Benefits of carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the first to get blamed when someone gains weight. Weight watchers think of reducing rice, wheat, beans or legumes wherever he or she thinks of reducing weight. However, it is necessary to understand that not all carbohydrates are bad. In fact, if chosen carefully, carbohydrates can give you many health benefits other than just reducing weight and therefore carbohydrates have a rightful place in any diet.

Carbohydrates provide energy required for your daily activities. Apart from providing energy, they also have other benefits.

• Provide Energy

All your activities need energy. Even a simple activity like walking or even breathing needs energy. The main source of energy required for your daily requirements comes from glucose. The source of glucose is from the starches and sugars you eat. Starches and sugars get broken down to simple sugar with help of insulin during the process of digestion. Glucose is then enters the cell wall. The extra sugar available from food gets stored muscles, liver, or other parts of your body. This then gets converted in fat later.

• Prevent Diseases

The fibrous food provides your ammunition for fighting certain diseases like type 2 diabetes and obesity. Fiber also helps indigestion and keeping the cholesterol and the heart diseases under control. The fiber can be obtained from whole grains and dietary fiber. Exercise control and proper intake of calories can prevent many diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart related problems. Low fat, low cholesterol carbs can eliminate or reduce heart related diseases.

• Control Weight

The carbohydrates get blamed for weight gain, but the fact is they can help you in reducing or controlling weight if done properly. The thinking that reduction in intake of carbs is the only solution to reducing weight is fallacious. Proper selection of your carbs in fact helps you in reducing weight early. The proper diet of fruits, vegetables, and fibrous foods actually help you in weight loss. Diets rich in carbohydrates can be helpful in reducing weight and controlling muscle tones in sharp contrast with fad diets would like you to believe.