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Nutrients Role & Function > Carbohydrates > Flashcards

Carbohydrates Flashcards

1
Q

What are the different types of carbohydrates?

A
  • monosaccharides
  • disaccharides
  • polysaccharides (starches & glycogen)
  • polyols
  • resistant starch
  • non-starch polysaccharides (fibres)
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2
Q

What is the WHO recommendation for added sugar intake?

A

<10% of energy (approx 50g)

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3
Q

What are the monosaccharides?

A

Glucose
Fructose
Galactose

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4
Q

What are the disaccharides?

A

Lactose (glucose + galactose)
Maltose (glucose + glucose)
Sucrose (glucose + fructose)

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5
Q

What are food sources of oligosaccharides?

A
  • legumes
  • garlic and onion
  • inulin from chicory root
  • breast milk (& infant formula)
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6
Q

What is an example of a polysaccharide?

A

Starch

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7
Q

What are the 3 types of starch?

A
  • resistant starch (fermentable)
  • amylopectin (digestible)
  • amylose (digestible)
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8
Q

Why is amylopectin more soluble than amylose?

A

Amylopectin has branches, whereas amylose is unbranched

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9
Q

What are sugar polyols?

A

Artificial sweeteners

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10
Q

What happens if we eat excess polyols?

A

Laxative effect

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11
Q

What foods are natural polyols found in?

A
  • stone fruit
  • mushrooms
  • avocados
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12
Q

What are FODMAPs?

A

Fermentable oligosaccharides (inulin), disaccharides (lactose), monosaccharides (fructose), and polyols (sorbitol)

If poorly tolerated can cause GI symptoms eg bloating, pain, constipation, diarrhoea

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13
Q

What are the 3 types of dietary fibre?

A
  • soluble fibre
  • insoluble fibre
  • resistant starch
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14
Q

What are the benefits of dietary fibre?

A
  • decrease gastric emptying rate
  • increase transit time in small intestine
  • decrease transit time in large bowel
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15
Q

What is the role of insoluble fibre?

A

Absorbs water in the bowel to bulk stool

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16
Q

Where is insoluble fibre found?

A

In plant cell walls e.g.

  • cellulose (wheat bran)
  • lignin (hard seed coats)
  • hemicellulose (whole grains)
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17
Q

What is the role of soluble fibre?

A

Soluble in H20 so forms a gel in SI and slows nutrient absorption, removes cholesterol from body and slows glucose release

18
Q

Where is soluble fibre found?

A

Non-cell wall components e.g.

  • pectins (apples, pears, citrus)
  • gums
  • fructans
19
Q

Where is resistant starch found?

A

Unripe bananas
High Maize corn
cooked and chilled pasta and rice and potatoes

20
Q

Where is resistant starch fermented?

A

Large intestine

21
Q

What is the role of gut microbiota?

A
  • regulation and development of gut immunity
  • harvesting energy
  • protecting against pathogens
  • maintaining the structure and function of intestinal epithelium
  • imbalance can lead to problems - dysbiosis
22
Q

What are the 2 main phylum that make up the microbiome?

A

Firmicutes ~70%

Bacteroides ~20%

23
Q

What are the short chain fatty acids produced by gut bacteria?

A
  • butarate and propionate - anti-obesogenic, anti-inflammatory, protect against bowel cancer
  • acetate - associated with reduced asthma, some benefit for obesity, inflammation
24
Q

What can change the gut microbiome (positive/negative)?

A

Positive - probiotics, fruit and nuts, vegetable and polyphenols, cereal fibre

Negative - sugar, high fat high protein. sweeteners, antibiotics

25
Q

What foods should we increase/decrease for a healthy gut microbiome?

A

Increase

  • prebiotics
  • probiotics
  • fibre and resistant starch
  • omega-3
  • polyphenols

Decrease

  • animal products
  • processed foods
  • omega-6
26
Q

What starts CHO digestion?

A

Salivary amylase in the mouth

27
Q

What is the mechanism of action for insulin

A

Binds to insulin receptor, activates GLUT4 transporter to signal glucose into cells to be stored as glycogen in liver and muscle

28
Q

What molecule signals the breakdown of glycogen during fasting/between meals?

A

Glucagon

29
Q

What are some conditions related to CHO metabolism?

A
  • diabetes
  • lactose intolerance
  • fructose intolerance (rare enzyme converting deficiency)
  • fructose malabsorption
  • glycogen storage disease
30
Q

What is the relationship between fructose and non alcoholic fatty liver disease?

A

excess fructose in the liver goes through lipogenesis

31
Q

What is GI?

A

Glycemic index - the ranking of CHO foods based on their postprandial blood glucose response over 2 hours

32
Q

How do low GI foods promote satiety?

A

Glucose stimulates satiety hormones, so a low GI will allow glucose to be present for longer = promoting satiety

33
Q

What are the ranges for GI?

A

High >70
Medium 56-69
Low <55

34
Q

What are examples of high GI foods?

A
  • brown rice
  • white bread
  • glucose
  • watermelon
  • potato
35
Q

What are examples of medium GI foods?

A
  • basmati rice
  • sweetcorn (boiled)
  • sucrose
  • weetbix
36
Q

What are examples of low GI foods?

A
  • dark chocolate
  • fructose
  • milk
  • legumes
  • apples
37
Q

What are factors that affect GI?

A
  • variety of starch (eg amylopectin higher GI than amylose due to easier breakdown)
  • cooking
  • processing (eg instant oats vs traditional)
  • fibre - slows GER and increases intestinal transit time
38
Q

What are the different uses for GI?

A
  • diabetes - controlling BGL
  • sports nutrition - low GI before, high GI after event
  • weight management - satiety
39
Q

What is GL?

A

The weighted mean of GI + g of CHO per 100g/food

GL is affected by the amount of CHO in a meal

40
Q

What are the GL ranges?

A

High GL >20
Medium 11-19
Low <10

Aim for <10 per food
Aim for <100 whole day (approx 33 per meal)

Nutrients Role & Function (11 decks)

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