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Carbohydrates are a varied combination of both very small and very large molecules that comprise about 40 to 45 percent of the energy supply for your body. In addition, certain types of carbohydrates, such as fiber and resistant starches don’t get taken into your body for energy, but play important health-promoting roles in your gastrointestinal tract, supporting digestion and absorption, and helping you eliminate toxins and waste products.
Carbohydrates are are composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, which are arranged into small units called sugars, or monosaccharides. Small carbohydrates, like glucose or sucrose (table sugar) are composed of one or two sugar units, respectively, and are the molecules that give food a sweet taste. These molecules are sometimes called “simple sugars” because they are small (only one or two units), and are quickly digested, providing immediate energy to the body.
Larger carbohydrate molecules, which include fibers and starches, are composed of at least 10 monosaccharides linked together. These large carbohydrates, called polysaccharides (poly=many) may contain up to several hundred monosaccharides linked together in different ways. Another term commonly used to describe carbohydrates is oligosaccharides, a type of carbohydrate molecule that is in-between polysaccharides and monosaccharides in size, and features two to ten monosaccharides bonded together.
