In our quest for the best foods for good health, we turn our attention to the area of foods known as carbohydrates. There are two main types: simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates. Examples of complex carbohydrate foods include brown rice, whole wheat bread, oatmeal, and cereal. Simple carbohydrates are effectively reprocessed: broken down and reassembled. Examples include white bread, biscuits, cakes, pastries, etc. So things we like! These foods often contain sugar and preservatives because they are more prone to spoilage compared to the complex carbohydrate foods.
Carbohydrates from food are our main source of energy, which allows us to function. These are broken down into glucose molecules in the body and used as a fuel source. The process of deriving energy from our food is effectively a series of breakdown steps leading to the production of the simplest molecules. With the help of certain vitamins and minerals, energy is produced in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate). This ATP is essential for good health, and anything that prevents the production of this fuel source will prevent the body from performing at its best. It is only by consuming complex carbohydrate foods that we can produce the greatest amount of ATP and consume the necessary nutrients to form it. Simple carbohydrates are far less effective at producing ATP and have the added disadvantage of containing additives and preservatives that are not made from naturally occurring substances.
There are other issues associated with a simple carbohydrate diet that relate to controlling blood sugar levels in our body. As previously explained, carbohydrates are broken down in the body to create a usable source of energy. The less complex the carbohydrate, the fewer steps there are in the breakdown process. In order to control the blood sugar levels in our body and to supply our organs with glucose, the pancreas releases insulin into the bloodstream. In response to a sudden increase in blood sugar, the pancreas must release a large dose of insulin in one fell swoop. With a simple high-carb diet, this heavy workload on the pancreas can, over time, tire it and cause it to malfunction and become resistant to producing the insulin necessary to control blood sugar levels.
By the way: If you eat white toast in the morning, white bread sandwich at lunchtime and pasta in the evening, you should start worrying now! Changing your diet early in the process can stop the process from continuing, but if left unchecked there is a strong risk that the pancreas will become overworked and you will develop non-insulin dependent diabetes.
Thanks to Eddie Swift
