Debunking myths: Carbs make you fat
We need it for energy but we must consume the correct type and be mindful of portion size
PETALING JAYA: Rice is a staple in the diets of many communities, and it is not just some side dish but a main meal, like a simple nasi goreng kampung.
Rarely would one go a day without at least having a plate of rice.
According to Lim Ching Ju, a Masters holder in clinical nutrition, “Carbohydrate is a main source of energy. We need 50% to 60% of carbohydrate in total daily for energy.”
However, there are those who say that while the body needs the nutrient, it is, in fact, making one put on weight, and to their horror, get “fat”.
It is time to clear the air, especially for those who want to lose weight.
More carbs mean more exercise
“Weight gain will occur through overconsumption of carbohydrates,” said the 31-year-old Lim.
So how much carbohydrate is too much?
It all depends on how active you are. Carbohydrates provide energy, but for inactive individuals, carbs should be taken moderately as these people do not need much energy to go on about their day.
The body needs to use the energy and burn off the carbs so the sugar from carbohydrates will not get stored in the body as fat.
Athletes and regular exercisers, on the other hand, need to consume more carbs as they would burn it off far quicker than the average sedentary person.
“Every gram of carbohydrate consists of four calories. On average, if you consume an excess of 3,500 calories, this will lead to one pound of weight gain,” explained Lim.
Essentially, if anything is taken in large quantities, it will cause weight gain. To keep it simple, the more you exercise, the more carbs you need.
Carbs are not bad, but sugar is
Many use sugar in their cooking and food so it tastes sweeter. However, as mentioned above, if the body does not use up the energy, it can be left in the body as fat.
“When carbohydrate goes into your body, it will break into the simplest form of glucose that is easy to digest when it enters into the bloodstream.
“When blood sugar increases, insulin is released to remove the excess sugar.
“But when there is too much sugar in the bloodstream, insulin will send messages to the liver to store the excess as fat,” shared Lim.
Therefore when people say that carbs are not good for you, they generally mean that taking a lot of sugar is not good.
Lim suggests taking food with a low glycaemic index (GI) as “food with high GI raises blood glucose more rapidly than foods with medium or low GI”.
GI is a measurement of how food containing carbohydrate raises blood glucose.
Low GI foods (55 or less) include soy products, milk, porridge, beans, fruits, grainy bread, and mushrooms.
Medium GI foods (56 to 69) are sushi, orange juice, basmati rice and wholemeal bread. High GI foods (70 and more) can be found in potatoes, white bread, white rice, teh tarik, carbonated drinks and noodles.
“It helps to sustain the energy you get from food, so it is easier to control your appetite,” said Lim on the benefits of low GI foods.
“So this would help with weight control. On top of that, it improves blood sugar levels.”
Don’t take carbs for the wrong reasons
Some take carbohydrates because it is “high in fibre”, but if you’re looking for foods high in fibre, it is best to get it from natural plant sources like fruits and vegetables.
As reported on www.webmd.com, exotic fruits are a good source of fibre. For example, mango has five grammes, persimmon six and a cup of guava has about nine grammes.
It is similar if you are eating carbohydrates for its “high protein”. You can get proteins from animal sources such as chicken, turkey, beef, lamb and salmon.
For vegetarians, on the other hand, foods rich in protein include walnuts, almonds and cheese.
Brown rice is better than white rice
Brown rice is better than white rice in the sense that it has a much lower GI level – only about 50 when steamed – compared to boiled white rice which is at 72, as published by the Harvard Medical School in 2015.
Again, it is not the carbohydrate but the sugar that people are worried about. So it is unfair to say that all carbs are bad.
On top of that, brown rice contains more fibre than white rice, but as mentioned before, if you’re looking for something high in fibre, it is better to get it from fruits and vegetables.
“Remember, it’s better to get your fibre from plant foods and not 87 servings of whole grains,” wrote Adam Bornstein on his web article (which can be found on www.bornfitness.com) after discussing the matter with Nate Miyaki, someone who has been working on the nutrition side of the fitness world for over a decade now.
Brown rice is an example of a complex carbohydrate, which takes a longer time to be digested and it enters the bloodstream at a slower pace, unlike simple carbohydrates (eg. white rice).
“Complex carbohydrates are naturally high in fibre which prevents a spike in blood sugar and it supports weight loss by making you feel full for a longer time,” said Lim.
In conclusion, Lim said that if you choose the correct type of carbohydrate and eat it at the right portion size and amount, carbohydrates will not make you fat.