1. Carbohydrates

2. Carbohydrate What is a carbohydrate?
Carbo refers to the presence of carbon
Hydro refers to the presence of water which is a combination of hydrogen and oxygen
Carbohydrates are then made up of ……?

3. What is a carbohydrate cont…
Carbohydrates are one of the six most essential nutrients
They are your body’s main source of energy
Carbohydrates = the sugars, starches, and fibers in your diet.
About 55 to 60 percent of your daily calories should come from carbohydrates.

4. What is a carbohydrate cont…
Carbohydrates cannot be produced by animals, only green plants.
Photosynthesis -
The process in which plants use the suns energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrate and oxygen
The plant produced carbohydrate is glucose
Plant can convert the glucose molecules into other sugars, starches, or fiber

5. Types of carbohydrates
Simple carbohydrates
a carbohydrate that consists of a single monosaccharide unit (single sugar unit). Such as monosaccharides or disaccharides.
Found naturally in small amounts of food
Candies, cookies, soft drinks, jams, jellies
High in calories and provide little or no nutritional value

6. Types of Carbohydrates
Complex carbohydrates
a carbohydrate that consists of two or more monosaccharide units (long chains of sugar unit). Such as polysaccharides, starches or fibers.
For good health you should focus on complex carbohydrates
Dry beans/peas, rice, grits, breads, cereals

7. Sugars Can be defined as a sweet crystalline carbohydrate.
The correct term being “saccharide”
Sugar molecule is a hydroxyl group
6 carbon
12 hydrogen
6 atoms
Combination of hydrogen and oxygen

8. Properties of Sugar
All have same chemical formulas, they differ in how the atoms are positioned in the molecular ring
The difference in arrangement causes a difference in sweetness, solubility, & other factors

9. Monosaccharides
composed of single sugar units (mono means 1). Smallest of all carbohydrate molecules.
3 types of monosaccharides
Glucose – the building blocks of carbohydrates
Single sugar used in plant and animal tissues as quick energy (blood sugar)
Fructose – sweetest of single sugars
Galactose – bonded to glucose in the sugar of milk

10. Disaccharides Composed of 2 sugar units (di means 2)
There are 3 types of disaccharides
Sucrose – double sugar composed of glucose and fructose (Glucose + fructose)
Maltose – double sugar composed of two glucose units (Glucose + glucose)
Lactose – double sugar composed of glucose and galactose (milk sugar) (Glucose + galactose)

11. Polysaccharides composed of many sugar units (poly meaning many)
There are only 2 types
Starches – from plants. Composed of glucose, digestible by human beings
Fibers – indigestible residue of food

12. Starches AMYLOSE AMYLOPECTIN
Most important job is as a thickening agents.
Have 2 structures:
AMYLOSE
Found in rice and in wheat flour
Best ability to set as a gel
AMYLOPECTIN
Less easily mixed with water,
Ex. potatoes and tapioca

13. Other Benefits of Fiber
Soluble Fibers
Dissolve easily in water
Beans, peas, oats, rice
Insoluble Fibers
Do not dissolve in water.
Take on characteristics of a sponge
Whole wheat, rye, bananas

14. Other Benefits of Fiber
Plant fiber eaten in food is cellulose, cell walls & woody parts of plants
Human can’t digest, we don’t have enzyme to do so
Fiber absorbs water and swells, moves along intestines = keeps bowels functioning normally and regularly
Foods include fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grain breads & cereals

15. The functions of carbohydrates
There are 4 key functions
Produce Energy
Spare Proteins
Break Down Fats
Provide Bulk in the Diet

16. How Your Body Uses Carbohydrates
All carbohydrates must be in the form of glucose
All absorption occurs in the small intestine where it is then carried to the liver
Insulin
Helps the body lower blood glucose
Glycogen
The body’s storage form of glucose