Nutrition for Healthy LivingSecond Edition

Chapter 5Carbohydrates

Simple Carbohydrates: Sugars• Monasaccharide: simple sugar that is the basic

molecule of carbohydrates– Glucose (dextrose or blood sugar): primary fuel for

muscles and other cells, thus it’s the most important monosaccharide

– Fructose (levulose or fruit sugar): is naturally found in fruit, honey and a few vegetables• The body has little need for fructose so ‘most’ of it is

converted into glucose and fat– Galactose: a component of lactose

• Lactose: the form of carbohydrate in milk• Not commonly found in foods

Simple Carbohydrates: Sugars• Disaccharide: simple sugar comprised of 2

monosaccharides– Maltose (malt sugar): disaccharide comprised of 2 glucose

molecules– Lactose (milk sugar): disaccharide comprised of a glucose

and a galactose molecule– Sucrose (table sugar): disaccharide comprised of a glucose

and a fructose molecule– Myth: refined white sugar is poisonous

» Table sugar does not contain toxic substances» It is almost 100% carbohydrate

– Myth: Honey is nutritionally superior to table sugar» Your body does NOT distinguish whether glucose or fructose came

from sugar or honey

Nutritive and Nonnutritive Sweeteners

• Nutritive sweeteners: substances that sweeten and contribute energy to foods

• Nonnutritive sweeteners: group of synthetic compounds that are intensely sweet tasting compared to sugar– Alternative sweeteners: substances that sweeten

foods while providing few or no kilocalories• Contains sugar alcohols

– Sugar alcohols are not fully absorbed by the intestinal tract» So they supply an average of 2 kcal/g

Complex Carbohydrates

• Complex Carbohydrates (polysaccharides): compounds comprised of 10 or more monosaccharides bonded together– Starch: storage polysaccharide in plants– Glycogen: storage polysaccharide in animals– Soluble Fiber: forms of dietary fiber that dissolve

or swell in water– Insoluble Fiber: forms of dietary fiber that

generally do not dissolve in water

Next Slide: Clearing the Carbohydrate Confusion VideoSource: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTsPzH2NY40

Next SlideWhat is Fiber, Truth about Fiber, Nutrition by Natalie

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5cz5iZMQaI