Carbohydrates

  Carbohydrates, or carbs, are the sugars, starches, and dietary fiber that occur in certain foods. The body breaks them down into glucose, which provides energy for bodily functions.

Carbohydrates are mainly found in plant foods. They also occur in dairy products in the form of a milk sugar called lactose. Foods high in carbohydrates include bread, pasta, beans, potatoes, rice, and cereals.

Carbohydrates play several roles in living organisms, including providing energy.

Byproducts of carbohydrates are involved in the immune system, the development of disease, blood clotting, and reproduction.

Carbohydrates can be divided into three main groups based on their chemical structure and how they are broken down and absorbed by the body.

1. Sugars (Simple Carbohydrates)

• Monosaccharides: These are the simplest types of saccharides, which consist of only one sugar molecule. Some examples include glucose which is found in fruits and honey, fructose which is also available in fruits and honey as well as galactose, a component of lactose occurring in milk.
• Disaccharides: Two monosaccharide molecules come together to form disaccharides. For example, sucrose contains glucose and fructose, lactose has glucose and galactose, and maltose is made up of two glucose molecules.

2. Starches (Complex Carbohydrates)

• Polysaccharides: These are long chains of glucose molecules. Foods such as potatoes, rice, breads, pasta, and legumes contain starches. During digestion, they break down into glucose to provide energy slowly.

3. Fibre (Complex Carbohydrates)

• Dietary Fibre: Mainly composed of indigestible substances like carbohydrates, which occur naturally in plants. Fibre has soluble forms that dissolve when mixed with water, while insoluble does not. 

Risks of high-carb diet

High-carb foods have been connected to a higher risk of chronic disease, decreased physical activity, and obesity. However, carbohydrate quality has been shown to play a more critical role in health than carbohydrate quantity. Fruits, vegetables, and chickpeas are carbohydrates, as are cakes, cookies, and ice cream. It's just a matter of choosing your carbs wisely.

Risks of processed carbs

Carbs from processed grains and added sugars may increase the risk of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and some cancers. When grains are processed or refined, many nutrients and most of the fiber is removed, leaving a grain that has a longer shelf life but is less nutritious than a whole grain. Processed grains include white bread, white rice, cakes, and crackers. Some of these products have nutrients added back to them, so they've got "enriched" on the label. 

What are “good carbs"?

"Good carbs" are carbohydrates that help you control your blood sugar and your weight. Highly processed foods (like white rice) spike your blood sugar almost as much as eating white sugar. Minimally processed foods like whole grains, non-starchy vegetables, whole fruits, and legumes don't cause your blood sugar to spike and contain lots of vitamins, fiber, and minerals. "Good carbs" are also known as complex carbs. 

Starches are mainly found in tubers, grains and their flours. Starches are a complex carbohydrate, which were thought to be better than simple carbohydrates, such as sugars. However, some starches can actually be worse for your health than sugar.

If you have a medical condition that involves blood sugar regulation issues, such as diabetes, hypoglycemia or polycystic ovarian syndrome, the starches in your diet could be worsening your health. Most people believe that bread, potatoes and pasta are healthier than sweets and desserts, but your body does not really see the difference, since all of these foods are broken down into sugars. For example, a 2-cup serving of cooked spaghetti or rice contains about 90 grams of carbohydrates, which will turn into the equivalent to over 22 teaspoons of sugar in your blood. 

Does starch turn into sugar?

When you eat starchy foods, the starches are broken down into sugars, including glucose, maltotriose and maltose, by an enzyme called amylase found in your saliva and small intestine. These compound sugars are further broken down into simple sugars by other enzymes, including maltase, lactase, sucrase and isomaltase.

  Grains are the seeds of grasses grown for food. These plants also are called cereals. Examples of grains include wheat, oats and rice. Each grain, also called a kernel, is made of three parts:

• Bran. Bran is the hard outer coating of a kernel. It has most of the kernel's fiber. It also has vitamins and minerals.
• Germ. The germ is the part that sprouts into a new plant. It has many vitamins, healthy fats and other natural plant nutrients.
• Endosperm. The endosperm is the energy supply for the seed. It mostly contains starches. It has small amounts of  proteins and vitamins. The endosperm has very little fiber.