Good carbs vs Bad carbs: The Differences, Benefits and Risks
Blogs13 Sep 2024
IN THIS ARTICLE
When on a fitness journey, it’s easy to get swept away by common notions like carbs being bad for you, however, it’s important to take a step back and learn about food, energy and nutrition. If you want to prioritise your health and make good changes to your diet, then it’s essential to gain a clear understanding of carbs and what’s the difference between good carbs vs bad carbs.
Demystifying Carbs: Understanding the Basics
Carbohydrates are a type of macronutrient found in food and drinks. They are the main source of energy that our body needs to function well. Eating the right amount of carbohydrates can give energy for various functions in the body, protect against illnesses and help support overall health.
Carbohydrates are found in three main forms:
- Monosaccharides: These are simplest form of carbohydrates and simple sugars found in some fruits like grapes and honey. These are the building blocks for other complex carbs.
- Disaccharides: Simple sugars made up of two monosaccharides are known as disaccharides. They are soluble in water and crystalline. Some examples of disaccharides are sucrose, lactose, and maltose.
- Polysaccharides: These are long chain carbohydrates that are most found in foods. These are essentially multiple monosaccharides bound together. storage forms of glucose in plants and animals are examples of polysaccharides.
Largely though, carbohydrates are simplified into two main categories depending on whether they are healthy. These are your commonly heard ‘simple carbs’ and ‘complex carbs., or good carbohydrates vs bad carbohydrates.
Good Carbs vs Bad Carbs: Know the Difference
To understand the differences between the different types of carbohydrates, look at this table:
Monosaccharides | Disaccharides | Polysaccharides |
It is the most basic compound that makes up carbohydrates. | They consist of two monosaccharide molecules linked together. | They consist of long chains of monosaccharide units. |
They are known as simple sugars. | They are also known as simple sugars. | They are complex carbohydrates. |
Examples include glucose, fructose, galactose, and ribose. | Examples are sucrose, lactose, and maltose. | Examples include starch, glycogen, and cellulose. |
They are a primary source of energy for cells. | They serve as an intermediate source of energy. | They serve as energy storage (e.g., glycogen in animals, starch in plants) and structural materials (e.g., cellulose in plant cell walls). |
Generally, monosaccharides have a sweet taste. | They also tend to be sweet but can vary in sweetness compared to monosaccharides. | Generally, polysaccharides are not sweet in taste. |
Bad carbs or simple carbs are easy and quick to digest carbohydrates, causing sugar spikes and hunger sooner. This short digestion and fullness can cause overeating in many and lead to obesity and diabetes. | They don’t have the necessary nutrients which is what makes them unhealthy. This happens when foods are processed, and such carbs are also known as refined carbs. | Good or complex carbs are naturally found in foods and drinks. They are packed with nutritional substances like fibre and bran making them slower to digest and steadily release sugar. This helps one feel energetic for longer and fuller too. They are also known as whole carbs.
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Examples of bad carb sources are flavoured yoghurts, candies, syrups, white bread, pasta, white rice, white flour, pastries, etc. The key is to consume these in moderation.
| Good carb sources include oats, lentils, beans, bananas, brown rice, peanut butter, etc. These may also be carbs that are good for weight loss. | |
So, do carbs cause weight gain and other health issues?
While the number of calories you consume matter, what’s also important is the source of these calories. When we follow an imbalanced diet in which the carbs are excessive (for example, refined flour), it may cause weight gain. What’s also true is that having good carbs filled with fibre can be equally good for your health. That’s why when dealing with carbs, it’s essential to know the difference between good carbs vs bad carbs and which to choose for a healthy and nutritious diet.
Finding the Right Balance: Tips to Add More Good Carbs
- Choose high-fibre carbs like legumes, whole grains, vegetables and fruits and high-protein carbs like dairy products over low-fibre carbs such as pasta, rice, white bread etc.
- Try to have at least half of your plate full of fibre-rich vegetables like Spinach, beets, broccoli, carrots etc. along with a quarter filled with good carbs such as potatoes and brown rice and the last quarter with protein.
- Find replacements for bad carbs such as replacing white rice with brown rice, oats for breakfast or multigrain bread instead of white bread, veggie-filled dishes over pasta or pizza filled with refined flour and simple carbs etc.
- If you’re still confused about what you should eat and how much, it’s best to consult a professional nutritionist. They will be able to guide you in the best way possible so you can have a healthy midlife habit with ease. If you want a free and easy meal plan to increase fibre and good carbs, try the free meal plan created by Right Shift. We offer personalised meal plans based on your age, gender, health concerns and goals!
Conclusion
The difference between good carbs vs bad carbs can be confusing, but understanding the main difference between them can help you recognise the benefits of eating healthy carbs and improving your energy levels and overall health.
In short, good carbs are complex carbs that take longer for our body to break down. This prolonged digestion helps release slow and gradual sugar into our blood, giving us constant and reliable energy. Conversely, bad carbs are simple carbs that are easy to break down which means that our body releases sugar into the body very quickly, leading to sugar spikes and quicker, which could lead to overeating and weight gain too. Making smarter food choices can help you achieve good health and keep you fit too. For more understanding of what’s right for you to eat and how much of it you should eat, we recommend you consult a professional nutritionist.
Want to learn more about health, nutrition, and ageing? Explore Right Shift. We’re a community here to cheer for your good health from the sidelines. We have many informative blogs on health conditions and nutrition that you can read to increase your knowledge on such topics. You can also take charge of your health by trying our free health score calculator and free meal plans. Use them today to understand your health concerns and get working on them immediately!
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FAQs
Good carbs, also known as complex carbohydrates, are unprocessed or minimally processed foods that are high in fibre and include whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and legumes. Bad carbs, also known as simple carbohydrates, are heavily processed foods that are often high in added sugars and low in fibre, such as white bread, pastries, sugary drinks, and processed foods.
Good carbs are beneficial as they are digested slowly, leading to a gradual release of energy and helping to control blood sugar levels. Bad carbs are digested quickly, leading to rapid spikes and crashes in blood sugar levels, which can result in increased hunger and potential weight gain.
Sweet potatoes, corn, brown rice, oats, beetroot, bananas are examples of good carb foods.
Make mindful changes like switching white rice with brown rice, choosing oats as a meal over white bread, prioritising fruits and vegetables in every meal and avoiding carbonated drinks, baked goods and desserts. This can help you boost your health and include more good carbs in your diet.
Having excess carbohydrates may lead to poor metabolic health, weight gain and an increased risk of heart disease.
