What are carbohydrates and what do they contain? A nutritionist has named 22 foods

One of the main principles of a healthy diet is the presence of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. And it is the latter that should make up the majority of the diet. In addition to their most important function – energy – these nutrients have many other functions.

What are carbohydrates and why do we need them?

First of all, carbohydrates are substances that are not essential. The body is able to synthesize glucose on its own.

But this does not mean that these nutrients should be excluded from the diet: in this case, the amount of available glucose is reduced, resulting in poor health.

This happens for several reasons:

• glucose is a source of energy for the cells of the nervous system, hematopoietic tissue and muscle cells during heavy exertion;

• glucose breakdown products take part in fat breakdown reactions, so in the absence of glucose, fat breakdown is inactive;

• fiber (complex carbohydrates) is necessary for the quality work of the large intestine.

Functions of carbohydrates

Carbohydrates perform several important functions at once.

Energy. At rest, the body receives about half of the daily amount of energy from carbohydrates, and at high levels of exertion they become the main source of glucose for muscles.

Storing. Glucose is able to accumulate in the skeletal muscles and liver and break down as needed.

Protective. Carbohydrates are part of the mucus that coats the digestive, respiratory, and other pathways from the inside, protecting them from damage.

Regulatory. Together with proteins, carbohydrates are part of enzymes and cell receptors.

Types of carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are substances that are divided into simple and complex. The former serve as a source of quick energy. They include glucose, sucrose.

This is caused by a sharp rise in the level of glucose in the blood, which soon leads to a feeling of hunger: such carbohydrates are not able to satiate.

Complex nutrients formed from branched-chain glucose residues, on the contrary, are slowly absorbed and satiate well.

Particular attention should be paid to plant fiber. It is essential for health for several reasons:

• provides the onset of satiety and maintains it for a long time. This is due to the increase in the food clump;

• prevents constipation, which is especially important for people who spend a lot of time in a sedentary position;

• absorbs toxic substances;

• nourishes the beneficial intestinal microflora.

The norm of fiber intake is 25-35 g per day, which is equal to about five servings of fresh fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately, many people don’t even consume half of that.

The best sources of fiber are:

• Fresh vegetables, fruits and berries;

For people who are not used to this diet, it is important to start with small portions of fruits and vegetables: this will help avoid pain, bloating and gas.

Which sources of carbohydrates are best to prioritize

Of course, complex carbohydrates should make up the majority of your diet.

These include:

• hard pasta;

• beans, lentils;

• whole wheat bread, rye bread, homemade croutons;

• products made of whole wheat or oat flour;

The total nutrient requirement depends on several parameters: e.g. gender and level of activity. But it is recommended that all adults eat several servings of complex carbohydrates per day.

Simple carbohydrates: to eat or not to eat

There is no need to give up simple carbohydrates. Provided that the caloric content of the diet, its fullness and in the presence of physical activity, you can safely eat your favorite dessert sometimes and do not worry about the figure.

Glycemic index of products

Such an indicator as the glycemic index (GI), shows how quickly carbohydrates from a particular product are absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract and raise blood glucose levels. The mechanism is simple: the higher the GI, the faster these two processes occur.

Products with a high GI include: bakedgoods, potatoes, sweet carbonated drinks, instant porridge. Low GI has brown rice, pasta, lentils, bran, cabbage, greens.

But many people seeking to lose weight make the mistake of favoring products from the second group. The fact is that a healthy person who does not have problems with blood glucose levels, there is no need to monitor the GI.

• First, diets based on the choice of foods with low GI have no special advantages for weight loss.

• Secondly, such diets lead to a decrease in nutritional content because a large number of foods are excluded.

Try to plan your diet so that it not only contains carbohydrates, but also different sources of carbohydrates: this will increase the nutritional value of your daily menu.

doctor-endocrinologist of JSC “Medicine” (Clinic of Academician Roitberg), Candidate of Medical Sciences.

In addition to the formation of energy, carbohydrates perform a number of important functions: they are part of hormones, tissues and cells, have a positive effect on the central nervous system, have a protective effect on the body.

Glucose is the most important simple carbohydrate. Once in the body, it quickly enters the blood and tissues, is oxidized and releases energy.

A decrease in blood glucose leads to the activation of its formation from more complex carbohydrates, which are accumulated in the liver.

High glucose levels trigger a special regulation aimed at lowering it. This is mainly due to the production of insulin.

Fructose is a simple sugar. It enters the bloodstream from the intestines at a slower rate and is not as active in increasing blood sugar as sucrose. Fructose is useful in the diet of people who are prone to overweight and diabetics.

Lactose is another simple carbohydrate, especially needed by newborns. As the body grows older, enzyme activity may decrease and dyspepsic disorders and milk intolerance may occur. A good alternative to whole milk is fermented milk products.

Complex carbohydrates can be digestible in the gastrointestinal tract (starch, glycogen) and non-digestible (cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin substances).

Such nutrients are represented by polysaccharides. They can be considered as prebiotics, which are not digested and digested by the upper gastrointestinal tract, but are fermented by the microflora of the large intestine and stimulate its growth.

Starch is the main polysaccharide, during the breakdown of which glucose gradually enters the bloodstream. Unlike simple sugars, it does not stimulate a sudden spike in blood glucose. In order for starch to be better digested in the intestine, preliminary thermal processing is necessary.

The most useful are complex carbohydrates. These substances provide the body with fiber, glycogen, insulin, which produce energy, normalize metabolism and the gastrointestinal tract.

Onni are found in whole-grain bread, white beans, pasta from hard wheat, buckwheat groats, rice.

Simple carbohydrates are rich in such foods as honey, sugar, confectionery, beets, white bread, bananas, grapes, chocolate, cornflakes, carbonated drinks.

They are dangerous for the figure. The body, as a rule, does not have time to assimilate the energy produced by them, and it is deposited in the form of excess fat tissue.

But this does not mean that simple carbohydrates should be completely excluded from the diet. Products containing them should be eaten in the morning to wake up the brain and activate its work.