...Carbohydrates Not sure what to think about carbohydrates these days? You've come to the right section. Here are the facts to separate the hype from the truth about carbohydrates. Check out the following topics: * What are carbohydrates? * What are the types of carbohydrates? * Complex Carbohydrates * Dietary fiber * Simple carbohydrates (sugars) * How much carbohydrate do I need? What are carbohydrates? Your body uses carbohydrates (carbs) to make glucose which is the fuel that gives you energy and helps keep everything going. Your body can use glucose immediately or store it in your liver and muscles for when it is needed. You can find carbohydrates in the following: * Fruits * Vegetables * Breads, cereals, and other grains * Milk and milk products * Foods containing added sugars (e.g., cakes, cookies, and sugar-sweetened beverages). Healthier foods higher in carbohydrates include ones that provide dietary fiber and whole grains as well as those without added sugars. What about foods higher in carbohydrates such as sodas and candies that also contain added sugars? Those are the ones that add extra calories but not many nutrients to your diet. Quick Q& A | I've heard there are "good" carbs and "bad" carbs? Can you provide me more information? | Some diet books use "bad" carbs to talk about foods with refined carbohydrates (i.e., meaning they're made from white flour and added sugars). Examples...
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...What are carbohydrates? Carbohydrates are organic molecules composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen that serve as energy sources and structural materials for cells of all organisms. Most organic matter on earth is made up of carbohydrates because they are involved in so many aspects of life, including: • Energy stores, fuels, and metabolic intermediaries. • Ribose and deoxyribose sugars are part of the structural framework of RNA and DNA. • The cell walls of bacteria are mainly made up of polysaccharides (types of carbohydrate). • Cellulose (a type of carbohydrate) makes up most of plant cell walls. • Carbohydrates are linked to many proteins and lipids (fats), where they are vitally involved in cell interactions. (Medical News Today) Where do carbohydrates come from? Carbohydrates can be found in fruits, vegetables, breads, cereals, and other grains, milk and milk products and foods containing added sugars (e.g., cakes, cookies, and sugar-sweetened beverages). Healthier foods higher in carbohydrates include ones that provide dietary fiber and whole grains as well as those without added sugars. Foods higher in carbohydrates such as sodas and candies that also contain added sugars are the ones that add extra calories but not many nutrients to your diet. (CDC) How do carbohydrates work in the body? The goal of digestion is to break down carbohydrates into small molecules the body can absorb. The human body contains the digestive enzymes to break down starch into...
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...Carbohydrates This essay will explain carbohydrates, their structure and two main functions of a carbohydrate and why they are important in the human body. Carbohydrate is a term used to describe food composed of sugar molecules. Carbohydrates are sugars, the two main forms are simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates, also referred to as sugars and starches. One of the main differences between the two is how quickly they can be digested and absorbed. They are one of the body’s main sources of energy as carbohydrates are broken down into glucose quickly. It has a more pronounced effect on blood sugar levels than fats or proteins. Foods rich in carbohydrates also provide fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals but the main purpose is to provide energy (Harvard School of Public Health, 2015). Carbohydrates can be found in all fruits and vegetables in varying amounts, celery, for example, having very little carbohydrate while potatoes have a much higher amount of carbohydrate (Int. Food Information Council Foundation, 2013) Complex carbohydrates are found in foods such as pasta, potatoes, flour and rice and release slowly into the circulatory system. Simple carbohydrates are sugars and are released quickly into the system, simple carbohydrates include, table sugar, fruit juices and most pre-packaged cereals. Eating complex carbohydrates results in starches breaking down slowly and therefore raise blood sugar levels more slowly than simple carbohydrates (sugars) which will...
