Why Carbohydrates Are Important

Carbohydrates are the favorite, cheapest source of energy for the human body. Simple carbohydrates are easy to digest and quickly absorbed. They can be found in sugar and sweets, honey, fruits and fruit juices. The simplest carb is glucose.

Complex carbohydrates can be found naturally in starches and fiber. Starches are absorbed slowly, as they have to be broken into simple carbohydrates first. They can be found in plants, vegetables, grains. Fiber does not supply much energy to the body and usually it is not digested. It is however helpful in regulating blood sugar and in eliminating waste through the intestines. A diet low in fiber can lead to constipation and even colon cancer.

When we eat carbs, the simple ones pass directly into our blood system. Insulin secretion is stimulated. Insulin is a hormone that helps glucose reach tissues and supply energy. If there is any glucose left, insulin stores it in muscles and liver as glycogen (one glucose molecule with two molecules of water). And if, after that, there is still some glucose left, insulin stores it as fat in the fat cells. The complex carbs follow the same process after being transformed into simple carbs. Brain activity is sustained only through glucose feeding.

When we don't eat carbs, this stimulates the secretion of glucagon. Glucagon is a hormone that carries out the opposite function of insulin. First, it helps to release glucose from glycogen storage. Of course, water molecules are also released and eliminated. If we continue not to eat carbohydrates, glucagon releases fat from the fat tissues and helps to process it back to simple carbohydrates, to supply our energy needs.

The problem with carbs is that they usually come in foods with a high glycemic index. This index measures how quickly the food we eat is processed into glucose and enters the bloodstream. Overconsumption of high glycemic foods provokes rapid increase in blood sugar, and overproduction of insulin (hyperinsulinemia). Insulin tries to “work” as quickly as possible, absorbing glucose from the blood. Sugar blood level decreases rapidly. These wide fluctuations of blood sugar level have been associated with moodiness, rapid fat storage, increase of LDL cholesterol, decrease of HDL cholesterol, high blood pressure and several other problems. Together, they create “Syndrome X”.