Carbohydrates how does it help your body

These monosaccharide building blocks can be stuck together and arranged into different structures of varying size, shape, and complexity, which all have specific scientific names that describe how they look on a molecular level.

These compositions help determine how these different molecules taste in our mouths and work in our bodies. Unless you spend your days looking at carbs under a microscope, though—which, hey, cool gig if you do—what you really need to know is that carbs can be split up into three main types based on their chemical structures: sugar, starch, and fiber, according to the U.

While something like white sugar is purely made of sugar, many foods contain two or three types of carbohydrates. Sugars are often referred to as simple carbohydrates because their chemical structure is, well, simple, and their size is small, Merck Manual explains. They come in the form of monosaccharides single sugars or disaccharides two sugar molecules joined together , the FDA explains, and are naturally found in fruits, dairy, and sweeteners like honey or maple syrup.

Starches and fibers are called complex carbohydrates, because—you guessed it—they look more complicated and large under a microscope. They are generally made of long strings of those simple sugars, called polysaccharides i. Starches can be found in foods like beans, whole grains, and some vegetables, like potatoes and corn, while fiber is found in fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, nuts, and seeds, according to the U. The human body needs all three types of carbs—sugar, starch, and fiber—to function well, according to the U.

National Library of Medicine because they all get used by our bodies in different ways. Now, broadly speaking, sugars and starches get broken down for energy usage and storage in our cells, tissues, and organs, per the U. But fiber is the odd carb out: It actually passes through the body mostly undigested, but helps regulate things like digestion, blood sugar, and cholesterol.

You can read more on why fiber is so important and how it works, here. The body is a little like a fancy car that only takes diesel gas, though. Its preferred form of fuel is a type of monosaccharide, or single sugar, called glucose. This is also why they are associated with a quick spike in blood sugar —your body absorbs all that glucose at once.

When you eat starch, the process of breaking it down into glucose happens over a longer period of time, because of its complex structure, Linsenmeyer explains. Weight-loss diets based on the glycemic index typically recommend limiting foods that are higher on the glycemic index.

Foods with a relatively high glycemic index ranking include potatoes and white bread, and less healthy options such as snack foods and desserts that contain refined flours. Many healthy foods, such as whole grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits and low-fat dairy products, are naturally lower on the glycemic index. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that carbohydrates make up 45 to 65 percent of your total daily calories. So, if you get 2, calories a day, between and 1, calories should be from carbohydrates.

That translates to between and grams of carbohydrates a day. You can find the carbohydrate content of packaged foods on the Nutrition Facts label. The label shows total carbohydrates — which includes starches, fiber, sugar alcohols, and naturally occurring and added sugars.

The label might also list separately total fiber, soluble fiber and sugar. Carbohydrates are your body's main fuel source. During digestion, sugars and starches are broken down into simple sugars. They're then absorbed into your bloodstream, where they're known as blood sugar blood glucose. From there, glucose enters your body's cells with the help of insulin. Glucose is used by your body for energy, and fuels all of your activities — whether it's going for a jog or simply breathing. Extra glucose is stored in your liver, muscles and other cells for later use, or is converted to fat.

Some evidence suggests that whole grains and dietary fiber from whole foods help reduce your risk of cardiovascular diseases. Fiber may also protect against obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Fiber is also essential for optimal digestive health. Evidence shows that eating plenty of fruit, vegetables and whole grains can help you control your weight.

Their bulk and fiber content aids weight control by helping you feel full on fewer calories. Contrary to what low-carb diets claim, very few studies show that a diet rich in healthy carbohydrates leads to weight gain or obesity. Carbohydrates are an essential part of a healthy diet, and provide many important nutrients. Still, not all carbs are created equal. So choose your carbohydrates wisely. Limit foods with added sugars and refined grains, such as sugary drinks, desserts and candy, which are packed with calories but low in nutrition.

Instead, go for fruits, vegetables and whole grains. There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Sign up for free, and stay up-to-date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID, plus expert advice on managing your health.

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Our Housecall e-newsletter will keep you up-to-date on the latest health information. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. Any use of this site constitutes your agreement to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy linked below. Data from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey, which looks at food consumption in the UK, shows that most of us should also be eating more fibre and starchy foods and fewer sweets, chocolates, biscuits, pastries, cakes and soft drinks that contain added sugar.

Fruit, vegetables, pulses and starchy foods especially higher fibre varieties provide a wider range of nutrients such as vitamins and minerals , which are beneficial to health. The fibre in these foods can help keep your bowel healthy and adds bulk to your meal, helping you to feel full. To increase the amount of fibre in your diet, aim for at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and veg a day. Go for higher fibre varieties of starchy foods and eat potatoes with the skin on. Try to aim for an average intake of 30g of fibre a day.

The glycaemic index GI is a rating system for foods containing carbohydrate. It shows how quickly each food affects the glucose sugar level in your blood when that food is eaten on its own. Some low-GI foods foods that are absorbed slower by the body , such as wholegrain cereals, fruit, vegetables, beans and lentils, are foods we should eat as part of a healthy, balanced diet.

But GI alone is not a reliable way of deciding whether foods, or combinations of foods, are healthy or will help you lose weight. Although low-GI foods cause your blood sugar level to rise and fall slowly, which may help you to feel fuller for longer, not all low-GI foods are healthy.

For example, watermelon and parsnips are high-GI foods, yet healthy, while chocolate cake has a lower GI value. And the way a food is cooked and what you eat it with as part of a meal will change the GI rating.

Find out more about the glycaemic index GI. Any food can cause weight gain if you eat too much. Whether your diet is high in fat or high in carbohydrates, if you frequently consume more energy than your body uses, you're likely to gain weight. Gram for gram, carbohydrate contains fewer calories than fat. Wholegrain varieties of starchy foods are good sources of fibre.

Foods high in fibre add bulk to your meal and help you to feel full. But foods high in sugar are often high in calories, and eating these foods too often can contribute to you becoming overweight. Wheat is found in a wide range of foods, from bread, pasta and pizza to cereals, biscuits and sauces. But there's not enough evidence that foods that contain wheat are any more likely to cause weight gain than any other food.

Unless you have a diagnosed health condition, such as wheat allergy, wheat sensitivity or coeliac disease , there's little evidence that cutting out wheat and other grains from your diet will benefit your health. Wholegrain, wholemeal and brown breads give us energy and contain B vitamins, vitamin E, fibre and a wide range of minerals.

White bread also contains a range of vitamins and minerals, but it has less fibre than wholegrain, wholemeal or brown breads. Find out if cutting out bread could help ease bloating or other digestive symptoms. Carbohydrates, fat and protein all provide energy, but your muscles rely on carbohydrates as their main source of fuel when you exercise. A diet that is low in carbohydrates can lead to a lack of energy during exercise, early fatigue and delayed recovery. It's recommended that you base all your meals around starchy carbohydrate foods and you choose higher fibre wholegrain varieties when you can.

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What are carbs? There are 3 different types of carbohydrates found in food: sugar, starch and fibre.

Sugar The type of sugars that most adults and children in the UK eat too much of are called free sugars. Find out more about sugar Starch Starch is found in foods that come from plants.