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...Carbohydrates are the most abundant biomolecules and serve as energy forces, fuel metabolic intermediates and have major structural roles in plants and insects. Carbohydrates are polyhydroxy aldehydes or ketones with the empirical formula (CH2O)n. Monosaccharides or simple sugars consist of a single polyhydroxy aldehyde or ketone unit with at least one asymmetric carbon. Monosaccharides with five or more carbon atoms can exist in closed five-membered ring (furanose) or six-membered ring (pyranose) structures. The hemiacetal or carbonyl carbon is known as the anomeric carbon. Figure 1. Linear and ring structure of glucose and the effect of oxidization. Glucose is the most abundant monosaccaride in nature (Fig. 1). Relatively mild oxidizing agents (e.g., Fe3+, Cu2+) can oxidize the carbonyl (anomeric) carbon to carboxylic acid of glucose and other sugars with a free anomeric carbon. Sugars capable of reducing these ions are known as reducing sugars. Under controlled conditions, the amount of Cu2+ reduced to Cu+ is proportional to the amount of reducing sugar. The Cu2O formed from Cu+ can then be measured. In today's practical, we will use the Somogyi-Nelson method to determine the amount of reducing sugar. Following addition of Nelson's arsenomolybdate reagent, which is reduced by Cu+, an intense blue colour is formed which can be measured colourimetrically. These reducing sugar tests were used routinely to determine glucose content of urine and...
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...Carbohydrates Carbohydrates: Good Carbs Guide the Way ------------------------------------------------- Top of Form What Are Carbohydrates? Carbohydrates are found in a wide array of foods—bread, beans, milk, popcorn, potatoes, cookies, spaghetti, soft drinks, corn, and cherry pie. They also come in a variety of forms. The most common and abundant forms are sugars, fibers, and starches. The basic building block of every carbohydrate is a sugar molecule, a simple union of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Starches and fibers are essentially chains of sugar molecules. Some contain hundreds of sugars. Some chains are straight, others branch wildly. Carbohydrates were once grouped into two main categories. Simple carbohydrates included sugars such as fruit sugar (fructose), corn or grape sugar (dextrose or glucose), and table sugar (sucrose). Complex carbohydrates included everything made of three or more linked sugars. Complex carbohydrates were thought to be the healthiest to eat, while simple carbohydrates weren’t so great. It turns out that the picture is more complicated than that. The digestive system handles all carbohydrates in much the same way—it breaks them down (or tries to break them down) into single sugar molecules, since only these are small enough to cross into the bloodstream. It also converts most digestible carbohydrates into glucose (also known as blood sugar), because cells are designed to use this as a universal energy source. Fiber is an exception. It...
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...Carbohydrates Carbohydrates are fuel that is given to the body through the foods that we eat. Carbohydrates or carbs contain three sub groups which are sugars, starches and fiber. Sugars are known as simple carbohydrates and starches are complex carbs. The biggest form of simple sugar is glucose; it gives a quick boost of energy along with the base form of energy without any real positive nutritional value. Complex carbs also fuel the body with energy but in addition gives the body other nutrients that we need. Simple sugars at times start off as starch but through the body’s process the starch gets broke down into glucose and simple carbs. Sugars are broken down by enzymes that are located in the” brush border of the villi in the small intestine”. (Wiley & sons, 2006, chapter 4). After the food reaches the stomach, digestion starts. The sugar goes into the bloodstream and when this happens and the chemical bonds that hold the sugar together are broken, energy is released. Carbohydrates have many benefits for the body. First and foremost it provides energy to the body to engage in our busy everyday lives. According to the Franklin Institute for Science Learning our mental output requires almost twice as much energy as the rest of your body, so carbohydrates are a great source of “brain food”. Healthy Sources of Carbohydrates; Whole grains, vegetables, fruits and potatoes. Hypoglycemia is a disorder that occurs when our blood glucose levels drop below normal....
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...Macromolecules Carbohydrates are a type of macromolecule. Their subunit or monomer are simple sugars such as glucose and fructose. These are created with hydrogen bonds and are inorganic CH2OH. Glucose an example of a carbohydrates function is to provide energy for the organs to function in the body. Carbohydrates are a from of short term energy. A polysaccharide starch consists of repeating glucose molecules and has the function of breaking back down into glucose to again provide energy to the body. Macromolecules break down by hydrolysis a process of removing water to create a polymer. Lipids or fats are another form of macromolecules. The structure of a lipid consists of carbo to hydrogen bonds and carbon to oxygen single and double bond,...
