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Nutrition Database Nutrition Dictionary: A Comprehensive Source of Nutritional Terms Carbohydrates Database Complex Carbohydrates
Complex carbohydrates are
a very important part of diet. They have become the food of choice
for health conscience individuals for a number of
reasons.
What Are Complex
Carbohydrates?
Complex carbohydrates
should make up about 55 percent of the calories in our daily diet,
with fat making up 15 - 20% and protein making up the rest. In a 3,
000 calorie diet, that would mean carbohydrates should make up more
than 1, 500 hundred of those calories. A large, but essential
number.
Complex carbohydrates, or
polysaccharides, are made mostly of long strands of simple sugars.
They are found in grains, fruits, legumes (peas and beans), and
other vegetables. Complex carbohydrates include three types of
dietary fiber - cellulose, hemicellulose and gums - and
starches.
A single starch molecule
may contain from 300 to 1,000 or more sugar units. The giant
molecules are packed side by side in a plant root or seed,
providing energy for the plant.
All starches are plant
materials. Cereal grains, such as wheat, rice and corn, are rich
sources of starch, constituting a large part of the world's food
supply, generally in the form of breads and pastas. Starches are
also found in potatoes and legumes.
Starchy foods, once
avoided by dieters as fattening, are actually a good source of
energy for those who want to lose weight. Many people think that
starchy foods such as bread, potatoes and pasta are high in
calories. They aren't - until the bread is thickly buttered, the
potatoes generously topped with sour cream, and the macaroni mixed
with cream and cheese sauce. Starches (and proteins) provide only
four calories per gram, while fat provides nine calories per gram.
Without the toppings, or with only moderate amounts, complex
carbohydrate foods can be less fattening than animal-protein foods
that naturally contain fat.
Dietary
Fiber
Along with starches, fiber
- the other important category of complex carbohydrates - is also
gaining popularity for health reasons. (Glycogen is another type of
complex carbohydrate, but one that is not of major importance as a
nutrient. It's found in small amounts in animal tissue.) And like
starches, dietary fiber is found abundantly in plants, especially
in the outer layers of cereal grains and the fibrous parts of
fruits, legumes, and other vegetables. Carbohydrates For
Health
Some athletes today are
loading up on complex carbohydrates in order to increase glycogen
(animal carbohydrate) stores in muscles. Building glycogen reserves
may improve endurance in some activities, such as running
marathons.
Diebetics also may benefit
from a diet high in complex carbohydrates and low in fat and sugar,
according to the American Dietetic Association. Some researchers
believe that dietary fiber improves the ability of diabetics to
process blood sugar. Complex Carbohydrates
Baked potatoes are also
making their way into the homes of nine-to-fivers who want a quick
but warm and nutritious dinner. Microwave ovens can turn out a
baked potato in a matter of minutes instead of an hour, a discovery
that delighted early microwave users. Some Good Sources of Starch
and Fiber
Good Sources of
Starch
(1) Breads, both
whole-grain and white
(2) Breakfast cereals,
cooked and ready-to-eat
(3) Flours, whole-grain
and white
(4) Pastas, such as
macaroni and spaghetti
(5) Barley and
rice
(6) Legumes - dried peas,
beans and lentils
(7) Starchy vegetables,
such as potatoes, butter beans, corn, potatoes, sweet peas, lima
beans, and navy beans
(8) Good Sources of
Fiber
(9) Whole-grain breads,
other grain bakery products
(10) Whole-grain cereals,
cooked and ready-to-eat
(11) Legumes - kidney
beans, lima beans, navy beans, and split peas
(12) Fruits, especially
the skins and edible seeds
(13) Nuts and
seeds
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