What Are the Dangers of Excessive Amounts of Carbohydrates?

Both the type and amount of carbohydrate you consume are important.

Both the type and amount of carbohydrate you consume are important.

Carbohydrate nutrients include digestible forms, or sugars and starches, and indigestible fiber. Your digestive system breaks down digestible carbohydrate into glucose, which travels in your blood to reach all your cells. Although glucose is an essential energy source, the amount in your blood and how quickly its level rises after you consume carbohydrates are important factors that impact your health.


Carbohydrate nutrients, or carbs, provide 4 calories per gram. They are the main source of nutrition for most Americans, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which recommends that healthy adults limit their consumption of carbs to between 45 and 65 percent of their daily calories. In addition, all carbs are not the same. Chemically, they can be divided into simple sugars, such as fructose found in fruits, and starches, found in grain-based foods and starchy vegetables such as legumes. A carbohydrate-containing food is also classified by its glycemic load, a measure of both the amount of carbohydrate it contains and how quickly your blood sugar rises after you consume it; a high glycemic value means a food causes a relatively rapid increase in blood sugar.

Type 2 Diabetes

Consuming too many carbs, especially those with a high glycemic load, can increase your risk of several disorders, including Type 2 diabetes. After you consume a carbohydrate-containing meal and your blood sugar increases, your pancreas releases insulin, which helps convert glucose into a storage compound in your liver, muscles and other tissues. This eventually lowers your blood sugar. Type 2 diabetes develops when your body stops making insulin or you become insensitive to it. According to the Linus Pauling Institute, consuming too many carbs that cause a quick rise in blood glucose puts a high demand on your pancreas for insulin and significantly increases the likelihood of developing Type 2 diabetes.

Cardiovascular Disease

A diet containing too many carbohydrates can raise your blood level of triglycerides, a type of unhealthy fat that travels in your blood. It can also lower your blood levels of high-density lipoprotein, often referred to as good cholesterol, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. High triglyceride levels along with relatively low levels of high-density lipoprotein can significantly raise your risk of heart disease. A high-carbohydrate diet can also have negative effects on your blood vessels. A clinical study published in the "Journal of the American College of Cardiology" showed that, when healthy subjects consumed a high-carbohydrate meal, especially one containing foods with high glycemic loads, their arteries became rapidly enlarged. The researchers concluded that, over time, this effect could damage artery walls and lead to atherosclerosis and other vascular disorders.

Making Choices

When planning your daily diet, follow the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and consume a total number of calories consistent with your age and lifestyle. Limit your total consumption of carbohydrates to 65 percent of your calories, or less, and choose mostly carbs with a low glycemic load. These include high-fiber fruits such as apples, pears, citrus fruits and berries, and most vegetables, with the exception of potatoes, which have a high glycemic load. Choose bran cereals or whole-grain breads, pasta and baked goods, and cooked grains such as rice, barley and bulgur. Beans and legumes are also good choices with a low glycemic load. Avoid foods with a high-glycemic load; these include foods made with refined flour and those containing added sugar, such as candies, sweetened sodas and juices, and sweetened desserts.

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