The Best Types of Carbs for Diabetes

Carbohydrates are not negotiable – you need them for energy! However, unhealthy carbs contribute to pre-diabetes then diabetes and metabolic syndrome. This is why picking your carbs wisely helps ensure you get sufficient nutrition without the downside. Here are some tips that will help you get the most out of your choices of carbs.

Carbohydrates for Diabetics

All carbohydrates are made from molecules of sugar, but they’re classified according to the number of molecules. Simple carbs, such as sucrose, or table sugar, only have one or two sugar molecules. Complex carbs — starches and fiber — consist of long chains of sugar molecules. Either type of sugar can be a good carb because the quality depends on whether the food source contains fiber and nutrients. Fiber slows down the rate at which the sugars are absorbed and that keeps blood sugar balanced. Simple sugars are quickly absorbed and cause rapid spikes in blood sugar, and that is not good for diabetes.

Best Carb Sources for Diabetics

Any high-sugar low-fiber baked good contains bad carbs. Fruits contain the simple sugar fructose, but most fruits are good carbs because they have fiber, nutrients and phytochemicals. Whole grains are good carbs, but if the grains are processed into white rice vs brown rice they lose fiber and nutrients. This might be preferred for a crohns diet or colitis diet but this is not advisable for diabetes. Beans and vegetables are foods that have fiber, starches and nutrients, so they are good carbs for diabetics. One way to distinguish good carbs from bad carbs is through their glycemic score, which indicates their effect on blood sugar. The good carbs for diabetes are low glycemic foods, and have a score of 55 or less.

Best Types of Carb for Diabetes Conclusion

The next time you are shopping at a supermarket, think of the choices you can be making in terms of good and bad carbs. You can see that while you can’t avoid carbohydrates altogether, you can make healthy choices in which can significantly benefit your health!

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