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...CARBOHYDRATE METABOLISM Carbohydrates are found as monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides or complex carbohydrates. They function in energy storage (starch&glycogen), signaling (glycoproteins and glycolipids, e.g. blood group determinants), fuel the nervous system and muscle (and virtually all cells, although there are distinct cell type specific differences in choice of primary fuel molecule), are parts of nucleic acids (genes, mRNA, tRNA, ribosomes), and as cell surface markers and signaling in glycolipids and glycoproteins, are part of connective tissue (heteropolymers; glycosaminoglycans), cell wall components (cellulose, hemi-cellulose) made of polymers that are enzymatically inert for most mammals to digest (except ruminants that harbor a special digestive tract bacterium with the appropriate cellulase enzyme). The alpha glycosidic bonds found in glycogen and starch is metabolically available to humans. The major source of dietary carbohydrate for humans is starch from consumed plant material. This is supplemented with a small amount of glycogen from animal tissue, disaccharides such as source from products containing refined sugar and lactose in milk. Digestion in the gut converts all carbohydrate to monosaccharides which are transported to the liver and converted to glucose. The liver has central role in the storage anddistribution within the body of all fuels, including glucose. Glucose in the body undergoes one of three metabolic fates. First it...
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...for Carbohydrate PresentationFeedback: Maria Fread | | | | Content/Development | Additional Comments: | Potential | Points | 70 Points | | Points | Earned | All key elements of the assignment are covered in a substantive way. | Your presentation content was well done and very comprehensive on Carbohydrates. The tone is appropriate to this type of presentation. Some of your slides included a lot of information. It is important that you limit the amount of information to 5 lines per slide and 5 words per line. This makes it easier for your audience. The additional information can be added to your speaker's notes.(-3 points)Your background selection was good. Your selections of visual aids (pictures and graphics) were also good. Pictures and graphics can enhance your presentation and hold the audience's attention. Your bullets are clear and concise. You made good use of your speaker's notes by providing more details to explain your bullets. Your font sizes are consistent from slide to slide – and they should be. | 70 | 67 | Presentation includes information on the following elements of carbohydrates: | | | | o What carbohydrates are | | | | o The difference between simple and complex carbohydrates | | | | o How sugars are broken down and used in the body | | | | o Benefits carbohydrates provide to the body | | | | o Examples of foods that are healthy sources of carbohydrates | ...
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...lUnderstanding Carbohydrates and how they Impact your health.Carbohydrates are an organic compound containing single, double, or multiple sugar units.Simple Carbohydrates are made up of one of two units and typically sweet tasting. Examples of these are table sugar, syrup, juices, and milk.Complex Carbohydrates are made of thousands of sugar units. Examples of these are Starchy Vegetables, Grains, and Fiber. | | | How They Broken Down?A digestible simple sugar and starches get converted into glucose, being utilized as the main fuel for the body. After eating a meal, the glucose rises signaling the body to produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone that carries glucose out of the blood stream to be used as energy. Excess Glucose will be stored as fat.The American Heart Associate gives these guides for sugar intake.WOMEN: 100 calories (25 grams or 6 teaspoons) MEN: 150 calories (38 grams or 9 teaspoons)Food that is converted into sugar is often hidden, this is why persons whom are losing weight or with diabetes should educated themselves on carbohydrates and hidden sugars. Converted sugars | | | Knowing Carbohydrates Marilyn Nelson | | | | | Benefits of Carbohydrates: 1. Energy 2. Antioxidants from phytonutrients (plant form) 3. Fiber for constipation, and fiber helps absorb nutrients to absorb minerals 4. Vitamins –helps to assist with a strong immune system Diabetes and Carbohydrates When you have diabetes, your body...
