Carbohydrates

GROUP 1
 What is Carbs?

Carbohydrates are the sugars,

starches and fibers found in
fruits, grains, vegetables and
milk products. Though often
maligned in trendy
diets, carbohydrates — one of
the basic food groups — are
important to a healthy diet
 Are carbs good?
"Whole" vs "Refined"
Carbs

Not all carbs are created equal.

Carbs are often referred to as

"simple" vs "complex,"
 Whole / Good carbs

Whole carbs are unprocessed and contain

the fiber found naturally in the food, while
refined carbs have been processed and
had the natural fiber stripped out.

Examples of whole carbs include

vegetables, whole fruit,
legumes, potatoes and whole grains.
These foods are generally healthy.
 Refined / Bad Carbs
On the other hand, refined carbs
include sugar-sweetened beverages,
fruit juices, pastries, white bread, white
pasta, white rice and others.

Numerous studies show that refined

carbohydrate consumption is associated
with health problems like obesity and
type 2 diabetes
 What are the disease/s due to
carbohydrate deficiency
When you avoid carbohydrates you therefore fill your diet with fat and
protein, usually from animal products - so this causes diseases such as
heart disease, diabetes and cancers. For example, casein is
known to be a carcinogen (a substance capable of causing cancer in
living tissue.) based on The China Study. Animal products contain
saturated fat and cholesterol known to block insulin receptors
(diabetes) and clog arteries (atherosclerosis). Plus avoiding plant foods
means you’re missing many nutrients and phytochemicals, as well as
fiber leading to many colon issues as well (cancer, polyps, etc).
But why?
Classification of Carbohydrates

3 types of Carbohydrates

 MONOSACCHARIDES
 DISACCHARIDES
 POLYSACCHARIDES
 Monosaccharides

Monosaccharides [Greek monos = single; sacchar =

sugar]

Any of the class of sugars (e.g., glucose) that cannot be

hydrolyzed to give a simpler sugar.

Monosaccharides are the building blocks of disaccharides

(such as sucrose and lactose) and polysaccharides (such
as cellulose and starch).
 Function
Energy
The four primary functions of carbohydrates in the
body are to provide energy, store energy, build
macromolecules, and spare protein and fat for other
uses. Glucose energy is stored as glycogen, with the
majority of it in the muscle and liver
 Examples of Monosaccarides

Examples of monosaccharides include :

 Glucose (dextrose) = is the main fuel for the

body cells.

 Fructose (levulose) = participates in

metabolism.

 Galactose = Galactose is found in

erythrocytes[a red blood cell that (in humans)
is typically a biconcave disc without a nucleus]
of individuals with B-type of blood.
Disaccharides

A disaccharide (also called a double

sugar or bivose) is the sugar formed
when two monosaccharides (simple
sugars) are joined by glycosidic
linkage( is a type of covalent bond
that joins a carbohydrate molecule to
another group). Like
monosaccharides, disaccharides are
soluble in water.
 Function
In your body, a disaccharide function is to
provide your body with a quick source of energy.
Because they're only made up of two sugar
molecules, they're easily broken down by
enzymes in your digestive system into their
respective monosaccharides and then absorbed
into your bloodstream.
 Examples of Disaccharides

Common examples are:

Sucrose — common table sugar = glucose +

fructose.

Lactose — major sugar in milk = glucose +

galactose.

Maltose — product of starch digestion = glucose +

glucose.
POLYSACCHARIDES

Carbohydrate molecules that consist

of a number of sugar molecules
bonded together in long chains
specifically polymeric (made of long,
repeating chains of molecules)
carbohydrates composed of
monosaccharide units bound
together by glycosidic linkages.
 Function
Polysaccharides generally perform one of two functions:
Energy storage and Structural support.

Starch and glycogen are highly compact polymers that

are used for energy storage.

Cellulose and chitin are linear polymers that are used

for structural support in plants and animals, respectively.
 Examples of Polysaccharides
Starch & Glycogen serve as short-
term energy stores in plants and
animals respectively.

Cellulose is a very important

polysaccharide because it is the most
abundant organic compound on earth
and also it is a major component of
tough cell walls that surround plant
cells, and is what makes plant stems,
leaves, and branches so strong. And yet
humans cannot digest it
What is cellulose?

Cellulose is a molecule, consisting of

hundreds – and sometimes even
thousands – of carbon, hydrogen
and oxygen atoms. Cellulose is the
main substance in the walls of plant
cells, helping plants to remain stiff
and upright. Humans cannot
digest cellulose, but it is important
in the diet as fibre.
 Why can’t you digest cellulose?

Humans are unable to digest

cellulose because the appropriate enzymes
to breakdown the beta acetal(are used as
protecting groups for carbonyl groups in
organic synthesis) linkages are lacking.
Undigestible cellulose is the fiber which
aids in the smooth working of the
intestinal tract. Animals like cows and
pigs can digest cellulose thanks to
symbiotic bacteria in their digestive
tracts, but humans can't
Here’s why
Without sufficient fuel, the body
gets no energy. Additionally,
without sufficient glucose, the
central nervous system suffers,
which may cause dizziness or
mental and physical weakness,
according to Iowa State University.
A deficiency of glucose, or low
blood sugar, is called
hypoglycemia