Carbohydrates Guide: Complex Carbs vs. Processed Sugars

Carbohydrates serve as an essential energy source, but processed versions can lead to inflammation and weight gain. Understanding the difference between complex carbs like oatmeal and simple sugars is key to metabolic health.

What Are the Characteristics of Carbohydrates?

Published Jul,08 2011 | By Angela Ogunjimi

Carbohydrates are one of three macronutrients, besides protein and fat, that you need in fairly large quantities to maintain your life and important body functions. They are revered for their ability to energize you quickly but also blamed for thickening waistlines in the rise of so-called low-carb diets.

Angela Ogunjimi has been a prize-winning writer and editor since 1994. She was a general assignment reporter at two newspapers and a business writer at two magazines. She writes on nutrition, obesity, diabetes and weight control for a project of the National Institutes of Health. Ogunjimi holds a master's degree in sociology from George Washington University and a bachelor's in journalism from New York University.