The Role of Carbohydrates in Treatment and Management of Obesity - Essay Example

The Role of Carbohydrates in Treatment and Management of Obesity and Diabetes Obesity and diabetes are common conditions that affect the health of people all over the globe. It is very challenging to recover from these conditions since they require a lot of dietary control. Carbohydrates are among the major causes of the conditions. It is important to understand how intake of carbohydrates leads to the conditions in order to devise ways of controlling and managing the conditions. This paper will analyze the two conditions and how carbohydrates can contribute or rectify the conditions. Carbohydrates and diabetes The main source of carbohydrates is fruits, vegetables, dairy products and whole grains. In a balanced diet, they constitute about 45-65% of calories (Bagchi and Sreejayan 79). Carbohydrates can be responsible for increasing blood sugars or making the level of blood sugar increase rapidly. All the carbohydrates are converted into glucose and hence have a lot of impact on blood sugar. Carbohydrate intake is recommended in a healthy diet, but its excessive intake has a negative impact on blood sugar (Coulston, Boushey, and Ferruzzi 28). This paper will discuss the role of carbohydrates in treating and managing diabetes. Carbohydrates nourish the body if taken in the correct proportions. In the past, people have had a notion that diabetic people should not take carbohydrates. However, research has proved that correct intake of carbohydrates can be beneficial in regulating the amount of blood sugars. Carbohydrates are classified as either simple or complex carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates such as pasta and potatoes cause a faster rise in blood sugar and hence should be avoided by diabetic patients (Bagchi and Sreejayan 134). Other carbohydrates such as fiber do not increase blood sugar and hence are recommended for diabetic patients. The blood sugar level differs from patient to patient and hence it is recommended that each patient should visit a diabetes educator for special advice on intake of carbohydrates. Carbohydrate counting is the main technique employed in the management of diabetes. However, carbohydrate counting is not effective on its own and has to be accompanied by other measures such as diet exchange, plate method and food guide modification. Diabetic patients are required to test their blood sugars before and after every meal in order to fine tune the amount of carbohydrates they take. Carbohydrates have different impacts on different people, and hence the testing offers much guidance. The type of diabetes and the health condition of a person are also necessary in determining the correct intake of Carbohydrates required. Type two diabetes in very dangerous and the patient should withdraw from taking Carbohydrates (Coulston, Boushey, and Ferruzzi 54). However, in type 1 diabetes, the patient should only regulate the intake of the Carbohydrates. It is crucial to note that not all Carbohydrates alter the blood sugar level (Bagchi and Sreejayan 279). The effect is different depending on the patient’s body. To determine which Carbohydrates suits the patient’s body best, they should test their blood sugar level after meals. A continuous series of tests will act as a guide to each individual patient on which Carbohydrates suit their bodies well. It has been medically proven that Carbohydrates have a huge impact glucose levels. Due to this, it is compulsory that the intake of Carbohydrates should be restricted/controlled until the patient regains the correct blood glucose level. Failure to control intake of Carbohydrates leads to the overworking of the pancreas to a point that it cannot control the blood glucose level (Bagchi and Sreejayan 9). Controlled Carbohydrates intake not only controls blood sugar levels but also reduces the probability of having micro vascular complications. The average amount of Carbohydrates taken should be between 130-170g for a normal and healthy person. The amount taken by diabetic patients will vary depending on the type and extent of the condition. Carbohydrates and Obesity Obesity cases have increased globally, and it is rated as one of the health conditions with most patients all over the world. Many causes cause the condition. This paper will discuss how obesity is linked to Carbohydrates. It will also discuss how intake of Carbohydrates can be regulated in order to manage obesity. A report published by the world health organization has proved that there are over 1 billion overweight people globally and over 300 million have been clinically proven as obese. The condition requires medical attention since it leads to other chronic diseases and in extreme cases it causes premature death. Obesity comes from improper intake of food. However, it causes are not limited to diet since it can also be caused by environmental, social, genetic and metabolic factors. The main cause of obesity is heavy intake of calories, fats, sugars and energy dense foods. Carbohydrates contain these elements and hence they are a major cause of obesity (Wylie-Rosett, Segal-Isaacson, and Segal-Isaacson 124S). High intake of carbohydrates leads to accumulation of excess energy that is stored in the body in the form of fat. The amount of carbohydrates taken is very decisive in determining whether a person gains more weight and finally becomes obese. Moreover, the