fresh berries. Using this table, you can easily control the amount of substances entering the body, taking into account the following:

• to lose weight, you will have to limit yourself to 60 g of carbohydrate foods per day;
• when your weight is normal, then 200 g of foods containing carbohydrates will allow you to stay in ideal shape, if you do not overuse fatty foods;
• By eating foods with carbohydrates in quantities exceeding 300 g per day, you can observe a gradual weight gain.

Important: a bowl of oatmeal rich in complex carbohydrates can give you a feeling of fullness for several hours in advance, supplying the body with energy.

At the same time, a rich sugar bun made from white flour will dull hunger for a maximum of half an hour, but thanks to the high glycemic index (simple carbohydrates), it will very quickly and comfortably settle on the waist or hips in the form of fat deposits.

Grocery list

The minimum amount of carbohydrates (from 2 to 10 g per 100 g) is found in foods such as:

• onions, green onions, leeks, red salad onions;
• carrots, pumpkin, zucchini, celery - roots and stems;
• white cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and broccoli;
• cucumbers, tomatoes, turnips and radishes;
• lettuce leaves of any variety and any other greens;
• lemons, grapefruits, oranges and tangerines;
• sour apples, pears, plums, peaches, apricots and nectarines;
• watermelons and melons;
• sour berries;
• mushrooms;
• natural vegetable juices.

Moderate amounts of carbohydrates (10 to 20 g per 100 g) are present in the following foods:

• beets, potatoes;
• sweet apples and grapes;
• sweet berries;
• figs;
• natural (not from boxes and bags) fruit and berry juices without added sugar.

• whole grain unsweetened bread;
• halva, dark chocolate;
• dried peas and fresh green peas, corn;
• red, pink, white beans and all legumes.

The highest level of carbohydrates (from 65 g per 100 g of product) is observed in foods such as:

• caramel, milk chocolate, sweets and other sweets;
• granulated sugar, refined sugar, candies;
• cookies, cakes, pastries, sweet pies and other rich pastries, sweet crackers;
• dried fruits - prunes, dried apricots, raisins, dates;
• natural honey;
• preserves, jams, marmalades, confitures;
• pasta;
• buckwheat, rice, pearl barley, millet, oats and other cereals.

As can be seen from this list, the category of foods high in carbohydrates includes not only unhealthy sweets that will bring nothing but weight gain, but also dried fruits and honey, which are very healthy for health, and cereals that are absolutely necessary in a healthy diet.

Each person decides for himself what food to prepare and eat for breakfast, lunch or dinner, because not only his appearance will depend on this, but also, first of all, the state of the body, the correct functioning of all its organs and systems, and, consequently, well-being, mood and performance. You need to treat yourself carefully, and the first step to this is choosing your dishes carefully.

Balanced diet

• almost two-thirds of meals should be rich in carbohydrates with a low glycemic index;
• a little less than a third – protein foods;
• the remaining smallest part is fats, without which the body cannot cope.

Another very important tip for creating an optimal diet: foods high in carbohydrates will bring the greatest benefit if they appear on the plate in the first half of the day. For example, by eating millet porridge with dried fruits for breakfast, you don’t have to worry about your figure and don’t think about food until lunch.

For lunch, pea or bean soup with whole grain bread and fresh vegetables is perfect. You can even treat yourself to herbal tea or rosehip decoction with dried fruits or a dessert spoon of honey. But dinner can consist of baked mushrooms with a drop of vegetable oil and a green salad, since the protein eaten in the evening will serve as material for the structure and restoration of body tissues.

Bad habits

When talking about food, we cannot fail to mention bad habits.

Alcohol is calories in liquid form. It not only does not bring a feeling of fullness, but, on the contrary, leads to overeating. In addition, alcohol slows down metabolism, so food that enters the body with alcohol is less digestible and is mainly accumulated in fatty tissue.

