Madeleine Hull
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 follow the keto diet successfully, you need to restrict your carbohydrate intake, but there is some confusion about whether to track total carbs or net carbs. Total carbs are the sum of all the carbs you eat in a day, while net carbs are calculated by subtracting the fibre and certain sugar alcohols that your body cannot digest. Net carbs are important because they are the carbs that can trigger an insulin response, potentially preventing your body from reaching ketosis.
What You'll Learn
Net carbs are total carbs minus fibre and sugar alcohols
Net carbs are a crucial concept to understand for anyone following a keto diet. This is because the keto diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet, and net carbs are what matter when it comes to counting your daily intake.
Net carbs are calculated by subtracting the grams of dietary fibre and certain sugar alcohols from the total grams of carbohydrates in any given food. Dietary fibre is a type of carbohydrate that the human body cannot digest, so it passes through the digestive system unchanged and does not affect blood sugar levels. Sugar alcohols, such as xylitol and erythritol, are also not fully digested and absorbed into the body, and they only partially count towards net carbs.
The formula for calculating net carbs is: Net Carbohydrates = Total Carbohydrates – Fibre – Erythritol (if applicable). For example, one cup of cauliflower rice contains 4.8 grams of total carbs and 3.2 grams of fibre. Subtracting the fibre from the total carbs gives you 1.6 grams of net carbs.
It is important to note that not all sugar alcohols are treated equally when calculating net carbs. Some, like maltitol, sorbitol, isomalt, and glycerin, only partially count towards net carbs. To calculate their impact, divide the number of grams by 2 and add it to your carb count.
By focusing on net carbs, individuals on the keto diet can ensure they are staying within their daily carb allowance while still consuming essential fibre. The recommended daily allowance of net carbs for keto is 20-50 grams, but some sources suggest that staying under 20 grams will help keep the body in a state of ketosis, where it burns fat for energy instead of carbohydrates.
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Net carbs are the carbs that are absorbed into your body
Net carbs are calculated by subtracting grams of dietary fibre and certain sugar alcohols from the total grams of carbohydrates in any given food. Dietary fibre is a carbohydrate that your body can't break down and absorb. Instead, it passes through your system until it reaches your colon, where it is either broken down by bacteria or eliminated in faeces.
Sugar alcohols are carbohydrates that taste sweet but have a different molecular structure to sugar molecules. This means they are also indigestible and so are not absorbed into the bloodstream.
By focusing on net carbs rather than total carbs, you can ensure your body gets the essential fibre it needs for proper function, without exceeding your daily allowance of net carbs.
To calculate the net carbs in a food, take a look at the nutrition label and follow these two simple steps:
- Determine the total carb content by looking at the number of total carbohydrates, then the amount of fibre and any sugar alcohols.
- Subtract the amount of dietary fibre and half the amount of sugar alcohols from the total carbohydrate amount. The result is the number of net carbs in the food.
For example, one cup of cauliflower rice contains 4.8 grams of total carbs and 3.2 grams of fibre. To get its net carbs, you subtract the fibre (3.2 grams) from the total carbs (4.8 grams), which leaves you with 1.6 grams of net carbs.
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Net carbs are the carbs that impact your blood sugar
Net carbs are calculated by subtracting a food's fibre and sugar alcohol content from its total carbohydrate content. Fibre is a type of carbohydrate that the human body cannot digest, and sugar alcohols are carbohydrates that are only partially digested. As such, these two types of carbohydrates do not count towards the amount of carbs that can trigger an insulin response, and are therefore excluded from net carb calculations.
Net carbs are important for people following a keto diet because they are the carbs that impact your blood sugar. The keto diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet that aims to keep the body in a state of ketosis, where it burns fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. Ketosis is achieved by drastically restricting carbohydrate intake so that the body begins producing ketones from stored and consumed fats. The general consensus among experts is that consuming 20 or fewer grams of net carbs per day will keep most people in a state of ketosis.
