What are Carbohydrates?
The two terms that make up carbohydrates are "hydrate," which means water, and "carbo," which means carbon. Carbohydrates are substances that are composed of oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon as well as any of their derivatives. One of the vital macronutrients that makes up a larger percentage of our diet is the carbohydrate. Our neurological system and brain are sensitive to blood glucose levels. Maintaining a blood sugar level that is consistent is critical to overall health. The body experiences drowsiness at very high glucose levels and weakness and trembling at very low glucose concentrations. The body only experiences energy and alertness when its attention is within a regular range. The energy yielded by carbohydrates is 3.75 kcal/g.
Classification of Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are classified into four groups.
- Monosaccharides
- Disaccharides
- Oligosaccharides
- Polysaccharides
|
Monosaccharides |
Disaccharides |
Oligosaccharides |
Polysaccharides |
|
Made up of simple sugars |
Made up of 2 monosaccharides |
Made up of 3-10 monosaccharides |
Made up of >10 monosaccharides |
|
Glucose |
Sucrose |
Raffinose |
Starches |
|
Glactose |
Lactose |
Stachyose |
Glycogens |
|
Fructose |
Maltose |
Verbascose. |
Fibers |
1. Monosaccharides
The word "one" (mono) and the word "saccharide," which signifies sugar, combine to form a monosaccharide. The most basic type of carbohydrates that can't be further degraded into simple sugars are called monosaccharides. They are charming. They dissolve in water with ease. Three monosaccharides are listed below as
- Glucose
- Galactose
- Fructose
1. Glucose
Another name for glucose is blood sugar or dextrose. It provides energy instantly. During digestion, digestible carbohydrates, or starches, are changed into glucose. The normal range for blood glucose in humans is 80–100 mg/100 ml. On a sweetness scale of 100, it has a sugar content of 74. The greatest sources of glucose are honey (25–37%) and fruits (2%–6%).
2. Galactose
Galactose does not naturally arise in a free state. It is a simple sugars that is found in relatively few foods organically as a single unit. One can obtain galactose in a mixed condition. Galactose and glucose combine to make lactose. On a sweetness scale of 100, it has a sucrose sweetness level of 16. Milk contains it.
3. Fructose
Fruit sugar, often known as levulose, is a frequent term for fructose. Fructose is the sugar that is the sweetest among mono and disaccharides. On a sucrose sweetness scale of 100, it is 173 sweet. Together, fructose and glucose produce sucrose. There is high fructose syrup that contains it. It is a more effective energy source for diabetics than glucose. Fruit (apples, grapes) and vegetables are natural sources of fructose, particularly in large concentrations (25–45%) found in honey.
2. Disaccharides
Two monosaccharides join to make disaccharides by condensation, a chemical process that releases a water molecule. Through the process of hydrolysis, which involves adding H to one molecule and OH to another from a water molecule, disaccharides are split into two monosaccharides. The three disaccharides that are listed below are
- Sucrose
- Lactose
- Maltose
1. Sucrose
Another name for sucrose is table sugar or ordinary home sugar. Glycosidic bonds—the covalent link between two monosaccharides—allow glucose and fructose to condense to create it. Sucrose has a sweetness level of 100. Sucrose is important for the economy and industry due to its easy availability, acceptance, and palatability. Natural sources include sugar cane, sugar beet, honey, and, to a lesser degree, some fruits and roots, such as carrots. The sucrose from the sugar cane and beetroot juices is refined to produce table sugar.
2. Lactose
Another name for lactose is milk sugar. It is created when glucose and galactose condense. It is milk's main source of carbohydrates. within the intestines. Enzymes called lactase break it down. It is in the milk of all animals. The lactose content in cow's milk is 4.9%, whereas that of human milk is 7.5%. On a sucrose sweetness scale of 100, it is 16 sweet. It provides half of the total calories found in fat-free milk.
3. Maltose
Another name for it is malt sugar. It is created when two glucose molecules condense. It is created when starches break down during the development of grains and during the digestive process in humans. It is made commercially via partial acid hydrolysis and enzymatic starch hydrolysis. On a sucrose sweetness scale of 100, it is 16 sweet.
3. Oligosaccharides
Oligosaccharides are carbohydrates that have three to ten simple monosaccharide molecules in them. Compared to disaccharides, they are not as prevalent in the diet. Typical oligosaccharides include
- Raffinose
- Stachyose
- Verbascose.
