As a food group, carbs are not unhealthy, per Lakhani-Kanji. “They are actually essential for a balanced diet,” she says. That said, she also adds that “it’s important to understand that not all carbs are the same, and this affects how they fit into a healthy diet.”
While it might be tempting to think of some foods as “good” and others as “bad” because of the total amount of carbohydrates they contain, in reality it’s not that straightforward.
Fact: whatever the food, your body breaks down its carbohydrates into sugar that ends up in your blood steam. But what is key is how rapidly that happens and whether that carb-rich food has other nutritional benefits.
Take a banana, for example. It is a fruit that contains one of the highest amounts of carbohydrates (the equivalent of around 10 small gummy bears). But it is also a complex carb that is rich in heart-healthy potassium and fiber for digestive health.
Simple carbs like gummy bears aren’t “bad” exactly (food has no moral value and we would never guilt trip you about having a sweet treat). But they also won’t ever nourish your body in the same way that a complex carb can.
It’s an important distinction to make, according to Lenherr, as not all carbs are empty calories. “Whole sources of carbs like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and pulses are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants,” she says.
Basically, the good stuff that helps your body to thrive. Plus gram for gram, starchy complex carbs contain fewer than half the calories of fat.
Another problem with sugary simple carbohydrates, notes Lenherr, is that “they are rapidly digested, leading to rapid increases in blood sugar levels.” So it’s best to eat them in moderation to lower your risk of diabetes, obesity, heart disease and high cholesterol.
Conversely, complex carbs “are made up of longer chains of sugar molecules, making them slower to digest,” she adds. “They provide a more sustained release of energy.”
Crucially, starchy complex carbs are also high in fiber. “Fiber is vital for good digestion; it helps everything move smoothly through your gut and supports a balanced gut microbiome,” Lakhani-Kanji says. “On top of that, fiber plays a role in regulating blood sugar levels, which can lower your risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.”
How many carbs should we be eating each day?
As for the amount of carbs we should be eating every day, it’s definitely not zero. The NHS recommends that starchy complex carbs–potatoes, brown bread, brown rice and wholewheat pasta–make up just over a third of the food you eat (unless you have type 2 diabetes, in which case it’s important to speak to your doctor about managing your blood sugar levels).
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