How to identify the healthiest carbohydrate sources

What sources of carbohydrates are considered healthy

Numerous studies confirmD. Angelino, J. Godos, F. Ghelfi. Fruit and vegetable consumption and health outcomes: an umbrella review of observational studies / Food sciences and nutritionthat the consumption of vegetables and fruits reduces the risk of dangerous diseases, while sugar and sugary drinks, on the contrary, increaseS. Janzi, S. Ramne, E. Gonzalez-Padilla. Associations Between Added Sugar Intake and Risk of Four Different Cardiovascular Diseases in a Swedish Population-Based Prospective Cohort Study / Frontiers in nutrition chances of dying from a heart attack or stroke and threatenHealthy Eating / World Health Organization a set of extra pounds.

WHO gives clear recommendationsHealthy Eating / World Health Organization: at least 400 g of vegetables and fruits per day, no more than 10% of total calories from sugar.

But when it comes to majorThe diet of the population in 2013 / Federal State Statistics Service

The sources of carbohydrates in our diet—bread, potatoes, cereals, and pasta—things get more complicated. And given the sheer variety of foods in this category, determining their health benefits can be a challenge.

How to understand which of the cereal products is better

The main criterion for the benefits of such products can be called the amount of fiber. These are dietary fibers are not digestedM. Oh Weickert, A. Pfeiffer. Impact of Dietary Fiber Consumption on Insulin Resistance and the Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes / The Journal of Nutrition in the body, slow down the process of assimilation of carbohydrate foods and feed beneficial bacteria in the intestines.

According to meta-analyses of scientific papers, a high fiber diet reduces1. L. Liu, S. Wang, J. Liu. Fiber consumption and all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortalities: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. Molecular nutrition and food research
2. M. S. Farvid, N. D. Spence, M. D. Holmes. Fiber consumption and breast cancer incidence: A systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies / Cancer
3. S. Fatahiab, S. S. Matins, M. H. Sohoulic. Association of dietary fiber and depression symptom: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies / Complementary Therapies in Medicine
4. M. Oh Weickert, A. Pfeiffer. Impact of Dietary Fiber Consumption on Insulin Resistance and the Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes / The Journal of Nutrition risk of CVD, type 2 diabetes, certain types of cancer and overall mortality.

The concept is closely related to its quantity. glycemic index (GI). This is a conditional coefficient that shows how quickly the glucose level will rise after eating. As a rule, the lower the GI of a product, the more fiber it contains and the slower it will grow. blood sugar after meal.

The problem with the method is that you have to look at the coefficient in tables, and the values ​​in them are common. For example, if you're choosing between two types of bread or pasta in a store, the GI table won't tell you which one is better.

To clarify, scholars suggestedM. Fontanelli, R. Micha, C. H. sales. Application of the ≤ 10:1 carbohydrate to fiber ratio to identify healthy grain foods and its association with cardiometabolic risk factors / European journal of nutrition use another method - the 10:1:2 rule. This method helps to quickly determine whether the product is useful, focusing on its composition.

What is the meaning of the 10:1:2 rule

It's simple: for every 10 g of carbohydrates in the product, there should be at least 1 g of fiber and no more than 2 g of free sugar.

In a 2020 scientific paper, Brazilian scientists checkedM. Fontanelli, R. Micha, C. H. sales. Application of the ≤ 10:1 carbohydrate to fiber ratio to identify healthy grain foods and its association with cardiometabolic risk factors / European journal of nutritionwhether this metric is linked to healthier eating.

It turned out that people whose diets fit the rule consumed less carbohydrates, saturated fats and sugars and at the same time received more fiber, protein, potassium, iron, selenium, magnesium and zinc. Moreover, they had lower levels of triglycerides and "bad" cholesterol, and sensitivity to insulin - higher than those who chose less useful sources.

In another 2020 experiment, scientists checkedD. Tan, A. N. Olden, A. orengo. An Assessment of Three Carbohydrate Metrics of Nutritional Quality for Packaged Foods and Beverages in Australia and Southeast Asia / Nutrientswhether the 10:1:2 method is suitable for foodstuffs in South Asia and Australia.

It turned out that foods that met this rule had a higher percentage of fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals, less sugar, trans fats, and cholesterol compared to foods that didn't fit within the boundaries. Seen the same in another researchM. Bloomfield A. McConnell, T. Cassetari. Balanced carbohydrate ratios are associated with improved diet quality in Australia: A nationally representative cross-sectional study / PLoS One with data from over 12,000 Australians.

Scientists concluded that the metric helps to quickly determine the quality of products and choose what is really good for health.

How to calculate if a product is useful

Using the 10:1:2 rule is as simple as possible. You just need to divide the total number of carbohydrates (g) by 10, and then see how much fiber and sugar is in the product.

For example, in buckwheat containedRussian Pole Buckwheat / Fatsecret 63 g of carbohydrates. We divide 63 g by 10 and get 6.3 - so many grams of fiber should be in buckwheat for it to be considered healthy. In fact, there is even more dietary fiber in it - 10 g, which means that this porridge can be written down as a good source of carbohydrates. There is no sugar in it at all, so this parameter is also in order.

Now let's repeat the calculations with pasta. In 100 g of paste containedSpaghetti (Without Added Salt, Cooked) / Fatsecret 30 g of carbohydrates and only 1.8 g of fiber - almost half what is needed to consider the product useful. Sahara here 0.56 g is less than the allowed 6 g, so this parameter is in order.

For contrast, take a chocolate donut. In him containedChocolate Frosted Donut / Fatsecret 31 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber and 13 g sugar. That is, there are three times less dietary fiber in it, and twice as much sugar as necessary. You can safely cross it off the list of useful ones.

Try this rule to evaluate your diet, but remember that everything needs a measure. Even healthy cereals and whole grain bread can add extra pounds to you, and fresh vegetables and fruits can cause digestive problems if you overeat and do not take into account the characteristics of your body.