Undercover Carbs

Hidden Carbs Can Add Up

UPDATED: 7:19 PM EST February 5, 2004

http://www.nbc4.com/health/2820546/detail.html

In News for your health tonight: Losing weight.

Low-fat is so yesterday. Now, we're all cutting carbs, it seems.

But if your diet isn't working out the way you hoped, it might be the undercover carbs that are holding you back.

Terri and Jen Gerhartz are so serious about losing weight that they hired a nutritionist to help them shop for food. And - boy have they been surprised at how much they DIDN'T know about counting carbohydrates!

"Oh it had that much? But I didn't know juices had it, any of that stuff."

From South Beach to Atkins-- the low carb thing seems to be everywhere. It sounds like a dieter's dream: count your carbs, eat more protein, and watch the pounds melt away.

But, is it really that simple? Nutritionist Robyn Webb warns that undercover carbs can sabotage your best weight loss efforts.

"They add fillers which are carbohydrates, so you are looking at some foods that are mostly processed foods that typically you think are really not carbohydrates," said Webb.

Take dairy products. An 8-ounce glass of milk has 14 grams of carbohydrates. A cup of fat-free yogurt could have 30 carbs. The first phase of the Atkins diet only allows you 20 carb grams for the whole day!

A Protein-packed egg has 2 carb grams. But, switch to some processed egg substitutes and the carb count soars to 8-grams each!

Studies show the average American eats out four times a week, but restaurant food can be loaded with undercover carbs.

It's almost impossible to avoid all carbohydrates in your diet. A tiny carrot has one gram. This cup of black coffee has a gram and a half! It pays to read labels. But, even that can be confusing!

Total carbohydrate count breaks down into three categories: Fiber, sugar alcohols and net carbs. Your body quickly eliminates the first two, but those net carbs stick around in your body. However: eat too many total carbs and the pounds could pile on.

This low carb sandwich wrap has only 10 grams of NET carbs. Read carefully and you'll see a TOTAL carb count of 22 grams. Big difference! Nutritionist Claudia Morrison says beware of low-carb products that base their claim on just NET carbs.

"The thing is you want to have less of the refined carbohydrates or the processed carbs, the white flour, the white rice, that type of thing," said Morrison.

Carbohydrate labeling can also be inaccurate. The federal government doesn't regulate the claims about NET carbs.

NBC tested five random low-carb products-- and found three of them had NET carb counts that were wrong. The label on a S'more low-carb bar claimed 2.5 grams of net carbs. But the test result showed it was more like 18 grams!

For dieters like Teri and Jen Gerhartz, uncovering hidden carbs can really make a difference.

"You do have to take note of it, if you are choosing to be on a low-fat diet."

One last note: which has more carbs: a small box of Cherrios, a banana or a low-carb bar? The banana has the most with 25 grams, followed by the low-carb bar with 22 grams and the Cherrios come in with the fewest carbs at 19 grams.

Very interesting - thanks for posting that! I have always been suspicious of "net" carbs because those products seem to stall me - something is not right! Orchid

"A Protein-packed egg has 2 carb grams. But, switch to some processed egg substitutes and the carb count soars to 8-grams each! "

The USDA at
http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/cgi-bin/nut_search.pl
rates egg-whole-raw-Jumbo at .5,

danny

In addition to that, milk [with nothing added] only has 11-12g, not 14.

I have to disagree with these folks who claim there is no such thing as a "net" carb. Especially, when it comes to Fiber. Fiber contributes no Calories and causes No insulin release. In fact, it lowers the GI of foods its eaten with. The Gov't may consider a carb a carb carb, but LC diets look beyond the title to the effect the various carbs have, and it is clear Fiber has no effect. Thus, there is no reason to count it. The other 12g in that Wrap [assuming they are refering to Subway] is Fiber. Sugar Alcohols are a little different. Our ability to absorb them, and thusly their ability to affect insulin varies. For some folks, they are almost entirely unabsorbed and cause no insulin release. For others they may be almost the same as sugar.

And I have to disagree with you. As some people react to sugar alcohols, some people react to fiber the same way. That's why people on CAD cannot count net carbs.

Sugar alcohols don't need insulin to be processed, regardless of whether they are absorbed or not. That said, they can cause a stall due to the calories alone (even nuts can stall me, as can cheese, steak, anything) if I over eat. At the end of the day, calories do count. If you eat too many and ignore the help low carb gives you (appetite suppression), you won't lose.

It is important to remember that if you are going to have any low carb item with alcohol (like vodka, wine, beer, low carb bar, low carb icecream), it has to be because you didn't eat something else. Unfortunately, most people have the habit of dessert being "extra".

