Complex Carbohydrates

Posted by tim on May 21st, 2007 at 12:53am

Complex carbohydrates are known as polysaccharides and are formed when thousands of sugar molecules are linked together and form long chains which take longer to digest than simple carbohydrates. There are two types of complex carbohydrates – starchy and fibrous.

Aside from the simple and complex classifications of carbohydrates, there are also fibrous and starchy carbohydrates, natural and refined carbohydrates, high glycemic and low glycemic carbohydrates.

Starchy Complex Carbohydrates

Starch is the storage form of energy in plants, much like glycogen is an energy storage form in human muscle. Starchy carbohydrates are found in potatoes, cereals, grains, bread, pasta, rice, oats, wheat and beans. Your body is able to completely absorb and digest all the caloric energy in starches, therefore the calorie density of starch is higher than fibrous carbohydrates.

Fibrous Complex Carbohydrates

On the other hand, fiber is the indigestible portion of a plant which passes straight through your digestive tract without all the caloric energy being absorbed. It gives bulk to intestinal contents, promotes healthy digestion and bowel movement and provides protection from gastrointestinal diseases and colon cancer.

Eating fibrous carbohydrates is important and plays a major role in a reducing body fat because they do not contain as much calories as other types of nutrients and have low calorie density. Due to their low calorie density property, fibrous carbohydrates play a very important role in body fat reduction since they make you feel full without exceeding your calorie limits.

Advantages of Complex Carbohydrates

Compared to simple carbohydrates, complex carbohydrates take longer to digest and absorb. They provide us with a constant supply of energy unlike the irregular highs and lows of blood sugar and energy levels caused by eating simple carbohydrates. The fiber content of complex carbohydrates helps regulate blood sugar and insulin production because they take longer to digest and absorb. In addition, natural complex carbohydrates are the most nutrient dense type of carbohydrates you can eat.

Generally, it is best to divide your daily carbohydrate intake using the following guideline: ≥70% Complex Carbohydrates: ≤30% Simple Carbohydrates.

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