Easily Digestible Carbohydrates: Danger And Benefit

In the article we will tell:

1. What are carbohydrates
2. Useful functions of carbohydrates
3. What happens to our body during fasting
4. Glucose metabolism
5. What causes high glucose levels
6. Fructose or why you need to know the enemy in person
7. The essence of the glycemic index
8. Factors on which the value of the glycemic index depends
9. Foods containing easily digestible carbohydrates
10. Basic principles of low-carbohydrate diets
11. Examples of low carb diets
12. How to properly use carbohydrate energy
13. Easily digestible carbohydrates and active physical activity

Recommended

Recommended

Studies note that inhibition of NO synthetase abolished the inhibitory effect of glucagon-like peptide-1 on small intestinal motility in mice.

Incretins also affect the liver - for example, in mice after the introduction of GLP-1, there was a significant decrease in glucose production in hepatocytes, as well as an increased rate of glycogen synthesis (a reserve supply of carbohydrates - the very airbag for a "rainy day").

Incretins released into the portal vein of the liver can directly affect peripheral tissues - however, this route is somewhat disadvantageous due to their rapid deactivation by blood enzymes. That is why scientists proposed a second mechanism of action - the use of glucose causes the secretion of the intestinal mucosa of GLP-1, which leads to the transmission of impulses along the nerve fibers directly to the brain, and the brain already takes on the role of the conductor entirely, managing glucose metabolism and sending appropriate signals to the working organs.

All these properties of incretins ensure their use in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Scientists in mouse models realized the great potential of this relatively new line of drugs - treatment of pancreatic beta cells significantly improved their sensitivity to glucose levels and their response in the form of insulin release.

What causes high glucose levels?

1. To the development of insulin resistance, and then to type 2 diabetes.

   Insulin resistance is a pathological condition characterized by a loss of sensitivity of cellular receptors to insulin, which circulates tirelessly in the blood in response to food constantly entering the body.

   In fact, the pancreas absolutely does not care: you eat a full meal or have a snack with an apple - it will respond to any intake of glucose (as well as protein) with the secretion of insulin. And everything would be fine if it were not for the harmfulness of the cells, which are bored with watching the same performance. They can also be understood - you, say, after the thirtieth time, when all the lines of "Romeo and Juliet" pop up in your head before they are said by the actors, you are also full of desire to look at the same type of events that unfold on stage: all because you you already know them.

   Just as you lose interest in a repetitive performance, so cells become resistant to the calls of insulin: it has been circulating in the blood for too long, repeating memorized words, and too much. Everything, the patience of receptors burst.

   The doors to glucose are closed - it is forced to remain in the serum.

   However, despite all their stubbornness, the cells also do not intend to starve - after all, this would mean their inevitable death. They begin to independently synthesize glucose from non-carbohydrate raw materials (for example, from amino acids, which will be accompanied by the destruction of muscle proteins) - the process of GLUCONEOGENESIS starts.

2. Laboratory cultivation of retinal pigment epithelium cells, which are involved in creating a barrier between it and circulating blood, showed that conditions with a high glucose content led to increased oxidative stress and thus promoted cell migration. Scientists have suggested that this is partly the relationship between the pathogenesis of retinopathy, macular edema and diabetes.

   Study: High glucose promotes the migration of retinal pigment epithelial cells through increased oxidative stress and PEDF expression

3. A high concentration of glucose stimulates the synthesis of angiotensinogen in the renal tubules, a protein that, through a series of biochemical transformations under the action of specific enzymes, ultimately forms a biologically active substance (angiotensin 2), which has a powerful vasoconstrictor effect, as well as stimulating the synthesis of aldosterone in the adrenal cortex (which causes a delay in sodium and loss of potassium). It generally plays an important role in kidney damage.

   Study: High glucose augments angiotensinogen in human renal proximal tubular cells through hepatocyte nuclear factor-5

4. A high-carbohydrate diet suppresses fatty acid oxidation reactions (and, therefore, energy formation) in favor of their esterification (that is, the formation of esters - in particular, with cholesterol).

   Moreover, increased insulin stimulates fat synthesis by increasing the concentration of one of the key substrates in the sequential chain of biochemical transformations - malonyl-CoA - this may explain the increase in the production of triglycerides by the liver and the decrease in energy obtained from fats.

5. Sorbitol can also be formed from glucose, the excess concentration of which is associated with inhibition of an important mediator in signaling, myoinositol.

6. Since glucose is an osmotically active substance, its increased concentration leads to an intensive release of water from the cells into the extracellular fluid and blood - tissue dehydration develops.

