Have you ever found yourself staring at a nutrition label and feeling lost? With so many different numbers, it can be hard to know which ones matter. And if you're following a low-carb diet, one of the most confusing parts can be the distinction between net and total carbs. Should I count net carbs or total carbs for weight loss? Research suggests that counting net carbs may benefit weight loss and health more. Nevertheless, some convincing arguments exist for tracking total carbs, especially if you’re not quite ready to adopt a low-carb diet. So, How to Hit Your Macros?
In this article, we’ll break down the differences between net carbs and total carbs, and help you determine which one to focus on for your weight loss goals. Tracking your carb intake can be made easier with the help of a calorie tracker like Cal AI.
A carbohydrate is a macronutrient made of glucose, which gives your body energy. The most common types of carbohydrates are sugars, starches, and fibers. Along with fats and protein, carbohydrates make up the calories in your food. Cutting carbs is a deliberate form of cutting calories.
Total carbs are the sum of all carbohydrates in a food item, including sugars, fiber, and non-digestible carbohydrates. Your body initially digests and absorbs all these carbohydrates, converting them into energy. Nonetheless, not all of these carbs have the same impact on your body’s calorie count.
Net carbs, nonetheless, represent the carbohydrates your body can fully absorb and use for energy. You subtract the non-usable carbohydrates from the total carbs to calculate net carbs. Non-usable carbohydrates include fiber (soluble and insoluble) and non-caloric sweeteners like:
These components do not contribute to your daily calorie intake because your body cannot fully digest them. Net carbs, sometimes referred to as "impact carbs" or "active carbs," isn't a legally defined term. The only type of carb regulated by the Food & Drug Administration is the total carbs you see on the nutrition facts, which is broken down into dietary fibers and sugar.
So, depending on who you ask, you might get a slightly different definition of how net carbs are calculated. But here’s the consensus: When looking at whole foods, net carbs = total carbs - fiber. When looking at packaged foods, net carbs = total carbs, which are fiber and sugar alcohols. But what's the point of this calculation?
The basic concept is that not all carbs are equally absorbed by the body; thus, they shouldn't be counted. These uncounted carbs are sometimes called "non-impact carbs" or "inactive carbs." "Net carbs are based on the assumption that fiber in a food is not metabolized or broken down into sugar in the bloodstream," says Ali Miller, R.D., integrative dietitian and ketogenic diet expert.
And if it's not broken down into sugar in the bloodstream, it won't spike your blood sugar or knock you out of ketosis. Right? While this all sounds great in theory, the formula has some flaws, which question how useful this net carb formula is.
Net carbs are a low-carb dieter’s best friend. When tracking your carbohydrate intake, the number that truly matters is net carbs, or the carbs your body digests and absorbs. To calculate net carbs, you simply subtract fiber (and sugar alcohols, if you’re counting those) from total carbohydrates. Why? Because the body doesn’t fully digest fiber and sugar alcohols, they don’t significantly impact blood sugar levels. This means they won’t spike insulin like other carbohydrates, making them a much better alternative for metabolic health. In short, the fewer net carbs in a food, the better.
One upside to looking at net carbs is that you get an idea of how that food might impact your blood sugar, which ties in to how long you feel full and energized. For example, a slice of bread and a cup of raspberries have equal total carbs (15 grams).
Still, the raspberries will keep you fuller and happier because they pack significantly more fiber (8 grams vs. 0.8 grams), giving them a lower net carb count (7 grams vs. 14.2 grams).
Another advantage of tracking net carbs is that it can improve dietary flexibility. You’ll probably need to cut back on your favorite foods when you go on a low-carb diet to lose weight. Nevertheless, understanding net carbs can help you find substitutes that satisfy you without as many calories or carbs.
For instance, if you were following a ketogenic diet, you could use the net carb numbers to figure out that you could swap out bread for raspberries, or even better, cauliflower, and still enjoy a delicious low-carb meal.
That said, that net carb number may not be accurate, as the body absorbs some fiber and sugar alcohols. Packaged foods get very tricky when companies start adding ingredients, like fiber-rich inulin, to lower the net carb count. Are there downsides to focusing on net carbs? The short answer is yes, several. Miller feels strongly that focusing on only net carbs isn't an accurate measure of carb intake because each person processes and metabolizes non-impact carbs like fiber differently.
