Carbohydrates Flashcards
What is the difference between complex and simple carbohydrates?
Complex carbs have more than one sugar unit but simple have just one or two.
Monosaccharides?
Galactose, Fructose and glucose.
Disaccharides?
Lactose, sucrose and maltose.
Types of Complex Carbs?
Oligosaccharides and polysaccharides.
Oligosaccharides?
Raffinose and stachyose
Polysaccharides?
Starch, glycogen and most fibres
What are the benefits of sugar alcohols?
They are not fermented by bacteria on the tooth surface meaning that they do not promote tooth decay like sugar.
What is starch?
The storage from of glucose in plants. Amylopectin and amylose
What is glycogen?
The storage from of glucose in animals. Highly branched structure with multiple ends means that it can provide glucose very quickly to the body.
What is fibre?
Indigestible matter that survives digestion in the small intestine and reaches the large intestine.
What is the difference between dietary and functional fibre?
Dietary comes from plants but functional fibre comes from plants and animals. Functional fibre has beneficial physiological affects in humans.
Why is fibre indigestible?
Because the beta bonds in fibre cannot be broken down in the small intestine so they continue on into the large intestine.
What is a non-fermentable fibre? and what are the benefits?
A fibre that the colon’s bacteria cannot ferment or degrade.
This is beneficial for increasing stool volume and decreasing transit time and thus lowering cancer risk. Whole grains, broccoli and other vegetables.
What are the benefits of fermentable fibre?
Decrease blood cholesterol and sugar levels and thus decreasing risk of heart disease and diabetes. Oats, bran, rice, seeds, soy and fruit.
What is Resistant Starch?
Escape digestion in the small intestine. They are fermentable and feed intestinal bacteria but also help with stool consistency. Dietary fibre if naturally occurring in food and functional fibre if they are added to food or created through cooking.
