There is no consensus on which carbohydrates are good and which are bad. For many years, the overwhelming majority of nutrition experts urged people to include more carbohydrates in their diets, because a very large percentage of them were deemed to be much better choices than fats and proteins. In recent years, though, several diet experts have claimed that people should reduce their consumption of carbohydrates because they are the primary cause of obesity.
Complex Carbs Better
One way to differentiate carbohydrates is their molecular structure. There are polysaccharides, composed of starch and cellulose, which are also known as complex carbohydrates, or monosaccharides, which are also known as simple carbohydrates.
Complex carbohydrates are in beans, fruits, grains and vegetables and are considered good carbohydrates by most nutritionists. They are very filling, according to "Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease." Simple carbohydrates, on the other hand, are considered bad because they are empty calories with zero nutritional value. They include alcohol, honey and sugar.
Potato And Cereal Controversy
Most nutritionists recommend eating more carbohydrates because they believe most complex carbohydrates are good. About 30 percent of the typical diet is made up of carbohydrates. Most health-related organizations recommend a dramatic increase in carbohydrate consumption. The U.S. Department of Agriculture urges that 55 percent of calories come from carbohydrates.
However, the late Dr. Robert Atkins believed that many complex carbohydrates, including baked potatoes and cold cereals, were bad because they increase blood sugars more than most simple carbohydrates. Atkins wanted Americans to dramatically reduce their carbohydrate consumption.
Digestible Carbs
Whether carbohydrates are digestible is another way of differentiating them. "Essentials for Health and Wellness" reports there are "two main classes of complex carbohydrates"--undigestible fibers and digestible starches. It considers both carbs good "unless (the starches) are cooked in large amounts of fat or oil." Thus, baked potatoes are good and French fries are bad.
Atkins disagrees. He says digestible carbohydrates that are converted into glucose are bad. His glycemic index measures how much of a food becomes glucose. It says that carbs in rice, cereal and many vegetables and fruits, including carrots and pineapples, are bad for you.
Fibers
There are two kinds of fibers--soluble fibers that dissolve in water and insoluble fibers that don't.
Both fibers have amazing qualities, reports "The New Pritikin Program." Insoluble fibers in wheat bran and grains "are associated with markedly lower rates of colon cancer," according to Pritikin. Soluble fiber, on the other hand, "helps to lower blood cholesterol." Foods with a very large amount of soluble fiber include barley, oat bran, dried figs, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, beans and black-eyed peas.
Refined Vs. Unrefined
Unrefined carbohydrates are good carbohydrates in complex and simple carbohydrates, reports "The New Pritikin Program."
When carbohydrates in their natural form are processed or refined into food byproducts, a lot of their nutrients, including their fiber, is removed. Potatoes and apples are unrefined; mashed potatoes and apple juice are refined. Refined carbohydrates are considered good by many nutritionists, but they do often cause an increase in triglycerides, and Atkins considers them bad carbohydrates.
References
- "The New Pritikin Program;" Robert Pritikin; 1990
- "Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution;" Dr. Robert Atkins; 2002
- "Dr. Dean Ornish's Program For Reversing Heart Disease;" Dr. Dean Ornish; 1996
- "Essentials for Health and Wellness;" Gordon Edlin, Eric Golanty, Kelli McCormack Brown; 2000
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