Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates (Role in Nutrition)

Carbohydrates, such as energy yielding compounds D-Ribose, are the structural elements of nucleic acid and coenzymes.  Act as intermediates in hexose monophosphate stant.  D-Lyxose, a constituent of a lyxoflavin isolated from human muscle. D-glucose carried out by the blood and used in tissues. D-fructose can be changed to glucose in the liver and intestine and used in the body. Glycosides are important in medicine. Hexosamines is used as antibiotic.  Monosaccharide’s are important constitute of nucleotides and nucleic acids.  Disaccharides act as an intermediate in the digestion, important as a dietary constituent and major source of energy in the diet. Starch and glycogen serve as temporary stores of glucose in plants and animals respectively. Carbohydrates are an ideal source of energy for the body. This is because they can be converted more readily into glucose, the form of sugar that's transported and used by the body, than can proteins or fats.

Classification of Carbohydrates

Ø  Simple and Sugary Carbohydrates

Simple carbohydrates are sugars, like glucose, fructose and lactose. Common sources include table sugar (sucrose), boiled sweets, syrups and honey. These include sweets, candy, and soda.

Ø  Complex and Starchy Carbohydrates

Complex carbohydrates release energy slowly and often contain fiber. Complex crabs are either starches, or indigestible dietary fiber. Common sources of starches include, bread, pasta, rice, beans and some vegetables. Common sources of dietary fiber are fruits, vegetables, beans, and the indigestible parts of whole grains like wheat bran and oat bran.

Functions of Carbohydrates

Ø  Energy-giving: Carbohydrates is to furnish energy for the working of the body. When your body needs energy, it looks for carbohydrates first. One gram of carbohydrate provides approximately 4 Kilocalories. They usually provide 60-70 per cent of the total calories in our diets.

Ø  Protein-sparing action:  “Sparing proteins" is not a separate and distinct function or role of carbohydrates any more than preventing scurvy is a separate and distinct function of vitamin C in the body. Vitamin C supplies body needs, but its role is not prevention of scurvy or of anything else. Viewing nutrients as preventative agents of diseases is another way of saying that diseases are normal, that they are an inevitable part of life that will and must occur unless prevented by the proper nutrients. If you are not consuming enough carbohydrates, your body will look for other sources of energy, such as proteins found in muscle tissue. Proteins, however, are not efficient sources of energy for the body.

Ø  Regulator of sugar: Carbohydrates also protect your muscles and help regulate the amount of sugar circulating in your blood so that all the cells get the energy they need. When carbohydrates needed for the functioning of the central nervous system, the muscles and the other body systems and functions are insufficient in the diet (as during a fast or on a weight-loss diet), stored adipose tissue (fat) is broken down into glucose to make up the caloric deficit. Some amino acids, instead of being used to make proteins, are delaminated and used as carbohydrates to supply energy. The formation of glucose from amino acids is called gluconeogenesis. This phenomenon enables one to maintain normal blood sugar levels during a fast.

Ø  Utilization of fats: Carbohydrates utilize for proper utilization of fat in the body. Carbohydrates in the diet prevent body from breaking down too much fat for energy. Deficiency of carbohydrates in the diet, more fat will be broken down to meet the energy requirements of the body. Excessive fat breakdown can result in accumulation of by-products of fat metabolism.

Food Sources of Carbohydrates

The main sources of carbohydrates are plants, e.g., starch (storage forms carbohydrate of chlorophyll containing plants), sugars, cereals, potatoes, legumes, millets, roots and other vegetables. Sugars are found in fruits, juice, cane, honey, palm, milk, etc.

Food Sources of Carbohydrate
Sugar
Cane Sugar	99.4 mg/100g
Honey	79.5 mg/100g
Jaggary (Cane)	95.0 mg/100g
Cereals
Wheat	71.2 mg/100g
Rice (raw,milled)	78.2 mg/100g
Roots and Tubers
Potato	22.6 mg/100g
Sweet Potato	28.2 mg/100g
Tapioca	38.1 mg/100g
Fruits
Banana (ripe)	27.2 mg/100g
Sapota	21.4 mg/100g
Mango (ripe)	16.9 mg/100g

Usage of Carbohydrates

Ø  Carbohydrates typically consist of 45 - 60% of your total caloric intake.

Ø  Research suggests that adult individuals should consume a minimum of 120 - 125 grams of carbohydrates per day to satisfy basic needs.

Deficiency and Disease of Carbohydrates

If you consume excess carbohydrates and participate in little or no physical activity, these excess carbohydrates will be converted and stored in the body as fat – which may lead to weight gain and other health risks. Other list of disease like Hyperglycemia, Glycosuria , Galactosemia Pentosuria, Diarrhoea and flatulence, Ketone, Under weight.