A Look at Carbohydrates from our Nutrition Book

One of the essential nutrients that must be consumed in the diet are carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are organic compounds of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen that are stored in muscles and in the liver and can be converted quickly when the body needs energy. This post looks at the classification of of carbohydrates from our nutrition book.

Classification of carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are classified according to the number of sugar units, or saccharides, that make up their structure:

• Simple carbohydrates are sugars with a simple structure of one (monosaccharides) or two (disaccharides) sugar units.
• Complex carbohydrates, or starches, consist of many sugar units (polysaccharides).

Singled out
Monosaccharides, also known as simple sugars, are carbohydrates that can be absorbed through the small intestine into the blood, where they then travel to the liver. Monosaccharides aren’t broken down in the digestive process.

Examples of monosaccharides include:

• glucose (dextrose), which comes from the digestion of starch and circulates in the blood; it’s the primary fuel for cells
• fructose (fruit sugar), which is found in fruits and in honey and is the sweetest of the sugars
• galactose, which comes from the digestion of lactose.

Two sweet
Disaccharides consist of two monosaccharides (one of which is glucose) minus a water molecule. These simple carbohydrates must fi rst be digested into their component monosaccharides before being absorbed. Important disaccharides include:

• sucrose, a common table sugar that occurs naturally in minimal amounts in some fruits and vegetables
• lactose, a non sweet sugar found in milk that aids calcium absorption and helps manufacture bacteria that are necessary for vitamin K production in the intestines
• maltose, a sugar found in germinating grains that’s also a by-product of stomach digestion.

Poly want a cracker?
Polysaccharides, or complex carbohydrates, consist of larger, more complex molecules of carbohydrates that contain many sugar units. Polysaccharides are ingested and broken down into simple sugars so that they can later be used as fuel.

Examples of polysaccharides include:

• starch, which is found primarily in plant foods and is most abundant in grains, legumes and starchy vegetables (such as potatoes)
• glycogen, which is formed within the body’s tissues as a store of carbohydrate energy and is then converted as needed to glucose for metabolism and energy balance

Non–starch polysaccharides (NSPs)
These are commonly referred to as fi bre or roughage, which is found in fruits, vegetables, legumes and grains (it can’t be digested and, therefore, is vital to good dietary health). Insoluble NSPs include cellulose, the outer part of grain such as bran, and are important for defecation. Soluble NSPs include gum from fruits and vegetables and are important for the health of the colon.

Poor oral health effects in older adults Older adults with dental problems or ill-fitting dentures might have trouble chewing fruits, vegetables and wholegrains, and their diet may be imbalanced as a result. Older adults who avoid these foods are at increased risk for nutritional deficiencies. Poor oral health may result in ineffective chewing, increasing the risk of gum disease. A lack of NSPs in the diet can increase the risk of constipation.

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