Carbohydrate intake recommendations range dramatically in the weight loss industry depending on whose book or website you read. In the early 2000s, many American and food manufacturers responded positively to the low-carb diet made popular by Dr. Adkins. Before deciding to eat either a high-carbohydrate or low-carbohydrate diet, learn what the doctors and scientists working in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommend for a healthy carbohydrate intake.
Function and Definition
Some of the other names for carbohydrates include starch, sugar and saccharides, according to Charles Ophardt, author of the Virtual Chembook. Your body uses the carbohydrates you consume to give you quick energy, store energy for future needs and aid in cell and tissue growth. Additionally, carbohydrates help increase your metabolic function for a short period of time after consumption.
Sources
Many foods you normally eat are a source of carbohydrates, including peas, dairy products, beans, nuts and seeds, fruits, grains and vegetables. Both refined and naturally occurring sugars are sources of carbohydrates. A food with complex carbohydrates is one that your body takes longer to process because of the more complex chemical makeup of the sugars in the food, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Complex carbohydrates include beans and peas, whole grains and the starchy vegetables such as potatoes. Simple carbohydrates include dairy, non-starchy vegetable, sugar and fruits.
Recommendations
The USDA offers a range of carbohydrate consumption, depending on your personal preferences, doctor's recommendation and caloric consumption. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans indicates that most Americans eat adequate amounts of carbohydrates, but too few fiber-rich complex carbohydrate foods. The U.S. Department of Agriculture indicates that all humans need between 45 and 65 percent of their calories from carbohydrates. If you eat 1,400 calories a day, you can have between 158 and 228 g of carbohydrates, while eating at a 2,300 calorie level allows you between 258 and 374 g of carbohydrates.
Healthy Carbohydrates
Although candy and brown rice both contain carbohydrates, the carbohydrates in brown rice are complex, and take your body longer to process. Additionally, complex carbohydrates contain fiber, which is essential for your digestive system and absorption of fats. A raw apple with its skin contains 19 g of carbohydrates, a cooked artichoke has 13 g, and a cup of blueberries contains 14 g of carbohydrates. Raisin bran cereal has 41 g of carbohydrates per cup, fat-free cottage cheese contains 2.7 g and kidney beans have 40 g per cooked cup. Choose complex carbohydrates when possible.
References
- University of Illinois at Chicago; Fad Diets and Food Trends; Reed A. Berger, MD
- Elmhurst College; Virtual Chembook' Charles E. Ophardt; 2003
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Carbohydrates -- Food Sources; David Zieve, et al.; December 2008
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010
- USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 16: Carbohydrate
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