Smoking. Most people who smoke have weight problems. One of the reasons is nicotine hunger, which is perceived by the human brain as normal hunger.
When a smoker cannot smoke for a long time, he begins to satisfy his nicotine hunger with sweets, salty or peppery foods - anything that can cause bright taste sensations. As a result, a person consumes a lot of useless carbohydrates, fats and harmful substances. It’s easy to avoid this - just quit smoking, and your food preferences will change by themselves. You will stop craving sweet, salty, smoked foods and will want to eat more healthy foods, vegetables and fruits. It sounds incredible, but it's true! If you are thinking about quitting smoking, find out how to do it quickly and easily.

Fast food and sweets. As for “dangerous” carbohydrates, in particular, all kinds of sweets that also contain fat (cakes, candies with cream filling, etc.), then it is better to completely avoid eating such products. Not only are they completely useless, but they are also truly harmful.

If we talk about where “wrong” carbohydrates are present in large quantities, then the list of products that are subject to unconditional exclusion can be crowned with sweet carbonated drinks and fast food.

This is absolutely “dead” food, so saturated with sugars, fats and preservatives that even a healthy body finds it difficult to cope with the consequences of such a meal. In addition, carbohydrate foods are addictive. Many people, having gotten used to it, have great difficulty getting rid of the craving for these dishes. Choose the best! Choose what's useful!

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You can lose weight in different ways. You can do this by burning fat, you can do it by reducing muscle tissue, or you can do both. If you are going to lose excess weight due to adipose tissue, then first of all you need to make sure that the endocrine organs are functioning normally: the thyroid and pancreas, adrenal glands and ovaries.

The effectiveness of your diet and training will be higher if there are no endocrine disorders, i.e. The root cause of your excess weight is excessive eating and lack of physical activity.

The most common types of metabolic disorders are:

1. hypofunction of the thyroid gland (decreased performance);
2. change in tissue sensitivity to glucose (the so-called increase in glucose tolerance).

The majority of the Russian population lives in areas with severe iodine deficiency in drinking water and food; this is a risk factor for the development of hypothyroidism, and as a result, a slowdown in metabolism and excess weight gain.

Increased glucose tolerance is a condition in which, with normal or elevated blood sugar levels, the penetration of glucose into the cell for absorption is impaired. The presence of sugar in the blood for a long time, especially when its level is elevated, leads to an increase in the synthesis of the pancreatic hormone - insulin, which leads to stimulation of appetite and the deposition of excess sugar in the form of fat, leading to the formation of obesity.

The same mechanism of fat formation occurs with the abuse of fast sugars, i.e. sweet. Sweet carbonated drinks and 100% juices contain a large amount of sugar, for example, 4 tsp in 1 glass of Coca-Cola. sugar, in Pepsi - 6 tablespoons.

What types of carbohydrates are there?

Fast or simple carbohydrates- glucose, sugar, fructose, malt, confectionery, white bread, etc. They are quickly absorbed, providing a rapid rise in blood glucose levels, do not have time to be spent (if you do not immediately go in for sports or other physical activity), and their excess will certainly be deposited as fat. Because The sugar level will rise quickly, the pancreas will definitely work on it, the insulin level will increase - this will provoke an increase in appetite.

Medium chain carbohydrates– starch contained in jelly, yogurt, porridges are close to the same sugars, which can be poured with boiling water and in 3 minutes it’s ready. They break down to fast sugars within a very short time, usually 3-4 hours. But the release of sugar occurs faster than that of complex carbohydrates.

Complex carbohydrates- these are longer polymers with a branched chain, which are found in porridges (oatmeal, buckwheat), bread, multigrain flakes, durum wheat pasta - such carbohydrates will provide you with a slowly released sugar level for 5-6 hours. This is the best option for breakfast.

For carbohydrates, the concept of glycemic index of foods is distinguished; if you want to lose weight, you should avoid foods with a glycemic index of more than 65-70.

The consumption of simple carbohydrates is permissible in very small quantities in the first half of the day - until 17:00.

