““Carbohydrates”Carbohydrates”Do you ever:Do you ever:

Think of carbs as providing nothing but Think of carbs as providing nothing but calories to the body?calories to the body?

Wonder why nutrition authorities Wonder why nutrition authorities recommend foods high in fiber?recommend foods high in fiber?

Blame carbs for obesity or disease?Blame carbs for obesity or disease?Have trouble distinguishing whole-grain Have trouble distinguishing whole-grain

foods from others at the store?foods from others at the store?

What are some foods rich in carbs?What are some foods rich in carbs?

Where do we get them?Where do we get them?

““Green plants make carbohydrate Green plants make carbohydrate through photosynthesis.”through photosynthesis.”

In this process, water, sunlight In this process, water, sunlight energy, and oxygen are used.energy, and oxygen are used.

““Light energy is stored in a plant Light energy is stored in a plant as chemical energy: carbs.”as chemical energy: carbs.”

The purpose is to store energy for The purpose is to store energy for later (when it’s dark).later (when it’s dark).

PhotosynthesisPhotosynthesis

““Milk: the only animal-made food Milk: the only animal-made food with lots of carbs, to supply baby with lots of carbs, to supply baby with energy”with energy”

For this reason, breastfeeding For this reason, breastfeeding mothers need to eat a lot….they mothers need to eat a lot….they burn up to 500 calories a day just burn up to 500 calories a day just feeding!feeding!

Let’s Look at the MoleculesLet’s Look at the Molecules

““Six sugars are important to us.”Six sugars are important to us.”““Three: Monosaccharides, single Three: Monosaccharides, single

sugars”sugars”““Three: Disaccharides, double Three: Disaccharides, double

sugars”sugars”They all end in –ose, which They all end in –ose, which

means means sugarsugar..

““The three mono’s join together in The three mono’s join together in combinations to make the three di’s.”combinations to make the three di’s.”

A note on the glucose symbol:The glucose molecule is really a ring of 5Carbons and 1 oxygen plus a carbon “flag.”

CarbonsOxygen

For convenience, glucose is symbolized as

or

““Mono’s”Mono’s”

““1. Glucose: most common, used 1. Glucose: most common, used by plants and animals. AKA blood by plants and animals. AKA blood sugar.”sugar.”

““2. Fructose: in fruit, honey, 2. Fructose: in fruit, honey, added to prepared food (high added to prepared food (high fructose corn syrup).”fructose corn syrup).”

““3. Galactose: is a part of milk 3. Galactose: is a part of milk sugar (lactose)”sugar (lactose)”

This is rarely found in nature on This is rarely found in nature on its own.its own.

““Di’s”Di’s”

““All contain glucose”All contain glucose”““1. Lactose: milk sugar”1. Lactose: milk sugar”

““2. Maltose: appears where starch 2. Maltose: appears where starch is being broken down (ex. is being broken down (ex. stomach)”stomach)”

““3. Sucrose: table sugar, found in 3. Sucrose: table sugar, found in plants”plants”

Where does Where does youryour table sugar table sugar come from?come from?

Table sugar is usually obtained by Table sugar is usually obtained by refining the juice from sugar beets refining the juice from sugar beets or sugarcane.or sugarcane.

Discovery StreamingDiscovery Streaming

Eating fruit is different from eating Eating fruit is different from eating candy because the molecules are candy because the molecules are different.different.

Fructose is a monosaccharide, which Fructose is a monosaccharide, which is digested differently than a is digested differently than a disaccharide.disaccharide.

Both contain sugar, but the body Both contain sugar, but the body views them very differently!views them very differently!

Which brings us to… “Starch”Which brings us to… “Starch”

What kinds of foods do you think What kinds of foods do you think of when you think of starch?of when you think of starch?

““Plants put glucose into long Plants put glucose into long strands for storage = strands for storage = polysaccharidespolysaccharides.”.”

““Starch and fiber are examples.”Starch and fiber are examples.”So starch doesn’t taste sweet, but So starch doesn’t taste sweet, but

it is made of sugar.it is made of sugar.

For this reason, fresher corn For this reason, fresher corn tastes sweeter!tastes sweeter!

Longer it sits on the shelfLonger it sits on the shelfmore more sugar is stored as starch.sugar is stored as starch.

Starch is useful to a plant when Starch is useful to a plant when there’s no sunlight to obtain there’s no sunlight to obtain energy.energy.

It’s also helpful to seeds, which It’s also helpful to seeds, which can’t photosynthesize.can’t photosynthesize.

Plants pack their embryos in Plants pack their embryos in starchy seeds for a food supply.starchy seeds for a food supply.

How do we store sugar?How do we store sugar?

““Animals store sugar as glycogen Animals store sugar as glycogen in our muscles.”in our muscles.”

So why doesn’t a hamburger taste So why doesn’t a hamburger taste sweet?sweet?

Glycogen breaks down quickly Glycogen breaks down quickly when an animal is slaughtered.when an animal is slaughtered.

““Fiber”Fiber”Fiber is a super-important Fiber is a super-important

polysaccharide for us.polysaccharide for us.““Fibers form the supporting Fibers form the supporting

structures of leaves, stems, and structures of leaves, stems, and seeds.”seeds.”

Here’s the Catch…Here’s the Catch…

““We can’t digest fiber!!”We can’t digest fiber!!”So if we need it, but we can’t So if we need it, but we can’t

digest it, how do we get it??digest it, how do we get it??““Soluble fibers easily dissolve in Soluble fibers easily dissolve in

water, are digested by bacteria in water, are digested by bacteria in our colon.”our colon.”

Good bacteria! We need it!Good bacteria! We need it!

Can anyone digest fiber?Can anyone digest fiber?Animals with larger digestive Animals with larger digestive

systems (like cows) can digest systems (like cows) can digest fiber…it has to be digested fiber…it has to be digested repeatedly.repeatedly.

When we eat the meat, we obtain the When we eat the meat, we obtain the energy, but not the fiber.energy, but not the fiber.

Soluble fibers dissolve in water Soluble fibers dissolve in water and are digested by bacteria.and are digested by bacteria.

These are excellent for us!These are excellent for us!““Oats, barley, and citrus: lower Oats, barley, and citrus: lower

cholesterol, protect against heart cholesterol, protect against heart disease and diabetes”disease and diabetes”

They also add a nice consistency They also add a nice consistency to foods, like fruit pectin that to foods, like fruit pectin that makes jelly thick and others that makes jelly thick and others that thicken salad dressings.thicken salad dressings.

““Insoluble fibers don’t dissolve in Insoluble fibers don’t dissolve in water, and help us eliminate waste.”water, and help us eliminate waste.”

Patients who are chronically Patients who are chronically constipated usually don’t have constipated usually don’t have enough fiber or water in their diet.enough fiber or water in their diet.

““Bran, celery, corn, seeds”Bran, celery, corn, seeds”We now know: very good at We now know: very good at

preventing colon cancers!preventing colon cancers!