Keto Diet: Counting Carbs Or Net Carbs?

The keto diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet that helps people lose weight quickly and effectively. To follow it successfully, you need to restrict your carbohydrate intake. But how much? Some sources say you should limit yourself to 20 grams of total carbs per day, while others say 20 grams of net carbs. So, what's the difference between total carbs and net carbs, and which one should you focus on when counting your macros? Net carbs are the total grams of carbohydrates in any given food minus its grams of dietary fibre and certain sugar alcohols. Total carbs are simply the sum of all the carbs you eat in a day. For optimal results, most people can stay in ketosis by consuming 20 or fewer grams of net carbs per day.

Net carbs are the carbs absorbed into your body

Net carbs are the number of grams of total carbohydrates in a food item minus its grams of total fibre and sugar alcohols. Fibre is a type of carbohydrate that the human body cannot digest, and sugar alcohols are low-calorie sweeteners.

Net carbs are important for people on the keto diet because they are the carbs that can trigger an insulin response. The keto diet aims to put your body in a metabolic state called ketosis, where it burns fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. To achieve ketosis, you need to drastically restrict your carb intake. Most keto diets recommend limiting your net carb intake to between 20 and 50 grams per day.

You can calculate the net carbs in a food item by subtracting the grams of fibre and sugar alcohols from the total grams of carbohydrates. For example, one cup of cooked cauliflower florets contains 5 grams of total carbohydrates and 2 grams of fibre, resulting in 3 grams of net carbs.

It's important to note that there is no formal or government-regulated definition of net carbs. While net carbs can be useful for people on low-carb diets like keto, most health organisations and professionals do not recommend counting net carbs.

Total carbs include natural sugars, starches, fibre, and sugar alcohols

Total carbs refer to the total number of carbohydrates in a food product or meal. This includes all types of carbs, such as natural sugars, starches, dietary fibre, and sugar alcohols. Natural sugars are found in fruit or milk, while starches are found in grains and starchy vegetables like potatoes.

When reading a standard nutrition label, the total carbohydrate count will include all these components, which count towards the total carbohydrate number. For example, a food with a total carbohydrate count of 37 grams includes sugar, fibre, and sometimes sugar alcohols.

Total carbs are important to consider when tracking macronutrients, or 'macros', on a keto diet. Macros are the three nutrients the human body needs in the largest quantity: protein, fat, and carbohydrates. On a ketogenic diet, you're getting about 70-80% of your calories from fat, 20-25% from protein, and 5-10% from carbs. This is why there is a large focus on tracking your carbohydrate intake.

The keto diet is a very low-carb diet in which you replace most of your usual carb intake with fat. Cutting your carb intake so drastically puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis, which makes your body more efficient at burning fat for energy.

However, when following the keto diet, it's important to understand the difference between total carbs and net carbs. Net carbs refer to the total carbs minus the fibre and some sugar alcohols, which are not digestible. Net carbs represent the total amount of digestible carbohydrates in a food product or meal.

The body cannot fully digest most types of dietary fibre, so it passes through the digestive system unchanged. Sugar alcohols, such as erythritol, are also not fully digested and absorbed by the body and can be subtracted from the total carb count when calculating net carbs.

Calculating net carbs is important for people with diabetes who need to track their carbohydrate intake to manage their blood sugar and insulin levels. By subtracting the fibre and sugar alcohols from the total carb count, people with diabetes can determine the amount of insulin they need.

While total carbs include all types of carbohydrates, net carbs only include the carbs that the body can fully digest into glucose. This distinction is important for maintaining a ketogenic state and managing health conditions such as diabetes.

Net carbs are calculated by subtracting fibre and sugar alcohols from total carbs

Net carbs are calculated by subtracting fibre and sugar alcohols from the total number of carbohydrates in a food product. This is because fibre and sugar alcohols are not digestible and are, therefore, not absorbed by the body.

Fibre is a unique form of carbohydrate in terms of its digestion and effects on the body. Unlike starch and sugar, fibre isn't absorbed in the small intestine. This is because the links between sugar units can't be broken down by the enzymes in the digestive tract. Instead, fibre passes directly into the colon, where it is either fermented by bacteria or eliminated in faeces.

Sugar alcohols, meanwhile, are processed similarly to fibre, but with some important differences. Many sugar alcohols are only partially absorbed in the small intestine, and there is a lot of variation among different types. Researchers report that the small intestine absorbs anywhere from 2% to 90% of sugar alcohols. However, some are only briefly absorbed into the bloodstream before being excreted in urine.