Eating white rice (for example, in sushi) will be an error in the diet, because... Basically, only the starch core remains in such rice, and the useful coarse fibers are lost during grinding. Gray or tropical brown rice, unlike white rice, contains those same healthy long-term carbohydrates and fiber, so their glycemic index is lower, they are less caloric and more healthy.

What to do with these carbohydrates?

You've probably heard the phrase: “Diet should be balanced.” The purpose of food intake is to ensure that the body receives nutrients. What happens if we eat carbohydrates with a high glycemic index? They will quickly enter the bloodstream and be used up just as quickly, and this will lead to the fact that you will soon want to eat again. To prevent this from happening, you need to eat foods that contain all types of carbohydrates, and the more complex they are, the more of them should be as a percentage of the serving. Thanks to simple carbohydrates, the feeling of hunger will go away, and thanks to complex carbohydrates and carbohydrates from the medium long chain, it will be possible to ensure a constant supply of glucose into the blood.

What will this give? The feeling of hunger will leave you alone for a long time, and during physical or mental labor your body will regularly receive the necessary energy. This is good for the brain and good for the muscles.

Carbohydrates and weight loss are two concepts that at first glance do not go together. Every dieter will say that they must be excluded from the diet, not only during weight loss, but also after, so as not to gain the hated kilos back. In fact, this position is completely wrong. Of course, buns, sweets and sugar are not at all the foods that contribute to weight loss. However, they cannot be completely excluded from the diet, as this will disrupt the metabolism and deprive the body of energy. What to do if you can’t find a slim figure? And what are they, carbohydrates for weight loss? We will compile a list of products that will help you lose weight and not gain it again.

Fast carbohydrates

Let's start looking at what you can eat and what you shouldn't. First of all, fast carbohydrates are not suitable for weight loss. You can sketch out a list of products yourself: these are cookies and cakes, beer and cakes, popcorn, condensed milk and bananas, dates and chocolate, mayonnaise and ketchup, watermelons. These products are suitable for snacking when the meal was a long time ago, but you will not be able to eat normally for a long time. If at the same time you are engaged in physical labor, then the energy from the same banana will be used to maintain your strength. That is, the use of such products is justified at the moment when your head begins to feel dizzy from hunger, and there are no other sources of food at hand. In other cases, they cause a sharp jump in blood glucose, and then settle comfortably on the body in the form of subcutaneous fat. Moreover, regular consumption of such foods puts a high load on the pancreas.

Glycemic index: what is it?

This is another concept that needs to be learned if we are talking about carbohydrates for weight loss. The list of products should not contain those food products that have a high glycemic index. The higher it is, the faster the release of glucose occurs. For example, dates occupy a leading position on this list, their glycemic index is 145, and all products with an index above 70 are potentially dangerous for your figure. Again, you need to take into account the time of day and your activity. Bread and honey in the first half of the day, when you have physical work to do, is a supply of energy that will be instantly released and will make it possible to achieve your goals. And the same sandwich in the evening, when you are lying on the couch after dinner, is unnecessary energy that will immediately be stored in reserve. Therefore, save high GI treats for the weekend (before a walk), or even better - only for the holidays. Let's now look for carbohydrates for weight loss. You can print out the grocery list on paper and place it in your kitchen.

Which fast carbohydrates are most useful?

Of course, those with the lowest GI, that is, less than 70. If you have an alternative, choose these fast carbohydrates. The list of foods for weight loss includes cheese (feta) and sour cream (no more than 20% fat), mango and canned corn, wild rice and Arabic pita. In the first half of the day, you can eat pea soup, durum wheat ravioli, and even pizza with tomatoes. Dumplings with cottage cheese, cocoa powder with sugar, potatoes and compote without sugar, canned vegetables - all these are products that do not contribute much to weight loss, but against the background of all sources of fast carbohydrates they look more acceptable for periodic consumption in limited quantities.

