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Carbs: The Good, the Bad, and the Debatable

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good carbs?

A recent article in the Chicago Tribune, Good Carb, Bad Carb, caught our eye because of its title “Good Carbs, Bad Carbs”. Carbohydrates, to remind you are one of the three macronutrients making up almost all foods, alongside with fat and protein. Over the years both fats and carbs have been vilified and exonerated, to the point where it seems today there is no agreement in the scientific community on their health benefits.

So what are we to do with all this confusing information?

What you need to know:

The truth is that the majority of nutrition researchers today agree that fats as a group are not bad, only certain types are. And the same goes for carbs. While highly refined carbs such as sugars and enriched flours are “bad carbs”, there are certainly entire groups of good carbs, mostly fruits and non-starchy vegetables.

According to Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, associate professor of epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health,  there are 4 factors that determine if a carb is good or bad:

1. Dietary fiber (more is better)

2. Effect on blood sugar rise , also known as glycemic index (the slower the better)

3. Whole grain content, where relevant (more is better)

4. Carb structure (intact is better than liquid, milled, or pulverized)

So for example, soft drinks are bad because they contain no fiber, they spike blood sugar, and they are simple carbs in liquid form. A tomato, on the other hand, has fiber, low glycemic index, and is a complex carb in its natural state.

So now everything is clear, right?

Not so fast. Some carbs are still undecided because they may be good in some of the 4 criteria but bad in others.

The debatable carbs are:

  • Corn
  • Popcorn
  • White potatoes
  • Pasta
  • 100% fruit juice (limited quantities)

Take potatoes for example. Not in their french fried mode, but baked in the oven. They are a very cheap and good source of nutrients, including fiber. But they have a high glycemic index despite their carb structure which is why they are hotly argued. Interestingly enough, sweet potatoes don’t spike blood sugar as much as white potatoes, despite their name.

What to do at the supermarket:

1. Spend more money in the produce aisles than in the processed food aisles.

2. Buy whole grains and whole grain products (brown rice, 100% whole wheat bread, etc..)

3. When reading nutrition labels, do the carb ratio test: The total carbs to fiber ratio should range from 10 : 1 to  5 : 1 . That means around 10-20% of the carbs are fiber.

4. Some surprising sources for good carbs are beans and lentils (usually considered for their protein). Another reason to eat more…

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  • http://www.facebook.com/3LittleMonkeys Anne Klein

    The past that is debateable, is that whole wheat or white?

  • Marciamurk

    Can you comment about the role of resistant starch? For example, have read that carbs like potatoes and rice behave as if they contain more fiber when eaten chilled.

    • Kate Heuchera

      I don’t have an answer for this…but it seems like either food would quickly reach body temperature once consumed.  Maybe it would very slightly slow down the process..but who wants to eat cold potatoes.

      • Anon

        I personally love my potatoes, rice and pasta cold. ^^’

      • Cartoonguy_99

        “who wants to eat cold potatoes.”

        Potato Salad, meet Kate. Kate, Potato Salad.

        • Kate Heuchera

          I forgot about potato salad.

  • Kate Heuchera

    One important thing to consider is the amount consumed at any one time.  One can also look at glycemic load which takes into account both the glycemic index   but within a 100 gram serving of a food.

    For instance our body would react differently to having an ounce of soda vs. a big gulp size serving of soda.

    If one is having pasta…one might want to skip the accompanying garlic bread.

    • Cartoonguy_99

      Not if you add olive or butter or protein or vegetable. Pasta and bread fill in the blank is a MIXED MEAL and, unless you’re eating it for breakfast, is eaten in a fed state and therefore GI is irrelevant.

      • Kate Heuchera

        I commented before, but I disagree with you.  The total amount of carbs is important, especially if you for any reason think you are headed towards diabetes.  While olive oil or whatever might slow how the carbs are metabolized it doesn’t mean one should do the never ending pasta bowl thing at whatever that restaurant is.

  • Simon Shorrock

    It depends on what you mean by good or bad. If you’re trying to lose weight then I would personally steer clear. Fibre?…certainly not from bread or whole grain pasta. Vegetables much better.

  • Carol

    Any reliance on glycemic index as a litmus test of good/bad food is off base. Once you add fat (think butter, sour cream or olive oil), protein (fish, meat, beans, nuts) or fiber to a starchy food such as potatoes … bingo, you just lowered the glycemic index. Since potatoes (and pasta and rice) are rarely eaten naked or solo, this is an important point. Daily food intake cannot be looked at through a narrow/unrealistic lens of one solitary food at a time, then waiting an hour for the next solitary food (more or less how GI is measured)… we don’t eat that way and shouldn’t. It’s more useful to think about eating smaller amounts of many different foods together, which is the best way to get a wide variety of nutrients (preferably from natural sources)… not to mention it tastes better.

