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Significance Of Carbohydrate In Our Daily Diet By Mumtaz Khalid Ismail
More Links High carbohydrate content foods Low carbohydrate content foods Digestion and absorption Sources of carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the major components of the diet other than protein and fats. It is the major and quick source of energy. It supplies 70 - 80 % of energy requirement to the body. They are the compounds of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Each gram of carbohydrate provides 4 Kcal of energy.
By the digestion of starch and sugar, glucose is formed and absorbed into the blood through the walls of the intestine and finally carried to the liver and this helps to maintain glucose level in blood.
Some carbohydrates are stored in the form of glycogen in muscles and liver. Carbohydrates in excess are converted to fat and are being stored. When energy is required glycogen is broken down to glucose which is oxidised releasing energy.
- Monosaccharide - glucose.
- Disaccharide - cane or beet sugar (sucrose), milk (lactose)
- Polysaccharide - starches glycogen, plant gums and mucilage.
The mono and disaccharides are water-soluble and are very sweet to taste. Polysaccharides are insoluble in water and they are not that sweet to taste. The complex carbohydrates we consume are broken down to simple sugars and absorbed. Some of these sugars are oxidised either as such or after conversion to glucose. Part of glucose is converted to glycogen and stored in the liver. Simple sugars like glucose rise the blood sugar instantly and this is the reason asking diabetes patient to take sugar the movement they feel symptoms of hypoglycaemia after the medication. But other wise they should consume complex carbohydrate to prevent fluctuation in blood sugar level.
Certain people have the habit of avoiding carbohydrates. Is that correct? Is carbohydrate necessary when proteins and fats are partially converted to carbohydrates in the body is a question usually asked to me by obese and diabetic patients. First of all carbohydrate is the only energy source of brain. This you might have noticed that when you are fasting, or you are physically tired you become irritable and your brain would not function normally. This is due to low sugar level in the blood. Other than that fatty acids when used for glycogen synthesis, produce ketone bodies which are highly acidic. Subsequently the blood which is normally slightly alkaline become acidic and this condition is called as keto - acidosis. The enzymes can function effectively only when the blood is slightly alkaline and cannot function if it becomes acidic. In severe cases person can fall into coma during acidosis and can result in body and brain function disturbances.
It is waste full to the body to use protein or fat as the major fuel source as they are not completely oxidised in the body. Dental caries is found to occur more frequently in children consuming excessive amounts of sugar containing sweets.
Carbohydrate digestion starts in the mouth continued till small intestine. The end product of carbohydrate digestion is mainly glucose together with some fructose and galactose. These are absorbed in the intestine and transported to different parts of the body though liver. Mobility of the intestinal system and the state of endocrine glands regulate the rate of absorption of carbohydrates from the small intestine.
Improper digestion of carbohydrate produces abdominal distension, colic, and foul smelling stools with froth. With the result of carbohydrate digestion the digested monosaccarides (glucose) are also absorbed in the small intestine.
- Carbohydrate is the major source of energy - It supplies 70 - 80 % of energy requirement to the body.
- Each gram of carbohydrate provides 4 Kcal of energy.
- It is the only source of energy for brain.
- Carbohydrate spares protein for its primary purpose of bodybuilding and tissue repair.
- Carbohydrate is necessary to regulate fat metabolism.
- Complex carbohydrate is better for diabetes diet, where as simple carbohydrate is good to rise blood sugar instantly.
- Carbohydrate intake is to be restricted in diabetic and obese persons.
The richest sources of carbohydrates are cereals like rice, wheat, bajra, jowar, legumes and pulses, sugar, jaggery, dried fruits and roots and tubers like arrow root, tapioca, yam potato, sweet potato, etc. Processed foods like jam, jellies, pastries, cakes, candies noodles also have good amount of carbohydrate. Animal foods contain very little amount of carbohydrates.
High carbohydrate content foods per 100 gms of edible portion
Foods stuff Carbohydrate Jowar 72.6gms Ragi 72.0gms Rice raw 78.2gms Whole wheat flour 69.4gms Bengal gram whole 60.9gms Green gram dhal 59.9gms Rajmah 60.6gms
Foods stuff Carbohydrate Arrow root flour 83.1gms Apricot dry 73.4gms Dry dates 75.8gms Sugar (cane) 99.4gms Honey 79.5gms Jaggery 95gms
Low carbohydrate content foods per 100 gms of edible portion
Food stuff Carbohydrate Spinach 2.9gms Beet root 8.8gms Bottle gourd 2.5gms Cauliflower 4gms Cucumber 2.5gms Ladies finger 6.4gms Snake gourd 3.3gms Tomato green 3.6gms
Food stuff Carbohydrate Figs 7.6gms Musambi 9.3gms Melon 3.5gms Straw berry 9.8gms Fish 2gms Cow's milk 4.4gms Curd 3.0gms Butter milk 0.5gms
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