What are carbohydrates?
foods that contain sugar and fats
What does the energy produced from carbohydrates predominantly power?
Our cellular processes
Where do we get starch from?
Grains and vegetables
Where do we get glycogen from?
meats
Where do we get disaccharides from
variety of sugar sources
Where do we get monosaccharides from?
Honey and fruit
What is cellulose and where is it found?
carbohydrate present in plants
What does cellulose do in the alimentary tract?
Provides bulk to food as it passes through our alimentary tract
What does cellulose do for the intestinal wall in alimentary tract
Intestinal walls something to push against ease the movement of food through our intestines
What are the main monosaccharides absorbed from the GI tract?
fructose, galactose and glucose
What does the liver do to fructose and galactose?
converts into glucose which is used to fuel cellular reactions
What is glucose a key requirement for?
cellular activity
What happens to the body if glucose levels are low?
The body can synthesise fatty acids in order to produce energy
Why do we need a continuous supply of glucose
neurons need glucose and need of glucose levels are low
What can a temporary decrease in glucose cause?
impairment of NS function
What happens if we don’t have an adequate carbohydrate supply?
The liver can convert amino acids into glucose
What does glucose have a priority over?
protein synthesis from amino acids
What can excess glucose be converted to?
glycogen for storage in liver and muscles as a ready source if glucose levels drop
How much glycogen can the body store?
only a certain amount
What happens to glucose if glycogen storage is full?
excess glucose is converted onto triglyceride and stored in the adipose tissue
What are carbohydrates essential in?
production of RNA and DNA
What happens to gluocse demand as we exercise?
Higher demand
What is an estimated amount of carbohydrate per day
125-175g
