Does Eating Carbohydrates Make You Fat?
How many times have you heard that eating carbohydrates makes you fat? It is one of the most widespread food myths among the population. The thought of this myth is based on “if I take carbohydrates at night, as they provide me with energy, I will not spend it while sleeping and therefore it will accumulate in fat”. How true is this?
Do carbohydrates at dinner make you fat?
First, it is convenient to clarify what carbohydrates are. Sugars are not a food group, but a nutrient that gives us energy. The foods that contain this macronutrient are: tubers, cereals, fruits and legumes.
They are also found in ultra-processed foods such as sweets, cereal derivatives, juices, etc. However, it must be taken into account that the carbohydrates of ultra-processed foods are different from those of natural foods.
How do carbohydrates work when ingested?
When carbohydrates are taken, the first thing the body does is replenish glycogen stores. Glycogen is the body’s way of storing glucose, and it does so in both the liver and the muscle.
Once these reserves are full, it is the rest of the sugar (the one that is in excess) that will be transformed into fat. Therefore, it is a situation of excess when the reserves are full. This can happen at any time of the day.
Does the time we take carbohydrates influence?
The time of day when carbohydrates are consumed is usually of little relevance . The important thing is the type of food you eat. Eating a plate of brown rice is not the same as a pizza, and how full your glycogen stores are.
The ideal situation would be that the carbohydrates eaten at dinner replace energy expenditure. Of course, in this case it will be given as long as you have done physical exercise during the day, and you have not already replenished before in other meals.
In the case of carbohydrates, the same amount of insulin is not produced during the day as at night. We get them out of the bloodstream faster during the day, when we have the best tolerance. This was one of the things that made us think years ago that it is better to take them first thing in the morning and avoid them at night. This occurs due to hormonal circadian rhythms, which make food feel different depending on the time of day, according to an article published in the journal “Nutrients.”
According to science, is eating carbohydrates fattening?
There are scientific studies that show that this fact is false. In an essay published in Obesity it was observed that, in two groups of obese people with the same diet, but alternating lunch and dinner, that is, giving them more carbohydrates at dinner, the experimental group was more satiated the next day and increased their energy expenditure.
This same study showed that diurnal hormonal profiles such as ghrelin, leptin and adiponectin, hormones responsible for hunger and satiety , can be modulated. Thus, it helps control daytime hunger, improves weight loss and metabolic results.
Now, in case you still have doubts about whether eating carbohydrates at night makes you fat, let’s see another study published in the European Journal of Nutrition .
Three groups of obese men followed a weight loss diet. One was the control group; others ate carbohydrates during the day and protein at night; and the third group ingested protein during the day and carbohydrates at night.
The researchers determined that eating carbohydrates at dinner and protein at lunch, within a balanced weight loss diet, had a similar effect on body composition and biochemical markers, but a greater effect on diet-induced thermogenesis.
In addition, they found that eating primarily carbohydrates at lunch and protein at dinner has a detrimental effect on glucose homeostasis.
Eat a balanced diet
The amount of carbohydrates that we can eat at night depends on each case. A person who wants to replace after their training should not follow the same guideline as a person who wants to lose weight.
The isolated act of eating carbohydrates at night is not what makes you fat. What makes you gain weight is the excess calories maintained for several days.
Finally, you should not forget the quality of these carbohydrates. As we have said in the previous sections, it is not the same to dine on whole grains, potatoes or fruit, as it is to have refined flours.
