Slow carb, not low carb

Our rules on carbohydrates - lightly recommended

‘Carbs’ are one of the most controversial topics in nutrition and weight loss. For years, we’ve been told that we eat too much fat, and that saturated fat is the main cause of heart disease. But recently, some experts have challenged this view, suggesting that carbohydrate is responsible for the obesity epidemic and a whole host of diseases. So, should we cut carbs, avoid fat or simply reduce our food intake and exercise more?

The truth is that there are healthy fats and healthy carbohydrates. We believe that avoiding carbohydrate altogether is unnecessary and potentially dangerous. The key is in recognising that not all carbs are created equal. Low glycaemic index (GI) carbohydrates found in fibre-rich fruits, beans, unrefined grains and vegetables are important for good health and can actively support weight loss – for example through reducing appetite and energy intake.

However, high GI refined carbohydrates found in soft drinks, white bread, pastries, certain breakfast cereals and sweeteners not only make weight loss harder but could damage long-term health. Studies show that eating a lot of high GI carbohydrates can increase the risk of heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.  There has been a lot of research on low-carbohydrate diets in recent years.  It was initially thought that they may damage bone and kidney health, but this doesn’t seem to be the case, unless you have a pre-existing kidney problem.  Low-carb diets can be effective for weight loss and also improve risk factors for heart disease and diabetes. However, they do have risks. Firstly, the low intake of fruit, vegetables and whole grains on a low-carb diet reduces the intake of certain vitamins and minerals, notably folate, which is vital for women who may become pregnant.  We believe that supplements cannot take the place of a varied diet based on whole foods.  Meanwhile, cutting out unrefined carbohydrate dramatically reduces the amount of fibre in the diet, which leads to constipation and changes the balance of gut bacteria.  In the long term, this may increase the risk of colorectal cancer. Finally, eating a low-carb diet based on animal protein has been associated with a significantly higher risk of mortality. So, while we never support cutting out ‘carbs’ as a food group, we focus on unrefined, low GI carbohydrates from whole foods rather than refined, high GI carbs.  As well as improving health, low GI carbs release glucose into the bloodstream more slowly, which leads to a more sustained energy release, rather than the peaks and crashes you tend to experience if you eat a lot of high GI carbs.