Monitoring the intake of carbohydrates is an important factor in achieving a healthy and balanced diet. It is no secret that the bulk of daily food intake consists of carbohydrates---they form the base of the United States Department of Agriculture food pyramid, and the modern diet is chock full of them. However, excessive carbohydrate intake can increase insulin production, as carbohydrates are converted to sugar in the body, and can lead to weight gain and diabetic symptoms, so monitoring the carbohydrate count in any diet is vital to a healthy lifestyle.
Total Carbohydrates
This is the first number that stands out on nutrition labeling, but it can be misleading. The count of a food is made up of two classes of carbohydrate---"impact" carbohydrates and "non-impact" carbohydrates. Impact carbohydrates, which include sugar, corn syrup and glucose, affect blood sugar dramatically, while non-impact carbohydrates, such as soluble fiber, insoluble fiber and sugar alcohol, have less of an impact.
Sugar
The king of impact carbohydrates, sugar in all of its many forms, causes the body to produce insulin, which in turn causes a spike in blood-sugar levels. The amount of sugar in a food is a good place to start when counting carbohydrates. They will normally be totaled up in a subheading underneath the total carbohydrate count on the nutrition label. Sugar in food is insidious and comes in many forms---sugar, corn syrup, glucose and fructose are all examples of how sugar may be listed on an ingredients label.
Fiber
Fiber comes in two forms, soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber is so named because it has the ability to dissolve in water, while insoluble fiber does not. The total fiber count of a food works to counteract sugars, keeping blood sugar stable. On a daily basis, women should consume at least 20 to 25 grams of fiber and men should consume at least 30 to 38 grams. On nutrition labels, both types of fiber are usually listed in one subheading underneath the "Total Carbohydrates" section of the nutrition label.
Sugar Alcohol
Sugar alcohol is used as a nonimpact sweetener in place of sugar and has little impact on the body's insulin production. Accordingly, it is widely used in foods marketed as low-carbohydrate and for diabetics. It is usually listed as a subheading of the total carbohydrate section of the nutrition label. While sugar alcohol has fewer calories than standard sugar, there are some drawbacks. Side effects of excessive consumption can include gas, bloating and diarrhea.
Calculating Net Impact Carbs
The final number carbohydrate counters should look for is the total of impact carbohydrates in any given food, determined by subtracting the total nonimpact carbohydrates from the total impact carbohydrates. A food with sugar, fiber and sugar alcohol would have the total impact carbohydrates counted as follows: sugar minus (fiber plus sugar alcohol) equals net impact carbohydrates. The net impact carbohydrate total stands for all of the carbohydrates the body will be processing once food is consumed.
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