Emma Laing, clinical professor and director of dietetics in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, spoke with Lose It! about the different types of carbs.
“Naked carbs” is a trendy term referring to the simple carbohydrates such as fruit juice, sweets or white bread that aren’t accompanied by other nutrients like fat, fiber or protein. We often eat these foods to quickly satisfy our hunger. However, the hunger usually returns an hour or so later.
According to Laing, naked carbs can cause spikes in blood sugar because they are digested very quickly. While occasional spikes aren’t harmful, they can increase cravings and appetite. Repeated spikes over time, however, can contribute to heart and kidney problems and other issues.
“Blood sugar will naturally fluctuate throughout the day and before and after meals. However, rapid spikes and dips in blood sugar that are not carefully monitored can be harmful to some people,” Laing said.
“Clean carbs” may refer to foods that are minimally processed and closest to their natural state. However, the term is not formally defined or recognized among nutrition experts.
“Eating clean becomes problematic if perfectly healthy and culturally regarded foods are avoided for fear of being unclean and harmful to health,” she said. “One’s relationship with food could also be harmed by categorizing foods as clean versus unclean or unprocessed versus processed as synonyms for good versus bad. I would only categorize a food as unclean or bad if it is spoiled or soiled, or has been contaminated.”
Most foods go through some level of processing to get from farm to table, leading to the spectrum of processed vs unprocessed carbs.
Highly processed foods are made mostly or entirely of ingredients extracted from food. These items contain multiple artificial additives such as preservatives or colors.
“There are many ways in which food processing can affect the final product and its nutritional value, and there is nothing inherently wrong with foods that are packaged, frozen, cooked, or chopped, aka processed,” said Laing. “The nutrient composition of a food is indeed important to health but so is its affordability, accessibility, and cultural connection.”
