Carbohydrates - Types, Health Benefits and Functions

Carbohydrates are critical food nutrients that the body converts into glucose to provide you with energy to function. Carbs come with a range of benefits for our health.

Here, we will delve into the details about carbohydrates, so read on till the end.

Carbohydrates or carbs are among the three macronutrients, along with fats and proteins required by a human body daily. There are various benefits of carbohydrates if consumed in the right proportion. An optimum intake of carbs will help meet your body’s nutritional needs and maintain a healthy weight.

In the human body, carbs constitute the primary source of energy. Intake of carbs is necessary to enjoy a range of health benefits of carbohydrates, as mentioned below.

• They help fuel your brain: If the glucose levels in your brain fall below the optimum levels, it may start behaving weird. Your brain needs glucose, and carbs can provide them in plenty.
• Reduces bloating: Poor digestion of certain complex carbs may lead to excess gas and bloating. However, intake of good carbs, like – vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, contain large quantities of dietary fibre, which helps maintain bowel movements.
• Helps in digestion: Dietary fibre is critical to optimal intestinal health. This fibre is present in natural carb foods. These foods are good for the digestive system and mitigate the risk of developing colon cancer. Regular and complete bowel movements will offer relief from irritable bowel syndrome or IBS.
• Mitigates risk of cardiac diseases: Nuts, beans, oatmeal, nuts, apples, and blueberries are rich in soluble fibre. This fibre is essential as it reduces the spiked-up blood sugar levels and minimises LDL cholesterol. It is a fact that high levels of LDL and sugar are not good for the heart.
• Can help sleep better: Carbs help to increase insulin levels. This, in turn, increases tryptophan and boosts the production of serotonin. This serotonin ensures restful sleep by countering the hyperactivation of energising hypocretin neurons.
• Prevents weight gain: As per the researchers of Brigham Young University, middle-aged women lost weight due to intake of a high fibre diet. On the other hand, those who reduced fibre intake gained weight. Fibre tends to increase the food’s satiety index, which you consume. This means you will eat less for a substantial period.

A human body can store additional carbohydrates in the liver and muscles when there is a lack of sufficient carbs in one’s diet. Hence, any diet lacking in carbs may lead to various health troubles like - fatigue, headaches, weakness, difficulty concentrating, constipation, nausea, bad breath and vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

There are 3 types of carbohydrates - starches, sugars, fibre. Let’s discuss them below.

• Starches: Starches are often known as complex carbs. They provide minerals and vitamins. A human body takes a longer time to break down any complex carbohydrates. Due to this, the blood sugar levels will remain stable. They are present in starchy vegetables like potatoes and corn and grains like barley, oats and rice.
• Fibre: Plant-based foods like vegetables, fruits, and whole-grain products contain fibre. It is present in carrots, beets, and broccoli, among other vegetables. Fibre is known as a complex healthy carbohydrate because the human body cannot break down this carbohydrate. These carbs mainly pass through the intestines and help in boosting digestion. Fibre also helps in blood sugar regulation and lowers cholesterol.

According to health experts, adults must intake 25 to 30 grams of fibre daily to reap its benefits. 

• Sugars: Sugars fall under the category of simple carbohydrates. Your body can break down such carbs easily. Due to this, there is a rise and fall in blood sugar levels quickly. Besides providing energy, foods containing natural sugars provide minerals, vitamins, and fibre at times. Vegetables, fruits, milk and honey, contain natural sugars. Processed foods, syrups, sweets, etc., have added sugars.

However, sugars in excessive quantities can contribute to higher calories and lead to weight gain.

Following are the functions of carbohydrates, as mentioned below.

• Energy production: Producing energy and supplying the same to human body cells is one of the major functions of carbohydrates.
• Energy storage: If a human body already possesses enough energy to support all its functions, the excess glucose gets stored as glycogen (most of which is stored in the liver and muscles). This is another function of carbs.
• Build macromolecules: Most absorbed glucose helps in the production of energy. However, some of them get converted to deoxyribose and ribose. These are essential building blocks of essential macromolecules, like DNA, ATP and RNA.

Glucose gets used additionally to produce NADPH molecules, which helps in the protection against oxidative stress. If the entire glycogen storing capacity, energy, glycogen-storing and building needs of a body are met, the excess glucose gets used to make fat. Hence, a diet high in carbs may also lead to weight gain.

Thus, carbohydrates are of immense importance to the human body. An excessive amount of the same can be harmful. Consequently, it would help if you plan a diet in such a way that it contains optimum levels of carbs, which is beneficial for your health.