Most people with diabetes must resort to counting carbohydrates when they eat food to manage their blood sugar levels.
But that can be even more tricky if the food label can distinguish between “all carbohydrates” and “pure carbohydrates.”
These two types of carbohydrates and what should you use to manage your diabetes?
In this article, we will explain what total carbohydrates are, what net carbohydrates are, and how to determine when each number is used.
Why are carbohydrates so important?
At the molecular level, carbohydrates are broken down into glucose in the bloodstream, and only insulin breaks down, helping the body’s cells digest.
Therefore, if you live with insulin-dependent diabetes, counting carbohydrates can help inform you of your insulin dosage decision.
If you live with non-insulin-dependent diabetes, you can count carbohydrates to better calibrate oral diabetes medications such as metformin and manage your blood sugar levels.
People with diabetes either struggle to make insulin naturally or their body doesn’t make insulin at all, so being aware of the number of carbohydrates in foods consumed is essential for their health and well-being.
What are total carbohydrates?
Total carbohydrates indicate the absolute total number of carbohydrates in the serving size of a particular food.
If you live with diabetes, this will tell you how certain foods affect your blood sugar levels. “Total” means that the number consists of four things.
- Total sugar -This is the total gram of naturally occurring sugar found in the serving size of a particular food
- Added sugar – This is the total gram of artificially added sugar added during the processing of a particular food (such as dextrose or sucrose). Also common here are table sugar, honey, and grams of sugar from agave nectar
- Dietary fiber – Total grams of fibers that cannot be easily degraded by the human digestive tract
- Sugar alcohol – Total grams of sugar alcohol. These are types of sugars (polyols) that have a slightly different chemical structure from sugars, which resemble both sugar and alcohol. They minimize the effects on blood sugar and are generally added to foods to give them a sweeter taste without adding carbohydrates or calories. Examples of sugar alcohols include xylitol, sorbitol, maltitol, and erythritol
Together, these four numbers include the total number of carbohydrates of a particular size of the food.
This is a very helpful way to understand how food affects your blood sugar levels, but it doesn’t tell the entire story.
What are Net Carbohydrates?
Net carbohydrates represent the total number of carbohydrates. actually It affects blood sugar levels. Sometimes called “digestible” or “shocking” carbohydrates.
There is no official definition for the term “net carbohydrates,” but for any person who is eating a low-carb diet or counting carbohydrates is extremely important (i.e. people with diabetes), it is important to know how to calculate this.
Naturally occurring fiber is not broken in the small intestine, so the carbohydrates associated with this macronutrient do not affect blood sugar levels.
Furthermore, reducing the subtraction of sugar alcohol from foods (usually present only in processed foods) will also give you net carbohydrates as they are not digested like typical sugars.
Research shows that sugar alcohol does not seem to have a major effect on blood sugar levels, but individual responses can vary. This is why sugar alcohols are commonly added to “sugar-free” candies, ice cream and bubble gum, but can cause bloating and GI discomfort.
Sugar alcohol is only temporarily absorbed into the bloodstream, leaving the body through urine, minimizing its impact on blood sugar.
How do you calculate net carbohydrates?
To calculate net carbohydrates, take the total number of carbohydrates and subtract both the total number of grams of fiber and the number of grams of sugar alcohol.
However, some people may prefer to reduce the number of pure carbohydrate sugar alcohols by only half the number of pure carbohydrate sugar alcohols, as sugar alcohols can minimize blood sugar levels and everyone can digest sugar alcohols differently.
Net Carbohydrates = Total Carbohydrates – Fiber – Sugar Alcohol (or 50% of Sugar Alcohol)
The resulting number is the net number of carbohydrates in food servings and will be counted as the basis for insulin and/or oral diabetic medications for optimal glycemic control.
Mindy Nichols, RD, and CDE said, “Net carbohydrates are just estimation because all digestive systems and physical processes are different. Work with your doctor, experiment and see what’s best for you!”
It is important to note that if you live in several countries other than the US, you don’t need to do the equation because the “total carbohydrate” number is already subtracted with the total grams of fiber.
Pros and cons of counting net carbs
Counting net carbohydrates is a great way to fine-tune your diabetes management, but it may not be for everyone. Here are the advantages and disadvantages of getting closer to this diet.
Strong Points
- Eating this way promotes the whole unprocessed food
- Encourage eating more fiber
- Reduces the risk of hypoglycemia
- This is a less restrictive diet (the higher the fiber content allows you to eat more fruits and other high carbohydrate whole foods)
Cons
- It may not be suitable for everyone’s diet plans or medication for diabetes
- You can eat plenty of “sugar-free” candies and snacks that are not that healthy (if your focus is only increasing the number of sugar alcohols rather than fiber)
- Not 100% accurate at all times for administration
- Food labels are not always available (for example, when going out at family or friends’ homes and at restaurants).
Lauren Plunkett, RDN, cdces, author Type 1 decision, It encourages people with diabetes to increase their intake of fiber-rich foods, increase insulin sensitivity, reduce inflammation, and promote the microbiota for a healthy body and mind.
“Everyone digests and absorbs food differently. This can depend on age, intestinal environment, and activity levels. The two stomachs are not similar. As we are unique digestive organs, it is important to determine whether the fiber food source is most compatible with our system and blood sugar targets.
Conclusion
Both the total carbohydrate count and the net carbohydrate count are important, especially when living with diabetes.
Calculating the net carbohydrate in a food fine-tunes both drug dosage and diabetes management, improving blood sugar levels, lower HBA1C levels, and improving quality of life.
However, eating for diabetes is not a one-size-fits-all effort, and everyone’s experiences can vary.
Always consult with your doctor before making any changes to your diet or medication management plan.
