With all the craze about low carb diets these days, many are asking if are there any good carbs or do they all work to make you fat? The Mayo Clinic says no, “carbohydrates aren’t bad, but some may be healthier than others.“[1]

What are Carbs?

Carbohydrates (carbs) are one of the three macronutrients our bodies need in order to thrive. The others include fat and protein. All three deliver calories for fuel in our bodies, but each does it differently.

Carbs are labeled as simple or complex carbs, but all carbs are turned completely into glucose or passed as fiber. This glucose is stored in the liver as glycogen. Once the body has all it needs the remaining stores are turned into fat.

But before that happens carbohydrates take one of these forms:

  • “Sugars. These are sweet, short-chain carbohydrates found in foods. Examples are glucose, fructose, galactose, and sucrose.
  • “Starches. These are long chains of glucose molecules, which eventually get broken down into glucose in the digestive system.
  • “Fiber. Humans cannot digest fiber, but the bacteria in the digestive system can make use of some of them. Plus, eating fiber is vital to your overall health.” [2]
Complex carbohydrates have more dietary fiber, which is essential for gut health and blood sugar management”—CLAUDIA HLEAP, RD, LDN.

But what is the difference between good and bad carbs?

I like The Healthy Geezer‘s short answer “Good carbs — or carbohydrates — are good for you. Bad carbs aren’t.” [3] Now that may make you smile, but as simple as that may seem, many of us do not know how to recognize a good carb from a bad one. So let’s begin with a short listing of some good and bad carbohydrates here to the right:

What makes them good or bad?

Right off you may see a pattern and can intuitively discern that “not all carbs are created equal. [But note] refined carbs [the bad ones] are linked to obesity and metabolic diseases, but unprocessed carbohydrates [the good ones] have many health benefits.” [4]

Yeat But before getting into the difference, let’s see just what carbs really are and how they fit into human nutrition.

What are good carbs?

Sugars and starches are vital food nutrients that our bodies turn into glucose, which is our fuel. Both sugars and starches can be broken into two categories.

Complex, or whole carbs, are found in raw, whole fruit, vegetables, quinoa, barley, legumes, potatoes, and whole-grain products like Abigail’s Oven Sourdough bread. These can be classified as “good” and often made even better when fermented, as in sourdough.

Blood Sugar Management

Because these foods are loaded with natural sugars, they enter the bloodstream more slowly. That means they are less likely to spike blood sugar than simple carbs (sugars). They are most often nutrient-dense and packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

Fiber for Gut Health

Complex carbohydrates are unprocessed. Because of that, the fiber (roughage) they contain does not break down during digestion. Instead, these plant-based foods pass through our systems cleaning them out. Fiber also makes bowel movements easier, And it flushes cholesterol, harmful carcinogens, and other unwanted from our bodies, all of which promote better health.

What makes some carbs bad?

Carbohydrates are fuel for our bodies, but simple or refined carbs are quick energy sources, burning off quickly after their sugar spike. These are things like sugary sodas, candy, white rice, and bread and pastry made from white flour. These burn off quickly following blood sugar spikes, which then lead to a crash. This triggers hunger and food cravings, weight gain, and even diabetes.

Since these carbs lack fiber, vitamins, and minerals, these are sometimes classed as empty calories and they may be also classified as bad carbs. Also known as refined carbohydrates, a study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition by Frank b Hu, reports, “refined carbohydrates are likely to cause even greater metabolic damage than saturated fat in a predominantly sedentary and overweight population.”[5]

How should carbohydrates fit into our diets?

Carbohydrates are not a food enemy but are vital to fueling our bodies. In fact, “the Harvard School of Public Health tracked 15,000 Americans and found that people eating a moderate amount of carbohydrates (50% to 55% of their daily calorie intake) had lower mortality rates over a 25-year period than those who typically ate low-carb meals (40% or less of their daily calories) or high-carb meals (70% or more of their calories).”[6]

USDA MyPlate

For optimum health, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends half your food should be both fruits and vegetables, the more complex (raw, unrefined) the better. Next is whole grains coming in at one-quarter of your diet. Once again, the more complex (raw, unrefined) the better. The final quarter of your diet should center on protein. Things like eggs, dairy, fish, and/or meat.

Protein should make up 12–20 percent of your total caloric intake daily. Your body uses proteins for growth and maintenance. But 60 percent of protein is still turned into glucose for energy. However, it takes protein 3–4 hours to affect the level of your blood sugar. So it is nice to know that “foods that are mostly protein won’t cause much of a rise in blood sugar.”[7]

Whole Grains

Whole wheat and other whole grains are wellspring of nutrition and can be a source of good carbohydrates too.

“Whole grains contain all three parts of the grain. There are many different kinds, including whole wheat and whole corn, oats, brown rice, and quinoa.
1-Whole grains deliver a variety of important nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, protein, fiber, and other healthy plant compounds.
2- Eating whole grains may lower your risk of heart disease, especially when they replace refined grains.
3- As part of a heart-healthy diet, whole grains may help lower your risk of stroke.
4- Decades of research suggest that whole grains are linked to a lower risk of obesity.
5- Fiber and magnesium are two nutrients in whole grains that help lower your risk of type 2 diabetes.
6- Due to their fiber content, whole grains help support healthy digestion by giving bulk to stools and feeding your beneficial gut bacteria.
7- Eating whole grains regularly could help lower inflammation, a key factor in many chronic diseases.
8- Whole grains may help prevent colorectal cancer, one of the most common types of cancer. Still, research on whole grains’ anticancer effects is mixed.
9- Whole grains are linked to a lower risk of dying prematurely from any cause.” [8]

 Kerri-Ann Jennings, MS, RD

At  Abigail’s Oven, bakers there only use locally grown, heirloom varieties of non-dwarf, hard white winter wheat and rye. These grains are freshly milled at the bakery or from Central Milling in Logan, UT, where their wheat is cold processed, unbromated, unbleached and unenriched into real whole wheat flour.

