carbohydrates and other carbohydrates

Question
On a box of cereal, like Shredded Wheat for instance, there are listings for "total carbohydrates," (41 g), "sugars," (less than 1g), and "other carbohydrates," (35g).  Can you please tell me the difference between total carbohydrates, sugar and other carbohydrates?

Thank you for your help.

Marilyn

Answer
Hello Marilyn!

   Thank you for your nutrition question.  There are actually 2 different types of carbohydrates.  They are called simple and complex.
    First we will start with the complex.  These types of carbohydrates consist of your whole grains, brown rice, and different types of breads.  These are considered "better carbs" because they release energy into your body slowly.
    On the other hand, there is the simple kind which consists of foods such as fruits, and foods high in sugar.  These food release energy into your body very quickly and are not as beneficial to us.
    When examined under a microscope, carbohydrates consist of of sugar chains. The complex carbs have longer sugar chains while the simple carbs have smaller sugar chains.  Hope this helps.
-George Rapitis, Nutritionist

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