Many of us often hear advice about avoiding carbohydrates in our diet. In fact, you may have witnessed some people deliberately eliminate their plates containing rice and saying that “I’m trying to be healthier, that is why I do not eat carbs.” When this happens, it can leave a bad impression of carbohydrates to others who might know very little about nutrition.
However, is it true that carbohydrates are not good for health?
Before we know the answer, let us first understand what carbohydrate is.
What Is Carbohydrate?
Carbohydrate (or carbs) is macronutrient contained in the different foods and drinks that we consume on daily basis. The carbohydrate is a collection of sugar molecules.
There are three types of carbohydrates that we need to recognize.
First, glucose (or sugar). This first type of carbohydrate is in the simplest form; therefore, glucose is often referred to as “simple carbohydrate”. Glucose can be obtained by consuming various foods such as sugar itself, sweets, cakes, and drinks such as soda. As for other foods that contain little sugar in it, there are fruits, vegetables, and milk.
Secondly, starch. In contrast to glucose, starch has a more complex structure. That is also why it is called “complex carbohydrates”; it takes a longer time to be digested before it is used as the body’s energy supply. The starch can be found in foods such as bread, cereals, pasta, and several types of vegetables such as corn, potatoes, and carrots.
Third, fiber. Similarly, fiber is also a complex carbohydrate. However, fiber is a carbohydrate that cannot be fully digested by our body, so most part of it will be excreted. This is what makes fiber can help facilitate the removal of food substances from the intestines and relieve constipation. Fiber is abundantly available in various vegetables, fruits, nuts, and whole grains.
Why Carbohydrate Is Important?
To carry out various activities, the body needs energy in the form of glucose, which is the simplest form of carbohydrates. Although fats and protein can also be used as a source of energy, the body will naturally break down and use carbohydrates first. This is why carbohydrates are also called the main source of energy.
Many vital organs such as the brain, heart, and nerves need glucose. If a person lacks carbohydrates, then we know what will happen next. Yes, his or her body system cannot function properly thus unable to perform various activities optimally.
Because of the importance of carbohydrates in life, experts recommend that the consumption of carbohydrates is 45-65% of the total calories in a day.
Why Can Carbohydrate Be “Not Good” For Health?
If there is a long debate about whether or not carbohydrate consumption is good, then there are at least two points that can explain this. First, it has something to do with the type of carbohydrates source. Secondly, the amount of carbohydrates consumed.
Why is the type of carbohydrates source important? This is because although carbohydrates can be found in a variety of foods, not all of them can be relied on in terms of its quality and impact in health. For this reason, it is important for us to sort out the best sources of carbohydrates sources.
A good and high-quality source of carbohydrates are foods that contain complex carbohydrates and have not gone through various processing processes, which means they are still fresh. When we consume the good source of carbohydrates, we get not only glucose we need, but also fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients that are good for health. Examples of carbohydrate sources that contain high fiber such as: brown rice, fruits, vegetables, and nuts.
Meanwhile, sources of carbohydrates that are less good to be used as the main source are those that contain simple carbohydrates or sugar. This is because these carbs foods have gone through various cooking processes that remove the essential vitamins and minerals. If most of our consumption of carbohydrates comes from these foods, it will give rise to unwanted body weight gain, risk of obesity, and finally type 2 diabetes mellitus. Foods such as chocolate cakes, sugary drinks, and biscuits are examples of carbohydrate sources that less healthy to be used as the main source of our carbohydrate intake.
The second point is regarding the amount or portion of carbohydrates consumed. Many of us are unaware that our diet or daily diet is still dominated by carbohydrates. Let us take an example of a typical breakfast menu of Indonesians: nasi uduk along with spicy potato (sambal kentang), vermicelli (bihun), and the corn bakwan. If we pay attention, the rice, potatoes, vermicelli, corn, and flour (used to make bakwan dough), all belong to carbohydrates group. On top of that, Indonesians also tend to consume the same kind of staple (that is white rice) as the main source of carbohydrates. Data from LIPI (now BRIN) in 2015 stated that Indonesians’ rice consumption reached 139 kg per capita per year, exceeding the ideal figure of 109 kg per capita per year. It is this pattern of excessive carbohydrate consumption that causes problems and contributes to the unhealthy image of carbohydrates.
As a result of this bad stigma against carbohydrates, low-carb diet campaigns became viral and many people unfortunately follow them blindly. However, if we dive deeper and get to know the truth, carbohydrates themselves are good nutrients which are essentials to our lives. It is just the matter of how we get to manage and look for the amount and type of carbohydrates being consumed to support optimal health.
The carbohydrate needs can vary from a person to another. This is due to various factors, one of which is genetic factor. This difference based on genetics will play an important role in determining the most suitable diet for each individual (personalized nutrition).
If you are interested in investing more to get to know the right carbohydrates you need and the right diet according to your genetics, we can help you find the answer with the NutriReady™, a nutrigenetic test by Nalagenetics. Contact us now via WhatsApp at wa.me/628119941440 and begin your personalized nutrition journey!
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