The term “net carbs” refers to carbs that your body absorbs.
To determine the net carbohydrates in whole foods, deduct the fiber from the overall carb count. To choose net carbs in processed foods, remove fiber and a percentage of sugar alcohols.
The debate over whether to count net or total carbohydrates is raging in the low-carb world.
To begin with, the phrase “net carbs” is not formally recognized or agreed upon by nutrition professionals. Furthermore, calculating net carbohydrates might be difficult owing to contradictory and obsolete information.
In reality, the net carb statements on packaged goods may not accurately reflect the quantity of carbohydrates your body absorbs.
Understanding how your body processes different types of carbohydrates may assist you in meeting your blood sugar, weight loss, and health objectives.
This article examines the science of net carbohydrates, gives easy formulae for calculating your consumption, and explores the benefits and drawbacks of measuring net carbs.
What Are Net (Digestible) Carbs?
Net carbs are also known as digestible carbs or effect carbs. The phrases relate to carbohydrates absorbed by the body and include simple and complex carbohydrates.
Simple carbohydrates comprise one or two sugar units linked together and can be found in foods such as fruits, vegetables, milk, sugar, honey, and syrup.
Complex carbohydrates are present in grains and starchy vegetables such as potatoes and include numerous sugar units linked together.
When you ingest a carbohydrate-containing diet, enzymes secreted in the small intestine break down most carbohydrates into individual sugar units. Individual sugar units can only be absorbed by your body.
Some carbohydrates cannot be broken down into individual sugars, while others are only partly broken down and absorbed. Fiber and sugar alcohols are examples of these.
As a result, when calculating net carbs, most fiber and sugar alcohols may be removed from total carbs.
How Your Body Handles Fiber Carbs
Fiber is a distinct carbohydrate regarding digestion and its effects on the body.
Unlike carbs and sugar, natural fiber is not absorbed in the small intestine.
This is because the enzymes in your digestive tract cannot break down the connections between sugar molecules. As a result, fiber enters the colon straight (1).
However, its fate after that is determined by the type of fiber.
Fiber is classified into two types: insoluble and soluble. Two-thirds of the fiber you consume is insoluble, while the remaining third is soluble.
Water does not dissolve insoluble fiber. It produces a larger stool and may aid in the prevention of constipation. This form of fiber is non-digestible, has no calories, and does not affect blood sugar or insulin levels (2).
Soluble fiber, on the other hand, dissolves in water and produces a gel that slows food flow through your system and can help you feel full (3).
Soluble fibers are converted into short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) by bacteria once they reach the colon. These SCFAs support gut health and may give various additional health advantages.
According to research, fermenting 1 gram of soluble fiber to SCFAs yields roughly 1-2 calories, depending on the type of fiber (4, 5).
Because one-third of the fiber in most meals is soluble, a serving of 6 grams might provide up to 4 calories in the form of SCFAs.
However, while soluble fiber contains a few calories, it does not appear to raise blood glucose levels. Indeed, the current study shows that its actions in the intestine aid in the reduction of blood sugar levels (6, 7).
Many studies have demonstrated that soluble fiber can help with blood sugar regulation, insulin sensitivity, and calorie absorption (8, 9, 10, 11).
However, one processed fiber known as isomaltooligosaccharide (IMO) appears to be partially absorbed in the small intestine, like non-fiber carbs, which may elevate blood sugar (12, 13).
Several food producers have recently substituted IMO with other fiber types in their products. Nonetheless, IMO may be present in various “low-carb” meals.
How Your Body Handles Sugar Alcohol Carbs
Sugar alcohols are digested in the same way as fiber is, with a few essential modifications.
Many sugar alcohols are only partly absorbed in the small intestine, and the amount varies significantly across various kinds.
According to studies, the small intestine absorbs 2-90% of sugar alcohols. On the other hand, some are quickly absorbed into the circulation before being eliminated in urine (14).
Furthermore, these sugar alcohols can have varied impacts on blood sugar and insulin levels despite being far lower than sugar.
The glycemic and insulin indices for the most prevalent sugar alcohols are listed below. In comparison, the glucose glycemic and insulin indexes are both 100 (14).
- Erythritol: Glycemic index 0, insulin index 2
- Isomalt: Glycemic index 9, insulin index 6
- Maltitol: Glycemic index 35, insulin index 27
- Sorbitol: Glycemic index 9, insulin index 11
- Xylitol: Glycemic index 13, insulin index 11
Maltitol is the most prevalent sugar alcohol in processed goods, such as low-carb protein bars and sugar-free sweets.
It is partly absorbed in the small intestine, and the remaining is fermented in the colon by bacteria. It has also been discovered to contribute around 3-3.5 calories per gram, as opposed to 4 calories per gram for sugar (15, 16, 17).
