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| Yes, you still need carbohydrates. Carbohydrates have received a bad reputation lately, but they are essential and are still your principal dietary source of energy. The name carbohydrates (often abbreviated as 'CHO') comes from the fact that these compounds are primarily made up of carbon atoms and water. The structure of carbs make them ideal for quick energy. Carbohydrates are classified by the structure of the of the carbon atoms in the unit and the number of units. The most common simple carbohydrates are simple sugars, or monosaccharides (i.e., one sugar unit) and include glucose (corn syrup), fructose (fruit sugar), galactose and mannose. Sucrose (regular table sugar) is a simple sugar with two sugar units. Generally, The more complex the carb, the longer the energy will last. Complex carbohydrates included everything made of three or more sugar units. The most common complex carbohydrates include bread, pasta, rice, and vegetables. All carbohydrates, no matter how complex are broken down to glucose in the body during digestion. Most carbs provide 4 kilocalories (what we call a calorie) of energy per gram. A carb that weighs 20 grams, for example, would contain: 20 grams X 4 cals per gram = 80 calories. The energy value of dietary carbohydrates is generally considered to be an even 4 kilocalories per gram Fiber is an exception. Fiber, although it is a carbohydrate is an exception. It is put together in such a way that it can't be broken down into sugar molecules, and so passes through the body undigested. Dietary fibers such as cellulose are polysaccharides in which glucose or other monosaccharides are linked by bonds which cannot be hydrolysed by the digestive enzymes produced in the intestine. Dietary fiber, dextrins and some oligosaccharides are thus not digestible, except through the action of enzymes produced by intestinal bacteria. Undigested dietary fiber passes to the large bowel where it is fermented by bacteria to yield lactic acid and the short-chain fatty acids acetic, propionic and butyric acid. In humans, the storage form of carbohydrates is glycogen. Dextrins are fragments of starch produced by dry heat, such as toasting. Different carbs effect the body differently and we can categorize them by the Glycemic Index. The Glycemic index, measures how fast and how far blood glucose (sugar) rises after you eat a carb or a food that contains carbs. White bread, for example, is converted almost immediately to blood sugar, causing it to spike rapidly. It's classified as having a high glycemic index. Brown rice, on the other hand, is digested more slowly, causing a lower and more gentle change in blood sugar. It has a low glycemic index. The other factors that influence how quickly the carbohydrates in food raise blood sugar include: · Fiber content. Fiber shields the starchy carbohydrates in food form immediate and rapid attack by digestive enzymes. Therefore, this slows the release of sugar molecules into the bloodstream. · Ripeness. Ripe fruits and vegetables tend to have more sugar than unripe ones, and so tend to have a higher glycemic index. · Type of starch. Starch comes in many different configurations. Some are easier to break into sugar molecules than others. The starch in potatoes, for example, is digested and absorbed into the bloodstream relatively quickly. · Fat content and acid content. The more fat or acid a food contains, the slower its carbohydrates are converted to sugar and absorbed into the bloodstream. · Physical form. Finely ground grain is more rapidly digested, and so has a higher glycemic index, than more coarsely ground grain. |
| Carbohydrate |
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