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What Are Refined Carbs, Exactly?

Maybe you’ve heard—from a friend, a doctor, the internet, or Instagram—that refined carbs are somehow a morally inferior type of carbohydrate that you should probably avoid. But those conversations rarely get into the science of what actually makes something a refined carb or what that means for their nutritional value. Do refined carbs really deserve the bad rap they so often get?

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 How you can reduce the refined carbs in your diet

Research indicates that diets with large amounts of refined carbs aren’t good for metabolic, heart, brain, or mental health. Still, the average Western diet includes an excessive amount of refined carbs.

 What are refined starches and why are they not good for your health?

Refined starches are invisible, they are not listed in the Nutrition Information/Nutrition Facts Panel on foods, and the names for added refined starches are often unpronounceable like acetylated distarch phosphate, or food additive code number 1414… if you prefer. So why are they not good for our health? Refined starches contain essentially the same amount of Calories (kJs), total carbohydrate and fibre as refined sugars, and unless fortified, are just as devoid of vitamins and minerals. They also have a high GI. In a nutshell, refined starches are as detrimental to our health as refined sugars.

Articles of Interest

List of Refined Carbs

Refined carbohydrates are grain-based foods that have the bran and germ extracted during processing. The process of refining a food not only removes the fiber, but it also removes much of the food's nutritional value, including B-complex vitamins, healthy oils and fat-soluble vitamins. In many cases, after the refining process is complete, food companies then enrich the product with some of the nutrients that were extracted

Refined Carbohydrates in Your Diet

Refined carbohydrates, or refined carbs, are grain products that have been processed by a food manufacturer so that the whole grain is no longer intact. The refining or milling process removes dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals from a food product. If the nutrients have been added back, the refined grains or refined carbohydrates are called enriched grains.

Refined Carbohydrates List

It is actually easier to define which carbohydrates are NOT refined, because the term "refined" is very confusing. ALL sugars and starches, EXCEPT those that come in the form of a natural whole food like a piece of fruit, a Lima bean, or a sweet potato, are considered refined carbohydrates. If you are looking at a sweet or starchy whole food that you could discover exactly as is in nature, you are looking at an UNrefined carbohydrate.

Refined Carbs and Sugar: The Diet Saboteurs

Bad or simple carbs are the comfort foods we often crave: pasta, fries, pizza, white bread, and sugary treats. Choosing good carbs instead can improve your health, mood, and waistline.

What are refined carbohydrates? Are they bad?

With the conflicting advice out there about whether they’re good for us or not, carbs can seem complicated. And there’s a simple reason for this fact - people seem to either love or hate them. There are, in fact, two different types of carbohydrates – refined carbs and complex carbs – which each come with their own different set of properties.

What are Refined Carbs: What You Should Know?

Refined carbohydrates are simple carbohydrates that have been manipulated or processed foods. In most cases, this process strips away many of the important nutrients found in natural dietary fiber.

What Makes Refined Carbohydrates So Unhealthy? RDs Explain Why They're Not the Most Nutritious Option

Certain types of carbs don't serve you like others do—here's how to strike the right balance.

Why Are Refined Carbs Bad For You And How To Avoid Them?

Refined carbohydrates are simple carbs, which means they get easily digested. This may seem to be a good thing, but it is not. Refined carbs are processed carbs and cause insulin levels to spike in a short time

Will Someone Please Tell Me What Refined Carbs Are and Why They're Bad for Me?

Nutrition trends are a lot like high school friendships. One day you’re in, the next you’re out. Sadly, that’s been the experience of our friend, the lonely carb. No one seems to want to sit with them at the lunch table anymore. The reality, though, is that carbs are not the devil that wellness blogs have made them out to be. They’re the OG energizing fuel and a premium snack for your body and brain. However, we can all likely benefit from being moderate about our intake of refined carbs.