Carbohydrates are divided into simple (digestible) and difficult. They differ in structure, processing speed in an organism and nutritional value. Many digestible carbohydrates contain in sugar, sweet fruit, a bakery goods, sweeties. Their surplus causes obesity.
Food consist of various substances influencing an organism and necessary for normal activity. Carbohydrates belong to group of the basic nutrient elements which main source vegetable products and sugar are.
Role of carbohydrates in food
These substances are necessary for providing an organism with energy, at the same time a half of caloric content of a diet falls to their share. The norm of carbohydrates depends on physical activity, at the same time that part which isn't used for maintenance of energy resources, will be transformed to fat stocks. Excess carbohydrates lead to the increased content in blood of cholesterol and oppress intestinal microflora. At elderly people and those who move a little the daily need for carbohydrates decreases. Both the shortcoming, and excess of carbohydrates is harmful to health, at the same time their types have different value for an organism.
Types of carbohydrates
The main food carbohydrates are difficult (polysaccharides) of sugar and monosaccharides. The sugar made of beet belongs to disaccharides as its molecule consists of fructose and glucose. They differ in structure, difficult consist of several substances, simple of one. The comprehensibility depends on structure, more plain carbohydrates are quicker processed in an organism. Cellulose and pectin (ballast substances) belong to carbohydrates too. They are badly acquired, but are necessary for normal work of intestines. Contain in food of plant origin: fruit, leaves of plants and vegetables. Plants contain complex carbohydrates in the form of starch and cellulose. In their animal products it is a little, they contain in a liver.
Digestible carbohydrates
Glucose is the main plain carbohydrate. If in blood the amount of glucose sharply changes, then it worsens health, drowsiness and fatigue appears. Lowering of the level causes a feeling of hunger. Fructose contains in fruit, especially there is a lot of it in sweet fruits. Lactose is present at a dairy products. Sucrose consists of fructose and glucose. In refined sugar its contents reaches 95%, other nutritive matters in it are practically absent. Abuse of sweeties results in excess of digestible carbohydrates and obesity. Digestible carbohydrates have simpler structure thanks to what are quickly processed in an organism. Consumption of candies, ice cream, pastries, cakes and other sweet products, especially at small physical activities, leads to increase in level of sugar which then sharply falls, causing feeling of hunger. Unspent carbohydrates turn into fat. The only plus of these products consists in fast completion of need of an organism for energy.