Question about Nutritional facts on carbs

***Sicilian30*** · 10-01-2001, 08:09 PM

Okay, I have a stupid question, and I will try to ask it in a way that most will understand and hopefully can answer. Okay, when you read the back of a nutritional label and it says how many carbs a food substance has. Okay when it says let's take for instance, 30 grams of carbs, then it says sugars 3 grams. Okay does that mean that the 27 grams of carbs are complex and not simple sugar carbs? Can anyone answer this question?

**PaPaPumP** · 10-01-2001, 09:08 PM

Let's take a product that has 30 grams of carbs and 12 sugars. That means there is 18 complex carbs and 12 g sugar for a total of 30. Not all complex carbs are so complex, for instance, baked potatoes are absorbed rather raipdly when still hot, but when it cools off, it loses some of the quickness of being absorbed. Try eating yams or something, that digests more slowly.

P

***Sicilian30*** · 10-02-2001, 05:34 PM

ah ha, so I was right.. see I ain't so dumb.. well except for the magic pill thing. Thanks for clearin that up for me though man.

**Tobey** · 10-02-2001, 07:56 PM

I am working on a series of questions along with a few charts in which you will be able to figure out exactly your caloric intake. How many calories you need to maintain your present weight,how many calories to you need to increase your lean muscle mass, or how many you need to lose weight. I am checking with Jason on copyrite laws ect to see if it is ok to post it. It may help alot instead of the average ratio type of sceems that I have seen posted previously which although may be ok, they can be very missleading and confussing. I know that this is not an answer to your question but your question sparked this post.
Tobey

**Billy Boy** · 10-03-2001, 02:04 AM

The sugar carbs are what is known as simple carbs and these are the sort as BB we tend to stay away from the complex are slower releasing carbs and are the better type

Billy

**edraven29** · 10-03-2001, 06:06 AM

tobey thats amazing thanks a lot and i cant wait for all this info

**dumbells101** · 10-04-2001, 08:50 AM

yeah just because it is a complex carb does not mean it's all good. Rate your foods by their glycemic rating. I avoid most processed foods and most white carb products like white potatoes, white rice etc. Our goal should be to keep blood sugar levels as stable as possoble

**TNT** · 10-04-2001, 09:04 PM

Originally posted by Sicilian30
Okay, I have a stupid question, and I will try to ask it in a way that most will understand and hopefully can answer. Okay, when you read the back of a nutritional label and it says how many carbs a food substance has. Okay when it says let's take for instance, 30 grams of carbs, then it says sugars 3 grams. Okay does that mean that the 27 grams of carbs are complex and not simple sugar carbs? Can anyone answer this question?

First, there are no such things as stupid questions, only stupid people. Of which you are definitely not one of them, since you had the balls to ask the question in the first place. D

With that said, there are two "sub-categories" that appear on nutritional labels under the Carbohydrate heading: fiber and sugars. Let's say that a serving (of anything) has 20 grams of carbohydrates, and under that lists 6 grams of fiber and 8 grams of sugar . . .

That means that of the 20 grams of carbohydrate, 8 grams are sugar and the other 12 grams are complex carbohydrates. The fiber, although listed under the carbohydrate header, is not counted in the total number at all.

"Sugars" usually refers to simple or refined sugars, and they'll burn up fast. Complex carbohydrates turn into sugars, but do so more slowly (and thus burn more slowly). That's why, if you want a quick sugar hit, you do a candy bar, but if you want a slower hit you do something heavy on the complex carbs (like pasta, rice, or a potato). If you were diabetic, for example, and did a candy bar, your sugar might spike within 10 minutes but be down in an hour, while with complex carbs your sugar would spike slowly over several hours.

Incidentally, one area in which energy balance is obvious is in nutritional shakes. Some will show 35 grams of sugar, while others will show 35 grams of protein. Again, the principle is the same: the sugar-based shake will spike your glucose quickly, while the protein-based shake will provide a smoother energy level.

That will be five cents, please . . .