"In my 10-plus years of using the ketogenic diet for beneficial metabolic, hormonal, and neurological influences on the body, I have always stuck with total carbs because there are variances in our individual blood sugar responses to fibers, depending on the unique state of our gut bacteria and blood sugar metabolism," she says. "Also, the form of fiber (soluble vs. insoluble) may be metabolized differently, and the source of the fiber in many packaged foods is highly processed and could still yield a blood sugar spike." And while the net carb formula is likely flawed across the board, it's probably the least useful for packaged foods. At least with a whole plant food like raspberries, you know that the low net carb number results from naturally high fiber content, which is fantastic for your health for several reasons.
Nevertheless, with packaged foods, these added fibers and sugar alcohols are not something your body typically encounters (at least not in such high quantities), which can lead to issues.
"As soon as the food industry caught on to the value of fiber, they started adding processed industrialized ingredients to packaged foods to increase the total fiber count, but many of these ingredients can be gut irritants," says Miller.
"I always say focus on whole food ingredients—the impact of the fiber from leafy greens, avocado, nuts, and seeds is superior to that in a processed product using inulin, corn fiber, or other additives."
Cording agrees, adding that another common issue with tracking net carbs is that it can lead to excessive calorie intake if someone thinks they can simply cancel out higher-carb foods with loads of fiber.
On a mental level, tracking net carbs can lend itself to a lot of overthinking and may make it harder for someone to enjoy a balanced meal when they don't know the breakdown of total carbs vs. fiber vs. sugar alcohols.
"Net carbs are a misleading and potentially an inaccurate way to monitor carb intake," says Miller, and neither Cording nor Miller recommends that anyone (including low-carb keto dieters) use them to track carb intake. Instead, both say that keeping a food's total carb count in mind makes much more sense if you're watching your carbs.
To keep your total carb intake low, your best strategy is to focus on low-carb whole foods such as non-starchy veggies like leafy greens, high-fiber fruits like berries, healthy fats like olive oil, quality meats and fish, nuts, and seeds.
Carbohydrates are sugar molecules. Depending on the number of sugar molecules in a chain, they can be simple or complex. Simple carbohydrates (sugars) contain one to three sugar molecules. They occur naturally in foods like fruits and milk and are added to many processed foods.
Complex carbohydrates (starches) consist of long chains of sugar molecules. They, too, occur naturally in foods like whole grains, starchy vegetables, and legumes. Processed foods often contain refined carbohydrates derived from whole food sources but have been extensively altered to create a fine powder.
When consumed in excess, carbohydrates can negatively impact health and weight. Carbs are the body’s preferred energy source, fueling physical activity, exercise, and bodily functions. While the body can use fat and protein for energy, this process is less efficient and can impair overall health.
Carbohydrates are one of three macronutrients, along with protein and fat. All three provide calories, which the body uses for energy. When you consume more calories than your body can use, it stores the excess as body fat. All carbohydrates, including simple and complex carbs, give your body energy from sugar (glucose).
Cutting back on carbs for weight loss works because it helps reduce your overall calorie intake. Carbs can also impact your body’s metabolism and how it functions. Low-carbohydrate diets can help reduce insulin levels, a hormone that promotes fat storage. Additionally, they can increase glucagon levels, a hormone that helps break down stored fat.
Counting carbohydrates can also help reduce the intake of processed foods that can negatively impact health and weight.
Total carbohydrates refer to the overall number of carbs in a food, including fiber and sugar alcohols. Most nutrition labels report total carbs. Net carbs, on the other hand, refer to the number of carbohydrates absorbed by the body. They are calculated by subtracting fiber and sugar alcohols (when applicable) from total carbs.
Notably, fiber is a carbohydrate that the body does not digest. It passes through the gastrointestinal tract largely intact and does not raise blood sugar levels. Sugar alcohols are a type of reduced-calorie sweetener that also don’t significantly impact blood sugar.
While the body does metabolize these compounds, it uses them for energy instead of glucose, which can help lower blood sugar levels. Most low-carbohydrate diets recommend counting net carbs instead of total carbs. This can help you achieve your weight loss goals while allowing you to consume more foods, particularly nutrient-dense options like fruits and vegetables.
Carbohydrates aren’t the enemy. They are your body’s primary source of energy. Counting carbs can help with weight loss by reducing overall calorie intake and improving metabolic health. Regarding carb counting, it’s essential to look beyond the total number of carbohydrates in foods. Instead, focus on the net carbs, which can help you achieve your weight loss goals while allowing you to enjoy a variety of foods.