However, most local grocers, do no carry freshly ground whole grain like this. So Martha Levie , chief baker at Abigail’s Oven, suggests home milling whenever possible. She recommends not buying the standard wheat you find at most outlets. She suggests that when you are shopping, look for non-dwarf wheat.:

Keto (ketogenic) Diet

Protein is the centerpiece of the keto or ketogenic diet which is a low carb, high-fat diet plan that offers unique health benefits and may prompt weight loss. Correctly understood the ketogenic diet can be a useful tool to treat obesity in the hands of the physician [9] However, because we get most of our vitamins, minerals, and fiber from carbs, this diet is not a good, long-term solution for optimum health.

Low-carb Diets

Like Keto, low-carb diets can be high in fats, which appeals to many dieters. Once again fat is neither a nutritional source of vitamins nor minerals and is devoid of fiber. While protein and carbs both provide our bodies about 4 kcal each per gram of food consumed, fat provides the most calories per gram coming in at 9 kcal/gram.

“In a healthy diet, about 30 percent of total daily calories should come from fat.”[10] For most of us, that means we need to consume 50–80 grams of fat daily. And about 10 percent of that fat can be converted into glucose, which is energy for our bodies to use.

Since both carbs and proteins offer us 4 kcal each per gram, let’s look at each of those. “About 50 to 60 percent of your total daily calories should come from carbohydrate,” and “about 12 to 20 percent of your total daily calories should come from protein.”[11]

Fat should make up the difference, or about 20–38 percent, which is about 50 to 80 grams of fat per day. But “many low-carb diets replace carbohydrates with fats and proteins in meat and dairy products, which can increase risks of heart disease and cancers.” Studies show “the healthiest low-carb diets were those that included a lot of vegetables, plant oils, and legumes in place of carbs.”[12]

But fat is not the enemy, it gives the body energy, too. About 10 percent of the fat is changed into glucose. And it doesn’t cause much impact on blood sugar. Also when you eat fats with carbohydrates, it slows the rise in blood sugar for most people. Fat also slows down digestion, so once your blood sugar rises, it helps to keep those levels higher for a longer period of time.

Making Good Carbs Part of Your Diet

The folks at Harvard School of Public Health, say: “Many people are confused about carbohydrates, but keep in mind that it’s more important to eat carbohydrates from healthy foods than to follow a strict diet limiting or counting the number of grams of carbohydrates consumed.

“Try these tips for adding healthy carbohydrates to your diet:

  1. “Start the day with whole grains.
    Try a hot cereal, like steel cut or old fashioned oats (not instant oatmeal), or a cold cereal that lists a whole grain first on the ingredient list and is low in sugar. A good rule of thumb: Choose a cereal that has at least 4 grams of fiber and less than 8 grams of sugar per serving.
  2. Use whole grain breads for lunch or snacks.
    Confused about how to find a whole-grain bread? Look for bread that lists as the first ingredient whole wheat, whole rye, or some other whole grain —and even better, one that is made with only whole grains, such as 100 percent whole wheat bread.
  3. Also look beyond the bread aisle.
    Whole wheat bread is often made with finely ground flour, and bread products are often high in sodium. Instead of bread, try a whole grain in salad form such as brown rice or quinoa.
  4. Choose whole fruit instead of juice.
    An orange has two times as much fiber and half as much sugar as a 12-ounce glass of orange juice.
  5. Pass on potatoes, and instead bring on the beans.
    Rather than fill up on potatoes – which have been found to promote weight gain  – choose beans for an excellent source of slowly digested carbohydrates. Beans and other legumes such as chickpeas also provide a healthy dose of protein”[13]

Closing Thoughts

“You may have been thinking of carbohydrates as either ‘good’ or ‘bad’ As with all foods, the secret with carbohydrates is to make smart decisions and limit the ones that aren’t as healthy for you. Your best bet is to choose nutrient-dense carbs that have fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Eat foods that have added sugars in moderation. Your healthcare provider can help determine the right amount of carbs for your needs.”[14]

Cleveland Clinic
ENDNOTES

[1] “Carbohydrates: How carbs fit into a healthy diet,” Mayo Clinic, Nutrition and Healthy Eating,
[2] Kris Gunnars, “Carbohydrates: Whole vs. Refined — Here’s the Difference,” Healthline
[3] Fred Cicetti, “Good Carbs, Bad Carbs: What You Need to Know,” LiveScience
[4] Gunnars, ibid.
[5] Frank B. Hu, “Are refined carbohydrates worse than saturated fat?” Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Jun; 91(6): 1541–1542.
[6] Study: For healthiest diet, eat moderate amount of carbs
[7] Clinical review by Meredith Cotton, RN, “Balancing carbs, protein, and fat,” Kaiser Permanente
[8] Kerri-Ann Jennings, MS, RD;  “9 Health Benefits of Eating Whole Grains,” April 26, 2019
[9] Antonio Paoli, “Ketogenic Diet for Obesity: Friend or Foe?” Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2014 Feb; 11(2): 2092–2107.
[10] Cotton, ibid.
[11] Cotton, ibid.
[12] Cotton, ibid.
[13] “Carbohydrates,” The Nutrition Source, Harvard School of Public Health
[14] “Carbohydrates,” Cleveland Clinic