which of these has the least carbohydrates? this roll of bread? this bowl of rice? or this can of soda? it's a trick question.
although they may differ in fats,vitamins, and other nutritional content, when it comes to carbs,they're pretty much the same. so what exactly does that meanfor your diet? first of all, carbohydrate is the nutritional category for sugars
and molecules that your body breaks downto make sugars. carbohydrates can be simple or complexdepending on their structure. this is a simple sugar,or monosaccharide. glucose, fructose, and galactose are all simple sugars. link two of them together,and you've got a disaccharide, lactose, maltose, or sucrose. complex carbohydrates,on the other hand, have three or more simple sugarsstrung together. complex carbohydrates with threeto ten linked sugars
are oligosaccharides. those with more than tenare polysaccharides. during digestion, your body breaks down thosecomplex carbohydrates into their monosaccharide building blocks, which your cells can use for energy. so when you eat any carbohydrate-rich food, the sugar level in your blood,normally about a teaspoon, goes up. but your digestive tract doesn't respondto all carbohydrates the same.
consider starch and fiber, both polysaccharides, both derived from plants, both composed of hundreds to thousandsof monosaccharides joined together, but they're joined together differently, and that changes the effect they have on your body. in starches, which plants mostly storefor energy in roots and seeds, glucose molecules are joined togetherby alpha linkages, most of which can be easily cleavedby enzymes in your digestive tract.
but in fiber, the bonds betweenmonosaccharide molecules are beta bonds, which your body can't break down. fiber can also trap some starches,preventing them from being cleaved, resulting in something calledresistant starch. so foods high in starch,like crackers and white bread, are digested easily, quickly releasing a whole bunch of glucoseinto your blood, exactly what would happen if you dranksomething high in glucose, like soda. these foods have a high glycemic index,
the amount that a particular foodraises the sugar level in your blood. soda and white bread have a similarglycemic index because they have a similar effecton your blood sugar. but when you eat foods high in fiber,like vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, those indigestible beta bonds slow the release of glucose into the blood. those foods have a lower glycemic index, and foods like eggs, cheese, and meatshave the lowest glycemic index. when sugar moves from the digestive tractto the blood stream, your body kicks into action to transfer itinto your tissues
where it can be processed and used for energy. insulin, a hormone synthesized in the pancreas, is one of the body's main toolsfor sugar management. when you eat and your blood sugar rises, insulin is secreted into the blood. it prompts your muscle and fat cellsto let glucose in and jump starts the conversionof sugar to energy. the degree to which a unitof insulin lowers the blood sugar helps us understand something calledinsulin sensitivity.
the more a given unit of insulinlowers blood sugar, the more sensitive you are to insulin. if insulin sensitivity goes down,that's known as insulin resistance. the pancreas still sends out insulin, but cells, especially muscle cells,are less and less responsive to it, so blood sugar fails to decrease, and blood insulin continues to rise. chronically consuming a lot of carbohydrates may lead to insulin resistance,
and many scientists believethat insulin resistance leads to a serious conditioncalled metabolic syndrome. that involves a constellation of symptoms, including high blood sugar, increased waist circumference, and high blood pressure. it increases the risk of developing conditions, like cardiovascular disease and type ii diabetes.
and its prevalence is rapidly increasingall over the world. as much as 32% of the populationin the u.s. has metabolic syndrome. so let's get back to your diet.
Can You Get Diabetes From Eating Too Much Fruit,whether your food tastes sweet or not,sugar is sugar, and too many carbs can be a problem. so maybe you'll want to take a pass on that pasta sushi roll pita burritodonut burger sandwich.
Now you learn how to manage your trouble, you might be much better able to have the correct alternatives and changes in your life. Take into account that these tips are only relevant if you use as most of them as is possible, and for that reason you must begin today to see quick outcomes.
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