Complex carbohydrates

Why can't you just eliminate carbohydrates from your diet? In addition to the fact that it is a source of energy, without the presence of carbohydrates it is impossible to process proteins and fats, which means that the liver will work intermittently and under high load. The absorption of carbohydrates occurs in the form of glucose, that is, it is not so important whether you had candy, bread or porridge on your plate - it is still a source of glucose, the only difference is the speed at which it enters the blood. The table of carbohydrates in foods will help you create the right diet.

So, complex carbohydrates differ from simple ones precisely in that they take a long time to digest, and glucose enters the blood gradually, in portions, maintaining the level of satiety for a long time. The body manages to consume energy, and it is not stored in reserve. In addition, a portion of porridge will give you a feeling of fullness for a long time, which means you won’t eat too much, which will also have a beneficial effect on your figure. Despite this, nutritionists never tire of repeating that cereals should be consumed in the first half of the day. The table of carbohydrates in foods is an excellent hint that should always be on hand. Thus, to summarize: eating foods rich in complex carbohydrates is recommended for breakfast and lunch, when you need a large amount of energy. And for dinner it is better to prepare a protein table (preferably from low-fat products).

Low GI carbohydrates

And we will continue our conversation about complex carbohydrates. The list of foods for weight loss should include healthy cereals and vegetables. They are sources of all the substances the body needs, take a long time to digest and contain fiber, which helps cleanse the body of toxins. This list includes legumes, that is, peas and beans, lentils and beans. All cereals and cereals should also be included here. It should be noted that only crumbly porridges cooked in water are suitable for weight loss. Viscous semolina should be completely excluded, rice should be brown, wild or black, millet should not be boiled to a mushy state - the grains should remain intact. Very often you can hear that pasta should be excluded from food. In fact, this can also be supplemented with pasta for weight loss, but it must be made from durum wheat.

The basis of your diet

Often we have neither the time nor the extra funds to follow complex multi-component diets. However, this is not necessary, you will understand this yourself when you study foods containing carbohydrates. The list of products for weight loss necessarily includes all types of cabbage, tomatoes and zucchini, bell peppers, onions, leeks, green beans, greens (spinach and lettuce), as well as mushrooms. Don't forget about the benefits of fruits. These are grapefruits and pears, oranges and apples, peaches. Very healthy foods with low GI are berries, cherries and plums. This also includes bread made from wholemeal flour, so the taboo applies only to white rolls and loaves. Nutritionists emphasize: be sure to eat foods containing carbohydrates for breakfast and lunch. A list of weight loss products without them would be incomplete. They ensure the gradual release of glucose into the blood. That is, your performance will be stable, the feeling of hunger will not haunt you, and your mood will change throughout the day.

Calculating your diet

In fact, this is a very difficult question, because each of us is individual. We differ in body type, level of physical activity, and metabolic rate. But this is still not a complete list of factors. And a single scheme will not suit everyone, which is why there are nutritionists who evaluate the individual characteristics of each patient. The norm of carbohydrates for weight loss is determined based on the actual state of the body and the goals set. By reducing the amount of carbohydrates to 150 g per day, you ensure that you can achieve smooth weight loss. By reducing this figure to 50-60 g, you will very quickly begin to lose weight, but it will be difficult to physically maintain such a diet. If you try to reduce this figure further, ketoacidosis will develop, that is, intoxication with fat metabolism products.

We provide the body with everything it needs

It is very important not only to reduce the amount of carbohydrates in the diet, but also the balance between all nutritional elements, that is, their ratio. (to lose weight it is not at all necessary to eat buckwheat alone, we have already discussed this issue) should be consumed in accordance with the developed nutrition plan. It can be approximately calculated according to the following example. Let's say your calorie intake is 2,000 kcal, and you gain weight. This means that for effective weight loss you need to reduce this figure to 1,400 kcal per day. Therefore, the protein requirement will be 61 g per day, (61 x 4 = 244), that is, 244 kcal. Fats also cannot be excluded; they need approximately 67 g (67 x 8 = 566 kcal). Accordingly, you should get the remaining amount - 670 - kcal from carbohydrates. Divide this figure by 4 and get 170 g of carbohydrates, that is, cereals, whole grain bread and vegetables. Lose weight with pleasure!

