Carbohydrates are energy-giving foods that enable the body to function well. Every person needs plenty of carbohydrates in their diet to remain healthy and carry out their daily tasks properly. Scientists recommend that carbohydrates form between 45% and 65% of one’s daily consumption (Wali et al., 2021). High carbohydrates uptake translates to high calories and sufficient energy for the body. The paper will discuss carbohydrate consumption and the composition of carbohydrate sources.
Some of the foods that contain high contents of carbohydrates are wheat which can be consumed as wheat grain or wheat flour and differ in their functionality in the body. Wheat flour from wheat grain is obtained by milling the wheat grain to remove the outer part of the kernel, which are the bran and germ. There is a variation in the chemical composition of the bran and portions of the kernel’s endosperm. The kernel contains starch as the major carbohydrate in its endosperm. The kernel also contains free gas, pentosans, and glucofructans. The outermost layer of the wheat kernel, the bran, has starch as a contaminant of the endosperm. The bran also contains carbohydrate materials such as free gas and cellulose.
Carbohydrates come from different foods, including fruits, green vegetables, roots, and legumes. Sugar types found in fruits are three in total, namely glucose, fructose, and sucrose (Ludwig et al., 2018). Glucose is utilized in the body by the brain and muscles, while fructose is used in the functioning of the liver. Sucrose is broken down into fructose and glucose to give the body energy. Green vegetables only contain simple carbohydrates that are in the basic form. Root vegetables also contain carbohydrates in low quantities, which are useful to the human body. Legumes contain complex carbohydrates in resistant starch, used as food by organisms living in the large intestine. Complex carbohydrates resist being broken down into glucose while in the small bowel.
Consumption of a large amount of added sugar is unhealthy for the human body. The high calories of carbohydrates consumed daily must be associated with the rigorous activity to burn it. Consumption of high amounts of starch and fat causes obesity. Obesity is a condition that results from unburnt calories in the body. Humans must exercise consumption of the right quantities of carbohydrates. Problems that arise from much sugar consumption are heart failures and heart attacks that result from the excess sugar that insulates the blood vessels hindering blood from passing through. When the blood is blocked from flowing to other parts of the body by the excess sugar, one may experience stroke due to a lack of blood in the parts of the body.
In conclusion, carbohydrates are important for our bodies, and consumption level differs from person to person depending on the type of activity one does. People who engage in rigorous activities must take more carbohydrate-rich foods than those who do not. One must understand the type of activity they engage in to avoid excessive consumption of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates have different functions in the body that are dependent on the types of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates primarily give the body the energy to do activities that involve muscles or just body movement. People under instructions from doctors to avoid high content carbohydrates due to underlying conditions should consume low carbohydrate foods such as vegetables and some fruits. Carbohydrates that occur naturally in fruits and vegetables are less harmful to the body than added sugars. One should consult their doctor on the kind of fruits and vegetables to consume depending on the seriousness of their condition.
References
Ludwig, D. S., Hu, F. B., Tappy, L., & Brand-Miller, J. (2018). Dietary carbohydrates: Role of Quality and Quantity in Chronic Disease. BMJ, 361. Web.
Wali, J. A., Raubenheimer, D., Senior, A. M., Le Couteur, D. G., & Simpson, S. J. (2021). Cardio-metabolic consequences of dietary carbohydrates: reconciling contradictions using nutritional geometry. Cardiovascular Research, 117(2), 386-401. Web.