Each year, the American Heart Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, and other government agencies, publish a document related to heart disease and stroke; you can find many fascinating facts in the document published in Circulation.

Dr. Darish Mozaffarian, from Tufts University (previously from Harvard) is one of the pivotal contributors of the Circulation document. Regarding the quality of carbohydrate, Mozaffarian noted that the quality of carbohydrate is impacted by dietary fiber content, the affects on blood sugar and the degree of processing of the carbohydrate and whether it is a whole grain. The fiber and other parts of whole grains are good for you. Highly processing grains, adding sugar and other additives, changes those beneficial complex carbs that are so good for you to not such healthy ones.

When only the indigestible outer hull is removed, as in wheat berries, or when the hull is partially intact, such as in steel-cut oats, the food is more slowly digested. These types of products tend to impact blood sugar less than finely milled whole grains and high-starch vegetables. Unfortunately, many whole grain products (cereals, breads, crackers and so on) are finely milled and often have considerable sugar and salt added.

Where the problem lies is in the fact that the highly processed/finely milled grains cause quick rises in blood sugar and thus insulin can result in stimulating the liver to produce fat and promote visceral (belly) fat; a cardiovascular risk factor.

The word is out about cutting back on sugar; but, in addition, we should be careful with the quality of carbohydrates we consume. Instead of choosing instant oatmeal, try steel cut oats, for example. Try adding some brown rice, wheat berries or barley instead of potatoes to soup. Using less of the highly processed carbohydrates is one way to move in the right direction. It’s not just getting away from sugar.