Which carbs are good for you? Find out and tuck in
Carbohydrates are the body’s preferred fuel source, so instead of shunning them, eat the right kind – like wholegrains, pulses, and sweet potato – in moderate quantities
Limiting carbohydrates might be an effective short-term weight-loss strategy, but scientists are discovering it’s perhaps not the best meal plan for a long life.
That’s because not all carbs are created equal, and often people who forgo carbs replace them with more animal proteins. Too much of those can lead to kidney trouble and increase inflammation levels in the body.
Carbs are our bodies’ preferred fuel source, and though eating one type of carb – sugar – can expand your waistline, that’s not true of other sources of carbs like starches and fibre. Our bodies actually can’t absorb dietary fibre at all, so those carbs help us better digest food, keeping bellies satisfied while protecting the body from disease.
Rigorous scientific studies are increasingly showing us that people who eat more fruits, vegetables, and legumes like beans and peas while avoiding processed foods are more likely to live longer, cancer-free lives. A diet rich in whole foods such as plants can’t be super low-carb, but it can be filled with good carbs.
“There’s absolutely nothing more important for our health than what we eat each and every day,” Sara Seidelmann, a cardiologist and nutrition researcher at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, said.
Seidelmann's study of more than 447,000 people around the world found that people who ate a moderate amount of carbs and stuck mainly to plant-based meals lived longer than those who fuelled up on animal proteins or refined carbs.
If you’re wondering which carbs are the best for your body, here are a few dietitian-approved choices:
Wholegrains