quality and composition of carbohydrates taken is also influential in one being obese. Carbohydrates contain a high glycemic index and hence increase the level of sugar in the blood. Unutilized blood sugars are converted into fats that build up to cause obesity over time (Wylie-Rosett, Segal-Isaacson, and Segal-Isaacson 126S). Carbohydrates such as pasta, cakes, cookies and white bread contain simple sugars. These sugars contribute to rapidly increasing blood sugar levels and hence lead to obesity when the excess sugars are converted into fats. Processed Carbohydrates are very dangerous since they have high percentages of calories that besides causing obesity can also lead to diabetes and cardiac diseases. High blood sugar levels stimulate fat production and inflammation. Inflammation lowers insulin sensitivity while fat production causes obesity (Wylie-Rosett, Segal-Isaacson, and Segal-Isaacson 127S). To manage obesity, the patient requires controlling the intake of Carbohydrates that in turn reduces the amount of excess sugars that are converted into fats. This habit prevents one from being obese. However, when one is already obese, dieticians recommend that they should take foods with high contents of fiber. Fibers are not digestible, and they make a person feel full. This reduces the amount of carbohydrates consumed and hence chances of having excess sugars are low. High fiber intake also leads to a reduction in the absorption of simple Carbohydrates that is the major obesity causative factor. Fibers such as pentose combine with Carbohydrates and reduce their absorption in the intestines (Wylie-Rosett, Segal-Isaacson, and Segal-Isaacson 127S). The most recommended sources of fiber are wheat bran, wheat flour, leafy vegetables and carrots. Nutritionist recommends that an obese person should take between 10-12 grams of fiber in order to rectify the obese condition. However, this measure is not effective alone and must be accompanied by physical exercise among other obesity correction measures. Obesity is highly linked to taking of refined carbohydrates. It is more likely for a person taking small amounts of refined carbohydrates to be obese than a person taking large amounts of natural carbohydrates. Refined carbohydrates spike the level of blood sugar and hence fats are generated from the unused sugars. The glycemic index in refined carbohydrates is very high, and hence hey has a higher probability of inducing a quick surge in blood sugar. To manage obesity, patients are advised to take whole grains and vegetables which have a considerably lower glycemic index. Most people have a misconception that it’s only fats that make people obese. Such wrong facts have made it hard for obese people to recover their original body health. Research has also proven that the amount of carbohydrates taken does not matter in determining blood sugar levels. The major determining factor is the type of carbohydrates taken and its glycemic index. According to the House of Commons health committee report published in 2004, most people are obese because they do not understand the causes of their obesity (The Health Committee 87). The research done by the committee indicated that most people in the United Kingdom were unable to control their obesity sue to the belief that lowering carbohydrate intake would help them recover. The research indicated that most of the obese people actually needed more carbohydrates but those of the correct type (The Health Committee 89). The report conclusions tally with the conclusions on the journal published by Wylie-Rosett on obesity. Wylie-Rosett main point is that the types of carbohydrates that one takes are the determiners of their blood sugar level. Conclusion Obesity and diabetes are closely linked since they have similar causes although diabetes precedes obesity. Carbohydrates are essential foods but taking them with minimal control can cause life threaten conditions such as obesity and diabetes. The two conditions are controllable and avoidable through correct intake of carbohydrate and taking the correct form of carbohydrate. They increase the amount of sugars in the blood and hence cause risk on diabetes. Increased sugars in the blood are converted to fats and lead to obesity (Wylie-Rosett, Segal-Isaacson, and Segal-Isaacson 125S). Therefore, it is clear that carbohydrates can cause obesity and diabetes. Natural carbohydrates are beneficial to the body and hence the two conditions can be controlled by taking them as well as avoiding intake of manufactured carbohydrates (The Health Committee 89). Carbohydrates have different impacts on people depending on their bodies. It is, therefore, advisable that each patient measure their blood sugar levels after taking carbohydrates in order to identify which ones are favorable to them. Works Cited Bagchi, Debasis, and Nair Sreejayan. Nutritional and Therapeutic Interventions for Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome. Amsterdam.: Elsevier, 2012. Print. Coulston, Ann M, Carol Boushey, and Mario Ferruzzi. Nutrition in the Prevention and Treatment of Disease. Oxford: Elsevier/Academic, 2013. Print. The Health Committee. House of Common Health committee. London: authority of the House of Commons, 2004. Web. 18 Nov. 2014.. Wylie-Rosett, Judith, Cj Segal-Isaacson, and Adam Segal-Isaacson. Carbohydrates and increases in obesity: does the type of carbohydrate make a difference? Obese Res. 2004; 12:124S–129S. Read More