Most people think that carbs are the enemies of our health, but we should remember that not all carbs are created equal. The human body needs carbs to function properly. It’s our job to select the good from the bad ones and nourish it with healthy carbs.
“Higher carbohydrate foods are maligned because people tend to use short-sighted ways of evaluating these foods and are often evaluated by individuals who are uninformed or not professionally licensed,” explains Lisa Cohn, registered dietitian and consultant for miVIP Surgery Centers. “These trends are often based on misinformation and recommendations made that aim to sell products.”
Nutritionist Meg Hagar, MS, RD, believes recent findings may be to blame for carb fear: “One reason certain types of carbohydrates get a bad rep may be because of the glycemic index, a measurement of how certain foods affect our blood sugar after we consume them,” says Hagar.
“Consistently elevated or abnormal spikes in blood sugar may eventually lead to [type 2] diabetes and are linked with other metabolic disorders (metabolic syndrome, inability to manage body weight, etc.) and therefore people who are at risk may be told to avoid or limit these foods. However, healthy people not at risk should not be afraid of these foods. Eating a variety of foods is one of the best ways to avoid nutrient deficiencies and achieve optimal health.”
