Carbs

• Carbohydrates consist of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.
• Carbohydrates include sugar, starch, and cellulose.
• Saccharides mean sugars.
• Carbohydrates in simple sugar are monosaccharides.
• These simple sugar (monosaccharides) combine with each other to form more complex sugars which are called disaccharides.
• When carbohydrates consist of many sugars it creates polysaccharides.
• Monosaccharides are simple carbohydrates, the building blocks of what bigger carbohydrates are made from.
• The most common type of monosaccharide contains 6 carbon atoms (c6H12o6).
• The general molecular formula for carbohydrates is (CH2O).
• The body is able to use these sugars to produce energy without breaking them down.
• Glucose (dextrose) is found in large amounts in grapes, smaller amounts in vegetables like peas.
• Fructose is similar to glucose but the atoms are arranged differently, it is much sweeter and is found in honey and fruits.
• Galactose is similar to glucose chemically however it is not found naturally, it is produced when milk sugar (lactose- a disaccharides) is broken down.
• Disaccharides are formed when 2 monosaccharides react together.
• The most important disaccharides are sucrose, lactose and maltose.
• Disaccharides are soluble in water but are too big to pass through the cell membrane by diffusion, they are broken down in the small intestine during digestion to give the smaller monosaccharides a chance to pass into the bloodstream and cell membranes into cells.
• The formula for polysaccharides is c6h12O6.
• Lots of sugars are added to commercial foods such as glucose, fructose (corn syrup), and invert sugars (mixtures of fructose and glucose).
• During digestion all carbohydrates have to be broken down into monosaccharides to be absorbed.
• Glucose and galactose are absorbed easier, and are faster than other carbohydrates whereas fructose are slower.
• Soluble polysaccharides dissolve in water and slow down digestion to give you that full feeling.
• Intake of polysaccharides creates a feeling of fullness, eliminates toxins and carcinogens through the gut, reduces stool transit time, slows utilisation of sugar and fat, modulates colonic microflora, lowers risk of heart disease, prevents gallstones, and relieves irritable bowel syndrome.
• Complex carbs are found in grainy, starchy veg, breads or cereals, and create steady blood sugar levels and provide more vitamins and minerals than monosaccharides.
• Polysaccharides lack nutritional value and it is recommended that the sugar intake should come from complex carbohydrates/ polysaccharides.
• Insoluble polysaccharides add bulk to diet and help with constipation, having that "laxative" benefit.
• Foods that contain monosaccharides include fruits and fruit juices, honey, candies, syrups, sweet wines, and foods with added simple sugars like soft drinks, sport drinks, energy drinks, liqueurs, chocolate, sweetened dairy products, and desserts.
• Polysaccharides are found only in plant based foods and not in meat, fish, poultry.
• Simple sugars like table sugar, honey, syrup metabolise quicker and cause rapid rises in the blood sugar.
• After ingestion glucose and galactose raise the blood sugar whereas fructose raises it but at a slower pace (low glycemic index).
• The 3 main polysaccharides are starch, cellulose and glycogen.
• Glycogen is found in the muscle of animals and is another energy reserve polysaccharides.
• Starch is the energy reserve of plants which is found in potatoes, wheat, rice and corn.
• Amylose is joined together in long chains.
• Amylopectin is made up of thousands of glucose units.
• Cellulose is a natural structure found in grains, rice and veg.
• Our bodies can digest cellulose, it swells in our stomach which makes us feel full which prevents constipation.
• Nutritional compounds are made up of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals.
• Nutritional composition of monosaccharides includes immediate energy, stored fuel, and no nutritional value.
• Most nutrients are absorbed through our small intestine.