Healthy Spirit E-Module #4

CARBOHYDRATES AND SUGARS

AHA Scientific Position
The American Heart Association recommends that dietary fat be no more than 30 percent of total calories. Reducing dietary fat intake to this level will mean eating slightly more carbohydrates to make up for the difference in calories.

AHA Recommendation
Carbohydrate intake should be 55-60 percent of calories. It's better to eat more complex carbohydrates -- vegetables, fruits and grains -- than simple carbohydrates found in sugars. Complex carbohydrates add more fiber, vitamins and minerals to the diet than foods high in refined sugars. Foods high in complex carbohydrates are usually low in calories, saturated fat and cholesterol. The American Heart Association recommends 25-30 grams of fiber per day.

Substituting carbohydrates for fats may increase triglyceride (tri-GLIS'er-d) levels in some people. It also may lower HDL cholesterol. But this isn't always the case. Population groups such as vegetarians eat a high-carbohydrate diet and their triglyceride levels are normal.

Which foods are sources of complex carbohydrates?

. Starches - Flour, bread, rice, corn, oats, barley, potatoes, legumes, fruits and vegetables

. Fiber - Insoluble: whole-wheat breads and cereals, wheat bran, cabbage, beets, carrots, Brussels sprouts, turnips, cauliflower and apple skin (pectin)

. Fiber - Soluble: oat bran, oats, legumes, citrus fruits, strawberries, apple pulp, psyllium, rice bran and barley

Which foods are sources of simple carbohydrates?

. Sucrose - Table sugar, brown sugar, confectioners sugar, raw sugar and turbinado

. Glucose - Dextrose, corn syrup and glucose syrup

. Fructose - Fruits, vegetables and honey

. High fructose corn syrup - Liquid sweetener that contains 42-90 percent fructose

. Honey - Made up of glucose, fructose and water

. Sugar alcohols - Sorbitol, mannitol, xybitol

. Lactose - milk and milk products

. Maltose, dextrose - cereals and some baked goods

What are the amounts of carbohydrate in grams for various calorie levels?

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