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...What is its role in the cells? Cells use carbohydrates as their main source of energy; however, glucose is the only form that can enter the cell and actually gets used. Other types of carbohydrates, such as fructose, lactose, sucrose… must first be broken down into glucose before being used by the cell. To maintain a constant supply of energy, the level of glucose in the blood must be balanced. Too many carbs can lead to obesity and blood pressure spikes. Some of the carbohydrates that aren't used up, are stored as glycogen and the rest are converted into fat. At the cell level, all carbohydrates are exactly the same, either getting used, stored as energy or used for cell processes. The other things you eat determine how many carbohydrate gets...
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...The Highs and Lows of carbohydrates How do foods affect blood sugar levels? The old myth that a sugary snack will cause a dramatic rise, and then a fall, in blood sugar levels has been overturned as researchers find out more about the physiological effects of foods on blood sugar levels. New ways to measure just how our blood sugar will react to various foods has provided insights into the prevention and control of conditions such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease and has also revolutionised diet in sport and the foods eaten in the hours before physical exertion in sport. The Glycaemic index (GI) The glycaemic index (GI) is a way of assessing measuring the effects of food on blood sugar levels. After a carbohydrate food is eaten there is a rise, and subsequent decrease, in blood sugar (glucose). This phenomenon is level known as the glycaemic response. The glycaemic response to the ingestion of carbohydrate-containing foods can be compared to the response to a standard food, such as white bread or glucose. This resulting value measurement is called the glycaemic index of that food. A ranking on a scale up to 100 rates the increase in blood sugar levels after eating a portion of food providing 50 grams of carbohydrate. A 50-gram portion of pure glucose is the standard that is now accepted for use as the basis of comparison. Foods that break down quickly during digestion, for example rice, have the highest glycaemic indices. They raise blood sugar levels higher and...
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...In this lab, we were trying to identify certain macromolecules commonly found in food and other substances. These macromolecules were carbohydrates(both simple and complex), proteins, and lipids. Carbohydrates are a simple, short-term source of energy, and they are used in making cell structures. Carbohydrates are made up of monomers(which are comprised of single molecules) called monosaccharides. Monosaccharides include glucose, sucrose, and galactose. Two monosaccharides can be combined by removing a hydrogen end from one monomer and an oxygen/hydrogen end from another(forming a water molecule), and they can be combined using a bond called a glycosidic bond. These are called disaccharides, and can include carbohydrates like sucrose. When three or more monosaccharides are bonded together(once again using glycosidic bonds and...
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...Nutrition: Low Carbohydrate Diets Insert Name Course, Class, Semester Institution Instructor Date Nutrition: Low Carbohydrate Diets Low-carbohydrate dieting has and continues to generate varied interpretations across various settings all around the world. This can be accredited to the fact that such a diet has been postulated to help in the management of overweight and obesity, which have become significantly prevalent in the recent past. Speaking of low-carbohydrate dieting, this connotes to a diet that comprises of a limited amount of carbohydrates, but is high in fats and proteins. Arguably, low-carbohydrate dieting works because it offers a viable platform in which people, particularly obese and overweight individuals can shed excess body weight. Notably, carbohydrates occur as the major source of energy in the body (Weinblatt, 2011). During periods of excess carbohydrate intake, the body converts carbohydrates into glucose for use as an energy supply, and the surplus is converted into fats and stored in within the body. For this purpose, low-carbohydrate dieting results in shortage of energy supply; hence, prompting the body to break down fats to provide energy; thus, resulting in the reduction of excess body fats. This is perhaps the rationale as to why low-carbohydrate dieting works in curbing overweight and obesity. However, low-carbohydrate dieting poses certain adverse health effects on the body. This aligns...
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...Introduction In race carbohydrate is a key aspect to endurance performance, especially when the events lasts in extent of 1-2 hours. It is common practice within the endurance community to utilize carbohydrates as the substrate, as glycogen depletion is seen as a key mechanism in performance outcome[2,4, 14]. Providing exogenous carbohydrates into the body, in theory, spares endogenous carbohydrate reserves allowing for increased exercise time[5]. The current recommendation from the American College of Sports Medicine is feeding at regular short intervals (15-20 min), totaling 30-60 g/hour of a mixture of carbohydrates (glucose, fructose, maltodextrin), when the events exceeds 1 hour[8]. However, more recent reviews have questioned this...
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