You may have wanted to dismiss it as an urban myth, but eating white bread may indeed cause you to pack on the pounds. Like candy, sodas and other highly processed foods, white bread is primarily composed of simple carbohydrates. A diet rich in certain simple carbohydrates can cause your body to store fat, which leads to weight gain. Conversely, limiting the amount of simple carbohydrates in your diet can help you to lose weight. When formulating a weight-loss plan, you shouldn't just look at your white bread intake but review and modify, if necessary, your consumption of simple carbs.
About Simple Carbohydrates
Simple carbohydrates are sugar molecules in their most basic form. Glucose, fructose and galatose are basic sugar molecules known as monosaccharides. When two of these sugar molecules are bonded together, they are known as disaccharides.
Simple Carbohydrates and Weight Gain
Because monosaccharides and disaccharides are so simple, the body digests these sugar molecules quickly. These sugars give the body a big energy boost -- usually far more than it needs. Accordingly, the excess sugar is either stored in the cells of the body or converted into fat. As cells can store only a limited amount of extra sugar, most of the time, the sugar turns into fat. In addition, because simple carbohydrates are digested so rapidly, you quickly becomes hungry again, which in turn causes you to eat more and gain weight.
Natural Simple Carbohydrates
Not all simple carbohydrates are bad for you or will cause you to gain weight. Many fruits, such as apples, cherries, kiwi, and grapefruit are made up of simple carbs, as are yogurt and milk. Because these natural sources of sugar also contain ample vitamins and minerals and healthy nutrients, such as fiber, they take longer to digest, keep you feeling fuller for longer, and are less likely to end up as fat.
Unhealthy Simple Carbohydrates
Foods that have been processed or refined usually contain high amounts of simple carbohydrates with few healthful properties to counterbalance it. In addition to white bread, these foods include white rice, white sugar, white flour, pasta, cakes and cookies made from white flour, soda, candy, jam, jelly and honey. To lose weight, you should eat these simple sugars in moderation, if at all.
Complex Carbohydrates
Instead of eating unhealthy simple carbohydrates, include complex carbohydrates in your weight-loss diet. Complex carbohydrates are also sugar molecules, but unlike simple carbohydrates, they are bonded together to form a long chain that takes the body a while to digest. Because the body breaks down complex carbohydrates slowly, it supplies you with a steady supply of energy, limiting the amount of sugar that gets converted to fat. Moreover, it keeps you full longer, which makes you less likely to overeat. Whole-grain bread, rice, pasta and flour are composed of complex carbohydrates, as are vegetables and legumes such as spinach, beans and peas.
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