Carbohydrates Don't Make You Fat

by Aleksander Fidurski

Carbohydrates

The main function of CHO in our diet is for energy and as a protein sparer. Our brain and nerve cells use 75 grams of CHO per day. We need energy for breathing, thinking, sitting and moving to name a few. The sources of carbohydrates from food are fruit, roots and milk products. Our bodies store CHO as glycogen. Males have a capacity of 90 grams as liver glycogen and 400 grams of muscle glycogen and Females 70 grams as liver glycogen and 300 grams as muscle glycogen. Carbohydrates can be monosaccharides which is one unit such as, glucose, fructose, and galactose. Disaccharides which are two sugar units such as maltose, lactose and sucrose, and polysaccharides are a chain of monosaccharides such as starch and glycogen. Simple CHO is monosaccharides and disaccharides which are absorbed quickly and result in a peak in blood sugar soon after consumption. Fruits contain simple sugars but also contain vitamins while on the other hand, refined sugars contain no nutritional value, also known as empty calories. Alcohol is another know empty-calorie which has a value of 7 calories per gram. Complex CHO, which are polysaccharides, are absorbed slowly and sustain blood glucose levels for longer.

 

Fiber is a non-digestible polysaccharide. There are two components is fiber, soluble fiber which ferments in the colon and provides beneficial effects on gut bacteria and insoluble fiber, which is non-fermentable, it improves the movement of food through the digestive system. Fibre has many beneficial effects on the body, it produces prebiotics in the colon which improves the flora of the GIT and it regulates bowel movement. The recommended daily allowance is 38 grams for men and 25 grams for women. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) is published by the institute of medicine. The RDA for CHO depends on your activity level. If your lightly active it can be as low as 2-3 grams per kilogram of body mass, but it can go as high as 9+ grams per kilogram of body mass if you're very active. When CHO is ingested, it gets broken down by an enzyme called amylase in your mouth, stomach, and small intestine into monosaccharides.

 

Glucose undergoes glycolysis where it is converted to lactase during anaerobic energy systems like sprinting or pyruvate during aerobic energy systems like a marathon. Pyruvate enters the mitochondria where it changes into acetyl Co-A. The acetyl Co-A enters the TCA cycle where it undergoes a series of chemical reactions. The product of these chemical reactions is used to produce energy in the form of ATP. During high-intensity short-duration exercise anaerobic glycolysis occurs which produces lactic acid but can’t be sustained for long durations. Aerobic glycolysis produces more energy per unit of CHO at a slower rate. Sources like glycogen are used. ATP is the energy currency of the cell. When CHO are consumed the hormone, insulin responds to rises in blood sugar by lowering it. Glucagon, on the other hand, increases blood sugar during times like fasting.

 

Normal resting blood sugar should be in the range of 80-110 mg/dl, but it can rise to 140 mg after a meal. The glycaemic index is an indicator of how well ingested CHO raises blood glucose levels. The index indicates the increase in blood glucose over a 2-hour period after consuming 50 grams of food compared with 50 grams of CHO of white bread or glucose with a value of 100%. Then the glycaemic load is a measure of CHO in a food source, for example, watermelon vs bagel. Low GI foods are best consumed before and during exercise to ensure a slow steady release of energy. High GI foods are best consumed after exercise to quickly replenish glycogen stores. Carbohydrates contain 4 calories per 1 gram.

 

Examples of food sources of carbohydrates are potatoes, fruit, white rice to name a few. Looking at Carbohydrates and Testosterone research shows us that low Carb diets lower testosterone levels. In one study the researchers divided their subjects into two groups. One group ate a high-carb low-protein diet, whereas the other group ate a high-protein low-carb diet. The fat intake of both groups was the same. Ten days into the study, showed that the high carb group had higher free testosterone levels by 36%. Carbs are essential for testosterone, and they’re not bad for you. Don’t believe the mass media because they love demonizing one type of food group which is carbs now.

Carbohydrate List for High Testosterone (Get Organic)

  • Potatoes
  • Sweet Potatoes
  • Squash
  • Turnips
  • Beets
  • White Rice
  • Any Berries
  • Bananas
  • Pineapple
  • Oranges
  • Watermelon
  • Melons
  • Cucumber
  • Plums
  • Limes
  • Cherries
  • Apples
  • Lemons
  • Pears
  • Kiwis
  • Onions
  • Garlic
  • Papaya
  • Mangoes
  • Plantains
  • Pomegranate
  • Mushrooms
  • Carrots
  • Peaches
  • Pickles
  • Olives
  • Tomatoes
  • Grapefruit
  • Nectarines
  • Bell Peppers
  • Chill's
  • Grapes
  • Pumpkin Flesh 
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