Not just a source of energy, these are 6 benefits of carbohydrates for your body
Carbohydrates include nutrients that are essential for the body which have a main function as the body’s main energy ingredient. These nutrients are divided into two forms, namely simple carbohydrates such as sugar and complex carbohydrates that can be found in various staple foods. Even though today many people tend to limit their carbohydrate intake so that their diet is successful, there are still many benefits of carbohydrates for the body that many people may not know about. So what are the benefits of carbohydrates for body health?
Various benefits of carbohydrates for the body, apart from being a source of energy
1. Provides stored energy
Not only is it the main source, carbohydrates will also be stored as energy reserves. If you eat carbohydrates, but the body feels that it needs enough energy, the excess glucose will be stored in the liver in the form of glycogen.
The liver contains about 100 grams of glycogen, which can be released into the blood to provide energy throughout the body and help maintain normal blood sugar levels between meals.
There are also stored glucose in the muscles, which is called muscle glycogen. However, unlike glycogen in the liver, the glycogen in your muscles can only be used by muscle cells. This glycogen is used during prolonged high-intensity exercise. Each person’s muscle glycogen varies, but about 500 grams.
When you meet the glucose you need and your glycogen stores are full, your body can convert excess carbohydrates into triglycerides and store them as fat.
2. Helps maintain muscle mass
Storing glucose reserves in muscles is very important for muscle health. When one day the body lacks glucose, the muscles must keep working because your daily activities certainly use the body’s muscles. Well, at that time muscle glucose reserves are needed and the muscles will not lack energy at that time.
If the glucose reserves in the muscles are used up, the muscles will take protein for energy. This process of converting protein into energy will affect the body’s muscle mass. Protein is a very important builder of muscle mass, if protein is continued to be used, muscle mass will also decrease.
Of course, this is not a good bodily process, because muscle cells are essential for body movement. Losing muscle mass is associated with poor health and a higher risk of death.
Consuming at least some carbohydrates in the diet is one way to prevent this starvation-related loss of muscle mass. These carbohydrates will reduce muscle breakdown and provide glucose as energy for the brain.
3. Improve digestive health
Not many people know if fiber is included in the carbohydrate group. Yes, the fiber you consume from these vegetables and fruits is indeed good for your digestive system.
Fiber is divided into two, namely soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber is found in nuts and parts in fruits and some vegetables. When it passes through the body, the fiber will absorb water and turn into a gel.
Soluble fiber can improve stool consistency and increase the frequency of bowel movements for people with constipation or constipation. Apart from that, soluble fiber also reduces tension and pain associated with bowel movements.
Meanwhile, insoluble fiber in water will pass directly through the digestive system and does not combine with water. Therefore, most of the insoluble fiber can help the movement of stool in the intestines. This type of fiber is found in whole grains and vegetables. Consuming enough insoluble fiber can also protect against digestive tract diseases.
4. Improve heart health and manage diabetes
Perhaps most of the people think that carbohydrates are the enemy of diabetes and other chronic diseases. But in fact, one of the benefits of complex carbohydrates is to improve heart health and manage diabetes.
Eating lots of refined carbohydrates is very detrimental to your liver health and can increase your risk of diabetes. However, eating foods that are high in fiber can benefit heart health and blood sugar levels.
As soluble fiber passes through the small intestine, it binds to bile acids and prevents them from being reabsorbed. To make more bile acids, the liver uses the cholesterol that should be in the blood.
A study shows that taking 10.2 grams of a soluble fiber supplement called psyllium daily can lower LDL cholesterol by as much as seven percent.
Another study summarized from 22 studies calculated that heart disease risk decreased by about nine percent for every additional seven grams of dietary fiber consumed per day.
Plus, fiber doesn’t raise blood sugar like simple carbohydrates do. In fact, soluble fiber helps delay the absorption of carbohydrates in your digestive tract. This can lead to lower blood sugar levels after eating.
Fiber foods reduce blood sugar levels in people with prediabetes as well as people with type 2 diabetes.
5. Controlling body weight
Carbohydrates are often blamed for increasing body weight, but the truth is that carbohydrates are essential for controlling a healthy weight.
Fiber-rich foods add bulk to your diet, make you feel full faster and satisfy your appetite for longer. High-fiber foods are generally low in calories too, so getting enough fiber can help you lose weight.
It is important that you know the types of carbohydrates you consume. To obtain more optimal benefits, it is necessary to increase the type of complex carbohydrates and reduce the types of simple carbohydrates.
Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
