The human body is an interesting machine with complex and astounding biochemical reactions. The body's main source of fuel is carbohydrates that are found in a multitude of foods. Carbohydrates are either simple or complex; here are the differences between them and how they affect your body.
Structure
In scientific terms, the smallest unit of a carbohydrate is called a saccharide. When you ingest a complex or simple carbohydrate, the difference between them is the number of saccharide units that comprise each of them. A simple carbohydrate has either one or two saccharides, while a complex carbohydrate has three or more saccharide units. Complex carbs may also vary between a straight chain complex carbohydrate and a cyclic ring carbohydrate. Your body has mechanisms to alter complex carbohydrates between the two forms depending on your bodily needs.
Digestion
The difference in structure between simple and complex carbohydrates leads to differences in digestion. Complex carbohydrates have saccharides that bond to one another in a greater variety of orientations compared to the saccharides of simple carbohydrates. This creates the need for your body to produce a greater number of enzymes to digest the complex carbs.
Energy
When you consider the energy you derive from carbohydrates, a given number of complex carbohydrates gives you more energy than the same number of simple carbohydrates. The energy of a carbohydrate comes from the bonds between saccharides and other moieties attached to the carbon skeleton. A practical example is to say that you gain more energy by eating a slice of whole wheat bread than by eating a slice of white bread. The whole wheat bread has many more complex carbohydrates than the white bread.
Nutrition
The difference in the energy available to you from complex and simple carbohydrates has implications on your nutrition and diet. For one, you may want to limit your complex carbohydrates if you try to lose weight. Conversely, you limit your simple carbohydrates if you try to gain weight. This fact is important if you are diabetic and need to determine which food to eat when you alter your blood sugar. In general, you need to have a balanced diet inclusive of both carbohydrate types to maintain your health and well-being.
With this information, you are able to make more informed decisions on how to arrange your diet for the best nutrition. If you are diabetic, you need to be more astute about the types of carbohydrates you eat and consult your doctor or nutritionist to formulate a plan that works for you.
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