Simple Carbohydrates: What Are They, and How Do They Affect You?
 Carbohydrates are complicated macronutrients, and while they are a necessary part of your everyday diet, it is important to understand what they are and how they work in order to ensure you are getting the proper nutrition you need.
When learning about carbs, it is important to understand the difference between simple carbohydrates and complex ones. Simple carbs, also known as simple sugars, are simple strains of the sugar compounds that make up some carbohydrates. Monosaccharide compounds are single strains of simple carbs and include:
- Fructose - found in fruits and some vegetables
- Glucose - most sugars (the most commonly used carbohydrate by the body)
- Galactose - found in milk
- Ribose - ribonucleic acid found on most body cells
Disaccharides are longer chains of simple carbohydrates formed when two monosaccharides combine:
- Lactose - glucose and galactose (milk sugar)
- Sucrose - glucose and fructose (table sugar)
- Maltose - occurs during the malting process of grains
All simple carbohydrates are water-soluble and are easily and quickly digested by the body. While this provides instant energy, it also has the potential to cause health problems for some people. Since they are absorbed so quickly and may not need to be used, the often end up getting stored as fat, which can lead to weight gain. They also have an effect on blood sugar, and when unchecked may lead to the development of chronically high blood sugar and diabetes.
Simple carbohydrates are almost everywhere, and they are impossible to avoid completely while remaining healthy, so it is up to us to find sources of healthy carbohydrates in food, limit our intake of simple carbs to the best of our ability, and keep up with our health by regularly visiting our doctors to ensure we are not at risk for any conditions that can be caused by the over consumption of simple carbs. |
