Chapter 4: Carbohydrates Flashcards
Photosynthesis (2)
- carbohydrates produced
- plants use energy from sun to create energy
Humans convert plant foods from..
carbohydrates to glucose
Glucose (2)
- most abundant carb and monosaccharide
- preferred source of energy for brain and red blood cells
Simple carbohydrates (4)
sweeter than complex carbs
- monosaccharide
- disaccharide
- mix with saliva and react with taste buds
Oligosaccharides (4)
contain 3-10 monosaccharides
- fewer sugar units
- similar in length to monosaccharides
- food sources: legumes, beans, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, breast milk
Complex carbs
polysaccharides
Monosaccharides (definition, structure and 3 kinds)
one unit of sugar structure is a hexose - glucose - fructose - galactose
Fructose (3)
- sweetest natural sugar
- found in fruits
- part of high-fructose corn syrup
Galactose
part of the disaccharide, lactose
Disaccharides (definition and 3 kinds)
two monosaccharides join together through condensation
- sucrose, lactose, and maltose
Sucrose (2)
table sugar
- glucose + fructose
Lactose (2)
milk sugar found in dairy products
- glucose + galactose
Maltose (2)
formed from digestion of starches
- glucose + glucose
Polysaccarides and oligosaccharides similarities
both make up cellulose in plant cell walls and escape digestion like fiber
Structure of oligosaccharide
raffinose = galactose + sucrose (glucose and fructose)
Starch (definition and examples)
- repeated units of glucose
- plants store glucose in chains of starch
ex. amylose
amylopectin
Amylose (4)
straight chain of polysaccharides in starch
- 40% of starch
- resistant starch not digested in GI tract
- improves health of digestive tract, glucose tolerance, and intestinal bacteria growth
Amylopectin (3)
branched chains of polysaccharides found in starch
- 60% of starch
- easier to digest
Fiber (4)
non-digestible polysaccharides
- structural component in cellulose
- straight chain of glucose held together with glycosidic bond
- plant foods contain soluble and insoluble fibers, animal products do not contain fiber
Functional fiber (2)
fiber extracted or isolated from a plant, or manufactured by the food industry
- has health benefits
Soluble fiber (4)
- dissolves in water
- easily fermented by bacteria in intestine
- ex. pectins, mucilages, betaglucans
- health benefits: lowers cholesterol and blood glucose, controls appetite
Insoluble fiber (4)
- does not dissolve in water
- not easily fermented by bacteria in intestine
- ex. cellulose, ligins, hemicelluloses
- health benefits: increases stool bulk, relieves constipation
Glycogen (5)
- stored form of glucose in animals
- long, branched chains of glucose
- stored in liver and muscle
- muscle glycogen broken down for energy in muscle
- animal products do not contain glycogen
Liver glycogen response to blood glucose levels (3 steps)
blood glucose decrease > glycogen breaks down > blood glucose increases
Lactose intolerance
deficiency of lactase, the enzyme that digests lactose
- nausea, cramps, bloating, flatulence, diarrhea
Lactose maldigestion
inability to digest lactose due to low levels of lactase
Dietary recommendations for lactose intolerance (7)
Create tolerance
- depends on individual’s threshold
- consume small amounts of dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt)
- whole milk better tolerated than skim milk
- cheese has less lactose than milk (hard cheeses)
- consume yogurt with live, active cultures
- consume lactose-reduced products or take lactose pills
Disaccharides and starches digestion
digested to monosaccharides
Monosaccarides digestion
absorbed by small intestine
Fiber digestion
passes through GI tract undigested
Digestion of carbs (4)
- teeth grind food and mix with saliva (salivary amylase)
- food travels down esophagus to stomach (amylase continues breaking down starch)
- pancreas releases pancreatic amylase when carbs enter small intestine (starches break down into maltose, disaccharides converted to monosaccharides)
- Large intestine, all starch and simple sugars have been broken down and absorbed (only indigestible fiber remains)
Carbohydrate absorption (4)
absorbed as monosaccharides
- absorbed through intestinal cell mucosa
- transported to liver via portal vein
- metabolic needs direct fate of monosaccharides
Galactose and fructose function (2)
- used by liver for energy
- converted to glucose
Glycogenesis (2)
glucose converted to glycogen
- excess glucose converted to glycerol and mostly fatty acids for storage in adipocytes
Carbohydrates functions (4)
- provide energy (4 kcal/g)
- maintain blood glucose levels: glucose primary fuel for brain, glycogenesis occurs 4 hours after meal, muscle glycogen cannot raise blood glucose levels
- spare protein: prevent gluconeogenesis (occurs mainly in liver and sometimes kidney)
- prevents ketosis
Gluconeogenesis
forms new glucose from amino acid proteins
Normal blood glucose levels (2)
70 mg/dl to 110 mg/dl
- insulin and glucagon maintain level