What Are Refined Carbs?
Refined carbs are processed carbs – which means most of the minerals, vitamins, and fiber are removed. Complex carbs are good or healthy carbs that contain dietary fiber (complex and large molecules) that gets slowly digested and does not cause a quick spike in glucose levels. Whole grains, fruits, and veggies are complex carbs. However, processing (milling and grinding) the healthy carbs reduces the particle size of the carbs and make them get digested and absorbed quickly into the body (5). This process results in a spike in the glucose levels and can lead to many health complications. But before we get to why refined carbs are bad for you, let’s take a look at the list of foods that are sources of refined carbs.
Sources Of Refined Carbs
Refined flour Milk powder Pasta White bread White rice White sugar Breakfast cereals Pastries/cakes Doughnuts Churros Wafers and snacks Sweets Mashed or fried white potatoes Soda Packaged fruit/vegetable juice Energy drinks Batter fried foods Biscuits
The list may make you a little sad, but once you know what these foods can do to your body, you’d probably want to avoid or limit consuming them. Here’s how refined carbs affect your body and why it is best to avoid them.
Why Are Refined Carbs Bad For You?
Refined carbs are bad for various reasons. Here are some evidence-based reasons you should limit or avoid consuming refined carbs:
Refined Carbs Are Low In Nutrients
As you can tell from the refined carbs foods list, all of them taste good and have a feel-good effect on us. But these foods are high in calories and have zero nutritional value. During the processing, the whole grains are stripped of the bran (outermost layer of whole grains) that contains fiber, vitamins, and minerals. The germ is also removed during processing, which contains vitamin B, antioxidants, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, selenium, and manganese. So, with the most nutritious part removed from the whole grain, refined carbs are just empty calories that you consume (6).
Refined Carbs Raise Blood Glucose
Refined carbs have no nutritional value. They are high in calories and have a high glycemic index. Glycemic index is a number given to a food, depending on how it affects the blood glucose levels (7). Refined carbs tend to raise the blood glucose levels quickly, and they have a short-term effect on satiety. On the other hand, complex carbs are low glycemic index foods and low in calories and keep you full for a longer duration.
Refined Carbs Make You Diabetic
When the blood glucose levels rise, the beta cells in the pancreas secrete insulin (8). Insulin helps shuttle the glucose molecules into the cells, where glucose is converted to usable energy. But when you consume too many refined carbs and keep consuming them in the form of snacks and sugary treats, the blood glucose and insulin levels remain high. Over time, your body becomes insulin resistant, i.e., the cells stop recognizing insulin (9). As a result, the blood glucose levels remain high. The cells are devoid of glucose, making you lethargic and hungry all day long. So, you consume food, but to no effect as your blood glucose levels soar high. The end result – obesity, diabetes, and PCOS (10), (11).
Refined Carbs Cause Obesity
Refined carbs get digested and absorbed into the body easily and quickly. As a result, you tend to feel hungry quickly, which can make you prone to binge eating (12). Though you “feel” you are hungry, your body actually has more glucose in store than the energy it needs to perform normal body functions. So, the extra glucose is stored in the body as fat. Scientists have also found that consuming too many refined and simple carbs causes inflammation in the body. Simple and refined carbs tend to stimulate triglycerides-forming enzymes, and the fat cells release free fatty acids that activate the inflammatory signaling pathways (13). When your body is constantly under stress with high levels of inflammation, it stores calories you consume in foods as fat.
Refined Carbs Cause Belly Fat
The more you consume refined carbs, the more the chances that you will accumulate fat in your belly region. It is one of the most dangerous types of fat and is tough to get rid of. Many studies have established that long-term consumption of excessive refined carbs can increase stress levels, causing fat molecules to get accumulated in the visceral cavity (14), (15).
Refined Carbs Increase The Risk Of Heart Disease
Refined carbs get digested and absorbed easily, making you overeat. Your body starts to store the excess glucose as fat, and the triglyceride levels also shoot up. If you do not keep a check on your refined carb intake, you will be at the risk of fatal heart disease. Scientists found that people who consumed whole grains were at lower risk of heart disease than people who consumed refined carbs (16).
Refined Carbs Cause Gut Problems
The good gut bacteria help in digestion, and they feed on dietary fiber found in food sources of complex carbs. But refined carbs have no dietary fiber. Being on a high-refined carb diet can reduce the number and variety of good gut bacteria, which can affect digestion and cause constipation (17).
Refined Carbs Intake May Cause Cancer
Being on a high-refined carb diet may increase the risk of cancer (18), (19). Refined carbs are closely related to obesity caused by inflammation in the body. When your body is in a constant state of inflammation, your body’s stress levels go up. And this may trigger DNA mutation, leading to the production of proteins that may cause cancer. It is clear that refined carbs are potentially dangerous for you and are one of the main reasons for the obesity epidemic and many other related health issues. The best way to tackle this problem is to replace the refined carbs with good carbs and nutrient-dense foods. Here’s how you can do that.
How To Eliminate Refined Carbs From Your Diet
The best way to eliminate refined carbs from your diet is to make healthy and conscious choices. Here’s a table of healthy foods that you can choose instead of refined carbs. It’s not tough to get rid of the bad carbs from your diet. Here’s another list of foods containing good carbs that you can consume.
Sources Of Good Carbs
Fruits Veggies Nuts Freshly pressed fruit/vegetable juice (without sugar) Whole grains Homemade salads Wheat pasta Rolled oats Quinoa, amaranth Popcorn
Are bananas high in carbs? Yes, bananas provide many healthy nutrients along with being a good source of natural carbohydrates and sugar. What are clean carbs? Clean carbs are naturally found sources of “whole” carbohydrates which are unrefined and beneficial for your digestive system.
