Carbohydrates: Foods, Sources, Benefits and Side effects

Carbohydrates are the main source of energy in the body which provide you with vigour by converting dietary carbohydrates into glucose, which is further broken down to release energy. This energy is utilised for daily activities, like breathing, walking and other functioning. It is also required for physical activities and exercise.

Each gram of carbohydrates provides you with 4 calories, which are used up when your body exercises. An excess of glucose is stored in the form of glycogen in the liver, which is used by your body cells in emergency states like starvation.

Other than providing you with energy, glucose is essentially required by most of the vital organs of the body, including the brain and the heart. These organs cannot function without glucose. In the heart, glucose controls the contraction and relaxation of heart muscles. It also controls the functioning of other muscles in the body and is also essential for the developing red blood cells (RBCs).

(Read more: Anemia treatment)

So, you must consume enough carbohydrates in your diet for optimal health. If you consume roughly around 2000 daily calories, it is recommended to derive 900 to 1300 from complex carbohydrates. Doing so will also help in ensuring a healthy sleep cycle by reducing the duration of onset of sleep and regulating circadian rhythms (body clocks responsible for sleep, feeding and other functions)

(Read more: Insomnia treatment)

As already discussed, carbohydrates are required by all the cells of your body in the form of glucose, an excess of which is stored as glycogen, and converted into energy as and when required by the body. Does this mean that you can stop having daily carbohydrates and rely on the glycogen stores of your body? Certainly not.

Your body cannot store all the carbohydrate it gets in the form of glycogen, there is a very small limit to the stores. Usually, the stored glycogen is just enough to meet half a day’s requirement of glucose. Now, since glucose is essential for most of the cells of your body, including nerve cells and your brain, you cannot do away without consuming the desired amount of carbohydrates each day. It is recommended to consume at least 50 to 100 grams of carbohydrates daily to ensure an optimal functioning.

Ketosis is a metabolic state of the body in which an excess of ketone bodies are formed beyond a level that can be excreted. This raises the pH levels of the blood causing ketoacidosis, an emergency situation that can lead to coma and death of the individual.

The primary cause of ketosis in the body is excessively low levels of carbohydrates, due to which alternate mechanisms of the body are used for energy production like fat metabolism or metabolism of proteins. Ketosis is characterised by excessive thirst, frequent urination, confusion, dry mouth with a fruity smell, before more serious symptoms like rapid breathing and coma occur.

Ketone bodies are formed as a byproduct of fat metabolism, which are excreted in smaller amounts and are not immediately harmful. While some of the body cells can utilise ketone bodies for their glucose needs, including the brain; the liver and developing RBCs cannot. This leads to an excess of ketone bodies causing ketoacidosis. Ketoacidosis is more likely to occur in diabetics, suffering from either of type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

While ketoacidosis is a serious, life-threatening condition, a prolonged low carb diet can have milder side-effects like ketone breath, which gives your mouth a foul smell and taste due to the presence of ammonia in the breath (as a byproduct of protein metabolism). You can avoid this by taking care of the carbohydrate content of your diet.

(Read more: Halitosis treatment)

Carbohydrates, particularly fibres play a major role in the digestion of food. They help in forming the bulk of faeces. Dietary insoluble fiber (found in wheat bran, skins of fruits and vegetables, rice husk and whole grains) are crucial for digestive health and help in preventing constipation or indigestion of food. Other than this, dietary fiber is also associated with a lower risk of certain types of cancer.

Individuals with higher energy demands such as athletes and bodybuilders require more carbohydrates for meeting their daily energy and exercise needs. While protein and fats are an important component of their diet; their major energy requirements, that is around 60 to 70% must be met by carbohydrates. In their diet, proteins constitute just 12 to 15% and almost the same amount for fats. Even higher percentage of carbohydrates is required during the phases of intense preparation, heavy training and ongoing competitions to meet higher body demands of athletes.

Low energy during physical exercise can hamper health in different ways causing hormonal and metabolic disturbances. Low energy and nutrition may even affect the immune functioning of athletes. So, researchers have suggested increasing the daily carbohydrate dosage in players to enable sufficient recovery and rest in them.

Although protein is required for building muscle mass in athletes and bodybuilders, carbohydrates are essential in maintaining this mass. In a deficiency of carbohydrates, when the body utilises proteins for energy, the muscle mass is known to deplete causing fatigue and exertion.

Other than this, in states of limited daily consumption of carbohydrates, when the athletes rely on stored glycogen as a source of energy, muscle pain and muscle cramps occur due to the production of lactic acid in the muscles.

Periodically low dietary carbohydrates will limit the production of glycogen in the body causing a state of chronic fatigue in athletes.

To avoid this, athletes and trainers are recommended to consume enough dietary carbohydrates to maintain their energy levels and to enhance glycogen synthesis which will be required during these sessions.

It is most essential to consume a carbohydrate-rich diet immediately after a workout session, since maximum synthesis of glucose occurs during this phase. A carbohydrate-rich diet following a workout session will help to replenish the body stores for future needs.

Carbohydrates are a readily available source of energy packed with lesser calories than fats. Fats contain more than double of calories in a gram (9 calories). Individuals on a low-carb diet tend to increase the levels of proteins and fats to maintain their energy levels, as seen in the popular keto diet. This diet promotes the process of ketosis for fat burning.

While this may aid in weight loss, a diet too rich in calories and fats, particularly those derived from saturated fats is likely to raise blood cholesterol levels. This has a damaging effect on your heart with an increased risk of atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular disorders including heart attack is associated with it.  On the other hand, a diet rich in healthy carbs is known to lower the risk of cardiac disorders.

A high protein diet is known to worsen kidney function because the body cannot digest all the byproducts from protein metabolism. A low carbohydrate diet causing ketosis is also hazardous for diabetics, since it can cause severe hypoglycemia in them, which can prove to be fatal.

(Read more: Treatment of Acute Kidney Failure)

Contrary to the popular belief revolving around an excessive increase in weight being caused by consuming dietary carbohydrates, it has been demonstrated that carbohydrates may not hinder your weight loss goals. In fact, consuming enough carbohydrates may help to enhance the process of weight loss. Carbs will help you feel fuller for longer as they offer better satiety than equal amounts of proteins.

But, it all depends on the kind of carbohydrates opted by you. If you opt for complex healthy carbohydrates, your weight loss goal is likely to be achieved quicker. In turn, your weight loss journey is likely to be smoother will lesser bouts of fatigue, tiredness and low energy. This will help you in exercising efficiently, further aiding the process. Including carbohydrates in your diet guarantees a more sustainable and achievable weight loss than their restriction. Here is a guide on how you can include healthy carbohydrates in your diet:

• Have carbohydrates for breakfast. Opt for complex carbohydrates like oats and cereals (not in the packaged form) since they will help you feel full during the day.
• Choose healthy carbohydrates like roti or whole wheat bread for lunch with an ample serving of vegetables.
• Pick healthier vegetables like beans, peas, legumes, sprouts or broccoli.
• It is even better to opt for non-bread alternatives like quinoa or salads for your carbohydrate needs.
• You can snack on whole fruits instead of packaged juices, which may often contain added sugars.

(Read more: Weight loss diet chart)