Knowing the types of carbohydrates: which are the healthiest?

Many people reduce or even avoid carbohydrates. Most consider that carbohydrates are "bad", because they cause weight gain and blood sugar levels to spike.

But, did you know that your body actually still needs carbohydrates as the main source of energy? Yes, you can't avoid carbohydrates altogether. All you have to do is choose the type of healthy carbohydrates. Then, what are the types of carbohydrates? Which is the healthiest for the body?

Various types of carbohydrates that you should know

Carbohydrates are a type of nutrient that has the main function as a source of energy for the body. in fact, carbohydrates - especially sugar - are the main food for the brain. So, you can't completely avoid carbs just to make you lose weight. If you do this, then many health problems will arise afterwards.

Basically, there are two types of carbohydrates, namely simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates. These two carbohydrates are processed and digested in slightly different ways by the body. Both, will indeed affect blood sugar levels, but the speed to become blood sugar is different.

Simple carbohydrates

These simple carbohydrates are found in sweet foods, sugar, honey and brown sugar. Among other types of carbohydrates, these simple carbohydrates are the most quickly absorbed and processed by the body into blood sugar. this happens because of its simple form, making it easy to digest.

Therefore, the use of sugar, honey, or brown sugar in people with diabetes is not allowed. These foods will only make the blood sugar levels shot up and then the diabetes is out of control.

However, don't worry, if you have diabetes, you can still taste the sweetness of your drink or food by replacing sugar with substitute sweeteners. Currently, there are actually many types of substitute sweeteners - natural or artificial - that will not affect blood sugar levels.

One of them is stevia, which is a natural sweetener derived from stevia leaves which has zero calories and very low simple carbohydrates, making it good for people with diabetes.

Complex carbohydrates

Types of complex carbohydrates themselves, consists of several kinds again. However, you can find most of the complex carbohydrates in the staple foods that you consume every day, such as rice, potatoes, noodles, vermicelli, cassava, and the like.

Starch

All of these staple foods contain starch-containing carbohydrates. This starch is digested by the body longer, because it has a more complicated form than simple carbohydrates. So, if you eat rice, bread, or other complex carbohydrates, your blood sugar levels will increase in a few moments.

However, these types of carbohydrates will still make your blood sugar levels rise - although not as fast as sugar. Therefore, if you eat too many staple foods, your blood sugar can still run out of control and you are at risk of developing hyperglycemia.

Fiber

Fiber is a complex carbohydrate. So all the vegetables and fruits that you consume, actually contain carbohydrates. This type of carbohydrate can also be found in staple foods that are high in fiber such as brown rice, whole wheat bread, and food whole grains other.

Well, the difference with other types of carbohydrates, fiber will not have a bad impact on blood sugar. on the contrary, in several studies it was stated that fiber can help control blood sugar levels.

When fiber enters the body, these types of carbohydrates are not broken down as carbohydrates, so no carbohydrates or calorie counts will be absorbed. This makes fiber not make you gain weight and blood sugar levels will remain normal.

Which types of carbohydrates are the healthiest?

In fact, in healthy and normal people - not experiencing any disease - all types of carbohydrates are needed by the body. From sugar to fiber, you have to eat it. However, the thing that must be considered is the portion of each carbohydrate that will be eaten.

Of course, the amount of simple carbohydrates should be the least of the lot. In one day, adult sugar consumption should only be as much as 50 grams or 4 tablespoons. But, if you have diabetes, then sugar shouldn't be on your menu. You can replace it with artificial sweeteners specifically for diabetes.

Meanwhile, starch must be consumed in accordance with the required amount. So you have to eat enough rice, pasta, bread, or other types of starch as needed. In fact, you have to consume more fiber because it is not only good for blood sugar but can prevent various chronic diseases from appearing.