What Are Carbohydrates?

Tweet

Carbohydrates are everything from sugars to pasta and breads. The one thing all carbohydrates have in common, is they are all composed of one of three monosaccharides, (Mono = One, Saccharide = Sugar). These three monosaccharides are Glucose (dextrose), Fructose (levulose or fruit sugar), and Galactose. All of these three molecules are composed of Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen. They all have different shapes, and these different shapes give each sugar its unique properties such as taste. Glucose - Glucose has a chemical composition of 6 carbons, 12 hydrogen, and 6 Oxygen. This is the only sugar that affects blood sugar. Glucose, when present in excess in the bloodstream is stored in the muscles as Glycogen. Glycogen is just a big string of glucose molecules. I'll touch on this more later on. Fructose - Fructose has the same chemical composition of Glucose, however has a different shape. This different shape means it reacts with your body differently. Fructose is the sweetest tasting of the three simple sugars. It is absorbed into the bloodstream, however does not affect blood sugar levels. Remember that only Glucose affects blood sugar levels. Fructose, when absorbed into the blood is taken to the liver, and broken down into its 6 Carbons, 12 Hydrogen's, and 6 Oxygen's, and re-formed into a glucose molecule. It is then and only then that the former fructose molecule is released into the bloodstream. Because it is now in the form of glucose, it does have an effect on blood sugars, and can be stored in muscle cells as glycogen. Galactose - Galactose again has the same chemical composition of Glucose; however this sugar is only present in Milk. Galactoses, along with glucose form the sugar in milk, Lactose, which is a disaccharide. Disaccharides are two simple sugars bonded together. Like the monosaccharides, there are three Disaccharides; Sucrose, Lactose, and Maltose. Sucrose = Glucose + Fructose Lactose = Glucose + Galactose Maltose = Glucose + Glucose Beyond this there are numerous combinations of simple sugars. Anything larger than a disaccharide, but smaller than 6 monosaccharides, is known as an oligosaccharides. These are only faintly sweet, and are also known as maltodextrins. Polysaccharides are starches. Starches are long chains of sugar molecules joined together like the beads on a string of pearls. Starch is the plants version of Glycogen. It is not sweet tasting at all. (Think of a potato.) Fibers Dietary fibers are large carbohydrate molecules containing many different sorts of monosaccharides. The key difference between fiber and other carbohydrates is that they are not broken down by the human digestive system. Fibers will remain unchanged until they reach the large intestine. There Are Two Types Of Fiber: Soluble Insoluble Soluble fibers can be dissolved in water. (Hence the name) These fibers are beneficial in that they can slow the speed of digestion due to their thickness. Insoluble fibers are such things as cellulose and are insoluble in water. Fruits are an example of a source of soluble fibers, and vegetables are a source of insoluble fibers. Insoluble fibers do not affect the speed of digestion.