Total carbohydrate
Today
3-day window. Water-soluble and not stored, so a short run of days is the signal.
What it is
Carbohydrate is the fuel your body reaches for first, and the brain runs on glucose almost exclusively. The 130 g daily figure is the amount that covers the brain without the body having to make glucose from protein or fat — it is a floor, not a goal, and most people eat well above it. What matters far more than the total is the form: the same 40 g behaves very differently coming from lentils than from a soft drink.
Reference intake
Your daily target, personalised to your age and sex.
- RDA
- 130 gmale_19_plus
- Upper limit
- none established
What the evidence says
Wording reflects how strong the evidence actually is.
Adequate intake supports high-intensity and endurance exercise performance
May lower-glycemic-load diets improve glycemic control in type 2 diabetes
May lower-glycemic-load diets reduce acne severity, though the evidence is thin
May carbohydrate restriction is superior for long-term weight loss, though the evidence is thin
Deficiency
There is no deficiency disease. Sustained intake below roughly 50 g/day induces nutritional ketosis, which is an adaptation rather than a pathology.
Early signs
- fatigue and reduced capacity for high-intensity exercise
- headache and difficulty concentrating during adaptation
- irritability
- constipation, where fibre falls with the carbohydrate
Higher risk
- athletes in high-volume training on restricted intakes
- people on very-low-carbohydrate diets without clinical supervision
- people with type 1 diabetes, where carbohydrate intake and insulin must be matched
Excess
No upper limit has been set for total carbohydrate. The DRI committee did set a limit on added sugars — under 25% of total energy — on the grounds that above that they displace nutrient-dense foods, and most public health bodies since have recommended considerably less.
From supplements
- gastrointestinal distress from concentrated sports carbohydrate above roughly 60–90 g/hour
- dental caries from frequent free-sugar exposure
- displacement of nutrient-dense foods where intake comes largely from refined sources
Absorption
Near-complete for digestible carbohydrate; fibre and resistant starch pass to the colon undigested
Helps absorption
- cooking and processing, which gelatinise starch and speed digestion
- finer particle size, as in flour against intact grain
Hinders absorption
- intact cell walls in whole grains and legumes
- viscous soluble fibre, which slows gastric emptying
- fat and protein eaten in the same meal
- acidity, including vinegar and sourdough fermentation
- cooling of cooked starch, which forms resistant starch
Top sources
Per 100 g, in g. FoodData Central IDs are resolved by the importer, not written by hand.
- 66.3 g
Oats, rolled, dry
40 g (1/2 cup)
- 28.2 g
Rice, white, cooked
158 g (1 cup)
- 43.1 g
Bread, whole wheat
28 g (1 slice)
- 21.2 g
Potato, baked, with skin
173 g (1 medium)
- 20.1 g
Lentils, cooked
198 g (1 cup)
- 22.8 g
Banana, raw
118 g (1 medium)
Ranking these by what you already eat needs the real log — see docs/STATUS.md.
Sources
Last reviewed 2026-08-11