Last week at a client meeting, I was asked the question,’what is the difference between a carbohydrate and a starch?’, well, to my own surprise and embarrassment, I couldn’t answer! So here is the low-down on carbs and starches, I hope you find it as interesting as I do! All the information for this article was taken from one of my all-time favourite nutrition books: ‘Staying Healthy with Nutrition’ by Elson Haas MD. (ISBN:0-89087-481-6, Celestial Arts Publishing, Berkeley, California, 94707). Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are my own.

What is a carbohydrate?

Carbohydrates are made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen and are the product of photosynthesis in plants. As they contain carbon and come from living sources they are classified as organic molecules.

Types of carbohydrates:

Carbohydrates are classified according to their structure and as such there are three main classifications: sugars, starches (there is the answer!) and fibre. Sugars are further divided into monosaccharides such as glucose, fructose and galactose and disaccharides such as lactose, sucrose and maltose. Starches are also known as polysaccharides or complex carbohydrates (because they are made up of long chains of glucose molecules, unlike mono- or disaccharides). Fibre is mainly found as indigestible cellulose in the coverings of cereals grains or the skins of fruits and vegetables.

So how is starch different to carbohydrates?

Well, as we can see above, starch is one ‘type’ of carbohydrate, thus a ‘no-starch’ diet will mean that you are cutting out one form of carbohydrate but not all of them. A ‘no-carbohydrate’ diet, if followed correctly(and technically) would mean that you are cutting out all forms of carbohydrates, which includes sugars and fibre. We all know that some sugar is needed in a healthy diet and fibre is a rather important part of good digestion so this leads me to say that probably a ‘no-starch’ or ‘low-starch’ diet is a slightly better option than a ‘no-carbohydrate’ or ‘low-carbohydrate’ diet. However, please note that it is in no way my recommendation that anyone goes on either of these diets. A healthy diet (even one for weight loss in particular) should include all the food groups, rather focus on eating the right kind of carbohydrates in healthy amounts than leaving them out all together.

So what are healthy carbohydrates?

Well, it depends on your individual needs. A sportsperson or athlete may require different kinds of carbohydrates than someone who is more sedentary in their daily life. However as a general rule of thumb, it is better to look at the complex carbohydrates (starches) such as whole grains(rice, corn), potatoes and carrots for sustained energy and some simple sugars combined with fibre in the form of fruits. Honey is also simple sugar which is a good source of ‘quick-release’ energy. Refined carbohydrates such as cakes and pastries are best avoided, not only do these products contain high levels of unhealthy fats, the carbohydrates they contain can elevate glucose levels in the blood and tissue, thus a diet rich in these foods could lead to blood-sugar imbalance and other sugar-related health problems. As always, moderation is key!

A final note on weight loss:

If you are trying to lose weight, try to investigate how you can change your entire diet to contain foods which are conducive to health and well-being rather than ‘cutting out’ or avoiding one type of food only. By removing a particular food or food group from your diet, you stand the chance of developing nutrient deficiencies later on and you are also not looking at why you are carrying excess weight and how you can improve your lifestyle and choices. Common sense goes a long way and in addition educating yourself about healthier foods is a good way of taking the first step on your weight-loss journey.

I hope this has provided some answers! As always, feel welcome to comment or drop me an email!