CARBOHYDRATES

GENERAL BIOLOGY
 CARBOHYDRATES PROVIDE ENERGY FOR OUR

LEARNING
BODY TO FUNCTION PROPERLY. WITHOUT THESE
CARBOHYDRATES LEAD TO LOW ENERGY AND

INSIGHTS
FATIGUE, THE METABOLIC CHANGES THAT OCCUR
IN YOUR BODY WHEN YOU CUT CARBS CAN ALSO
CAUSE POOR MENTAL FUNCTION, NAUSEA, AND
DISRUPTED SLEEP IN THE SHORT TERM. IT'S OKAY
TO CONSUME CARBOHYDRATES BUT NOT TOO
MUCH BECAUSE IT CAN CAUSE WEIGHT GAIN,
HIGH SUGAR LEVELS THAT CAN LEAD TO DIABETES
OR OTHER HEALTH-RELATED ISSUES. CONSUMING
GOOD CARBS SUCH AS VEGETABLES AND FRUITS
CAN MAINTAIN OUR BODY FUNCTION PROPERLY.
 SUMMARY
CARBOHYDRATES ARE THE MAIN SOURCE OF ENERGY. THEY ARE THE MOST COMMON TYPE OF
ORGANIC COMPONENT FOUND IN LIVING ORGANISMS, AND THEY ARE MADE UP OF ONE OR MORE
MONOSACCHARIDES. SIMPLE CARBOHYDRATES ARE MADE UP OF ONE OR TWO SUGAR UNITS;
MONOSACCHARIDES AND DISACCHARIDES ARE TWO TYPES OF SIMPLE CARBOHYDRATES. COMPLEX
CARBOHYDRATES ARE LONG CHAINS OF MONOSACCHARIDES AND ARE MADE UP OF NUMEROUS SUGAR
UNITS; THEY ARE ALSO KNOWN AS POLYSACCHARIDES. EXAMPLES OF DISACCHARIDES INCLUDE
MALTOSE, LACTOSE, AND SUCROSE. EXAMPLES OF POLYSACCHARIDES INCLUDE STARCH, FIBER, AND
GLYCOGEN.
CARBOHYDRATES IN SPECIFIC METABOLIC PROCESSES ARE CONVERTED TO CARBOHYDRATE
POLYMERS OR FAT, WHICH ARE THEN STORED WHEN ATP LEVELS ARE SUFFICIENT. THE MAJOR
PURPOSE OF CARBOHYDRATES IS TO STORE AND PROVIDE ENERGY, PRIMARILY THROUGH
GLUCOSE. CARBOHYDRATES BREAK DOWN TO MAIN GLUCOSE ARE THE PREFERRED SOURCE OF
ENERGY FOR OUR BODY, LIKE CELLS IN OUR BRAIN, MUSCLE, AND ALL OTHER TISSUES DIRECTLY
USE MONOSACCHARIDES FOR THEIR ENERGY NEEDS. THE HEALTHIEST SOURCES OF
CARBOHYDRATES—UNPROCESSED OR MINIMALLY PROCESSED WHOLE GRAINS, VEGETABLES,
FRUITS, AND BEANS—PROMOTE GOOD HEALTH BY DELIVERING VITAMINS, MINERALS, FIBER, AND A
HOST OF IMPORTANT PHYTONUTRIENTS.