1. High blood glucose levels increase the formation of free radicals, which causes oxidative stress on pancreatic beta cells and further reduces their secretion of insulin, leading to an exacerbation of insulin resistance - the last step before type 2 diabetes mellitus.

2. Glucose interacts with the amino acids of proteins - in other words, it "sugars" them - thus the end products of glycation accumulate (AGE-products is a rather interesting abbreviation, reflecting, in fact, one of the causes, or rather, one of the mechanisms of aging).

   There are cross-links between long-lived proteins - collagen is one of them. In addition to aesthetic defects (for example, wrinkles), the elasticity of blood vessels also decreases (there are also many collagen fibers in their walls).

   On the other hand, this interaction between glucose and proteins has important diagnostic applications. Fructosamine is a "candied" whey protein that displays carbohydrate metabolism over the past 2-3 weeks (the period depends on the period of life and circulation - for albumin it is approximately 19 days).

   The second, no less important indicator is glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), which is formed throughout the life of an erythrocyte (3 months) and thus serves as a longer-term indicator.

Fructose or why you need to know the enemy in person

Fructose has always been associated with health - everyone accepted it as an indisputable fact. After all, fruits, in which it is mainly concentrated, are useful, right and necessary.

Over the past decades, there have been tremendous shifts in the amount of consumption of this monosaccharide: not only because of the availability of products for a wider range of the population, but also because of the active use of it as a sweetener by many manufacturers (after all, it is cost-effective, being more sweet than glucose in 1.5 times). Just think: in the past, a person ate an average of 16 to 20 grams of fructose per day, but now this number has increased to 60-150 grams.

Fructose is used in preservation, preparation of jams, sweet pastes, sweets, cakes, and in the production of many soft drinks.

In food, it can be found in its pure form, or it can be part of sucrose - the usual white or brown sugar. In the small intestine, by means of a specific insulin-independent transporter, it enters the enterocytes, and from there it is sent to the vessels. Its main stop will be the liver - here, undergoing a series of biochemical changes, it, having broken down into two biologically active molecules, is either included in glycolysis (that is, it becomes a raw material for the production of energy in the long run), or goes to the synthesis of lipids or glycogen.

Yes, excess consumption of any carbohydrates will lead to their conversion to fat: the place to store glycogen, our internal pantry inside the liver cells, is very limited in area and volume. However, scientists note: fructose is more lipogenic than the same glucose.

In addition, it should be borne in mind that it does not cause insulin secretion (which served at one time as its use in products for diabetics), as well as the production of leptin - which means that it simply bypasses all saturation pathways. Thus, fruits do not satisfy hunger, but rather enhance its manifestation. From this follows an important rule: they should always be consumed as a dessert, that is, after the main meal.

A clinical study in 12 women showed that a high fructose diet resulted in higher serum triglyceride levels than a high glucose diet. So, another myth is dispelled: fruits also get fat.

But the threat lurks not so much even in the subcutaneous fat, but in the visceral fat - in the very one that wraps around the internal organs with tropical vines, forming a kind of cases.

Insulin is also able to indirectly (through the production of nitric oxide - NO) influence vasodilation (expansion of the lumen of the vessels) - thereby nutrients enter the tissues faster, and the glucose level decreased to optimal values. The researchers hypothesized that the increased concentration of uric acid (a key figure in the mechanisms of gout) suppresses the enzyme that catalyzes the formation of NO, thereby inhibiting this important function of insulin and disrupting glucose homeostasis. They suggested that this phenomenon also plays a role in the development of insulin resistance in people on a high fructose diet (always associated with an increase in the concentration of uric acid in the blood).

In addition, uric acid has been seen to be a biomarker for fatty liver disease. The authors report impressive results: the prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in the Chinese population was significantly higher in individuals with elevated uric acid values ​​compared with their healthy compatriots (24.75% compared with 9.54%).

Experiments conducted with the participation of laboratory animals show that a diet with an increased intake of fructose directly causes kidney dysfunction - for example, rats developed hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, glomerular hypertrophy and a decrease in their ducts.

High salt and fructose intake has been associated with impaired sodium homeostasis in animals, contributing to the development of hypertension.

The essence of the glycemic index

The glycemic index is the concept of classifying carbohydrate-rich foods according to their effect on the postprandial (i.e., occurring after eating) blood glucose response. Simply put, it is an indicator of how carbohydrates ingested with food affect changes in blood glucose levels.

