What Happens to Those Carbs Once Inside?
Have you ever noticed how sleepy you get after eating a carbohydrate-rich meal? Have you ever wondered why it happens? The increased sugar levels from carb-rich foods cause us to be sleepy. What happens to those carbs once inside the body? The carbohydrates are broken down, and as a result, they turn into cellulose or starch. Starch is broken down into monosaccharides (also called the simple sugars) or disaccharides (complex sugars). These sugars are used by the body to produce energy. Whenever we eat, our bodies convert the food into a usable form of energy. Before it turns into energy, the food undergoes various processes. Because carbs are starches before they become sugars, starches serve as a great storage for glucose that is not needed by the body. To understand the process more clearly, a simple discussion about carbohydrates, sugars and where they are found is necessary.
The simple sugars or monosaccharides consist of glucose, galactose, and fructose. Glucose is created by our bodies, while galactose comes from the milk or yogurt that we consume. On the other hand, fructose can be found in honey.
The complex sugars or disaccharides include sucrose, lactose, and maltose. Sucrose is the common table sugar, while lactose is the mix of galactose and glucose in milk. Maltose is produced during starch digestion where two units of glucose are combined.
How do these sugars affect the body? If you take in more starch or sugar than the amount your body needs, the excess is stored as glycogen. Nobody benefits from too much glycogen except for marathon runners who need lots of carbs before a race to sustain long periods of physical activity. If your body has large amounts of stored fat, then it is classified as obese. In the United States today, most Americans have reached obesity levels.
Eating excessive quantities of carbohydrate-rich foods may lead to being overweight, and you may be aware of what happens to those carbs once inside the body. Once we become overweight, a lot of body organs may have difficulty working because of the fat around them. The organs may also have trouble supporting a huge body weight.
Excessive carbohydrates in the body can spell more troubles for the body. Curb your carbohydrate intake by cutting down on your consumption of rice, bread, cereal, grains, pasta, and other carbohydrate-rich foods. Instead, eat more lean meats, fruits, and vegetables.
Another alternative to carbohydrate-rich foods is exercise. As mentioned earlier, carbohydrates produce energy for the body. If you want to eliminate excess carbs from your body, then you need to increase your physical activities everyday. Now is the best time to start working out.
The fundamental and essential elements of overall good health consist of proper nutrition, regular exercise, healthy eating habits, and being conscious of the kind and amount of food you eat. Also, you should know what food content your body needs or does not need. Avoid carbohydrate-rich foods. By now, you know what happens to those carbs once inside the body. If you do something about it, you don’t gain extra pounds and extra health problems.