Tuesday, July 26, 2011

All you need to know about carbs.

Carbohydrates, or carbs, are a macronutrient. They provide energy to the body. They are basically a type of sugar that the body breaks down to give energy to the cells for muscles, nervous function, and much more. Every cell of the body needs this energy to do its job. Carbohydrates contain about 17 kcal of energy per gram. Carbohydrates are powerful energy that delivers when it is needed most. Some carbs deliver energy faster than others. But all types of carbs are needed to help the body function at its best.

Carbs are basically sugars. They can be classified as monosaccharides, disaccharides, or polysaccharides depending upon how many sugars they contain. Polysaccharides are usually referred to as complex carbohydrates since they have long chains of sugar units. They take longer to digest and absorb so they provide a steady amount of energy after the initial burst the simple carbs provide. Simple carbohydrates have shorter sugar chains. They are easy to digest and are absorbed quickly. They raise the blood sugar quickly as well. This supplies quick energy in a spike that drops off quickly. Starch is the most important type of plant carbohydrate and can exist in many forms. They form starch exists in can have an impact on how easily it is absorbed. Starch divided into small particles, or gelatinized starch is far easier to digest and absorb than plain starch.

Carbohydrates supply energy to the body, but little else. They are not rich in other nutrients and some think that they are not necessarily essential to your diet. In addition to carbs of traditional thought, there are other nutrients that are classified as carbs. Fiber is a polysaccharide. It is not easily digestible and is usually not able to be fully digested. It takes so much work for your body to process fiber it cancels out most of the energy it could provide. Fiber is important in the diet for at least two reasons. It aids gastrointestinal health and it slows absorption of sugars. In this way it helps to regulate energy availability.
Fiber can be separated into two categories, soluble and insoluble. Insoluble is the type that is indigestible. Humans cannot digest it because they lack the proper enzymes to do so. Soluble fiber slows digestion and absorption. Carbs are a very important macronutrient of the human diet. They are a staple food to many people of many nationalities.

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