Fiber & Types of Carbs

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from: http://webcenter.health.webmd.netscape.com/content/Article/61/71435.

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Brown ... white ... high index -- all terms used to describe carbohydrates.

But is there one that can really help you drop a few extra pounds? Oprah

thinks so. See what the experts think.

 

 

By John Casey

WebMD Feature  Reviewed By Michael  Smith, MD

on Wednesday, March 05, 2003

 

 

Just as we've been hearing more and more about good and bad fats, diet

gurus are starting to talk more about good and bad carbohydrates. And word

is getting around.

 

 

 

On her television show, Oprah Winfrey claimed to have lost weight by

switching from bad carbs to good. Likewise, many diet programs, such as

Body-for-Life, tout the health benefits of good carbs. But are there

really such things as good and bad carbohydrates?

 

 

 

" Some carbs are better than others, but it's not really a question of one

carb being 'good' and one being 'bad,' " says Jack Alhadeff, PhD, professor

of biochemistry at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa.

 

 

 

" If you're eating to get energy for physical activity right away, simple

carbs -- pasta, white bread, processed cereals, and the like -- work well.

If someone is heavy or wants to manage weight, it is smart to chose

high-fiber carbohydrates. "

 

 

 

Why? Because all carbohydrates are broken down into sugar, or glucose,

which is the body's fuel. Carbohydrates with little fiber break down

quickly. Those foods with carbohydrates trapped in fiber take longer to

break down. The rate at which this happens can be represented on what

nutritionists call the glycemic index.

 

 

 

Is Glycemic Index Useful?

 

 

 

Foods high on the index turn to glucose fast. But that speed can cause a

spike in levels of the hormone insulin, which the body needs to process

glucose into physical energy. Foods low on the index -- sweet potatoes,

brown rice, leafy greens, fat-free milk -- break down slowly and result in

lower insulin levels.

 

 

 

" Unless you're a diabetic, glycemic index may not be all that important, "

says Alhadeff, who adds that since most of us eat a variety of foods in a

meal, the accuracy of the index can be questionable.

 

 

 

But what about the notion that glucose from high-index foods is more

likely to be stored as fat?

 

 

 

" The scientific literature is very clear that eating carbohydrates that

are embedded in plant cellulose -- complex carbohydrates -- is always

better, " says Nagi Kumar, PhD, director of clinical nutrition at the

Moffitt Cancer Center and professor of human nutrition at the University

of South Florida in Tampa. " But the reasons it is better are not because

it somehow lessens or alters fat storage. "

 

 

 

She says that fiber-rich carbohydrates increase the bulk of the meal,

making you feel fuller. This in turn, helps moderate the amount of food

you eat.

 

 

So, what is fiber, exactly?

 

 

There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble. Nutritionists

describe soluble fiber as a sticky substance that is found in fruit,

vegetables, dried beans and peas, and oat products. Insoluble fiber, which

is gritty in texture, accounts for 70% of the fiber in our diets, mostly

from wheat bran.

 

 

 

Benefits of High-Fiber Carbs

 

 

 

" We eat way too many calories and way too many empty calories, " she says.

" Fiber can help you avoid overeating. We've also found that fiber can bind

with cholesterol in the digestive tract, thus lowering blood cholesterol. "

 

 

 

Another important point about fiber-rich foods is that they tend to be

loaded with phytochemicals that appear to have anticancer functions, says

Kumar.

 

 

 

" Pertaining to cancer, we've found 65 or so non-nutrients and nutrients

that have action against cancer, " she says. " We've seen soy, lycopene,

bicarbanol, to name just a few of these, have significant effect against

various cancers. "

 

 

 

Along with these benefits and its role in weight maintenance, fiber helps

prevent the following:

 

 

 

* Constipation

* Hemorrhoids

* Appendicitis

* Diverticulosis -- an intestinal disease where pockets, which can

become infected, develop in the intestinal lining

 

 

 

The next time you have a choice about what to buy at the store -- for

instance, between fluffy, white bread and a dark, brown loaf of whole

wheat -- what do you do?

 

 

 

" Buy the bread that you have to drag out of the store, because the loaf is

so heavy and dense, " says Kumar. " Everything comes down to the amount of

fiber you can get into your food. "

 

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SOURCES: Jack Alhadeff, PhD, professor of biochemistry, Lehigh University,

Bethlehem, Pa. Nagi Kumar, PhD, director of clinical nutrition, Moffitt

Cancer Center; professor of human nutrition, University of South Florida,

Tampa. University of Arizona Faculty Center for Instructional Innovation

web site.

 

© 2003 WebMD Inc. All rights reserved.

 

 

 

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until you know what is more than enough.'

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