Most of the foods you eat contain carbohydrates in some form. Carbohydrates in and of themselves are not bad for you -- and you couldn't function without them. Not all carbohydrates are created equal, however. While some types of carbohydrates make healthful choices, you should eat others in moderation.
About Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates, or starches, are a major nutrient that's vital to your body's survival and health. Carbohydrates are made up of chains of sugar molecules. Each sugar molecule contains carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Carbohydrate chains range from simple structures with just a few molecules to long, complex chains with hundreds of molecules and multiple branches.
Carbohydrates provide your body with the energy it needs to function. When your body digests carbohydrates, it breaks the chains down into their individual molecules. These molecules are absorbed into the bloodstream. Your body converts most carbohydrates into glucose, or blood sugar, which is the form of energy your cells use. Excess glucose is stored in your liver and your muscles.
Good and Bad Carbs
The longer it takes a carbohydrate to break down, the healthier it is for your body. The more complex the chain of molecules in a particular carbohydrate, the longer it takes to break down. However, a carbohydrate's complexity isn't a concrete indicator of how quickly it breaks down. Some complex carbohydrates, such as white flour, break down almost as quickly as glucose itself. So to determine which foods are healthier in regards to carbohydrates, scientists have developed the glycemic index, which compares the speed at which foods break down when compared to glucose. The higher a food registers on the glycemic index, the less healthy it is in regards to carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates and Weight Gain
Your body will store any excess carbohydrates you take in as fat. Because high-glycemic carbohydrates break down quickly, they are also stored as fat quickly. In addition, processed carbohydrates, such as white flour and white rice, have been stripped of much of their fiber, which helps carry some of the fat from the food you eat out of your system.
Carbohydrates and Metabolic Problems
Because they break down slowly, low-glycemic foods keep your blood sugar and your energy at steady, even levels. High-glycemic carbohydrates temporarily spike your blood sugar, causing a short burst of energy. Once the sugar has been metabolized, your energy levels can come crashing down, and your body can begin to crave more carbohydrates in an attempt to bring your energy back up. If your diet is consistently high in high-glycemic carbohydrates, your body can eventually become resistant to insulin, the hormone that helps regulate your blood sugar. This can lead to metabolic disorder, which can cause high blood pressure, high triglycerides levels and low high-density lipoprotein or "good" cholesterol levels, and can put you at risk for Type 2 diabetes.
Recommendations
MayoClinic.com recommends that 45 to 65 percent of your calories come from carbohydrates. For optimum health benefits, substitute half of the rice, pasta, bread and cereal you eat for whole-grain varieties, limit added sugars, increase the amount of fruits, vegetables, beans and legumes in your diet and get regular exercise.
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