Thursday, March 21, 2013

Carbohydrates: Simple Sugars

Every second, each cell of our body goes through thousands and thousands of chemical reactions that keep vital process working. In order for these chemical to reactions to work as they should, there are several macronutrients that the body needs. Among these macronutrients are carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Here we will analyze one of these macronutrients, that is, carbohydrates.

What are carbohydrates? Carbohydrates are a wide group of nutrients that are found a large variety of foods. For instance, simple sugars and complex sugars are part of this group. Complex sugars include pasta, bread, cereals, for instance.


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What is the main use of simple carbohydrates? Simple carbohydrates functions as an energy source. They are used to provide calories for energy. They provide energy for the brain to function and for our muscles to do work. In addition, the muscles and liver covert sugars into a storage form called glycogen to be used later. For instance, when doing a long work out, the stored glycogen is used up. 

Simple Sugars

Simple sugars are what makes food sweet. These molecules include fructose, which can be found in fruits. Sucrose is another type of simple sugar. It is the sugar that is used in cookies and table sugar. More complex form of sugar include sucrose and lactose (found in milk). These more complex sugars are made up of simpler sugar molecules linked together. 

Another common type of simplex sugars is high fructose corn syrup. This type of sugar is commonly used in sweetened sodas, fruit drinks, and manufactured pastries and cookies. 

The downside to simple sugars is that they also do not tend to be low in vitamins and minerals. This then has the potential to lead to weight gain.