Carbohydrates
Starches, sugars and fiber are the carbohydrates in food. Carbohydrates are a molecule that plants make during photosynthesis, combining carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. They are very important in your body's metabolism because they are generally the part of food that is digested most quickly. Carbohydrates can give you quick energy, and cause a rise in blood sugar levels.
Diabetics, in particular, need to pay attention to the carbohydrates they eat to help manage their blood sugar. Some carbohydrates, those found in whole grains and leafy vegetables, for example have a much slower impact on blood sugar than carbohydrates in fruits or candy.
It's easy to consume a lot of carbohydrates, as foods like breads, pasta, cake, cookies and potatoes are loaded with them. Nutrition experts suggest that you should only get 45 to 65 percent of your daily nutrition from carbohydrates.
Recently Answered
- Q How can I reduce the amount of sugar I eat?
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Margaret Floyd, Nutrition & DieteticsThe best solution when it comes to sugar is to eliminate it, if not completely, as much as possible. My vote is to bring sugar and desserts back to their role as treats for special occasions, not a daily habit or, dare I say, an addiction. As a... Full Answer
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- Q How much sugar does the average person consume every year?
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, CardiologyThe average person consumes 150 pounds of sugar per year–compared to just 7 ½ pounds consumed on average in the year 1700. That's 20 times as much! When typical slightly overweight people eat sugar, they on average store 5 percent as ready... Full Answer
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- Q How can I reduce my sugar intake?
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Foods with added sugar can lead to weight gain. They also don't give you any nutrition. So don't eat too many sweet treats like cake, candy, or cookies. Also limit or give up soda pop and other sweetened drinks. Full Answer
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- Q What are the health risks of eating sugar?
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, CardiologyThere’s no sugarcoating the facts. Excess sugar consumption puts your body in danger of many potentially fatal conditions. Below are the top four reasons why sugar should get the boot from your diet. High Blood Pressure: Normal nitric... Full Answer
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- Q Are healthy carbs actually bad for some people?
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, CardiologyA handful of healthy carbs are widely believed to be nutritional superstars. In this video, "The Hormone Diet" author Natasha Turner, ND, tells Dr. Oz why she thinks some people react badly to these foods. Full Answer
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- Q How are carbohydrates digested?
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Patsy Catsos, Nutrition & DieteticsDigestion of carbohydrates begins in your mouth. Your teeth chew and grind the food, mixing it with saliva. Saliva contains enzymes that begin the process of breaking carbohydrates down.Carbohydrates in your food are further broken down by enzymes in... Full Answer
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- Q What is resistant starch?
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Resistant starch is starch granules that escape the clutches of enzymes. Some go untouched because they're part of an intact or very coarsely cut whole grain kernel, protected by the armor of fiber. Cooking and cooling grains and potatoes also... Full Answer
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- Q How can I get rid of my sweet tooth?
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Dr. Henry Lodge, Internal MedicineRefined flour does not taste any better; it’s just that you’re used to the sugar, and sugar is an acquired taste. Luckily, as you get older, your taste buds don’t like sugar as much and you can appreciate other flavors. You can... Full Answer
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- Q How does fructose affect my brain?
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, CardiologyA brain study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that fructose, which permeates the American diet in the form of high-fructose corn syrup, may trigger brain changes that lead to overeating.In their study, researchers used... Full Answer
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- Q How do sugars affect appetite?
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There is one type of sweetener that helps fill you up, while another leaves you craving more. The two sugars in question: glucose and fructose. Glucose appears to quell hunger, and fructose seems to ramp it up. The sugars may affect your appetite... Full Answer
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