Let’s Talk About Processed Carbs - and What They’re Really Doing

I want to take a moment to talk about something simple but deeply important - processed carbohydrates. Learning what they truly do inside the body can be eye-opening, and I believe education is the most powerful form of healing. No label in the store will ever tell you the whole truth.

What Are Processed Carbs?

Processed carbohydrates are foods that have been stripped of their natural fiber, minerals, and nutrients, leaving behind fast-digesting starches that spike blood sugar and drop it just as quickly. They’re found in white bread, pastries, chips, cereals, and many of the packaged foods that fill grocery aisles.

Because they digest so rapidly, these foods create blood-sugar highs and crashes, leading to fatigue, cravings, and imbalance throughout the body. Over time, this pattern can affect energy levels, focus, and even mood stability.

What Processed Carbs Really Are

Processed carbohydrates are not just sugars and flours - they are engineered ingredients derived from whole plants through chemical or mechanical changes. Examples include:

• Maltodextrin, glucose syrup, high-fructose corn syrup

• Refined flours stripped from whole grains

• Extruded snacks, puffed cereals, modified starches

• Additives that enhance texture but carry little nutritional value

When consumed, these carbs skip the “slow and steady” path and instead flood your bloodstream with glucose, demanding large insulin responses.

Why the Food Matrix Matters

In a whole grain, fruit, or vegetable, fiber, vitamins, proteins, fats, and phytochemicals are tightly bound. Processing breaks apart that structure - and changes how the body perceives and uses those nutrients. You don’t just lose fiber; you lose the moderating effects those nutrients have on digestion, absorption, and satiety.

Corn: The Issue

Corn is cheap, versatile, and heavily subsidized. Food industries convert it into syrups, starches, and additives that show up in nearly every processed product. All of these derivatives act in the body more like sugar than whole-food carbs.

Blood Sugar & Metabolism

Repeated high spikes in blood sugar push your system toward:

• Overworked insulin machinery

• Higher baseline blood sugar

• Inflammation

• Fat storage

• Dysregulation of appetite and energy

These processes underlie many chronic conditions we see today.

Lies in “Health Food” Marketing

“Whole grain,” “veggie snacks,” “baked chips” - the language can be misleading. Even if a product carries those labels, it may still be refined, extruded, overloaded with simple starches, and stripped of the natural complexity that slows absorption.

A “whole grain” bread may actually be recombined flour (bran + germ + starch), but without the protective structure. That difference matters.

Engineering Overeating

Products are designed to:

• Require minimal chewing (thanks to puffed, porous structure)

• Dissolve quickly on the tongue

• Be shelf-stable for months

• Remain soft or chewy for longer

• Encourage continuous snacking

Most of those design choices begin with refined starches and end in overconsumption.

When Processing Isn’t Bad

Some processing preserves the food’s integrity or makes it safer or more accessible. Examples include:

• Freezing (especially flash-freezing). Locks in nutrients immediately after harvest and can even preserve more vitamins than “fresh” produce that travels long distances

  Examples: frozen berries, vegetables, and wild-caught fish.

• Drying or Dehydrating. Removes moisture to prevent spoilage while keeping most fiber, minerals, and flavor intact

  Examples: dried herbs, unsweetened dried fruit, sun-dried tomatoes, and clean jerky.

• Fermentation. Uses natural bacteria or yeast to preserve food while enhancing beneficial compounds

  Examples: sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, miso, and fermented pickles.

• Cold-pressing and minimal oil extraction. Retains antioxidants and natural compounds that high heat would destroy.

  Examples: cold-pressed olive, avocado, and flaxseed oils.

• Milling or stone-grinding (light processing). Breaks grains into smaller pieces while keeping the germ and bran intact, preserving fiber and minerals

  Examples: stone-ground oats, true whole-grain flours.

• Soaking, sprouting, and slow cooking. Improves digestibility and nutrient absorption by breaking down compounds that can block mineral uptake.

  Examples: sprouted lentils, soaked grains, slow-cooked beans.

• Gentle pasteurization. Reduces harmful bacteria while keeping nutrients and enzymes intact if done carefully.

  Examples: lightly pasteurized milk, juices, or probiotic beverages.

• Canning (done properly). Extends shelf life without destroying nutrients when minimal additives are used.

  Examples: canned beans, tomatoes, or sardines packed in water or olive oil.

• Vacuum sealing and controlled-atmosphere packaging. Preserves freshness and prevents oxidation without changing the food’s structure.

  Examples: vacuum-sealed meats, nuts, and coffee.

These forms of processing don’t destroy the food matrix in the same way.

What’s at Stake, Systemically

• Most people consume more ultra-processed foods and refined carbs than ever

• The health consequences are rising - obesity, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome

• A major regulatory shift is being proposed: to remove GRAS status from many refined carb ingredients, forcing food companies to justify their safety and restrict their usage

This isn’t about banning carbs - it’s about changing how we justify and regulate engineered ingredients in food.

The Hidden Issue: What “GRAS” Really Means

Many people assume that if something is on a grocery shelf, it has been fully tested and proven safe - but that’s not always the case. The FDA allows many refined carbohydrate ingredients to be used under the label “Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS)”, which means they can be added to foods without requiring extensive safety studies. This category was originally created for natural substances like vinegar or salt, but over time it has expanded to include a wide range of manufactured additives and refined starches. The concern is that many of these compounds have never been evaluated for long-term metabolic effects, even though they’re now part of nearly every packaged product we eat.

Understanding how processed carbohydrates are created, how they're hidden in everyday foods, and how they act in your body gives you the tools to question what you eat - not from fear, but from clarity. Education is the first step.

If you're curious to dive deeper, I encourage you to explore how these ingredients show up in your day-to-day meals. Awareness alone is one of the most powerful catalysts for change.

About Dr. Elena Nott, DAcHM, LAc

Dr. Elena Nott is a Doctor of Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine, and the founder and practitioner of Roots and Branches Healing Center, where she provides individualized holistic therapies. She is passionate about preventative care as the foundation of health and well-being.

Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.