Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsNet vs. Total CarbsIn FoodWhy Calculate Them?Are They Worth Counting?
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Net vs. Total Carbs
In Food
Why Calculate Them?
Are They Worth Counting?
Tracking your carbohydrate intake is important if you have diabetes, are trying to lose weight, or follow a specialized diet like the ketogenic diet. But when it comes to the effect that carbs have on your body, focusing on your net carbs may be more applicable. Net carbs is equal to total grams of carbs minus grams of fiber and sugar alcohol.
Because fiber is not digested, it is believed that it does not have the same effect on the body as other carbohydrate grams. Therefore, net carbs is considered a more accurate number of carbs when calculating daily macronutrients.
This article will review the difference between total and net carbs and how to calculate net carbs.
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First, How Are Net and Total Carbs Different?
Total carbs are the total amount ofcarbohydrategrams you consume in a day. You can find carbohydrate grams within food servings on nutrition labels, or estimates of carbohydrate amounts in foods like fruits and vegetables from online calorie counters.
Simple carbohydrates are digested quickly and increase your blood sugar rapidly, while complex carbohydrates are digested slower and raise blood sugar gradually.
Even though carbohydrate-rich foods can contain fiber, fiber cannot be digested and does not increase blood sugar.Because of this, fiber grams can be eliminated from your total carbs to determine your net carbs. This is the amount of carbs that do have an impact on your blood sugar.
The amount of net carbs you consume in a day will differ from person to person depending on your sex, weight, activity levels, and health goals. Figuring out your daily macronutrient ratios can help you estimate your daily intake of net carbs.
Terms to KnowSimple carbs:fast digesting carbohydrates made of simple sugar moleculesComplex carbs:carbohydrates that contain longer chains of sugar molecules that are slower digestingRefined carbs:complex carbohydrates that are processed to remove fiber and nutrients, turning them into simple carbohydrates
Terms to Know
Simple carbs:fast digesting carbohydrates made of simple sugar moleculesComplex carbs:carbohydrates that contain longer chains of sugar molecules that are slower digestingRefined carbs:complex carbohydrates that are processed to remove fiber and nutrients, turning them into simple carbohydrates
Simple carbs:fast digesting carbohydrates made of simple sugar molecules
Complex carbs:carbohydrates that contain longer chains of sugar molecules that are slower digesting
Refined carbs:complex carbohydrates that are processed to remove fiber and nutrients, turning them into simple carbohydrates
Why Counting Macros Can Help You Meet Your Health Goals
Calculating Net Carbs in Food
What to Subtract
Formula for Calculating Net CarbsTotal carbs (in grams) minus fiber (in grams) equals net carbs (in grams).
Formula for Calculating Net Carbs
Total carbs (in grams) minus fiber (in grams) equals net carbs (in grams).
How Fiber Helps Manage Diabetes
Factors to Consider
Sugar alcoholsare compounds found within processed foods that taste sweet but have a different molecular structure from sugar. Sugar alcohols only partially increase blood sugar or do not increase blood sugar at all.
Examples of sugar alcohols include:
Because sugar alcohols are hard for your body to digest, eating too many sugar alcohols can result in digestive issues like gas, cramping and diarrhea. Ideally, it is best to not consume sugar alcohols.
Why Do People Calculate Net Carbs?
For people withdiabetesthat are treated withinsulin, it is important to have the most accurate carbohydrate count to better control your blood sugar. Calculating net carbs can help you understand the impact of the foods on blood sugar. Complex carbs that contain fiber are slower digesting than simple carbs and can help regulate your blood sugar more effectively.
Understanding Simple and Complex Carbohydrates
If you follow a low-carb or keto diet, your carbohydrate amount is limited, so calculating your net carbs can help determine a more accurate daily intake amount.
The keto diet generally restricts daily carb intake to less than 50 grams, so understanding the impact of fiber on total carb count can allow extra room in your diet to eat beyond 50 grams of carbs if carbs from fiber are subtracted.
Carbs and Blood SugarConsuming fiber and calculating net carbs isn’t the only way to reduce the impact of carbs on your blood sugar. Exercise, in addition to burning calories, stimulates muscles to pull in sugar molecules from the bloodstream for energy. This helps reduce blood sugar levels and can help manage diabetes.
Carbs and Blood Sugar
Consuming fiber and calculating net carbs isn’t the only way to reduce the impact of carbs on your blood sugar. Exercise, in addition to burning calories, stimulates muscles to pull in sugar molecules from the bloodstream for energy. This helps reduce blood sugar levels and can help manage diabetes.
Verdict on Net Carbs: Are They Worth Counting?
Summary
Because they are difficult to digest, sugar alcohols may also have an impact on net carbs. There is no legal definition or parameters when calculating net carbs, so if you have to track carbs closely for medical reasons, it is best to work with a healthcare provider to monitor your diet.
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.UCLA.Net carbs are carbs minus fiber and sugar alcohols.MedlinePlus.Carbohydrates.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Fiber: The carb that helps you manage diabetes.American Diabetes Association.Get to know carbs.Yale New Haven Health.Eat any sugar alcohol lately?University of California, San Francisco: Diabetes Education Online.Counting sugar alcohols.University of California, San Francisco: Diabetes Education Online.Understanding fiber.Shilpa J, Mohan V.Ketogenic diets: Boon or bane?Indian J Med Res.2018 Sep;148(3):251-253. doi: 10.4103/ijmr.IJMR_1666_18.American Diabetes Association.Blood glucose and exercise.
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.UCLA.Net carbs are carbs minus fiber and sugar alcohols.MedlinePlus.Carbohydrates.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Fiber: The carb that helps you manage diabetes.American Diabetes Association.Get to know carbs.Yale New Haven Health.Eat any sugar alcohol lately?University of California, San Francisco: Diabetes Education Online.Counting sugar alcohols.University of California, San Francisco: Diabetes Education Online.Understanding fiber.Shilpa J, Mohan V.Ketogenic diets: Boon or bane?Indian J Med Res.2018 Sep;148(3):251-253. doi: 10.4103/ijmr.IJMR_1666_18.American Diabetes Association.Blood glucose and exercise.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
UCLA.Net carbs are carbs minus fiber and sugar alcohols.MedlinePlus.Carbohydrates.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Fiber: The carb that helps you manage diabetes.American Diabetes Association.Get to know carbs.Yale New Haven Health.Eat any sugar alcohol lately?University of California, San Francisco: Diabetes Education Online.Counting sugar alcohols.University of California, San Francisco: Diabetes Education Online.Understanding fiber.Shilpa J, Mohan V.Ketogenic diets: Boon or bane?Indian J Med Res.2018 Sep;148(3):251-253. doi: 10.4103/ijmr.IJMR_1666_18.American Diabetes Association.Blood glucose and exercise.
UCLA.Net carbs are carbs minus fiber and sugar alcohols.
MedlinePlus.Carbohydrates.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Fiber: The carb that helps you manage diabetes.
American Diabetes Association.Get to know carbs.
Yale New Haven Health.Eat any sugar alcohol lately?
University of California, San Francisco: Diabetes Education Online.Counting sugar alcohols.
University of California, San Francisco: Diabetes Education Online.Understanding fiber.
Shilpa J, Mohan V.Ketogenic diets: Boon or bane?Indian J Med Res.2018 Sep;148(3):251-253. doi: 10.4103/ijmr.IJMR_1666_18.
American Diabetes Association.Blood glucose and exercise.
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