Ah, carbs—one of the most deviously delicious food groups. From pasta to bread to potato chips, who among us can resist the pull of these foods? It is worth noting that, fortunately, not all carbohydrates are bad for you. In fact, healthy carbs are an essential part of any balanced diet. However, there’s one specific variety that health experts agree you should avoid as much as possible if you care about your overall health: refined carbs.
To learn more about the affect an excessive intake of refined carbs can have on your body, we spoke to registered dietitian Trista Best from Balance One Supplements. She told us all about how these foods can lead to chronic inflammation, gut issues, weight gain, and more. Find all of her insight below!
Refined carbs
Refined carbs are a type of carb that have been stripped of their nutrients, making them a bad choice for your overall health. These include options like breakfast pastries, cereal, bagels, white bread, and more. "Foods made with refined carbohydrates are those that have undergone a processing step which removes portions of the grain's nutrients and adds them back in synthetically," Best tells us, explaining that "this process lessens beneficial nutrients and causes it to take a form that the body processes quickly." And when your body can easily process the food you eat, it sets you up for a range of health issues, including blood sugar spikes, insulin resistance, increased cravings, a slower metabolism, and, ultimately, weight gain.
Weight gain isn't the only risk posed by refined carbs and other processed foods, though. They can also be highly inflammatory and take a serious toll on your gut. As Best points out, refined carbs "wreak havoc on the body through gut dysbiosis and inflammation." Gut dysbiosis is an imbalance of good and bad bacteria in your gut microbiome, which can lead to an array of digestive issues such as leaky gut, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, and more, as your gut fights against the chronic inflammation.
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"Gut dysbiosis will also impact your ability to lose weight and maintain your weight loss," Best warns. "If digestion quality is disrupted there will be a lack of nutrients absorbed important to metabolism." Yikes! It's a total lose-lose situation.
While tasty refined carbs like the kind found in your favorite breakfast food may be hard to resist, choosing nutritious foods and eating balanced meals is always the best option for your overall health. Make sure to prioritize fiber, protein, and healthy fats. Nourishing yourself with whole, fresh foods can make all the difference in your health and keep inflammation to a minimum—your body will thank you for it!
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