If all carbohydrates aren't sugars, what are the other groups useful for?

Question

Kristin Kirkpatrick, MS, RD, LD · Answer

The question is, if all carbohydrates aren't sugars, what are the other groups useful for? So, yeah, a carbohydrate is your candy bar, your sugar sweetened beverage. That's all true. But carbohydrates also come in the form of starchy vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. And studies show that if we have more of these in an approach, such as a Mediterranean approach, we actually can help to prevent multiple different chronic conditions. We may live longer, we may be happier. There are studies looking at mental health. So let's not focus on carbohydrates all being in the same bucket, because they're not. Anything that has fiber attached to it, will have a little bit more benefit. Now, having said that, you can be moderate carbohydrate or even low carbohydrates, still get that fiber and still get that preventative aspect in. The key here is not to have things like sugar-sweetened beverages, sugar things that don't have fiber attached. So that's really the key message here.

Bob Seebohar, MS, RD, CSSD · Answer

Okay, if all carbohydrates, aren't sugars, what are the other groups useful for while I'm guessing this question, is kind of pointing towards fiber. So, fiber is some of it is indigestible. So, it passes through the digestive tract. There is soluble, fiber, and insoluble fiber. So, both have very good functions in our body, helping bulk helping the stool helping movements, the peristalsis movement of waste throughout your system. Some of it can actually help reduce cholesterol, it can help it, actually some of it. It ferments in your gut which is actually very beneficial, doesn't feel like it. But there are some other great benefits to carbohydrates that are not sugar-based and those are mostly relying on the fiber components.

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"If all carbohydrates aren't sugars, what are the other groups useful for?"