What is the difference between regular carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates?

Question

Are complex carbs any healthier?

Answer 1

There's no such thing as "regular" carbohydrates. There's sugar ("simple carbohydrates"), starch ("complex carbohydrates"), and fiber (also "complex carbohydrates").

The amount of carbs in a food doesn't matter, and starch is no better than sugar.

It's the ratio of fiber to starch and sugar that matters.

A piece of candy, for instance, is pure sugar, whereas a piece of fruit has sugar and fiber and is healthy.

A piece of white bread, for instance, is pure starch, whereas a piece of whole-wheat bread has starch and fiber and is healthy.

Answer 2

Complex carbs are generally seen as healthier, yes. ALL carbs break down into sugar in your body as they are digested. Complex carbs take longer to do this, providing energy over a longer period. Regular carbs break down more quickly and have more sugar in them (compare say 100% wholegrain bread to a cookie, even a plain one). (o:

Answer 3

Carbos can be simple or complex. Carbos are complex when they are in their natural state, that is with all their characteristics like fibre, colour, texture, etc.
By the opposite, simple carbos are those that have been processed to make them more palatable. For example, corn, rise, and many grains are chemically and mechanically process to take out some of the part that make them hard or to spoil fast.

These parts generally taken out are very nutritious and healthy but some people don’t like because the product may change somewhat in flavour and durability.

Alfredo E.
www.omega-3-fish-oil-wonders.com

Answer 4

complex carbs take longer to break down than regular carbs, giving you a more slow burning energy.

Answer 5

complex carbs give you energy for longer,regular carbs give you energy for a short amount of time,not really short,but shorter.