Are Carbs Bad For You?

This is the final Health Unwrapped month of the year, and I’m cheating a little bit. We’re not technically talking about a food this month, we’re talking about a whole food group. Are carbs bad for you? We’ve all heard about cutting carbs for a million different reasons, specifically relating to weight loss. But are carbs bad for you? We’re about to take a look at what a carb is, what they do, why we need them and where the information about cutting carbs comes from.  

The fact I’m including a month on carbohydrates might confuse some people. Why is this relevant and specifically, why did I feel I should feature this month on a vegan food blog? Macronutrient ratios have played a big role in the way vegans health has been represented online. Once upon a time, some vegans were trying to tell the world you had to eat pretty much all carbs (80/10/10). Thankfully, most people realised balance is better, but the fact still remains that the average vegan diet is heavily carbohydrate based.  

What is a carbohydrate? 

Carbohydrates are a macronutrient found in food. The others are fat and protein. 

There are 3 different types of carbohydrates found in food: sugar, starch and fibre. 

When people refer to carbohydrates, they often talk about items from the starch category, like bread and rice but forget that foods such as fruits and vegetables are also carbs too as they’re predominantly sugars.  

Do we need carbs?  

Yes! 

Carbohydrates should be your body’s main source of energy in a healthy, balanced diet. 

They’re broken down into glucose (sugar) before being absorbed into your blood. Glucose is used by your body for energy, fuelling your body, whether that’s exercise or simply breathing. Unused glucose can be converted to glycogen, which is found in the liver and muscles. If more glucose is consumed than can be stored as glycogen, it’s converted to fat for long-term storage of energy. 

Starchy carbohydrates that are high in fibre release glucose into the blood slower than sugary foods and drinks. This keeps you fuller for longer and provides you with energy for workouts. 

Fibre is an important part of a healthy, balanced diet. It can promote good bowel health, reduce the risk of constipation, and some forms of fibre have been shown to reduce cholesterol levels. 

More about carbohydrates and health on the NHS website.

Suggested Recipe: Lemon & Herb Potatoes

Should I cut carbs for weight loss? 

No, if you’re trying to reduce your calorie intake for weight loss, try to keep your diet balanced still. Cutting out a food group as a whole for the vast majority of people is not sustainable or healthy.  

Carbohydrates and protein both contain on average 4kcal per gram, and people often try to increase their protein when trying to lose weight to help with muscle repair after workouts, and often reduce their carbohydrate intake to maintain their ideal calorie goal as a result.  

Carbohydrates, fat and protein all provide energy, but your muscles rely on carbohydrates as their main source of fuel when you exercise. 

Muscles have limited carbohydrate stores (glycogen) and need to be topped up regularly. 

A diet that is low in carbohydrates can lead to a lack of energy during exercise, early fatigue and delayed recovery. So, although that protein will help repair muscles, that’s not much use if you don’t even have the energy to complete the workout.  

Are carbs bad for you? 

…No. If you have blood sugar issues, you may need to monitor your carbohydrate intake, but the group as a whole provides far more benefits and can help fuel your exercise routine as well as providing the fibre that helps keep your digestive system healthy.  

Have you ever tried a low carb or no carb diet? 

Until next time, 

Sophie 

10