Because the human body lacks the enzyme α-galactosidase, these foods are not adequately digested and are not hydrolyzed. Instead, they travel undigested through the lower stomach where anaerobic bacteria break them down and metabolize them. Although not all customers experience digestive discomforts or other negative symptoms as a result of this metabolic process, it has been linked to unfavorable outcomes including excessive flatulence and abdominal discomforts.
Despite this, some research indicates that consuming oligosaccharides is linked to favorable health outcomes, such as dietary fibers. Because of these advantages, oligosaccharides are frequently used as food additives; fructo-oligosaccharides and lactulose, a supplement that is sold and advised by physicians for patients with constipation, are examples of manufactured oligosaccharides that are added to food products to make them stand out.
Pulses, whole grains, cruciferous vegetables, and some fruits are among the common foods that contain oligosaccharides.
4. Polysaccharides
Polysaccharides are carbohydrates that have more than ten monosaccharide units in them. There are two other classifications for polysaccharides.
- Digestible Polysaccharides
- Indigestible Polysaccharides
1. Digestible Polysaccharides
Certain polysaccharides are metabolized by human body. The following polysaccharides hold significant importance in terms of nutrition.
- Starch
- Glycogen
1. Starch
Polysaccharides are a white, non-crystalline powder without any flavour, and starch is one of them. Between 4000 and 15000 glucose units condense to generate amylopectin and amylose, respectively, which are straight and branched chains.
In amylopectin, condensed D-glucose units are found as ∝-(1 → 4) connected pyranose rings, much like in amylose. However, moreover, 4-5 per cent of the units of glucose become condensed in ∝-(1 → 6) connections.
Plants store glucose in the form of starch. It is one of the main sources of energy for people.
2. Glycogen
An animal's storage form of glucose is called glycogen. Furthermore, it is a soluble polysaccharide. It is composed similarly to starch. The animal builds up between 3,000 and 60,000 glucose units throughout its branching chain to create glycogen. It is used as an energy source and is stored in trace amounts in the muscles and liver.
2. Indigestible Polysaccharides
Additional categories for fiber include the following kinds:
1. Dietary Fiber
Plant foods include dietary fibre. These polysaccharides are non-starchy and are broken down by GI (Gastro-Intestinal) tract bacteria rather than the digestive enzymes in humans. cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin, mucilage, and gums, for example.
As previously mentioned, starch is likewise a polysaccharide. However, dietary fiber is not the same as starch since part of its connections are broken by bacteria found in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract rather than by human digestive enzymes.
Despite the fact that dietary fibers may be found in many different foods, scientists divide them into two categories according to how soluble they are.
Dietary fibres: They dissolve in water to create gels are known as soluble dietary fibres. These non-starch polysaccharides are viscous. Because they disintegrate into pieces that the colon's bacteria may readily consume, they are fermentable. They constitute the best diet for preventing diabetes and heart disease since they decrease blood pressure and cholesterol. Citrus fruits, barley, lentils, and oats are a few typical dietary sources.
Insoluble Dietary Fibers: Dietary fibres that are insoluble dissolve in water. They are less fermentable and do not gel. They lessen constipation, encourage bowel movement, and avoid diverticular disorders. Vegetables and bran are common sources.
2. Functional Fibers
Dietary fibres, as previously said, come from plants. If they are extracted, produced, and then incorporated into food or supplements, they are referred to as function fibres (if they have good benefits). Cereals include cellulose, a dietary fibre that is also regarded as a functional fibre as it is used as a supplement to relieve constipation.
Dietary and functional fibres together make up total fibre.
Conclusion
Carbohydrates are made of oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon (H). Each of those atoms may produce a different number of chemical bonds: hydrogen may generate one, oxygen two, and carbon four. Six sugars are essential for nutrition. Fructose, glucose, and Galactose are the three monosaccharides that have distinct structures despite sharing a single chemical formula (C6H12O6). The three disaccharides, lactose, sucrose, and maltose, are made up of one glucose molecule combined with one of all three monosaccharides. Most sugars come from plants, with the exception of lactose and its byproduct galactose, which are obtained from dairy products as well as milk.
Polysaccharides, or chains of monosaccharides, include dietary fibre, starches, and glycogen, which are forms of stored glucose that provide energy for human use; the starch is found in plants, while glycogen is observed in the body; dietary fiber also contains glucose and other monosaccharides, but because the bonds are not broken by human digestive enzymes, it provides little to no energy.
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