Nutrition

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Carbohydrates

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A major source of energy for the human body, supplying 16kJ/g.

Sugar and starches present in foods.

Cereals, vegetables and fruits are the best sources. Dairy and animal products also supply some carbohydrates

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Monosaccharides

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A carbohydrate consisting of one basic unit.

Glucose and fructose from fruit and galactose from milk are all monosaccharides.

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Disaccharides

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Carbohydrates consisting of two basic units.

Sucrose, lactose and maltose are disaccharides.

Sucrose is very sweet (table sugar) and is commonly consumed in such foods as soft drinks, lollies, cakes and biscuits.

Lactose is in dairy products and maltose in cereals. These disaccharides are not as sweet as sucrose.

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Polysaccharides

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A class of carbohydrates whose molecules contain linked monosaccharide units.

Starch, cellulose, lignin and glycogen are examples of polysaccharides.

Starch, cellulose and lignin are derived from plants and contain good sources of dietary fibre. Glycogen is derived from muscles of animals and does not contain fibre.

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Refined carbohydrates

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Carbohydrates with the coarse part of the food removed.

In the case if wheat to make flour which is then used in baking, the bran, germ and husks are removed. This significantly reduces it's dietary fibre and nutrient content.

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Simple carbohydrates

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A term often used to describe the 'sugars' rather the 'starches'.

This type of carbohydrate is mainly digested in the small intestine.

Simple carbohydrates could also be termed 'available carbohydrates' in some texts.

Food examples of simple carbohydrates are sugar, lollies, apple juice and white bread.

Simple CHOs generally have little or no fibre.

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Complex carbohydrates

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A term often used to describe the 'starches' rather than the 'sugars'.

This type of carbohydrate is mainly fermented in the large intestine.

Complex carbohydrates could also be termed 'unavaliable carbohydrates' in some texts.

Food examples of complex carbohydrates are kidney beans, potatoes, wholemeal bread and wholemeal cereals.

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Dietary fibre

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The parts of the carbohydrate the body is unable to absorb.

Dietary fibre is only in plant food; it is not of animal origin.

Dietary fibre assists in preventing lifestyle diseases such as diverticular diseases.

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Soluble dietary fibre

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Located mainly in plant cells.

They include pectin, gums and musilages.

Best food sources are fruits and vegetables, oat bran, wholegrain cereals and breads, dried beans and peas. These fibres form a gel, which slows stomach emptying the absorption of sugars from the intestines. This helps to control blood sugar levels and lessens the amount of insulin required. This is of particular benefit to a person with diabetes.

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Insoluble dietary fibre

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Makes up structural parts of plant cell walls.

These include cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin.

Best food sources are wheat bran, corn bran, rice bran, wholegrain cereals and breads, dried beans, nuts, seeds and the kind of some fruit and vegetables. These absorb many times their own weight in water creating bulk and speed up the waste products through the intestines.

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Cellulose

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Long unbranched chains of glucose molecules. (Polysaccharide)

The main constituent of plant cell walls. Found in fruits, vegetables and legumes.

The absorb many times their own weight in water creating bulk and speed up the waste products through the intestines.

This type of carbohydrate is mainly fermented in the large intestine.

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Starch

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Long branched and unbranched chains of glucose molecules. The chains can be up to thousands of glucose molecules joined together.

They are in grains, such as rice, wheat and vegetables like potatoes, peas and beans as well as legumes.

Some starches can be digested in the small intestine, while others are fermented in the large intestine.

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Obesity

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An excess of body fat, more than 20% above the ideal weight calculated by weight in relation to height, or a body mass index greater than 30.

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Insulin

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A hormone produced by the pancreas, which controls the metabolism of glucose.

Very important for people with diabetes.