What are carbohydrates? Basic knowledge and recommended products you should know for a healthy lifestyle
The human body is made up of the food we eat. For this reason, in order to maintain good health, it is important to acquire the correct knowledge of nutrition and pay attention to what we eat every day. In particular, it is necessary to have a good understanding of carbohydrates, which are one of the three major nutrients and provide the energy for the brain and body.
This article explains the basics of carbohydrates, the risks of consuming too much, and ways to avoid excessive intake. It also introduces delicious low-carbohydrate foods, so please refer to it if you want to lead a lifestyle that does not consume too much carbohydrate.
What are carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates are a type of nutrient. Here we will explain the definition and role of carbohydrates, their types, and the risks of excessive intake.
Carbohydrates are a part of carbohydrates, and the generic term for carbohydrates minus dietary fiber. Carbohydrates are one of the three major nutrients, along with proteins and fats, and are used as a source of energy in the body. Carbohydrates are easily digested and absorbed, but dietary fiber is characterized by its difficulty to be digested.
When carbohydrates are broken down in the body, they become glucose, which is used as an energy source for the brain and the body. Glucose is the energy source that makes the brain work, and if there is a shortage of glucose, thinking ability and attention span will decline. A shortage of glucose can also cause you to tire easily, so it can be said that glucose is an essential nutrient for life.
However, consuming too much sugar can have a negative impact on your health. For this reason, it is important to consume the right amount of sugar as an energy source.
Types of Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are divided into categories such as monosaccharides, polysaccharides, oligosaccharides, and sugar alcohols, depending on the size and properties of their molecules. The following table summarizes the properties and examples of each type of carbohydrate.
Types of Carbohydrates
|
Type |
Property |
Example |
||
|
Monosaccharide |
●The smallest unit of sugar |
● Glucose (dextrose) |
||
|
oligosaccharide |
Disaccharide |
Sugar formed by the combination of two monosaccharides |
● Sucrose |
|
|
- |
● Sugar with three or more but less than ten monosaccharides bound to it |
oligosaccharide |
||
|
polysaccharide |
digestible polysaccharide |
Sugar composed of 10 or more monosaccharides |
● Starch |
|
|
Indigestible polysaccharide |
● Pectin |
|||
|
Sugar alcohol |
● Made by processing sugar |
● Xylitol |
||
|
Other |
- |
● Aspartame |
||
The sweetness, antiseptic properties, water retention, viscosity, etc. of carbohydrates differ depending on the type of carbohydrate.
Examples of foods that contain a lot of carbohydrates are grains and foods made from grains, such as rice and bread. Vegetables such as pumpkin, corn and lotus root, and potatoes and sweet potatoes also contain a lot of carbohydrates. While fruits are rich in vitamins and dietary fiber, you need to be careful not to eat too much, as you may end up taking in too much fructose or sucrose. Sweets generally contain a lot of grains and sugar, and so they contain a lot of carbohydrates.
Risks of excessive carbohydrate intake
As mentioned above, carbohydrates are an essential source of energy for the brain and body, but at the same time, we need to be careful about the risks of excessive intake. If you take in more carbohydrates than you need, it can cause weight gain and obesity. This is because carbohydrates that are not used as energy are converted into fat in the body.
Excessive intake of carbohydrates can also lead to diabetes and lifestyle-related diseases. When carbohydrates are consumed, blood sugar levels rise in the body and insulin is secreted by the pancreas. Insulin is a hormone that lowers blood sugar levels. Insulin transports carbohydrates in the blood to the muscles and internal organs, and any excess is converted into fat.
Normally, blood sugar levels return to normal within a couple of hours after eating, so there is no problem. However, if you consume a large amount of carbohydrates, your blood sugar levels will rise rapidly and you may not be able to lower them as effectively. If you repeatedly experience rapid fluctuations in your blood sugar levels, your risk of developing diabetes will increase. You may also be at risk of developing lifestyle-related diseases or suffer from atherosclerosis due to damage to your blood vessels.
Tricks for avoiding excessive carbohydrate intake
The following are some ways to avoid consuming too much carbohydrate.
- Understand the amount of carbohydrates you are consuming
- Maintain a balanced diet
- Choose foods that contain low levels of carbohydrates
We will explain each of these in turn.
In order to prevent excessive intake of carbohydrates, it is necessary to correctly understand the amount of carbohydrates in food. The packaging and food labels will be useful for understanding the amount of carbohydrates in food. However, even if the food is labeled as “zero carbohydrates” or “zero sugars”, it is necessary to be careful that it may still contain some of the relevant nutrients.
