carbohydrates
WHAT are carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates are the common name for starch, dietary fiber and various sugars. Carbohydrates are our most important source of energy.
hOW MUCH DO WE NEED?
Most of the carbohydrates are broken down in the body into the sugar glucose, which is needed as energy for the cells. Glucose is stored in the liver and muscles in the form of glycogen which acts as an energy reserve. The brain uses glucose as fuel and needs about 100 grams of glucose a day.
According to public sources, 45-60 percent of the energy we get from food comes from carbohydrates. For those who eat 2000 kilocalories (kcal) a day, this corresponds to between 250 and 300 grams of carbohydrates. Of these, a maximum of 50 grams should come from added sugar but try to opt for less.
why should we eat carbohydrates?
Carbs have really been beaten up the past 10-15 years, especially with media more or less making carbs equivalents with calories. This is not true. Calories is a measurement of the amount of energy in a certain type of nutrition, for example fat, protein or carbs. Eating more calories than you will burn off in a day will likely increase your weight and fat, regardless of if the calories come from fat, protein or carbohydrates.
In fact, good carbs are super-important to your health and nutrition since carbs fuel our cells (even the brain!).
plant-based carbohydrates
It is important to choose the right kind of carbohydrates. Whole grain varieties and whole foods such as vegetables, fruits and legumes have a protective effect against cancer, cardiovascular disease and type-2 diabetes. They generally also help maintain a proper body weight. Whole foods also contain a lot of dietary fibers, vitamins and minerals so they are really a cocktail of health.
to think about
Eating a lot food with added sugar may put you at risk for malnutrition since, inter alia, soda, sweets, ice cream and pastries, which contain a lot of sugar but little nutrition.
Disclaimer – please note that we are not in any way experts in nutrition, all information above is translated summaries of information available on the Swedish National Food Administration’s (Livsmedelsverket) webpage.
