Carbs: Essential Energy Source

The body requires a constant energy supply to maintain physiological functions and regulate body temperature. Carbohydrates are pivotal in human diets, providing 45% of energy in developed nations and up to 85% in developing countries. They are cost-effective and easily accessible in foods like grains, legumes, and potatoes, serving as a global dietary staple.

Carbohydrates, encompassing sugars, starches, dextrin, and glycogen, play diverse roles in food, including nutrition, flavor enhancement, and texturing. Nutritionists recommend a balanced diet with around 10-12% of kilocalories from protein, less than 30% from fat, and a carbohydrate intake of 55% or more.

Throughout history, diets ranged from 40-80% energy from carbohydrates, influenced by income levels. Starch, a digestible plant polysaccharide, mainly meets human energy needs from cereal grains and tubers.

The term "carbohydrate" originates from its empirical formula CH2O. Molecular formulas like C5H10O5 and C6H12O6 are common, and historically, carbohydrates were viewed as hydrates of carbon (Cn(H2O)n) due to water solubility and the presence of hydroxyl groups, with evidence of carboxyl groups from aldehydes or ketones.
Carbs: Essential Energy Source

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Meat carbohydrate

The nutrients are the elements that provide nourishment essential for the maintenance of life and for growth, which includes both the macro- and micronutrient. Macro-nutrients are those that are required by the human body in large amounts and these include proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

Meat is defined as ‘the edible part of the skeletal muscle of an animal that was healthy at the time of slaughter. The compassion of' muscle is reflected in the composition of meat. The proximate composition in meat includes moisture, protein, fat, carbohydrate, mineral and vitamin.

Meat does not contain carbohydrates, unless the meat product is further processed and carbohydrate ingredients are added, which is actually very common in meat processing especially in emulsified and formed processed meat products.

The main source of the carbohydrate in the animal body is its liver, which contains about ½ of the total carbohydrates present in the body. They are stored in the form of “glycogen” mainly in the liver and muscles but also in glands and organs to lesser extent.

In muscle, the complex sugar glycogen, is broken down in the conversion of muscle to meat. The glycogen has an indirect impact on the meat color, texture, tenderness and water holding capacity of it.

The remaining 50 percent of carbohydrates are distributed throughout the body, largely in the muscles, but with substantial quantities in the blood (usually as glucose) and in other tissues, organs and glands.
Meat carbohydrate

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Disaccharides

Disaccharides consist of two sugars joined by an O-glycosidic bond. The most abundant disaccharides are sucrose, lactose and maltose. Other disaccharides include isomaltose, cellobiose and trehalose.

Sucrose (common name: table sugar, also called saccharose) is a disaccharide (glucose + fructose) with the molecular formula C12H22O11. It is best known for its role in human nutrition.

Maltose is a disaccharide made up of two glucose residue joined by a glycosidic linkage between C-1 of one glucose residue and C-4 of the other.

Lactose is comprised of one galactose and one glucose residues that are linked by O glycosidic linkage. The sugar residues of lactose can be α or β or both can be β. Lactose is a reducing disaccharide found only in milk. It is made up of galactose at the non-reducing end and glucose at the reducing end.

Trehalose is a non-reducing sugar formed from two glucose units joined by a 1-1 alpha bond giving it the name of α-D-glucopyranogluco-pyranosyl-1,1-α-Dglucopyrano-side.

The disaccharides can be classified into:
Homodisaccharides
Heterodisaccharides.
Disaccharides

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What are monosaccharides?

According to the size, monosaccharides are classified into three major groups: monosaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides.

Monosaccharides are carbohydrates that cannot be further hydrolysed to simpler units having the basic formula Cn(H2O)n, where n=3 or more. Monosaccharides can by combined through glycosidic bonds to form larger carbohydrates, known as oligosaccharides or polysaccharides.

Monosaccharides, the simplest type of carbohydrates, are often called simple sugars (sucrose), containing three to seven carbon atoms, and serve as the building blocks for larger molecules. Since they have multiple asymmetric centers, many types of isoforms are possible, including enantiomers, diastereoisomers, and epimers.

There are 3 monosaccharides: glucose, fructose, galactose.

