50 Examples of Carbohydrates

The carbohydrates, carbohydrates or carbohydrates are biomolecules composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Carbohydrates are part of the bodies of living beings fulfilling structural and energy storage functions. For example: ribose, sucrose, raffinose, starch.

By consuming them in food, offer a readily available source of energy (unlike fats, which also contain energy but require a longer process in the body to obtain it). The process by which a molecule of carbohydrate releases your energy is called oxidation.

Each gram of carbohydrate provides 4 kilocalories.

Types of Carbohydrates

According to their structure, carbohydrates are classified into:

Examples of monosaccharides

1. Arabinose. He is not free in nature.
2. Ribose. Is found in:

1. Fructose. Is found in:

1. Glucose. It is essential for good physical and mental functioning. Is found in:

1. Galactose. It is not in a natural state.
2. Mannose. In food, it is found in legumes.
3. Xylose. It is difficult to digest, it is found in the following foods:

Examples of disaccharides

1. Saccharose. Composed of one molecule of glucose and one of fructose. It is the most abundant disaccharide. In food, it is found in:

1. Lactose. Composed of a molecule of galactose and a molecule of glucose. In food, it is found in:

1. Maltose. Made up of two glucose molecules. It is the least common disaccharide in nature, but it is formed industrially. In food, it is found in:

1. Cellobiose. Made up of two glucose molecules. It does not exist as such in nature.

Examples of oligosaccharides

1. Raffinose. Is found in:

1. Melicitous. Composed of one molecule of fructose and two of glucose. In food, it is found in:

Examples of polysaccharides

1. Starch. It is found in plants because it is the way they store monosaccharides. In food, they are found in:

1. Glycogen. It is stored in muscles and liver to give energy. In food it is found in:

1. Cellulose. It is a structural polysaccharide, it is found in the cell wall mainly of plants, but also from other organisms. It is what in food we call "fiber":

1. Chitin. Similar in structure to cellulose, but with nitrogen in its molecule, which makes it more resistant. It is used as a food stabilizer.