Top doctor Dr Xand van Tulleken is warning about how not all carbs are created equal in a BBC programme which will be aired on Wednesday 6 June.
On The Truth About Carbs, Dr van Tulleken explores food intake and how carbs can affect weight, urging people to cut their carb intake. Obesity and type 2 diabetes are significantly linked and carb intake is becoming a prevalent talking point among healthcare professionals because carbs has the greatest impact on blood sugar levels.
Alongside Kirby GP Dr Faisal Maassarani, the two doctors talk to leading experts, chefs and a group of obese people with health complications including type 2 diabetes about the relationship between obesity and carbohydrate.
Among the obese cohort, those who cut out starch and sugar ended up improving their blood sugar significantly, with one participant close to achieving type 2 diabetes remission.
Chief among the show’s lessons is that not all carbs are created equal, with foods high in dietary fibre for example – referred to as “green carbs” – significantly healthier than “beige carbs” such as pasta and potatoes, and “white carbs” such as rice and biscuits.
Speaking to the MailOnline, Dr van Tulleken said: “Learning to eat carbs more intelligently has helped me control my weight more easily. As a medical doctor with a degree in public health, I’m convinced it could bring similar benefits to millions of Britons.”
The show also provides viewers with top tips on how to avoid the bad carbs as well as showing scientific experiments about how carbs can affect people’s energy levels.
The show will be aired on 6 June on BBC One at 20:00 and can also be watched via the BBC iPlayer shortly after broadcast.
Editor’s note: If you’d like to find out more about different types of carbohydrate, visit our award-winning Low Carb Program.