Complex carbohydrates

• complex sugars 


  are slow release and are harder to break down.
• complex carbs are polysaccharides 


  -are large molecules mainly made up of glucose molecules.

  -mostly insoluble

  -don't taste sweet
• starch


  made up of many glucose molecules joined together in straight chains and branches out.

  -in amylose, the glucose molecules are linked between carbon 1-4.

  -in amylopectin, 1 unit of glucose in every 20 is linked to another glucose molecule in 1-6 linkages.

  
• pectin 


  is naturally found in fruit.

  It's a soluble source of non-starch polysaccharides found in citrus fruits and apples.

  forms jams and gels in food industry.

  can hold water and aid peristalsis.

  Glucose molecules form complex webs
• cellulose - NSP


  polymer of glucose and don't branch. hey form long, strong, firm, straight chains.

  cellulose don't contain any bacteria so can't be digested as don't have correct enzyme to be digested.
• Dietary fibre 


  is non-starch and must have 30g of fibre a day.

  can't be digested in body and assists movement of solid waste products along the gastrointestinal tract as it removes it from body.
• insoluble fibre 


  doesn't dissolve in water. passes through digestive system without been broken down. It provides bulk for faeces to help waste products be eliminated from body easily.
• Soluble fibre 


  -dissolves in water. It's fermented by guts microbiota.

  -helps reduce cholesterol

  -not enough can lead to diverticulosis, if the stool gets stuck and becomes infected in large intestine.

  -The stools become hard because of no fibre and difficult yo pass through the colon which puts pressure on the walls which leads to diverticula.