What are simple carbohydrates?

Simple or complex, short- or long-chain, good or bad – what's going on with carbohydrates? They are classified into simple and complex carbohydrates. But what exactly are simple carbohydrates? And are they really as unhealthy as everyone says?
We are venturing into the land of sugar molecules to find the answers.

Your knowledge to go: What are simple carbohydrates?

• Simple carbohydrates, also called short-chain carbohydrates, are Sugar such as fructose, glucose and sucrose.

• They are digested quickly and therefore provide fast energy. This causes blood sugar levels to rise quickly, but also to fall again.

• Foods containing simple carbohydrates include, for example: Fruit, sugary drinks (sodas) & juices) and also sweets.

• Carbohydrates themselves are not unhealthy – quite the opposite: they are one of the main energy sources for our body.
  

What are carbohydrates, explained simply?

Before we can understand what simple carbohydrates are, we first need to clarify what carbohydrates are in general.
Most of us know carbohydrates as one of the three macronutrients: FatProteins, carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates consist of several components:

• carbon

• hydrogen

• oxygen

These substances form sugar molecules. Carbohydrates always consist of a varying number of these molecules in the form of Sugar molecule chains.
Important: All carbohydrates are made up of sugar molecules. However, this doesn't mean that all carbohydrates are sweet or unhealthy – it depends on their structure. We'll discuss this in more detail later.
Here you can see how carbohydrates are structured and how they are classified:

Carbohydrates are found in most foods – plant-based foods such as grains, fruits, legumes, and potatoes are particularly rich in carbohydrates. More on that later, after we've found out what simple carbohydrates are.

Just one more quick question: What are carbohydrates good for?
Carbohydrates provide your body with energy, The body breaks them down and converts them into glucose. Glucose is the primary energy source for our brain! So carbohydrates are truly essential for us. "Low and no carb" diets should therefore be viewed with skepticism! We need energy to survive! And if your body doesn't currently need energy, but you still eat a fruit plate and some bread, your body can convert the carbohydrates into another substance (glycogen) and store them in the muscles and liver – for a rainy day, so to speak. Furthermore, in certain situations, they can even be converted into fat.
The function of carbohydrates summarized in one sentence: They are primarily responsible for the Energy supply and energy storage responsible.

What are simple carbohydrates?

The term "simple carbohydrates" is heard so often that it even haunts my dreams! But what exactly are simple carbohydrates?

As we just learned, sugar molecules are the building blocks of carbohydrates.And these sugar molecules are the key to simple carbohydrates:
This type of carbohydrate contains only one or two sugar molecules. These are then called Monosaccharides and disaccharides. Well-known monosaccharides include, for example: glucose (glucose) and Fructose (Fructose), a well-known disaccharide, is granulated sugar (Sucrose). These carbohydrates are therefore also simply called Sugar!

An important characteristic of simple carbohydrates is that they are mostly deliver energy quickly (That's why they're often called fast-acting carbohydrates). The body can break down and utilize these molecules very quickly, thus deriving energy from them, because carbohydrates are not very complex but have a very simple structure. You know this from your everyday life: A pile of dishes consisting of just a few pots can be washed away much faster than a chaotic mix of plates, cutlery, pots, and pans that has been piling up for several days.
This means that glucose quickly enters the bloodstream and the Blood sugar levels rise quickly and sharply, but also fall again They let it happen. It's said that they have a high glycemic index (GI). The higher this value (which is influenced by several factors), the faster the blood sugar level rises after eating. Important: Even though that sounds really good (who doesn't want quick energy?!), there are some problems associated with the properties of simple carbohydrates – we'll clarify that in the section: Are carbohydrates bad?

What are simple carbohydrates in food? Foods containing simple carbohydrates include, for example, fruit and sugary drinks (sodas). & Juices) and also sweets.

Simple vs complex carbohydrates

Okay, we now know what simple carbohydrates are. But what are complex carbohydrates?

Table: What are simple carbohydrates and what are complex carbohydrates?

Incidentally, there are also dietary fibers, which are also a type of carbohydrate. However, they are in a way their own small group. They are very complex and are found in foods such as legumes and vegetables.

This Comparison This shows why carbohydrates are often referred to as different groups:

• fast and slow carbohydrates

• simple and complex carbohydrates

• short-chain and long-chain carbohydrates

So if you ask the question "What are simple carbohydrates?", you might as well ask what are fast carbohydrates.
However, we also increasingly hear about healthy and unhealthy carbohydrates, or good and bad carbohydrates. But what's the truth? We're getting to the bottom of it!

Are carbohydrates bad?

Basically, carbohydrates are extremely important for our bodies and not inherently bad, although many people who are looking into what simple carbohydrates are initially think that way.
However, there is actually some truth to the distinction between good and bad carbohydrates: Complex carbohydrates are often considered healthy They are described as complex because their breakdown in the body takes time, and the energy is released slowly and gently. Furthermore, foods with complex carbohydrates often contain additional vitamins, minerals, etc.
Simple carbohydrates are often considered unhealthy described because...

