Concept in Definition ABC

The Carbohydrates are a type of nutrient more commonly known sugars or carbohydrates. They constitute the main and most abundant source of energy for living beings, they are made by plant-type tissues during the process of photosynthesis and they are made up of three types of atoms: Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen.

The simplest carbohydrate molecules are known as monosaccharides, as they are grouped together they give rise to more complex chains such as oligosaccharides and polysaccharides. Once ingested, carbohydrates are degraded and absorbed to once metabolized provide 4 kcal / gr, not all carbohydrates are absorbed in the intestine, in fact whole carbohydrates or those rich in cellulose are not completely absorbed which is the reason why these carbohydrates better known as "fiber" are capable of increasing the fecal bolus helping the treatment and prevention from conditions like constipation.

The digestion of Carbohydrates is carried out by the action of enzymes called amylases, these are found in saliva and in the secretions of the pancreas, its function is to fragment the molecules into smaller portions to facilitate their absorption, which occurs at the level of the intestine slim. Once carbohydrates enter the circulation, they raise the level of glucose in the blood which stimulates the

production of a hormone called insulin whose function is to activate the necessary mechanisms to decrease this value. To achieve this, glucose must be used to produce Energy mainly at the muscle or brain level, the rest is stored in the liver in the form of glycogen, if there is still a surplus of sugars these are converted into fat and become part of adipose tissue, which explains why excess caloric intake in the diet is capable of producing overweight and obesity.

Today there is a trend towards healthier living and an important role is given to protein as a food demonizing carbohydrates a bit, this phenomenon should be observed with a magnifying glass since carbohydrates in their proper measure are not only necessary but rather indispensable for life, a diet with balanced carbohydrates at the expense of those from fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains instead of refined ones, allows maintaining adequate energy levels and does not lead to obesity, in fact the specialists on nutrition recommend that at least 55% of the energy source comes from carbohydrate intake, with the remaining 54% being distributed between proteins and fats.

Topics in Carbohydrates