What Is Carbohydrates 101 ?

Carbohydrates or saccharides are the most abundant of the four major classes of biomolecules. They fill numerous roles in living things, such as the storage and transport of energy (e.g., starch, glycogen) and structural components (e.g., cellulose in plants and chitin in arthropods). In addition, carbohydrates and their derivatives play major roles in the working process of the immune system, fertilization, pathogenesis, blood clotting, and development.

With the benefits mentioned above, people tend to despise them because they play a major role in weight gain. However, we have listed some pointers below that will make you approve of Carbohydrates in your diet.

1. Carbohydrates are the main supplies of energy in the body. As the body breaks apart the carbohydrate links, it releases glucose and ATP into the body for it to use. Without this chemical reaction, life could not go on as every reaction and function in the body needs this fuel in order to continue.

2. A person that eats simple carbohydrates will be using a simple form of energy consumption that is quick-acting, but will not last long. This is the reason for the sugar crash that you feel after eating a large amount of sugar. Because these are simpler structures, you get to the glucose more easily; however it doesn’t last long because the structure is already broken down.

3. When you eat complex carbohydrates – whole grains, beans – you are taking in complicated structures that provide balanced energy over a longer period of time. This is because those structures take longer to break down. When you eat complex carbohydrates, you can eat a smaller amount and have a more even keeled energy, resulting in a diminished need to eat more – and stopping the cycle of refuelling your body is helpful in watching your calories and your weight.

4. Why do high protein, low carbohydrate diets work? While it might seem that carbohydrates are actually causing you to gain weight, and that is why the high protein diets work, this isn’t the case. When you limit yourself to one food group (i.e. proteins), you are generally limiting your calories as well – leading to weight loss. Also, this change in eating leads to dehydration in the body, while also shows up as weight loss.