Carbohydrates crossed the minds of the people in the 90’s when Dr. Robert Atkins started the information drive that hit the nation by storm. They were convinced that by eating fewer carbohydrates it will initiate weight loss. People started a diet that is high in proteins. Carbohydrate plays a vital role in humans and animals it is an organic compound that is made up of hydrogen, oxygen and carbon. It is divided into four main groups the monosaccharides, dissacharides, polysaccharides and olysacharrides. Its main function is to supply energy to the body.
Inside our body, carbohydrates are broken done and consumed as energy. When the body is at rest, the energy is stored in the muscles and in the liver and it’s then referred as glycogen. However when the muscles and liver are incapable of storing more glycogen, it is transformed into fats. At times when the body requires a boost of energy, the glycogen is converted then. Over a period when the body needs more energy, it will utilize the stored fats.
The carbohydrates are divided into four chemical groupings: monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides. Monosaccharides are smaller carbohydrates and commonly known as sugars. This is the simplest form of sugar and it is important fuel molecules and it is the nucleic acids building block. The monosaccharide plays a vital role in metabolism. Disaccharides are two monosaccharides bound together by a covalent bond. It serves as storage of energy and as a structural component. They are large sugar and this makes them insoluble in water. These are easily converted into sugars when needed. It can also be combined with proteins or lipids and form other organic molecules. Oligosaccharides and polysaccharides is a type of carbohydrate is made up of longer chains of monosaccharide joined together by glycosidic bonds. The difference between the two is based on the number of monosaccharide in the chain. Oligosaccharides usually contain 3 to 10 monosaccharide units, and polysaccharides contain greater than ten monosaccharide units. Their purpose in humans is usually either structural or storage-related.
Whole grains are higher in fiber and reduce the carbohydrate load on the body. Eat fresh fruit as part of your diet. Select fresh fruit because it contains vitamins which are essential to good health. Vegetables are healthy carbohydrates because they add fiber and vitamins to your diet. It retains more vitamins if eaten raw, blanched or steamed. Carbohydrates provide energy for daily physical activities and proper organ function. If you want to maintain weight through daily carbohydrate intake, start at 100 carbohydrates a day.
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