Carbohydrates are complex compounds that should make up at least 50 percent of a person's diet. The famous book “On Tasty and Healthy Food” even recommends a ratio of 1:1:4 (proteins, fats and carbohydrates, respectively). The list of carbohydrate foods is extremely large and you need to navigate it if you want to monitor your figure.

The most carbohydrate foods

Limiting the consumption of only carbohydrate or fatty foods is not always the answer, because... these compounds perform important functions in the body. For example, carbohydrates help normal liver function and provide muscles with energy. The carbohydrate table of foods will help you choose the right diet.

That is why it is worth carefully reviewing the list of carbohydrate products, which is based on the classification of hydrocarbon-containing products. The list of carbohydrate products is divided into the following items:

Low carbohydrate products (the amount of carbohydrates ranges from 2 to 4.9 grams per 100 grams of product):

• lettuce leaves
• radish
• tomatoes
• lemons
• mushrooms (fresh)

Products for carbohydrate nutrition are often those that do not contain many hydrocarbons. Low or limited hydrocarbon content (about 5-10 grams per 100 grams of product):

• melon and also watermelon
• citrus
• apricots
• carrot
• pumpkin
• peach
• pear

With a moderate concentration of hydrocarbons (up to 20 grams per 100 g):

• ice cream
• beets, potatoes
• grapes and sweet apples
• fruit juices

Rich in carbohydrates (on average from 40 to 60 grams of carbohydrates per 100 g):

• bread products
• chocolate
• halva
• peas and any beans

With a very high concentration of hydrocarbons in 100 grams of product (more than 65 g):

• candies
• refined sugar
• bakery
• dried fruits (dates, raisins)
• jam and marmalade
• pasta
• rice, other cereals

Almost any diet prescribes cutting back on carbohydrate foods. A list of carbohydrate foods is presented below.

Carbohydrate food table

The table forms a clear concept of the need for a particular product in the diet: for example, you should not replace healthy cereals and fiber-containing products with sweets and other simple carbohydrates. It is best to print out the carbohydrate table of foods and keep it in sight at all times.

Do not forget that belonging to the last three groups is not a reason to exclude a particular product from the diet. No one doubts that the health benefits of halva and beans are by no means equal, just like the health benefits of beets and ice cream. The highest carbohydrate foods are candies and this cannot be changed.

“Friends” and “enemies”: how to calculate what you need?

Many nutritionists tend to divide carbohydrates based on their usefulness. They include “positive” carbohydrates – complex compounds (for example, starch) as useful ones. The processing of such compounds by the body takes a long time, which allows a person to feel full for a long time. On the other hand, they also do not contribute to a sharp increase in blood sugar (which then leads to the production of insulin and the same sharp decrease, as a result of which the feeling of hunger after eating sweets overtakes very, very quickly).

To roughly calculate your diet, you can use the well-known rule of dividing a portion into three parts. About a third of a serving of food should be “protein”, a little less than two-thirds should be carbohydrates, preferably complex, positive hydrocarbons and low-carbohydrate foods. The “fat” component should account for very little, but under no circumstances should fats be completely excluded from the diet. The list of carbohydrate foods in this article will help you create proper nutrition depending on your goals.

Carbohydrates are natural organic substances whose formula contains carbon and water. Carbohydrates are able to provide our body with the energy necessary for its full functioning. According to their chemical structure, carbohydrates are divided into simple And complex.

1. 1 Simple carbohydrates include those found in milk; fruits and sweets - mono- and oligosaccharides.
2. 2 Complex carbohydrates are compounds such as starch, glycogen and cellulose. They are found in cereals, corn, potatoes and animal cells.