Fructose (or levulose) is a simple sugar (monosaccharide) found in many foods. It is a constituent of disaccharides sucrose. It can be covered into glucose in the liver. Honey, tree fruits, berries, melons and some root vegetables, such as beets, sweet potatoes, parsnips and onions, contain fructose, usually in combination with sucrose and glucose.

Glucose (C6H12O6) is one of the most common monosaccharides in nature, used by nearly every form of life. It is one of the most important monosaccharides, which is synthesized during photosynthesis and serves as the ‘fuel’ and source of energy, stored as a polymer glycogen in animals and as starch in plants.

Galactose binds to glucose to form the disaccharide lactose. It can be converted into glucose in the liver. Galactose widely distributed in plant gums and pectins and is found in milk sugar (the disaccharide lactose).

The last large class of carbohydrates are polysaccharides, commonly known as glycans. They are complex carbohydrates composed of large number of monosaccharides linked together covalently by glycosidic bonds, which can be linked linearly in a chain or branch laterally forming complex polymers.
What are monosaccharides?

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Cereal source of carbohydrates

Carbohydrates have special significance in cereals, the dry substance of which is usually composed of 50-80% carbohydrate. In general, cereal grains have been considered as the source of carbohydrates to supply food energy to the diet.

Cereals are the staple foods for many people everywhere on the globe, particularly in the developing countries because they are a relatively cheap source so calories and protein compared to meat. Cereal grains such as wheat, rice, oats and corn are the most nutritious source of carbohydrate because they also contain important vitamins, protein and fiber.

The cereal crops that are grown for their edible fruit are generally called grain, but botanically referred to as caryopsis. The cereal seed consist of two major components, the endosperm and embryo or germ.

The endosperm encompasses the bulk of the seed and is the energy source of stored food.

Carbohydrates in cereals have been classified in a number of different ways. They are conveniently classified on the basis of their polymeric nature, into monosaccharides oligosaccharides and polysaccharides.

Foods containing complex carbohydrates take longer to breakdown. Therefore, they provide longer-lasting energy than foods containing simple carbohydrates.
Cereal source of carbohydrates

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Functional properties of carbohydrates in food

Carbohydrates are made of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen and are classified as either simple or complex based on the number of sugar present. Carbohydrate constituents of the food undergo a variety of chemical changes during mechanism, heat or cold processing of foods.

*Nutrition. As dietary fiber, they regulate normal bowel function, reduce the postprandial hyperglycemic response and may lower serum cholesterol. Dietary fiber plays a role in preventing constipation, lowering serum glucose and cholesterol levels, and possibly aiding in weight reduction by promoting a feeling of fullness.

*Flavor and color in food production

*Sweetening. Sweet tasting carbohydrates like sucrose or glucose are multifunctional food ingredients. Different sugars vary in sweetness. Fructose is almost twice as sweet as sucrose and sucrose is approximately 30% sweeter than glucose.

*Texturing. Carbohydrates provide a range of desirable textures from crispness to smooth, soft gels. 

*Plasticizing action and humectancy. Carbohydrates are hydrophilic to different degrees, depending on their structures which governs their plasticizing action and humectancy.
Functional properties of carbohydrates in food

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Carbohydrate of Pasta

Pasta is an excellent source of carbohydrate. As pasta is made from flour it is high in starch which makes it a carbohydrate food.

Human get energy from carbohydrate and pasta is particularly healthy source.

If we eat a large plate of pasta at lunch, most of us will hardly be able to stay awake at 3.30 pm.

The carbohydrates in the past have triggered a rapid release of insulin into bloodstream, which drives blood glucose levels down.

We are sleepy because of a significant drop in brain function that resulted form a diminished supply of blood glucose.

Carbohydrate are made solely of rings of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen. The number and structure of the rings determine the type of carbohydrate.

Simple carbohydrates contain one or two rings, and complex carbohydrate contain many. And pasta is a concentrated source of complex carbohydrate.
Carbohydrate of Pasta

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Carbohydrate Properties

The term carbohydrate literally means ‘carbon + water’ and partially describes its chemical makeup. All carbohydrates contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen and are typically found in a ration of 1:2:1 resulting in the chemical formula (CH2O)n.

