98 THE CHINA STUDYbeen shown many times to cause significant weight loss. But it's not
quite as simple as that.
At least 99% of the carbohydrates that we consume are derived from
fruits, vegetables and grains. When these foods are consumed in the
unprocessed, unrefined and natural state, a large proportion of the car-
bohydrates are in the so-called "complex" form. This means that they
are broken down in a controlled, regulated manner during digestion.
This category of carbohydrates includes the many forms of dietary fiber,
almost all of which remain undigested-but still provide substantial
health benefits. In addition, these complex carbohydrates from whole
foods are packaged with generous amounts of vitamins, minerals and
accessible energy. Fruits, vegetables and whole grains are the healthiest
foods you can consume, and they are primarily made of carbohydrates.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, there are highly processed, high-
ly refined carbohydrates that have been stripped of their fiber, vitamins
and minerals. Typical simple carbohydrates are found in foods like white
bread, processed snack items including crackers and chips made with
white flour, sweets including pastries and candy bars and sugar-laden soft
drinks. These highly refined carbohydrates originate from grains or sugar
plants, like sugar cane or the sugar beet. They are readily broken down
during digestion to the simplest form of the carbohydrates, which are
absorbed into the body to give blood sugar, or glucose.
Unfortunately, most Americans consume voluminous amounts of
simple, refined carbohydrates and paltry amounts of complex carbo-
hydrates. For example, in 1996, 42% of Americans ate cakes, cookies,
pastries or pies on any given day, while only 10% ate any dark green
vegetables.^46 In another ominous sign, only three vegetables accounted
for half of the total vegetable servings in 199646 : potatoes, which were
mostly consumed as fries and chips; head lettuce, one of the least nutri-
ent-dense vegetables you can consume, and canned tomatoes, which is
probably only a reflection of pizza and pasta consumption. Add to that
the fact that the average American consumed thirty-two teaspoons of
added sugars per day in 1996,46 and it's clear that Americans are gorging
almost excluSively on refined, simple carbohydrates, at the exclusion of
healthful complex carbohydrates.
This is bad news, and this, in large measure, is why carbohydrates as
a whole have gotten such a bad rap; the vast majority of carbohydrates
consumed in America are found in junk food or grains so refined that
they have to be supplemented with vitamins and minerals. On this