Introduction

Are carbohydrates good or bad for you? There are low carbohydrate diets where they claim that you can lose weight faster if you avoid them. Carbohydrates have been in our diets for thousands of years.

This video explains the different types of carbohydrates in regards to human nutrition.

Summary

• Carbohydrates can be labeled as simple or complex.
• Carbohydrates are an excellent energy source during exercise.
• Once broken down into simple sugars like glucose it is either used by the cells for energy or is converted to glycogen and stored in the liver and muscle for later use, or stored as fat if there is an excess.
• Complex carbohydrates are healthier to consume because they contain fiber and other nutrients that can reduce the risk for obesity, colon cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.
• A great rule of thumb to determine a healthy mix of carbohydrates when reading food labels is looking for a minimum of 2 grams of fiber per 100 Calories of carbohydrates.

Sources:

“Introduction to Carbohydrates.” Kahn Academy. Retrieved from: https://youtu.be/6o4WL5jlpn0_Licensed under: Standard YouTube License