What do carbohydrates do for us? | Weight Loss Expert

What do carbohydrates do for us?

Did you ever wonder, what do carbohydrates do for our bodies? Of all carbohydrates, bio molecules carbohydrates are the most abundant. They serve many different purposes including the transportation and storage of our energy and structural components and also play a key role in our immune systems.

You may also wonder what do carbohydrates do as far as nutrition is concerned. Although carbohydrates are not essential nutrients in our bodies they are the most common source of energy. Proteins and fats provide the body with energy also but the brain needs glucose for energy because it is not able to burn fat. Some foods that are high in carbohydrates include pastas, rice, breads, beans, potatoes, and cereals. Because there is risk for obesity and heart disease it is recommended that people get between 40 to 60 percent of dietary energy from foods rich in carbohydrates.

Some people are not sure whether carbohydrates make them fat. This is not true as long as you have a balanced diet, exercise regularly, and eat in moderation. So next time your eating that sandwich you may stop to think about what do carbohydrates do and start up a nice conversation with your friend who also may be interested to know what do carbohydrates do.

47 Responses to “What do carbohydrates do for us?”

  1. What do carbohydrates do for us? | Weight Loss Expert…

    Did you ever wonder, what do carbohydrates do for our bodies? Of all carbohydrates…

  2. Invisalign Atlanta on March 19th, 2009 at 8:22 am

    From what I know carbohydrates are not that great for your body. In fact most carbohydrates actually do get stored as fat in the body as most people are not exercising at the level they should be. I’ve seen many people drop their carbo intake and get some very good results with that.

  3. Carbs are very important for energy as the carbs are broken down into glucose. It’s for that same reason that you shouldn’t overdo it because then you end up with a lot of glucose in your body!

  4. Free Diet Plans on March 23rd, 2009 at 8:06 am

    Well, I have to say that carbs make me very fat, and I feel much better without the sugar and starch and only eating low carb vegies.

    Free Diet Plans’s last blog post..Diet Tips - 14 Ways to Stay on Track with a Diet Plan

  5. Foods to Avoid in IBS on March 24th, 2009 at 1:53 pm

    They are short-chain carbohydrates that are often problematic: fructose (in honey, fruits, and foods with added HFCS), lactose (in dairy), sorbitol (stone fruits, “low calorie” foods), xylitol, maltitol, and other polyols, fructans (in what and onions), and galactans (in legumes).

    Above substances often cause bloating and diarrhea in IBS, fructose malabsorption, lactose intolerance, and may aggravate symptoms in celiac or Crohn’s disease.

    Foods to Avoid in IBS’s last blog post..What Causes Mucus in Bowel Movement?

  6. Our business has just gotten a new execise machine to help us with our weight loss. There are good carbs and bad carbs. Of course if we’d avoid the bad carb our weight loss would be a piece of cake. I find avoiding flour, pastas, sugars and drinking at least 80 to 100 ozs of water my weight loss speeds up.

  7. Fat Loss 4 Idiots Review on March 31st, 2009 at 5:42 pm

    There are good carbs and bad carbs, people should know how to make the difference. Thanks for sharing :)

  8. Adjuvant Chemotherapy on April 1st, 2009 at 7:11 am

    Good article to remind people that carbohydrates are quite a complex topic. I’ve never been clear on whether the claim that a calorie of carbohydrate is different from a calorie of protein is true? There aren’t many ways to test this, except perhaps in an omnivorous animal model experiment: take two animals (or groups of them), feed one only carbs, and the other only protein, while keep the calories equivalent. Then measure weight over time.

    Adjuvant Chemotherapy’s last blog post..Beyond chemotherapy

  9. Mercola Natural Health on April 2nd, 2009 at 7:19 am

    I’m not sure we have the same opinion of carbohydrates. Nice post nonetheless.

    Mercola Natural Health’s last blog post..Toxic Additive in Shrimp May Increase Breast Cancer Risk

  10. Sugar and glucose contribute more to create fat than carbs, but as you said is ok to eat carbs in a balanced way

  11. how to lose pounds on April 4th, 2009 at 4:06 pm

    People have to stop thinking that carbs are evil and realize that we cannot function without them. If they only understood them more they would know when to eat them and use that knowledge to help them with their weight loss goals. So thanks for helping with that with your post!

  12. Black Womens Health on April 5th, 2009 at 8:07 pm

    Carbs do make you fat and that’s because the “normal”" American diet is carb heavy and not the good kind either.