Maltitol has been observed anecdotally to raise blood sugar levels in patients with diabetes and prediabetes.
Erythritol appears to be the best choice overall in terms of net carbs.
Most of it is absorbed in the small intestine and eliminated in the urine. The remaining 10% is fermented to SCFAs in the colon, rendering it carbohydrate-free, calorie-free, and unlikely to cause digestive issues (14, 18, 19).
Other sugar alcohols are partially absorbed and may boost blood sugar levels, albeit to a smaller amount than maltitol. They do, however, appear to produce substantial bloating, gas, and loose stools in a large number of persons (14, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24).
Notably, the controlled research on sugar alcohols only included a few participants, and blood sugar levels were not usually monitored.
Sugar alcohols do not appear to significantly influence blood sugar and insulin levels in general, although individual reactions may differ, particularly among people with diabetes or prediabetes.
Calculating Net Carbs in Whole Foods
Fiber occurs naturally in whole meals. Just remove the fiber from the total carbs to get the net carbs.
Food Composition Databases from the USDA offer comprehensive nutrition information for thousands of items, including carbohydrates and fiber.
A medium avocado, for example, has 17.1 grams of total carbohydrates, 13.5 grams of which are fiber.
So 17.1 g of total carbs – 13.5 g of fiber = 3.6 g of net carbs.
Calculating Net Carbs in Processed Foods
The more information you have to compute the net carbohydrates in a packaged food, the better.
Calculating Net Carbs From Fiber
Most fiber may be removed from the total carbohydrates on the nutrition label.
If you reside outside the United States, the fiber has already been removed and is reported individually under the “total carbohydrate” line.
If the fiber isomaltooligosaccharide (IMO) is listed as an ingredient, eliminate just half of the fiber carbohydrates.
Calculating Net Carbs From Sugar Alcohols
Remove half of the carbohydrates from sugar alcohols from the total carbs indicated on the nutrition label.
The exception is erythritol. If it’s the only sugar alcohol on the list, its carbohydrates can be deducted from the total carbs.
Because many firms eliminate all fiber and sugar alcohol carbohydrates when calculating net carbs, this result may differ from the number of net carbs listed on the product label.
A maltitol-sweetened Atkins bar, for example, lists 3 grams of net carbohydrates on the package.
However, when only half of the carbohydrates from sugar alcohols are removed, the net carb value is 8.5 g: 23 g of total carbs – 9 g of fiber – 11 g sugar alcohols (11 g X 0.5 = 5.5 g = 8.5 g of net carbs).
Pros and Cons of Counting Net Carbs
There are advantages and disadvantages to monitoring net carbohydrates rather than total carbs.
Advantages
- Less restrictive: Keeping track of net carbs may help you make better eating choices. Although blackberries, avocados, and seeds contain mostly fiber, they may be avoided on a ketogenic diet, limited to 20 grams of total carbohydrates daily.
- May promote higher fiber intake: Fiber-rich diets have been demonstrated to increase satiety, lower blood sugar levels, and limit calorie absorption. In some situations, restricting them may backfire (8, 9, 10, 11).
- Reduced risk of hypoglycemia in people who use insulin: Using insulin to cover all carbohydrates without correcting for high-fiber and erythritol-containing diets can lead to hypoglycemia or low blood sugar.
Disadvantages
- Not 100% accurate: Because of the variable effects of processing on fiber, the mix of sugar alcohols used in goods, and individual reactions, it is not feasible to compute net carbs with total precision now.
- It may not work as well for some with type 1 diabetes: While removing fiber carbohydrates may help some patients with type 1 diabetes avoid low blood sugar, others find that counting all carbs simplifies blood sugar management.
- May lead to high intake of sugar-free treats: Overindulging in “low in net carbs” bars may impede weight reduction, raise blood sugar, and cause other health concerns.
Finally, whether you count total or net carbs should be determined by what works best for you.
The Bottom Line
The dispute over whether it’s better to count total or net carbs isn’t going away anytime soon.
On the other hand, understanding how your body processes different types of carbohydrates can help you control your blood sugar, weight, and general health.
One method is to calculate net carbs. The word “net carbs” refers to carbs that the body absorbs.
Subtract the fiber from the total quantity of carbohydrates to get the net carbs in whole meals. Subtract the fiber and a fraction of the sugar alcohols from the net carbs in processed meals.
However, remember that the “net carbs” mentioned on product labels can be deceiving, and individual reactions may differ.
If you discover that counting net carbohydrates causes higher-than-expected blood sugar levels or other problems, you may track total carbs instead.
The objective is to eat enough carbohydrates to meet your health goals, regardless of how you calculate them.
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