I never eat an atkins bar unless it is a meal replacement, which is why it never stalled me. Adding a low carb snack at night stalled me in a hurry however.

brobin

Related Article:

Low-Carb Dieters Beware: Hidden Carbs in Familiar OTCs May Hinder Weight-Loss Efforts
Wednesday February 18, 8:31 am ET
Low-Carb Alternatives Available in Most Drugstores

PITTSBURGH, Feb. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Millions of Americans have made carb counting a central tenet of their weight-loss efforts, but while the increasing number of low-carb foods, beverages and restaurant menu items trumpet their carb contents, undisclosed or "hidden" carbs in products such as over-the-counter medications risk undermining the weight-loss efforts of even the most-fervent carb-counters.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040218/NYW036)

"People often assume that over-the-counter medications contain no carbs, simply because nutrition facts are not listed on their labels," says Pamela Peeke, M.D., M.P.H., a nationally renowned nutrition expert and author of Fight Fat After Forty (Viking Penguin). "But some of these products do contain sugar and starch. Fortunately, there are low-carb options available for many of the over-the-counter remedies out there."

Fiber Therapy

Because many high-fiber foods, such as fruits, vegetables and grains, are limited on low-carb diets, it is common for low-carb dieters to experience a change in regularity, which includes infrequent elimination, constipation or diarrhea. In fact, a recent study by Citrucel® found that more than one- third of low-carb dieters and nearly half of consumers on the Atkins and South Beach diets reported a change in regularity.

To help prevent regularity problems, the Atkins and South Beach diets both recommend that dieters use bulk-forming fiber. Fiber helps to normalize bowel activity by adding bulk and texture to food so that it passes through the body at a constant rate, rather than too slowly or quickly.

"In the best of all worlds, a healthy lifestyle would include a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole-grains, giving people adequate fiber and helping to prevent serious gastrointestinal problems like diverticular disease, hemorrhoids or Irritable Bowel Syndrome," says Peeke. "Since low- carb diets provide only a fraction of the fiber we need, people who choose this way of eating should use a bulk fiber therapy product, which can be just as effective as high-fiber foods at maintaining regularity and comfort."

Many over-the-counter medicines aimed at restoring regularity, however, contain enough carbohydrates to derail even the most dedicated low-carb dieter. And while some of the lowest-carb options come in caplet form, even those are not equal. For example, Metamucil® capsules contain three carb grams per dose. If taken up to three times daily as directed, this can amount to nearly half the daily carb intake of 20 grams allowed during the Atkins induction phase. Citrucel caplets, on the other hand, contain zero carbs per dose.

Besides containing no hidden carbs, Citrucel caplets help low-carb dieters stay regular without excess gas or bloating that can make them feel fat. The product's main ingredient, methylcellulose, is naturally derived from plant sources and doesn't ferment in the digestive tract like psyllium, which is found in other fiber products.

Calcium Supplements

Many doctors also recommend that people on low-carb diets supplement their calcium intake.

"Typically, low-carb diets are also low in calcium, because dairy products like milk and yogurt are usually restricted due to their carbohydrate count. In fact, one cup of whole milk has approximately 11 carb grams and 291 mg of calcium," says Dr. Peeke. "Because of this, I encourage people using the low- carb diet approach to take a calcium supplement."

But some calcium supplements can also add unwanted carbs. Viactiv® Soft Calcium Chews, for example, contain four carb grams per chew, primarily from corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup and sugar. Each tablet of regular TUMS, however, provides 200 mg of calcium, with less than one carb gram.

Adults can get the recommended 1,000 to 1,500 mg of daily calcium from TUMS with fewer than half the carbs they would if they took Viactiv. A swallowable supplement like Os-Cal® is also a nutritional value with zero carb grams per tablet.

Antacids

Other dietary changes that can occur on low-carb diets, especially liberal consumption of high-fat foods, may cause heartburn and indigestion.

To put out the fire without loading in the carbs, dieters can opt for Gaviscon® Regular or Extra Strength Liquids, which contain zero carb grams per dose. Compared to a dose of liquid Maalox® Max or Mylanta® Extra Strength Original, which contain up to four carb grams per dose, Gaviscon Extra Strength Liquid can save low-carb dieters up to 12 carb grams, if the maximum dosage of each of the products is taken daily.

TUMS® Regular and Sugar Free are also good choices - both at less than 1 carb gram per tablet.

Cold and Flu Remedies

With cold and flu season in full swing, relief from fever, cough and congestion is top-of-mind for many. But some of the most popular over-the- counter remedies for these symptoms are also packed with sugar, which significantly increases carb content.