  • Lauren

    I think some others in the “bad” category should be faux whole wheat/whole grain breads with added fibers etc. I’m fine with the good/bad categories as some foods just aren’t healthy.

    • Cartoonguy_99

      No food is unhealthy, in moderation.  The problem with these ‘all or nothing’ attitudes is you end up worrying about things that, in the long run, don’t and won’t matter to your health.  Relying on nothing but ‘fortified’ foodstuffs may cause problems but in a varied diet won’t amount to a hill of spaghetti in your overall health.  The worrying about it is way more detrimental the the noodle itself.

      • jnwalsh1

        The problem with moderation is there is no such thing.  If you cut back from eating Quarter Pounders five days a week to three, is that moderation?  Is one alcoholic beverage a day moderation? Or once a week?  Moderation is relative and people will warp its meaning to fit their wants.  White pasta provides miniscule nutritional value and is so often eaten in huge portions that yes, it is in fact unhealthy.  A “serving size” of pasta (on a standard box of ziti, for example) is two uncooked ounces which equates to about 3/4 cup when cooked.  Who do you know who stops at 3/4 cup of pasta? The potential for overeating high-carb/simple-carb (processed) foods is significant, because they do not cause satiety and they trigger blood sugar and insulin reactions.

        • Lisa

          ” Who do you know who stops at 3/4 cup of pasta?”

          People with self control?

          • jnwalsh1

            Freakin’ TODDLERS eat more than 3/4 c. of cooked pasta at a meal. Measure it out and tell me if you think most people stop at that amount. Look at a normal dinner plate…that holds at least 3-4 cups’ worth cooked pasta of any type.  A restaurant serving is probably 5 cups. Google portion distortion…NO ONE eats the serving size of pasta as packaged. Sorry.

          • Lisa

            If I eat pasta, I have about 3/4 c. cooked or even a half a cup. I’ve measured it before. I never order it at a restaurant for this reason. That, and the fact that my pasta is better than anything I could ever order. ;)

      • jnwalsh1

        The problem with moderation is there is no such thing.  If you cut back from eating Quarter Pounders five days a week to three, is that moderation?  Is one alcoholic beverage a day moderation? Or once a week?  Moderation is relative and people will warp its meaning to fit their wants.  White pasta provides miniscule nutritional value and is so often eaten in huge portions that yes, it is in fact unhealthy.  A “serving size” of pasta (on a standard box of ziti, for example) is two uncooked ounces which equates to about 3/4 cup when cooked.  Who do you know who stops at 3/4 cup of pasta? The potential for overeating high-carb/simple-carb (processed) foods is significant, because they do not cause satiety and they trigger blood sugar and insulin reactions.

  • Sonia Agrawal

    These days white wheat bread is very common to see in stores. What does that mean is it the same as whole wheat bread or no.

    • http://www.palateworks.com/ Carol

      If you are referring to “white whole wheat” — yes it has about the same nutrition as regular whole wheat. They are simply different varieties of wheat. The white grain is becoming more popular due to its lighter taste, texture and color (the bran is still used, but is almost colorless). FAQs here: http://www.wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/whole-white-wheat-faq

  • Cartoonguy_99

    The fact that you even bring up GI completely discredits this entire article. GI was tested on FASTING individuals. In a mixed meal, for healthy individuals (ie non-diabetic) GI means NOTHING. Since you got this part of the article wrong, what other fallacies are you putting forth.  Do esearch, then write, please.

    • Kate Heuchera

      While I think that is a fair point that foods are metabolized differently in a mixed meal, it still doesn’t mean that it is healthy to eat huge portions of carbs in one sitting, or that it is healthy for someone to drink a big gulp sized soda.

  • Lisa

    Pasta’s debatable, but bread is not? It’s basically the same thing in a different shape!

  • Darryl Miglio

    Thanks for adding ‘What to do in the supermarket’.  It completes the post, and now I have something that I can use and most importantly share.

  • Jpbentinm

    This Article is full of crap!
    Grains are the worst source of carbs. Not only because of their very high glycemic index, but because they are very inflammatory.
    Gluten and lectins must be totally eliminated from our diets.
    You can get your fiber from fruit and vegetables, and these together with animal protein sources are much more nutrient dense than grains.
    You should refer to Robb Wolff, Michael Eades, Chris kresser, Loren Cordain and many other specialists on the web for scientific support on these claims.
    Stop driving people to their graves!!