You may have noticed on this site that the amount of carbs for all the foods listed is labeled as “effective carbs.” What does this mean? And why can’t you just use the total carbs?
Carbohydrates are essentially long chains of sugars. In order for our body to absorb and use carbs, it must break them down into these basic units. The smaller the chain, the faster and easier your body can utilize them. This is why whole grains, pastas, and breads have a lower glycemic index and load than their refined counterparts. The carbs in these items are much longer chains and your body is slower at breaking them down.
So is it possible that some carbohydrates are so long that they cannot be broken down by the body at all? Yes. These carbs are called fiber. Although it is an important component of a healthy low carb diet, fiber does not break down in the human body and does not affect your caloric intake. However, the carbs from fiber are still included in the total carb count of any food item.
A useful tool to get around this is the idea of “effective carbs,” also known as “net carbs.” The effective carb count is a measure of how many carbs in a food are actually broken down and used for fuel, rather than just passing through the body undigested.
I have chosen to report the effective carb count for items on this site (specifically, total carbs minus fiber) in order to help give you a more accurate assessment of how well different foods fit with your low carb diet. This, along with other types of data such as the glycemic index and glycemic load, is another useful tool to help you in your journey towards improved health.