The terms “zero” and “off” in relation to nutritional content are sometimes referred to as “emphasis labels”. This is because the Food Labelling Standards allow the use of the term “zero” if the amount of sugar or carbohydrates contained in 100g of food or 100ml of drink is less than 0.5g. In addition, although the Food Labelling Standards stipulate the use of the terms “sugar-free”, “sugar-off” and “sugars-off” when labeling products, there are no clear rules for the use of the term “sugars-off”. Since these labels only indicate that the product contains less sugar than a comparison product, it is important to choose foods after understanding the meaning of each label.
According to the Dietary Reference Intakes for Japanese published by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the appropriate intake of carbohydrates is 50-65% of total energy intake, regardless of age or gender. For example, if the energy requirement for the day is 2,000 kcal, 50% of that is 1,000 kcal, and 65% is 1,300 kcal. Carbohydrates are calculated as “1g = 4 kcal”. 1,000 kcal is 250g of carbohydrates, and 1,300 kcal is 325g of carbohydrates.
Balancing your diet
When thinking about a healthy diet, it is necessary to balance the nutrients you consume. For example, you could try incorporating low GI foods or increasing your intake of dietary fiber.
The GI (glycemic index) is an indicator that shows how blood sugar levels rise in response to food. Eating high GI foods causes blood sugar levels to rise rapidly, and if you eat them too often, it is said that they can cause obesity and diabetes.
Examples of foods with a high GI among carbohydrates include white rice, rice cakes, bread, French bread, bean-jam buns, and potatoes. Examples of foods with a low GI include brown rice, wholemeal bread, soba noodles, vermicelli, All-Bran, and sweet potatoes. To maintain a balanced diet, try to actively include low-GI foods in your diet.
Dietary fiber is a type of carbohydrate that is not digested or absorbed in the small intestine. As it is a food component that reaches the large intestine, it is useful for relieving constipation, and it is also said that if you consume a certain amount of it, it can be effective in preventing obesity, high blood pressure, and colon cancer. As the amount of dietary fiber consumed by Japanese people is thought to be on the decrease, it is a nutrient that you should be sure to get in your daily diet.
Choose foods that are low in carbohydrates
To avoid consuming too much sugar, choose foods that are low in carbohydrates. Foods that are low in carbohydrates include vegetables, meat, fish, eggs and dairy products. If you eat a diet that focuses on vegetables, meat, fish, eggs and dairy products, you can reduce your intake of carbohydrates and make sure you get enough vitamins and protein. The following are some examples of specific foods.
Vegetables
- Radish
- Tomato
- Chinese cabbage
- Spinach
- Chinese cabbage
- Lettuce
- Broccoli
- Mushrooms
Vegetables and leafy vegetables that are high in water content are low in carbohydrates.
Meat, fish and eggs
- Chicken
- Pork
- Beef
- Fish
- Eggs
Meat, fish and eggs are low in carbohydrates, but the amount of carbohydrates can increase depending on how they are cooked. If they are seasoned with sugar or fried in batter, the amount of carbohydrates will increase.
【Dairy products】
- Milk
- Yogurt
- Cheese
that have added sugar, as these will have a high carbohydrate content.
If you are looking for low-carbohydrate ingredients, we recommend “NATUVIEW”
Even if you try to eat low-sugar foods, it will be difficult to continue if they don't taste good. We recommend “NATUVIEW” for low-sugar foods. NATUVIEW” puts a lot of effort into creating products that balance deliciousness and sugar, so you can enjoy healthy foods.
The reason why the foods from NATUVIEW are so delicious is that they bring out the best in the ingredients they use, and they avoid using additives as much as possible. They don't just focus on reducing the amount of sugar, but also on the taste, and they develop and sell low-sugar ingredients that are also delicious. From here, we will introduce some of NATUVIEW's recommended products.
Low-sugar cakes with a focus on sweetness
If you like sweets, you may also like cakes. However, cakes generally contain a lot of sugar, so eating them can result in you taking in a lot of carbohydrates. NATUVIEW sells low-sugar cakes, so they are recommended as sweets for special occasions. Here we will introduce some of the cakes NATUVIEW recommends.
chocolate cake
This is a low-sugar chocolate gateau. It is made using fresh eggs and grass-fed butter, and we are particular about the ingredients we use. It is gluten-free because it does not contain any wheat flour. It also does not contain any margarine or shortening.
The moist texture and exquisite flavor make this a highly satisfying treat. The high-quality packaging also allows you to attach a message card, making it a great gift.
