Complex Carbohydrates

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Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy but including more complex carbohydrates than simple carbohydrates in your diet is more beneficial. Tap through to know what are complex carbohydrates and how they help maintain blood sugar levels.

Different types of sugars make up carbohydrates. During the process of metabolism, our body converts these sugars (carbohydrates) into glucose which provides energy to our body. Importance of carbohydrates in our diet is always explained in all diet related discussions. Complex and simple are the two types of carbohydrates which differ in the nature of sugar they contain. Simple carbohydrates consist of a single basic sugar while complex carbohydrates are made up of different types of sugars.

Simple and Complex Carbohydrates

Small molecules of sugar are present in simple carbohydrates while complex carbohydrates (starch) are made up of different sugars bonded together to form a chain (polysaccharides). Many single sugar units like lactose, sucrose and maltose combine together to form polysaccharides.

The individual sugars, glucose, fructose and galactose (monosaccharides), or two sugars bonded together (disaccharides), or table sugar, sugars found in milk, milk products, honey, molasses brown sugar, corn syrup, maple syrup, foods like cake, pastry, biscuits, chocolate are all examples of simple sugars or simple carbs.

Fruits and vegetables do contain simple sugars but the amount of energy produced being low, there is hardly any chance of this sugar being converted into fat. Since the individual sugars in simple carbs are ready to be absorbed by the body, they are quickly and easily digested. The digestive enzymes can easily break down the bonds in the paired molecules. Simple sugars can provide you instant energy but they can affect your blood sugar levels.

On the other hand, complex carbohydrates require more time to breakdown into their elementary form and hence, are not digested immediately. They provide steady and long-lasting energy and help maintain normal blood sugar levels. The slow absorption of sugars from these carbs helps prevent a sudden rise in blood sugar levels.

Moreover, consumption of complex carbs is beneficial for us as they provide us with a steady supply of energy. Easy absorption of sugars leads to sudden rise in blood sugar levels. The body converts the extra sugar into fat and stores it for future use. Consumption of complex carbohydrates restricts the amount of sugar getting converted into fat and stored.

Dietary fiber is also a type of indigestible carbohydrate which helps improve your digestive health and in turn, your overall health. Because our bodies lack the enzymes that can break down the bonds between the complex sugar units in dietary fiber, it passes out of our body without being digested.

Fiber helps indirectly as high fiber diet helps lose weight, improve gastrointestinal health, increase glucose tolerance and insulin levels in the body. Regular and sufficient consumption of fiber reduces the risk of hypertension, coronary heart disease, cancer and even hyperlipidemia. More complex carbohydrates should be included in your daily diet.

List of Complex Carbohydrates

Cereals, Grains, Pasta

Bran Wheat germ Bran cereal Corn Buckwheat Barley Cornmeal Oatmeal Whole wheat bread Oats, rolled dry Pasta, whole wheat Rice, dry brown

Fiber Rich Fruits

Apples with skin Apricot Apricots, dried Avocado Banana Blueberries Cantaloupe, cubes Figs, dried Grapefruit Orange

Peach Pear Plum Raisins Raspberries Strawberries

Fiber Rich Vegetables

Artichokes Asparagus Beets Bok choy Broccoli Brussels sprouts Cabbage Carrot Cauliflower

Collard greens Corn, sweet Green beans Celery Kale Onions, raw Peas Peppers, sweet Popcorn, air-popped Potato, baked with skin Spinach Summer squash Sweet potato Swiss chard Tomato Winter squash Zucchini

Beans, Nuts and Seeds

Almonds Black beans Cashews Flax seeds Garbanzo beans Kidney beans Lentils, red Lima beans Peanuts Pistachio Pumpkin seeds Soybeans Sunflower seeds Walnuts

Other Food Items

Various types of breads Baked beans Dill pickles Macaroni Oatcakes Low fat yogurt

There are numerous examples of complex carbohydrates. It is impossible to include all those examples here. I hope you found the above information useful. Those who exercise frequently or vigorously need to increase their carbohydrate intake significantly. Adequate carbohydrate intake is necessary for muscles to work harder through a workout. Increased intake of complex carbohydrates helps burn more calories and maintain weight.