Importance of Carbohydrate Quality: What Does It Mean and How to Measure It?
Vanessa Campos, Luc Tappy,2Lia Bally,et
al
The Journal of Nutrition Critical Review ; https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/nxac039.
ABSTRACT: Dietary carbohydrates are our
main source of energy. T raditionally, they are classified based on the polymer
lengthbetween simple and complex carbohydrates, which does not necessarily
reflect their impact on health. Simple sugars,such as fructose, glucose, and
lactose, despite having a similar energy efficiency and caloric content, have
very distinct metabolic effects, leading to increased risk for various
chronic diseases when consumed in excess. In addition, beyond the absolute
amount of carbohydrate consumed, recent data point out that the food form or
processing level can modulate both the energy efficiency and the
cardiometabolic risk associated with specific carbohydrates. T o
account for both of these aspects—the quality of carbohydrates as well as
its food form—several metrics can be proposed to help identifying
carbohydrate-rich food sources and distinguish between those that would favor
the development of chronic diseases and those that may contribute to
prevent these. This review summarizes the findings presented during the
American Society of Nutrition Satellite symposium on carbohydrate quality, in
which these different aspects were presented. J N u t r 2022;152:1200–1206.
Keywords: carbohydrates, nutrient profile, fibers, sugars, dietary surveys