ThesisMickella

Today I’m writing about Carbohydrates. There are three types of carbohydrates. They are mostly found in

the foods we eat.

Introduction

Carbohydrates are a type of macronutrient found in many foods and beverages. Most carbohydrates are naturally occurring in plant-based foods, such as grains. Food manufacturers also add carbohydrates to processed foods in the form of starch or added sugar. The most basic carbohydrate is a sugar molecule, which joins together one or two units of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Other carbohydrates contain three or more units of the carbon-hydrogen-oxygen trio.

Providing energy and regulating blood glucose

Glucose is the only sugar used by the body to provide energy for its tissues. Therefore, all digestible polysaccharides, disaccharides, and monosaccharides must eventually be converted into glucose or a metabolite of glucose by various liver enzymes. Because of its significant importance to proper cellular function, blood glucose levels must be kept relatively constant.

Monosaccharide

A monosaccharide is simplest sugar: a simple sugar such as glucose or fructose that cannot be broken down into simpler sugars.

Example one ..

Ex.2

Ex3

Disaccharides

type of sugar: a sugar consisting of two linked monosaccharide units

Ex.1

This is alpha

Ex.2

Ex.3

This is made of glucose and fructose

Foods of Dissacharides

sucrose is obtained from the sugar cane or sugar beet plants and sold as table sugar, refined to produce brown sugar, powdered sugar, or molasses, or used to sweeten a large variety of foods from beverages to baked goods. Lactose is the sugar in milk-based products, found in yogurt, cheese, and ice cream. People who have difficulty digesting lactose are said to be lactose-intolerant. Maltose is less sweet than the previous two and is best known as the carbohydrate found in beer, though it is prevalent in breads and other grains.

Polysaccharides

complex carbohydrate: a complex carbohydrate such as starch or cellulose made up of sugar molecules linked into a branched or chain structure

Ex.1

Ex.2

This is made of dexoyribose

Ex.2

This is made of amylose and cellulose