Simple Carbohydrates
There are two types of simple carbohydrates; monosaccharides and
disaccharides. Both consist of several types of sugars.
Monosaccharides consist of the following.
1. Glucose, which is often referred to as blood sugar, is the form of
carbohydrate most easily used by the body. It is a simple carbohydrate that
circulates in the blood and is the main source of energy for the central nervous
system and brain. Glucose is rapidly absorbed into the blood stream from the
intestine, but it requires insulin to be taken into the cells where its energy
is released.
2. Fructose is the sweetest of sugars. Although fruits and honey contain a
mixture of sugars, including sucrose, fructose provides the characteristic taste
of fruits and honey. After absorption from the small intestine, fructose
circulates in the blood stream. When it passes through to the liver, liver cells
rearrange fructose into glucose.
3. Galactose is rarely found in nature by itself but is part of the disaccharide
lactose, the sugar found in milk. Absorbed like fructose, galactose is converted
to glucose by the liver.
Disaccharides are made up of the following sugars.
1. Sucrose is formed from the pairing of units of glucose and fructose. We know
it as table sugar. Sugar cane and sugar beets are two sources of sucrose, and it
is found naturally in fruits. Because it contains fructose, sucrose is very
sweet. Sucrose has a special place in our history of food consumption and
explored in more detail here.
2. Maltose is created when two units of glucose are linked. It is available when
cereal grains are about to germinate and the plant starch is broken down into
maltose. The majority of maltose in human nutrition is created from the
breakdown of starch in the small intestine. Maltose is of particular value in
the production of beer and other malt beverages. When maltose ferments, alcohol
is formed.
3. Lactose is composed of glucose and galactose. It is usually called milk sugar
because it is the primary carbohydrate in milk.
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