Types of Carbohydrates:

Wanna know about the Crab’s let`s find out below

• Simple
• Complex

Simple Carbohydrates:

These are made up of a single basic sugar. Simple carbohydrates provide the sweet taste in our food. Fruit sugar, table sugar or corn sugars are all types of simple sugars. On consumption, these sugars are directly absorbed in the blood as glucose necessities of the body. Glucose provides instant energy as it reaches different parts of the body via blood. Simple sugars are occurring in plenty in natural carbohydrate foods like fruits, vegetables, milk and milk products. In addition to these, honey, molasses brown sugar, corn syrup and maple syrup are rich sources of simple sugars. Let`s see the common carbohydrate foods source;

• Milk 
• Honey 
• Corn syrup
• Table sugar
• Candy
• Yogurt
• Chocolate
• Fruits 
• Biscuits
• Soft drinks
• Sweets and Snack bars
• Pizzas
• Cakes

Complex Carbohydrates:

Complex carbohydrate benefits are a combination of different types of sugars. These take a longer time to break down into their elementary form and hence, require more time for digestion. The slow break down process, supplies us with constant energy for a longer duration. Since these carbohydrate benefits require more time for conversion, they are constantly used up by the body. Therefore, sugar converted to fat is not stored in a large quantity unlike the simple carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates provide instant energy because these are broken down in lesser time as compared to complex carbohydrates. This increases the storage of broken down fats, which if not burned or used up, may lead to health issues. Complex carbohydrates are abundantly found in carbohydrate foods like cereals, bread, pasta, whole grains, fruits, nuts and seeds.

Now let`s dig little deeper 

Carbohydrate benefits can also be categorized on the basis of their chemical composition. These are the most commonly available and the largest set of compounds on mother Earth. Based on the complexity of their structures, there are five major classes of carbohydrates.

Classes of Complex Carbohydrates:

• Monosaccharides:  These are the basic compounds with a cyclic structure consisting of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen in the ratio 1:2:1. 'Mono' refers to single and saccharine means sugar. Glucose, fructose and glucose are types of monosaccharides.

• Di Saccharides: These carbohydrates mean 'two sugars', which refer to the commonly available types such as sucrose, maltose and lactose. When two monosaccharides bond together by a condensation reaction, they release one molecule of water and a disaccharide is formed. This bond is called a glycosidic bond.

• Oligo Saccharides: These are carbohydrates with more than two basic types of sugar molecules, usually between three and ten basic units. Their main function in the body is the storage of glucose. Raffinose and stachyose are the main types of oligosaccharides which consist of repetitive chains of fructose, galactose and glucose.

• Polysaccharides: These are also called monomers and are composed of thousands of molecules of the basic units of glucose. Carbohydrate benefits stored in the form of starch contain these types of compounds. Amylose, which is a straight chain compound and amylopectin, which is a branched compound, are the most common types of polysaccharides.

• Nucleotides: It is another complex carbohydrate which contains many molecules of cyclic sugar. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA) are complex five sided sugars classified under this category. The difference between RNA and DNA is that the former has one extra hydroxyl group.

Food Sources of Carbohydrates:

• Oatmeal 
• Potatoes
• Carrots
• Cucumbers
• Radish
• Artichokes
• Celery 
• Broccoli
• Plums
• Apples
• Pears
• Oranges
• Grapefruits
• Kidney beans
• Lentils
• Brown rice

Importance of Carbohydrates:

The most easily available source of energy in living things is carbohydrates. Carbohydrates can be derived from any food that is particularly has a lot starch and/or sugar. Although extremely important for our bodies, carbohydrates have gotten themselves a bad name as the 'thing to avoid in losing weight', giving rise to a whole lot of diets from zero-carbs to no-carbs! But the fact remains we need carbohydrate benefits as they provide the body with energy needed for physical activity as well as proper organ functions day in day out. 

Glucose is the most important source of energy which is continuously replenished through simple carbohydrates. However, when there is a shortage of glucose, our body digs into its glucose energy reserve to ensure sufficient levels of blood sugar. Glucose is stored mostly in the liver and in smaller amounts in muscles as a molecule known as Glycogen. Glycogen is broken down and released into the blood stream. As the body continues to use its reserves, it does so at the expense of proteins in the muscles, weakening them by damaging the muscle tissues, depriving the brain of its glucose requirement, and reducing levels of glucose in the red blood cells.

Fiber from the carbohydrate benefits keeps the bowel functioning smooth and reduces the risk of digestive system complications. Preventing ketosis is another important reason to include carbohydrates in a healthy diet. Ketosis is a very serious condition that occurs when our diet is very low in carbohydrates, resulting in raised levels of chemicals called ketones in the blood as the body turns to fat for energy. Carbohydrates also aid in consumption of other nutrients.

In a gist, the importance of carbohydrates is primarily to ensure proper levels of energy in our body. There is no fixed recommended dietary allowance (RDA) earmarked for carbohydrates, however, most nutritionists recommend a diet that comprises at least 45 to 70 percent to stay healthy which should be primarily sourced from fresh fruits, vegetables, milk and milk products, and whole grain cereals and its products.

Carbohydrate Deficiency Diseases:

A diet deficient in carbohydrate benefits leads to weakness in a person and loss of stamina. The tissues of body are used for production of heat and energy if the diet does not provide sufficient energy. Such people cannot bear physical and mental strain.

• Hyperglycemia
• Glycosuria
• Galactosemia
• Pentosuria
• Diarrhoea and flatulence
• Ketone
• Underweight