What is that ?

Ever asked yourself what you're eating everyday ? For example, the rice or maybe bread, what does it contains ? No, not the ingredients, but the NUTRIENTS inside it. There are alot of different types of nutrients in food, but we're going to introduce you to the world of CARBOHYDRATES.


Cereal Bran ^^

What is carbohydrates ?
Carbohydrates are sugars that provide the body with energy. Our body can break carbohydrates down quickly and efficiently. Carbohydrates are not only good for you but are an essential part of a person's diet. Carbohydrate rich foods in their natural state are low in calories and high in fiber.

Classification of carbohydrates

Carbohydrates, also known as saccharides, are classified according to the number of single carbohydrate molecules in each chemical structure. Carbohydrate compounds having just one carbohydrate molecule are called monosaccharides; compounds with two carbohydrate molecules are called dissarcharides; and those compounds containing more than two carbohydrate molecules are named polysaccharides. All carbohydrates either are monosaccharides or can be broken down into two or more monosaccharides. The monosaccharides and disaccharides can be grouped together and compared with the polysaccharides. This can be done because monosaccharides and disaccharides have certain things in common. For one, they are both water soluble. In addition, they have a sweet taste and a crystalline structure. The monosaccharides and disaccharides are called sugars and all share the suffix, -ose, meaning sugar. Polysaccharides, in contrast to mono- and disaccharides, are insoluble in water, do not taste sweet and do not form crystals. Also, they do not share a suffix and have no group name. They are sometimes called starches, but this is technically incorrect because there are many other classifications of polysaccharides besides starches.

Two types of carbohydrates

There are two types of carbohydrates: simple and complex.
Simple carbohydrates
Simple carbohydrates are also called simple sugars. Simple carbohydrates include: fructose (fruit sugar), sucrose (table sugar) and lactose (milk sugar), as well as several other sugars. Simple carbohydrates are great sources of quick energy.
Complex carbohydrates
Complex carbohydrates include fiber and starches. They can be found in vegetables, bread, rice, oatmeal, whole grains, peas and beans. Complex carbohydrates take longer to be digested, so your body needs more time to release these carbohydrates into your blood as glucose.

Carbohydrates in our bodies
When the body doesn't need to use the carbohydrates for energy, it stores them into the liver and muscles. When carbohydrates are stored in your liver and muscles, it is called glycogen. When the liver and muscles cells cannot store anymore glycogen, it is turned into fat. When your body needs a quick boost of energy, it converts glycogen into energy. When it needs a prolonged burst of energy, it converts fat to energy.


Big muscles !!

 Functions of carbohydrates
The main function of carbohydrates is to provide your body with energy. Carbohydrates are important components of building muscle too.


SUGARRRRR~~~~~~

   Let's see a video on SUGAR~

Enjoy ^^ although it's a little...naggy...but still gives you lots of knowledge on sugar ^^
posted by Yai Ying Bei