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Over the years, carbohydrate has met with series of conflicting observations, claims that eating a considerable amount of carbohydrate foods could make you develop diabetes, gain weight and increase cholesterol levels.
It is true in our modern day society, that there are various methods of preparing carbohydrates food. This makes it good or bad to the human body.
However, some people believe that moderation is the best way to avoid illness associated with high carb-diet.
Although some research suggested that dietary fiber in carbohydrates foods can promote regular bowel movement, lower blood sugar levels and cholesterol in human body.
Moreover, it is important to note that carbohydrate rich- food plays a significant role in the body.
Furthermore, this energy-given food is made up of simple carbohydrate sources like (table sugar, honey, dairy products, fruit) and complex carbohydrate like ( Butternuts, sweet potatoes, peas, corn).
It breaks down into glucose thus increasing blood sugar level, though some rise faster than others based on the glycemic index of the food.
Carbohydrates health benefits include help improve mood, reduce weight loss, improve brain performance, reduce risk of cancer, improve sleep pattern, energy source, good for athletic performance, digestive health, growth, immune system.
Carbohydrates Health Benefits
1. Improve Mood
When we’re hungry, we tend to be unhappy and our mood swing to a depressive state, fatigue and stress out. This simply means that the blood glucose levels have gone so low making you feel mentally disordered. It is thought that carbohydrates promote and stimulate production of serotonin, a main regulator of mood in the brain. Hence, carbohydrates support serotonin formation and reduce depression, fatigue to name but a few.
2. Reduce Weight Gain
Carbohydrates constitute fiber, which play active role in digestion of food. It is believed that intake of high fiber rich foods can enhance weight loss. Fiber makes you feel full by positively impacting on the satiety index of your meals. Fiber take up water at the stomach, forming a bulk and pass signal to the brain that you’re still full. Moreover, many carbohydrates foods are processed with different techniques that can reduce there nutritive value. Consuming those foods with their fiber intact can prevent weight gain.
3. Improve Brain Performance
One of the ways to remain mentally fit and coordinated is by feeding adequately. Carbohydrates when fully digested and absorbed produces glucose, the energy source of the brain. Starvation and fasten reduce the amount of blood glucose levels, which can influence brain performance and leads to poor coordination, and memory loss. Therefore, adequate intake of carbohydrates food will not only energies you but accelerate your mental performance.
4. Reduce Risk Of Cancer
There are a lot of carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes, pineapple, rice, beans, corn, and bell pepper to mention but a few. Despite the fact that, many of them contribute very low calories, they also contain abundance of anti-oxidant . antioxidant is widely known for combating free radicals, causing oxidative damage. Apart fighting cancer specifically at the early stage, they also ensure removal of waste and reduce cholesterol levels, which in turn offer you a desired health.
5. Improve Sleep Pattern
Consumption of carbohydrates foods help regulate sleep pattern as well as reducing difficult in sleeping disorder.
Carbohydrates promote serotonin synthesis. This helps improve mood, the neurotransmitters serotonin which ensure you have a restful sleep.
Low carbohydrates in the body impede serotonin synthesis, which triggers sleeping disorder or insomnia.
6. Improve Digestive Health
Most of carbohydrates rich foods such as sweet potatoes, rice, orange, beans, corn, peas are excellent source of fiber, an important part of intestinal health. Fiber rich foods ensure foods and waste products are moved throughout the body unhindered and minimize your susceptibility of colon cancer by reducing the time waste products spend on the colon. It is thought that fiber absorbs water and form a bulk, this process promote remove of waste and prevent constipation. Moreover, intake of fiber rich foods does not only limit to reduction of indigestion but foster prevention and maintenance of healthy digestion.
7. Energy Source
Carbohydrates as the main source of energy, undergoes series of metabolic process to release glucose into the body. This helps power the brain and every other part of the body. Inadequate intake of carbohydrates means the body needs to source carbohydrates from protein, and fat in order to supplement and generates energy. Additionally, to remain energetic for daily work, incorporate recommended daily intake of carbohydrates.
8. Good For Athletic Performance
Carbohydrates are very crucial for anything that required strength, the athletes as it supple energy to the body.
9. Promote Growth
Adequate amount of carbohydrate contribute considerably in the growth of children. Being primary source of energy, it promotes in biochemical process in the body.
10. Immune system
Different sources of carbohydrates are powerhouse of essential nutrients that are required in immune building. Immune system protects you against infectious diseases.
11. Source Dietary Fiber
Carbohydrates is a constituents of dietary fiber which help promote bowel movement, reduce blood sugar and moderate cholesterol in the body (1) .
