Carbohydrates Flashcards
1
Q
What are carbohydrates?
A
- organic compounds (saccharides- starches and sugars) composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen
- hydrogen and oxygen usually in 2:1 ratio or H2O
2
Q
What are the three classifications of carbohydrates?
A
- monosaccharides
- disaccharides
- polysaccharides
3
Q
What are monosaccharides?
A
- simplest form, simple sugar
- sweet and requires no digestion, absorbed directly into the bloodstream from the small intestine
4
Q
What is glucose (dextrose) or blood sugar?
A
- monosaccharide
- principal form in which carbohydrate is used by the body
- abundant in fruits, sweet corn, and corn syrup
- moderately sweet
5
Q
What is fructose (levulose)?
A
- monosaccharide
- sweetest of the simple sugars
- found in honey, most fruits and some vegetables
- converted into glucose in the body
6
Q
What is galactose?
A
- monosaccharide
- not found free in foods
- produced from lactose (milk sugar) by digestion
- converted into glucose in the body
7
Q
What is galactosemia?
A
a condition where infants are born with an inability to metabolize glucose
8
Q
What are disaccharides?
A
- made up of monosaccharides
- sweet and changed to simple sugar by hydrolysis before they can be absorbed
9
Q
What is sucrose?
A
- disaccharide
- ordinary table sugar - granulated, powdered, or brown
- processed from cane and beet sugar
- found in fruits, vegetables, syrup, and sweet food production
- converted into glucose and fructose upon digestion
10
Q
What is lactose?
A
- disaccharide
- milk sugar
- found in milk and milk products except cheese
- converted into glucose and galactose upon digestion
- less soluble and less sweet than sucrose
11
Q
What is maltose?
A
- disaccharide
- not found free in foods
- produced by hydrolysis of starch
- converted into glucose in digestion
- occurs in malt products and germinating cereals
- found in infant formulas, beer, and malt beverage products
- less sweet compared to glucose and sucrose
12
Q
What are polysaccharides?
A
complex sugars
13
Q
The most significant polysaccharide in human nutrition
A
starch
14
Q
What are the major food sources of starch?
A
- cereal grains
- potatoes and other root vegetables
- legumes
15
Q
What happens to starch upon digestion?
A
- converted entirely into glucose
- requires longer time to digest
- supplies energy over a longer period of time
16
Q
What are dextrins?
A
- not found free in food
- formed as an intermediate product in the break down of starch