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Asked by Apple to Charlotte, hannahmoir, Majid, Richard, Sam on 14 Mar 2016.
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Charlotte Green answered on 14 Mar 2016:
I think people started to become concerned about carbs when the Atkins diet came out which made carbs seem like the enemy.
Carbohydrates (or carbs) are the main source of energy for your body and are mainly converted into glucose (sugar) for fuel. As sugar has a bad rep in the press at the moment carbs are also in the spotlight again.
You may have also heard about GI (glycemic index) in relation to carbs. GI is a way of ranking carbs in accordance of how much they raise blood sugar levels when eaten. Foods with a high GI are those which are rapidly digested and absorbed and result in marked fluctuations in blood sugar levels. Low-GI foods, by virtue of their slow digestion and absorption, produce gradual rises in blood sugar and insulin levels, and have proven benefits for health. Low GI is thought to help you feel fuller for longer so you don’t eat as much.
If you exclude carbs completely your body will use protein and turn that to glucose (sugar) for energy. Carbs also contain fibre which is very important for your body. Also on low carb diets you do burn fat but this can lead to Ketosis as a result of a low carbohydrate diet can be accompanied by headaches, weakness, nausea, dehydration, dizziness and irritability particularly in the short term.
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Sam Smith answered on 14 Mar 2016:
Hi Apple (you’re not Chris Martin’s child are you!?),
The dreaded carb! You’re right, lots of people do think carbs are bad for you. Sometimes we see lots of interest in a particular health or diet topic. At the moment lots of people are interested in ‘gluten free’ diets, despite there being very little evidence that gluten is bad for you unless you have a condition known as celiac disease.
Why do we get so interested in these health fads? I think the media have a large part to play here. We are in an environment where it is possible to get lots of information very quickly, and it’s easy to write quick articles about ‘bad’ foods without knowing a lot about the topic. People also want quick fixes to their diet, so ruling out carbs feels easier to do than gradually eating less of everything.
As always, the advice is to eat a balanced diet of the main food groups. Not too much fat and plenty of vegetables and you won’t go far wrong.
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Hannah Moir answered on 16 Mar 2016:
When people think of ‘carbs’ they instantly think of weight gain, but carbs are not the only cause, too high a fat levels or anything that provides too much energy gets stored as fat. it all depends on balance, energy in, energy out!
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