Carbohydrates in foods: why do we need to know which ones and how much of them

Carbohydrates in foods: why do we need to know which ones and how much of them
Carbohydrates in foods: why do we need to know which ones and how much of them
Anonim

Certainly, carbohydrates in food are no less important component than proteins and fats. All of them are vital nutritional components of food, and the human body needs them. Carbohydrates are the basic material, readily available and high in energy, that keeps a living being alive.

carbohydrates in foods
carbohydrates in foods

What carbohydrates can be and what are they for

It is known that carbohydrates in products can be simple and complex. The first include: glucose, fructose, lactose, m altose, sucrose, galactose. They are used as fast energy resources. For example, only glucose is suitable for the brain, muscles and kidneys, as well as red blood cells (erythrocytes). Complex carbohydrates such as starch, pectins, and cellulose are needed for similar purposes. So, starch is a long-digestible source of energy. Pectins and cellulose are not broken down in the human body, but this does not mean that they are not needed. It is necessary that these carbohydrates be present in the products in order to ensure the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. It is carbohydrates that serve as a reserve supply of energy, for this they are deposited in the liver and muscles in the form of glycogen.

foods rich in carbohydrates
foods rich in carbohydrates

Which foods contain carbohydrates

  • Sweets, flour products (including pasta), bread, honey, chocolate.
  • Fruits, vegetables, milk, sour cream, mushrooms.

At the same time, foods rich in carbohydrates and listed in the first group, with any type of diet, should not be consumed excessively.

Carbohydrates are to blame for the problem of excess weight

The exchange of carbohydrates and fats in the body is interconnected. With an excess intake of carbohydrates from food, as already mentioned, they are stored in reserve. But if there are too many of them, and a person is inactive, carbohydrates begin to turn into “long-term storage” substances - fats. This is the mechanism of gaining excess body weight. With a lack of carbohydrate intake, reserve fats are first consumed for the needs of the body, then the use of the body's own proteins begins - exhaustion sets in.

food without carbohydrates
food without carbohydrates

On the principle of reducing the amount of carbohydrates from food, the so-called carbohydrate-free diets are based: Atkins, the Kremlin diet. They do not limit the intake of proteins and fats at all, only carbohydrates are almost completely excluded. The products contain a certain amount of them, taken into account in grams per 100 grams of the product. Based on these figures, a person calculates the daily ration so as not to exceed the allowable amount.

Often people who adhere tocarbohydrate-free diets, they ask the question: “Eating without carbohydrates is it good or bad?”. Firstly, no proper diet allows you to remove any nutrient completely, since this is very harmful. It just needs to be limited. Secondly, with such diets, there is an increased load on the liver and kidneys due to an increase in the intensity of protein metabolism. But these types of diets are effective, only they need to be used wisely and after consulting a doctor.

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