January, time to go on a diet if we have overindulged during the Christmas holidays… As we want to get back to our weight as soon as possible, we turn to the fashionable diet that promises results without effort and in a jiffy. The great majority of these diets – not to say all of them – have in common that they are very low in carbohydrates or carbs (CH). Thanks to this, it seems that these are always detrimental to health and weight control.
TYPES OF CARBOHYDRATES AND THEIR FUNCTIONS
Let’s start by explaining the types of carbohydrates that exist in order to better understand what all the fuss is about.
Simple Carbohydrates
Simple carbohydrates are a source of immediate energy. They are found naturally in sugar, honey, fruit and dairy products and as an added ingredient in pastries, cakes, pastries, juices with sugar, sweets, soft drinks, jams, commercial sauces, etc.
Complex carbohydrates
- Complex carbohydrates with energy function
Sugar is in structures that need more digestion to be absorbed and therefore provide energy more slowly and for a longer period of time. Here we find legumes, tubers, cereals, wheat or derivatives, such as pasta, bread…
Complex carbohydrates with regulatory function
Fiber gives structure to vegetables and has a regulatory function in our organism. Among the CH with regulatory function are vegetables, whole fruits, legumes, nuts and whole grains and their derivatives.
WHAT ARE CARBOHYDRATES FOR?
We have seen that there are different types of carbohydrates and that, therefore, we cannot put them in the same bag of “harmful to health”. We have just seen that vegetables and fruits, well known for being healthy, would also be classified as CH, to the surprise of many. It should also be noted that glucose, the energy substance into which these foods are converted in our body, is the preferred nutrient of neurons and can be used by all cells in the body, such as muscle cells, for example. In other words, our body uses this sugar for both mental and physical activities.
In addition, if we consume unrefined carbohydrates, the fiber content of these foods helps us to regulate blood sugar. This means that the stool rhythm does not increase suddenly, avoiding constipation and “feeding” the digestive microbiota (intestinal microorganisms to which more and more positive functions are attributed). And we do not stop there, since, along with the energy and/or fiber content, there are also vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, which participate in multiple organic reactions and prevent cellular aging.
CARBOHYDRATES ARE NECESSARY
It may be that, after seeing what carbohydrates are for, doubts about their beneficial properties will be dispelled. However, there are more ways to justify their benefits. A little over a year ago, a prospective study and meta-analysis (review of all studies on the subject) was carried out. In it, they observed that both very high and very low carbohydrate intake are detrimental to health1.
There are very specific situations where a strict diet with minimal CH intake is more beneficial than harmful. This therapeutic diet is the so-called ketogenic diet, which has shown very positive results in the treatment of refractory epilepsy and some minority diseases. Even so, it is good to remember that this diet will always be accompanied by a follow-up by health and nutrition professionals, as well as vitamin and mineral supplementation because it is unbalanced and deficient in micronutrients.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN CARBOHYDRATES ARE ELIMINATED FROM THE REGULAR DIET?
If they have so many beneficial functions and it has been demonstrated that they are necessary, why do they eliminate carbohydrates in fashionable diets? Currently, in the western world there is a very high consumption of simple and refined carbohydrates. This change, together with a sedentary lifestyle, has exponentially increased the number of people affected by overweight and diabetes, among many other diseases. This shows that it is the simple and refined CH that should be reduced as much as possible from the regular diet.
The “fad diets” use this data to their advantage and include all carbohydrates as harmful. Moreover, let us remember that their objective is to lose weight in the shortest possible time and with little effort. How do they achieve this? Very easy, by not providing CH with food, the body consumes its glucose reserves, which are stored with almost three times the amount of water. In short, the weight lost is largely water-based and not fat.
It is known that the health benefits of losing weight are obtained by losing fat, not water. That can be achieved with balanced, energy and CH adjusted diets that are healthy, varied and appetizing. Fad diets do not meet these characteristics and are deficient in nutrients. Fortunately, they are difficult to maintain in the long term. If so, they could have undesirable effects due to their high protein intake (halitosis, constipation, gout, kidney stones, etc.). Which are known to cause cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, what perhaps seemed to be a good solution could be complicating health on the other hand.
WHAT MESSAGES TO TAKE AWAY
A diet where half of the day’s energy is in the form of complex carbohydrates is the most appropriate1 in the vast majority of life situations. To know the individual recommended amount it is necessary to consult a dietician-nutritionist. We should provide them with quality foods such as vegetables, legumes, whole grains, fruits, nuts, etc. Diets with a higher carbohydrate intake than indicated are very harmful to health. Especially those that abound in added sugars such as: soft drinks, pastries, juices, snacks, and refined foods or foods without fiber. These types of diets are to blame for the bad reputation of CH. On the other hand, severe carbohydrate restriction does not imply better health either. Especially if that restriction includes eliminating fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, etc. because they are nutritionally rich products.
