List of Organic Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are organic molecules made up of sugars and provide energy for the human body to function properly. They break down during metabolism to create carbon dioxide, water and energy. If you consume too many carbohydrates, the excess sugar molecules stay in the body's tissues and eventually store as fat.

Simple Sugars

• Every carbohydrate contains units of sugar called saccharides. Simple sugars contain one or two saccharides. Monosaccharides occur naturally in plant foods like vegetables, fruit and honey and have only one sugar unit, either glucose or fructose. Disaccharides occur organically in fruits, vegetables, milk and cereals and contain one glucose and one fructose unit attached together to make sucrose.

Complex Carbohydrates

• Complex carbohydrates are single molecules made up of a strand of saccharides and include starch and cellulose. Complex carbohydrates release energy into the body slower than simple sugars because they have more chemical bonds connecting them and take more time for the body to break down and digest.

Starch

• Plants use starch, a strand of three saccharides, to store glucose to use later in their life. When you eat starches from potatoes, pasta or corn, your saliva breaks down the molecule and sends the sugars into your bloodstream to use instantly or later on. Athletes eat starches, especially pasta, the day before major sporting events or competitions to give them a high level of solid energy for sporting events and competitions.

Cellulose

• Cellulose forms cell walls in plants. It has a strong, two-dimensional structure that cannot be broken down by the human digestive system. Also known as fiber, cellulose occurs organically in all plants, regardless of whether the plants themselves are edible by humans. Even though it can't be broken down and used for energy, cellulose moves other foods through the digestive system and keeps the intestines clean and healthy.