simple vs. complex carbs - Diet & Nutrition Message Board

silent_nick · 03-09-2007, 04:41 PM

I've been reading about simple and complex carbs. I've been told to limit my intake of simple sugars to a maximum of 10%. My question is how do you tell how many grams of simple or complex sugars a food has? Most nutritional labels only list "sugars" and "fiber". How do I break down the "sugars" into simple sugars and complex sugars?

Thanks in advance,
Nick

Lenin · 03-10-2007, 06:02 AM

Nick,

Sugars are simple sugars (glucose, fructose)...one 6 carbon molecule or monosaccharide, and complex sugars are "double sugars" or disaccharides(sucrose, lactose, maltose) Both of these type sugars are usually considered SUGARS for dietary purpose and all are absorbed completely and pretty rapidly (lactose being an exception.)

Complex carbohydrates that have more of these 6 carbon molecules linked are starches, or polysaccharides and these are the starches that make up wheat, corn, rice flour.

Further addition of saccharides make some complex starches like glycogen or even insoluble polysaccharides like cellulose which, dietarily speaking, are the fibers in out diet.

So, limiting "simple sugars to 10%" generally means limiting mono-and disaccharides, or ALL the sugars glucose, fructose and SUCROSE (a complex sugar.) Thus table sugar, which is technically a "complex sugar" is very much included in the 10%.

"Simple sugar" in your context was used too loosely.