Both TheraFlu® Hot Liquid Formula and Robitussin® contain about nine carb grams per dose, while NyQuil® Original Formula has an eye-popping 19 carb grams per dose. Diet-friendly alternatives for relieving a variety of cold and flu symptoms include Contac® Day & Night and Contac® Severe Cold & Flu, each of which contain zero carb grams per dose.

"Even if you're not following a low-carb diet, it's a good idea to know what's in the medications you and your family are taking," says Dr. Peeke. "If the ingredients are not listed on the label, search the product's website or call the toll-free number on the package. Most companies have this information readily available upon request."

About Pamela Peeke, M.D., M.P.H.

Dr. Pamela Peeke, a nationally recognized expert and speaker in the fields of nutrition and fitness, is a Pew Foundation Scholar in Nutrition and Metabolism; Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine; and adjunct senior scientist at the National Institutes of Health. She is also team physician for the NBA's Washington Wizards and a faculty member at the American College of Sports Medicine.

With a blend of wit, wisdom and humor that makes fitness, metabolism and nutrition easy to digest, Dr. Peeke has distinguished herself as one of the main in-studio experts for "The Today Show" and CNN. In addition, she pens monthly columns for O, The Oprah Magazine; Good Housekeeping; Prevention; Shape; and Allure magazines. She is also one of the doctors that Oprah Winfrey relies on for medical information on her nationally syndicated show.

In addition, Dr. Peeke's nationally syndicated Food Network show, "Cooking Thin" is the top rated food and health show on television.

About Citrucel

Citrucel is 100% soluble fiber derived from a natural source. Unlike other fibers, Citrucel's unique fiber will not ferment, so it won't cause excess gas. Available in great-tasting orange powder, unflavored Clear Mix, and convenient Caplets, Citrucel restores and maintains regularity naturally. For more information on Citrucel products, visit www.citrucel.com or call 1-800-897-6081.

About GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare

GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare is one of the world's largest over- the-counter healthcare products companies and ranks second globally in sales of oral care products. Its more than 30 well-known products include such medicine cabinet staples as Aquafresh® toothpastes and toothbrushes, Citrucel®, Contac®, Gaviscon, Nicorette®, NicoDerm (R) CQ, Oxy®, Os-Cal®, Sensodyne® and Tums®.

About GlaxoSmithKline

GlaxoSmithKline -- one of the world's leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies -- is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer.

I totally agree. This is just junk sensational journalism.

While I can certainly see concern over sugar alcohol type AS's, fiber in *no way* raises blood sugar. Cellulose requires certain enzymes to be broken down, and humans quite simply lack this enzyme. Cellulose has no energy for human beings and therefore it cannot and will not raise blood sugar. In fact, the bulk fiber provides slows absorbtion of sugar, as you pointed out. Fiber, ironically enough, lowers glycemic load, not highers it.

Anyone who tells you fiber will negatively impact your blood sugar like sugars and starches does is quoting bad science. There is just no logical way for it to be true.

(italics mine)

LOL. Ya think? Hmm..."Soft calcium CHEWS"...that are SWEET. This sort of obvious reporting always gives me chuckles. Any LCer thinking straight (and I know we all have mental lapses at times, but really) would figure that out, even without reading any labels. Besides, we all read labels. I DEFY that woman to find me even ONE LCer who has been stalled because of consuming those chews under the assumption that they are just calcium.

"Total carbohydrate count breaks down into three categories: Fiber, sugar alcohols and net carbs. Your body quickly eliminates the first two, but those net carbs stick around in your body. However: eat too many total carbs and the pounds could pile on."

Reread that paragraph. It doesn't make sense!

If your body eliminates fiber and sugar alcohols which are considered net carbs, how can net carbs "stick around in your body."

And this person is a nutritionist with a degree? Shame on her. Fiber, a net carb is not absorbed by the body and does not count. Sugar alcohols are more controversial.

Either the nutritionist in this article or the author of this article probably had too many no-carb martinis when they wrote this!!!

Fiber and sugar alcohols are removed from the total number of carbohydrates to determine the net carb number. Fiber and sugar alcohols are not considered net carbs. Net carbs are those carbs that your body actually processes.

From the glossary at the Atkins website:
Granted, sugar alcohols and glycerine affect different people in different ways. It's more of a YMMV thing with those.

I know that Atkins allows you to subtract total sugar alcohol grams from the total carb count, but this is still considered controversial by nutritionists/dieticians.

Sugar alcohols vary so much in their absorbability in the body, some advise counting all of them, some advise counting 1/2 of them and some (like Atkins) let you subtract the whole thing.

Of course if you're on Atkins, you'll probably subtract the whole thing, but it's still controversial.