Final answer:
Carbohydrate needs to prevent ketosis are 50-100 grams per day, focusing on complex carbohydrates which provide a steady energy supply. Carbohydrates should be balanced with proteins, vitamins, and fats, and while they do provide calories, they are essential for a well-balanced diet.
Step-by-step explanation:
Carbohydrate needs to prevent ketosis are 50-100 grams per day. Up to the age of 13 years, an individual needs about 130 grams of carbohydrates a day, with the emphasis on complex carbohydrates.
Complex carbohydrates are broken down more slowly by the body than simple carbohydrates, therefore they provide a longer and more steady energy supply.
It's important to supplement carbohydrates with proteins, vitamins, and fats to maintain a well-balanced diet. A gram of carbohydrate provides 4.3 Kcal, whereas fats provide 9 Kcal/g, which is a less desirable energy to fat ratio.
Fiber, an essential part of carbohydrates, promotes regular bowel movements by adding bulk, regulates the consumption rate of blood glucose, and assists in removing excess cholesterol from the body.
The American Heart Association recommends that about 55% of your calories should come from carbohydrates. These should be primarily from complex carbohydrates, not simple sugars, as the latter do not provide fiber or essential nutrients.
The notion that carbohydrates make you fat is misleading; while they do provide calories, they contain less than half the calories per gram compared to fat. Excessive calories, regardless of the source, will be stored as fat.