The Difference Between Carbs And Sugars

Carbs are the whole and sugars are the parts. Carbs are made up of many types of sugars. The official term for Carbohydrates is saccharides which is Greek (sakcharon) meaning sugar.

Carbs Are Several Types Of Sugars

Kristen, you really ask some good questions! I could get really technical here, and that would require some research as I am not very scientifically-oriented. The short version (I hope) is that Carbohydrates are molecules made up of several types of sugars and they have many roles in all living things, people included. Carbohydrates store and transport energy utilizing starch and glycogen. They create structure with cellulose and chitin. Additionally, carbohydrates and their parts or different types of sugars play major roles in the functioning of the immune system, blood clotting and all areas of growth and bodily function.

Basic Carbohydrate Units

The basic carbohydrate units are called monosaccharides, such as glucose, galactose, and fructose. These are the basic simple sugars. Then the monosaccharides are combined to form dissaccharides, such as sucrose and lactose. Carbohydrates containing more than three monosaccharide units are termed oligosaccharides and anything larger than 6 monosaccharides are then called polysaccharide, these include starch, glycogen, or cellulose.

So all those funny words listed above are all the parts of a saccharide or a carbohydrate. The important thing to understand is not what those words mean, but that they are all required, hence the need for whole carbs as opposed to refined carbs.

To be honest with you Kristen, I have no clue what they mean by this:
Per Serving
Total Carbs: 19 grams or 6% of the Daily Value
Dietary Fiber: 5 grams or 20% of the Daily Value
Sugars: 4 grams

All carbs are sugar of some sort. I will assume that the 4 grams of sugar is a simple sugar. Simple sugar is the smaller parts of the carbohydrate and carbohydrates are the total of all the sugars, if that makes sense.

Look For Good Carbs

The important thing to remember is that we want good carbs in our diet. Don’t get too hung up on understanding it all. Even though I wrote all of those funny words above, I really do not understand the science of it.

One way to distinguish between carbohydrates that harm us and carbohydrates that heal us is to think about their fiber content. Products that are made out of refined white flour and white sugar usually have very little fiber and are very processed. Fiber-filled carbohydrates are better for you than those with little or no fiber. Fiber provides a barrier for your digestive system — otherwise the carbohydrates get turned into simple sugar immediately. Most Americans eat around 12 grams of fiber a day, while the recommended daily intake ranges from 20 to 45 grams. Yet we are over-consuming refined carbohydrates! Whenever you reach for a box of cereal, a loaf of bread, or any other product made with flour (pastas, etc.), always reach for the brand that lists whole, 100% or stone ground wheat or another whole grain as the first ingredient. And also check the fiber content and go with the one that has the most fiber per serving. Whatever you do do not buy based on the label; you must look at the ingredients first to find quality ingredients, then look at the nutritional analysis only after narrowing your selection down based on the ingredients it includes.

There you go, how’s that for brief?! Deb

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