The GI of glucose is conditionally taken as 100 - accordingly, based on this indicator, all products are conditionally divided into several groups:

Very low GI foods (0-20):

• Avocado.

• Cabbage.

• Zucchini.

• Cucumbers.

• Olives.

• Sesame.

• Shrimps.

• Salmon.

• Cod and tuna.

• Beef, turkey and chicken.

• Basil.

• Ginger.

• Sage, rosemary, thyme.

Low GI foods (21-55):

• Eggplant.

• Carrot.

• Seaweed.

• Cherry.

• Pears.

• Kiwi.

• Cranberries, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries.

• Buckwheat, quinoa, brown rice.

Medium GI foods (56-69):

• Corn.

• Beet.

• Millet.

• Apricots.

• Melons.

• Papaya.

• Watermelon.

High GI foods (70 and above):

• Dates.

• White bread.

• Semolina.

• Cookies and ice cream.

However, pay attention to the INSULIN INDEX, which reflects the change in insulin secretion when eating a particular food. So, for example, the GI of milk and red meat is relatively low, while the insulin one is impressive.

Factors on which the value of the glycemic index depends

The glycemic index directly depends on:

• The type of carbohydrate consumed, as well as its amount eaten.

• Origin and variety of the product.

• From the degree of its maturation.

• The amount of fiber in the product.

• The amount of proteins and fats.

• Heat treatment method.

It is believed that the consumption of vegetables rich in dietary fiber reduces the value of the glycemic index and does not cause sharp jumps in the concentration of glucose in the blood.

Products containing carnitine (meat, cream, seafood), which transports fatty acids to mitochondria on its shoulders, increase fat burning processes in the furnaces of our stoves.

It should also be taken into account that the grinding of products leads to an increase in their GI - the smaller their size, the faster the mechanical grinding (in particular, by the thick muscular walls of the stomach - a kind of combine), the breakdown of digestive juices by enzymes, and, consequently, the absorption process itself.

There is evidence that the addition of vegetable oils largely affects the indicators of carbohydrate metabolism: they slow down the absorption of sugars in the intestine.

The method of preparation is no less important: for example, scientists have determined that the heat treatment of starch-containing foods increases their glycemic index.

The consistency of the food consumed also plays a significant role: for example, the speed of solid food passing through the esophagus takes about 8-10 seconds, while liquid food enters the stomach in three seconds.

Foods containing easily digestible carbohydrates

Everyone knows about the harmfulness of, say, white bread, but at the same time, the majority continue to stubbornly assert: “I can’t eat without it.”

Or another, no less striking example is dates, which relatively recently were classified as superfoods and “healthy” alternatives to sugar.

Let's turn to the numbers - after all, ignorance of something has never exempted from responsibility.

Basic principles of low-carbohydrate diets

There are many variations and names of low-carb diets - LCHF (low carb, high fat), paleo and keto diets. As a rule, they differ in acceptable food lists and vary depending on the amount of allowed carbohydrates - the keto diet is the most strict in this regard.

However, each of them is actively and with great pleasure used by nutritionists, having proven themselves with numerous beneficial effects.

1. Obesity and diabetes are among the most common diseases of the twenty-first century (in particular, in Japan, for example, in fifteen years the number of patients has increased from 6.9 to 9.5 million!). In recent years, low-carbohydrate diets have received increasing attention in the context of their treatment, in part because of their direct effect on appetite control.

   Appetite is a physiological mechanism that regulates the intake of various nutrients in the body, which is influenced by various behavioral, biochemical and biological characteristics.

   Thus, ghrelin, known as the hunger hormone, is secreted by the gastric mucosa and acts as a signal that stimulates appetite and, accordingly, induces food intake. Moreover, it also reduces the utilization of lipids by adipose tissue.

   On the contrary, another substance - peptide YY, which is formed in the distal small intestine, as well as in the large intestine, increases the feeling of satiety, thereby reducing appetite.

   A 12-month study notes that a low-carbohydrate diet helps maintain satiety longer (by better maintaining optimal YY peptide levels) than a low-fat diet and thus suggests a more favorable physiological environment for weight loss.

   Study: The Effects of a Low-Carbohydrate Diet on Appetite: A Randomized Controlled Trial

2. A 14-day study of overweight patients suffering from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease showed that a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet was accompanied by a sharp decrease in liver fat, a decrease in lipogenesis (triglyceride synthesis), increased fatty acid oxidation in mitochondria, a rapid increase in folate-producing streptococci. The number of bacteria that decompose carbohydrates (Clostridia, Ruminococcus, Eubacteria), on the contrary, was reduced.

