Carbohydrates are being pinpointed as the main culprit in excessive weight gain. Before, fat was regarded as the main enemy. But today, more and more people are seeing carbs as a bad macronutrient. But what exactly are carbohydrates? While people look at carb’s bad reputation, you will be surprised to learn that they technically know very little about this important macronutrient. Hence, let us delve deeper into what carbohydrates are.
Carbohydrates Defined
Carbohydrate is an important nutrient touted as the body’s main source of energy. It is found in sugar or starch form in several food items such as grains, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products.
Carbohydrate is technically defined as one of the three main macronutrients in the body. The other two macronutrients are proteins and fats. A macronutrient is a substance that is essential for maintaining life. Without macronutrients, our bodies cannot function the way they’re supposed to. Hence, carbohydrates are extremely important to keep our bodies in an optimal functioning state. Carbohydrate is a sugar. When digested, it turns to glucose and many other kinds of sugar, depending on its classification. These sugars are then carried over to the bloodstream to be distributed to the different cells and tissues of the body. From there, the cells use these sugars to generate heat and energy.
Classification of Carbohydrates Chemical structure and the rate at which sugar and starches are digested and absorbed by the body are important factors that determine a carbohydrate’s classification. Hence, carbohydrates can be split into two groups: simple and complex.
Simple Carbohydrates Carbohydrates containing one or two sugars are classified under simple carbohydrates. Chemically, carbs with one sugar are called monosaccharides, while carbs with two sugars are called disaccharides.
Simple carbohydrates are the easiest and fastest source of energy. Since they contain only one or two sugars, simple carbs get digested and absorbed by the body quite rapidly. Simple carbohydrates can give you a quick energy boost if you’re feeling sluggish due to hunger. However, foods rich in simple carbohydrates (especially those processed foods) tend to have fewer vitamins, minerals, and fibre. Simple carbohydrates also tend to increase blood sugar rapidly, especially if you’ve eaten quite a lot of food in one sitting.
Foods Rich in Simple Carbs Monosaccharides (single-sugar carbohydrates) include sugars called galactose and fructose. Galactose can be seen in dairy and milk products, while fructose often lurks inside various kinds of fruits.
Fructose is actually the substance that brings sweetness to a fruit. On the other hand, disaccharides (dual-sugar carbohydrates) include maltose, sucrose, and lactose.
Maltose is present in starchy foods made from fermented yeast such as brewed beverages, distilled alcohol, and breads. It can also be found in molasses, sweet potatoes, and cereals.
Sucrose is primarily present in table sugar. It can also be found in fruits such as mangoes, cantaloupes, peaches, nectarines, and apricots. Sucrose also occurs naturally in sugar beets, dates, and sweet peas.
Commercially-prepared foods such as baked goods and pastries, chocolates, processed honey extracts, maple syrup, fast food, and other sweets also contain sucrose. Soft drinks also fall under sucrose-rich foods. Lactose is chiefly present in dairy products such as milk, cream, sour cream, cheese, and yogurt. Small amounts of lactose can also be found in margarine, baked goods, bread, breakfast cereals, and instant soup mixes. The bottom line is that simple carbohydrates have 1-2 sugars in it. Foods with simple carbs range from natural to processed, but is mostly dominated by commercially-prepared food, pastries, and beverages.
Complex Carbohydrates When a carbohydrate contains three or more sugars in its chemical composition, it is classified as a complex carbohydrate. Another term for these carbohydrates is polysaccharides. Complex carbohydrates take some time to digest and get absorbed in the bloodstream. This is because it contains a larger number of sugars to break down. These sugars are even arranged in chains of monosaccharides (one-sugar carbs). Some complex carbohydrates cannot be digested; nonetheless, it plays an important part in keeping the gut healthy and clean. Complex carbohydrates are further broken down into three kinds:
Glycogen –This is the polysaccharide that serves as a storage of glucose/ sugar. It can be found in human muscles and liver, as well as some animal starches.
Starch –This is the most popular kind of polysaccharide. Starch is a digestible complex carbohydrate that provides a more sustained energy source when compared to simple carbohydrates.
Cellulose –Do you often hear dietary fibre in nutrition shops and individuals going for a cleanse? This dietary fibre is actually cellulose. It’s a non-digestible carbohydrate which passes through the bowels and “sweeps”its tracks as it goes, eliminating unwanted toxins from the digestive system.
Comments
Post a Comment