    If more folk were eating fruits and vegetables then they’d get the benefits of carbs instead of all the extra sugar and yes..fat that comes from consuming the bad carbs.

  13. quick ways to lose weight on April 6th, 2009 at 3:25 am

    I always advise people to cut the carbs when they start a weight loss plan, but mostly you need to watch out for the simple carbs that are usually white, like pasta or white bread. You can try switching to whole wheat pasta if you can’t cut out the carbs completely.

    quick ways to lose weight’s last blog post..Quickest Way To Lose Weight

  14. last ned filmer on April 6th, 2009 at 7:26 pm

    Very interesting post, I love the information here:) Carbs are not my best friend, but I learned how to stay away from the bad stuff in my diet:)

  15. It’s true the brain can’t burn fat for fuel, but the body absolutely Can turn fat into fuel the brain can burn. If you search for information on Ketogenic diets, you will find much information on the subject.

  16. Alcohol rehab on April 14th, 2009 at 7:31 pm

    Carbs are like a necessary evil. Honestly, when I am starving I look for foods that are high in carbs just to give me that feeling like I ate alot!

  17. Healthy Diets on April 16th, 2009 at 3:25 pm

    Hi Rachiel,

    This is a nice perspective on carbohydrates.
    It is such a controversial topic these days, isn’t it?

    What you say about having everything in balance is really the best advice of all.

    I guess carbs can’t be all that bad as the Irish lived solely on potatoes during the famous “potato famine”.

    John Baril

  18. Medical Transcription Course on April 18th, 2009 at 8:51 am

    Foods high in carbohydrates include breads, pastas, beans, potatoes, bran, rice and cereals. Most such foods are high in starch. Carbohydrates require less water to digest than proteins or fats and are the most common source of energy in living things. Proteins and fat are necessary building components for body tissue and cells and are also a source of energy for most organisms.

  19. Weight Loss Hypnosis on April 20th, 2009 at 1:48 am

    Being diabetic I cannot ingest too many carbs…they cause my blood sugar to go through the roof. I’m not just talking about the ‘bad carbs’ but also the good ones such as high fiber breads. I eat mostly vegetables, which I love as well as throwing in some fish or chicken once in awhile. I’m glad summer’s here because there’s an abundance of fresh veggies to choose from!

    Weight Loss Hypnosis’s last blog post..Weight Loss Via Hypnosis - Don’t Worry, Be Happy

  20. Pain In Shoulder on April 23rd, 2009 at 6:11 am

    Thanks for the post. Carbs are the hardest part of my diet. I can’t find the right balance to keep my energised and awake all day without loading on fat, even if it’s really really slowly. I suppose I just have to keep them slightly higher, but exercise more to avoid the fat.

  21. Organic Spices on April 24th, 2009 at 4:54 am

    Thanks for adding some good advice here.

  22. feeling relief and relax for carbohydrates, now we can eat carbohydrates products or vegetables fearless.

  23. Colloidal Silver on April 24th, 2009 at 9:31 pm

    Thanks for the info. I tend to eat a lot of carbs and its good to know that they serve some function.

  24. Tips for Girls on April 25th, 2009 at 9:49 pm

    The carbohydrates are good for our body, and like all other when you exaggerate is not good.

    Tips for Girls’s last blog post..6 tips to kill flu

  25. The Quickest Way To Lose Weight on April 30th, 2009 at 3:24 am

    This is the second time I have visited your What do carbohydrates do for us? | Weight Loss Expert blog and found an interesting article perfectly matching what I was searching for so I decided to add your feed to my RSS Reader. Thanks for all your hard work.

  26. Muscle Milk Review on April 30th, 2009 at 11:05 pm

    Carbs are overrated and are not necessary to live. On the other hands protein and fats are essentials though. To lose fat cut carbs eat good quality protein and fats. Eat lots of veggies.

  27. amor contactos on May 7th, 2009 at 4:44 am

    Thanks for the info.Is it also true that carbs are a cause for weight gain?Or is that calories?

  28. Carbs make me very fat, and I feel much better without the sugar and starch

  29. I can say that carbs are really necessary !!!

    nice blog though :)

  30. Herbs and Supplements on May 14th, 2009 at 6:28 am

    Greetings,

    Very well said.. I do agree with that carbohydrates does not really the caused of obesity. Regularly exercise and proper diets are the proper way to avoid obesity. By the way, good insights about giving the wrong misconception about carbohydrates. keep it up.

