BEIJING, Feb. 17 (Xinhuanet) -- The type of carbohydrates, not the amount of it, may play a key role in getting

When it comes to carbohydrates, it's not how much you eat, but which kind, that makes a difference to your bathroom scale, new research shows.

weight, a new research shows.

    Overweight people seem not to eat more carbohydrates overall than people who weigh less, said the report published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

    However, researchers found that overweight people tend to eat more refined carbohydrates, such as white bread and pasta, which cause a rapid spike in blood sugar.

    "Total amount of carbohydrate is not related to body weight," Dr. Yunsheng Ma of the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester was quoted as saying by Reuters Health. "It's the type of carbohydrate that's important."

    Ma explained that refined carbohydrates are often found in processed foods that contain a lot of sugar. This type of carbohydrate has what's called a high glycemic index, meaning it causes a rapid increase in blood sugar. The body stores that sugar in muscle, but if it is not used, it becomes fat, he noted.  

    In contrast, whole grains, fruits and vegetables have carbohydrates that don't have such high glycemic index, Ma said. Enditem

    (Agencies)