A patient in our office last week mentioned something about all the good protein in orange juice.  This comment leads me to think that the next columns should be concerned with a review of some nutrition basic information.  We will take a look at protein, fats and fiber in the next few weeks.  Lets start with carbohydrate.

Good Carbs…..Bad Carbs….Simple Carbs…Complex Carbs….

Are you confused yet?  Carbohydrates are one of four calorie-containing components of our foods.  The other calorie containing components are protein, fat and alcohol.  One gram of pure carbohydrate (1/28^th of an ounce) contains 4 calories and should be the main source of energy for our bodies.  Carbohydrates are mostly found in fruits, vegetables, grains and dairy products.

The broad term carbohydrate is broken down to two general types: complex and simple.  Complex carbohydrates are made up of long chains of simple carbohydrates.  These complex carbohydrates are called starches and fiber.  The principle sources of complex carbohydrates are grains, beans, and starchy vegetables such as potatoes and corn.  Starches are converted to sugars by our digestive system.  Fiber is also a carbohydrate, but our bodies cannot digest it.  It remains in the digestive tract as a calorie-free food.  Fiber is helpful with elimination, prevention of some cancers, lowering LDL cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure.

Simple carbohydrates are also called sugars.  They are found in fruits, some vegetables and dairy products.  The sugar in the sugar bowl or packets is a simple sugar called sucrose, which is made from two other sugars: fructose and glucose.  It is made from sugar cane or sugar beets.  Fructose can also be found in fruits and some vegetables.  The simple sugar found in dairy products is called lactose. 

Back to the first line of this article.  Good Carbs…Bad Carbs….Most experts are now suggesting we eat more complex carbohydrates (Good Carbs) because they are digested slower than the simple sugars and enter the blood at a slower rate.  This produces a sense of “fullness” for a longer period of time and causes the smallest amount of insulin to be produced.  Foods containing complex carbohydrates also contain other important nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and fiber along with them.  Fruits and vegetables are an essential source of nutrients not found else ware in our food supply.  Simple sugars tend to carry nothing but empty calories.

By the way – while orange juice is a great source of vitamins and minerals it is not a significant source of protein.