complex carbohydrate

Meaning

1. 1nouncountabletechnical

   A starch or fiber made of long chains of sugar units that the body breaks down slowly, giving steady energy.

   Grammar: Usually plural in general advice: eat more complex carbohydrates; a single type can also be named.

   Patterns

   • a diet rich in complex carbohydrates
   • get energy from complex carbohydrates

   Oats, beans and brown rice are good sources of complex carbohydrate.

   The dietitian told him to swap white bread for complex carbohydrates.

   Because complex carbohydrates digest slowly, you feel full for longer.

Word forms

Common combinations

a source of complex carbohydrates

Lentils are a cheap source of complex carbohydrates.

rich in complex carbohydrates

Athletes often eat meals rich in complex carbohydrates before a race.

eat complex carbohydrates

Try to eat complex carbohydrates rather than sugary snacks.

digest complex carbohydrates

The body takes longer to digest complex carbohydrates than sugars.

whole grain complex carbohydrates

She packs whole grain complex carbohydrates in her lunchbox.

Synonyms and how they differ

starch

Starch is one major kind of complex carbohydrate, so it is narrower; fiber is also a complex carbohydrate but is not called starch.

polysaccharide

This is the chemistry term for the same kind of molecule, and sounds more scientific than the everyday nutrition phrase.

slow carb

This is a casual diet-culture label and is much less precise than the standard term.

Opposites

Word family

carbohydrate noun

a nutrient made of sugar units, found in bread, rice and fruit

complexity noun

the state of having many connected parts

carb noun

informal short form of carbohydrate

carbohydrate-rich adjective

containing a lot of carbohydrate

Commonly confused: complex carbohydrate or simple carbohydrate?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “complex carbohydrate”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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