  31. Carbohidrates are good in moderation like everything else..i try to avoid them as much as i can,,i try to eat one carbohidrate a day small amount and that gives me the necessary intake and enough evergy to go through the day.

  32. @Isabelle…I totally agree. Being that I’m diabetic and a low carb diet is the only one that allows me to keep my blood sugar in check I’ve done a lot of research on this. We don’t NEED carbs. If you’re going to be eating carbs go with fruits and vegetables and more vegetables than fruits.

    Maureen’s last blog post..Visualization and Weight Loss - Seeing is Becoming

  33. apartamentos on May 18th, 2009 at 9:11 pm

    Excellent Post. Thanks

  34. apartamentos on May 18th, 2009 at 9:11 pm

    Good article to remind people that carbohydrates are quite a complex topic. I’ve never been clear on whether the claim that a calorie of carbohydrate is different from a calorie of protein is true? There aren’t many ways to test this, except perhaps in an omnivorous animal model experiment: take two animals (or groups of them), feed one only carbs, and the

  35. Wedding Favors on May 19th, 2009 at 5:53 pm

    Aside from potatoes, whole grain bread is a good source of carbohydrates. You can see ladies who are on a diet eating whole grain often than any other carbo-rich foods. As stated “carbohydrates provide the body with fuel it needs for physical activity and for proper organ function, and they are an important part of a healthy diet’. We all need carbo to energize us in our daily workload and definitely need this in planning everything in our life.

  36. Shop Supplements on May 21st, 2009 at 1:13 am

    Not all carbohydrates are created equal. The ones lower on the glycemic index are better for every other time than after workouts. Sweet potatoes and green leafy vegetables are some examples

  37. dental products on May 21st, 2009 at 2:55 am

    Carbohydrates are an ideal source of energy for the body. This is because they can be converted more readily into glucose, the form of sugar that’s transported and used by the body, than can proteins or fats.

    Even so, a diet too high in carbohydrates can upset the delicate balance of your body’s blood sugar level, resulting in fluctuations in energy and mood that leave you feeling irritated and tired.

    It is better to balance your intake of carbohydrates with protein, a little fat and fibre.

  38. Anti Aging Skin Care on May 21st, 2009 at 7:28 am

    This post me reminded me of my school days! Not been in touch with all these stuff for years! When I think of carbo now I think of energy!

    Ah the ATP days.

  39. Jane Anderson on May 22nd, 2009 at 8:13 am

    that’s why i lover food that was rich in carbohydrates like potato. thanks for sharing.

  40. Mesotheliomapatient on May 25th, 2009 at 8:00 pm

    Yeah !
    Carbs are very important for energy as the carbs are broken down into glucose. It’s for that same reason that you shouldn’t overdo it because then you end up with a lot of glucose in your body!

  41. Tom from Green Tea Benefits on May 28th, 2009 at 1:37 pm

    Thats for sharing your knowledge, there is so much miss information on this topic around. I agree with the comment above its good to have some carbs as part of a balanced diet - but as with everything moderation is the key!

    Tom @Green Tea Benefits’s last blog post..What Green Tea Can Prevent - Benefits of Green Tea

  42. alcohol rehab on May 28th, 2009 at 8:09 pm

    Fantastical. I was wondering what the heck they did besides get you fat :-)) JK

  43. Joe from Hair Restoration Surgeon on June 8th, 2009 at 4:07 am

    I agree with Shop Supplements, there are different types of carbs, which have different effects on the body

  44. Eddie from maltese dog on June 8th, 2009 at 10:21 pm

    Low-carb diets make no sense.

    You need carbohydrates to get up in the morning.

    It’s not that people need to eat less carbohydrates, but rather people need to exercise more.

  45. saltwater aquariums on June 9th, 2009 at 6:29 am

    I get plenty of carbs. I eat nothing but pasta.

  46. medical billing from home on June 9th, 2009 at 4:50 pm

    Low carb diets really doesn’t help loosing your weight. Carb is primary source of energy for your body.

  47. while i do agree that we need carbs, but you see all these low carb diet programs that people are getting into… it’s quite easy to say that people need to get more exercise, but it’s no secret that people have become very busy with their careers that exercising has become quite hard to add to an already hectic schedule… i have a cousin who is into a low carb diet, and i know somebody who claims he’s into zero carb… anyway, do you know what the effects might be in the long run?

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