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Medical Health Encyclopedia
Carbohydrates
From Healthscout's partner site on diet and exercise, HealthCentral.com
Starches; Simple sugars; Sugars; Complex carbohydrates; Diet - carbohydrates; Simple carbohydrates Food Sources Carbohydrates are classified as simple or complex. The classification depends on the chemical structure of the food, and how quickly the sugar is digested and absorbed. Simple carbohydrates have one (single) or two (double) sugars. Complex carbohydrates have three or more sugars. Examples of single sugars from foods include:
Double sugars include:
![]() Honey is also a double sugar. But unlike table sugar, it contains a small amount of vitamins and minerals. (Note: Honey should not be given to children younger than 1 year old.) Complex carbohydrates, often referred to as "starchy" foods, include:
Simple carbohydrates that contain vitamins and minerals occur naturally in:
Simple carbohydrates are also found in processed and refined sugars such as:
Refined sugars provide calories, but lack vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Such simple sugars are often called "empty calories" and can lead to weight gain. Also, many refined foods, such as white flour, sugar, and white rice, lack B vitamins and other important nutrients unless they are marked "enriched." It is healthiest to get carbohydrates, vitamins, and other nutrients in as natural a form as possible -- for example, from fruit instead of table sugar.
Review Date: 05/13/2010 A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). ![]() | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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