What are carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates are a macronutrient found in various foods and drinks such as Starch, sugar, fibre, and others. Other types of macronutrients include fats and proteins. The human body needs these essential macronutrients to stay fit and healthy.
How does the human body generate carbohydrates?
The digestive system of the human body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose. The bloodstream then absorbs the glucose and uses it as a fuel of energy for your body.
The number of carbs that a body consumes can affect the blood sugar level. Intake of a lot of carbs can make blood sugar levels high. High blood sugar, also called hyperglycemia, can put your body at increased risk for diabetes. Conversely, few people who don’t consume enough carbohydrates have very low blood sugar, called hypoglycemia.
What are total carbohydrates?
The foods and drinks have three types of carbohydrates that are starches, sugars and fibre. The sentence “total carbohydrates” on a snack packet label refers to the quantity level of these three types.
What is the recommended daily amount for carbohydrates?
There isn’t a particular amount of recommended daily carbs to consume. The age, gender, medical conditions, activity level and weight goals can affect the number of carbs that’s right for you. However, counting the consumption of carbohydrates can help some people with diabetes to manage their blood sugar.
The U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) advises a healthy diet plan:
Fill half of your plate with fruits and green, healthy vegetables.
¼ of your plate with whole grains.
¼ of your plate with protein like meat, fish, beans, eggs or dairy.
Is a low- or no-carb diet healthy?
Some people eat very few carbohydrates to promote weight loss. Famous low carbohydrate diets include the Atkins diet and the ketogenic diet. Some healthcare providers advise people to follow the keto diet for epilepsy and to treat other medical conditions.
Strict dietary restrictions can be tough to follow over a long period. Some carb-restrictive diets include a significant amount of animal fat and oils, increasing the risk of catching heart diseases. Experts are still not sure if a low- or no-carb diet is healthy.
Just contact your healthcare provider before trying a keto diet.