Carbohydrate-rich foods:

The indicated amount is approximate amount per 100 g of product

Daily requirement for carbohydrates

In order to feel comfortable, it is necessary that each cell of our body receives its required amount of energy. Without this, the brain will not be able to perform its analytical and coordination functions, and, therefore, will not transmit the appropriate command to the muscles, which will also be useless. In medicine, this disease is called ketosis.

To prevent this, you must include the required amount of carbohydrates in your daily diet. For a person leading an active lifestyle, their daily amount should be at least 125 grams.

If your lifestyle is less active, you can consume less carbohydrates, but their amount should not be lower than 100 grams / day.

The need for carbohydrates increases:

Being the main sources of energy entering the body with food, carbohydrates are primarily used during active mental and physical activity. Consequently, during times of heavy workload, the need for carbohydrates is greatest. The need for carbohydrates increases during pregnancy, as well as during breastfeeding.

The need for carbohydrates decreases:

Low labor productivity and a passive lifestyle reduce the body's energy consumption, and, consequently, the need for carbohydrates. By spending weekends in front of the TV, reading fiction, or doing sedentary work that does not require significant energy expenditure, you can safely reduce the amount of carbohydrates within the maximum permissible limits, without harm to the body.

Digestibility of carbohydrates

As mentioned above, carbohydrates are divided into simple And complex. According to the degree of digestibility - on fast-, slowly- And indigestible carbohydrates in the body.

The first include carbohydrates such as glucose, fructose and galactose. These carbohydrates belong to the class of so-called monosaccharides and are quickly absorbed by the body. Products containing quickly digestible carbohydrates: honey, caramel, bananas, chocolate, dates, etc.

The most important carbohydrate for us is glucose. It is she who is responsible for the energy supply of the body. But if you ask what happens to fructose And galactose, then don't worry, they don't go to waste. Under the influence of physicochemical reactions taking place in the body, they are again transformed into glucose molecules.

Now, as for complex carbohydrates. They, as mentioned above, are found in animal cells and plant tissues and are usually absorbed slowly. Plant carbohydrates, in turn, are divided into digestible and indigestible. Digestible starch is composed of glucose molecules arranged in a special way so that they take longer to break down.

Cellulose However, despite the fact that it also belongs to carbohydrates, it does not supply energy to our body, since it is an insoluble part of the plant cell. However, it also takes an active part in the digestion process.

You have probably seen on the shelves of stores, pharmacies, or distributors of chain companies drugs that contain vegetable fiber. It is precisely this that is plant cellulose, which acts like a brush, cleaning the walls of our digestive tract from all kinds of contaminants. Glycogen stands apart. Released as needed, it plays the role of a kind of storage of glucose, which is deposited in granular form in the cytoplasm of liver cells, as well as in muscle tissue. When the next portion of carbohydrates enters the body, some of them are immediately converted into glycogen, so to speak, “for a rainy day.” What has not been transformed into glycogen molecules goes for processing, the purpose of which is to obtain energy.

Beneficial properties of carbohydrates and their effect on the body

Carbohydrates are not only an excellent food source of energy for the body, but are also included in the structure of cell membranes, cleanse the body of toxins (cellulose), and participate in protecting the body from viruses and bacteria, playing an important role in creating strong immunity. Used in various types of production. In the food industry, for example, starch, glucose and pectin are used. Cellulose is used for the production of paper, textiles, and also as a food additive. Alcohols obtained by fermenting carbohydrates are used in medicine and pharmacology.

Which carbohydrates do you prefer?

In the diet, it is necessary to observe the proportion of quickly and slowly digestible carbohydrates. The first ones are good when it is necessary to quickly obtain a certain amount of energy intended to perform a specific job. For example, in order to prepare faster and better for exams. In this case, you can consume a certain amount of quickly digestible carbohydrates (honey, chocolate, candy, etc.). Athletes also consume “fast” carbohydrates during and after performances to quickly restore strength.

If the work may take a long time, then in this case it is better to use “slow” carbohydrates. Since their splitting requires more time, the release of energy will extend over the entire period of work. If, in this case, you consume quickly digestible carbohydrates, and in the amount necessary to perform long-term work, irreparable things can happen.

