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CARBOHYDRATES are the body's most preferred source of energy. They make up, by far, the largest volume (60%) of our daily food. They are taken in the form of all foods made up of grain flour, cereals, pasta, potatoes and other vegetables, and also in the form of sugars contained in fruits, syrups, honey and candy, as well as in the pure crystalline form of our familiar table "sugar".

Carbohydrate is the element in our food which:

  1. supplies the energy for the body's automatic activity and for the performance of our daily tasks. The more physical work we perform daily, the more carbohydrates we must proportionately consume.
  2. plays a vital part in the digestion, assimilation (metabolism) and oxidation of protein and fat. If we take in more carbohydrate of any kind than is needed for immediate use the unused portion is stored in the liver or converted into fat and deposited in the tissues for future use.

Most carbohydrates come from foods of plant origin. The major simple carbohydrates or sugars are glucose, maltose, fructose, and sucrose which come from plants. Lactose is found in milk.

SUGARS - Glucose is the major kind of simple sugar. Glucose is the basic source of energy for all living things. Glucose supplies the body with quick energy. It occurs naturally in some fruits and vegetables and is also produced in the body by breaking down other foods into glucose.

Miniglossary of kCaloric Sweeteners

Sucrose: commonly known as table sugar, beet sugar, or cane sugar. Sucrose occurs in many fruits and some vegetables.

Fructose: known as fruit sugar. Most plants contain fructose, especially fruits and saps.

Glucose: sometimes known as blood sugar, sometimes as grape sugar. Nearly all plant foods contain glucose.

Maltose: known as malt sugar. Found in grains.

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13y ago

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