carbs..a few questions

[gg2007]

What is the difference between:

Carbs
Net Carbs
Carbs of which sugars..?

Which one should i be paying attention to on food labels....?

thanx!

 

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[Ruthlet]

Hmmmmmm

- The carbs label confirm the total carb's contained in the product.
- The carbs of which sugars confirms the proportion of the total carb content that is made up of sugars- as a general rule this is the total carbs minus fibre.
- Now the net carbs is a little more difficult as there is no legal definition for this bad boy. The concept of net carbs, sometimes called impact carbs or atkins value is based on the principle that not all carbohydrates affect the body in the same manner so net carbs is a relatively new category of carbs which food manufacturers use to promises to dieters that they can eat the sweet and creamy foods they crave without suffering the carb consequences. In calculating net carbs, most manufacturers take the total number of carbohydrates a product contains and subtract fibre and sugar alcohols (like maltitol which is a key ingredient in CD bars) because these types of carbohydrates are thought to have a minimal impact on blood sugar levels due to them being pretty much indigestible.

There is a good article about net carbs on this site: http://www.thefactsaboutfitness.com/news/net-carbs.htm

One thing I have found when reading up on net carbs is that many of the products on the market claiming to have a low net carb value that are still lovely and delicious are that way because they have a high content of sugar alcohols like our CD bars. According to the majority of info out there on the net it is fine to consume foods with these sugar alcohols in moderation as we do on CD plans. However, because the sugar alcohols are not absorbed and digested in the same way that sugar is, they can cause digestive disorders when consumed in large quantities. Many people report diarrhea or flatulence from consuming these alcohols in large volumes and also experience stomach cramps in some cases.

Overall if you are looking to follow a low carb diet one the easiest ways to do this is to generally avoid processed foods and only have low carb processed foods in moderation.

I hope this helps!

 

[Ceri]

Was lurking around and found this thread.
Great info Ruth. Thanks.
Ceri

 

[gg2007]

Thank you, xx