   Scientists observed a significant decrease in the levels of alkaline phosphatase and AST (aspartate aminotransferase) - markers of hepatocyte damage, as well as a decrease in the concentration of circulating insulin and HOMA index (assessing insulin resistance).

   Study: An Integrated Understanding of the Rapid Metabolic Benefits of a Carbohydrate-Restricted Diet on Hepatic Steatosis in Humans

3. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that stimulates and supports the development of nerve cells, helps the central and peripheral nervous systems maintain their plasticity.

   Hyperphagia (an eating disorder manifested by increased appetite and, as a result, an increase in daily caloric intake), obesity, and metabolic imbalance in general are associated with BDNF deficiency in both rodents and humans.

   The study authors note that a typical Western diet, characterized by a high content of fats and carbohydrates, reduces the content of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the hippocampus, while their limited consumption is associated with an increase in the concentration of BDNF in brain structures.

   In addition, physical activity is also associated with increased levels of BDNF in platelets.

   Study: Carbohydrate-restricted Diet and Exercise Increase Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor and Cognitive Function: A Randomized Crossover Trial

4. Type 1 diabetes is a fairly common autoimmune disease characterized by the destruction of pancreatic beta cells that produce insulin. As a result, glucose metabolism is disturbed in patients - it simply cannot enter the cell and circulates aimlessly in the blood, leading to hyperglycemia.

   The standard treatment - the introduction of insulin injections - increases the susceptibility to severe hypoglycemia (when the level of glucose drops significantly in serum), and also contributes to some extent to the development of hyperinsulinemia - no matter how paradoxical, at first glance, it would not sound.

   Recommended

   "Complex Carbohydrates for Weight Loss, Muscle Gain, and Diabetics" Learn More

   Hyperinsulinemia (that is, an increased concentration of insulin in the blood) is associated with weight gain, the development of atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, cancer, and chronic inflammation.

   Recent studies suggest that low-carbohydrate diets help prevent hyperinsulinemia by reducing absolute insulin levels and reducing blood glucose fluctuations.

   They were also associated in a recent, fairly large study of 1020 European outpatients with type 1 diabetes with a decrease in glycated hemoglobin.

   Study: Low-carbohydrate diets for type 1 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review

Examples of low carb diets

THE FIRST DAY

SECOND DAY

DAY THREE

How to properly use carbohydrate energy

1. Choose foods with a low glycemic index.

   Replace fast carbohydrates with slow ones: they do not cause a sharp increase in glucose levels and the same swing-like decline. Pay attention to greens, vegetables and cereals (long cooking).

   Are you addicted to sweet smoothies? Choose an alternative to them by replacing sweet fruits with vegetables or berries! Below are examples of no less tasty, and most importantly healthy drinks:

   Chocolate Strawberry Smoothie:

   • Half an avocado.

   • A handful of strawberries.

   • Cocoa powder or carob.

   • Spinach leaves.

   • Vanilla extract.

   Vegetable Smoothie:

   • Half a cucumber.

   • ½ avocado.

   • ½ lemon.

   • A glass of spinach.

   • ¼ cup parsley.

   • A glass of coconut water.

   Berry smoothie:

   • A glass of favorite berries: cranberries, blueberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries - add more antioxidants.

   • 1 cup almond or coconut milk

   • ½ avocado.

   Keto smoothies:

   • 100 ml heavy coconut cream.

   • Glass of water.

   • A handful of spinach.

   • 1 soft, fresh avocado

   • You can add mint or other favorite, fragrant herbs.

2. Focus on seasonal berries - sources of antioxidants, dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals.

   Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, gooseberries, blackberries, or blueberries—make your own rainbow on your plate without the threat of a faltering carbohydrate swing.

3. Add sources of fiber to your diet.

   Dietary fibers are carbohydrate polymers that are not digested or absorbed in the small intestine: the digestive enzymes of the human body are simply not able to break them down.

   Moreover, fiber is fermented by bacteria in the large intestine, resulting in the formation of metabolites that are useful and usable by our systems and organs. In this case, short-chain fatty acids are formed, which also contributes to an increase in cellular receptors for insulin and inhibition of cholesterol synthesis.

   Insoluble fiber increases the rate of passage of nutrients through the gastrointestinal tract, resulting in decreased absorption of carbohydrates, thereby having a beneficial effect in the prevention or treatment of insulin resistance.

   Being processed much more slowly than other nutrients, fiber contributes to an earlier onset of satiety and, as a result, a decrease in calories consumed.