The modern definition of carbohydrate is that it is a polyhydroxy aldehyde or ketone, or a compound that can be derived from them by any of several means including
1. Reduction to give sugar alcohols
2. Oxidation to give sugar acids
3. Substitution of one or more of the hydroxyl groups by various chemical groups
4. Derivation of the hydroxyl groups by various moieties

Carbohydrates are also called saccharides (from the Greek word ‘sakcharon’ meaning sugar) and are usually divided into three groups: monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides.

The term monosaccharide refers to a carbohydrate derivative possessing a single carbon chain. Since monosaccharides are polyhydroxylated aldehydes and polyhydroxylated ketones, all can be divided broadly into:
1. Aldoses
2. Ketoses
The most common monosaccharides are glucose, fructose and galactose.

Disaccharide and disaccharide refer to molecules containing two or three such monosaccharides units joined.

Oligosaccharide and polysaccharide refer to larger such aggregates with a few and many monosaccharide units, respectively.

Carbohydrate posses a large number of functionalities, at least one carbonyl and several hydroxyl functions per monosaccharide and often carry further kinds of functional groups.

They are compounds with several stereocenters and thus the carbohydrate group consists of a large number of stereoisomers.
Carbohydrate Properties

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The basic of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates is the most widely distributed, naturally occurring organic compounds on Earth.

Carbohydrates are major nutrients which supply the body with energy and of which billions of tons are produced every year though photosynthesis by plants and cyanobacteria.

The term carbohydrate literally means ‘carbon + water’ and partially describe its chemical makeup.

It was found in the nineteenth century that carbohydrates in general have formula Cn(H2O)n. They were therefore thought to be hydrates of carbon and hence were called carbohydrates.

Later it was found that carbohydrates in fact contain hydroxyl groups and carbonyl groups and are polyhydroxy aldehydes or ketones.

Carbohydrate also called saccharides an are usually divided onto three groups: monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides. Saccharides was from Greek word ‘sakcharon’ meaning sugar.

The term ‘monosaccharide’ refers to a carbohydrate derivative possessing a single carbon chain: ‘disaccharide’ and ‘trisaccharide’ refer to molecules containing two or three such monosaccharides units joined together by acetal or ketal linkages.

Carbohydrates posses a large number of functionalities, at least one carbonyl and several hydroxyl per monosaccharide and often carry kinds of functional groups.
The basic of carbohydrate

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Carbohydrate in general

Carbohydrate are organic compounds containing carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, and they may be simple or complex molecules.

Historically, the term “carbohydrate” has been used to classify all compounds with the general formula Cn(H2O)n as the hydrates of carbon.

Carbohydrates are polyhydroxy compounds appearing commonly in nature, either as relatively small molecules or as large quantities extending to macromolecular levels (polysaccharides).

Important food carbohydrates include simple sugars, dextrin, starches, cellulose, hemicellulose, pectins and gums.

They are an important source of energy or fiber in the diet, and they also are important constituent of foods because of their functional properties.

Some common sources of carbohydrate are bread, potatoes, grains, cereals and rice.

Carbohydrates may be used as sweeteners, thickeners, stabilizers, gelling agents, and fat replacers.

Sugars are formed in green plants as early products of photosynthesis from carbon dioxide and water and are then converted into organic plant constituents through a variety of biosynthetic pathways.

The simplest carbohydrates are known as monosaccharides or sugars, and they have the general formula CnH2nOn. The most common ones contain six carbon atoms.

Disaccharides contain two sugars units, trisachharides contain three, oligosaccharides contain several units, and polysaccharides are complex polymers containing as many as several thousands units linked together to form a molecule.

Oligosaccharides such as raffinose and stachyose are found in small amounts in legumes. Examples of polysaccharides include starch and glycogen, which are the storage forms of carbohydrates in plants and animal, respectively.

Finally, sugar alcohols, such as sorbitol and mannitol, are alcohol forms of glucose and fructose, respectively.

Complex carbohydrates, the most efficient fuel for body cells, should supply the largest portion of the daily caloric intake – about 70%.

These foods are more abundant and less expensive than foods high in proteins and/or fats.

Complex carbohydrates satisfy the appetite, curing the tendency to over eat. They maintain an even energy level, curbing the desire for snacks.

