Unlike traditional pasta made from wheat flour, rice noodles are made with rice flour. Rice noodles are high in carbohydrates, so consuming rice noodles will affect your blood sugar levels. This is because carbohydrate-containing foods are converted into glucose during digestion, which elevates your blood sugar levels.
Carbohydrate Content
There are three main types of carbohydrates: sugar, starch, and fiber. Total carbohydrate represents the culmination of all of the sugar, starch and fiber in any given food item. One cup of cooked rice noodles contains about 44 grams of total carbohydrate. The carbohydrate content in rice noodles is almost exclusively starch; sugar and fiber make up less than 2 grams of the total carbohydrate content in 1 cup of cooked rice noodles.
Differences in Carbohydrate Types
Sugar and starch raise your blood sugar levels, whereas fiber does not. During digestion, sugar and starch get broken down into individual molecules of glucose, which enter your bloodstream and cause your blood sugar levels to elevate. In contrast, fiber is an indigestible carbohydrate. Because your body cannot digest fiber, it does not get broken down into glucose molecules. Instead, fiber makes its way through your body intact and undigested. For this reason, fiber does not raise your blood sugar.
Digestion of Starch and Sugar
The starch in rice noodles is made up of multiple units of the carbon-hydrogen-oxygen trio. During digestion, these units get broken down into individual molecules of glucose, the simplest form of sugar. Unlike sugar, a fast-acting simple carbohydrate, starch is a complex carbohydrate, so it gets digested in two steps. The digestion of starch begins in your mouth, when an enzyme in your saliva breaks down starch into maltose, a two-part sugar. Maltose makes its way through your digestive tract and enters your small intestine. In your small intestine, an enzyme called amylase breaks down maltose into glucose. The glucose molecules pass through the lining of your small intestine and get absorbed into your bloodstream, causing your blood sugar levels to rise.
Recommended Intake
Carbohydrates are your body’s primary source of energy. In general, carbohydrates should comprise about 45 percent to 65 percent of your total daily calories. This amounts to about 225 grams to 325 grams of total carbohydrate daily. Rice noodles lack fiber, an essential nutrient. If you are looking for a fiber-rich alternative to rice noodles, try noodles made from 100 percent whole wheat flour or quinoa pasta. Aim to include about 22 grams to 30 grams of fiber in your daily diet.
References
- American Diabetes Association; Food and Fitness; Carbohydrates
- United States Department of Agriculture Nutrient Database
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse; Your Digestive System and How it Works
- MayoClinic.com; Nutrition and Healthy Eating; Carbohydrates: How Carbs Fit Into a Healthy Diet; February 2011
- Medline Plus; Trusted Health Information for You; Carbohydrates
- MayoClinic.com; Nutrition and Healthy Eating; Healthy Diet: End the Guesswork with these Nutrition Guidelines; February 2011
- American Diabetes Association; Food and Fitness; Whole Grain Foods
