What are carbohydrates?

It's no secret that any, even the gastronomically sophisticated and exotic food can be decomposed into its constituent elements, the common name of which macronutrients.List them very short and well known:

  • proteins;
  • fats;
  • carbohydrates.

addition, each product in varying proportions comprises water, vitamins and minerals.It is in this exploded view of the food absorbed by the body.Each intake of food, depending on the percentage composition of macronutrients, different effect on well-being.The fact is that each "brick" has its function and serves different purposes.This article will be discussed in more detail carbohydrates and their functions.

often foods with high energy value associated with calories.Recently fashionable to be excluded from the diet uglevodosoderzhaschie products, as it is believed that in this way reduced calorie intake.Truth in this approach, of course.Especially if you are a professional athlete.However, first things first.

So what is a carbohydrate?

main function of these macronutrients - energy.As a kind of battery for the body, carbohydrates help maintain vital functions, due to the energy of their cleavage is carried out the operation of all systems of the body.It is known that the splitting of 1 g of carbohydrate provides 4 kcal body.The same number and enters the body in the cleavage of 1 g of fat.However, the splitting of long chains of sugars derivatives spent much less energy, and therefore the body is easier to "burn" 1 g carbohydrate, 1 g fat than from the reserve.

Carbohydrates, depending on the molecular structure or, in other words, the length of the molecular chain, are divided into simple and complicated.

What simple carbohydrates?

science knows of two types: monosaccharides and disaccharides.Among the most common monosaccharide and occurs in the free state in nature - glucose and fructose.They are found in fresh juices, fruits.The chain of monosaccharides, as can be seen from the title - the most simple, which contributes to their rapid absorption by the body.Formula disaccharides (sucrose, maltose, lactose) - chain residues of several monosaccharides.Disaccharides contain dairy products (lactose), sugar cane (sucrose) and in some cereals (maltose).

What are complex carbohydrates?

Other -polisaharidy their name, they are composed of several thousand monosaccharide residues, that is, have a long and branching chain of more simple carbohydrates.The best-known representatives of this group are pectin, cellulose, starch and glycogen.Carbohydrates are the group in its original form is not absorbed by the body.Splitting them up to simple and easily digestible form requires significant energy costs.Some types (fiber) is not absorbed at all.It helps to use them as a stimulator of the gastrointestinal tract activity and cleansing of toxins.In addition, glycogen, such as the building material for the body (liver, muscle).

Once we found out what carbohydrates, it makes sense to go back to the question of their usefulness to the body.Obviously, their complex shapes useful and even necessary for the proper operation of the body due to the fact that they operate construction and nutritional function.

Since the polysaccharides that are split with a large consumption of energy and absorbed more slowly, they practically are not deposited as fat, becausesimply do not have time.Monosaccharides, by contrast, learning is much faster acting and straight into the bloodstream, causing the so-called "carbohydrate leap" that is dramatically increase energy.Their excessive use, in the absence of high-energy, results in the processing of carbohydrates and their accumulation in the form of fat.

That is the carbohydrates you need to know to build proper nutrition.The use of complex and simple forms necessary for the body, otherwise the processes (including mental) slowed down, there comes lethargy.