Brown Carb Diet

The brown carb diet is a nutrition-conscious lifestyle that replaces white, or refined, carbohydrates with brown, or unrefined, ones. The brown carbohydrate sources often offer more nutritional benefits and fiber than their refined counterparts. Brown carb-containing foods typically have a lower glycemic index and are less likely to promote weight gain than white carb-containing products. As they are digested slower, they can also provide long-lasting energy fuel for the body.

ATP and Energy

The human body uses adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, molecules to transfer energy between cells and to perform various metabolic functions. Once you consume carbohydrates, your body breaks them down into simple sugars, such as glucose, fructose and galactose. These sugar molecules can then be converted to ATP. Extra sugars not needed for immediate energy are instead converted to fat or other molecules.

Whole vs. Processed Grains

Unrefined carbohydrates, also known as complex or brown carbs, are naturally present in whole grains, such as wheat, oats, brown rice and barley, among others. In nature, each grain kernel is covered by bran, a fiber-rich protective cover. It also contains a germ, the biologically essential component that provides nutrients to the endosperm, or the basic grain.

Refined grains, which make up white flour, white bread and white rice, among many other food products, are milled to the point where only the endosperm is left. Therefore, they typically have very little, if any, fiber or other inherent nutrients. As a result, these products usually need to be fortified with added vitamins and minerals.

Complex vs. Refined Carbs

Once consumed, refined carbohydrates quickly break down into sugar. As a result, they provide instant fuel but not sustainable energy. Extra sugar molecules not used for immediate conversion to ATP may find their way to fatty tissues and stimulate production of fat, thereby leading weight gain. Dr. Roman Malkov says in "The Carb Cycling Diet" that "most fat deposition happens in the first five minutes after eating refined carbohydrates." He further states that refined carbs can be addictive and cause cravings.

Brown carbs require much slower digestion. As sugar molecules are released much more gradually, your body has a chance to convert more of these sugars to ATP, leaving a lesser amount for fat production. Complex carbs offer sustainable energy fuel that can last for several hours.

Glycemic Index

The glycemic index, or GI, ranks carbohydrates from zero to 100 based on their effect on blood sugar. Refined carbohydrates have higher GI values, as they can rapidly raise blood sugar level following consumption.

Brown carbohydrates have low GI values, as they are digested slower and release sugar molecules into blood more gradually. GlycemicIndex.com, a website that charts the glycemic index of foods, states that diets consisting of low-GI foods "have been shown to improve both glucose and lipid levels in people with diabetes." The website also reports that such diets "have benefits for weight control because they help control appetite and delay hunger."