Nutrients provide your body with the energy it needs to maintain necessary processes such as growth, metabolism, brain function and digestion. The three major nutrients, also called macronutrients, are carbohydrates, protein and fat. To fuel necessary processes in your body, you must consume these nutrients regularly in your diet. Carbohydrates, specifically, are the body’s main source of energy and are vitally important to the efficient functioning of many systems and tissues in the body. At their simplest, carbohydrates are long strands of sugar molecules linked together. Some strands contain only a few molecules while others include thousands. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, the digestive system breaks all carbohydrates down into their individual sugar components because the molecules must be small enough to cross over into the bloodstream.
Small sugar chains are referred to as simple carbohydrates because they can be easily digested and quickly broken down into individual sugar molecules. More complex carbohydrate chains take longer to digest. Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of usable energy. The McKinley Health Center at the University of Illinois explains that every tissue and cell in the body uses glucose, a form of sugar, for energy. This energy can be used immediately, once the carbohydrate is digested and glucose sugars are sent into the bloodstream, or it can be stored within muscles and the liver for future use.
Besides being the main source of energy, carbohydrates also function to regulate the digestive system and maintain intestinal health. According to the USDA Dietary Guidelines, 45 percent to 65 percent of your daily calories should come from carbohydrates. Grains, potatoes, pasta, fruits, vegetables, beans, soda, candy and other desserts are all considered carbohydrates. Ideally, however, the majority of your carbohydrate sources should be complex carbohydrates that take longer to digest. The Harvard School of Public Health lists examples of these as whole grain cereals for breakfast, whole grain breads for lunch or snacks, brown rice instead of potatoes or white rice, whole wheat pasta in place of regular pasta, plus any type of beans. Thus Infographic bellow, shows you the difference between good and bad carbs.