When following a keto diet, it is important to count your net carbs to ensure you stay in ketosis. You can calculate the net carbs of a food by looking at its nutrition label and subtracting its fibre and sugar alcohol content from its total carbohydrate content. For example, one cup of cauliflower rice contains 4.8 grams of total carbs and 3.2 grams of fibre. Subtracting the fibre from the total carbs gives you 1.6 grams of net carbs.
It is worth noting that there is no official definition of net carbs, and the net carb count on food labels can often be deceiving. Additionally, not all sugar alcohols are truly carb-free, and some manufacturers may sell "low-carb" foods that have more carbs than claimed. As such, it is important to carefully read labels and understand which types of carbohydrates are included in a food's total carbohydrate count.
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Net carbs are important for staying in ketosis
The keto diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet that aims to put the body into a state of ketosis, where it burns fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. To achieve and maintain ketosis, it is recommended to consume no more than 50 grams of net carbs per day, with some sources suggesting 20 grams or fewer. By focusing on net carbs, individuals can ensure they are not denying their body the essential fibre it needs while still limiting their carbohydrate intake.
Calculating net carbs can be done by looking at the nutrition label of a food product and subtracting the amount of dietary fibre and half the amount of sugar alcohols from the total carbohydrate amount. For example, if a food product contains 20 grams of total carbohydrates, 8 grams of fibre, and 5 grams of sugar alcohols, the net carb count would be 7 grams (20 grams - 8 grams - 5 grams = 7 grams).
It is important to note that not all sugar alcohols are truly carb-free, and some manufacturers may claim their products have fewer carbs than they actually do. Additionally, the FDA does not support the concept of net carbs, and there is no official definition of net carbs, so the net carb count on labels may be misleading. Therefore, it is crucial to carefully read nutrition labels and track net carb intake to ensure staying within the recommended range for ketosis.
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Net carbs are calculated by subtracting fibre and sugar alcohols from total carbs
Net carbs are an important concept to understand when it comes to the keto diet. The keto diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet that aims to put your body into a metabolic state called ketosis, where it burns fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. To achieve and maintain ketosis, it is recommended to consume no more than 50 grams of net carbs per day, and the fewer carbs, the better. Net carbs are calculated by subtracting fibre and sugar alcohols from the total carbohydrate content of a food item.
Fibre is a type of carbohydrate that the human body cannot digest. Instead, it passes through the digestive system unchanged and is either fermented by bacteria in the colon or eliminated in faeces. Since fibre is not broken down and absorbed by the body, it does not count towards the amount of carbs that can trigger an insulin response, which can prevent the body from entering ketosis. Therefore, it is subtracted from the total carb count when calculating net carbs.
Sugar alcohols, such as xylitol and erythritol, are also subtracted from the total carb count. They have a sweet taste, but their molecular structure differs slightly from that of sugar molecules, making them indigestible. However, it is important to note that certain sugar alcohols do impact blood sugar levels, especially if consumed in large amounts or by individuals with diabetes. In these cases, they should be factored into the net carb count. Additionally, sugar alcohols can be fermented by gut bacteria, leading to gas and bloating in the small intestine.
To calculate the net carbs in a food item, first determine the total carb content by looking at the nutrition label. Then, identify the amount of fibre and any sugar alcohols listed. Finally, subtract the amount of fibre and sugar alcohols from the total carb amount to get the net carb count. For example, if a food item has 20 grams of total carbs, 8 grams of fibre, and 5 grams of sugar alcohols, the net carb count would be 7 grams (20 grams - 8 grams - 5 grams = 7 grams).
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Frequently asked questions
Net carbs are the total grams of carbohydrates in a food minus its grams of dietary fibre and certain sugar alcohols.
The keto diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet that puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis, where it burns fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. Net carbs are important because they are the carbs that are absorbed into your body and can be used for energy.
Most sources recommend limiting your net carb intake to 20-50 grams per day. However, some people may need to restrict their intake further to achieve and maintain ketosis.
To calculate net carbs, take the total number of carbohydrates in a food and subtract the amount of dietary fibre and half the amount of sugar alcohols. The result is the number of net carbs in the food.
Meats such as beef, lamb, pork, chicken, and fish such as cod, sardines, tuna, and salmon are very low in net carbs. Most green and leafy vegetables also have a low net carb count.