Energy will be released quickly and massively. And a large amount of uncontrollable energy is like ball lightning, which can cause irreparable harm to health. Often, the nervous system suffers from such a release of energy, in which a simple short circuit can occur, as in conventional electrical networks. In this case, it begins to malfunction and the person turns into a nervous creature who is not able to perform precise actions involving fine motor skills of the hands.

Dangerous properties of carbohydrates and warnings

Signs of lack of carbohydrates in the body

Depression, apathy, and loss of strength can be the first signals of a lack of carbohydrates in the body. If nutrition is not normalized by adjusting the diet with the required amount of carbohydrate foods, the condition may worsen. The next stage is the destruction of vital proteins in the body. All this is caused by toxic damage to the brain suffering from a lack of carbohydrates. Doctors call this disease ketosis.

Signs of excess carbohydrates in the body

Hyperactivity, excess weight, body tremors and inability to concentrate may indicate excess carbohydrates in the body. First of all, the nervous system suffers from an excess of carbohydrates.

The second organ suffering from an excess of energy is the pancreas. It is located in the left hypochondrium. The body of the gland is an elongated formation 14-22 cm long and 3-9 cm wide. In addition to the fact that it produces pancreatic juice, rich in enzymes necessary for digestion, it is also involved in carbohydrate metabolism. This occurs thanks to the so-called islets of Langenharts, which cover the entire outer surface of the gland. They produce a substance colloquially called insulin. It is this pancreatic hormone that determines whether a person will have problems with carbohydrates or not.

Frequent and excessive consumption of foods that increase insulin levels in the blood (“fast” carbohydrates) can cause type II diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.

What is the glycemic index?

Today, much attention is paid to the glycemic index of foods. Most often, such data is used by athletes and other people who dream of being healthy and getting slim. Glycemic index(GI) is a measure of how much a food raises blood sugar levels. Glucose is taken as the absolute value, with a GI of 100%. Foods with a high GI most often include foods containing simple carbohydrates; complex carbohydrate foods usually have a low GI.

Many of you are familiar with a disease called diabetes. For some, fortunately, it has passed, while other people are forced to drink and give themselves insulin injections for many years. This disease is caused by insufficient amounts of the hormone insulin in the body.

What happens when the amount of glucose supplied is higher than the required level? Additional portions of insulin are sent for its processing. But it is necessary to take into account that the Langengarts islands, which are responsible for its production, have one unpleasant feature. When the insulin contained in one or another islet rushes to meet a portion of carbohydrates, the islet itself shrinks and no longer produces insulin.

It would seem that other islands should take its place and continue its great mission. But no, as a result of modern ecology, our body has lost the ability to produce new islets. Therefore, to avoid diabetes at the very peak of your life, you should not consume large amounts of quickly digestible carbohydrates. It is better to think about those carbohydrates that will not harm you, and their consumption will bring you a good mood and an active lifestyle for many years.

Carbohydrates in the fight for slimness and beauty

For those who want to stay slim and fit, nutritionists recommend eating slowly digestible carbohydrates, which are found in vegetables, including legumes, some fruits and cereals. These foods take longer to be absorbed by the body and, therefore, the feeling of fullness is maintained for a long time.

As for the energy value of carbohydrates, it is calculated as follows.

Since 1 gram of carbohydrates is capable of producing energy in the amount of 4.1 kilocalories, then with an active lifestyle (daily norm - 125 grams), a person will receive 512.5 kilocalories from consumed carbohydrates. A less active person will need only 410 kilocalories, with a daily carbohydrate intake of 100 grams.

Carbohydrates and health

Below we present a sample list of products that you should pay special attention to. These are slow-digesting carbohydrates that can provide maximum benefits to your health.

In first place we have oatmeal, rice and buckwheat porridge. Then come rye and wheat bread made from wholemeal flour. Our list continues with peas and beans.