If you have problems with weight gain, examine your diet. Carbohydrates can cause weight gain and other serious conditions such as diabetes and depression. Carbohydrates are essentially a form of sugar and are present in many foods. Although carbohydrates fuel the body, they have various disadvantages, such as not creating feelings of satiety and often causing hunger soon after consumption.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are sugars found in foods. Not all carbohydrates are the same, however. The two types are simple and complex carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates are foods such as refined sugar, white bread, white rice and baked goods; these cause a rapid rise in blood sugar levels and energy. The problem with simple carbohydrates is that they also cause a subsequent energy crash shortly after consumption. Complex carbohydrates are foods such as whole-grain pasta, bread, oatmeal and brown rice. Complex carbohydrates provide a slow release of energy to the body and do not cause a rapid energy spike. These carbohydrates are generally considered safe to consume.
Weight Gain
Carbohydrates can cause weight gain. Because carbohydrates are sugar, their primary role in the body is to fuel muscle tissue by filling it with glycogen. In physically active individuals, these glycogen reserves are used for fuel, yet in sedentary individuals, carbohydrates often go unused. This excess energy is then deposited as body fat. Carbohydrates are converted into glycogen, which is stored in the liver and in muscles; but as the body can store only a limited amount of glycogen in this way, all other excess glucose is stored as body fat. This is the process of putting on weight.
Insulin Resistance
Carbohydrates, in particular simple carbohydrates, raise insulin levels in the body by increasing blood-sugar levels. High insulin levels can, over time, lead to insulin resistance in which the body does not create enough insulin to match the high blood-sugar levels. Insulin resistance in turn leads to diabetes. Diets high in refined carbohydrates and processed foods have been closely linked with insulin resistance.
Depression
High insulin levels can lead to depression. Carbohydrates raise serotonin levels in the body that cause a feeling of sleepiness and drowsiness, and combined with fluctuating energy levels, this can lead to a feeling of depression. Dr. Joseph Mercola says that because carbohydrates are a natural "downer," depressing the brain, it is not uncommon to see many depressed persons also having insulin resistance. Carbohydrates cause this depression by changing the brain chemistry.
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