They are ideal energy source foods of great benefit to the obese and diabetic.
Carbohydrate in general

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Carbohydrates in Human Body

Carbohydrates in Human Body
Carbohydrates provide the bulk of most human diets and are the major source of energy world-wide.

Carbohydrates are a diverse family of substances that include sugars, starch, and fiber.

Sugars and starch provide energy, whereas most dietary provides no energy because it passes through the digestive tract and is not absorbed by the body.

(A small proportion of fiber is metabolized by bacteria in the large intestine and therefore some energy can be captured for use in our bodies.)

When we use term “sugar’” most people think of the refined white crystals commonly called “table” sugar.

However, there are many types of sugars found in nature such as fruit sugar and milk sugar.

Foods naturally rich in sugars include fruit, vegetables, honey, milk and other dairy products.

Sugar beets and sugar cane are particularly rich in sugar and are the major sources of commercially refined table sugar.

Processed foods containing added sugar – such as candy and soft drinks – accounts for most of the sugar consumed in economically developed countries.

Starch is found naturally ingrains and vegetables and is the primarily carbohydrate consumed throughout the world, it is the main ingredient in foods such as beans, rice potatoes, pasta and breads.

Refined starch is also used extensively in the food industry as a thickening agent in processed foods.

Many people believe that eating foods containing starch and sugar are “fattening” and that sugar is more fattening than starch.

In truth, starch and sugar provide exactly the same amount of energy, so sugar is nor more fattening than starch.

Furthermore, excess body fat is the result of consuming too much food not just carbohydrates.

The term “fiber” refers to any plant material that is resistant to digestion and passes though the digestive tract unaltered.

In this way, dietary fiber helps to prevent constipation and may lower the risk of colon cancer by speeding up the passage of fecal matter and substances in food that may cause cancer.

One caution is that fiber in the intestinal tract may interfere with the absorption of other essential nutrients although a well balanced diet including plenty of fluids helps to ensure that all essential nutrients are consumed in adequate amounts.
Carbohydrates in Human Body

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Carbohydrate

In order to carry out its day to day physiological functions and maintain a constant body temperature (due to invariably in an environment of changing temperatures), the body requires a constant source of energy.

Carbohydrates are an important energy source in the human diet. They generally supply about 45% of the energy requirement in developed countries and up to 85% in developing countries.

Carbohydrate are the cheapest, most efficient and most readily available source of food energy in the world, since they are the main constituents of the foods that are the easiest to produce and that can be obtained throughout the world, namely, grains, legumes and potatoes.

Carbohydrate are the most widely distributed, naturally occurring organic compounds on earth.

Carbohydrates have been considered a fundamental source of nourishment and inexpensive and versatile staple of the diet.

The carbohydrates are a class of chemical compounds that consists of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen. The carbohydrates that are important in nutrition include the sugars, the starches, the dextrin and glycogen.

The functional properties of carbohydrates in food include:
*Nutrition
*flavour and color production
*Sweetening
*Texturing
*Plasticizing action and humectancy

Dietary guidance for consumption of carbohydrates has resemble laboratory analysis of carbohydrates: take way fat and protein and the remainder must to be carbohydrate.

Nutritionist generally accept the fact that humans don’t need more than 10-12% kilocalories from protein, and less than 30% of kilocalories from fat.

Subsequently, intake of carbohydrate should be 55% of kilocalories or more.

Human diets historically have contained 40-80% of their energy as carbohydrate although as income increase, so does the fat content of the diet while carbohydrate content of the diet, especially the starch, decreases.

Starch is the major plant polysaccharide that is readily digested in the intestine and thus serves as a source of carbohydrates.

The major portion of energy requirements of human is met by starch of cereal grains and tubers such as potatoes.

What exactly is a carbohydrate? As the names implies, an empirical formula of CH2O (or CH2O) was often encountered, with molecular formulae of C5H10O5 and C6H12O6 being most common.

It was founded in the nineteenth century that carbohydrates in general have a formula Cn(H2O)n. They were therefore thought to be hydrates of carbon and hence were called ‘carbohydrates’.

The water solubility of these molecules was commensurate with presence of hydroxyl groups and there was always evidence for the carboxyl group of an aldehydes of ketone.
Carbohydrate

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