Carbohydrates and Their Uses

Carbohydrates and Their Uses

Author Name : Parul

ABSTRACT Carbohydrates play an important role in the health of an individual. The majority of dietary carbohydrates are really made up of substances that can either be oxidized into pyruvate through pyruvate metabolism or immediately digested into glucose (sorbitol). The body uses carbohydrates as its main energy source. The sudden flood of highly digestible, high-GI carbohydrates in developed nations has contributed to the obesity and cardiometabolic illeness epidemics, despite the fact that human communities have survived on diets with widely varied macronutrient ratios. Furthermore, the typical starch-based diets of several developing countries, along with the increased body mass index and decline in physical activity linked to rapid urbanization, have probably increased the risk of chronic disease. The research while discussing about the types of Carbohydrates such as Monosaccharides, Disaccharides, polysaccharides, cellulose, maltose, sucrose, lactose, starch, galactose, glycosaminoglycan, dextrin, glycogen etc., has observed that that the quality of carbohydrates matters more to health of the population than their quantity. Consumption of high–GL grains, potato products and added sugars (particularly in drinks) appears to be protective against obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain cancers, but non-starchy vegetables, whole fruits, legumes and whole kernel grains appear to be causally linked to these conditions. However, depending on the person’s level of insulin resistance, glucose intolerance or other inherited or acquired biological predisposition, the metabolic consequences of total and high GI carbohydrates may vary