The nutritionist listed healthy carbohydrates for different age groups

Carbohydrates are an important component of the diet, but their choice and consumption should be balanced, especially for people without carbohydrate metabolism disorders such as diabetes or insulin resistance. On November 10, Bioniq doctor, nutritionist, endocrinologist Daria Dibrova told Izvestia about which carbohydrates should be preferred and how to use sweeteners correctly.

"If we are talking about healthy people without disorders of carbohydrate metabolism (diabetes, prediabetes, insulin resistance), as well as without gluten intolerance, then all "slow" carbohydrates can be attributed to basic carbohydrates. These are almost all cereals, especially buckwheat, long-boiled oatmeal, brown/ brown rice, quinoa, bulgur, pearl barley, millet. Semolina, instant oatmeal and white rice are less preferable, as these cereals have low nutritional value due to their high degree of processing and should not be the basis of the diet. It is also possible to use pasta made from durum wheat or alternative flours such as buckwheat, chickpeas, lentil flour, and others," the specialist said.

As for sweeteners, they are divided into high-calorie and calorie-free, Dibrova said. High-calorie syrups, such as maple syrup and honey, do not differ in their effects on the body from sugar. At the same time, the richness of trace elements is offset by high sugar levels. Calorie-free sweeteners such as allulose and trehalose can be useful for people with impaired carbohydrate metabolism or those who monitor body weight. However, according to the doctor, excessive consumption of sweeteners can lead to impaired secretion of hunger and satiety hormones, which can cause an earlier feeling of hunger and lead to overeating.

Dibrova drew attention to the fact that for children and adolescents, the daily requirement for carbohydrates is 10-15 g per 1 kg of body weight, depending on physical activity and ambient temperature. For schoolchildren, the optimal amount of carbohydrates in the diet is 300-400 grams per day, of which no more than 100 grams should be simple carbohydrates. For teenagers, the daily allowance of carbohydrates can be about 500 g.

Particular attention should be paid to reducing the intake of fast carbohydrates in the diet of children. The expert gave an example when an adult buys a portion of ice cream for himself and a child, which can lead to an excessive sugar load for a minor, whose weight may be 3-5 times less than that of a parent. The optimal solution is to use slow carbohydrates in combination with fiber, healthy fats and proteins.

"In the first trimester of pregnancy, the main processes of laying the child's organ systems occur, which is a rather energy-intensive process. It is not recommended to increase the total calorie content of the diet ("eating for two" is an outdated and dangerous concept), but it will be useful to increase the proportion of slow carbohydrates, especially if the expectant mother did not consume them before pregnancy. The same recommendations are relevant for the lactation period," the doctor said.

In the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, she added, hormonal changes can cause physiological insulin resistance, which requires special control of carbohydrates in the diet. If gestational diabetes is detected, it may be necessary to limit carbohydrates in the diet.

Dibrova concluded that it is useful to pay attention to the labels and figure out how many calories are contained in one serving of your favorite chocolate or sweet coffee drink. If the goal is not to control body weight or change its composition, following the Harvard plate principle may well be sufficient.

On October 26, Dibrova told Izvestia about the protein standards in the diet. The average norm is at least 1.0–1.2 g/kg of body weight with low physical activity and a sedentary lifestyle. For people with regular workouts, this indicator increases to 1.6–1.8 g / kg of body weight, for people with a lot of training activity, professional athletes are recommended to increase to 1.8–2.2 g / kg of body weight.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.