Nutritional Information
|
Nutritional components |
per can |
|
Carbohydrates |
0.8g |
|
Energy |
883 kcal |
|
Protein |
12.4g |
|
Fat |
81.6g |
|
Carbohydrates |
47.0g |
|
Dietary fiber |
11.5g |
|
Equivalent to salt content |
0.2g |
Basque cheesecake
This is a cheesecake made with a generous amount of cream cheese. Basque cheesecake is a cheesecake that originated in the Basque region of Spain, and is characterized by its toasted surface and bittersweet flavor. The outside is fragrant, and the inside has a melt-in-your-mouth texture. You can also enjoy it with jam or maple syrup.
When the carbohydrate content of a typical Basque cheesecake is assumed to be 89.5%, the carbohydrate content of NATUVIEW's Basque cheesecake is 19.0g, so it can be said that the carbohydrate content is reduced by about 78%. It is a rich-tasting dessert that goes well with champagne, and is a dish for adults.
Nutritional Information
|
Nutritional components |
per can |
|
Carbohydrates |
19.0g |
|
Energy |
2,139 kcal |
|
Protein |
38.1g |
|
Fat |
204.6g |
|
Carbohydrates |
87.8g |
|
Dietary fiber |
46.8g |
|
Equivalent to salt content |
1.5g |
Low-sugar baked goods that retain their flavor and aroma for a long time
Madeleine (plain)
These madeleines are made with almonds and grass-fed butter. In addition to the plain variety, there is also a tea flavor. The soft and moist texture is very appealing. Like the scones, each one is measured to the nearest gram, so the sugar content is consistent.
Nutritional Information
|
Nutritional components |
per piece |
|
Carbohydrates |
3.7g |
|
Energy |
107 kcal |
|
Protein |
1.5g |
|
Fat |
9.1g |
|
Carbohydrates |
11.5g |
|
Dietary fiber |
6.2g |
|
Equivalent salt content |
0.1g |
Low-sugar ice cream that helps to control blood sugar levels
Even if you are trying to eat a diet low in carbohydrates, there will be times when you just want to eat ice cream, such as on hot days or when you want to refresh yourself. NATUVIEW has low-sugar ice cream that is recommended as a snack or a dessert after a meal. Here we will introduce the ice cream recommended by NATUVIEW.
Vegan ice cream - Coconut milk
Low-sugar ice cream that helps to control blood sugar levels
Even if you are trying to eat a diet low in carbohydrates, there will be times when you just want to eat ice cream, such as on hot days or when you want to refresh yourself. NATUVIEW has low-sugar ice cream that is recommended as a snack or a dessert after a meal. Here we will introduce the ice cream recommended by NATUVIEW.
Vegan ice cream - Coconut milk
|
Nutritional components |
per piece |
|
Carbohydrates |
10.5g |
|
Energy |
138 kcal |
|
Protein |
1.1g |
|
Fat |
13.3g |
|
Carbohydrates |
13.6g |
|
Dietary fiber |
3.1g |
|
Equivalent to salt content |
0.0g |
Premium ice cream - Hojicha
This is an ice cream that lets you enjoy the flavor of fragrant roasted green tea. Other flavors include matcha, caramelized nuts, blueberry yogurt, chocolate, and rich milk. Like the vegan ice cream, this one also contains alrose. Alrose is a rare sugar that is said to be a valuable food ingredient that has no calories, suppresses rises in blood sugar levels, and enhances fat burning.
|
Nutritional components |
per piece |
|
Carbohydrates |
13.2g |
|
Energy |
112 kcal |
|
Protein |
3.2g |
|
Fat |
8.0g |
|
Carbohydrates |
16.1g |
|
Dietary fiber |
2.9g |
|
Equivalent to salt content |
0.1g |
If you want to eat deliciously while keeping your carbohydrate intake down, try “NATUVIEW”
Carbohydrates are an essential nutrient for life, but if you consume too much of them, it can have a negative impact on your health. In the modern lifestyle, it is not uncommon to consume too much carbohydrate without realizing it. This is because many delicious foods such as bread and sweets tend to contain a lot of carbohydrates. In order to maintain good health and live each day with vitality, it is necessary to acquire nutritional knowledge and think about what you eat.
If you want to enjoy delicious food while keeping your carbohydrate intake down, we recommend the foods from “NATUVIEW”. They have a wide range of products that are low in carbohydrates but still taste great. If you find any of the products introduced in this article interesting, why not try incorporating them into your daily diet?