7 Carbohydrate Myths You Should Know

Carbohydrates have been consistently facing a bad reputation thanks to all health and fitness experts who highlighted the pros and cons of consuming foods with high percentages of these macronutrients. However, it’s way too difficult to stay away from carbs completely as muffins, cakes, pasta are considered as people’s weak nerve.

Carbohydrates are used by your body to make glucose that provides us with instant energy. An enzyme called amylase breaks down carbohydrates into glucose, and your body stores glucose in your liver and muscles for future use. There are two types of carbohydrates, complex and simple. Complex natural carbohydrates are found mostly in “starchy” foods like legumes, while simple natural carbohydrates are found in fruits and vegetables.  Furthermore simple carbs also found in refined foods such as white flour, candy, white rice and white sugar. And we people know a very less about these confusing macronutrients and hence we people are living with some carbohydrate myths and believing those blindly. Let’s get those myths decoded and lead a healthy lifestyle. Read on..

1. Carbohydrates are not good for you

There’s a myth related to carbohydrates that carb loaded foods are not good for us and we need to limit our carbohydrate intake to lose weight. However, carbohydrates are of two types refined and unrefined. Refined carbs are bad for our blood sugar but unrefined carbs are the good guys that provide us lots of nutrients. They are usually found in natural food sources such as vegetables and fruit, and include both complex and simple carbohydrates. Unrefined carbs are actually good for you because they are loaded with plenty of antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, and fibre that are necessary for our body’s health. These nutrients help us to fight against inflammation and cancer, improves our digestive system, heart and bone health. 

2. Carbohydrates make you fat

A very common carbohydrate myth believed many people that carbs make you fat. People believe the Atkins diet in 1990s that cutting out carbohydrates helps to lose fat and adding proteins efficiently burn stored fats. But, according to recent studies, carbohydrate rich foods are perfect for permanent weight control.  Logically carbohydrates contain less than half the calories of fat and just replacing your diet of fatty foods with unrefined carbohydrates, you are likely to reduce your caloric intake and lose weight.

3. Avoid carbohydrates after workout

It’s a strong belief that carbohydrate intake may increases insulin once glycogen stores are full, which stimulates lipogensis and promotes fat storage. But, the truth is post-workout carb intake can actually help in regenerating muscles which in turn burn more calories.  The insulin released after post-workout carbs can help the body to switch from a catabolic (muscle-losing) state to an anabolic (muscle-growing) state.  Insulin even promotes protein synthesis and muscle regeneration.   This is especially crucial when you had an intense workout because excessive training can cause catabolism and fatigue. This is another carbohydrate myth because carbs not only replenish your glycogen stores, but also help you to rebuild muscles and gain energy.

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4. Bread, cereal, oats are good carbs

Usually people rely more on oatmeals, cereals as they think that these foods are less in carb and are more protein rich but is actually a myth. Those who think that bread, cereals, oats, pasta are good carbohydrate rich foods, they should think again. No doubt these foods are lighter but are composed of highly processed carbohydrates for easy eating which breaks down easily into sugar in our body. They are usually coated in some form of sugar which can damage your hearts.

5. Carbohydrates are not essential to your body

Many of you think that carbohydrates are not the essential nutrients that you need in your diet. But carbohydrates are actually essential for your body and metabolism. Because lack of carbohydrates in your body could lead to health dangers. Low-carb diets can actually be dangerous for you because without carbs your body will not be able to break-down fat properly and thus produce a by-product called ketones which leads to a condition called ketosis. Ketosis leads to excessive production of uric acid and hyperuricemia, increasing risk of kidney stones, gout, high blood pressure, heart disease, colon cancer, and kidney disease. A very dangerous carbohydrate myth, isn’t it?

6. All carbs are similar

No, not all carbohydrates are same. While some carbs are bad for us there are still some carbs actually healthy for us. However, just because one type of carbohydrate is bad for us, this does not mean that all carbohydrates are bad for us. Unrefined carbs are the good carbs that provide us lots of nutrients. They are usually found in natural food sources such as vegetables and fruit, and include both complex and simple carbohydrates. Unrefined carbs are good because they are loaded with antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, and fibre that are necessary for our body’s health.

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7. Fruits have healthy carbs

Most of us prefer veggies and fruits for salads in our each meal as we think fruits are loaded with unrefined carbs, proteins and minerals that promote good health. But fruits have some simple carbohydrates that have higher fructose which spikes your blood sugar. Not all fruits have this issue, but fruits which are less sweet are better option.

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