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Simple Carbohydrates:
Simple Sugars |
Carbs in Food |
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Information About Carbs | Carbohydrates Guide | Low Carb Diets |
What are Simple Carbohydrates?
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All carbohydrates are made up of units of sugar ("saccharride"). Carbohydrates containing only one unit of sugar (called "monosaccharides") or two sugar units of sugar (called "disaccharides") are known as simple sugars or simple carbohydrates.
Simple sugars are typically sweet-tasting (glucose derives from the Greek word for "sweet") and are rapidly metabolized by the body and converted into energy. In fact, simple sugars need almost no digesting - they can enter the bloodstream immediately.
The most common examples of monosaccharide simple sugars are glucose (also called dextrose) and fructose. A less common simple sugar is galactose. Glucose is the primary form of sugar stored in the human body for energy. Some glucose is stored in our blood, while a liquid energy "reserve" (the "fight-or-flight" fuel) is stored as glycogen in the muscles and liver. Fructose is the main sugar found in most fruits. Both glucose and fructose have the same chemical formula, however, the body has to first convert fructose into glucose as cells only run on glucose.
Simple carbs or simple sugars (except fructose) are typically high on the glycemic index, so they tend to cause a rapid rise in blood sugar. Ideal for energy, but not so good for appetite and blood glucose control.
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Carbs-Information.com provides general information about different types of carbohydrate, like monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, as well as nutritional value of carbohydrates, carb-content of foods, plus details of GI values of all food groups, plus advice about diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance and insulin resistance. But no information is intended as a substitute for medical advice. Copyright 2003-2006. |