How much carbs do we need?
Recommended intake of carbohydrates is between 45-60 E%, this means that the intake of carbs should equals between 45-60% of the total daily intake. Its important to choose carbohydrates of good quality for the sake of one’s health, good quality is determined by the amount of whole grains, dietary fibers and sugar that the food contains.
For good health its also important to get the recommended amount of dietary fibers. The intake of dietary fibers is recommended to be between 25-35 grams per day for adults, and the recommendations for children about two years is slightly lower. These recommendations only concern natural fiber-rich foods such as wholegrain products, vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts and seeds.
Neither starch or sugar is crucial for our survival, but a low intake of carbs could lead to lack of energy for our brain, which is using carbs as an energy source. If our intake of carbs for some reason is below 50 grams per day, our brain will not get enough energy. Read more about why we need carbs here: https://elifestyle-se.myshopify.com/blogs/nyheter/carbs-what-is-it-and-which-functions-does-it-have-in-our-bodies
Naturally carb-rich foods usually make us feel full or it has a low energy content, so the risk of eating to much is low. With the exception of refined cereals, like white flour and white rice, the refining lowers the quantity of fibers and deteriorated its nutritional value. And of course also sugar, which gives a lot of energy but contains no dietary fibers, vitamins or minerals. Foods that contain a lot of sugar, therefore, contains a lot of energy but little nutrition.
A low intake of dietary fibers can also lead to negative consequences, it affects the composition of the intestinal flora and increases the risk of constipation. Studies has also showed that a low intake of fibers increases the risk of overweight, diabetes, heart disease and colon cancer.
Eating a lot of foods that contains a lot of dietary fibers, could lead to stomach-ache and diarrhea. With children, its especially important to keep an eye on this since they have a high need for energy but small stomachs, which could lead to them feeling full before their energy need being met. Elderly individuals, should not eat a too rich fiber diet of the same reasons. But for healthy adults there is no upper limit.