Carbohydrates

1

Nutrients

Carbs give you energy!

Carbohydrates

22 Types of moleculesThere are 2 main types of molecules:

Organic molecules From life -> contain carbon Examples:

• sugar • fat• protein

Inorganic molecules Not from life -> no carbon Examples:

• water• temperature• rust

Carbohydrates

33 Uses for Carbohydrates

[1] Fast fuels

[2] Structure

(wood)Structure (shell – chitin)

[3] Fiber for digestion

Sugar

Starch

cellulose

Carbohydrates

4Where do carbs come from?Plants make theirs through

photosynthesis. They are called AUTOTROPHS –

which means theymake their own food.

Animals eat plants or other animals to get their carbs. They are called HETEROTROPHS

which means theyeat other things to get their carbs.

Carbohydrates

5Carbohydrates There are many different kinds. You may know some

of these: Glucose – sugar in your blood – gives you energy. Glycogen – stored glucose in your liver –

changes back to glucose when you need it. A sugary snack or soft drink that quickly raises your blood sugar level gives you a boost, but it's

short-lived. When you eat something with a high sugar content your pancreas starts to secrete insulin. Insulin triggers cells throughout your body to pull the excess glucose out of your bloodstream and store it for later use.

Fructose – sugar found in honey. Sucrose – table sugar. Lactose – sugar found in milk – hard to digest. Oligosaccharides – starch found in beans – hard to

digest. Starch – found in “starchy foods” like potatoes and

pasta.

glycogen

glucose

Carbohydrates

6Still MORE Carbs!There are even special types of sugars

(ribose and deoxyribose) in DNA.Different types of fiber – one type is:

Cellulose – main ingredient in newspaper – probably the most abundant organic

molecule on earth -forms just about every part of every plant. actually made of bazillions of glucose

molecules connected together! you know what it makes you do when you

eat it!

Carbohydrates

7What’s with the beads?

Cellulose

Glucose

Plants make all their cellulose from glucose.

Cool.

Carbohydrates

8Complex carbohydrates are like time-release capsules of sugar.

Simple carbohydrates are more like an injection of sugar.

Complex carbohydrates tend to be in natural foods – and have long chains of sugar molecules that the liver gradually breaks down into

the shorter glucose molecules the brain uses for fuel. In natural foods, the cell walls are made of cellulose fiber that resists

digestion, slowing the breakdown and the subsequent release of sugars into the bloodstream, kind of like the way a time-release

capsule works.

Simple carbohydrates are found in most processed or refined foods and some natural foods. These carbohydrates have short-chained sugar

molecules and, because they break apart quickly, enter the bloodstream quickly. Sugary foods--including corn syrup, fruit juices, and honey--

contain glucose that is absorbed directly through the stomach wall and rapidly released into the bloodstream, almost as quickly as if delivered by

syringe.

What Are YOU Eating?

Carbohydrates

9 Healthy/Complex CarbsSpinach Strawberries Skim

milk Whole Barley Okra Lentils Grapefruit Wild Rice Broccoli Apples Oranges Navy Beans Lettuce Cabbage Garbanzo Beans Prunes Brown Rice Brussels Water Cress Yams Sprouts Oat Bran Bread Celery Cauliflower Multi-Grain Bread Carrots Zucchini Oatmeal Cucumbers Soy Milk Potatoes Onions Asparagus Pears Pinto Beans Museli Dill Pickels Low Fat Yogurt Radishes Artichokes

Simple/Processed Carbs

Tacos Wheat Sugar Corn Chips Granola Bars Wraps Corn Breakfast Bars Pizza Cereals Croissants Soft Drinks Candy Pasta Rolls Toffee Corn Syrup Muffins Sweets Sugary Drinks Potato Chips Flour Doughnuts Pies Jams Jellies Jello Pretzels Bread Bagels Biscuits Cakes Cookies Desserts