Whats a good carb vs. a bad carb?
There is no universally agreed upon definition for good or bad carbohydrates in the academic world. Many carb diet books characterize carbs by glycemic index low is good, high is bad. Some recommend only complex carbs and unprocessed, high-fiber foods and discourage eating foods high in simple sugars, or those that are highly processed.(1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7,) Many of these books mischaracterize beer in terms of its glycemic index or simple-sugar content, suggesting both are high. However, in fact, beer contains little or no simple sugars or maltose, and most light beers are low in carbohydrates. Not all of these books label beer as bad. Nonetheless, readers draw that conclusion because they have inaccurately been told beer has a high glycemic index, or high sugar content, or both.
