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The complex carbohydrates or slow absorption carbohydrates are those carbohydrates or carbohydrates made up of the longest chains of sugars (oligosaccharides and polysaccharides), usually consumed in the form of fibers or starches, the latter being the method of plant beings to store energy (equivalent to fat in animals).
Unlike the carbohydrates simple or rapidly absorbed (monosaccharides), these nutrients provide the body with a longer energy release throughout the day, which is why they are often recommended for people with claims to lose weight.
In this way, complex carbohydrates provide a much more extensive feeling of filling, since they cannot be converted into glucose quickly and stored in the form of reserves of grease, as is the case with simple carbohydrates. For the same reason, their consumption is discouraged for people with diabetic disorders or metabolic imbalances, and they are a recommended alternative to refined and processed sugars.
Examples of foods with complex carbohydrates
- Wholemeal flours. Especially those made from whole grains. For example, corn flour, oatmeal, cassava flour, grated wheat, bran or bran, whole wheat flour or cracked wheat, muesli, sorghum.
- Grain. Particularly those that have not been processed and stripped of their essential nutrients (like starches). For example: quinoa, popcorn, whole grain corn, buckwheat, barley, wild or brown rice, oats, wheat germ.
- Vegetables. Coming from vegetable pods, such as peas, lentils, beans, beans (black, white, red), chickpeas, peas, broad beans, alfalfa, couscous, soybeans or soybeans.
- Tubers and roots. They are usually rich in starches, such as potatoes (baked, especially), sweet potatoes, chayote, squash, manioc (yucca), yams, and oats.
- Vegetables. Especially those rich in calcium, such as spinach, chard, leeks, purslane, artichokes and most cabbages. Also zucchini, paprika and asparagus, green beans (green beans).
- Nuts and seeds. Particularly those that have not been processed. Such as almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, raisins, pistachios, sunflower seeds, banana, flax or mustard.
- Fruits. Most fruits contain simple carbohydrates (monosaccharides), but bananas (not bananas), pears, grapefruits, avocados, radishes, figs, and plums contain abundant complex carbohydrates. Also the apple rind.
- Algae and lichens. Foods rich in mucilage, such as agar-agar and other red algae (rhodium), or lichen of Iceland, contain abundant complex carbohydrates.
- Vegetables and vegetables. Especially those rich in mucilage and cellulose, such as cucumber, carrot, eggplant, tomatoes, onion and most sprouts.
- Green leaves. Usually used raw in salads: lettuce, radicheta, arugula, watercress; or as flavorings and infusions, such as parsley, thyme and coriander.
- Dairy products. Certain cheeses, yogurt, and skim milk contain just as much complex carbohydrates as soy milk (even though it's not actually dairy). On the other hand, milk and most of its derivatives contain sugars monosaccharides.
- Seafood. Certain shellfish can be a source of complex carbohydrates (glycogens), such as mussels or oysters, as well as most edible bivalves. However, the majority is lost in the commercial or industrial handling of them.
- Vegetable stems. Rich in cellulose (vegetable relative of glucose), such as celery, chives, garlic joint, hearts of palm, cauliflower, watercress and broccoli (the stems). Especially if they are consumed green or steamed.
- Vegetable oils. Although they are not properly a food, nor do they provide per se complex carbohydrates, their use (especially olive oil) allows to preserve the polysaccharides in plant foods and not to denature the sugars contained in them.
- Breads and pasta. Only those made from wholemeal flours or those mentioned above, such as bran, whole wheat, without added processed sugars.
It can serve you: Examples of Carbohydrates