. ...they can cause blood sugar levels to rise and fall rapidly and significantly.

. ...they can lead to increased appetite (due to the rapid rise and fall of blood sugar levels).

. ...foods that provide simple carbohydrates often provide few other nutrients such as vitamins.

Particularly refined carbohydrates, Highly processed carbohydrates, from which fiber and nutrients have been removed, are therefore considered critical viewed. This includes white flour products, sugary drinks and snacks such as chips.

One might now think that Simple carbohydrates are always bad are and should definitely be avoided. But it's not that simple! ;)
Because it always depends on the total nutrient content of a food: How much fiber, vitamins, etc., does the product contain? The best example: fruit. I don't think we need to discuss whether fruit is healthy or unhealthy. Fruits also contain vitamins, minerals, and fiber. So, just like in school, there are always exceptions.
Furthermore, sometimes one wants to do exactly that. "bad" qualities of simple carbohydrates take advantage of: For example, if you quick energy before sports Simple carbohydrates are a good choice when you need them. They can also quickly provide relief if your blood sugar level is low.
Furthermore, many of us simply find foods with simple carbohydrates delicious. They taste good and we enjoy them. And that, too, is an important part of nutrition – it should be healthy. have fun, To be sociable and pamper our soul.

The right way: Balance

It's simply important to pay attention to balance, both on your plate and in life in general. If you eat a sweet treat after a balanced meal, the simple carbohydrates have less of an impact on your body, as they only make up a small part of the meal, and the rest can counteract the effects of the sugar.
The same applies in life: Many follow the 80:20 rule, which means that they are 80% "Healthy" eating and in 20% of cases also consume unhealthy foods.

Carbohydrate-rich foods

Wow, suddenly the whole topic became quite complex – almost as complex as the carbohydrates in legumes. Don't worry, it's about to get simpler again. When considering what simple carbohydrates are, you naturally wonder sooner or later where they (and all other carbohydrates) are found.

So, to put it simply: What has a lot of carbohydrates?

Here are some foods with a high carbohydrate content per 100g – our "Carbohydrate in Food Table":

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And now do it all again, but only with simple carbohydrates.
Our top 10 simple carbohydrate list:

• White sugar – 100 g sugar

• Honey – approx. 82 g sugar per 100 g

• Candied fruit – approx. 70-80 g sugar per 100 g

• Dates (dried) – approx. 75 g sugar per 100 g

• Fruit gums and candies – approx. 60-80 g sugar per 100 g

• Maple syrup – approx.60-67 g sugar per 100 g

• Agave syrup – approx. 60g sugar per 100g

• Raisins (dried) – approx. 59 g sugar per 100 g

• Figs (dried) – approx. 48 g sugar per 100 g

• Sweetened condensed milk – approx. 45-55 g sugar per 100 g

Wow, that's really cute! What are your favorite simple carbohydrates? Let us know.

How many carbohydrates per day?

The question of how many carbohydrates are recommended per day probably arises now. The German Nutrition Society (DGE) recommends that more than 50% of daily calories from carbohydrates These should come primarily from complex carbohydrates, of course. Many aim for around 55% carbohydrates. With a calorie intake of 2000 kcal, that's about 275 g of carbohydrates.
Sugar should no more than 10% of calorie intake, That amounts to about 50g per day. And if you recall what simple carbohydrates are, you'll know that's exactly what's meant.

Some people also eat Low Carb. A low-carb diet drastically reduces carbohydrate intake and instead increases protein and fat consumption. However, this diet is often criticized.

Conclusion

Carbohydrates = sugar? Well, in a way, yes. All carbohydrates consist of sugar molecules, and many are broken down into glucose in the body (some also into fructose or galactose). But that doesn't mean they're inherently unhealthy! They're a great source of energy. important energy supplier for our body. A conscious selection of carbohydrates (like whole grain products and vegetables) has no drastic effect on blood sugar levels, tastes good and provides nutrients.
But a small treat with simple carbohydrates is perfectly acceptable once in a while!

By the way: In case you're wondering what carbs are: Carbs in German means carbohydrates. So they're simply carbohydrates. Maybe instead of "What are simple carbohydrates?" we should call the blog post "What are simple carbs?"... for international acclaim and all that.

Do you have any questions? Then feel free to write me a message. Mail - I look forward to hearing from you! :)

The information shared in this article does not replace individual medical or nutritional advice.

literature & Sources

1. Biesalski, HK; Bischoff, S. & Puchstein, C. (ed.) (2010). Nutritional Medicine. According to the new curriculum in nutritional medicine of the German Medical Association. Chapter 5: Carbohydrates.

2. Bechthold, A. (2011). Guideline Carbohydrates Compact. Carbohydrate intake and prevention of selected diet-related diseases.

3. DGE (o.J. Reference value for carbohydrates.