How does fiber cancel out total carbs to give you net carbs?
“net” carbs, also called “effective” or “net impact” carbs, are the sum of a simple calculation: Take the total grams of carbohydrates in a food, subtract the grams that come from fiber or sugar alcohols, and you arrive at the amount of net carbs. For example, Subway’s Atkins-Friendly Chicken Bacon Ranch Wrap has 19 grams of carbohydrates, 11 of which are fiber-based. Thus, the restaurant advertises 8 grams of net carbs, which sounds a lot lower than 19. The theory behind this concept originated from the Atkins diet. Since the body can’t absorb fiber, and sugar alcohols are digested but not turned into glucose, carbs from these sources don’t have much of an impact on blood sugar end therefore don’t “count.” Hope this helps!