The basic formula for calculating net carbs is:

> Net carbohydrates = total carbohydrates – fibre – sugar alcohols (if applicable)

When calculating net carbs, it's important to note that not all sugar alcohols are treated equally. Erythritol, for example, has a minimal impact on blood glucose and ketone levels because most of it passes into the urine without being metabolised. Thus, the total value of erythritol can be subtracted from the total carbohydrates when calculating net carbs.

Other sugar alcohols, such as maltitol, sorbitol, isomalt, and glycerin, do affect blood sugar and are partially digested by the body. For these, it is recommended to divide their total number of grams per serving in half and then subtract that number from the total carbohydrates.

It's also worth noting that the term "net carbs" is controversial among nutrition experts and is not recognised by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which recommends using the total carbohydrates listed on nutrition labels.

Net carbs are important for keto dieters to track to stay in ketosis

The keto diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet that puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis, where it becomes more efficient at burning fat for energy. To stay in ketosis, it's important for keto dieters to track their net carbs, which are calculated by subtracting the grams of fibre and certain sugar alcohols from the total grams of carbohydrates in a food. Net carbs are important to track because they represent the carbs that are absorbed into the body and can impact ketosis.

Net carbs are calculated as: Net Carbs = Total Carbs - Fibre - Sugar Alcohols. For example, if a food has 20g of total carbs, 8g of fibre, and 5g of sugar alcohols, then its net carb count is 7g (20 - 8 - 5 = 7). This simple calculation can be done using the nutrition facts on food labels.

Tracking net carbs is essential for keto dieters because it helps them stay within their daily carb allowance and maintain ketosis. While total carbs give the overall carbohydrate content, net carbs provide a more accurate picture of the carbs that are absorbed and utilised by the body. By focusing on net carbs, keto dieters can ensure they're not exceeding their carb limit, which is typically between 20 to 50 grams per day.

Additionally, tracking net carbs allows keto dieters to include more vegetables and wholesome foods in their diet. This is because net carbs take into account the fibre content, which is not digestible and doesn't trigger an insulin response. By subtracting fibre from the total carb count, keto dieters can enjoy a wider variety of nutritious foods while still adhering to their carb restrictions.

Furthermore, net carbs are important for keto dieters because they provide a more sustainable approach to the diet. Counting total carbs can be more restrictive, making it challenging to include enough fibre in the diet. Net carbs allow for a balance between carb restriction and adequate fibre intake, which is crucial for optimal metabolic and digestive health.

In summary, net carbs are crucial for keto dieters to track because they help ensure ketosis, provide a more accurate representation of absorbed carbs, enable a wider food selection, and promote a more sustainable and healthier keto diet. By calculating net carbs, keto dieters can effectively manage their carb intake, stay within their limits, and maximise the benefits of the ketogenic diet.

Keto diets involve getting 70-80% of calories from fat, 20-25% from protein, and 5-10% from carbs

The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat, and moderate-protein eating plan. The diet involves getting 70-80% of calories from fat, 20-25% from protein, and 5-10% from carbs.

The keto diet is a significant restriction of carbohydrate intake, with less than 50 grams of carbs consumed daily, and often much lower than this. The body usually gets its energy from glucose, derived from carbohydrates. However, when carb intake is restricted, the body enters a state of ketosis, where it burns fat for energy instead.

The keto diet is designed to get the body into and keep it in this state of ketosis. The body will only enter ketosis if carb intake is restricted enough for the body to begin producing ketones from stored and consumed fats. Once in ketosis, the body can use these ketones for energy.

The keto diet involves getting 70-80% of calories from fat. This is a very high amount of fat and is the cornerstone of the keto diet. The diet recommends consuming healthy fats, such as olive oil, avocado, nuts, and seeds. It is important to get enough fat on the keto diet to avoid metabolic and thyroid problems.

Around 20-25% of calories on the keto diet come from protein. This is a moderate amount of protein. Protein is restricted because amino acids in protein can be converted to glucose, and eating too much can prevent the body from entering ketosis.

Finally, only 5-10% of calories come from carbohydrates on the keto diet. This is a very low amount of carbs and involves restricting many food groups, such as grains, starchy vegetables, legumes, and most fruit. Net carbs are the important figure when it comes to keto, as these are the carbs that can trigger an insulin response and prevent the body from entering ketosis. Net carbs are calculated by subtracting the grams of fibre from the total grams of carbohydrates in a food.

Frequently asked questions