Food Nutrients continued

CARBOHYDRATE
The next important nutrient obtainable from food is carbohydrates. Carbohydrates contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, with hydrogen and oxygen being present in the same ratio as in water. they have the general formula (CH2O)n where n is 3 or more. They form the largest fraction of fiood available to man.

Generally, we have simple sugars or the monosaccharides. Examples are glucose, fructose and galactose. The next group of carbohydrates are the disaccharides. they are made up of two units of the simple sugars. Examples are sucrose, lactose and maltose.

The last group of carbohydrates are the polysaccharides. they are made up of long chains of disaccharides and monosaccharides. Examples are starch, cellulose and amylopectin.
The generally recognized functions of carbohydrates includes the following:
1. They are oxidized to produce energy for life activities
2. When eaten in excess, the excess is converted to fat and stored under the skin where they help in conserving body temperature.
3. They are essential component of certain body organs such as brain and cartilage