Net Carbs ?

OptimusX

New member
I recently bought a pack of whole wheat tortillas. On the package, it has the term net carbs. After a little reading, it seems that "net carbs" is a marketing ploy. Ex, each tortilla has 32g of carbs, 26 of which are fiber. The idea, from what I understand, is that those 26g of fiber don't really count. I was looking at the carb nite diet so I was wondering, what's the truth about net carbs ?
 
A gram of dietary fiber has about 2 calories, rather than 4. So you can correct the total number of calories by multiplying the grams of fiber by 2 and then subtracting from 4*carbs.
For instance, if your 32g of carbs were straight sugars, that'd be about 32*4 = 128 calories of carbs. But, if there are 26 grams of fiber in there, then there are 26*2 = 52 fewer calories. So that's actually only 128 - 52 = 76 grams of carbs.

As far as the whole "don't count" thing, that's really aimed at diabetics, who have to care about that sort of thing more than other people do. It's not total bs, but the whole idea that those grams just "don't count" is a bit of an exaggeration.
 
The body can't digest fiber so it basically passes through with no structure change, hence why the carbs from fiber don't really count.
 
Fiber has a neutral effect on blood sugar which is why it is subtracted. But let's talk about eating 26g of fiber at once..... whoa
 
I was thinking this was going to be something different. Watch out for the phrase "net carbs" or "impact carbs" A lot of times they will include sugar alcohols. But in this case they got it right. I don't count fiber towards my useable carb count.
 
joh408 said:
The body can't digest fiber so it basically passes through with no structure change, hence why the carbs from fiber don't really count.
Click to expand...

For the most part true. However:

Fiber Has No Calories
FALSE: Fiber is essentially composed of a bundle of sugar molecules. These molecules are held together by chemical bonds that your body has trouble breaking. In fact, your small intestine—can't break down soluble or insoluble fiber; both types just go right through you. That's why some experts say fiber doesn't provide any calories. However, this claim isn't entirely accurate. In your large intestine, soluble fiber's molecules are converted to short-chain fatty acids, which do provide a few calories. A gram of regular carbohydrates has about 4 calories, as does a gram of soluble fiber, according to the FDA. (Insoluble fiber has essentially zero calories.)
Click to expand...

Invalid Link Removed

I can believe I just quoted a Men's Health article
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top