Carbohydrate
From the Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can change
Carbohydrates are chemical compounds that contain only oxygen, hydrogen and carbon. They consist of monosaccharide sugars with the generic formula Cn(H2O)n.
Certain carbohydrates are an important storage and transport form of energy in most organisms, including plants and animals. Carbohydrates are classified by their number of sugar units: monosaccharides (such as glucose and fructose), disaccharides (such as sucrose and lactose), oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides (such as starch, glycogen, and cellulose).
[change] Nutrition and foods
In fact, human beings can live without eating foods with carbohydrates. The human body changes protein into carbohydrates, and so if a human being eats only food with protein, they can still live a healthy life. People of some cultures eat food with very little carbohydrates, but they still remain healthy. Still, carbohydrates are the most common source of energy for the human body. Protein and fats build tissue and cells in the body. So, carbohydrates are better for energy. This frees protein and fats to build tissues and cells.
Researches in the United States and Canada have shown that people get about 40% to 60% of energy from carbohydrates. However, studies suggest that people should eat carbohydrates to get at least 55% to 75% of energy from carbohydrates.
Some foods have high carbohydrates in them. These foods include breads, pastas, potatoes, bran and cereals.
[change] Classification
Medical science tells about two types of carbohydrates: simple carbohydrates, and complex carbohydrates. Monosaccharides and disaccharides are simple carbohydrates, with single sugar molecules such as fructose, or two bonded sugar molecules such as sucrose with a fructose and a glucose molecule together. Fruits and dairy products are common sources of simple carbohydrates. Oligosaccharides and polysaccharides are complex carbohydrates, with linear chains of sugars or branched clusters. Vegetables and whole grains are common sources of complex carbohydrates. Medical science suggests that human beings should eat more carbohydrates than proteins and fat. New trends do not make as much distinction between the two types of dietary carbohydrates, but simply suggest eating fiber-rich foods and whole grains.
[change] Other websites