   A diet rich in dietary fiber caused an absolute decrease in glycated hemoglobin levels, which was achieved with dietary fiber intake in the range of 37.4-42.6 g/day.

   Soluble fiber also increased the rate of bile flow, thereby lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels.

   Study: Impact of High-Carbohydrate Diet on Metabolic Parameters in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

   An excellent source of fiber is psyllium, the psyllium husk. In addition, it is easy to replace the usual flour during the preparation of pancakes - due to its viscosity and ability to stick together, it copes no worse than gluten gluten.

   Break a few eggs into a bowl, add grated and squeezed zucchini, a few slices of cheese, your favorite spices, and one tablespoon of psyllium. Leave the dough for ten minutes, and then slowly fry the fragrant juicy pancakes in the ghee oil that gives off a delicate creamy aftertaste. Done - Delicious green pancakes as a side dish and a great way to unobtrusively eat a serving of fiber.

   Dietary fiber is also rich in:

   • Bran and cereals.

   • Legumes - so, a cup of lentils contains approximately 16 grams of fiber. Beans are quite a bit inferior to her with their 13 grams.

   • Berries and vegetables.

   • Almonds, pistachios and other nuts.

   However, remember the need to soak all cereals, legumes and nuts to partially inactivate the phytic acid contained in them, which disrupts the absorption of many micro and macro elements.

4. Add fats to your diet - they will give you satiety and discard obsessive thoughts about snacking. Avocados, vegetable oils, fatty fish are the key to saturation and beautiful skin.

   Do not be afraid of cholesterol - high-profile theories about its dangers have remained in the past decades. It is a substrate for the synthesis of sex hormones, as well as hormones of the adrenal cortex, which are responsible for adaptation and mineral metabolism.

   Cholesterol is an important element of cell membranes, giving them lability.

5. Pay attention to bitter melon (Momordica charantia) - a plant widely used in Chinese medicine, which has a pronounced antidiabetic activity.

   Biologically active in its composition have an insulin-like effect, thereby stimulating the transport of glucose into the cell.

6. Learn to compromise. Driving yourself into a rigid framework of restrictions is a dubious strategy, doomed in 99% of cases to a fleeting failure.

   Swap the milk chocolate for berries or unsweetened fruit—your taste buds will take quite a bit of time to adjust. We assure you: after a week, your favorite "Milka" will seem unnaturally sweet, cloying and reducing teeth.

   However, it is very, very difficult to completely limit yourself in the conditions of the modern world with its abundance - sometimes allow yourself to relax and eat a piece of your favorite cake. Do not feel guilty, do not compare it with a breakdown and do not try to reproach yourself - proper physical activity and a 90% clean diet will block small, one-time deviations.

7. Plan your diet and stock up on groceries ahead of time. Firstly, it will help you save time - the most valuable resource in the life of a modern person. Secondly, when you have a shopping plan in time or even all the food is prudently arranged in containers, there is less chance of buying and eating something unhealthy.

Easily digestible carbohydrates and active physical activity

Easily digestible carbohydrates are an indispensable product in the diet of athletes: the effectiveness of their addition to the diet confirms the enhanced and intensive recovery of glycogen in the liver after a long and hard (sometimes even exhausting) physical activity. So, energy consumption can reach 4000-6000 kilocalories, and on the days of the competition even exceed this very impressive figure.

So, the replenishment of glycogen stores under normal physiological conditions can take 2 or more days. Therefore, many authors recommend that professional athletes drink carbohydrate-containing drinks immediately after a workout, thereby maintaining an optimal (for the work of enzymes that catalyze the formation of glycogen) glucose level.

Solutions containing high concentrations of sugars improve muscle performance and also increase endurance.

How much to eat is a purely individual question, as is the intensity of classes, as well as the goals pursued. In general, the need of professional athletes is covered by 700-800 grams (from 7 to 10 g per kg of body weight) of carbohydrates per day - while foods with a high glycemic index are recommended to be consumed after prolonged physical exertion, while with an average - directly during them.

At the same time, it is also noted: in order to restore the reserve reserves of glycogen, it is much more efficient and expedient to use glucose and sucrose - the effectiveness of fructose is 50% inferior to them (from the point of view of its metabolism, this is quite understandable: after all, if glucose directly goes to the synthesis of glycogen, then fructose needs first undergo a series of changes - namely, to transform to glucose).

Sources of fast carbohydrates: rice (white), pasta (not hard varieties), bananas (other sweet fruits), dried fruits, jam and honey.