Refined vs. complex carbs.(HEALTH BITES)(Brief Article)

Food Processing, April, 2005 by Toops, Diane

Refined carbohydrates, such as sugar, appear to cause more than equal amounts of complex carbs (grain-based and vegetables), according to researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Their one-year study of 572 adults is one of the first to link the type, not the amount, of carbohydrates and calories to the rise in U.S.

obesity rates. The researchers also found the amount of carbohydrates their subjects are appeared to have no influence on their body mass index--a measure of weight that factors in height. Overweight subjects tended to eat refined carbs, while subjects with lower body mass indices are similar amounts of complex carbs.